Happy As A Pig In Mud: 2011 Ford Crown Victoria P71

The 2nd generation Crown Victoria  was introduced in 1998 and was available to the public (mostly old dudes) through the 2007 model year.  From 2008 to 2011 the Crown Vic was only sold for fleet/rental use and was the police car of choice for many precincts.  This made spotting smokey and dropping to the legal speed limit an exercise in Crown Vic spotting and its recognizable shape will be missed as it has been replaced with various Malibu, Taurus, Charger, Caprice, and various SUVs/Tanks/Black Helicopters if you read (and/or believe) the news these days.  Regardless, if you are in the market for a used Crown Victoria and want to escape the madness in the big (and small) cities (again...if you read and/or believe the news...), you'll need a Crown Vic that has been converted into an off road escape machine. Find this 2011 Ford Crown Victoria P71 offered for $5800 in Solvang, CA via craigslist. Tip from Mike Jr.

Terrano Regulus: 2001 Infiniti QX4

You might have never heard of the Infiniti QX4 before today...well...because it is an oddball luxury SUV from Nissan's luxury brand sold from 1997-2003. You can barely throw a timing belt without hitting a Nissan Pathfinder around these parts, but good luck finding a QX4 -- I have to imagine that Infiniti only sold a dozen or so...but according to this random website, Infiniti sold about 20k a year -- not much in the modern world, but more than a Nissan GTR. Find this 2001 Infiniti QX4 offered for $3300 in Pasadena, CA via craigslist.

Pacecar of the Coronapocalypse: 2001 GMC Savana Quigley 4X4 Conversion

I hate to contribute to the general panic around the coronavirus...but like the 50th person jumping into a dogpile, I feel only a small pang of regret in my gut.  Or is that the coronavirus?  Lack of smell and pangs in your gut?  I gotta google this.  Hang on....nope, I'm good.  Anyway, if you are thinking that the virus and ensuing economic recession is going to mean you might need a bugout vehicle, I have to think that a used Quigley conversion panel van has the right combination of 4X4, skid-plate, basher bumper, and no windows to help you survive. Find this 2001 GMC Savana Quigley 4X4 Conversion here on eBay offered for $16,990 or best offer located in Braidwood, IL.

Billy Goat: 1994 Suzuki Samurai

The 2nd generation Samurai is a compact off-roader from Suzuki, built from 1981-1998.  The Samurai makes a miserable ride on tarmac, but is legendary for its off-road capability, with one beating a Jeep record for highest altitude achieved for a 4-wheeled vehicle at 21,942 ft.  We think the Samurai is a logical choice for someone needing 4WD capabilities as they are cheap, easy to fix and built like small tanks...get one while they are cheap...uggg this one isn't cheap. The miles are low, but to get this sorta price, they'd have to detail it and feature it on one of those fancy pants auction sites where suckers people over pay a premium.  Find this 1994 Suzuki Samurai here on eBay with a starting bid of $7500 located in Glenview, IL with 2 days to go.

Valp! 1963 Volvo L3304

If you are going to drive off road, there are a few options available; The first is you can just drive your 87 Pontiac Grand Prix you normally take on the road onto a dirt road and just man-up, but you could also get into something like a light SUV/CUV crossover that gives some more dirt confidence...or you can go full Jeep.  But if you want to go even MORE into the woods, you'll need to search out something like this 1963 Volvo L3304 offered for $11,500 in San Rafael, CA via craigslist. Tip from Erik202.

Super Size Me..ata? 1992 Mazda MX-5 Miata

"Hey, what we need is a lifted Miata" -- said nobody ever. Actually...this is far more desirable of a car than a Pontiac Aztec, Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet, or anything made during the evil Daimler-Chrysler merger era.  Anyway, find this 1992 Mazda MX-5 Miata offered for $4999 in Charlotte, NC via craigslist.  Tip from Rock On!

TJ Big Six: 2001 Jeep Wrangler Sahara

I looked at this next car and said "wow, that is one well preserved 80s Jeep"...but then I noticed that the model year was a 2001?  Wow.  The TJ generation Jeep Wrangler was built from 1996 through 2006 on a chassis that was a mildly updated version of the 1986-1995 YJ Wranger that was originally developed by AMC during Renault ownership, which was just a slightly upgraded version of the CJ...you can see where this meandering path down Jeep history is going.  Find this 2001 Jeep Wrangler Sahara here on eBay offered for $6950 buy-it-now located in Ozone Park, NY.

Dolph's Ride: 1963 Volvo Laplander L3313

I was watching this sweet Volvo Excavators advertisement on the youtubes when I pointed out to a friend that Dolph is driving a sweet old Ford pickup and my pal brazenly stated it was because there was nothing old school cool from Volvo that Dolph could drive...which was a complete load of steaming moose pucky because I could pick 50 different old school Swedish rides for the Lundgrenader.  Here is a 1963 Volvo Laplander L3313 offered for $6000 in Albuquerque, NM via craigslist. Tip from FuelTruck.

Raptor and Tribulation: 2010 Ford F150 SVT Raptor

When the Ford SVT Raptor hit the showrooms in late 2009, I said to myself:  "Self, this is going to be an AWESOME DT car once the frames have been bent, odometers rolled, and the magic wand of depreciation has driven prices low...can't take more than 5 years."  Well...amazingly enough, these beasts maintained high resale value for almost a decade and ONLY now (ten years after launch...literally) can you get one for less than $20k -- and not just sketchy craigslist ads with minimal details and probably a complex 419 scam on the other end.  But, a real 5.4L V8 powered off-road beast for the price of a few Dodge Ram beaters. Find this 2010 Ford F150 SVT Raptor offered for $21,500 in Watertown, CT via craigslist.

Secret Car Clubber: 1965 Land Rover Series II

This next car comes as a seller submission from Chris of the Secret Car Club...which isn't so secret anymore because it is being listed on Daily Turismo which has a reach of about 4 people who might be able to afford a car that is a smidge above our self imposed $20k cap...and when I say a smidge, I mean $8,000 or about the cost of a dozen Citroen Xantias...anyway, judge for yourself...and I will duck as the rocks get thrown.  But I like this thing.  Find this 1965 Land Rover Series II offered for $28,000 in San Marcos, CA via autotrader and something called Brojure.

Crybaby: 1955 Tatra 805

The Tatra 805 is an oddball Soviet Bloc off-road military hauler built from 1952 through 1962 somewhere behind the iron curtain. According to various online sources, the 805 was called "crybaby" because of the peculiar engine note from the aircooled V8.  Find this 1955 Tatra 805 offered for $16,000 CAD ($12,115 USD at time of printing) located in Mississauga Ontario, Canada via Kijiji.ca. Tip from Rock On!

Something Special? 1976 Land Rover Series 3

I'll be that guy who raises his hand and admits he knows nothing about this next model.  I'm really not a Land Rover guy, so I don't know if this next model is rare or desireable or a piece of crap, but I will tell ya that whenever I see one I think "ooohhh, I want that" which means it has something.  But you get to tell me what is special (or not!) about this car.  Find this 1976 Land Rover Series 3 offered for $18000 in Seattle, WA via craigslist. Tip from FuelTruck.

Dah Car, Can Rally: 2003 Nissan 350Z

I'm a big fan of Nissan's 350Z offering (launch in 2002) because it reversed some of the mass and complexity of 300ZX and returned the car to its original roots -- handling and affordability.  But...I've got to admit that I've always been a tad disappointed that Nissan never released a lifted Dakar Rally ready version of the Z, because that would have been awesome. Find this 2003 Nissan 350Z offered for $10,000 located in San Luis Obispo, CA. Tip from Sean S.

Another Reverse Swap: 1968 Volkswagen Beetle Electric Baja

In the world of reverse engine swaps, I love nothing more than an electric swap where at first glance it seems like a good idea (torque in off-road situations is good), but through further analysis...the consequences of running out of juice involves death via exposure.  Find this 1968 Volkswagen Beetle Electric Baja offered for $10,000 in Jamul, CA via craigslist.  Tip from Rock On!

Beached: 1991 Mazda MX-5 Miata

All kinds of fancy schmancy car events happen at the beach at places like Pebble Beach, Amelia Island, or Boca Raton...but sometimes the best cars are for driving around on the beach instead of showing at the beach.  Like this 1991 Mazda MX-5 offered for $7000 near Grover Beach, CA via craigslist.  Tip from Sean who writes: The answer is always Miata, even at Pismo Beach

Zeepers! 1997 BMW Z3 Offroadster

The BMW Z3 roadster was released in 1995 as the German answer to Chrysler's Jeep offerings...wait...that isn't right.  The Jeep isn't a roadster. At least, I don't think it was.  Define: Roadster; road·ster ˈrōdstər/ noun noun: roadster; an open-top automobile with two seats.  historical- a horse for use on the road.  A Wrangler has two seats, (that bench in the back hardly counts) and an open top...so I guess it IS a roadster.  Anyway, lifted Z3 was the perfect answer to the Jeep but this is the only one I could find for sale.  Find this 1997 BMW Z3 Offroadster offered for $2,800 in Denver, PA.  Tip from the Hack Mechanic.

Cat On A Pole: 1979 Volkswagen Iltis

The Volkswagen Iltis was a military light Jeep style thing built for German defence forces from 1978 through 1988.  It was the successor to the Kubelwagen and yet another car-based thing to replace the failed Europa Jeep project.  Find this 1979 Volkswagen Iltis here on eBay bidding for $6,300 reserve-not-met located in San Diego, CA.