This next car comes from Erik202 who writes: I know this one is slightly above the DT budget but maybe there are some readers who've been saving that Christmas money from grandma up for the last i dunno, 30-40 years and can to afford stretch a little for something cool. Find this 1970 Lotus Europa S2 offered for $25000 in Westside Los Angeles, CA via craigslist.
The Silver State Classic Challenge is a nutty twice-a-year event where roads are closed and people drive highly modified vehicles at highly modified speeds. The event website says anyone can race, all you need is a car that can average 95mph or greater...but the truth is that you'll want something that can go at least 190mph and full safety equipment to have a good time. Like this 1998 Ford Mustang Cobra Racer here on eBay offered for $12,000 buy-it-now located in Sacramento, CA.
It might not say in his official autobiography, but I'm pretty sure that Sebastian Vettel started his racing career in a Saturn SL2 with an automatic transmission -- and now he races a Fiat in F1, so that could be you for a small hunk of cash. Find this 1994 Saturn SL2 Race Car offered for $1250 in South Jersey, NJ via craigslist. Tip from Jeff S.
Ok, it may not be Thursday anymore, but here at DT any day is Thorsday! Today we have a special treat - the ultimate Volvo 240. Regardless of price range, how often does an original touring car factory racer come up for sale from the Swedish stalwart? The answer is... not very. In 1983 Volvo decided to take on the likes of BMW, Alfa Romeo, Audi, Jaguar and other sporting brands who competed in the top level of touring car racing (that's production based cars bombing around road courses, if you're not familiar). They kicked some arsel in both the DTM and European Touring Car series, as a full-fledged factory team. The cars made around 350hp from their 2.1L turbocharged and water injected 4-cylinder Redblock engines. Find this 1984 -86ish Volvo 242 Turbo Group A race car for sale in Falkenburg, Sweden for an unspecified number of suitcases full of Kronor... via racecarsdirect.com.
The Fiat 850 Spider was a small 2-sear roadster with a body designed and built by Bertone and mechanical bits from the Fiat 850 sedan. The 850 is pretty slow, even by X1/9 standards, so having a number 11 followed by "HP" is funny. Very funny. Find this 1971 Fiat 850 Spider offered for $2,950 in Fairfield, NY via craigslist. Tip from Cory.
Checker or wreck 'er. Win it or bin it, so they say. Getting involved in vintage racing is a very appealing proposition for those who give zero effs. It's those with the Ferrari 250-somethings that have something to lose. So why not find some pedigree in the cheapest way possible and reliably take podium through fear and intimidation with this 1960's Custom Dirt Super Modified for sale in Shelby, NC for $2,500.
By Glenn -- For those of us who like cruise around town stealthily there are hordes of vehicles to serve that need. For those of us who like to stand out, a factory street legal race car can fit the bill nicely! Find this 1989 IROC-Z Players Challenge Car near Vancouver, BC via Craigslist for $19000.00 CDN ($14450.00 USD at today's rate).
Time for another classic car face-off, where you get to pick which car you'd drive if given the chance, but today (naturally) we've added a twist. Not only are these two cars located in the same city, but they are being offered by the same seller, so your decision doesn't have to get made until after you give each a test drive. The contenders: a 1958 Devin D for $10,000 vs this 1976 Kelmark GT for $7,000, both offered for sale in Evergreen, CO via craigslist. Tip from Zach.
The Panoz Esperante was the Corvette competitor that Ford never built. The American-made two-seat sports car uses a Mustang drivetrain, firewall, Cobra independent rear suspension, brakes, and gauges with a European-grade luxury interior. That interior is gone, as is the excellent Mustang drivetrain. The former is replaced by a fire supression system and twin Recaros. The latter, by a supercharged LS-series V8. Consider it Daniel Craig's take on James Bond: an Ivy League graduate who's just looking for a good, old-fashioned bar brawl. Find this 1998 Panoz Esperante racer for sale in Jefferson, GA for $21,000 via craigslist.
So, you want to go 24 Hrs of LeMons racing, but you don't have the time/skills/5-Hour-Energy/personality disorder necessary to build you own heap? Why not pick up a used & abused example, save yourself the headache, and go racing. Find this 1974 Porsche 914 offered for $2,250 via racingjunk.com classifieds. The seller doesn't specify which year this 914 was originally from, but the 2.0 liter engine might suggest something between 1973-1976. |
| image from http://blog.caranddriver.com/24-hours-of-lemons-utah-the-winners/ |
The general consensus from the commenters who responded to this Friday's Coffee Brake question is that they (you?) like the mix of 