There is no better money spent on a car than a serious investment from the previous owner and today we've got a whooper. How about $24,000 spent and countless weekends of assembly -- and you get the entire package from something you can negotiate that is less than $10k. Find this 1974 Triumph Spitfire offered for $10,000 in Campbell, CA via craigslist.
A wise man once told me to never buy a car that has recently been painted (new or used) -- but what's wrong with taking advantage of the previous guy's time, money, or painting skills? The answer, of course, is nothing, but be sure to check and double check the quality of the paint job, lest you get stuck with a Earl Scheib spray 'n' pray that looks like a 10 year old Nissan after 6 months. Find this 1978 Ford F-150 Ranger here on eBay
bidding for $4,050 reserve-not-met with 8 days to go, located in Nampa, ID.
The MG Midget was a badge engineered version of the Austin Healey Sprite and shared mechanical components, sheet metal -- basically everything but the badging. In the 5th generation (1974) the Austin Healey Sprite had been discontinued, but the Midget was now powered by a larger 1.5 liter engine and will have a better time keeping up with modern traffic. Regardless, the Spridget has a certain enduring charm and a dedicated following -- and is also a great way to get into a restored classic roadster for the price of a wreck in many other makes/models. Find this 1975 MG Midget offered for $6,000 in West Los Angeles, CA via craigslist.
We had recently posted a Volvo 1800S from ebay seller Oprah85 (a DT regular reader and commenter named Tamas) when he sent us an email with another minty clean 1800 (this time an E - fuel injected model) that was too nice to not feature. This 1972 Volvo 1800E is for sale in Mission Hills, CA currently bidding at $1972 with 5 days to go.
Back in 1949 Ford Motor Company introduced the first post-war Mercury design, which was then just called the "Eight" as there was only one model. But one was all they needed to spark the imaginations of Rebels and customizers across America. This 1950 4-door sedan's design is little changed from the '49 and was completely restored in the early '90s. The car is completely stock except for dual exhaust - a rarity these days since the '49-'51 Merc is the quintessential "Lead Sled" and almost all of them have been customized by now. This clean '50 sedan is available here on ebay, with bidding near $13k and a $17,500 Buy it Now price in northern Virginia. |
| Dark green over mint two-tone is an odd color scheme, but the chrome shaver grille looks immaculate. |
We had such a great success with a Volvo 122S named Helga, that we decided we would post the next good example we could find...it was that or some kind of hideous bat-mobile based on a Fiat spider. It (the Volvo, not the BiatMobile) came sooner than we expected in the form of a tip from one of our readers: this 1968 Volvo 122S Amazon is a real peach and can be picked in Windsor, CA for $12k via craigslist. Special thanks to Biker Jen for the tip!