Needs Mohr Cylinders: 1951 Jaguar XK120 Kit Car

When somebody says "kit car" I instantly think of Cobras, 550 Spyders, 356 Speedsters, Lotus things, and Kustom Fieros made to look like Ferraris...but I have never really thought about Jags.  Particularly XK120 looking Jags from the 1950s that just need an injection of V8 to get going.  Now, I know what you're thinking. You're gonna stick a Chebby 350 mated to a TH350...but don't do it.  Slap some sense into yourself and get a V12 -- maybe a 6 liter BMW N73 V12 good for 439 horsepower or a  6 liter W12 from a VW/Audi  also good for 400+ horsepower or be a real man and drop a Rolls Royce Meteor V12  which is a 27 liter tank engine for those who've been out of the loop.  GET INTO THE GAME, SON!  Find this 1951 Jaguar XK120 Kit Car here on eBay offered for $19,900 in Miami, FL.

Ain't Easy Being Green: 1967 Toyota Corona 1900 Deluxe

I'd always rather buy a nicely restored or original condition survivor than a car that has had a cheap respray or is a pile of parts...but this next car appears to be a running/driving example of an unusual classic that just needs a paint job and some TLC.  How bad could it be? Find this 1967 Toyota Corona 1900 Deluxe here on eBay bidding for $1,175 reserve-not-met with 2 days to go, located in Moreno Valley, CA.

Mid Engine Project: 1970 Lotus Europa S2

The Lotus Europa has always been a favorite car over around these here parts -- we DT writers love its lightweight composite chassis, mid engine high revving powerplant and cheap entry price.  Time has driven the nicer examples to higher prices, but you can still get nice cheap Europa for the price of a 911 rear bumper mounting flange and we think the Europa is sweet. Find this 1970 Lotus Europa S2 offered for $7450 in Long Beach, CA via craigslist. Tip from Hugh.

Relatively Complete: 1966 Lotus Elan S2

Most of the automobiles features on these pages are inexpensive classics or late model maniac machines...with an emphasis on cars you can drive and enjoy on the cheap for years on end.  However...there are sometimes cars that cross our path that offer a combination of exclusivity and cool factor at an economy car entry price...BUT you might need to put thousands of dollars and hours into a restoration. Ehh...what else are you gonna do with your weekends? Find this 1966 Lotus Elan S2 offered for $18,500 in Worcester, MA via craigslist.

Phone Dials: 1986 Porsche 944

I know, I know.  I hate to be a pessimist.  I hate to be yet another voice on the internet that laments how all the cheap fun cars have been purchased by stamp collectors who've inflated their values to the detriment of everyone but the wealthy elite who can afford them.  And the collector car market really is a zero sum game, because it wouldn't make a bit of difference if the bottom fell out of the Ferrari GTO market except that I would own/drive one...so I'm not going to say that you should buy a Porsche 944 while they are still affordable, because, by all accounts, they will likely be affordable until flying electric cars are given out with every Wild Stallions album, but in the meantime, you'll have to shell out a few bucks if you want a Porsche that only runs on starting fluid. Find this 1986 Porsche 944 here on eBay offered for $3000 buy-it-now located in Chico, CA with 5 days to go.

Cheapest M3 For Sale: 2002 BMW E46 M3

People claim that something is -est all the time.  The fastest.  The meanest.  The leanest. The beastiest. The cheesiest. The frostiest. The greenest. The chipotlest. The cleanest. The best. The sportiest. The raciest. But they are usually wrong -- sometimes on purpose, sometimes through hyperbole, but I'm going to drop an EST on y'all that'll be hard to disprove.  This is...the..cheapEST M3 for sale on the planet. It just needs some bearings and a bottom end overhaul...how hard can that be on an 8000 rpm inline-6? Find this 2002 BMW E46 M3 offered for $3,500 in Ventura, CA via craigslist. Tip from Sean.

Small Car, Big Project: 1978 MG Midget

I hate getting other people's half baked projects.  It never ends well.  It always starts with a simple -- hey I'll adjust the timing, air up the spare, and drive it...but ends with crap, where the blazes can I get another a double cardan constant velocity u-joint for a Simca?  The ONLY reason I'd ever take another project is if the price was really good...yeah...$500...that'll do.  Find this 1978 MG Midget in pieces here on eBay offered for $500 buy-it-now located in Haddam, CT.

Needs TLC: 1964 Chevrolet Impala

Some cars are so awesome that we can forgive a tragic condition and third generation Chevy Impala is part of that small group of cars (E28 M5 is another...and anything with a fuel injected V8 or a Wankel swap...but we've got strange taste).  Todays example is pretty crusty, doesn't run, but the price isn't too insane when you factor what a running/nice example costs and the potential is huuuuuuuuuge. Find this 1964 Chevrolet Impala offered for $6000 in Lee, FL via craigslist. Tip from Dascpcu.

It's Medicinal...Man: 1987 BMW 535is

We all know that guy (or gal) who is obsessed with BMWs. He is always talking about one, buying one, selling one or even trying to build his own.  It becomes an all consuming passion and he (or she) has probably lost a few jobs over one.  You could call him (or her) an addict...but I think that would be to trivialize the plight of people with real chemical addiction problems.  But I'd suggest a good round of Bimmers Anonymous for this next guy.  Find this 1987 BMW 535is offered for $2000 in Rosamond, CA via craigslist. Tip from Sean S.

Risky Business: 2004 Audi S4 V8 6spd

In 2003 Audi replaced the previous twin-turbo V6 S4 sport sedan with a car that now featured V8 power...but with the same Audi Quattro four-wheel-drive grip and countless expensive repairs just waiting for whoever chooses to drive it past 100k miles.  This next one is REALLY cheap, which begs the question --how much can it really cost to repair?  Find this 2004 Audi S4 V8 6spd offered for $3000 in Los Angeles, CA via craigslist.

Some Assy Required: 2005 Subaru Impreza WRX STI

The Subaru Impreza was first imported to the USofA in the 1993 model year, and the sporty WRX version wasn't available until the year 2000 and it wasn't until 2004 that the STI version was available.  And there was much rejoicing.  Find this 2005 Subaru Impreza WRX STI offered for $10,500 in Reisterstown, MD via craigslist. Tip from Jeff S.

Sewing Machine: 1954 Singer 4AD Roadster

 Singer Motors Limited was founded in 1874 as a bicycle building business out of Coventry, England -- but it wasn't until the 20th century that founder George Singer began making motorized 2-wheel, 3-wheel, and finally, 4-wheeled vehicles. Fast forward a few years, and it was taken-over and run into the ground by the Rootes Group, but not before they built a few cool cars like the 4AD Roadster. Find this 1954 Singer 4AD Roadster here on eBay bidding for $3,650 with a few days to go, located in Willoughby, OH.

Rest In Pieces: 1972 Chevrolet Chevelle Wagon

"I have over $15,000 invested. Asking $7500." -- there is no better money spent on any car than the previous owner's money and this next vehicle comes in at a claimed 50 cents on the dollar.  Unfortunately you will need to put the car back together like a giant set of real life Legos.  Find this 1972 Chevrolet Chevelle Wagon offered for $7,500 in Sanibel, FL via craigslist.  Tip from Dascpcu.  

Steal This Volvo: 1962 Volvo 122

This next car was purchased by the seller as a daily driver for his/her daughter thinking it would be a good car for her to "tinker on"...but presumably they remember that millennials don't work on cars or even own/drive them and now they are selling to car to get her an Uber gift card [ed CFlo says: hey Vince, "Millenials" includes people who graduated high school around 2000 - I'm one of them...].  The car is ugly, but the price is right.  Find this 1962 Volvo 122 offered for $2,000 in Oceanside, CA via craigslist. Tip from FuelTruck. 

Some Assembly Required: 1968 Volvo 1800S

The Volvo P1800/1800S/1800E/1800ES is a regular offender on these pages -- why, you ask?  Simply put, it offers a combination of good looks, acceptable performance, and reliability for a low entry price.  It isn't the only option in town for a budget classic, but it makes a bunch of sense when you compare to some of the other overpriced European cars on the market.  Find this 1968 Volvo 1800S here on eBay bidding for $1,613 with 1 day to go, located in Renton, WA.

Needs Some Work: 1967 Triumph 2000

The Triumph 2000/2500 was a mid-sized sedan (saloon) designed by Giovanni Michelotti ((Standard, Triumph , Ferrari, Maserati, BMW, DAF/Volvo trucks), and built in the United Kingdom from 1963 through 1977.  It isn't a car you will find at your local Friday night car show, or even at an annual collection of British cars because the few that were imported have probably rusted into oblivion.  Find this 1967 Triumph 2000 offered for $2,300 in Portland, OR via craigslist.  Tip from FuelTruck.

Flat-12 Powered: Custom Porsche 917/10 Can-Am Tribute

Here are the three most important facts you need to know about this hand-built, Subaru-powered Porsche 917 tribute : 1. It isn't a Laser. 2. It isn't complete. 3. It has "two Subaru Tribeca engines bolted together to make a 12 cylinder boxer." The project lit up the internet when it first listed on eBay last August for $40,000. Today, it's just looking for an offer. Find this custom Porsche 917/10 Can-Am replica for sale in Hartford, CT for "best offer" via craigslist.