Estimated Time to Awesome: 1987 BMW 528e

This next car comes from tipper Jake who writes: You absolutely can’t go wrong here.  Amen, brother...Amen. This is not the preferred 535i "injection" version and is instead the 528e version...e is short for ETA, and is not, contrary to popular belief, named after the Basque separatist group, but is instead named ETA for the Greek letter η....which in enginerd parlance is used for efficiency. The 528e engine was tuned for fuel economy over power, and should be acceptable when paired to the 5-speed manual gearbox.  Find this 1987 BMW 528e offered for $4,500 in Smithfield, VA via craigslist.

3k: Seller Sub: 1987 BMW 325e E30 5-spd

The BMW 325e was an E30 variant created to offer greater fuel economy from the small six cylinder engine, the e was an abbreviation for the greek letter eta, or "engineering speak" for efficiency.  The eta version was slower than a standard 325, but its low compression engine offers supple off idle torque and is well suited for turbocharging.  Find this 1987 BMW 325e E30 5spd offered via Rhode Island craigslist for $2995.  Seller submission from Jeffrey A.