10k: Red Rumble: 1991 BMW E34 M5

It is no secret that the motley collection of hacks who make up the staff at the Daily Turismo are big fans of the E34 generation BMW M5...which you could probably tell by the (now slightly out of date) market update and the recent purchase of an E34 M5 by DT's own CFlo. As the nice examples of the E28 M5 are starting to draw the attention of collectors and looky-loos, the E34 continues to be a depreciated classic for the low budget crowd.  Find this 1991 BMW E34 M5 for sale in Aurora, CO currently bidding for $9,000 on ebay with 2 days to go.

5k: Almost A Batmobile: 1953 Studebaker Champion Starlight Coupe

It never fails to happen.  Write one snarky quip comparing the aesthetics of the Studebaker GT Hawk to Joan Rivers' face and the guys over at the Studebaker Drivers Club start acting like I just canceled Matlock or enacted a tariff on the importation of Metamucil.  It's not like I compared the car to leprosy, syphilis, small pox, or being bitten by an electric eel.  Furthermore, it was clear that the particular GT Hawk is a cool car offered at a good price and Joan Rivers doesn't look bad for being a thousand years old.  In fairness to the Studebaker crowd it was decided to introduce this next posting filled with nothing but positive things to say.  Find this 1953 Studebaker Champion Starlight Coupe offered for $6,000 in Pompano, FL via craigslist.  Tip from JB.

5k: Avalon Power: 1987 Toyota MR2 1MZ V6 Swap

The first generation Toyota MR2 was a lightweight 2-seater budget sports car built in Japan from 1984 to 1989. The faster version had a small Roots-type supercharger mated to an inline-4 cylinder and made 145 horsepower...not exactly a screamer by today's standards.  Stick a big V6 from a Toyota Avalon into the back and suddenly things get exciting.  Find this 1987 Toyota MR2 with 1MZ-FE Swap offered for $4000 in Upland, CA via craigslist.  Tip from  Rod S.

5k: Cab Forward: 1969 Chevrolet G10 Sportvan

The 2nd generation Chevrolet G-series Sportvan was a cab forward compact van that replaced the rear-engined Chevrolet Corvair Greenbrier in the small van segment.  The engine was located foward and under the driver and it allowed for a lower load floor in the back and the use of Chevy's watercooled inline-6 and V8 engines - a much needed improvement in speed and hauling capacity over the aircooled flat-6 in the Greenbrier.  Find this 1969 Chevrolet G10 for sale in Angola, IN currently bidding for $5,200 with 5 days to go.

DTO: Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler: 1957 Ford Thunderbird Custom

Mardi Gras is an oft-misunderstood festival of celebration in preparation for lenten fasting and penance observed in the Roman Catholic and Anglican tradition.  The name Fat Tuesday comes from the ritual clearing rich & fatty foods from the shelves of pantries in preparation for the fasting and eating bland foods for lent. Today the celebration of Mardi Gras (or Carnival/Shrove Tues) involves parades with people wearing masks, consuming copious quantities of alcohol and taking off their shirts...so what better way to avoid the lean days of lent than by sharing a few masked custom creations that will lighten your wallet.  Find this 1957 Ford Thunderbird Custom for sale in St Louis, MO from the guys at MotoeXotica currently bidding on ebay for $12,600 reserve-not-met with 4 days to go.

5k: Rare Because It's Stock: 1968 VW Type III Squareback

Last time we featured VW's little 2-door wagon from the '60s, the Type III Squareback, it was this "special" El Caminoized custom. Today let's take a gander at the opposite end of the spectrum with a slightly scruffy but completely stock and original example of this attempt by VW to break into the automotive mainstream. Find this 1968 Volkswagen Type III Squareback for sale in Berkeley, CA for an even $5,000 via craigslist. Tip from fueltruck605 via craigslist robot.

3k: Low Mile Supernova: 1988 Chevrolet Nova

I know what you're thinking.  A 5th generation Chevy Nova.  Really?  That is the best you guys can find?  Can't you feature another Volvo or some modified BMW... Keep the pitchforks in the barn for a few minutes while we talk you through the logic on this one.  Suppose you have a friend...we'll call him Bob...and Bob tells you he has $3k to spend on a daily driver.  Do you suggest a 250k mile used 1st generation Prius?  Any of the scores of ragged/bagged/tagged Honda's littering craigslist -- NO!  You tell him he is going to get a low mile sedan built in Silicon Valley filled with technology and that will save him massive amounts of money on fuel.  Bob will say "you found me a $3k Tesla Model S?"  "No Bob," you tell him, "I've found you a 1988 Toyota sedan that had a little mistake in the spelling of on the badge."  Find this 1988 Chevrolet Nova for sale in Manteca, CA for $2,800.

10k: Boosted 3800 Power: 1987 Pontiac Fiero GT Custom

The Pontiac Fiero was introduced in 1984 to a sports-car hungry American public.  The magazine talking heads loved the idea of a domestic mid-engined car and gave it excellent reviews, subsequently 136,000 folks put money down to buy a new Fiero in 1984.  Unfortunately, the realities of low-powered, low-revving pushrod equipped engines, and Citation/Chevette sourced suspension parts meant the ride did not live up to the sporty looks.  Sales slipped and even the introduction of the fastback shaped GT model couldn't keep the Fiero from being slashed by the bean counters at GM headquarters, which is a shame because by 1988 the Fiero had proper suspension, decent power, but it had run out of time.  Find this 1987 Pontiac Fiero custom for sale in Dewey, AZ currently bidding for $7,600 with a few hours to go.

20k: 8-Lug 2-Doors: 1966 Pontiac Grand Prix

The first generation Pontiac Grand Prix was a full sized personal luxury coupe offered from General Motors based on the full sized Catalina platform.  The early cars were noted for powerful big block V8 engines and 8-lug wheels; no under-engineered components on the big beast.  The Grand Prix soldiered on for years and the name was killed just short of the dissolution of GM's Pontiac brand during the 2008 carpocalypse. There were notable versions including the Grand Prix Aerocoupe...but the first generation was the best.  Find this 1966 Pontiac Grand Prix for sale in Lakeland, FL currently bidding for $16,399 reserve-not-met with 2 days to go via ebay.

10k: M60 V8 Swap: 1986 BMW E30 325ES

The E30 generation BMW is no stranger to the pages of the Daily Turismo; we've even been able to find reasonably priced M3 versions, even as that market soars into hyperspace. The E30s we tend to like are either original/stock/clean/low-miles examples or something with a million horsepower and plasti-dipped wheels.  Today's example falls into the latter category.  Find this 1986 BMW E30 325es for sale in Waterbury, CT currently bidding on ebay for $11,000 with a few hours to go (Update 3/3/2014: bidding closed on this item at $11k, but the writeup failed to get published in time due to an editorial slip up...publishing it anyway for an interesting data point on the E30 V8 market).

5k: Colt Classic: 1971 Dodge Colt

The first generation Dodge Colt (sold from 1971-73) was a re-badged A50-series Mitsubishi Colt Galant.  The Colt was a simple front-engine rear drive sedan with aspirations to be a competitor to the Gremlin, Pinto, Vega, 510, Corolla & Civic.  It isn't necessarily a bad car, but it suffers from the general perception of Chrysler products from the malaise era despite the fact that it was 100% built by Mitsubishi...but is that really any better? Find this 1971 Dodge Colt offered for $4,500 in the Los Angeles area, CA via craigslist.

5k: Lifted Face: 1962 Studebaker Gran Turismo Hawk

The Studebaker Gran Turismo Hawk (also known as the GT Hawk) was a 2-seat GT-luxury cruiser built in limited quantities (less than 15k total) from the little manufacturer from South Bend Indiana.  The design was penned by Brooks Stevens who is known for his work on the seminal Harley Davidson motorcycle and the redesign of the Miller Brewing logo.  Unfortunately, Mr Stevens was given a limited budget/timeline that only allowed him a few afternoons at local car dealerships --the result is a front end styled like a Ponton era Mercedes sedan, a roofline like a 50s Thunderbird and a rear that bears a remarkable resemblance to a Lincoln Continental.  The end result is a car that looks at the same time familiar and bizarre - similar to looking at Joan Rivers' face....you see eyes, a nose, lips...but everything looks like it doesn't belong together.  Find this 1962 Studebaker Gran Turismo Hawk for sale in the Los Angeles, CA area for $6,800 via craigslist.

10k: Minty Clean Crusher: 1987 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ60

The Toyota Land Cruiser is one of those iconic off-road machines that is well known for its boulder climbing abilities as well as its ability to run for miles with only basic maintenance.  The FJ60 version was sold from 1980 to 1987; a rugged vehicle and it seems that many have been converted into Chevy V8 powered monsters or covered in parking lot dings and baby vomit.  Today we feature an example that is total free from dings/dents/detritus offered at a reasonable price.  Find this 1987 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ60 currently bidding for $9,111 on ebay with 2 days to go, located in Tampa, FL.

10k: Cheap E46: 2002 BMW M3

In 2001 with the release of the E46 generation M3, BMW finally offered the North American market the same power that had been enjoyed in Europe for years.  Previous North American M3 versions had de-tuned and catalyst neutered engines, but the E46 generation was a world car, meaning everybody got the same screaming inline-6 to go with the nimble chassis.  Find this 2002 BMW M3 for sale in Seattle, WA for $13,000 via craigslist.

5k: Japanese Twins: 1984 Datsun 200SX vs 1984 Toyota Corolla

People joke about modern cars all looking and driving the same -- which wouldn't be bad if they were cheap and fun to drive.  Typically, the conversation meanders to how it was much better in the glory days...but it wasn't better back then, in fact the 1980s had some of the worst examples of automotive doppelgängers, including the Dodge Omni/VW Rabbit and Datsun 200SX/Toyota AE86 Corolla - the latter being the subject of today's comparison.  Which bronze bomber would you want?  This 1984 Datsun 200SX offered for $5700 in Anaheim, CA or a 1984 Toyota Corolla AE86 located in Kirkland, WA for $6,500?  (Datsun is a great tip from Abraham D.)