20k: Propanechero: 1959 Cadillac DeVille El Camino

Imagine you were a young man in 1959 who wanted the class and style of gigantic '59 Caddy tail fins but needed to haul around junk for your gardening business.  Regrettably, the short sighted product planners in GM's Cadillac division offered nothing for the consumer that added the giant fins to a pickup body, so naturally this next thing was created by a craftsman in his garage.  Find this 1959 Cadillac DeVille El Camino here on eBay currently bidding for $25,700 with 3 days to go, located in Sacramento, CA.  Tip from ESK.

10k: Coulda Been A Contender: 2001 Honda Prelude SH

 There was a time when front wheel drive Acura/Honda was a surprisingly close competitor to something like Ford's Mustang in terms of performance.  The 4th generation (1991-1996) was as quick as a Mustang GT to 60mph and had handling that could keep up in the curves -- despite the obvious handicap of front-wheel-drive.  The next generation Prelude was a better car in every aspect, but the competition was finally starting to figure out how to get power from 5+ liters of displacement and the little Honda faded out of existence after 2001.  Find this 2001 Honda Prelude SH offered for $8,950 in West Hollywood, CA via craigslist.  Tip from Andrey.

Happy Easter from Daily Turismo

To celebrate Easter with our family, this ragtag group of internet pundits is taking the day off - and we suggest you do the same.  Or spend all day searching for good cheap used cars and send them into the tips box, we'll be back on Monday with more madness.

Image credit Don Gunn on flickr via creative commons.

10k: 25k Mile: 1989 BMW 525i Auto

This next car comes as a tip from J Jefferson who writes: $7K US for a BMW with 25k miles (40,000 km) seems cheap, but who know what gremlins could be lurking in any car this old.  Funny little mast on the right front bumper too… does it come from an embassy fleet?  This is near Canada’s capital, home to all sorts of foreign nationals, so a plausible theory.  Nothing prosaic on the site to help figure out why this beast has only been driven 1,000 miles per year.  If it weren’t an automatic, this would already be in my driveway….( that’s what we all say, isn’t it). Find this 1989 BMW 525i Auto offered for $8,988 CAD ($7,200 USD) on motorhouse.ca, located in Ontario, Canada.

5k: 2 Fast 2 Furious Extra: 2004 Dodge Ram

If you thought yesterday's Fast and Furious Tokyo Drift Mustang was the only Fast n Furious movie car lurking quietly on craigslist in Los Angeles, you've got another thing coming.  This next car was the star of the show, more of a silent uncredited walk-on part, but its asking price is about what you'd pay for the roll cage setup in the bed.  Find this 2004 Dodge Ram from 2 Fast 2 Furious, located in Los Angeles, CA via craigslist.

10k: Show Winner: 1961 Pontiac Tempest Sedan

Cars that take first prize in things like the Pontiac Oakland Club International car show are not typically in the DT price range.  However, a Trophy 4 powered Tempest 4-door isn't exactly a highly desired collector car, so it isn't surprising that the nicest one around is offered for about the same price as a burnt out hulk of a 911 chassis.  Find this 1961 Pontiac Tempest Sedan offered for $11,000 in Minneapolis, MN via hemmings.

10k: Comes With A Story: 1970 Volvo 1800E

For the 1970 model year Volvo improved their 1800 sports coupe by adding fuel injection, 4-wheel disc brakes, and the letter E to the end of its name.  The 1800E is arguably the best of the breed for the P1800/1800S/1800E family as it has been given numerous upgrades to solve earlier issues, and this next car comes with an interesting back story.  Find this 1970 Volvo 1800E offered for $10,900 in Playa del Ray, CA via craigslist.

Coffee Brake: Car Show Season

Coffee Brake: As the Northeastern part of this great country comes out of its annual period hibernation, one of these best things to look forward to are car shows.  It might be a weekly cars and coffee, or an annual pilgrimage, but gearheads from San Diego to Madawaska shake the snow (or sand) off their boots and prime their carbs for the start of car show season.  What do you look forward to?

5k: Documented Migrant: 2007 Renault Kangoo

 If you are looking for a small fuel-efficient car van in the USA, your options are really limited.  It seems that the automotive product planners feel that Americans want some giant overpriced diesel pickup if they own a small delivery service or need a junk hauler.  The fact that Europe, Asia, Africa and the rest of the Americas are filled with compact delivery vans is completely ignored by major OEMs, with the exception of Ford who was recently introduced the Transit Connect into the US market.  However if the splash screen on the Ford Transit website that reads "Impressive Horsepower and Torque*" is any indicator, they still don't get that these vehicles are about usability and not driveability.  So, if you want a miserable driver that is wonderful as a compact junk hauler, find this 2007 Renault Kangoo offered for $5,500 in Oxnard, CA via craigslist.

DTO: Fast and Furious Tokyo Drifter: 1967 Ford Mustang Fastback

Does anybody remember that ulta-realistic third installment of the Fast and Furious series where high school kids (poor Texans and Yakuza members alike) drive 500 horsepower drift machines with easily $100k in aftermarket parts?  Between the RX-7s, Evos, Zs, and Tourans you might have missed the star of the movie, an RB26DETT swapped 1967 Ford Mustang fastback, except that isn't this car.  The Japanese inline-6 powered fastback was used for some static shots, but the real star of the climatic drift scene was a 403 cubic inch V8 powered beast that was bashed up on screen -- that's what we've got here today.

Seller Submission: 1988 BMW 735i E32 5-spd

The E32 generation BMW 7-series is a classically styled big beast of a machine, thankfully free from all Banglized design elements and available with a clutch pedal. The design (credited to Ercole Spada and Hans Kerschbaum) is stately and understated at the same time, and has aged quite well if you ask this guy (but who asked anyway!!).  Find this 1988 BMW 735i E32 5-spd offered here on eBay currently bidding for $2,550 reserve-not-met with 2 days to go, located in Lebanon, OH.  Seller submission from Walter. 

Thursday Twister: Opera Lights

Welcome back to another edition of DT's weekly quiz show, the Thursday Twister <APPLAUSE>.  In the world of useless car design elements, few were as shameless as the opera window. But, the opera window was at least useful to let in some sun for rear passengers, the opera light on the other hand, was totally worthless. Let's find all the cars equipped with opera lights from the factory.

photo from http://www.oldcarbrochures.com/

10k: Lambo Orange: 1972 Mini, Suzuki Swift Turbo Power

Buying a car from a reputable shop (or plaid-clad British flippers) is no more of a safety guarantee than buying any other car. How many "mechanic's specials" on craigslist are in similar or worse condition than any other car listing? Reliable or not, shop-built creations are always entertaining. Find this 1972 Mini with turbocharged Suzuki Swift GTi engine for sale in St. Louis, MO (but listed in Los Angeles and elsewhere) for $9,500 via craigslist.

10k: Screaming Pistons: 1965 Honda S600 Coupe

The Honda S600 was the spiritual successor to the S500 (Honda's first production automobile) and survived for three years (1964-1966) before it was replaced by the S800.  You don't get to be one of the top auto manufacturers in the world without building some great vehicles and the little Honda was a great alternative to some of the small displacement British and Italians from the day.  Find this 1965 Honda S600 Coupe currently bidding here on eBay for $8,800 reserve-not-met with a few hours to go, located in Huntington Beach, CA.

5k: The Weezard of Ah Come On! 1980 Mercedes-Benz 300CD with 5.6 Liter V8

 -- by Hunsbloger.  Upon seeing this W123 Coupe with a modern V8 swap, my heart sang as this is one of my unicorn swaps.  Never mind that its using a slightly older (read lower horsepower) 5.6 M117 which the owner says is rated at 170HP and 380/ftlbs, its still an improvement.  The seller credits a now closed European Precision Service with the installation.   I was all set to fall in love, but like a termite infested home in Southern California it all looks great until you start opening the doors.  Find this 1980 Mercedes-Benz 300CD with 5.6 Liter V8 currently bidding for $2,025 here on eBay with just under 2 days to go.

5k: Grocery Getter: 1999 Land Rover Range Rover

The Vespa is great for heading off to your nearest coffee shop or meeting friends to get some eyebrow threading done, but sometimes you need something to haul a load of organic vegetables home from Whole (In Your Wallet) Foods. For that you need this 1999 Range Rover offered for $2,000 in SF Valley, CA via craigslist.

2k: Who You Callin A Wasp? 2006 Vespa LX

Continuing our theme of cheap and sensible motoring without a silly gear lever, brings us to this next sophisticated urban runabout.  If you are looking to combine out air excitement, fuel sipping fun, and easy city parking, it doesn't get much better than a Vespa built by Italian mega conglomerate Piaggio & C. SpA. Find this 2006 Vespa LX scooter offered for $2,800 in Beverly Hills, CA via craigslist.

Daily Turismo Goes Automatic

Let's face it, the manual transmission is dead.  All the internet pundits in the world who claim the manual is saved or going to be saved are just wrong.  Part of it is electrification/hybridizaton of the world's fleet, but also that new generation dual clutch transmissions are better in just about every way.  The way I see it, we (gearheads) have two choices, one is to fight and drive around in ancient jalopies wearing flying goggles and scarves, the other is to embrace the new generation of technology and make it our own.