DT reader John H sent in the suggestion for today's What Am I? -- a picture of a customized war machine straight from the mean streets of Mosul. Your assignment: figure out what make/model of vehicle lives under the skin. |
| Image by Mstyslav Chernov/AP hosted on NPR.org |
Otto E Szekely was an engineer who turned businessman a few years before the outbreak of World War II, and he produced a few custom machines for U.S. Navy use with basic "Jeep" architecture. You can read more about Szekely's heroics here on warjeeps.com or you can buy a project 1953 Ford Szekely Jeep offered for $3,600 near Los Angeles, CA via craigslist.
The fifth generation Toyota Corona (T100/110/120) was built from 1973 through 1979 and solidified Toyota's reputation for making reliable sedans. However, Toyota made a 2-door hardtop coupe version of the little econobox that was the crown jewel of the lineup. Find this 1974 Toyota Corona Coupe RT114 offered for $3,000 in Long Beach, CA via craigslist.
The Super Bowl has been about extravagance in recent decades. Take the numbers for instance -- no plebeian Arabic numbers, and instead the Super Bowl is designated with big BOLD Roman numerals, just like the football games back in ancient Rome played to the death in the Colosseum. Big BOLD commercials where advertisers spend millions to sell you big calorific food snacks while you eat, so for DT's contribution to the Super Bowl, find this big BOLD 1980 Volvo 262C V8 Swap offered for $2,500 near Orlando, FL via craigslist. Tip from Rock On!
For a measly three grand ask, this V12 Jaguar coupe gives some serious displacement and a lot cache' at your local country club for the dollar. Hold off searching YouTube for open V12 exhaust clips till after reading the entire article. The classically styled Jag coupe was a rare bird with only 59 V12's built for 1995. The punched out 6.0 12 cylinder engine was good for 301 horsepower and 351 lbs of torque so it will not snap your neck like a modern performance car. Find this 1995 Jaguar XJS for sale in Wilton, CT for $3,000 via craigslist. 
The 1954 Mercury sedan was slightly massaged version of the Mercury introduced in 1952, which isn't a bad thing at all because the Mercury is a sweet looking classic with an overhead valve Ford Y-block V8 up front. Find this 1954 Mercury Sedan offered for $8,999 in Eastern CT via craigslist. Tip from FuelTruck.
The now iconic Rabbit GTI hatchback helped usher in a post Brougham era into the 1980's. It is almost laughable to think that a 75 horsepower car could made such a big impact on the auto landscape. Things like a zippy 4 cylinder engine, slick shifting 5 speed trans, sharp handling, great ergonomics, 60 series tires, and space efficient design were all very difficult to find on any price point cars back in 1983. The first generation GTI is a sure bet to become a future classic to Generation Xers. Find this 1983 Volkswagen Rabbit GTI for sale in Northfield, MA for $5,000 via craigslist. 
Remember the days when mini pickups were a significant share of the pickup market? In spite of the Chicken Tax and low fuel prices, mini trucks were once quite popular in the US with offerings from Toyota, Datsun, Ford via Mazda and Chevrolet via Isuzu. Nowadays the smallest pickup you can buy is the size of a full size truck back in those rose colored days. Find this 1973 Chevy LUV for sale in Monroe, WA for $2,000 via craigslist. 
In 2006 (and 2007) Mercedes-Benz released the first of the M156
V8 powered AMG speed machines including the S63, CL63, ML63, R63, E63,
SL63, CLS63, and CLK63. The new engine was a naturally aspirated 6.2
liter screamer that replaced the supercharged 5.4 liter V8 -- and it more than made up
for the lack of torque with a lofty 7200 rpm redline and an exhaust note that sounds like a demon gargling lava stones. Find this 2008 Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG offered for $7,995 in Louisville, KY via autotrader.com. Tip from Jeff.
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| 1971 MGB GT offered for $7995 in Capitola, CA. |
Bruce Meyers wasn't the first guy to build a Volkswagen based dune buggy, but he put his name on enough examples that he became the face for low volume VW kit cars in the 1970s. The original Manx dune buggy was developed for jumping over dunes, but in 1970 Meyers introduced the Manx SR, a sports buggy for the road. Find this 1971 Meyers Manx SR offered for $1800 in El Cajon, CA via craigslist.
Words and tip from Zach: Subaru gas or diesel, Ford ecotec, Tiico, upsized wasserboxer or
something else entirely - you choose. Looks like it is either solid
sheetmetal or else repainted. Denver shouldn't be too rusty, so at
least worth a look. Should clean up well with a bit of elbowgrease (and
monkeywrenching on an engine, but hey, the question of swap or wait for
what's installed fails is already resolved, no?). Find this 1987 Volkswagen Vanagon Westfalia offered for $6,900 in Denver, CO via craigslist.
It is Thursday... or post-hump-but-not-fri-day as it is known all around the globe -- but that means it is time for DT's weekly spleen pain causing quiz, the Thursday Twister. Time to ignore that enlarged vestigial glands and focus on finding the best car for a movie chase. You pick the car, you pick the movie.
I don't get it. NSU is a rare make. The Sport Prinz is a cool model. And this next one is a scruffy pile of parts, but it is bidding for pauper money. Those guys on that other site would easily drop big Trump sized piles of cash on a restored Sport Prinz, so why no love for this scruffy looking pile of "ran when borked?" Find this 1960 NSU Sport Prinz here on eBay bidding for $2,550 with a few hours to go, located in quirky Albuquerque (home of the inventory of the querty keyboard), NM.
Unlike the muscle cars of the US, the official body styles of hooliganism in Australia were also the shapes of function and utility. The Kingswood sedan, as shown here, is a popular base for drag and burnout cars, as well as main street cruisers and surf wagons. Along with the meat pie and AFL, it's a cultural icon. Find this 1968 Holden Kingswood for sale in Tulwika, WA for $6,800 via craigslist. 
Imagine for a minute that you've got about five large to spend on a daily driver. You need a car that will get you to your destination with minimal fuss, and maximum class, -- and you don't really care about speed. Forget the used and abused Japanese late models that litter craigslist and instead buy a used Mercedes-Benz with compression ignition. The only question is, how old?
There was a time when Cadillac built these awesome cruisers that would float over rough pavement like professionally trained ballerina and leave miles of road behind you like you'd been sleeping in a luxury cabin on the Orient Express. Unfortunately, the guys at Cadillac spent too many years hanging out at the water cooler with the nuts at Pontiac and today's Cadillacs are tuned at the Nürburgring for enhanced kidney damage. Find this 1997 Cadillac DeVille here on eBay offered for $2,700 buy-it-now or make-offer located in Stratford, CT. 
The Mercedes-Benz W124 generation E-Class was built for the 1985 through 1996 model years on a platform that was engineered to be a cut above the rest. Compare the build quality of an 80s W124 Benz to a similar era Lexus, Audi, or even BMW...and you'll be pleasantly suprised with the Stuttgart steamer. Find this 1992 Mercedes-Benz 300TE Wagon offered for $2,650 in Jersey City, NJ via craigslist. Tip from FuelTruck. 