The Daily Turismo is proud to introduce a new kind of post, the Face-Off, where we compare and contrast two similarly priced cars. Today we offer you 6 speeds for 6 thousand dollars, a fantastic speeds/dollar ratio and each transmission is wrapped with German steel, style and luxury. The contender on my left is a 2001 Audi A6 2.7T 6spd from San Mateo, California weighing in at 3750 lbs and wearing blue coat for the asking price of $6200 via craigslist. The challenger on my right is a 1997 BMW E39 540i 6spd from Austin, Texas weighing in at 3748 lbs, wearing a silver coat for the asking price of $6,800 via craigslist. Thanks to tip from Kaibeezy on the A6 and OneFish TwoFish for the 540i.
The Plymouth Sapporo was a rebadged version of the Mitsubishi Galant Lambda and exported in small quantities to the US Market to compete with base model Mustangs, Celicas & Camaros. Mitsubishi's pony car didn't last past the 1983 model year and was replaced by the DSM (diamond star motors) front-drive based coupes. Find this 1982 Plymouth Sapporo with 5spd transmission for sale in Philadelphia, PA for $2,500 via craigslist.
We hope that the Daily Turismo is frequented by car nuts like us: always on the lookout for something weird, cool, powerful, and cheap (or all of the above) to tool around town in and have a bit of fun with. Also if you're like us, you too check out local cruise nights and car shows every once in a while...but you are not the lawn-chair show goer who spends all week polishing their '57 Chevy only to spoil it with a fake "crying kid" leaning against the bumper wearing a crocheted sweater. What we mean to say is, in our roundabout way, that a local low-stress casual car show can be a good place to find your next Daily Turismo, if you know what to look for...and what to steer the hell clear of. Follow along as we check out the cheap classic car market at our local Ruby's Diner "Cruise at the Beach" in Redondo Beach, California located steps from the Hotel Portofino, site of the finish line for the
infamous Cannonball Baker Memorial Sea-To-Shining-Sea Trophy Dash.
The Volkswagen Type 3 was a successor to the popular Type 1 (Beetle), but maintained the Beetle's basic architecture; rear engine, air cooled flat-4 and affordable price tag. It was a significant update in styling terms and sold new as a notchback, squareback and fastback. It wasn't ever sold as a pickup truck, so El Caminoization is, logically, a DIY process. Find this 1966 Volkswagen Type 3 Squaranchero for sale in Del Mar, CA for $11,500 via craigslist.
Typically on the DailyTurismo we regurgitate a bunch of facts and let our readers ask the questions, but today we throw process out the window for this post and just ask questions. First, what do you think of this 2001 Lada 110 1.5GLI 16-Valve bidding on ebay for $202 reserve-not-met with 6 days to go located in Arlington, MA? Does it make you want to ask a bunch of questions too? 
The Datsun 280Z was the successor to the seminal 240Z car and lives in a middle ground of 260Z/280ZX before the revival Z performance with the 300ZX. As such, the 280Z tends to be treated as somewhat of a middle child - it doesn't get the praise and admiration of its eldest successful sibling (240Z) or the pampering of the baby (300ZX). Logically the 280Z is therefore a big disgruntled, often unloved, wears funky shoes and is rarely found in good shape. Find this one-owner 1977 Datsun 280Z for sale in Idaho for $7500 via NASIOC forums. Big thanks to tip from Rojelio V.
The SAAB 900 was built from 1978 to 1998, but real 900-philes love the first generation 900 classic that was produced from 1978-1993 and tend to shun the GM Opel Vectra chassis based turd. Minty clean 900s are increasingly difficult to find as most have been driven into the ground by their original owners or sold to folks who couldn't understand why basic maintenance at a SAAB specialist costs more than the purchase price. Find this 1987 SAAB 900 turbo with a Carlsson appearance body kit for sale via the roverclassic.com website. Tip from IgnatiusReilly, we hope his valve is feeling better.
The Geo Tracker (Suzuki Sidekick) was a small SUV built in a Canadian factory as a joint venture between GM and Suzuki. The Tracker was actually built on a rugged truck frame and certified as a light truck but let down by an anemic 1.6 liter 4-cylinder engine. At least one enterprising hot rodder decided that a Ford 5.0 V8 will fit between the fenders and created a serious sleeper. Find this 1996 Geo Tracker w/Ford 5.0 V8 swap in Newark, OH offered via ebay for $14,500 buy-it-now or best offer. Tip from Scot. 
The Mercedes-Benz W111 was the equivalent of an S-Class Mercedes in the mid sixties and has gained the nickname Heckflosse (German for Fintail). Technically the rear fins were called peilstege (German for sightlines) and weren't designed for aerodynamic stability, but to help the driver find the ends of the car when backing up. We would welcome such appendages in most modern sedans whose monstrously high belt lines (for "style") have turned locating the bumper into a game of bumper tag. Ironic that a modern S-Class lacks both the style and function of a classic W111. This 1966 Mercedes-Benz W111 Heckflosse is for sale in frosty Anchorage, AK via craiglist for the hot price of $5,500. Thanks for the tip from ANCMatt. 
The Datsun 2000 (known in Japan as the Fairlady) was a small roadster from Nissan that really came into its own in the 6th version, the SR311. It was quite quick for the day, equipped with a 2.0 liter SOHC engine mated to a 5 speed transmission. It wasn't surprising that it continued to win C & D Prod SCCA championships even after it went out of production. Find this 1969 Datsun 2000 (equipped from the factory with the desirable Mikuni/Solex carbs and higher lift camshaft) for sale in Harrison, AR currently bidding on ebay for $8,900 reserve-not-met with a few hours to go.
The Ferrari 308 GT4 was a 2+2 continuation of the Dino line and wasn't decorated with Ferrari badges until after 1976 (it used the Dino name because il Commendatore insisted that a Ferrari should have a V12 mounted up front.) The 308 GT4 is surprisingly inexpensive for a car with the Prancing Horse logo and costs about as much as a new Hyundai Genesis coupe. Find this 1978 Ferrari 308 GT4 for sale in Costa Mesa, CA currently bidding on ebay for $22,100 with less than one day to go. 
The A100 was a lineup of cab-over style vans from Chrysler's Dodge brand and sold from 1964-1970. Today they are sought after for their funky looks, basic reliability and form-follows-function utility. This A100 is the domestic equivalent of the VW Van, but without the 450 window variants that command stupid amounts of money. Find this 1965 Dodge A100 Pickup for sale in Kingsville, OH currently bidding on ebay for $3,250 reserve-not-met with 11 hours to go.
Two seller submissions in one week? Conspiracy! Outrage! Okay, settle down, drop the pitchforks; we don't get seller submissions very often, probably because sellers are afraid we are going to say nasty things about their car and generally be negative. So we won't say that this car is slow, gets horrible gas mileage and is too expensive, we'll just focus on why it is cool and illuminate some of this car's particularly scintillating history. Find this 1972 Mercedes-Benz 280 SE 4.5 W108 for sale in Severna Park, MD currently bidding on ebay for $10,200 with 4 days to go.
The US market Mazda 323 GTX was based on 5th generation (BF) Mazda Familia. It transformed the standard Familia hatch into an all-wheel-drive, manual-trans, turbocharged monster surprisingly it is still quite affordable today. Find this 1988 Mazda 323 GTX w/turbo 1.8BPT swap for sale in Vancouver, Canada via craigslist (Special note for our Candanavian friends: craigslist is the US version of Kijiji ). Big thanks to tip from Jeffrey L.
We've heard (and said!) it many times: BMWs are the best, they even smell great covered in guano, they taste good dipped in ipecac and wagons are even better...yaddy-yaddy-yah <insert generic BMW fanboy nonsense here>. The real problem is that you can't beat the amount of depreciation and hoonability of a good used BMW, especially the 5-series because they plummet in price like hay prices after the circus leaves town. What is better than a cheap 5-series wagon like we've posted in the past? One with a clutch pedal! Find this 1999 BMW 528iT E39 Wagon 5spd for sale in Ridgewood, NY for $3,500 via bimmerforums.com. Hats off for another winner from Kaibeezytips (tm).
The Volvo PV544 was the first unibody automobile from Volvo and featured an early version of the legendary B-series inline four mated to the rear wheels. Volvo produced an impressive 440,000 of the 1940s styled hunks of metal in 18 years of production. Find this 1961 Volvo PV544 Sport for sale in Mission Hills, CA currently bidding on ebay for $5,100 reserve-not-met with 5 days to go. Seller submission from ebay seller and DT regular Oprah85.
The Fiat 124 is an interesting piece of automotive history and its production schedule follows a similar trajectory of the illicit crypto-currency, the bitcoin (more on that later). Today a 124 Spider can be picked up for less than the cost of the latest bit-coin mining array and is much less likely to land you in federal PMITA prison. Find this 1979 Fiat 124 Spider for sale in Burbank, CA for $4,900 via ebay classifieds. Big thanks to tip from Rod S.
