Jaguar built their XJ-S replacement for the gorgeous E-Type starting in 1975, and if you were a rich/distinguished buyer at the time, you would have noticed something conspicuously absent from the order sheet options. Where did the convertible (the best looking E-Type) go when they designed the XJ-S? Find this 1988 Jaguar XJ-S V12 offered for $9,500 near Nashville, TN via craigslist. Tip from Rock On!
Ever see one of those cars that strikes you as "AGGG, WHAT IS THAT!?!? and then a few minutes later you say "hmmm, I kinda dig it"? I call it the Cher's underpants effect. Remember when Cher danced around the stage in her underpants and her son was on stage the first rational thought is AGGGG, WHAT IS THAT!??! and then later "hmmmm, I kinda dig it." Find this
What is the only thing hotter than a Phoenix sidewalk right now? A sunfire yellow TVR 280i that is powered by a Ford 5.0 V8. YES! Find this 1986 TVR 280i Convertible offered for $15,750 in Amherst, NH via Hemmings.com. Tip from Rock On!
The Mitsubishi Starion/Dodge Conquest/Plymouth Conquest/Chrysler
Conquest
was a line of rear-driven sports coupes built in the 80s by Mitsubishi
in Japan. The Dodge/Plymouth/Chrysler versions were just a light
re-badge to trick "domestic only" buyers into picking up something from
the land of the rising sun. The guise worked and quite a few of the
Dodge/Chrysler versions were sold and the future of Chrysler/Mitsubishi
motors eventually gave birth to Diamond Star Motors (DSM). Find this 1987 Mitsubishi Starion V8 Swap offered for $3,500 in Ft Myers, FL via craigslist. Tip from Rock On!
Welcome to Coffee Brake, where we take a break from the mundane and explore the urbane. Tuesday of this past week was the first day of summer for those of us who live in the Northern Hemisphere and the sunshine (plus long days) are very welcome. Of course then i'm going to talk about the best cars for summer...because that is what we do around here. Things happen. We talk. Blah blah...yeah. I will have the audacity to suggest that all you need for a summer car is a manual gearbox and a convertible top...but you might have other ideas.
A few years ago when my son was around twelve, he seemed to spend every hour of the day in front of the xbox shooting or blowing stuff up or in front of YooToob watching people shooting or blowing stuff up on an xbox. That changed when I bought a somewhat crappy XR80 off Craigslist and he discovered the joy of interacting with a mechanical transportation device in the physical world. Reading stuff like this, I wonder if it isn't the duty of every DT reader to buy a mini bike and introduce a kid to it. Find this 1970 Arctic Cat Mini Bike for sale in Anchorage, AK for $2,000 via craigslist. 
This next feature came from Scott who left a new comment on the MId Week Match-Up: Best Junker For $1k feature and writes: I was ready to give up till I found this ad: Find this 2004 Saab 9-3 Arc Convertible POS SAAB offerd for $1,000 near Boston, MA.
Welcome to the Thursday Twister, -- the weekly journey to the center of the earth and back again. This week I want to talk about cars that make you say: Whhhaatt...were they thinking? I'm not talking about custom 8-wheeled monsters built with mig welders and methamphetamines, but factory cars built with gantt charts and market surveys -- yes, we are talking about factory built mistakes.
One of the key ingredients to a good "sleeper" is the element of surprise. Discreet looks go a long way to successfully pulling off the concept. Very few people would suspect a minivan to have any sort of sporting intentions (much less an engine swap). The original General Motors DustBuster minivans created a stir with their polarizing looks when introduced in the early 90's. Today's example is a second gen version of the Olds minivan that has been blessed with a warmed over 3800 supercharged engine cribbed from a 1998 Pontiac GTP. Find this 1998 Oldsmobile Silhouette for sale in Palm Coast, FL for $3,500 via craigslist. 
The Honda N600 was introduced for the 1970 model year as the first Honda vehicle to be officially imported into the USA. The little Honda was available as a coupe or wagon and had a 600cc engine that could revv to 9000 rpm, but it was never available as a camper..until now. Find this 1972 Honda Pickup offered for an undisclosed price in Freeville, NY via craigslist. Tip from Greg.
Legend has it that GM copied (or hired) Lotus for the suspension re-design of the last year of Fiero production, but the truth is a smidge less exciting. However, knowledgeable sources claim that the new suspension design for 1988 was something the gearheads at Pontiac wanted all along before they were strong-armed by weakknee'd bean counters into using suspension borrowed from the Chevy Citation (barf!). Find this 1988 Pontiac Fiero GT offered for $3,650 in Melba, ID via craigslist. Tip from Rock On!
When it comes to craigslist advertisements, I like to fancy of myself a bit like a shark cruising around in the surf. When I smell blood, I'll snap my dorsal fin to attention and start the hunt. And nothing screams pelican swimming around with a busted wing in shallow water like a car with shifter that has busted loose from something. Find this 1975 BMW 2002 offered for $8,000 in Highland Park, CA via craigslist.
Why pay retail? Cut out the middleman and pay pennies on the dollar! Seems like everyone is on the lookout for a deal in this new normal of 2% growth. So, why would you pay millions for a Cobra when you can build one yourself for peanuts? Of course, some adult assembly is required, but what could possibly go wrong? Find this Superformance 1967 Cobra Kit for sale somewhere in Oregon for $5,000 via craigslist.
A few years ago we featured the reader ride of a guy named KC who built this incredible Toyota Twin-Cam powered MGB GT and it was glorious. Apparently KC built another car with an above average attention to detail -- this time a Porsche 914 with an underside that is cleaner than a newborn in a fresh pair of Pampers. Find this 1974 Porsche 914 here on eBay bidding for $11,300 with 6 days to go, located in Mosier, OR. Seller submission from KC.
Full sized 2-door wagons were fast fading from popularity when the 1960 model year was introduced, but that didn't stop Ford from continuing to build full sized beasts where logic and practicality were given the heave-ho and replaced with style. Find this 1960 Ford Ranch Wagon here on eBay bidding for $9,500 with 1 day to go, located in Harned, KY.
Welcome to another Monday Morning game of chicken with slot cars -- also known as What Am I? Even if you flinch, nobody wins. Todays game comes courtesy of Zach who sent us a picture and asks everyone to guys the British Leyland product. Good luck!
In the late 2000's the Saturn Sky and cousin Pontiac Solstice tried to knock the Mazda Miata off as the king of the two seat convertible hill. Both GM cars and brands met the same inglorious fate as the Mercury Capri that came and tried years before. The base Sky had somewhat tepid performance from its 177 hp 2.4 4 cylinder, but the Redline option included a all new 260 hp 2.0 direct injected 4 cylinder turbo which turned it into a serious performer. The Redline package also included 18" wheels, LSD, and interior upgrades that certainly backed up the car's swoopy looks. The Sky sold 34,415 from 2007-2010 (only 8 units were moved in 2010). Find this 2007 Saturn Sky Redline for sale in Fairfield, CT for $4,900 via craigslist. 