Face it, what does the $9,000,000 '62 Ferrari 330 have that a Malaise Era Alfa or Lancia doesn't have? Wait, don't answer that! Instead, consider this: for around 1/9000th the price, you can have a sporty machine from the very same country!

What kind of car can you get for $1,250 these days? Maybe a 15-year-old Sentra, speckled with shopping-cart dings and filled with the smell of countless spilled McDonald's chocolate shakes? Or an Olds Cutlass Ciera with a potato for a gas cap and Bondo-and-rust clusters falling off on every speed bump? How depressing! But wait- what if we were to find you a genuine Alfa Romeo GTV for that price? A car with just 58,000 miles on the clock, because more than half its life has been spent sitting in a garage… waiting for you to rescue it? No, really! Here's a "garage find" '74 Alfa Romeo GTV (go here if the listing disappears) for next to nothing. It appears to be complete, and the seller says the "motor and tranny seem to be somewhat clean and oil free," which we hope isn't referring to their innards. Who knows, it will never might start right up with a simple tune-up! You might need to do a little metal cutting and pasting once you do have it running, because the seller admits that it has "all the usual rust problems of an alfa," and the registration paperwork will require negotiating labyrinths of bureaucracy you never imagined existed a bit of work, due to the car's "unknown title." Is an unknown title worse than a missing one? Never you mind about that stuff- just buy this project and start enjoying the benefits of an Italian basket case daily driver in about 10 years no time!

Everyone loves an Alfa, of course, but what would Fabio drive? A Lancia, of course! You can still buy Fabio's Appia, which hasn't dropped in price by a single lira in the last couple of years, but you might not have the pecs and/or hair to pull off looking cool in a cute little sedan. But buy this '75 Lancia Beta (go "http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/jalopnik/2009/11/75_lanciabeta-ss.jpg"/>here if the listing disappears) and you'll find your image on the covers of paperback bodice-rippers within weeks of getting it running. Of course, that might be akin to cleaning the Augean stables a couple of weekends of work, considering that it needs a "new timing belt to run and a little TLC" (translation for those of you who don't speak Craigslist-ese: "Something terrible is wrong with the engine, including what you hope will be just the timing belt"). But hey, Mr. or Ms. Thousandaire, imagine yourself behind the wheel of a genuine Italian sports coupe and it will all seem worthwhile.

In North America, the Ford Capri was branded simply "Capri" and sold in Mercury dealerships; the later Mustang-clone Fox Capri had Mercury emblems on the car. I think sufficient time has passed since the Early Malaise Era to permit us to call this car a Ford.

This is only the second Alameda DOTS Capri, after this '72; beloved as these cars were (and are) in Europe, they never really hit it big on our side of the Atlantic. You could buy a new 1974 Capri with the 2.8 liter V6 for $3,807. Compare that to the $3,081 price tag on a 5.0 liter V8-powered '74 Grabber Maverick. Sure, the Capri handled better, but less car for more money?

The thing about the W114 and this series is that the old indestructible Mercedes-Benzes have been part of the scenery for so long that they don't really catch my eye on the street. When I see a not-so-old SL, I'll usually shoot it, but a W114 sedan? Maybe next time- it'll still be around in 20 years, so no rush. A coupe, however- that's a different story! I thought the beige car against a beige background looked pretty cool, too.
Even with the Malaise Era 5 MPH crash bumpers, this 35-year-old machine is a real beauty. And with the big 2.8 liter M110 engine it's probably pretty quick as well.

Sure, sure, you could wait for the Fiat 500 to show up in dealerships here, but who needs all that heavy sound insulation and mollycoddling safety gear? Not you! What you need, Giovanni, is a classic high-performance Fiat, made back in the day when an American had to be utterly insane really serious to buy one!

You've got a few grand burning a hole in your pocket and you've got your eye on vintage Italian sports cars. Now, you could get a pretty decent Alfa Spider for that kind of money, a very nice Fiat X1/9, maybe even a Lancia Scorpion. But what you really dream about is a Fiat Dino, the Ferrari-engined machine that 93% of you thought was nicely priced at $15,000. Find a Dino on an X1/9 budget? You might as well start looking for Picassos in the Salvation Army… but what's this? A genuine 1970 Fiat Dino 2400 coupe (go here if the ad disappears) for just $3,500! How could such a thing be? Here's how: the original Ferrari V6 has gone AWOL, along with the transmission. Otherwise, the car seems to be in pretty good shape, and it lives in rust-free Southern California. Face it, you can't afford to buy a replacement Ferrari engine, but you could get even more power and stay Italian, simply by picking up a beat-to-crap Alfa Romeo 164 with the 4-valve V6 and doing a little engine swappage. That's right, 208 horses instead of the original 180, and only the most obsessed of Fiat zealots (Fiat zealots do exist, right?) would be sufficiently offended by such a swap to stab you in the eye with a screwdriver.

You'd have a great time driving that Dino around town, but what happens when you take it to your local race track for some track-day hoonage? It'll sound good, no doubt, but you'll be eating the dust of them goddamn kids in their 10-year-old Civics. You need a Fiat race car! In fact, what you need is a Fiat race car that you make quasi-street-legal, so that you can squirm through rollcage bars every time you make a run to the convenience store, then be unable to carry on a conversation because your ears won't stop ringing. Everyone will know you're the dorkiest geek on the face of the earth a first-rank wheelman when they see you blatting down the boulevard in your new daily driver: this 1974 Fiat 128 SL Coupe racer (go here if the ad disappears). It appears to be ready to race as it sits, but getting it street-ready might take some doing. You'll need to install all the gear that nanny-state socialists- the sort that would get a quick smackdown from the Founding Fathers, were they to rise from the dead and see what weaklings Americans have become- demand of drivers: wipers, turn signals, horn, etc. Then you'll need to befriend the helpful folks down at your local DMV, because it's a sure bet that the registration paperwork on this thing will be impossible challenging. And, unless you feel like waiting in line behind Cessnas at your local airport's Gas-N-Fly every time you need some go-go juice, you'll have to do a piston downgrade; 14:1 compression, though awesome, might be a bit extreme for the street.

These shots come to us courtesy of Denver DOTSBE specialist Kitt; I'm not sure how close this car lives to the '72 Maverick sedan, but it's likely that the two have crossed paths during their travels. The bumpers and grille suggest that we're looking at a '73 or '74 model here, so I'm choosing the latter year at random; you Maverick experts are encouraged to point out year-specific identifying features for us.

Looks like a rust-free car with a straight body, and the original 2T-C is still reasonably complete.

It appears that Malaise Era Corolla coupes mostly avoid the fate of this car nowadays, but I suspect it will be a few more years before Japanese wagons start to get much attention from restorers and/or racers.

Thing is, these newfangled Elises and whatnot seem to be contaminated by engines built by Ssangyong or Sony or some such place where all the focus is on reliability. As true Lotus pilots know, a real British sports car should be built in a shed, preferably with a dirt floor, and powered by an engine with as much character as the most gratuitous use of italicization can convey! That means you need to get an old Lotus, and- whoo-EEE!- those suckers aren't cheap! Fortunately for you, the same economic meltdown that's turning huge swaths of the country into a 21st-century Dust Bowl is also knocking the hell out of project Lotus prices, and so we've found a couple of projects you can buy for about the same price as a 15-year-old Tercel with a couple of burned valves. Welcome to Project Lotus Hell!

In 1974, a new Elite would cost you close to 20 grand, depending on options. That lofty price tag was more than 5,000 bucks higher than a shiny new '74 Porsche 911 Carrera's, so you figure there's no way on earth you could get an affordable project Elite, right? As we say here in the Hell Garage, there's always a way to get that nightmare dream project into your life, regardless of financial limitations, and this '74 Lotus Elite (go here if the listing disappears) is the proof! Would you believe $500 or best offer? Hot damn! The seller knows the kind of jewel he's got for sale, so he doesn't waste his time or yours with lengthy descriptions. It's a real Lotus, it's yellow, it has a "repaired motor and trans" that "just need installing" and it "needs some restoration." So, you take that repaired motor and trans and twist a couple of wrenches, spend a few hours doing some restoration, and there's your daily-driver Lotus. Easy!

We like the Elite, but it's a little on the bulky side for that true Lotus experience. 2,000 pounds? What a battleship! You need to add some lightness and get a Lotus that scales in at more like 1,300 pounds, and that means a vintage Europa. As we know, demand for the Europa is higher than what you see for the Elite, which means prices are going to be a bit higher. Would you pay a grand for one? Do we even need to ask that question? Here's a '70 Europa with just 56,000 miles on the clock (go here if the listing disappears), and it looks to be a hopeless solid basket case restoration candidate, just waiting for the right sucker buyer to invest his or her entire bank balance and/or sanity a few quality hours in the garage! The Europa came with a high-strung Renault engine, which you may or may not get with this car (the seller drops the intentionally ambiguous statement "Does not run, however, have all body parts"), and a fiberglass body (which means that you only have to worry about rust on the chassis and suspension). Hey, if you can drop a Cadillac 4.9 V8 in a Fiero, why not a Europa? We say it's a great idea!

If you're looking to modernize your street rod's handling, the Mustang II's rack-and-pinion steering and reasonably good disc brakes provide a well-worn route; it's not a particularly tough swap (as such things go), and you get great aftermarket parts availability. Mustang IIs have donated front-end parts to just about every smallish car and light truck you can imagine. That's why it came as a shock to see a fully intact '74 Mustang at a local yard yesterday. This car is equipped with the "Cologne" 2.6 liter V6 engine, so perhaps the serious junkyard vultures know something about the V6 cars that I don't.

In fact, he's shot so many interesting cars and trucks down on the Newport Beach and Costa Mesa streets that I have no choice but to share some of them. We've seen other Tomsk DOTSBE cars before, and we're sure to see more in the future, since rust-free Orange County is loaded to the gunwales with old iron. First up is this trio of Malaise Detroit Iron, with each of the Big Three represented: a 1978 Buick LeSabre, a 1979 Lincoln Continental Mark V, and a 1974 Plymouth Duster. Technically, a Duster isn't a "Yank Tank," but imagine it parked next to some spindly Renault 5 and it might as well have clanking treads and a guy named "Sarge" at the wheel. Here's what Tomsk has to say about these fine machines:

1974 Plymouth Duster: Everybody loves Dusters, possibly because they attract comely young lasses like Ethel, but also because it was such a clean design. My research seems to suggest this is a '74, though the Mopar fanatics are welcome to correct me if need be. It even has the original "Plymouth Division" dog dishes. Le sigh...

1979 Lincoln Mark V: Picture this: It's 1978, and you need a snazzy, two-door way to get from one of your hoes to the next. Price is no object, as your girls make you more scratch than you know what to do with, nor is size, because you were a mildly successful truck driver before you decided to try your hand at pimping.
What to buy? You could get a Rolls Camargue or a Mercedes 450 SLC, but your father had instilled a strong sense of patriotism and respect for the American worker during those formative years where he beat you to a pulp while you cowered helplessly in your crib.
Okay, so it has to be American. A Cadillac Eldorado? No, because when Daddy wasn't wailing on you while pontificating on the evils of foreign goods, he was wailing on you while pontificating on the evils of front-wheel drive. "ONLY RUST-PRONE, COMMIE-MADE SHITBOXES SHOULD HAVE THAT LAYOUT!!!!" he'd bellow as he pummeled your still quite soft cranium with your favorite rattle.
So, no Caddy for you, then. How about the Chrysler Cordoba? That's a non-starter, too, as the accent of that car's pitchman reminds you of the time you caught your mom and the gardner playing "the game only grownups can play."
That leaves...the Lincoln Continental Mark V. But when you get to the Lincoln-Mercury dealer, you don't order any old Mark V. Oh, no sir; you plunk down the extra cash for the mofuggin' Cartier edition. When your customers see that name on the opera windows, they'll say to themselves, "This guy is the real deal. I should probably pay up, because if I don't, he probably will knock me out, stuff me into a safe, and drop aforementioned safe into the river."

Excellent choice, sir. Excellent choice.

Ford's marketers seemed to have a special focus on pitching the Mustang's transformative powers to the ladies. A dowdy, lab-coated scientist- no doubt cooking up new varieties of napalm to drop on Charlie Cong- becomes an irresistible man-magnet when she grabs the keys to a new '68 Mustang, while an '81 turns your average Jane into the Queen Of The Club Herpes Discothèque. We've got some good examples of this in our Top Ten Mustang Ads (plus a bonus pair of Mustang siblings to round out the selection).

You like the old-timey car ads? Oh, we got us plenty more! When you're done here, you can head over to the Top 20 Vintage Renault Ads, Top 20 Vintage GM ads, Top 20 Vintage Chevrolet Ads, Top 20 Vintage Datsun ads, Top 20 Vintage Toyota ads, and Top 20 Vintage Chrysler ads. Not enough for you? Go to the Top Car Commercials Of The 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s.

1981 Mustang	1978 Mustang II Ghia	1985 Mustang
1968 Mustang	1986 Mustang	1979 Mustang
1969 Mustang Mach 1	1968 Shelby Mustang GT	1974 Mustang II
1968 Mustang	1980 Mercury Capri	1968 Mercury Cougar

So let's look at a really nice daily-driver Jensen-Healey down on the Alameda street. That's right, you heard right, this Malaise Brit is a daily driver! The owner tells me he's had the car for 20 years, and that the electrical system has always worked fine, right down to the dashboard clock; he acknowledges the miraculousness of this achievement: "They must have been having a good day at the Lucas plant."


It's powered by the Lotus 907, aka The Torqueless Wonder. The US-spec version of this engine made 140 horsepower out of 120 cubic inches, which was completely berserk for the Malaise Era (for comparison purposes, you might note that the 350-cube V8 in the '74 Camaro produced just 145 horses).

I've got a print of Gran Torino Alameda hanging in my kitchen, so it was pretty exciting to discover that I live just 5 blocks from the Bechtle Gran Torino House (which is on the same block as one of my all-time favorite DOTS cars: the 1969 AMC Ambassador SST Wagon). It wasn't so hard to find the place, mostly because Bechtle didn't change the street address when he painted it but also because the house hasn't changed much in the 35 years that have gone by. The neighbor's hedges are taller and the garage door is a different color, but park a '72 woody Gran Torino wagon in the driveway and you really wouldn't be able to tell the difference between now and 1974.

But change does happen. It's been just over two years since my first Jalopnik post, and our readership has increased dramatically since then. Unfortunately, the Financiapocalypse means that belts must be tightened, even as we do everything in our power to keep our readers addicted to mainlining that good unstepped-on Jalopnik dope. That means that it no longer makes economic sense to have me write for the site every day. However, Señor Wert and the Gawker Overlords recognize that plenty of our stalkers devoted readers enjoy reading my posts (for reasons we're probably better off not exploring), and I want to keep writing them, so we've worked out a new arrangement that involves a promotion for me: I'll be the new Weekend Editor, starting now, and I'll continue to do stuff like Project Car Hell, Down On The Street, and so on; maybe not as frequently as I once did, but I'll work to make those weekend posts the concentrated essence of… well, whatever the hell it is that I do here.

So, while I'll miss having a significant weekday presence on the site, I plan to jack up the quality level for y'all; think fewer, but better Murilee Martin posts. You'll get more senseless junkyard projects, such as the Junkyard Boogaloo Turbo Boombox, Ozzy Osbourne Acceleration Warning Horn, and Wanky The Safety Cat. You'll get more tales of my personal Hell Projects, such as the art-car-turned-drag-racer '65 Impala in the photo above, and I'll do my best to belt out the occasional foaming-at-the-mouth tirade well-reasoned essay on car-related topics. I'll get to more of those great Down On The Street Bonus Edition photos that keep coming in from around the globe, and of course the 24 Hours Of LeMons coverage will keep coming. Nice Price Or Crack Pipe will continue on a near-daily basis, once we brass-knuckle persuade one of my colleagues into accepting a taste of the riding crop those duties. Different, yet the same!

The BMW New Six cars aren't hard to find on the island; we've seen this '73 3.0 CSi and this '74 3.0 CS, and now we're adding another '74 today.


Remember when BMW wasn't afraid to run with weird science-fiction-esque styling touches on their cars? If so, you also remember WIN Buttons. In '74, the 3.0 CS came with a 170-horsepower six-cylinder engine, which made 25 more horses than Chevrolet's base 350-cube V8 that year. See, Malaise wasn't ruining all the cars!


This car is owned by the same BMW lover responsible for this '82 633CSi, and he also owns that turbocharged, Euro-grade 745i in the driveway. I mentioned that I was considering an E9 for my personal Hell Project and his horror stories ("lots of 'em just break in half from hidden rust") did a good job of steering me away from the idea… of course, now I've got a line on one of those 745i turbo engines, which I may have to drop into a '75 Nova 4-door.

With so much metal at the auction coming from the sale of a selection of classics from the GM Heritage Center museum, it's interesting that the top eight cars that've been sold so far at the 2009 Barrett-Jackson Auction in Scottsdale, AZ all came from that collection. Here's the top eight sales — so far.

8.) 1974 Pontiac Trans Am

Lot Number: 433
Details: This rotisserie restored, true, correct, and numbers matching Trans Am 455 Super Duty features photo documented 138560 numbers matching original 455cide Super Duty V8, correct 490132 block casting, correct Y8 block code stamp, Correct 1112205 3 A8 distributor stamping, correct 7044270 SF 2923 carburetor stamp, correct original 74-P 0-1213 automatic transmission, correct 3984828 13 40 2 74 ring gear stamp, correct GY G065 1 axle housing stamp, original Window Sticker, original dealer sales invoice, original odometer statement, copy of original title, original Auto Owner's Maintenance Folio, original owner's instruction and information manuals, original maintenance and safety manual, copy of second owner's title, dealer photos of original vehicle delivery, PHS documentation, and documents from the '73/'74 SD455 Registry. One of only 731 automatic transmission cars produced.
Day Sold: Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Sale Price*: $73,700.00

7.) 2007 Chevrolet Silverado "Dale Earnhardt Jr. Big Red" SEMA Concept

Lot Number: 114
Details: The Dale Earnhardt Jr. "Big Red" Silverado is based on the all-new, 2007 Chevy Silverado crew cab and features custom exterior appointments, an off-road-ready suspension, one-off custom 20" wheels at Dale Jr.'s request, a custom interior and more. This one-of-a-kind Silverado builds on Earnhardt's personal notion of off-road enjoyment, which was previously conveyed in his personal truck - a previous-generation Silverado named "Big Red." Earnhardt collaborated with GM designers on the truck, visiting the GM Design studio in Warren, Mich. to discuss the exterior and interior enhancements, which include all-new front-end sheet metal and rear fenders, as well as a "flying bridge"-type roll bar with integrated off-road driving lamps. The interior is as luxurious as the exterior is off-road-capable, with rich, black leather upholstery and other details. The Dale Earnhardt Jr. "Big Red" Silverado is powered by GM Powertrain's 6.2 Liter Gen IV V8 engine, a high-output, all-aluminum engine with variable valve timing that produces 380hp and 417 lb/ft of torque. It transfers its power to all four wheels via a Hydra-Matic 4-speed electronically controlled transmission. The front and rear axles are equipped with 3.73 gears and Eaton ELocker electronic locking differentials, which help the truck deliver exhilarating performance with tall off-road tires. Stopping power is enhanced with a set of Baer disc brakes, including six-piston calipers and 15" cross-drilled rotors in the front and twin-piston floating calipers with 13" cross-drilled rotors in the rear. It's a concept, and like the others, is not legal for driving on public roads.
Day Sold: Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Sale Price*: $88,000.00

6.) 2006 Pontiac GTO RA6 Custom

Lot Number: 738
Details: This specialty '06 GTO was a SEMA Show award winner by Kip Wasenko and the team at the GM Performance Division. It features RA6 body modifications and a Stage 3 750hp Twin Turbo Katech 402 engine with Pedders Extreme suspension and Z06 brake package. Apparently, this car can be driven on public roads — it doesn't say it can't!
Day Sold: Thursday, January 15, 2009
Sale Price*: $93,500.00

5.) 1989 Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1

Lot Number: 96
Details: 1 of 83 1989 ZR-1s built and never released to the public. This car was used for media/press events and auto shows. Why'd this one go for a lower price then the other ZR-1 from '89? Probably because this one's painted purple. Also, like the other vehicles sold by GM here at the big B-J, this ZR-1 is not road legal.
Day Sold: Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Sale Price*: $110,000.00

4.) 1997 Chevrolet Monte Carlo "Intimidator" Show Car

Lot Number: 83
Details: A NASCAR-inspired show car that offered a glimpse of the 2000 Chevrolet Monte Carlo styling. Features aggressive styling cues and performance-enhancing technology. We like how it's a "street legal" car being sold on a Scrap Title — because, like most of the others, it's not able to be legally driven on public roads.
Day Sold: Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Sale Price*: $148,500.00

3.) 1990 Chevrolet Corvette "Active" ZR-1 Prototype

Lot Number: 82
Details: This vehicle pioneered the advantages of "Active Suspension" and has GTP Corvette race car technology. Built at the Bowling Green Plant, this vehicle was developed as a prototype for a limited edition run in the 1990 model year. It may not be driven on public roads.
Day Sold: Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Sale Price*: $150,700.00

2.) 1989 Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 "Snake Skinner"

Lot Number: 396.1
Details: One of 83 production 1989 ZR-1s built in Bowling Green. This experimental light weight was aimed directly at maintaining Corvette's performance supremacy. With a 475hp LT5 V8 and less weight, this vehicle is GM Performance legend. Sold on a Scrap Title. May not be driven on public roads.
Day Sold: Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Sale Price*: $176,000.0

1.) 1923 Oldsmobile Custom Touring Roadster

Lot Number: 397.2
Details: This Olds concept vehicle is powered by a 4.0 Liter DOHC V8 IMSA GTS-1 race engine with an automatic 4L60E transmission, Halibrand quick change 4.10 rear, 4-wheel independent suspension, rack & pinion power steering and Wilwood 4-wheel disc brakes. Also, because, like the rest, it's a GM concept, it's not legal for driving on public roads.
Day Sold: Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Sale Price*: $220,000.00

*Includes 10% Buyer's Premium

[via Barrett-Jackson]

While the 1970-74 Corollas sold in huge numbers in North America, the TE27 hardtop coupes weren't quite so common, and they're much in demand nowadays. You need to pay real money for a nice one, but $12,800 for a partially-completed restoration? It appears that this '74 is chock-full-o-NOS JDM goodies, and it's a non-rusty California car, so it's possible that no hubba rocks are needed to accept that price. What do you say?
Thanks to Akier for the tip! [Craigslist San Francisco, go here if the ad disappears]

What is a great gas-swilling old survivor like this doing serving regular street duty in a neighborhood like this? Is the original owner a visiting relative? Or maybe the rebellious teenage son of the family feels more comfortable driving in the kind of car appropriate to a Bayonne water-heater salesman in 1976 than he would in the usual 10-year-old Corolla. There's just no telling.


It's pretty beat, with the usual rear-window-area rot you get on GM cars after a few decades of rainy Bay Area winters, but it's still doing its job. With no engine-displacement emblems, we must assume it shipped from the factory (probably the Southgate plant in Southern California, if it's a California native) with a plain ol' 350 or 400 under the hood. By now, though, it could have anything from a 262 to a 454, depending on what was available in the junkyard when the previous engine gave up.

This one might not be a '74, but the bumpers place it somewhere in the Malaise Era. It's a Beetle under the skin, but for some crazy reason the sporty Karmann Ghia actually weighs more than the utilitarian Beetle: 1,919 versus 1,831 pounds. Both cars got the 46-horsepower 1600 engine. Yes, US emission-control regulations were tough on the air-cooled VW.


The price tag on the Karmann Ghia was pretty nice for a convertible: $3,935. Still, that was 10 bucks more than the 78.5-horse '74 MGB, and $970 more than a Triumph Spitfire. Wait, was the Spitfire really that cheap, or is the Standard Catalog mistaken?

When you think about a Chrysler-engined British car, the Jensen Interceptor is probably the first thing that comes to mind. While the Interceptor makes a fine Project Car Hell candidate, its perceived value to Jensen masochists aficionados is such that you'll never find one for anywhere close to the 500-buck 24 Hours Of LeMons limit. Hold on, though- what about the Bristol 408? Powered by the good ol' reliable Chrysler 313, the Bristol combined British style with Mopar drivetrain reliability… but is it possible to find one with a LeMons-legal price tag? Better hitch up the trailer and head for Wisconsin, because this 1966 Bristol 408 Coupe (go here if the ad disappears) has an asking price of just $500! The engine is bad, but there must be sufficient eBay-worthy pieces you can sell off this thing to score a running Chrysler small-block and Torqueflite transmission. Then just knock the suspension and brakes into quasi-functional shape and you'll be raceworthy. You can make it happen! Thanks to Cheese-Eating Surrender Monkey Bret for the tip!

That Bristol would make you an instant LeMons legend, all right, but where's the absurdity? Sure, you'd have to be insane to run such a car, but you want members of other teams to stagger back in a mixture of awe and horror when they lay eyes on your racin' machine. A limousine would accomplish that, but there's the troublesome 4,000-pound weight limit to contend with. Unless… unless, of course, you were to get this 1974 Super Beetle limo (go here if the ad disappears), which has a bait-n-switch price of $8 but will likely go to the first buyer who waves a $100 bill under the seller's nose. There's no engine and transmission, but Pick Your Part is always chock-full of Beetles and Transporters, and any lawnmower mechanic armed with $9.98 worth of Brazilian replacement parts can get a Type 1 engine working just fine. Handling on the race track might be a little odd, since the pendulum with the big rear weight is now longer, but you won't be perturbed by the spinouts once you've got that Index Of Effluency and/or Organizer's Choice trophy in your shaky hands! Thanks to LeMons Supreme Court Justice Loverman for the tip!

The Luxus was the high-end LeSabre for '74, and it came standard with a snazzy steering wheel, special hubcaps, and a vinyl notchback seat. The convertible sold for $4,696, about 50 bucks less than the '74 Caprice Classic convertible. Yes, the big Chevy convertible cost more than the big Buick convertible!


This example is in great shape, either a low-miles original car or a good restoration. Given that this is Alameda, I'm betting on the former; you see a lot of original-owner cars of this era on the island.

Once you're done looking at the photos of this car, you can vote for your favorite Alameda convertible. I'm not including homemade convertibles, roofless customs, or vehicles with removable hardtops- just cars with true convertible tops.

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