BMW 128i, Janus Halcyon, Toyota Previa Supercharged: The Dopest Vehicles I Found For Sale Online

I wanted to try getting back to my roots on this entry by finding crazy cheap cars that aren’t total buckets. This Ford Festiva is one of them. Many car enthusiasts yearn for a simple car that is spacious and just gets you from A to B without much fuss. I’ve owned one of these and while these cars are gutless, they are quite lovable. You can redline every gear without breaking the speed limit and it’s even a fun road trip car, too. These cars are so simple that most of them only have a driver mirror.

And if you’re really weird you can turn one into an off-road kart like I did:

This one is ready for its next ride for only $850 in Latonia, Kentucky, from Facebook Marketplace.

I really love what Janus Motorcycles is doing. Many builders spend lots of money and countless hours on a restoration to make what Janus creates brand new. A Janus feels like a motorcycle built almost a century ago because it’s built using basically the same methods. These bikes are put together by hand by Amish crafters in Indiana and their work is gorgeous. A Halcyon is a bike I dream of having in my stable.

This Halcyon is the 25th built and is powered by an adequate 250cc engine. It has only about 1,500 miles. It’s slightly cheaper than new at $5,500 but I think it’s more than worth it. Pick it up in Battle Creek, Michigan, from Facebook Marketplace.

I know I’ve featured diesel Beetles a few times, but Facebook Marketplace keeps giving me silly Beetle builds. This time it’s a 1999 Beetle TDI featuring a lift, all-terrain tires, an EGR delete, side-pipe exhaust and heaters for the battery and oil pan. This little bug should score great fuel economy, and it can tackle the dirt too!

It’s noted as having the battery light on despite a new alternator but runs and drives fine. It’s $3,500 out of Merrill, Wisconsin.

For this week’s enthusiast car, I’ve chosen a small BMW with a manual transmission for some serious fun. When Torque Affair wrote about their experience with the 1 series through Jalopnik, they liked it more than an M5. If that’s not a huge endorsement, I don’t know what is. So if you’re upset that modern BMWs are too big, heavy and too ugly, a little 1 Series may be the choice for you.

This one is out in Ocean Beach, California, for $7,400 on Craigslist.

What’s cooler than a lifted Beetle? How about a diesel wagon? This stately wagon needs some work, but it’s said to run and drive. The owner says the sunroof is sealed and a door lock doesn’t work, but the straight-six diesel under the hood is alive and well. The W124 chassis cars like this one may not be as popular as the marque’s older cars, but I think it’s still really cool.

It can be found on Facebook Marketplace in Greenville, Ohio, for $3,000.

Do you love that signature Triumph soundtrack but wish it came in a more adventurous package? Meet the Triumph Tiger 1200. This is a motorcycle you can take touring — and keep going even when the road runs out. This example has heated grips, fog lights and a heated seat, so you can be off exploring even when the weather is crap. It has some dings and cracks, but that just gives it more character.

Find it on Facebook Marketplace in Westmont, Illinois, for $4,500.

For a slight departure from the norm of suggesting some crazy truck or bus, here’s a cute vintage camper! This one is recently restored and ready for its next adventure. It looks rather cozy. I love how the color theme carries through to the interior. This camper is so vintage that I couldn’t find much information about it. I imagine repairs would definitely need some creative energy.

At least it appears to be fairly lightweight. The seller shows it being towed by a minivan! Get it for $9,500 on Facebook Marketplace in Burlington, Wisconsin.

I’ve been waiting for one of these to show up for pretty cheap. Don’t let these pictures deceive you — we’ve been getting so much ice and snow in Illinois — because this is a running rear-wheel-drive and supercharged minivan. It has some wear but the owner says it’s ready to go to a new owner. With a little negotiation you may even get the parts needed to fix it. It’s a super weird van for little money, so what’s not to love?

It’s $2,300 on Facebook Marketplace in Naperville, Illinois.

To round out this list I have a Japanese sedan that isn’t pint-sized. What you’re looking at here is a Nissan Primera sporting an SR20DE engine, manual transmission and all-wheel-drive. The U.S. got this car as the Infiniti G20. By snagging this right-hand-drive Japanese domestic-market model, not only would you get the aforementioned AWD, but also a few more horses under the hood —150 in all — than the G20 had. This one also comes with a host of fun mods.

Get it from Facebook Marketplace from the Import Guys in Ferndale, Washington, for $10,495.

That’s it for this week! Have you purchased a car based from one of these posts? If so, I want to know.

Since this series began, I’ve watched how the pandemic has been changing nationwide car prices. Vehicles that were an easy $1,000 before are becoming $2,000 or even $3,000 cars.

It’s becoming harder to find what I’d say are insane deals without getting behind the wheel of something that’s one harsh pothole away from the scrapyard. Some gems are still out there, but they end up selling before I can even finish writing these.

Know of a weird car for sale on Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist? Drop it down in the comments or in my email! If the car’s still for sale, I may feature it on a future post.