Kawasaki Versys, Amertek 2500L, Chevy Corvair: The Dopest Vehicles I Found For Sale Online

I want to start this off with a Blast. My first motorcycle was a Buell Blast and I loved it so much I kinda feel like buying another, even if it’s widely seen as the red-headed stepchild of the Buell lineup. The Blast’s original vision was ambitious, as the little Buell was intended to be the perfect small bike and perfect beginner bike. Per Cycle World, Harley-Davidson insisted Buell use an in-house engine instead of a Rotax. Engine development ended up 80 percent over budget, and the program was so expensive that every Blast sold lost Buell money. The Blast ended up being the motorcycle powered by half of a Sportster engine that rattled itself to pieces and lost Buell money.

Still, I like these things. They’re weirder than your normal first bike choices like a Kawasaki Ninja 250 or a Honda Rebel 250, and they’re loads of fun. With a custom exhaust they can sound like the evil spawn of a dirtbike and a Harley-Davidson Sportster. The 492cc thumper can shake cracks into the factory exhaust, which is all the more reason to go custom. Resale is pretty decent as well.

If you want this Blast before I make a bad decision, you can pick it up for $950 on Facebook Marketplace in West Bend, Wisconsin.

Of course this list has a bus! I couldn’t give you a list of cool vehicles without showing off a bus of some kind. This one is a very old Chevy B Series cowled chassis with a bus body by long defunct Carpenter Body Works. This bus reportedly last ran 20 years ago and it appears to have a 366 V8 nested under the hood. If I lived on a farm or something I’d think it would be a fun thing to try to revive.

Unfortunately, I don’t see too much use for the bus after that. Gas-engine buses tend to drink A LOT of fuel. A quick search of some school bus forums seems to suggest this would get two to five miles per gallon. Oof, I don’t want to think of those fuel costs. (My diesel bus gets around 14 miles per gallon.)

But it’s still cool and may be worth the trip out to Shelbyville, Indiana. Part ways with $1,500 through Facebook Marketplace and give it a new home!

Admittedly I’m not much of a classic car person. That said, the Corvair is on my short list of old cars I’d totally buy. That list is also populated with a Yugo and a C4 Corvette. Use that information as you will.

This particular example doesn’t look to be rotted enough to be unsafe at any speed, and the ad says it just needs a generator. The cheaper examples in my search range didn’t run and were all likely a pothole away from splitting in half. So I’d think this one is a decent deal. If I had any desire to drive a car with a carburetor I’d probably be looking at it myself.

Bring a generator with you and drive it home for $2,600 on Facebook Marketplace in Corunna, Indiana.

I’ve often wondered what would be the biggest, baddest off-road truck you could have for relatively cheap, and I think I may have found the answer.

This Amertek 2500L airport crash truck is a whole lot of truck. According to the identification plates in the ad, it’s 8 feet wide, 8.5 feet tall and 25 feet long. All that girth is moved along by a Detroit Diesel 6V92. Assuming it’s the base model engine, it gives you a mountain of torque at 773 lb-ft and 253 horsepower. From what I could gather from the cab picture, it’s a 4x4 with locking differentials.

My research on these provides a few more details, but what I can see from various ads is that it’s good for up to 1,000 gallons per minute of pumping.

I suppose if you could convince your state to plate it you could make one truly epic off-road rig with it. If you want to give it a shot you can buy it for $6,500 on Facebook Marketplace, then figure out how to get it home from Columbus Grove, Ohio.

Here’s a vehicle I’ve considered buying more than once but never followed through on. I’m a fan of vans and a fan of German vehicles, so why not have both? The American-spec versions will come with either a 2.5-liter inline 5-cylinder engine or the 2.8-liter VR6 engine. Unfortunately, the American spec ones drive only the front wheels, but at least there was an available five-speed manual!

This one is a five-speed with the five-cylinder for $1,800 on Facebook Marketplace out of East Troy, Wisconsin.

I like vehicles with stories. I also like vehicles with high mileage for what they are. This Kawasaki has both and I want it! The seller is the son of the original owner, who clearly subjected it to some hardcore adventuring on the Trans American Trail and on daily commutes. This is a motorcycle that has dents and scratches and every single one of them probably has a story. It’s reportedly been well taken care of and the only problem is a leaky water pump at 45,000 miles. A part of me wants to buy it, fix that pump, then take it to 100,000 miles.

Don’t let me do that. Buy it first for $1,800 from Facebook Marketplace in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Have you ever wanted to look like the dictator of a small country? Do you love the look of old money? Do you want something that could be tuned to smoke out a Cummins? Well I have the chariot for you! This Mercedes-Benz 300 SDL is the massive diesel sedan you never knew you wanted.

As our David Tracy says, the Mercedes S-Class with Diesel engine and Long wheelbase is the perfect car for someone who wants to be carted around in style and comfort. But as an added bonus, this boat should get 30 miles per gallon with its economical engine. These old Mercedes engines are also easily tuned to make more power and if you really really wanted to, smoke out all the diesel truck bros in your neighborhood. Personally, I’m most surprised by the lack of rust.

You can begin your old money adventure for $3,200 from Facebook Marketplace in Tinley Park, Illinois.

Here’s another tempting toy to add to my collection. The Mini Cooper is marginally larger than any car in my fleet of Smart Fortwos, but under the hood of this S version resides a supercharged four-cylinder making 168 HP and 162 lb-ft of torque. The Cooper S is a fun little hot hatch, and I could never say no to a supercharger.

This one sounds like it has a dead starter. Which given the car’s manual transmission shouldn’t be that big of an issue to overcome. Pop the clutch out of the driveway and ride home with your loot.

Should I not break down and buy this, you can find it on Facebook Marketplace for $1,210 in Racine, Wisconsin. The seller notes some minor rust, but for the price I don’t think you can complain too much.

To round out this list, let’s play a game of Volkswagen roulette! This beautiful Volkswagen CC (Comfort Coupe) is what you get when you take a Passat and try to make it look like a coupe. Yes, that makes a nice sedan less practical but look at it! Put some nice turbofan wheels on it and you’ll turn some heads no matter where you go.

One thing that may turn your head, however, are the engine problems. The seller notes there is a misfire. A misfire can be as easy as a new plug or coil or could be as nightmarish as needing the engine opened up because the timing jumped. However, the allure of a sleek Passat draws me in and I feel tempted to take a chance, anyway. I mean, what’s the worst that could happen?

This cool car is located in grass somewhere in Kildeer, Illinois and can be found on Facebook Marketplace for $1,999.

That’s it for this week. As we head into winter I expect my motorcycle finds to become less fun and my car and truck finds to get a bit more interesting. Last winter I found a whole tanker, semi and trailer for just $500. I also got a daily driver TDI for $600 around this time, too. So who knows what gems winter may bring?

Tune in next week for whatever wacky stuff I may find within a 250 mile radius of me!