As expected, a bargain-basement price tag wasn't enough to keep you guys from excavating some brilliant finds in our latest used-car treasure hunt. I'm going to hand out some awards, but they're all highly subjective and ultimately they don't matter. After all, the real fun comes in sifting out the listings and wondering ... what if? And at these prices, why not?
Best in Show - 1979 Porsche 928 - $1,000
Submitted by john bono
This could easily have been the winner of our Siren Award, in which the car lures you in just to shipwreck you on the shoals of horrific maintenance costs. After all, Porsche 928s were extremely complicated machines and it's not hard to imagine a $1,500 Porsche 928 costing the new owner many multiples of the original purchase price.
But even assuming the worst and the 928's mechanicals and electrical system vaporize into dust seconds after the money trades hands, this is still an astonishing deal. I'm a 928 zealot, so I''m a bit biased, but this first-year 928 is so pretty, so pure that it's worth the asking price just as rolling sculpture and historical artifact. Imagine--for only $1,000, you could own a one-time Porsche flagship, with power and dynamics that once led the world.
Let me put it this way--can you imagine being able to purchase a Porsche 911, Ferrari Testarossa, or Lamborghini Countach that looks this good for $1,000? I certainly cannot, and that's why I'm naming this ovoid masterpiece Best in Show.
Submitted by john bono
The original ad is light on detail, which unfortunately allows my optimistic imagination to take hold. This original bodystyle XJ-6 looks very sharp and, according to the listing, "runs good." So, that's a relief--I'd be perfectly happy buying an English car with those two bland words to describe its mechanical condition.
Second Runner-Up - 1964 Plymouth Belvedere - $1,500
Submitted by Tommy's Dad
I love these cars--they have a nice shape and detailing, somehow cleaner and bolder to my eye than the equivalent Chevrolet Impala that everyone seems to love. This one could be a nice driver as-is, or it could be a beautiful restomod project. I love it.
Siren Award - 1989 Jaguar XJ-S V-12 Coupe - $1,250
Submitted by john bono
As mentioned above, I give the Siren Award to the listing that has the potential to intoxicate a potential customer, only to destroy that customer with slow-motion maintenance costs. This XJ-S is the perfect siren award winner. I'd love to have a Jaguar XJ-S, and I can imagine picking up this car on a whim--but I'm guessing this example would rapidly bankrupt me and ultimately make me hate it.
Masochist Award - 1985 Maserati Biturbo - $850
Submitted by john bono
Back in the 1980s, the Maserati Biturbo was considered fast and fairly attractive in an E30 BMW sort of way, but those attributes were quickly overshadowed by its now-infamous tendency to break in incredibly expensive ways.The Biturbo is notoriously unreliable and expensive to fix. In terms of complication and reliability, it makes the Porsche 928 look like a Toyota Corolla.
This Biturbo was a leading contender for the Siren Award until I realized that a $850 Maserati Biturbo goes well beyond being lured into an unwise purchase. This would be more like strapping yourself into an iron maiden and slowly swinging it shut.
Sensible Shoes Award - 1993 Toyota Camry - $1,295
Submitted by Cookie the Dog's Owner
It's hard to imagine a car more different from the Biturbo than a 1993 Toyota Camry, the car we once dubbed the most boring car ever made. Where the Biturbo was rare, fast, and extremely brittle, the Camry was common, reliable, and ubiquitous. For $1,295, it's hard to imagine a more intelligent used-car buy. It may not stir the passion like some of these other offerings, but if you actually need a used car for transportation this humble Toyota Camry outclasses the flashier cars highlighted here.
Blank Slate Award - 1990 FedEx Truck - $1,500
Submitted by Big Chris (Chris Meirose)
This truck used to carry parcels and packages; now it holds dreams. The question isn't so much what you could do with this truck, so much as what you couldn't do. The answer is nothing--you could do anything with this truck. You could sell parts from the back, make it the foundation for a go-kart racing team, live out of it, turn it into a bookmobile, or a traveling slot-car racing emporium ... the only limit is your creativity.
Tommy's Dad submitted a used ambulance that might have served the same purpose as well as powered some Cannonball Run-style antics, but unfortunately it expired before I could get to it.
Pound-Per-Dollar Award - 1978 Ford LTD Wagon - $950
Submitted by thirdcoast224
If you want to buy in bulk, this leviathan has to be the hands-down choice--it looks as if it weighs about 5,000 pounds, has less than 100,000 miles, and could probably hold the contents of a 3,000-square-foot house. And the style ... oh, the style. Look at the wood siding, the concealed headlights, and the massive grille--this thing has attitude and versatility to burn.
Urban Warrior (Heavyweight Division) - 2005 Ford Crown Victoria - $1,100
Submitted by thirdcoast224
If you want the ultimate weapon for urban warfare, this retired taxicab is it. Why get intimidated by merging cars, people following too closely, or fellow commuters trying to force their way into your spot? This taxicab has already absorbed a metric ton of abuse; what could you possibly do to it that could be worse? Other drivers will steer clear, intimidated by the battered yellow paint and the knowledge that you have nothing to lose. Don't even worry about mechanical abuse; the Crown Vic was engineered to run all day, from idle to full throttle and back, over and over and over.
Urban Warrior (Lightweight Division) - 1991 Ford Escort GT - $800
Submitted by kenny heggem
This 1991 Ford Escort GT is the perfect miniature urban warrior; its 16-valve Mazda hardware is quick enough to help this Escort dart into gaps in traffic while holding up to hard use. The Crown Vic has brawn on its side; the Escort has quickness and agility. Paint it flat black, and navigate the big city without fear.
Diamond in the Rough Award - 1976 Jeep Cherokee - $600
Submitted by Chris Meirose (Big Chris)
This is an amazing deal. I'm on the record as being a big fan of Jeep Wagoneers, and this Cherokee is the same body style as those Wagoneers--much cleaner and more purposeful than the wood-sided 1980s Grand Wagoneers. This Cherokee needs some work to make it perfect, but it sure looks good and costs only $600.
Considering the fact that completely refurbished Wagoneers go for $28,000-$42,000, and used Wagoneers in this price range tend to be jacked up, abused, off-roaders, I'd be strongly tempted to pick up this Cherokee even if I needed to sink several thousand dollars into it.
Hope Springs Eternal Award - 1987 Mercedes-Benz 300D - $900
Submitted by Chris Meirose (Big Chris)
It ordinarily wouldn't be much of a stretch to sell a W124 Mercedes for $900--it was one of the most sublime Mercedes models made--but trying to sell a diesel 300D with this forlorn exterior picture and mentioning that it has "only 495,000 miles" ... well, it seems a bit like tilting at windmills.
The Overpriced at $900 Award - Chrysler-Maserati TC - $900
Submitted by john bono
This award might be a bit harsh. The Chrysler-Maserati TC was an embarrassing debacle even at launch, but just as with the Chevy Vega the TC's badness makes it more interesting than otherwise. The TC is a historical oddity, a rare car, and has some basic appeal simply as a turbocharged convertible. But, is it truly much more appealing than the next car listed here?
Bargain Basement Fresh Air Award - 1986 Chrysler LeBaron - $495
Submitted by Educatordan
After all, this LeBaron is only somewhat closer to the original K-car frame than the TC--and while this car looks a bit rough and doesn't have the Maserati badge, it still offers open-air experience at a budget price. My only worry is whether the back window is truly missing and whether the car has been taking on moisture.
Worlds Colliding Award - 1973 Plymouth Duster - $1,500
Submitted by isitacrossfromchris
My co-worker John submitted this gem--a thoroughly knackered Duster project, with a rebuilt 360 V-8 and no interior or transmission. I could see this project being an absolute nightmare to piece together and finish, and the finished product probably won't justify the time and effort spent putting it together. Yet the sheer chutzpah of a Duster project with an interior and speaking module from a Dodge Daytona--a completely different lust from a completely different decade--is wildly compelling.
This summary doesn't even begin to capture all of the great vehicles you identified--the 1979 Volvo 242 Turbo, the 1971 Buick Riviera 455 project, the 1959 Ford Anglia, the 1973 GMC Sprint, the IH Loadstar, the 1964 Chevy Bel Air, the 1960 Studebaker Lark, the 1987 Pontic Fiero, the 1961 Mercedes-Benz 190B, the 1989 Chevy Caprice, the 1993 Acura Integra .... these and others were great finds.