Having grown up with a Saab 99 and two Saab 9000 turbos in the family, I’ve always had a fascination with the Renault 16. Before the Saab, and like the Saab, this car had a longitudinally mounted 4-cylinder with the engine behind the transaxle, front wheel drive, four doors and a hatch, and if you believe the Renault website, even a turbocharged engine. The TX even came with a 5-speed as of 1973, and you could get power front windows and locks. All models had an unequal wheelbase, and massive suspension travel for passenger comfort, as can be seen in this US-market TV advertisement:
Archive for June, 2013
Subtle Innovation – 1970 Renault 16
June 12, 2013Free Car! 1976 Alfa Romeo Spider
June 9, 2013Those of you who’ve been reading for a while will know that there’s a 1977 Alfa Romeo Spider that’s responsible for my involvement in the hobby, this blog, and the hole blown out the side of my wallet. Well, here’s a chance for a lucky person in or near Clifton, VA to go down the same rabbit hole, without that silly initial investment I paid. That’s right folks, this car on the AlfaBB is free!
And for free, or even for a smaller 3 or 4 digit sum, this is a pretty good deal. You could probably get that money back in parts, but thanks to an owner who doesn’t want to deal with a non-starting car, you don’t even have to pay that! So what do we have here? Well, according to the owner, it was his daily driver until 5 years ago, and he was amazed by the fact it would always start, even in cold weather. He started it regularly even after that, but now it’s given up the ghost. If you zoom in on the picture, you can also see the rockers are fairly crusty. While the top is faded, it seems to be intact. So the answer to the question is – assuming the rust is not terminal (and it takes a lot for that to happen, even if it looks bad) a fun top-down beater. And if some light repairs don’t cure the problem, you can always salvage/sell what’s valuable (drivetrain, interior bits) and get rid of the rest. Hmm, 24 Hours of Lemons here we come?
Nouveau 02 – 1985 BMW 325e
June 8, 2013On the last post about a 2002, I was commenting how 2002 prices seem to have moved out of the realm of cheap affordable cars. Well, that just means newer cars are coming in to fill its place. And many people who like cars consider the 1983-91 E30 3-series to fill that gap – compact, relatively light, and sporting. And unlike a 2002, you could get them in various body styles and with various engines: 2-door, convertible, 4-door, wagon (not in the US, sadly) and 4- and 6-cylinder engines. Just like a 2002, the styling was boxy, and the driving experience was key. That brings us to the car of the day, a 1985 325e available in Berkeley, CA for $2500.
Rusty But Trusty 