Archive for September, 2013

RustyButTrusty On The Street – Volvo, Ferrari, and Cadillac Hearse

September 22, 2013

Sometimes it’s amazing how many old cars a couple block radius can contain. On a recent drive, there were three interesting vintage cars, and this is not to mention the passing Datsun Fairlady roadster or the pre-GM Saab 900 convertible. The first car was a Volvo 122 2-door sedan. Fitted with slotted alloys in the 1970s, along with some little hoods over the headlights as you commonly see on VW Beetles, and some period foglights mounted in a strangely high position, this looks like a gently aged car that’s still working for a living.

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Not Wankered – 1972 MBG Roadster

September 21, 2013

Here at RustyButTrusty, we’ve made varying levels of attempts to get friends into old cars, mostly with limited success. Often this is because an old car is not suitable for the potential buyer’s lifestyle. However, a friend visiting from Finland wanted to buy an older sports car to bring back with him, so after making some calls, doing some research and a careful inspection, we purchased an MGB that was very similar to today’s feature car, a 1972 MGB roadster in white on black with Rostyle wheels, available for $3800 in Moyie Springs, ID, close to the Canadian border.

1972 MGB left side

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East Coast vs. West Coast – Pair of 1985 Mercedes 190E 2.3 5-speeds

September 21, 2013

With BMW M3s going skywards in value, I’ve been fantasizing about picking up a similar car while they’re still at the bottom of their depreciation curve. Unfortunately a good, sorted BMW M5 or Mercedes 190E 2.3-16 Cosworth will still set you back $15-20,000, possibly more for a stellar example. Sooo, what to do on a baby budget? Pick up a version of the first baby Benz, that’s what – and it might be a surprise that these little cars were available with 5-speed manual transmissions when they came out. Check out the first choice, a pale yellow 1985 190E 2.3 for $2000 in Durham, NC.

1985 Mercedes 190E 2.3 right front

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