Type “brown and crispy” into your favorite search engine, and you’ll get mouth-watering images of rice krispie treats and hash browns. But these words can also be accurate adjectives to describe a car that’s sat outside in the elements for several years. And there’s something fun about the unique finish (forget snooty patina) you get from leaving a car out in the weather or under some trees for several years – it can’t be reproduced or copied, it’s bound to get attention, and it’ll make your car far more theft-proof than any alarm system. Check out this 1975 BMW 2002 for sale for $700 in Petaluma, CA.
Ordinarily, this is the kind of car that wouldn’t even find a place in these pages. But since it seems structurally solid and apparently complete, wouldn’t it be fun to drag it out of its slumber, refurbish the mechanical bits and drive it as-is? You’d have a reliable, fun car without having to worry about parking lot dings, you could drive the car show nuts with their q-tips up the wall, and you’d probably get more attention than your average new BMW. On a side note, how does a car sink this far into the ground?
Yikes! The seller gives the interior a two out of ten, and you’ll definitely want a bug bomb, a shop vac and a good face mask and dumpster. Strip out the carpet and seats and replace with… well, who cares, you’re getting a lost cause back on the road! In fact, some newly painted floors might look pretty cool in a minimalist kind of way. Saving the dash is probably worth a shot so you don’t have to go through the trouble of disconnecting everything, and you killed everything up there with the bug bomb anyway.
Why leave a car out under a tree and not cover up the gaps where years of crap can accumulate? Well, this is why you bought your shop vac. No doubt there will be some rust down here, but hopefully nothing that cramps your lichen-loving style. Shock towers are solid, and while the owner doesn’t say what the cause of the car’s demise was, he does offer that it’s worth *at least* 3-4 times worth the price in parts, if you discount the time and agony it takes to get it home, dismantle it and sell everything.
Desirable California blue plates speak to the excellent provenance of this fine automobile. Only the finest lichen, moss, and filth were applied to the carefully shaped body. A stick across the bumper shows its near-permanent connection to nature. Only the most discerning enthusiasts will appreciate the care and attention that went into the preservation of this motorcar. Just make sure your tetanus immunization is up to date.
Rusty But Trusty 
March 20, 2014 at 5:22 am |
“Brown and crispy” might not not be descriptive enough, burnt to a crisp may be more in line…
March 21, 2014 at 4:02 pm |
scary scary scary scary