Archive for the ‘Feature’ Category

1970 BMW 2002

July 7, 2009

By now I’m sure you’re noticing a lot of my favorite cars come from the seventies. Well, here’s another (just barely) – the BMW 2002. I’m sure if you’re reading this, it comes as no great surprise, and I’m not revealing anything unusual like I have in some of my other posts. However, I rode in one of these before I was born, on the way back from the hospital, and then as a little screamer, until my father replaced it with a used 1975 530i with a black vinyl roof. I’ve always wanted one of these, the search for one during high school having culminated in the purchase of my Alfa Spider. Since then, I’ve looked for one in vain, on and off, but even cheap ones have become more expensive, especially if you’re trying to avoid the 1974-76 rubber bumper cars.

However, a decent car within the budget range occasionally pops up, and this 1970 model (same year as my father’s) in Sacramento, CA looks a pretty solid basis for a rusty-but-trusty car. It has a substantial, descriptive advertisement to boot. As is frequently the case, the photography leaves something to be desired, but that is fairly common for a $2500 car on craigslist. You can see that it’s a fairly straight car that should be low-rust if it’s spent most of its life in Northern California:

1970 BMW 2002 front

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1971 Triumph TR6

July 1, 2009

Having always been a fan of 6-cylinder Triumphs, but having a hard time finding one at an affordable price, I had to jump on this particular car, listed here in Thousand Oaks, CA for $2000. I can’t say I have a particular story about these, or even any experience with them, except for one I test drove while I was in high school. Even at that time (15ish years ago), I think it was about $3000 for a ratty example in primer with a steering rack that was not properly secured to the rest of the car. I was kind of surprised the owner let me out on a test drive by myself, until I found out it wouldn’t get me too far.

Anyway, that was so bad, I couldn’t possibly run into another example that bad! Or could I? For $2000, this car with seemingly original color, no visible rust (solid according to the seller), and mostly complete, seems like a screaming deal. It’s even one of the earlier cars with smaller chrome bumpers and limited smog equipment. Check it out:

1971 Triumph TR6 left quarter
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Boise Betas – HPE, Coupe, and Zagatos

June 30, 2009

Since I’m feeling guilty (or something) for finally giving in on my Beta sedan and taking it up to a professional in Berkeley, I figured I’d do a post on Betas. Call it an act of contrition, if you like. Speaking from my experiences working on these cars, I would move on any of these cars with a certain level of trepidation, but I have to say they’re still very attractive in terms of the performance and technology you get in these late-70s cars. Maybe it’s just setting the correct expectations – with these cars at such low prices, expect to do a certain amount of mechanical work before having a reliable, smooth-running driver.

Who knew there were so many Betas in Boise? With four on the market at the same time, Boise must be a veritable hotbed of Lancia enthusiasts. With the varied assortment, you have to think that somewhere in the Boise area, there’s a Berlina hiding in someone’s garage. This first pair is pretty interesting – an HPE and a Coupe, both from 1979. Unfortunately, the HPE has an automatic transmission and is missing a carb, but from my perspective that’s a good reason to source a fuel-injected 2000 engine with a 5-speed and drop that in, instead of bothering with the strangling emissions equipment. The good news is, the coupe is a runner, so you can keep the flame alive with that while finding and installing that 2000. The HPE is also listed separately at $200, but you can get the whole package here at $750 in Meridian, ID.

1979 Lancia Beta HPE & Coupe
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