Older cars can be like diamonds in the rough – sometimes they need some polishing to suit a new owner’s tastes. And often, the only appropriate reaction to modifications not done to your taste (okay, we’ve all scoffed under our breath at someone else’s choices) is one question – how would I do it differently? Here we have a case in point – the seller of this 1987 Golf GTI 16 valve , for sale in Edmonds, WA for $3600, has a very solid car with some modifications made to his taste.
Perhaps it is their lingering ubiquity that makes Beetles less interesting to some classic car enthusiasts, but there’s really something to be said for all their different permutations, easy-peasy parts availability, and manifold options for modification. And, of course, you get to repair a car using a book for the Compleat Idiot before the “for Idiots” series existed, and what’s more, it’s written by John Muir. Okay, not that John Muir, but hey… anyhow, while a standard Bug does not sound too exciting, going through the process of selecting modifications and making your own to surprise the odd Alfa or BMW sounds like a lot of fun. On the theme of modifications, isn’t it interesting how owners of other modified people’s cars, namely Fiat 500/600s and Minis, are part of a broader car culture while the air-cooled VW nuts split off into their own subculture? Anyway, enough rambling – take a look at this 1967 Volkswagen Beetle for sale in Canby, OR (near Portland), for $3200.
About 20 years ago when it was still not unusual to see British cars (made by a British conglomerate, not an American, Indian, or German one) on the road, Sunbeam Alpines were already a fairly unusual sight. Very distinctive for their fins, and somewhat more luxurious than a contemporary MG or Triumph, they were not in the mainstream and suffered from a reputation for not being a true sports car. However, by contemporary standards, the small luxuries make them usable by today’s standards. Alpines were built in several series, with the first 3 maintaining the rear fins that are part of what makes them similar to a Ford Thunderbird. Last to bear the fins, this 1964 Sunbeam Alpine Series III is for sale in sun Valley, CA for $3200.
Rusty But Trusty 