Posts Tagged ‘german’

Automatic for the People – 1983 Mercedes 300D Turbodiesel

October 2, 2015

Ask most people in our corner of internet-land, and you’ll find they love manual transmission cars, won’t buy anything without a speck of rust, and only if there’s a financial upside. But as we all know, the rules of physics (and the other practical aspects of life) don’t apply there – it’s like building a a dream garage, where factors like budget, your family, and the commute don’t come into the discussion. But if you can accept that real life is a consideration, and if you want to be able to use your classic car more than four times a year – you know, for those two annual shows, a club drive, and the one time you can convince the family they want to ride in a noisy old car that smells of vinyl, burnt oil, and exhaust (the holy trinity!) – then maybe it’s worth compromising on the dream a little to engage some of the most important people in your life in the hobby and still be able to engage in it yourself. And that’s where we come to a great, family friendly classic – the W123 series of Mercedes sedans. Check out this 1983 Mercedes 300D Turbodiesel for sale for $3900 in Walnut Creek, CA.

1983 Mercedes 300D Turbodiesel right front

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GM’s 2002 – 1975 Opel 1900 Ascona Fuel Injection

September 18, 2015

Have you found yourself moaning about the bubble in Opel GT prices lately? Has it got to the point where it seems like only one percenters can afford anything less than a complete rust bucket project? Well, even if you were bemoaning the new cost of , Opel was thinking of the budget-minded classic car enthusiast over 40 years ago when it released the 1900. With around 81hp net, a live rear axle and independent front suspension on coil springs, and rack and pinion steering, it was praised at the time for its good handling. The 1900 Coupe (or Manta) compared favorably to the Mercury Capri, Toyota Celica and Mazda RX-2, and its character was favorably compared to other higher-end German cars. Check out this 1975 Opel 1900 Ascona for sale for $3000 in Gresham, OR.

1975 Opel 1900 Ascona right front

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Moving the Fleet – Rusty But Trusty Relocation

September 17, 2015

After a long period of separation, during which RustyButTrusty’s headquarters and vast team of writers relocated to the lovely Portland, Oregon metro area, the fleet was brought up to its new headquarters. Two good friends with mechanical skill and/or a desire to drive old cars were enlisted. After several months of disuse, the cars were woken from their slumber and forced to make up for missed time. Sadly, there was not enough time to explore west coast back roads, as part of the incentive for driving up in convoy was a visit to the Evergreen Aviation Museum in McMinnville, OR. So the trip was a simplified version of the 700 mile dash up the interior of California and Oregon. Do you like sweating on hot, vinyl seats because it’s 90 degrees out? Nobody said this lifestyle didn’t involve suffering…

1 1977 Alfa Spider on SF Bay Bridge

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