Click here to see the BritishV8.org feature.
1973 Mercedes 220D - I ran into a guy a few days ago who had converted one of these to bio-diesel. He was thrilled to be driving a car that uses renewable fuel. (It smelled like a bag of Burger King fries when he started it.)The concept of having a car that doesn't contribute to our dependency on fossil fuel and on countries that hate us to acquire that fuel, appeals to me. However, the reality of driving something as slow as an old diesel doesn't appeal to me. Maybe for long highway trips an old bio-diesel car would be cool, but I enjoy driving too much to drive one everyday. (Newer diesels, especially the ones coming from Audi and BMW, are supposedly much better to drive, but I haven't had the chance to drive one yet.)
Anyway, if you're a diesel fan or thinking of creating a bio-diesel car, a Mercedes 220D is a great choice. They run damn-near forever.
This one is located in Bend, OR. Older Mercedes were rust prone, but this one appears to have a great body. Best of all, it has a manual transmission. Click here to see the Craigslist listing.
1997 BMW Z3 1.9 - These are bargains. As soon as BMW dropped the 2.3 liter 6 into this body, the value of the 4 cylinder cars dropped dramatically. The 1.9 doesn't have the get-up-and-go of the 6, but it still has enough power to get out of its own way. The gas mileage is great, maintenance is easy and, best of all, the 1.9 4 is nearly indestructible.
The 1.9 Z3 is a great alternative to a Miata.
I chose this one because I like the color. It appears to be a good, honest Z3. But, there's no reason to drive far to find a good used 1.9 Z3. There are plenty out there to choose from and you should be able to find one locally.
The asking price for this one is $5850.00. Located in Summerlin, NV, click here to see the Craigslist ad.
