TjRubley.com

We’ve been on the prowl for a modern classic, affordable, sporting German car for a while now. And while we were pretty sure an MK2 GTi or GLi would fit the bill, we couldn’t find one close enough to justify a trip to check out, and those that looked promising were $4-6k believe it or not! Not to mention perfect cars were even more amazing!

My wife has been more and more impatient with our Golf recently and was really ready to shop. Being my favorite hobby of all time, I was on the job. But nothing in the 100 mile radius really tickled our interest as much as the following Portland Craigslist ad did this past week:

535 series BMW - $2500

535 Series BMW 1985 535 Series BMW *Excellent Condition***Very Clean One owner**

$2500

* All service records and original MSRP available

**This car is a must see**

The Good: It was owned for 21 years by a doctor and the sale included an eye popping $28k in maintenance receipts. Not a misprint; twenty eight thousand dollars!! It also includes the original MSRP from the Portland BMW dealership for well over $30k! This car was all stock in their care and nearly any issue or service item was done at the dealership. Almost everything works on the car, except of course for the onboard computer. Most of the 200k miles on this car are well looked after.

The Bad: The past 3-4 years of history on the car are sketchy. Someone junked the stock TRX wheels in favor of e36 M3 alloys. While they look good, I’m not sure they’re fitted correctly. And the front suspension bushings, alignment, and wear items are all feeling like they need attention. The front seats are also feeling really loose, and the driver’s side leans heavily to the left. The exhaust also has holes in it.

While this post would be cooler if it was a perfect car and a 5 speed, I think it’s a car that was rescued at the right time by the right new owners. Even if another $2k needs to be spent immediately, it’s amazingly clean over all. We’ll have a great car for less than $5k that has a ton of style and is a real pleasure to drive. Even with the suspension on the questionable side, the corning is very flat and easy to control. The seating position is great, and the car has some guts too!

Look for e28 project updates in future posts!

dc

After going up to Portland and back a few times by rental car in the past few months, I find myself seriously regretting the sale of the e36 m3. It handled this duty so well, and the Dodge Avenger rental car… Well it’s a pile of shit in comparison except that it’s nearly brand new. I have no other words of praise for it.

So naturally while hanging out on the Portland I-5 parking lot coming back from Webvisions, I fantasized about eating up back road in a comfortable German sports touring machine. Not new of course, because that’s not reality. A modern classic, used German car, in the $10-15k range. AKA “the so affordable range, you could get one at a moment’s notice.” Or so I always care to believe!

Naturally I hit crazedlist.org to check out all the west coast listings for a German Tourer. First up:

1988 Porsche 928 S4 in Portland, Oregon for $10.5k on Craigslist

The Exterior Paint Is Original & In Very Good Condition Without Dents Or Door Dings. The Interior Is Near Perfect With Only Minor Warping On the Right Rear Panel. The Dash & Pod Are Flawless.

The Car Comes As Shown and Priced With Porsche Factory 993 Cup Wheels. I Will Reduce to $10,500 With Stock Slotted Wheels. New Price Reflects Brand New Shocks With Ride Height Adjustment and Alignment.

I know 928’s are maintenance nightmares, but they are so sexy. And the one I drove years ago was a 1984 928S model. It was a very comfortable car, but with a terrible 3 speed auto transmission. This car being a later model 1988 year and an S4 features much more horsepower, and 4 speed auto. This combination should really make this car much more alive. And the white on white, while very Miami Vice, still appeals to me as a product child of the 80’s. It’s already a standout car; why not make the interior just as eye popping?!

This car has important recent maintenance and looks sharp with the 993 rims for $11.5k. If you can handle the couture interior, this looks attractive to me!

Check out other Porsche Cars For Sale Posted on TjRubley.com

dc

I used to own a 1968 MG Midget that looked almost exactly like this car, including the flat brick red paint

1966 Austin Healey Sprite for $3k on Craigslist

1966 Austin-Healey Sprite, runs and drives. Rebuilt motor with slight over bore to 1299cc. New SU carbs. Slightly hot cam. Rebuilt 4 speed. Needs paint and some minor body work. Have interior kit, ready to be installed. Steel wheels and 2nd set of race wheels.

I’ll bet there’s some haggle room in that price too. With a paint job and some minor TLC, this looks like it could be a great little ride by spring.

dc

A very cool, modern, gray-market import in the Pacific Northwest: 1998 Audi A3 on Craigslist

For Sale - 1998 Audi A3 in Seattle, WA, USA

Full German Specification Car
All Paperwork And Maintenance Records
More Pictures Here
Ming Blue Pearl Effect Paint
Caractere full body kit (front bumper, rear bumper, side skirts, rear wing, front grill and surround, with Caractere RS3 body kit badging)
Clear side marker lights
European headlights/fogs with height adjustability on headlights
Evolution Sports Fog Light Wiring Harness

18″x8″ Porsche 996 Twin Turbo wheels (Hollow Spokes) - mint condition
225/40-18 Michelin Pilot Sports - 3,000 miles on them
H&R wheel adapters for 5×130 pattern from 5×100
H&R Coilovers (custom matched by H&R for this car)
H&R Front Sway Bar
Autotech Hollow Rear Sway Bar
Car is full corner balanced
Autotech drilled/slotted front rotors
Mintex Pads
Silver painted calipers

1.8T engine
5-speed transmission
125,xxx Kilometers (~77,500 miles)
DigiTec Chip/ECU Upgrade (German Chip)
Supersprint Mid Pipe Section
Supersprint Rear Section with DTM tips
Forge “Stealth” Diverter Valve
Mobil1 Synthetic Oil
K&N air filter

Gray interior
Staccato pattern on factory sport seats (Cloth)
Full Climate Control
Audi TT pedals
Audi TT Dead pedal
Metric gauge cluster (KPH only)

One of only 4 known early Audi A3/S3 models in the United States, and the only fully registered one to my knowledge. The car was imported by H&R Special Springs in 1998 and used as a demonstration car for a year. After that the car was sold to a private party in Washington state, and purchased by my friend whom I bought it from 5 years ago makin gme the 4th ownerof the vehicle.

The car is a real treat to own and drive, simply from all the people that you get to meet. Every time you stop at a light or to get gas, the crowd seems to form to ask you “How did you get that over here?” or “What is that?” The car is just like any other Audi in terms of high build quality and handsome looks. The vehicle is a German spec import, but can be serviced by any Audi dealer in North America in terms of mechanical/electrical maintenance and repair. This car would be a great addition to any Audi collector’s garage, or an enthusiast that wants a rare and unique car for motoring enjoyment.
Serious buyers only, please.

$17,000 USD

Contact Jeff - a3turbo@gmail.com or at 206.650.8854

Pictures -

http://s245.photobucket.com/albums/gg44/ballardjeffrey/Audi%20A3/

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Brief History of the car:

1998
• Imported into the United States by H&R for demonstration purposes.
• Displayed at the Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Association (SEMA) in Las Vegas. The car was located in the main entrance foyer, for thousands to see.
• Displayed at the Los Angeles International Auto Show at the request of Audi of North America.
• Honored by Audi AG at the Monterey Historic Races at Laguna Seca in California.
• Vehicle was photographed by Turbo Magazine for feature coverage after the SEMA show.
• Vehicle was photographed by European Car Magazine for feature coverage after the SEMA show.

1999
• Displayed at the Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Association (SEMA) in Las Vegas. The vehicle was located in the H&R display booth.
• Vehicle was photographed by Max Power Magazine for feature coverage after the SEMA show.
• Turbo Magazine feature came out in the June 1999 issue.
• Displayed at the Los Angeles International Auto Show at the request of Audi of North America
• Vehicle became fully registered in the state of Washington.
• Car was honored at the Audi A4/VW Passat Motorsports Exposition at Sears Point Raceway in conjunction with the Norcal Audi Club.

2000-2001
• Max Power Magazine feature came out in the June 2000 issue.
• H&R advertisement showing the vehicle came out in the Fall 2000 issue of Quattro Quarterly.
• Sold to private party in Washington State.

I’ve seen this car many times when I was in the PNW scene (if you can call simply owning a 337 and showing up at events ‘in the scene’ ) and it’s really hot and well cared for. For only $17k, I’m sure the right buyer will find their way to this car.

dc

This popped up on the 851-888 list: 1993 Ducati 888 SPO on Craigslist for $10k

Beautiful bike, never raced or wrecked. New tires. Ferracci CF exhaust and stage 1 chip, Ohlins shock, Toby Steering Damper, CF hugger, CF fender, CF sprocket guard, CF gauge surrounds, vented CF clutch cover, kevlar brake lines, CF tank guard, Corbin seat, K&N filter, much more . . . Doug Polen (3 time world champion riding an identical bike) autographed the tail, making this a rare and unique specimen. Not many of these are left, especially in this condition. Original parts were retained to return to completely stock set up. Also have original manuals, took kit and a shop manual. I hate to part with this bike, but with 4 bikes and a 2 year old, something has to go.

The Ducati 851 series was the precursor to the 916 series, and featured a 4 valve head and water cooling — which I believe was a first for a production Ducati.

dc