If there’s one car that has withstood the test of time, that’s the original Volkswagen Beetle. And even though more than 21 million Bugs were built between 1938 and 2003, it’s not often that you stumble upon a pristine example with only delivery mileage on the odometer. The one you see pictured above is a 1978 Beetle Jubilee with a mere 40 miles on the clock that has never been registered. It’s up for sale by UK-based CVA Auctions.
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The ebay seller assures us the work was carried out by professionals (isn’t it always?) and -as usual- the vehicle is going for a lot less than its original asking price. The car is said to be built by a Mr. Bates who provided the chassis to UK “repli-car” kit manufacturer Hawk Cars. Perhaps coincidently, Hawk Cars also makes a Lancia Stratos replica kit.
Our seller’s “Carriero GT” features a rebuilt engine and transmission (never a good sign in this sort of car) with the car said to have covered 6,900 miles since then.
The seller will have more than enough once he sells this beautiful and quality replica for the low, low price of US$21,500. Don’t believe me? The seller himself says, “THE PICTURES SHOW THE BEAUTY AND THE QUALITY BUILT INTO THIS REPLICA.” And you can really see it too, from the awkward body mouldings, botched-together interior and Costco brand fog lights.
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Not surprising, given the fact that you can find examples of the XK8 for as low as $8,000, with KBB suggesting a retail value of around $12,000 for a pristine 1999 model with the same mileage (95,000 miles). Heck, for under 50 grand you can actually get a real Aston Martin as we found 2002/2003 DB7s going for around $45,000 on eBay. Photos and video follow after the break.
George Barris is a living legend, perhaps best known for his work on the Lincoln Futura-based Batmobile for the ‘60s Batman TV series starring Adam West. One of his lesser-known creations is this: the 70-X Toronado, aka a heavily customized 1967 Oldsmobile Toronado. It was one of four custom Olds’ commissioned by Canada’s Imperial Oil and built by Barris for Expo ’67 in Montreal. And now you have the chance to own this unique piece of customising history for the low, low price of US$99,000. The Toronado held the distinction of being the first front wheel drive car produced in the U.S. since the Cords of the 1930s, though was otherwise ordinary for the time. A 425ci big block under the hood, a wide grin and two sharp fender protrusions to impale unsuspecting pedestrians were the standout features of the ’67 model year. In Barris’ hands, though, the Toronado became something even more exotic.
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Okay, you got me. “Cute utes” are not really my thing. I’m more of a Dodge Ram SRT-10 or an HSV Maloo man myself. Yes, they’re affordable and sure if you’re on a budget and need a reliable vehicle that can carry a whole lot of work gear and tools there’s really nothing better. So here’s a “step-side” style ute pickup based on a 1989 Chevrolet Caprice. Step-side pickups have a step moulded into the body, typically between the passenger doors and rear wheel arch. They were popular in the 1950s though are somewhat rarer these days.
There are probably more Pontiac Fiero-based imitations in the world than real Ferraris. Today, though, we have something a little different. No, it is not a Pontiac Fiero-based Lamborghini Miura (we have already had one of them), it is a Toyota Celica that has been transformed into a passable F430 replica. Did I say passable? Well, only just. From the front, it looks okay, with the hood, headlights and A-pillar being sufficiently F430-like. As you move back, however, it all starts to unwind. The awkward side window treatment, slab-sided rear flanks and the shape of the rear windscreen just seem wrong. Though you can’t expect much from trying to transform a front-engined, front wheel drive Japanese coupe in a mid engine, rear wheel drive Italian exotic.
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Few names in automotive history make the average car enthusiast’s skin crawl like, “Geo”. Geo was General Motors response to the growing number of Japanese and South Korean imports that had invaded the U.S. market. Essentially taking the most boring and insipid models from Suzuki, Toyota and Isuzu and building them stateside, Geo embodied the whole, “Who Gives A...” attitude that has made GM so reviled by some.
The Geo Storm was essentially an Isuzu Impulse stripped off all the things that would have made the latter an appealing proposition to the enthusiast: Lotus tuned suspension, turbocharger and AWD. What was left was essentially a four-cylinder sedan with two less doors and a vaguely sporty body. Still, it was a big seller for Geo and GM, no doubt leaving the corpse of Colin Chapman rolling in his grave.
And so it was, from the depths of eBay Hell, a “1 of a kind” Geo Storm pickup truck. Behold the myriad of features such as a sliding rear window with “WWII Bomber Girl mural”, gullwing T-Tops and custom 17-inch rims. A fourth generation Camaro-style front end, red white and blue “Patriotic paint theme”, a Chevy Chevelle SS hood cowling and a shaved tail gate handle complete the exterior package.
The car retrains Isuzu’s 12-valve engine and 5spd manual transmission, the former of which has recently had a comprehensive tune-up. It’s hard to poke too much fun at the seller: a civilian combat veteran hit by some family health problems. All told it’s a good conversion and the price – US$13,000 – could be a lot worse. Check out the pics (and video) and leave your voice your opinion below.
Source: eBay
The Geo Storm was essentially an Isuzu Impulse stripped off all the things that would have made the latter an appealing proposition to the enthusiast: Lotus tuned suspension, turbocharger and AWD. What was left was essentially a four-cylinder sedan with two less doors and a vaguely sporty body. Still, it was a big seller for Geo and GM, no doubt leaving the corpse of Colin Chapman rolling in his grave.
Sure, most people would love to have a Bugatti Veyron; sadly, at over a million bucks a pop we're talking a vehicle that's slightly out of reach for most consumers. Thankfully, one man and eBay have rectified this issue with something we'll call a Cougatti (or Bougar).
Based on a 112,000-mile 2002 Mercury Cougar with a V6 and automatic transmission, this one-of-one Cougatti has a starting bid of $89,000 and no takers as of this writing. Potential buyers get all the body work, 20-inch wheels, angel eye HID headlights, LED tails, two gas caps (one functional), and power windows/mirrors.
No pics of the interior just yet, but the seller says it is "in progress" and "very close to being ready for upholstery".
Is this cross-bred creature a crime against humanity or a bargain basement show car? Leave your comments down below.
Link: eBay
Based on a 112,000-mile 2002 Mercury Cougar with a V6 and automatic transmission, this one-of-one Cougatti has a starting bid of $89,000 and no takers as of this writing. Potential buyers get all the body work, 20-inch wheels, angel eye HID headlights, LED tails, two gas caps (one functional), and power windows/mirrors.
Based on a 112,000-mile 2002 Mercury Cougar with a V6 and automatic transmission, this one-of-one Cougatti has a starting bid of $89,000 and no takers as of this writing. Potential buyers get all the body work, 20-inch wheels, angel eye HID headlights, LED tails, two gas caps (one functional), and power windows/mirrors.
Found for sale on eBay, is this specially customized 1987 Ferrari Testarossa, which has been...cheesed up with gold platted accents. The precious material covers the five-spoke alloy wheels, logos, side air vents, front grille, rear vents and the rear column surrounds.
Surprisingly, the owner claims that the Italian supercar has clocked a mere 3,000 miles or about 4,800 kilometers on the odo in the past 23 years, all of which he says were made "behind guarded gates in our community". Unless the community has a private race track, we can't really think of a worst fate for a Prancing Horse model... The asking price for the kitschy Testarossa is $90,000. Scroll down for more photos and the seller's entertaining description.
eBay Seller's Description:
This is my father's pride and joy, a real customized treasure from the 1980's. We're attempting to see what kinds of offers people may have for us as we're attempting to simplify our lives in the current economy, please submit your offer. As you can see, this is a one of a kind Testarossa, you won't find another like it, it's unique to itself. It's only been driven behind guarded gates in our community. The car is in excellent condition. It's just recently had a 'facelift' (normal maintenance and parts replacement) at our local Ferrari dealership since it doesn't get driven but maybe on the weekends around the block, and my father likes to keep it looking brand new. We have all records, maintenance and otherwise for the car. The car's accent pieces and wheels have been dipped in real 18 or 24 carat (I cannot remember?) gold plating. See additional details regarding the car below.
DESCRIPTION
1987 FERRARI TESTAROSSA, 1987 Ferrari Testarossa. Gold dipped wheels, gold accents: side fins, hood, grill, engine carriage, rear prancing horse, engine hood, Immaculate vehicle with 3000 miles. Non-smoker, glossy original paint, no accidents, good overall interior condition, headliner ok, trunk and carpets ok, no dash cracks, Custom exhaust. The cars entire life was spent in Southern California. This is a one-owner car. Therefore, all records are available, all Ferrari Owners Manuals and leather case, Ferrari factory service manual, Ferrari factory parts manual, factory tool kit including the spline lug removal tool, ect. Custom security alarm.
