Barn Finds

Nicole Auto Conversion: 1986 BMW Alpina C2 2.5

Jeff Lavery — Wed, 29 Nov 2023 02:00:00 +0000

In the world of old-school BMWs, the Alpina badge represents an exceedingly desirable specimen. Similar to Mercedes-Benz with AMG and Porsche’s relationship with RUF, the Alpina namesake was effectively as close as you could get to a factory-backed tuner...

Genuine Miles? 1981 Volkswagen Rabbit Convertible

Jeff Lavery — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0000

One of the hardest pills to swallow if you’re listing an older vehicle for sale is knowing whether or not to claim the mileage as true. Any number of Carfax reports spout inaccurate date due to clerical errors at...

Clean Survivor: 1979 Mercedes-Benz 300D

Jim Motavalli — Mon, 27 Nov 2023 17:03:24 +0000

Let’s say you decide your life can’t go on without a mint 1979 Mercedes-Benz 300D. Well, here’s your car, on eBay in Troy, Michigan. It’s as nice an example as you’re going to find of this diesel-powered juggernaut, a...

47K Original Miles: 1980 Porsche 924 Turbo

Jeff Lavery — Mon, 27 Nov 2023 12:00:00 +0000

When we see an elusive turbocharged Porsche 924 for sale, it is almost always in non-running condition. The shame of it is that these were fairly over-built cars, let down by owners who didn’t follow the owner’s manual recommendations...

No Reserve: 1970 Porsche 911T

Jeff Lavery — Sun, 26 Nov 2023 17:00:00 +0000

It’s rare to find an air-cooled Porsche 911 in good shape being offered with no reserve, but that’s what we appear to have here with this long-hood 911T. The seller claims it benefits from a recent refurbishment that included...

Rare “Adenauer” Model: 1958 Mercedes 300d

Jim ODonnell — Sun, 26 Nov 2023 01:00:00 +0000

Show of hands if you’ve ever heard of a Mercedes “Adenauer”, in this case, a 1958 model 300d. It’s a full-size luxury car named for western Germany’s first Chancellor Konrad Adenauer (1949-1963). I can honestly say that not only...

All Original Survivor? 1969 BMW 1600

Jeff Lavery — Sat, 25 Nov 2023 15:00:00 +0000

The BMW Neue Klasse of sport sedans was a revelation when introduced, offering sharp handling and respectable acceleration out of limited displacement. While we tend to gravitate towards the 2002 and E9 coupes as the darlings of this era,...

Signal Red Survivor: 1988 Mercedes-Benz 560SL

Jeff Lavery — Fri, 24 Nov 2023 17:00:00 +0000

The Mercedes-Benz R107 convertible is a model familiar to most enthusiasts, and is one of the cheaper entry points into the classic car hobby. However, there is a very fine line between owning a car that is simply a...

Almost Mint: 1978 Porsche 911 SC Targa

Jeff Lavery — Thu, 23 Nov 2023 17:00:00 +0000

This 1978 Porsche 911 Targa is said to have under 50,000 original miles and features a somewhat rare shade of paint known as Anthracite Grey over black leather. The seller reports it has been maintained to a high standard...

Starter Classic: 1979 BMW 320i

Jeff Lavery — Thu, 23 Nov 2023 13:00:00 +0000

Many of us bore witness to certain vehicles riding a big wave when the pandemic hit in 2020, carried to new heights by a lethal combination of online auctions and boredom. The E21-chassis BMW 3-Series was one such model,...

Signal Orange Project: 1971 Porsche 911 S Targa

Jeff Lavery — Tue, 21 Nov 2023 12:00:00 +0000

We often lament the fact that it seems like the last great barn find has already been made. But the simple truth is there’s more cars out there to be discovered, and some of them are hiding in plain...

Well Maintained: 1986 Porsche 911 Targa

Jeff Lavery — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 21:00:32 +0000

The allure of a sports car is only made even more irresistible when it has been fastidiously looked after by its caretaker. The 1986 Porsche 911 Targa shown here hasn’t necessarily been over restored; in fact, it’s a total...

First Year Fuelie: 1972 BMW 2002tii

Todd Fitch — Fri, 17 Nov 2023 21:00:00 +0000

Accolades for BMW’s 2002 two-door sport sedan pepper the Internet, and its wonderful M10 engine earns high praise too, including “BMW’s most successful engine.” As the predecessor to BMW’s wildly popular 3-series, the 2002 laid the foundation for that...

Two Engine Driver: 1974 Porsche 911 Targa

Jeff Lavery — Thu, 16 Nov 2023 17:00:48 +0000

This 1974 Porsche 911 Targa comes with some extra incentives if you’re on the hunt for a vintage air-cooled project. No, I’m not talking about its clean cosmetic condition or handsome interior, though those are definitely selling points. This...

No Reserve Fintail: 1967 Mercedes Benz 200D

Jim ODonnell — Wed, 15 Nov 2023 04:47:42 +0000

Clean and clunky is one way that I’d describe this 1967 Mercedes 200D “Fintail” sedan. By 1967 the styling was dated but certainly distinctive and the condition of this 56-year-old sedan is outstanding. Any immediate detractions? Well, it is...

Porsche Powered: 1970 Meyers Manxster 2+2

Jeff Lavery — Tue, 14 Nov 2023 14:00:00 +0000

The world of vintage Volkswagens, Porsches, and Audis is closely interwoven, especially in the early days of each company. While the brands are all very separate today in terms of their respective marketing budgets and targeted clientele, this wasn’t...

Air-Cooled Mystery: 1971 Porsche 911

Jeff Lavery — Sun, 12 Nov 2023 18:00:00 +0000

It’s amazing how little you can say about a car these days if it’s the right vehicle. When it comes to air-cooled Porsches, even within a cooling market, you can still know (or pretend to know) relatively little and...