Craigslist Crapshoot

By Robert Emslie May 6, 2015

The World’s Worst Car Is For Sale On Craigslist
Welcome to Craigslist Crapshoot, our weekly search for the most bizarre, awesome, and/or terrible vehicles that the online classifieds has to offer. 
Have you ever gotten lost in an Ikea? I know I have, on multiple occasions! I never feel too distressed about it because thankfully that store offers plenty of places to rest – or even sleep – and, strangely for a furniture store, they also offer hearty sustenance. That’s both weird and wonderful, and that’s the best description for the collection of oddball Swedish cars you found last week. We’ll see the oddballiest in a sec, but first you need this week’s quest.
Are you a DIY kind of guy or gal? I think that when it comes to gear selection most of us prefer to go the row-yer-own route, and that’s what I’m thinking we need to find this week. The only thing is, not every vehicle really should come with a manual transmission – Cadillac hearses being one example – and so what I want are cars with stickshifts that you don’t think should be coming with stick shifts. I know, it seems counter-intuitive, but it’ll be great.
As always, we want your finds to go down in infamy and not in the site’s spam filter. Since we’ve changed commenting systems, you may need to update your commenter account. Make sure you have a Disqus account – they’re free and easy to get – and then comment away.

Got that? Good, now lets see how Swede it is.


I’ve never actually been to Sweden, but I am familiar with the Swedish Bikini Team – very familiar – and if the rest of the country’s inhabitants look anything like those scantily-clad competitors, I probably should go and check the place out.
I’d most like to do so driving something interesting, and Swedish, to blend in, and so I was particularly interested in last week’s panoply of Swedish meatballs. One that particularly caught my eye was this Volvo Bertone, found by P161911. Well priced, seemingly in decent shape, and a 5-speed to boot, I’d be traveling in style in that ride.
The goal of last week’s quest wasn’t to find me a ride however, it was to find the weirdest Swede for sale, and I think what really shook the nut tree the hardest was this Volvo PV444 Dragster, found by Sjalabais and rocking a 434-CI “Cheva” small block. Yeah, it’s not streetable, but it’s also the wildest and most un-Swedish Swedish car imaginable owing to its present advocation. Also, for 425,000 Kroner I might just want to buy that witch’s gingerbread house on the right side of the ad.
Congrats to Sjalabais, and thank you all for your most excellent contributions.
http---www.blocket.se-eslov-Volvo_PV_Drag_Race_CC

33 thoughts on “Craigslist Crapshoot”
      1. The Nissan Axxess didn’t have theat, its shifter was between the seats.
        It’s mostly just a very uncommon option selection in these parts, so much so that finding one is always a shock.

  1. The Honda CR-Z…
    http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NTM0WDcxMg==/z/Z-gAAOSwymxVOcu8/$_12.JPG
    http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NTM0WDcxMg==/z/nxEAAOSwNSxVOcu8/$_12.JPG
    http://www.ebay.com/itm/Honda-CR-Z-EX-Hybrid-/321744008134?forcerrptr=true&hash=item4ae96ff3c6&item=321744008134
    2013 Honda CR-Z EX Hybrid
    2013 Honda CR-Z EX Hatchback 2-Door 1.5L
    2013 Honda CR-Z EX hybrid, only 1,550 miles, manual trans, pd, pw, pl, nice looking black interior with a red accents, runs and drives perfect, NAV, fully loaded. Rebuilt title because it was hit in the front in the past but it has been fixed and runs perfect. Already passed safety and emissions. Must pick up in SLC. Call or text Aaron with any questions 435-232-4500.
    And a rebuilt title! Such a deal!

  2. On a positive note, I love that this exists:
    2007 Honda Accord EX-L
    2007 Honda Accord EX-L Sedan, 244HP V6 6-speed Manual, 98K miles, Carbon Bronze
    http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTA2NlgxNjAw/z/tNcAAOSwBahVKtWL/$_57.JPG
    http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTA2NlgxNjAw/z/YKkAAOSwqu9VKtXF/$_57.JPG
    http://www.ebay.com/itm/Honda-Accord-EX-L-/121637337706?forcerrptr=true&hash=item1c52267a6a&item=121637337706
    Rare 2007 Honda Accord EX-L sedan with manual transmission. 98K miles, One owner, clean title. 3.0L V6, 244HP with a 6-speed manual does 0-60 in 5.9 seconds and still gets 30Mpg highway. Safety features include Side airbags, head airbags and stability control. Private seller means you get a great deal on a beautiful and reliable car.
    The car is in very good condition, clean engine, maintenance records available. Carbon Bronze Pearl paint is in perfect shape. Automatic climate control, heated power seats with lumbar, power sunroof, power windows, heated mirrors, keyless entry and homelink. Premium audio with XM Satelite Radio, 6-CD changer and steering-wheel mounted controls. Tan leather interior is clean and leather is in great shape, well maintained, little wear and no tears or stains. A/C, mechanicals and electronics all work perfectly. Come look at it and take it for a drive. You’ll love this car.

  3. 1978 Ford E-Series Van E-150
    1978 Ford van – original short bed factory manual floor shift, 6 cylinder
    http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTA2MVgxNjAw/z/nyAAAOSwPgxVQ~zM/$_57.JPG
    http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/OTA3WDE2MDA=/z/a6cAAOSwPhdVQ~zq/$_57.JPG
    http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ford-E-Series-Van-E-150-/251943052163?forcerrptr=true&hash=item3aa8f9e383&item=251943052163
    This auction is for one original white Ford short bed van – with factory 6 cylinder and 3 speed with overdrive on floor. Very low mileage- I am the third owner – the first was a cable TV company in Indiana, the second was a technician from that company that bought it from the company when they upgraded, and the third is I – who bought it at an estate auction . The actual mileage is just about 59950 miles – I still use this van occasionally so might be over 60K when auction is done! Has a old conversion interior complete with ugly shag carpeting and panelling, and a aftermarket 8 track player slid into the space where the radio should be -I do not believe this vehicle came from the factory with a radio. Tires are decent – body has been bondoed many times before I owned it but frame and undercarriage very good and solid. This is one ugly van – but the engine runs great and transmission shifts well – clutch disengages a bit too close to the floor , in my opinion. The back doors have been sealed shut somehow as there is a platform in back and I have never removed this. Could use a master cylinder cover gasket as I see a bit of leakage out of cover but brakes OK and I just drove this vehicle about 75 miles without any trouble. I have only occasionally used it in last year or so- when the vehicle is driven one can tell the mileage is low- . Great parts van for someone needing this drivetrain or other chassis parts, or restore the body and clean up the admittedly non-stock interior and use. Vehicle available to see with appt- in Cleveland area right now.

    1. Aaaaagh! The dreaded 3-speed OD stick Econoline! Definitely in the “shouldn’t have a stickshift” category, which I can attest to from having owned one. Unbelievably awful, from the crappy low-grade transmission bearings to the fragile, Tinkertoy-grade mechanical clutch linkage to the balky, ever-jamming shifter. How Ford managed to make a floor shifter that was sloppier, cruder and even more indirect than a column shifter still amazes me. And for all of that joy, it only got about 2 MPG better than an automatic on a good day.
      I went through two clutch pedals, two shifters, a junkyard transmission swap and then finally a fully rebuilt transmission before I finally ended the pain and ditched it. The rest of the van was fine, but I just couldn’t take that damned transmission anymore.

    1. After careful consideration, this is my favourite. Not a driver’s car, no concern for any economy whatsoever, no need for a manual transmission.

      1. And a leaking head gasket. Sadly, not uncommon on Previas. More common than 5-speeds.

  4. My devotion to the Church of the Sliding Dog Clutch ended in a 5-speed R50 Pathfinder. That truck wasn’t hardcore enough to justify the 5-speed, and it actually hurt mileage as overall gearing was shorter.
    It was bad enough to drive that you didn’t want to engage in the process anymore than necessary. The 5-speed was a constant reminder that driving it wasn’t much fun.
    http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MzIwWDI0MA==/z/yF8AAOSwrklVSOA-/$_27.JPG
    http://www.kijiji.ca/v-cars-trucks/oakville-halton-region/2002-nissan-pathfinder-chilkoot-edition/1069873043?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true

    1. While this is a great example of a manual in a vehicle that didn’t come with a manual. The quest was for a manual in a vehicle that shouldn’t come with a manual.
      This absolutely should have come with a manual.
      And four wheel drive.
      The want is strong.
      You got my vote.

      1. I did realize that, but a 4×4 400ci manual Red Express quickly makes the rules irrelevant.

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