Craigslist Fun Friday: Searching for "V12" and others

v12 engine
It’s Friday, which means I’m staring at video editing software, a ton of pics to comb through, and even more articles to write. Yet I find myself scouring Craigslist for, anything really. I’ve just decided to enter “V12” into the search bar, and these are some of the machines I’ve come across.

It’s mostly Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Jaguars but I also find the odd Packard or old Lincoln in there as well. There are a few Aston Martins that pop up too, like this 2003 Vanquish with an asking price of $65,000.
aston martin vanquish
It looks pretty clean and shows just 44,000 miles on the odometer. The newer Vanquish helps make this one feel dated, but at the same time it’s not terribly far removed in the styling arena.
bmw 760
At the low end of the cost spectrum, sits this 1996 BMW 750iL. I’ve always loved the E38-era 7 Series, and this one appears to be an interesting car with it’s $4,000 asking price. The seller claims it’s in great shape and that it runs and drives on a healthy engine and transmission. Still, if something does go wrong, I’d imagine you’ll be ponying up the asking price just to get it fixed. Could be fun to drive for a bit though, until the worst happens and then you could part out the rest of the car… or turn it into a LeMons racer.
touareg
It’s easy to get bored with the V12 search, however, so I changed gears and plugged “V10” into the search bar. How does a 200,000-mile, $7,500 Volkswagen Touareg V10 TDI sound to you? The second press car I ever drove was one of these and I still think about it from time to time.
From here I got bored again and plugged in “Engine Swap” into Craigslist. That’s where I found this beastly little number.
forester swap
It’s a 2004 Subaru Forester with the engine and transmission from a 2004 WRX STI. Ditch the rear wing, ditch the oversized scoop, and you’re left with one hell of a cool sleeper. The asking price is steep but that’s a lot of work done on this one.
So what are you finding on your local Craigslist on this fine Friday afternoon?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

The maximum upload file size: 64 MB. You can upload: image, audio, video. Links to YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and other services inserted in the comment text will be automatically embedded. Drop files here

  1. Batshitbox Avatar
    Batshitbox

    44K on a V-12? Why that’s only 3660 miles per cylinder! Ought to be just breaking in. Heck, my SBC is pushing 12,500 miles per cylinder and it’s purring like a kitten!

    1. 0A5599 Avatar
      0A5599

      Heh heh. “Killer” Ford van, and it doesn’t have side windows (portholes don’t count).

  2. Wayne Moyer Avatar
    Wayne Moyer

    I’ve been spending a lot of time on Craigslist lately. I’m looking at replacing my Spitfire with something American because owning something British gets expensive. My family seems to be leaning towards a station wagon because we are odd like that. Although I think I will have $5000, or less, to spend this one has my attention because I think he is selling it under value.
    http://cnj.craigslist.org/cto/5698627446.html
    1989 Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser Station Wagon. $2200
    144,000 miles. 8 Passenger. 307 Olds V8 engine, 200-4R overdrive transmission, 2.93 open differential.
    Power driver seat, power door locks, power windows. Has folding rear seat (faces rearward). Rear tailgate opens to the side or opens downward.
    Overall this vehicle is in good condition. Has new brakes (front and rear), including all brake lines replaced with copper-nickel alloy tubing (very corrosion-resistant). Shocks and springs have been replaced. Engine runs well, transmission shifts smooth. Chassis and underside of body have some rust, but it is mostly surface and will not jeopardize the safety of the vehicle. Body is straight, but there are minor dings, scuffs and scratches. As pictured, the paint on the hood is faded, and there is a rust spot at the corner of the driver’s side rear window.
    Good NJ State inspection through 11/17.

    1. smalleyxb122 Avatar
      smalleyxb122

      You’re looking to replace your Spitfire, and I’m having really bad ideas about this one:
      http://detroit.craigslist.org/wyn/cto/5709867624.html
      http://images.craigslist.org/00H0H_kbakGmlEgSy_600x450.jpg
      The ad claims the body to be “pretty solid” I don’t think there is such a thing as a pretty solid Spitfire for $700.

      1. Wayne Moyer Avatar
        Wayne Moyer

        My Spitfire is in better shape then that.

    2. stigshift Avatar
      stigshift

      I think that ask is a little high, but I had a really strangely optioned (special ordered) ’86 that had 261k on it when I stopped driving it. Bulletproof. Mine was ordered with twin power seats, in vinyl, tilt, cruise, towing package, but without a hitch, HD suspension, illuminated entry, twilight sentinel but no auto dimming and no cornering lights, AM/FM Digital cassette stereo, posi rear, woodgrain, body color sport mirrors, factory gauges for temp, oil, and volts (located in the lower dash, never seen another example), and a dealer installed Astroroof! I bought it in rough shape just because it had a sunroof! Loved that wagon!

      1. Wayne Moyer Avatar
        Wayne Moyer

        $2200 is a little high? Well I have to sell the Spitfire before I do anything but that’s only been on sale for a couple weeks anyway. If its on sale in a couple more weeks then I’m guessing he’ll be willing to move on the price. I’m just worried about reliability.

        1. Sjalabais Avatar
          Sjalabais

          If you have almost double the budget to begin with, that sounds just right: Fix what needs attention, and you might even have something left to make the paint shine – if that bothers you. I think it looks like a great deal, and what has been done on the car sounds to be in the spirit of responsible ownership. Of course, you’ll have to see it first, but it looks like a truly practical, comfy wagon to me – added bonus that you could hardly buy anything less Spitfire-y.

  3. I_Borgward Avatar
    I_Borgward

    That black Turbo wagon I waffled over earlier this week? It followed me home!
    And I’ve told myself I can keep it.
    .

    1. dead_elvis, inc. Avatar
      dead_elvis, inc.

      Nice find. Any chance it’s rocking an M46, or is it the slushbox?

      1. I_Borgward Avatar
        I_Borgward

        M46! GLT, tan leather still in good shape. It sat for about a year and a half and was covered in moss, algae and dirt, two rounds of washing to get all of the crud off. It had been parked because it wouldn’t charge. I made a bet to myself that the D+ wire had fallen off of the back of the alternator. I was right! I put in a fresh battery and drove it home the next day.

        1. Sjalabais Avatar
          Sjalabais

          You should attach a photo of the former owner’s face when you had fixed the car “just like this and…vroom”…congrats! Looks like an amazing find – black paint and leather seats are ultra rare in Europe. How much did it cost you? What’s the work plan now?

          1. I_Borgward Avatar
            I_Borgward

            To be fair, the alternator is buried under the fuel distributor and turbo and is not easy to see like it is on a NA car, so spotting the wire meant crawling under, although the lack of dashboard charge light was a big clue. Diplomatic fellow that I am, I didn’t put the the wire back on in sight of the owner.
            $800 USD. Boost is present (yaaaaaaay!), but I won’t lean into it much until I do some maintenance. Good news is, the car is unmolested and pretty much stock, just the way I like it.

          2. Sjalabais Avatar
            Sjalabais

            Perfect! Just the kind of story I come here for.

        2. dead_elvis, inc. Avatar
          dead_elvis, inc.

          Kinda jealous right now, gotta admit. But hey, you saved it!

    2. Alff Avatar
      Alff

      Is that a spare mill in the wayback?

      1. I_Borgward Avatar
        I_Borgward

        That’s my bicycle. After I’d revived the wagon (gasoline, fluids, air pump for the tires) I drove back home and got out the bike so I could fetch my new toy without pestering one of my friends for a ride. It was only a 6 mile trip, but it all made for a long day by the time I was done.