Craigslist Crapshoot

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. 
The rotary engine may not have ever caught on the way Felix Wankel had hoped, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have its fans keeping the flame alive and the wankels a-wankelin.’ We’ll see which rotary most got our heads spinning in a sec, but first this week’s challenge.
Hey, how do you roll? If you said old school then we have much to discuss. This week we want to find the best pre-war (that’s WWII to you young-uns) cars and trucks the classifieds have to offer. Now, he only rule here is that we want to stay out of the classic car sites—OldCars.com and the like. They’re great and all, but what’s the challenge in that?
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, let’s hum a few bars.


You know when you go looking for Wankel-power  two names are inevitably going to show up: Mazda and NSU. They both made an appearance last week, Mazda in spades, and NSU in the form of a 1969 Ro 80 “Restaurationsobjekt” found by Engineerd.
Notable Mazdas included a nice looking brown Cosmo located by LEROOOY, a proper REPU  unearthed by GTXcellent and our winner, a three-rotor Eunos Cosmo that Joram offered up, and which I think I’d rock every which way ’til Sunday.
Thanks to all for participating, and congrats to Joram for the big win. Okay, now let’s get pre-historic!
EUNOS EUNOS COSMO 20B TYPE-E CCS | 1994 | BLACK M | 53,000 km | details.- Japanese used cars.Goo-net Exchange

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64 responses to “Craigslist Crapshoot”

  1. oldcarjunkie Avatar
    oldcarjunkie

    Pretty much all hot rods around here (for sale anyway). How about a straight eight powered Willys?
    http://www.kijiji.ca/v-classic-cars/red-deer/willis-hot-rod/1161881211
    http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NDE2WDY0MA==/z/ft0AAOSw2x1XKNUs/$_27.JPG

    1. Guest Avatar
      Guest

      Hey, I’ve seen that car!

      The PTO-esque removable steering wheel scared me more than the missing transmission tunnel.

      Anything Straight-8 is still amazing, though.

  2. GTXcellent Avatar
    GTXcellent

    tough to find something that’s NOT a hot rod – so how about a brass era Buick.
    https://images.craigslist.org/00x0x_71ZZhNp2fso_600x450.jpg
    https://fargo.craigslist.org/cto/5538744230.html

  3. Kiefmo Avatar
    Kiefmo

    While there will be plenty of hot rods posted, I thought this T bucket was worthy of adulation for one simple reason: it eschews with the typical GM mouse/turbo350 for a Ford Windsor 351.
    Behold! Evenly-spaced exhaust ports, and it isn’t an LS motor!
    https://images.craigslist.org/00y0y_4jmZ1yurOpI_600x450.jpg
    https://kansascity.craigslist.org/cto/5564575639.html

    1. Inliner Avatar
      Inliner

      Another English Ford
      1939 Thames Panel Van – $10k
      http://www.kijiji.ca/v-classic-cars/hamilton/1939-thames-panel/1162026749

    2. Rover 1 Avatar
      Rover 1

      With the number plate ’42’ ?

      1. mdharrell Avatar

        I’d be tempted to go with A DENT.

  4. dukeisduke Avatar
    dukeisduke

    A 1941 Plymouth 2-door sedan, and it’s only a dollar! (or is it?)
    http://images.craigslist.org/00909_dopjqOFBImC_600x450.jpg
    http://dallas.craigslist.org/ftw/cto/5565716467.html

    1. Sjalabais Avatar
      Sjalabais

      Freudian obo-giveaway?

  5. dukeisduke Avatar
    dukeisduke

    Here’s another ’41, nicer (exceptional!) but it’s a little further away (St. Paul, MN):
    http://images.craigslist.org/00g0g_3iEAsuYeupx_600x450.jpg
    http://dallas.craigslist.org/ndf/cto/5561119953.html

  6. dukeisduke Avatar
    dukeisduke

    How about one that’s a subcompact “willis”, for two grand?
    http://images.craigslist.org/00p0p_tO1kqYq9KD_600x450.jpg
    http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/cto/5564612707.html

  7. mdharrell Avatar

    “…the best pre-war (that’s WWII to you young-uns)….”
    Just to be on the safe side:
    http://images.craigslist.org/00s0s_34eHqbVBYL0_600x450.jpg
    https://seattle.craigslist.org/oly/cto/5535187355.html

    1. Texlenin Avatar
      Texlenin

      Ehhhh…ya got any used Dobles on the lot, Doc?

  8. Sjalabais Avatar
    Sjalabais

    Ok,I’ve got one serious entry and two irrelevant crazy oddlings that I just have to share with the crowd here.
    A 1936 Studebaker Dictator. Send this to a friend this morning who will love the model designation. It’s actually a nice deal at 21-25000$ (some odd conditions), and the seller is so confident, he’ll throw in a six month warranty. Sold new to some CEO here in Norway.
    http://m.finn.no/car/used/ad.html?finnkode=74527866
    https://finncdn.global.ssl.fastly.net/dynamic/1280w/2016/4/vertical-3/19/6/745/278/66_1373785473.jpg
    So…this is a Chinese “JM Star” electric convertible with a 40km range. Look at the speedometer – 80km/h is really in the red. About 3000$ is okay for a toy like this, isn’t it?
    http://m.finn.no/car/used/ad.html?finnkode=72678424
    https://finncdn.global.ssl.fastly.net/dynamic/960w/2016/3/vertical-3/16/4/726/784/24_33742996.jpg
    A Škoda 120 for wheelchair users, with 200+hp Volvo engine “dog”-trans based on a Beetle of all things!? Strange, but it looks like fun. Mr Bigglesworth might know this one?
    http://m.finn.no/car/used/ad.html?finnkode=74638095
    https://finncdn.global.ssl.fastly.net/dynamic/960w/2016/4/vertical-3/21/5/746/380/95_1956772157.jpg

    1. dukeisduke Avatar
      dukeisduke

      Wow, very nice. I remember a driveReport article on the ’35 Dictator in Hemmings Special Interest Autos, years back.

      1. Sjalabais Avatar
        Sjalabais

        Studebaker is a brand that really had some fantastic cars, all the way to the Avanti.

  9. dukeisduke Avatar
    dukeisduke

    This one’s in my town – I just wonder if it took a hit in our recent softball-sized hailstorm:
    http://images.craigslist.org/00r0r_fTlmqaUjlyL_600x450.jpg
    http://dallas.craigslist.org/ndf/cto/5516200718.html
    The other rat rod behind it in the first picture definitely did.

  10. dukeisduke Avatar
    dukeisduke

    Here’s a decent, mostly restored ’37 Ford Fordor Sedan, for $16,500:
    http://images.craigslist.org/00m0m_67irnj882pm_600x450.jpg
    http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/cto/5562842938.html
    First come, first served!

    1. salguod Avatar

      Growing up, Dad had a non running 37 Ford 4 door that he always intended to restore, but never got to it. It sat in the garage since I was born in 1967 until sometime in the early 80s when he sold it to a guy who did finally restore it.

  11. Inliner Avatar
    Inliner

    Well, I’d think that a roadster from 25,000 B.C. counts as prewar, and it is, by far, the most expensive here, at 400 million…
    http://www.kijiji.ca/v-cars-trucks/mississauga-peel-region/25-000-bc-roadster-mint/1149863824?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true
    CAR FOR SALE
    25,000 B.C. ROADSTER…RUST FREE, AIR BLOWS COLD, FOOT BRAKES, WELL UNDER TEN MILLION MILES.WOOD BODY PANELS
    ORIGINAL SEATS..THIS IS A SOLID CAR!!

    1. mdharrell Avatar

      See! I told everyone stone rollers are timeless.

      1. Alff Avatar
        Alff

        I find your tone abrasive.

        1. Inliner Avatar
          Inliner

          That’s the Mohs interesting pun I’ve heard all day.

          1. Tiberiuswise Avatar

            I’d rock that.

      2. 0A5599 Avatar
        0A5599

        I can make Rubble out of that argument. Your (geo)logic isn’t well grounded.

  12. Wayne Moyer Avatar
    Wayne Moyer

    This just needs a few things and you would be right back on the road.
    1926 27 Ford Rat Rod Body – $795 (E. Bangor PA)
    http://allentown.craigslist.org/cto/5569996207.html

    1. CruisinTime Avatar
      CruisinTime

      Ran when Parked.

  13. Inliner Avatar
    Inliner

    You don’t find one-family-owned prewar cars too often…
    1938 Nash Lafayette – $5500
    http://www.kijiji.ca/v-classic-cars/north-bay/1938-nash-lafayette-sedan-make-a-offer-or-trade/1103697592

    1. Sjalabais Avatar
      Sjalabais

      “In storage since 1956″…wow.

  14. Inliner Avatar
    Inliner

    An honest-to-goodness Rockne, in pretty poor condition.
    1932 Rockne – $5500
    http://www.kijiji.ca/v-classic-cars/ottawa/1932-studebaker-rockne-sedan/1159880044

    1. dukeisduke Avatar
      dukeisduke

      Restore one for the Gipper.

    2. Sjalabais Avatar
      Sjalabais

      Saw that name, recognized it, Wikipedia-d my way to confirmation: Yes, Knute Rockne was born an hour’s drive from where I am residing.

  15. Andrew_theS2kBore Avatar
    Andrew_theS2kBore

    I’d call it crack pipe pricing, except someone out there probably will pay $4500 for what amounts to four wheels and $3.99 in angle iron.
    http://images.craigslist.org/00k0k_dPCnoNro7fQ_600x450.jpg
    http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/cto/5540915437.html

    1. dukeisduke Avatar
      dukeisduke

      Just add a Ford Rat Rod body from PA, for $795, and you’re almost good to go.

    1. Guest Avatar
      Guest

      Yep, Maple Leaf was a GM division.

      1. dukeisduke Avatar
        dukeisduke

        Wasn’t it a very short-lived brand? I think there was an article in Hemmings awhile back.

        1. Guest Avatar
          Guest

          I believe so, because they don’t pop up often, even around here.

          The local museum has one (Canadian red, of course), but I can’t remember much about it.

      2. Vairship Avatar
        Vairship

        Now THIS would make an awesome fixer-upper/college ride! 😉

  16. Inliner Avatar
    Inliner

    There’s a strong lack of fire trucks in this crapshoot …
    1920 American LaFrance
    http://www.kijiji.ca/v-voiture-collection/mississauga-peel-region/american-la-france-firetruck/1067262996?null

  17. I_Borgward Avatar
    I_Borgward

    File under “things I didn’t know I wanted”!
    http://portland.craigslist.org/clc/cto/5560269405.html

    1. Sjalabais Avatar
      Sjalabais

      The only thing I don’t like with this one is that I can smell the pictures.

      1. CruisinTime Avatar
        CruisinTime

        That old car smell.

    2. mdharrell Avatar

      From the ad: “As far as we know this was a one-owner vehicle.”
      Unless it’s still awaiting its first sale, that’s always a true statement.

    3. CruisinTime Avatar
      CruisinTime

      Pretty Sweet.

  18. mrh1965 Avatar
    mrh1965

    I’m torn..
    this 1929 Plymouth “coop”..
    https://houston.craigslist.org/cto/5569690223.html
    or the 1937 Plymouth “coup”?
    https://houston.craigslist.org/cto/5569487523.html

  19. Guest Avatar
    Guest

    Okay, it’s technically, it’s from the 70’s, but I’d totally rock this surprisingly nice Bug based Bug’!

    http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MzYwWDQ4MA==/z/o1MAAOSwAuNW4aYp/$_27.JPG

    1. Vairship Avatar
      Vairship

      Okay, let me change my answer: THIS should be your college ride! VW Bug parts are easy to find and cheap, so you should be able to keep it on the road (all VW bugs need regular “fettling”).

      1. Guest Avatar
        Guest

        This one is a little out of my price range, but I definitely would not be opposed to a kit car.

        Tangentially related: Why does nobody make kit car bodies for pre-Tacoma Toyota trucks?

        It’s a simple, cheap, reliable chassis, and all of the existing bodies have disintegrated, making a body swap that much easier/harder.

        1. Vairship Avatar
          Vairship

          Are there any classics that have about the same wheelbase & track that you can drop on the Toyota running gear? That’d make a good shop class project, kind of like people taking old Jeep pickup bodies and fitting them on Chevy S10 chassis/running gear.

          1. Guest Avatar
            Guest

            Hmm… That’s a good idea.

            It’d be no hot rod, but should make a decent highway cruiser, providing you could massage the engine a bit and fight a light enough body.

    1. mdharrell Avatar

      I enjoy the fact that Robert and Louis Hupp founded the Hupp Motor Car Company but went with a single “p” in the name Hupmobile. Some emblems feature the name Hupp instead, which makes either one or the other spelling look like a typo.
      https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/92/280091636_874f22d4e9.jpg

  20. Rover 1 Avatar
    Rover 1

    1929 Nash 440 Special Six. With a pile of parts and a workshop manual, for easy assembly. http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/other/auction-1075348938.htm
    http://trademe.tmcdn.co.nz/photoserver/full/446401161.jpg

    1. Guest Avatar
      Guest

      This one does look like a excellent project, pre-war wise.

      I’m used to seeing cars like this rotting in a field or immaculate at shows, so it’s a bit of a treat to see a clean, straight, unrestored one.

      1. Rover 1 Avatar
        Rover 1

        Partially restored. All you have to do is pay the freight to the US, which would double the cost.

        1. Guest Avatar
          Guest

          Actually, shipping to Canada, which should make the cost even higher do to a less favourable exchange rate, as well as the fact that shipping to Canada is usually just a bit more than shipping to the US.

  21. Craig Dotson Avatar
    Craig Dotson

    This is the best pre-war car, just ask the man who owns one.
    http://richmond.craigslist.org/cto/5570163131.html
    http://images.craigslist.org/00F0F_gwaycuySICC_600x450.jpg