Yahoo Autos 1.8T-Swapped Volkswagen Jetta, Yamaha Ténéré 700, Citroen Traction Avant: The Dopest Cars I Found for Sale Online
You ever have one of those weeks that feels like a decade? Here we are on April 22, yet April 15 happened sometime in the late nineties. I’m sixty years old now, I think, longing to sit in a rocking chair out on a temperate porch and drink sweet tea.
There’s an advantage, though, to those weeks that take eons: They give you plenty of time to shop for cars. I’ve put that time to good use, I think, in scouring the Internet for a truly eclectic collection of its Dopest Cars.
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1981 Volkswagen Jetta - $1,999
Normally, in the spirit of the word “cars” in the headline, I try to mainly populate this list with vehicles that run and drive. This first generation Jetta does neither. It’s really more a collection of car parts than a true car, yet it leads off our list this week. Why?
Well, because it rules, that’s why. This Jetta has a full roll cage, chassis bracing, a fuel cell, and the kind of all-grille front end that Lexus wishes it could pull off. Plus, the partially swapped-in motor up front is no other than the venerable VAG 1.8 turbo. 1.8T Never Lose, my friends.
1986 Isuzu Faster - $5,500
Continuing in the spirit of “cars that would usually not end up in Dopest,” we have this Isuzu Faster. Its listing has two images and a phone number, and neither shot shows the whole car. We get no sign of the interior, let alone the undercarriage, but what we do see is damaged. Off to a great start.
Despite that, the Start really is good. This Isuzu is a long-bed pickup (or a “long beb.” to quote the seller) with a diesel engine under the hood. That’s the prime configuration for a pickup, an the work-truck beige of this Faster just adds to the character. Look at this little guy. How can you say no to that face?
1998 Pontiac Firebird - $17,800
When I was a yute, approaching licensing age, I often shopped for Firebirds. Something about that snout, the massive intakes between the headlights, always drew me in. I never ended up buying a Trans Am, but maybe one’s on the table someday.
This Trans Am, however, is on the table for you right now. It’s red — the fastest color — and features those two gaping intakes I loved to much as a teen. The Craigslist ad also features photos of a house, a Cayenne Turbo, and a screenshot of an already-sold fishing boat, so clearly this is a seller motivated to get rid of some stuff. At least, that’s the best reasoning I can come up with. Maybe you can talk them down.
2021 Yamaha Ténéré 700 - $11,500
Yamaha Ténéré 700, my beloved. Since I first saw the FortNine review of the T7, I’ve wanted one. This was the bike in my head when I bought my baby GS, the bike I hoped to work my way up to. The Trans Am above is a nebulous want, something to maybe someday consider. The T7, I will own. Or, at least, test ride.
This, however, will probably not be the one. It’s located in California, a state known for its lack of me, and getting back would either be an incredible road trip or a major hassle. Plus, I’ve never really been a fan of the high front fender look.
Man, that would be such a fun road trip back though. Lalita, if you’re editing this, can I expense a Ténéré and gas to get it back from California? I’ll reimburse Jalopnik with whatever my BMW sells for. Editors note: Steven, I wanted to initially answer “yes” so to throw you off, because as we both know when you wrote that note in that you were not going to get a yes. Plus, we’re more likely to reimburse someone like me for my $500 project bike than for something over eleven-thousand American dollars! But, props to you, and the rest of our team, for collectively asking for over $40,000 in vehicles to expense today.
2014 Ford Fiesta ST - $10,250
This Fiesta ST is another sparse ad, but it’s a car we all know — hatchback, four turbocharged cylinders, six manually-shifted speeds. It’s a lightweight, angry little jelly bean of performance. We know. As long as your ad gives us a good idea of the car’s condition, we’re pretty set.
The condition here, conveniently, seems good. White cars aren’t the easiest to keep clean, but this one’s spotless — it’s likely been cared for. The interior looks immaculate, though the floor mats seem to be installed sideways. As far as project cars go, that’s not a bad fix.
1982 Volkswagen Westfalia - $19,000
Taking your listing photos at golden hour, on a beach in front of the Pacific Ocean, is cheating. This Westfalia, however, was shot during blue hour—no cheating detected, perfectly legitimate ad. That, or they just missed golden hour by accident like I did when taking promo shots of Postcards from the End of the World.
This ad may only have one photo, but the van has enough accessories to keep my interest piqued. A pop-up tent is typical Westfalia fare, but Fox shocks and a solar setup are rarer finds. There’s gold in them there farkles.
1971 Ford F-100 - $9,500
Putting Dopest together every week involves a lot of scrolling Craigslist. That means an endless sea of Camries, eyes glazing over as they’re forced to perceive Murano after Murano. But once in a while, something just instantly cuts through the visual noise. This, dear reader, is one of those somethings.
This is a deeply seventies truck in a deeply seventies color, and that’s a winning combination. As a person with a deep appreciation for green (this truck almost matches my Telecaster) I instantly knew this would be a contender for this week’s slides. Look at it! It’s perfect!
