Madman's Shed of the Week

[MrH]

I love how the only cars you see around it are redneck vehicles.

You mean trucks? 

[3.0L V6]

The Volvo wagon in the background?

[Madman]

30 December 2007 - 5 January 2008:

Manual gearbox, anyone?



By popular demand, I present another shed with a much-sought-after manual shifter.  This week we have the tidiest-looking MK III VW Jetta I have seen in a long time.  It's a 1998 Jetta GLS with the ubiquitous 2.0 litre 8-valve motor, air-con, keyless entry, power windows, CD player, original factory alloys and rear spoiler.  Blue with black interior, it has 130,000 miles on the clock.



There appears to be one of those awful fart-can exhausts on the back, but this can be easily consigned to the trash bin where it belongs and replaced with a less obnoxious set-up.  Thankfully this appears to be the only bit of crass customising performed on an otherwise decent bargain bucket.



The stereo head-unit is obviously not original but as long as it works properly I won't complain.  Otherwise, this looks like a very clean and presentable rig.  MK III Jettas in good nick are becoming increasingly rare as most have been thrashed by careless teenage yahoos.  The fact that this is a high-spec GLS model makes this car even more desirable to the shed-hunter on a budget.  And if you get tired of it, you can always flog it to some kid to use as a college beater and get most of your money back.  $3.990 from a private seller.  Worth a look, I say.


Cheers,
Madman of the People

[Tave]

My friend has one. Awhile back, his passenger door broke. Then, this winter, he went outside to get in it, pulled on the driver's handle, and ripped the mechanism off the side of the car. Now he has to climb in through the back doors.

[TheIntrepid]

My friend had one too. Riced.

[the Teuton]

Crosswire owned one for a short while.  While it was fun to drive, the car had more issues than the Spears family in a counseling session.

[2o6]

My friend had one too. Riced.

That's not rice.....A Mild Drop and Wheels don't make rice. YOUR Car is rice.....sticking parts from other cars on it......

[2o6]

Since When is a Jetta Manual Rare?

[Madman]

Since When is a Jetta Manual Rare?

Who said it was? 

I did say that good-condition MK IIIs are becoming rarer because these cars have now fallen into the hands of careless kids and the perpetually poor; i.e., the sort of people who don't take care of their stuff and tend not to fix things and do regular maintenance.  It's not that Jettas are rare, it's just that clean and unmolested MK IIIs are becoming harder to find.

Cheers,
Madman of the People

[Madman]

6-12 January 2008

Look like a Top Dog in this Classic Cat!


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Now this is really my kind of car.  Who can resist Ye Olde British elegance priced within reach of the common working slob?  This 1996 Jaguar XJ6 comes in the perfect colour combination of British Racing Green and tan leather.  And just check out that glorious wood!  With this car you can be as poor as a pauper but still look like a million bucks.  The 4.0 litre 24 valve inline six pulls like a freight train and is as smooth as the creamy leather inside.  Naturally, this car has all the goodies you'd expect: power everything, tilt and telescoping steering wheel, sunroof, airbags, alloys, ABS brakes and AM/FM/Cassette stereo.  As you can see in the photo, there's 134,860 miles on the clock.  All this power, luxury and upper-crust kudos can be yours for just $3,995 from a local "luxury pre-owned" dealer.  I want this car!!!


Cheers,
Madman of the People

[CJ]

You should actually buy that one.

[ifcar]

Priced within reach to own, but probably not to operate.

[TheIntrepid]

YOUR Car is rice.....sticking parts from other cars on it......

Yes, I'm sorry. This is very very ricey. I apologize for my shamelessness.

[the Teuton]

That Jag is even British racing green!

Oh, the joys of poor resale value.

[Madman]

13-19 January 2008

Sometimes it's good to think inside the box.


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1995 Volvo 850 GLT Sedan.  Metallic grey with beige leather interior.  GLTs were packed top to bottom with all the goodies: power operated everything, CD and cassette players, sunroof, Cold Weather Package (headlamp washers and wipers, heated seats and heated mirrors), alloys and dual-zone climate control.  Slightly odd-looking light coloured wood is an interesting Scandanavian alternative to the usual burled walnut.  Power comes courtesy of Volvo's venerable 2.4 litre DOHC 20 valve inline five cylinder (168 horsepower) and four speed Aisin-Warner automatic.  Miles are a bit high at 203,470 but this is usually not an issue with Volvos.  The drivers seat looks a little worse for wear but a nearby upholstery shop can have that replaced in a day.  Also, those chrome strips somebody stuck on the trailing edges of the doors will definitely have to go!  I think with a bit of TLC this car will clean up very nicely. 
$2,500 from a local beater lot.


Cheers,
Madman of the People

[Champ]

I'll take the R version with a manual swap!

[Madman]

20-26 January 2008:

Silver Swede.



It's amazing how many interesting and unique cars can be had for pocket change!  Like this one, a 1996 Saab 9000CS 2.3 litre Turbo.  Sure, you do have to trawl through hundreds of god-awful Asian blandmobiles and Detroit dumpsters.  But turning up a characterful gem such as this amidst a sea of mediocrity makes it all worthwhile.  Pity this one is an automatic, but beggars can't be choosers.  Yes, it's got all the kit you'd expect: power windows/locks, air-con, cruise control, ABS, and cassette stereo.  It also have those snazzy three-spoke alloys.  Yeah, they're missing the centre caps but those are easy enough to find.  The silver paint looks in good condition and, although the miles aren't listed, I think it's worth a look.  $1,995 at a local beater lot.


Cheers,
Madman of the People

[Madman]

27 January - 2 February 2008:

A big gamble, this one!



I wonder who will be brave (or crazy) enough to roll the dice on this shed?  This fine specimen is a 1992 Jaguar XJ6 Vanden Plas.  Pale blue by the looks of it.  4.0 litre inline six and four-speed auto.  Being a VP trim it has the full monty in terms of kit: leather, sunroof, heated seats and mirrors and an on board trip computer.  Your guess is as good as mine if it still works, however!  No mention of miles in the ad but I'm sure it's well into six digits.  This car sold for $54,500 back in 1992 but today it can be yours for a paltry $2,500 from a local beater lot.  The pre-1995 Jaguar XJ40s are bit hit-and-miss, to say the least.  But who knows, this might be a good one?  At least you'll be surrounded in sumptuous luxury while waiting for the tow truck!


Cheers,
Madman of the People

[Vinsanity]

This weekend, I saw a guy on a street near my home waiting for a tow in a late 90's Jag, and it made me think of this thread

[TheIntrepid]

Beautiful. Where'd the little bitch who called my car rice go though? I want to argue some more

[ChrisV]

The '92 Jag not so much, while the '96 would be a good daily, costing very little for the next 50k miles or more. The '92, however is an XJ40 and one of the worst Jags ever made for quality and reliability. I don't think that even I would own an XJ40. That being said, there may be a number of good examples out there... But for the money, I'd rather have the '80s Series III XJ6 (like my other two Jags were).

[ChrisV]

Oh, and the white Jetta isn't even CLOSE to being rice. It's a mild custom VW, but not rice.

[nickdrinkwater]

The white Jetta looks nice.

[nickdrinkwater]

Madman, keep up the interesting posts..

[Raza]

Madman, keep up the interesting posts..

He only does one per week, Nick.

[TheIntrepid]

Oh, and the white Jetta isn't even CLOSE to being rice. It's a mild custom VW, but not rice.

It's since been sold and replaced with a Jetta GT with an automatic.

[nickdrinkwater]

He only does one per week, Nick.

Yeah but I noticed not many people were replying, didn't want that to put him off.

[Madman]

3 - 9 February 2008

Not to worry, "The Shed" is back!



And, as you can see, back with a bang!  Or is it back with something that will go BANG?  I'm not sure.  Anyway, here's a lot of metal for your money; a 1992 Volvo 940 GL Sedan.  Burgundy wine colour and dark grey cloth upholstery.  It's got the good old faithful 2.3 litre 8 valve B230F motor and the indestrucable Aisin-Warner AW70 automatic transmission.  It's a powertrain I'm very, very, very, VERY familiar with.  Heck, I could probably work on this thing blindfolded!  The 940 is basically a facelifted 740 so, for me, driving one of these is second nature.  You've got air-con (1992 was the last year for the R-12 A/C system, so hopefully it's been converted to R134-a by now), power windows and locks, cruise control and a cassette stereo.  The fact that it looks like the much pricier 960 is also a plus, too.  If you want an old shed that's built (and looks like) a tank, look no further.  A local beater lot has this baby for sale at $2,499.


Cheers,
Madman of the People

[Cookie Monster]

[Madman]

10-16 February 2008:

It's the dead of winter.  Perfect weather for a ragtop!



What better time to buy a roadster than when the thermometer is reading in the single digits?  Frigid temperatures always send convertible prices plummeting, only to perk right back up again at the first sign of spring.  So let's take advantage of the miserable weather and find an open-air bargain!  Like this one shown above; a 1992 Mazda MX-5 Miata.  Finished, appropriately enough, in Snow White with a brand new black top.  Power comes courtesy of a 116 horsepower 1.6 litre 16 valve I-4 and a five speed manual gearbox.  It's also got alloys, air-con and an AM/FM/CD stereo.  It looks in good nick and the new roof makes this car a steal at only $2,500.  The first thing I'd do is get rid of that silly nose bra on the front.

Here's a pic of another white MX-5 without it.  Looks much better, IMO.




Cheers,
Madman of the People