Bug Me: ’66 Volkswagen Type 1 Beetle
If you have been a reader of Mint2Me for a while, you already know we like rally cars. We created one out of a “grocery gettter” Mercedes-Benz 230S and it continues to perform well on the road and at car shows. On occasion, we think about what our next project might be and it is split between a ’65 Mustang K-Code Notchback and a VW Beetle. So here it is, my friends, the perfect candidate to make a really cool rally car for not a lot of money – a ’66 VW Beetle. 
And not just any Beetle, one with service records from the day it left the dealer. The current owner is one of the most talented Ferrari mechanics in the country. He loves it and wishes he could keep it. But alas, priorities force the sale. The paint looks great in pictures but it is acceptable. It is the correct color and you won’t know it isn’t concours-ready covered in mud. 
We are telling you, this is the cheapest way to get into any event and have a blast. Mechanically sound with some cool period Empi accessories, you can steal this at $10,000. Maybe a rally car isn’t you thing? Drive it to the station in any weather just like the Doyle Dane Bernbach commercial. Call me like now at (203) 917-2354.
Purchasing an old sports car shouldn’t be about financial appreciation, it should be about enjoyment. Now if you have had any experience driving an 1800S, you also know they aren’t known for being nimble and light on their feet. But they are durable and can be made to be trouble-resistant. Just ask our buddy, Irv Gordon who has over 3 million miles on his. The Frua-like styling of the 1800S has come into its own and valuations are creeping up nicely. Mechanical parts are relatively inexpensive too. 
The mad dash to acquire early Porsches hasn’t cooled off much. The recent edition of Sports Car Market Price Guide has valuations still marching forward with early 911s outpacing 356 by a bit. But driving a nice 356C like today’s find is something one shouldn’t miss. We generally like cars from this seller. They are perfectly situated in Southern California and have been around long enough to know where all the good stuff is buried. And this white 356C looks like one of the good ones (trust but verify). 
The Toyota Land Cruiser is one of the few 4-wheel drive trucks coveted by collectors. Patterned after the Jeep and Land Rover 4-wheelers, the Land Cruiser proved that Toyota could produce a tough multi-purpose platform and not just econoboxes. In production for a quarter century, the FJ became the “go to” vehicle in remote areas of the world. In standard form, they are capable of climbing mountains, crossing deserts, and, well, doing just about the impossible. 
Nothing says Porsche like the wail of an air-cooled 911 motor. And this attractive Cabriolet is among the last of the air-cooled Porsches. Okay, it is a Tiptronic so it is a tiny bit less desirable than a 6-speed but we think the price reflects it. What a great color combination. We love it although we might prefer to have a black canvas top for top up driving. It has original paint and interior, all the correct options and all services up to date. 
Japanese collectibles may have a short list compared to other countries of origin but the cars that made list are pretty neat. We include in that short list the Toyota 2000 sports car, the Mazda Cosmo and a few models not imported here that have the word Skyline in it (there are more, we know). But the one everyone remembers fondly is the 240Z. It is one of those cars we owned and miss terribly or wish we did buy when they were really cheap. What a formula the folks at Datsun conjured up. The engine belonged to a 510’s 1.6-liter with two more cylinders added on to make it a 2.4-liter SOHC Inline-6 with dual SU-like carburetors. The 240Z also featured a four-speed manual transmission, disc brakes in the front and drums in the rear. The exterior styling was inspired by the Ferraris and the Jaguars and still makes your heart skip a beat when you see a nice one. The interior sports hi-back bucket seats with distinctive vinyl material. 
