Classic Street Racer: Modified 1969 Lotus Europa, $3500

'69 Europa, as it appears now.

'69 Europa, as it appeared when first built to this specification.

Nice interior... I love the dash and steering wheel. The seats aren't bad either.

This Lotus was built in the late 70s/early 80s by a driving instructor and race-car driver who is associated with Team Continental of Portland, Oregon (http://www.teamcontinental.com). The original Renault engine and transmission were pulled and replaced with an Audi 4000 5-speed manual transaxle and 1.8-liter fuel-injected Volkswagen engine, which are still with the car. However, the VW engine is seized, and will need to be replaced. Other upgrades include the fender flares, Minilite-style alloy wheels, rear disc brakes, a second custom petrol tank giving the car a total of 21 gallons in fuel capacity and a second brake pedal for left-foot braking. The car will need to be repainted, although the interior is good enough to use as-is. The transmission needs shift linkage and brackets to be fabricated, and the original builder of the car can be contacted for information regarding the car and its modifications, including sharing more photos and giving advice on upgrading and improving the car.

Oddly, the car is listed as being located in Albany, but one of the pictures appears to have been taken in the Harlow Road area of Eugene. I remember seeing a red Europa with yellow Oregon plates in almost exactly the same area as the picture appeared to have been shot not too long ago, but I recall it being a twin-cam body style with the lower rear quarter panels.

You can take this classic street racer home with you for $3500, and find the ad here:
http://eugene.craigslist.org/cto/1542602340.html 

Extremely Rare Steel-Bodied Dune Buggy: 1963 National Refuse VWEEP

(This image and the one below were found on TheSamba.com, since this particular eBay auction wouldn't let me save pictures, but this is the same car.)

UPDATE, 1-14-2010: This VWEEP failed to sell, with zero bids and a starting price of $1,295, with no reserve. Keep posted to StreetShots & More for possible updates!




This oddity was apparently manufactured by National Refuse Company in Tucson, Arizona (possibly a manufacturer of garbage-truck bodies?), with few made and even fewer around today. While the engine is missing and it is in rough condition, it is still restorable, and with the original decal (shown above) preserved, or better yet, reproduced, a new coat of refrigerator-white paint, some original low-back VW bug seats in plain black vinyl, a stock VW flat-four of 1500cc or 1600cc displacement and a quality restoration, this would be a great conversation piece among VW and off-road vehicle enthusiasts alike. A clear Wisconsin title is included with the vehicle.

If I had the money and time for a proper restoration, I'd be all over this one.

Find it here, in South Beloit, Illinois: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Volkswagen-Thing-WVEEP-1963-VOLKSWAGEN-VWEEP-REAL-RARE-EVER-SEEN-ONE-NOT-ME_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem35a62b517eQQitemZ230421123454QQptZUSQ5fCarsQ5fTrucks#ht_500wt_1182

More Street Shots: Import Edition

Late-60s Fiat 850 sport coupe. This design was one of Fiat's most attractive sub-1000cc car designs, and was done in-house by Mario Boano, formerly of Carrozzeria Boano. This appears to be an abandoned or partially finished project.

Same Fiat, different view. You can see the surface rust taking over the grey primer, and the overall neglect of the yard and house.

Rear view of Fiat 850. It's a shame that this car has to sit in that neglected yard like it does.

Datsun Roadster and 510. Both in very nice condition from what I could see, and just a few houses away to the right of these cars, there was a neglected brick house with a long driveway leading to a Honda N600, a mid-60s Buick Wildcat and numerous 30s-40s-era cars and trucks behind them. I didn't want to commit trespassing, so I'll just be patient and wait until I can find an owner or caretaker of the property so that I can look at and photograph the cars and trucks legally.

Split-window-era Volkswagen Microbus. This bus appears to be rusty but restorable, and I've heard of all kinds of cars, from VWs to Bugattis, in far worse shape than this being restored.

Volkswagen Rabbit, circa 1979. This car doesn't appear to have moved from its current spot in years, but is still appealing with its dealer-applied decal package and weathered esthetics.

Quick Takes: Some Pictures Taken In The Summer of '09

1964 Chevrolet Impala two-door hardtop. It's not an SS, but it's still a desirable car and is very complete aside from much of the chrome trim and the engine.

1980s Jaguar XJ6. This car was in pretty sad shape all around, but as a Jaguar enthusiast, I felt obligated to take a picture.

1956 Chevrolet Delray. This is the "pretty" side, the other side of the car was grey primer and Bond-O with all the side trim removed.

Chop-top Volkswagen bug, circa 1965. Very tasteful job of modification, and one of the better full-custom bugs I've ever seen. Unfortunately, this car now has an ugly decal job reminiscent of tuner Hondas over much of the body. Hopefully the owner will have a change of heart and remove the decals, or will sell the car and the new owner will take the decals off.

1965 Ford Mustang, customized circa late-1980s. This has sat in the same place since at least the mid-1990s, and appears to have been a nice car at one time.

Mild custom Volkswagen bug, circa 1973. Very nicely done from what little I saw of it, although a set of T-bar bumperettes or even Mexican-market late-model bug bumpers painted the same color as the body would improve the appearance further.

1937 Graham. This is a very nice "resto-rod" car that is driven often, and it maintains much of the look of a restored '37 Graham with the reliability, ease of service and great parts availability of late-model Chevrolet components comprising much of the engine, drivetrain and chassis. The owner of this car also has a Model A Ford hot rod and a 1938 Pontiac, and is also something of a petrolhead.

Side Street Find: Manx-Style Buggy

This Manx-style dune buggy was found on a side street in an unincorporated neighborhood of Eugene, Oregon in July 2009. It appears to have sat in the driveway for years, and to be a partly-finished project. Unfortunately, I can't say whether it's VW, Porsche or Corvair-based, or what kind of engine it has, because it sat on private property. I'm going to venture a guess and say Corvair, due to the fact that it had 5-lug wheels, the left-side fuel cap and a hint of coil springs peeking out from the left side.