What Cars Are You Drooling Over Right Now On Craigslist Or Facebook Marketplace?

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The west coast’s Craigslist is absolute madness. The cars are pricier than elsewhere, sure, but they’re not (cost of similar vehicle in midwest)+(rust repair) pricey; in fact, their solid bodies make them an absolute bargain. I am currently struggling not to buy more cars, and I bet you, dear Autopian Member, are also struggling. So let’s all show one another the apples of our eyes — call it a support group, if you like.

After selling the full doors and hard top, my Jeep Wrangler YJ, with new tires, a brand new soft top, new soft top hardware, and a new (to me) rear bench seat will only have cost me $6,600:

Image

This is an absolute steal for a vehicle with recently-redone paint, the good engine, the good transmission, and a dent-free body. It’s such a lovely machine that I just can’t stop driving it, no matter how good my BMW i3 is.

Here’s the thing, though: As great of a deal as I think I got on that Jeep, the reality is that this is just how things are in California. I just Craigslisted “1991 Jeep Wrangler,” and check it out: Another rust-free, nice-paint-having Jeep YJ with the good motor and transmission for $7,100 or best offer:

Screen Shot 2023 07 12 At 3.34.57 Pm
Image: Craigslist

It’s not CHEAP CHEAP, but remember, I’m a Michigander. I spent a decade seeing vehicles in this condition command an enormous premium. That’s why I’m drooling over this rock-solid Postal Jeep for sale for $4,000:

Product photo of 1976 Jeep Dj-5
Image: Facebook Marketplace
Product photo of 1976 Jeep Dj-5
Image: Facebook Marketplace

As someone who’s poured over $3,000 of pre-pandameic-inflation money into a Postal Jeep that, let’s be honest, was still a bit of a rustbucket (but mechanically solid), this seems like a bargain. But not as big of a bargain as this:

Screen Shot 2023 07 12 At 3.48.08 Pm
Image: Facebook Marketplace
Screen Shot 2023 07 12 At 3.48.46 Pm
Image: Facebook Marketplace
Screen Shot 2023 07 12 At 3.49.01 Pm
Image: Facebook Marketplace

That’s an early Jeep CJ-5, equipped with the mighty F-Head overhead valve inline-four — a derivative of the “L-head” Go-Devil engine that powered allied forces through World War II. The Jeep is only going for $3,500; as someone who dropped $4,200 of pre-pandemic-inflation-money on a CJ-2A that, in the end, still had hockey pucks between its body and frame, I’m drooling right now.

I’m also drooling over this nice truck for sale in New York but from “out west”:

Screen Shot 2023 07 12 At 3.51.32 Pm
Image: Facebook Marketplace
May be an image of text that says ') 2 Jee BIG SKY MONTANA COUNTRY SunicIDAHO 9794 T4 BIG SKY MONTANA COUNTRY'
Image: Facebook Marketplace

It costs $7,500, so it’s pretty clear that it’s had the rust-belt premium placed on it. Here’s how much a similar rust-free truck costs in California:

Screen Shot 2023 07 12 At 3.55.21 Pm
Image: Facebook Marketplace

Look at this $2,500 in Stanwood, Washington, where I revived that hopeless FC-170 back in 2021:

Screen Shot 2023 07 12 At 3.56.17 Pm
Image: Facebook Marketplace

Anyway, that’s what I have my eyes on right now. What’s been tempting you lately?

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Jason Torchinsky

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49 thoughts on “What Cars Are You Drooling Over Right Now On Craigslist Or Facebook Marketplace?”

    1. If I could find a well kept Camry wagon or first gen RAV4 in my ridiculously low price range I’d be all over it.
      (keeps searching)

  4. I recently bought a car that I found on a west coast CL – a BMW E12 that I just road-tripped up the PCH from the Bay Area to Bellingham and then home to Chicago via Glacier National Park – so I’d been spending a fair bit of time on west coast CL. It disappeared within the last few days, but the one I’d been drooling over was the Citroen CX GTi that was on Portland CL. If it had shown up earlier, I might have gone for it.

  5. Ever since I wrote last week’s MMM guest-post ( https://www.theautopian.com/holdens-vans-and-peugeots-oh-my-mercedes-marketplace-madness-straya-edition/ ) I’ve been looking at pannos again.

    I wanted one when I sold my R34 Skyline with the idea of travelling around Australia. I already have another project car sitting on the hoist awaiting some parts so I really shouldn’t be looking at yet another car!

    This has to be one of the highest-km cars I’ve seen on sale in Australia in some time if it’s accurate, being the old Ford six I’m sure it’s good for another million km:

    https://www.carsales.com.au/cars/details/1990-ford-falcon-xf-auto/SSE-AD-15151678

  10. I’m drooling over JDM Mitsubishi Diamantes. (AKA Sigmas.) A lot.

    See, over there they got the “270HP” (gentleman’s agreement) 6G74 – which is actually 300HPish. They got permanent rear-biased AWD. They got much better interiors. They got a HUD. They got automatic distance-keeping cruise control. The only thing it’s missing that’s on my ‘must have’ list for a year-rounder is a heated steering wheel.

    They also got depreciation that would make Mercedes M272 owners who have already replaced their balance shafts with inspection windows jump for joy.

    Literally they are so cheap, if I could find a warehouse that wasn’t $30k/year, I would already have bought two. Since Tuesday.

  11. There’s a very solid looking and mostly original 1954 Pontiac Starchief near me that’s quite tempting but it’s just expensive enough to where I wouldn’t feel comfortable impulse buying it. But it does have a straight 8 which might make it all worthwhile

    https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/967783427594256/

    I’ve always been a big fan of 70s custom vans but a few weekends ago, I went to Vanfest in Canada and now I’m convinced that I absolutely need a custom 70s van in my life. There’s this 77 Dodge Tradesman that’s pretty much everything I want in a van but it’s a lot of money too

    https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1031906801516474/

    Last minute edit because I just remembered that I found this last night and it’s probably of interest to most of the staff and readers here. Here’s a 2006 Chevy Aveo that’s converted to some sort of half car, half bayou style fan boat. The seller doesn’t think it will float but it looks like it would work on land

    https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/776294117509681/

      1. I can’t get over it. I’ve been looking to replace my ’97 Econoline I sold in 2019 for a while and none are ever perfect, but for this one, literally the only criticism I can possibly come up with is the 3rd brake light placement, but altogether that’s so minor. Guess I’ll keep dreaming. Maybe 20 years before used conversion E-Transits are in my price range, since these dinosaurs become a worse idea with every passing year…

    1. Two are better than one! Just brought home a 521 and realized I’m going to be broke for a long time, but already checking craigslist for a twin.

  18. No “big” cars at the moment, but I am jonesing for a new RC model in the worst way. Never mind that I have several unfinished ones already. I’m fighting the urge, but I’ll probably end up buying something else soon…

    2. 160k on a 5.9 Magnum?
      Literally nothing. You’re probably due a transfer case chain. Being a 5.9, it’s equipped with the 46RE TorqueFlite. Which is literally the easiest transmission there is to rebuild as long as you can follow basic instructions. These 46RE’s are so utterly bulletproof, that nobody offers non-upgraded hard parts. There’s no point in it. And if you’d rather, a reman with the Sonnax upgrades is $1500.
      Worst, worst case is that it’s a 98 and you have coolant sludging. Again, this is minor. Flush like hell, flush like hell some more, install fresh HOAT, and away you go.

      Do not go within 50 miles of 4.7’s, they’re all boat anchors in waiting. And never attempt to rebuild a 545RFE yourself.

  22. I normally look for motorcycles, but that CJ-5 is very interesting… And the racing stripe on the postal Jeep is objectively pretty sweet.

    I seem to collect vintage old Japanese bikes – even joined a club for it – and if asked would have said I am definitely not a Harley person. However, for the past couple days I’ve been eyeing an early 1970s Sportster that has been sitting for about 15 years. It’s so old that it shifts on the right and brakes on the left. (British bikes were like that up to about 1974-75 but I was not aware H-D ever did that.)

    It’s rough but for some reason it is very compelling. Maybe it’s the rear fender from a who-knows-what with the hand-cut clearance for the drive chain. Maybe it’s the very old look with a modern drilled front disc brake. Maybe it’s the really low price. Anyway, I’m sitting here fidgeting over whether to contact the seller.

  23. I was very tempted to buy a 2001 (ULEZ-exempt!) Cherokee that was listed for only £2,000 not too far from me. It needed a bit of work, but nothing I haven’t done before. This would have required (according to my wife) me to sell the Saab, which would have been at a loss (which is another story). Fortunately, someone else bought it, so the temptation is gone.

      1. Yes, but only some of the “Y” registration models. It’s hit or miss. There’s a website where you can check the license plate to see if it’s exempt or not. This one was. The only reason 2000 models (and earlier) aren’t exempt is because Transport for London doesn’t have the emissions data in their database for pre-2001 cars.

  24. I’m trying to convince myself that it’s perfectly reasonable to commit to the resurrection and maintenance of a one-off student-built thermophotovoltaic system:

    https://bellingham.craigslist.org/cto/d/ferndale-1998-viking-29-electric/7632995834.html

    I’m also tempted to embrace the notion that simpler is, in fact, better, although I’d need to do something about the seat:

    https://calgary.craigslist.org/cto/d/abbotsford-west-1927-ford-model/7628953151.html

    1. WWU Vehicle Research Institute strikes again! You could get away with swapping in used LEAF modules I’m sure and have a very strange little runabout.

  25. 1950 Studebaker coupe for $3075 on Marketplace.
    With 20 cars already it’s getting real hard to find room to put them and the agreement with my wife is they must ALL fit inside.

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