Here's an idea.  Toyota Previa.   All wheel drive mid engine supercharged
little van.  They are really cheap on the west coast and I hear great things
about them from friends who have them.
   They are found (west coast) in the $800 to $3500 price range and said to
be good for around 300k miles before they need a motor...they come with a
4sp auto and an electric overdrive gear or very rare 5sp manual.  Next time
I find a few thou extra in my wallet, I'm getting me one for winter and for
highway traveling...long distance get there drives.  Work vehicle, too.

  It is Friday...so I can mention other than VW ...compared to the going
price for even a beater rusty Syncro, these are almost free and they are
certainly less expensive to maintain...After you begin to notice them, they
grow on you with their 'pregnant football' shape...Not Vanagons, but not
your dumpy family Mini-Van either with a 5sp and 4wd and perfect front-rear
weight distribution, antilock brakes, limited slip drive train, and Toyota
dependability.  Drawback is some say they are 'underpowered'...I guess those
people never drove a WBX westie..  I think the SC ones are around 165hp. a
vaguely recalled figure that could be wrong.
  Ciao, Don Hanson

On Fri, Jun 3, 2011 at 7:09 PM, Bill Shawley <easywind1975@hotmail.com>wrote:

> Anyone in PA/MD area, please let me know if you come across anything "cool"
> for a project car, needless to say it has to be something German (well maybe
> a Volvo...).  For example a few years back I picked up a 325i with a blown
> head gasket for cheap like $500.  I learned to pull the head and all that
> jazz and successfully brought the thing back to life.  I drove it for a year
> on and off (mostly weekends or as a backup) and eventually sold it so I
> could buy lumber and learn to build a deck.  Now I'm chomping at the bit to
> find something else like that but apparently I like in GrandAm country and
> the pickings are slim.  Anything advertised is always priced high so I need
> to stumble upon something word of mouth.  A Vanagon could fit into this
> scheme for sure.
>
> A beat to death Corrado in my area started this whole idea.......
>
>
> Ryan