1982 Nissan Patrol MQ Turbo Diesel

Winter may be waning in North America but it sure was a long one - enough to make some people want to start preparing for the next year. One thing might to be to pick up a vehicle that can hold its own in snowy conditions.

One such ride would be this sweet Nissan Patrol. The JDM flood is on! Now that every year of the 80s is legal to import to the US, all sorts of fantastic Japanese cars that were never imported to North America are finally seeing the light of day here.

The Patrol is a long-running name that dates back to the 50s and is still in use to this day. This is a "160" MQ series, that was produced from 1980-1989.

The styling is classic 80s Japanese truck, all merciless hard angles, black plastic and entertaining decal text. This one looks great in silver with "turbo diesel" on the sides and rear tailgate.

Inside is an equally brutalist exercise in functionality. The pre-airbag steering wheel is nifty, as are the striped cloth seats. It's all in surprisingly good shape.

A lot of older Japanese cars are usually underpowered but this one has what made it worth the trip across the Pacific: a 6-cylinder turbo diesel engine. Sure, it won't win any drag races, but it will be torquey, relatively fuel efficient (at least compared to a gasoline V8) and bulletproof for half a million miles with simple care and routine oil changes. It's also mated to a stick shift for extra fun.

The seller says the mileage is an astonishingly low 75k miles, everything works and there is no rust.

This is a really cool and rare alternative to the more common early Toyota Landcruisers and first-generation Isuzu Troopers.

Available here on ebay with bidding over $7k already.

1982 Opel-Isuzu I Mark Diesel

The first generation Opel Gemini was a subcompact car launched in 1974 and lasted until 1985. It was sold under a variety of brands in many different markets, hence the confusion in North America, where it was called the Opel Isuzu, then Buick Opel, then simply Isuzu I Mark.

This is the last iteration, simply called an Isuzu. I've never seen one in person and this is the first I've seen for sale on ebay.

Underneath the hood is a 1.8 liter 4-cylinder diesel engine that powers the rear wheels. It's definitely not going to win any drag races, in fact it's going to be downright slow on the highway, but the reward for sacrificing performance is efficiency. The seller estimates it can get 50 miles per gallon. They also say it has been converted to bio-fuel, another huge plus in the economy department.

Cosmetically, it's a Malaise Era classic, a front end only a mother could love, big windows, simple lines and clunky 5 mph government mandated bumpers. Fortunately, this one wears a chipper coat of pale yellow paint that brightens things up a bit.

The seller says it's been serviced, with new oil, new filters, new brake pads, shocks and an alternator. They say it runs and drives great with no problems. It's also got 5 speed transmission.

Unfortunately, the seller mentions some rust limited to the doors and wheel wells.

They do however say they've scoured the internet for 5 years for a similar car and haven't found another one.

Available here on ebay in Austin, Texas with just one bidder at $500.00 and 7 days left.

Lost Compact: 1982 Fiat Strada

This car has just about everything you want to avoid in a old used car: rust, non-original engine, non-running, little maintenance history, five different previous owners, and no title.

Despite the many strikes against it, this Fiat is a rare car in the U.S. and still deserves some attention.

The name Strada was only given in North America. Elsewhere, it was the Ritmo, a compact front-engine, front-wheel drive car produced from 1978-1988. It seemed like it was Italy's answer to the Volkswagen Rabbit, though much less good looking.

The Strada was only sold in the U.S. from 1979-1982. It featured the same puny 1.5-litre engine as in the Fiat X1/9 that produced a mere 69 horsepower. At least the mid-engine X1/9 handled well.

The seller lists all of the issues they know of with the vehicle. They start by saying it would be good for "some parts". They say they acquired it in 2003 and has essentially been sitting since then. They say the engine is not original because it's from an X1/9, but it makes no difference because the Strada had the same engine as the X1/9. It also makes no difference because the car doesn't even run.

What do you do with something like this? Is it worth the cost of repairs? And then there is the issue of documentation. You'd have to go on a bill of sale alone. Since every state has different title requirements, you could run into trouble registering this vehicle.

Since these cars had a poor reputation in the U.S. and never sold well, it's perhaps fitting to find one in such all around poor status.

Still, somewhere, a foreign econobox collector's heart is racing.

Find it here on ebay in Clarkston, Georgia, with no bids and no reserve starting at $500.

It's Back...155-mile (yes, 155) 1982 Oldsmobile Omega

The infamous '82 Olds Omega with just one-hundred-and-fifty-five miles that made the rounds on car blogs earlier this year (click here to see Just A Car Geek's post) is back!

The story goes that a little old lady purchased this vehicle new, then just never drove it.

That's about it.

Her family drove it around the block to keep it going...but not much else, hence an odometer that reads just 155 miles.

This is probably the lowest mileage 1982 Oldsmobile Omega in existence.

It's sort of a running joke that these extreme low mileage survivors that pop up are often the most boring cars ever. This Oldsmobile is no exception.

There were only three generations of cars that used the Omega nameplate from 1973 to 1984. This is a third and final generation Omega, the "X-body" platforms, produced from '80 to '84.

These were basic economy cars, front-wheel drive and four cylinder engines. They were ugly, slow, and poorly made, with a high number of recalls.

Still, it's amazing to see a survivor in this condition.

The seller said they acquired it from her estate a couple of years ago, but didn't have the heart to drive it and so the mileage has remained low. They say the paint is dull and the headliner sagging, but needs nothing else.

Did you miss out on the Omega when new? Do you want to own an internet legend? Check this thing out.

Find it here on ebay.

Not Quite A Convertible: 1982 BMW 323i Baur TC1

Baur is an esteemed coachbuilder in Stuttgart, Germany who performed drop-top conversions for BMW cars. They work very closely with many German automakers, although the exact nature of their relationships is unclear. Bauer cars were even photographed in some BMW brochures, but it was not offered as an official model (as the convertible was), and was never sold in North America. However, it was sold with the authorization of BMW and was covered by their factory warranty. Bauer did help design the E30 convertible.

This is no hackjob. Bauer patented their roofless design in the early 20th century and would employ it until the '90s. It features a retractable soft top roof that peels back like a sardine can to the rear, but with key support b and c pillars intact, as well as a cross-top roll bar connecting the thickened b pillars. This was done to enjoy the open air that a convertible woyld otherwise provide, but with the structural integrity they could not. It's ingenious, quirky and tasteful.

Bauer converted 4,595 E21-chassis cars.

The seller says this vehicle was a grey market car that was specially imported by an individual and then federalized at their own expense. It's unfortunate the slim euro-bumpers didn't make it through, but it's still good to see the rest of the car unscathed. It's an otherwise typical delightfully designed E21 323i.

However, the seller says the replaced the engine with a M20 3.0-litre 6-cylinder engine from an early '90s 325i that was recovered from a rear-end wreck with only 20k miles on it. Depending on your take, this could be a good thing, as it's a larger and better engine than the stock 323i. The car's whole roof was modified after all, so a different engine is in keeping with the switcheroo theme. The seller also mentioned the original 323i engine can be included as an extra.

They also say the engine is mated to a rare "dogleg" 5-speed manual transmission, where reverse is the first gear.

The seller says the body has about 101,000 miles on it but has no rust and is clean and straight, having spent life in San Francisco before ending up in New Mexico where it is now.

BMW never made an official factory convertible for the E21, so if you dig the car but want to feel the sun and wind blow through your hair, this is a chance to snag a nicely preserved example of a rare and charming car. The owner mentions they are a BMW club member and the car was never rallied or tracked, though they say it is fun and lightweight.

Find it here in Albuquerque, New Mexico with reserve not met and a buy-it-now price of $5,000.

Early Example: 1982 Ferrari Mondial 8 Coupe

The Ferrari Mondial was ranked as one of the 50 worst cars of all time by TIME magazine a couple of years ago. If you know TIME at all, you know they love to draw readers with bold claims and outlandish headlines. A Ferrari? One of the worst cars? Sure, they aren't practical, but that doesn't make them bad. Now, maybe the Mondial wasn't the "best" Ferrari, but any mid-engine V8 car is going to be a better car than your standard vehicle. I mean c'mon.

The Mondial was produced from 1980-1993 for a total production of only 6,884 units. The seller claims this 1982 model was one of only 703. Regardless, there were clearly not many made of any year. The "entry-level" Mondial replaced the Dino 208/308 GT4, itself a departure for the brand with a mid-mounted V8 engine. The Mondial was essentially the same thing, only wrapped in Pininfarina styling.

I like the early Mondial cars. I used to dislike the excessive black plastic, including the strips lining the c-pillar band around the front that makes it look like a raccoon, but it all has charm now. A 1986 update completely freshened the car for people that didn't like this early look.

This is a rare Coupe version. The convertible wasn't added until 1983. Most Mondial cars in America were the convertible, so it's nice to see a coupe.

Inside, we have an instrument cluster literally housed in a rectangular box, a minimalist dashboard, and a classic Ferrari chrome ball shifter. This one also has a beautiful red leather interior which contrasts well with the silver exterior. I love red leather, nobody does it anymore.

The seller is typically scant on details like most craigslist ads but mentions this car has only 39k miles, is all-original (except for obvious later wheels taken from a 348) and they have maintenance records, books and tools. That's good to hear.

I would check for rust, verify the number of previous owners and pore through the records. A 30-year old 8-cylinder engine made in Italy is going to have to been taken well care of to make this car worthwhile. Fortunately, early Mondial 8 cars are supposedly a relatively tame and simple affair, with only 214 horsepower (still a healthy dose) and an engine that does not need to be removed from the subframe for major services to be performed (wait...some cars actually needed their engines removed to work on? Yikes). So, electrical gremlins aside, ownership shouldn't be a nightmare or outrageously expensive.

Find it here on craigslist in Hawthorne, California for $21,500. Hemmings values a 1982 Mondial Coupe in fair condition at $7,500, good condition $12,125, and excellent condition at $20,125, so this car is priced at the high end.

Lost Iacocca Platform: 16k-mi 1982 Dodge Mirada

When Lee Iacocca turned Chrysler around in the 1980s, he started by launching a series of platforms intended to revive the brand and push it out of bankruptcy. The most successful of which was the small-to-midsize K-platform, which were mostly sparse, frugal little cars that nevertheless delivered what '80s American brand-buying consumers were hungry for: solid, dependable, no-frills day-to-day transportation. The K-cars certainly delivered efficiency: 26mpg city, up to 41mpg highway with a manual transmission. That's pretty impressive.

Lesser known was a platform for a larger series of cars called the J-platform, which had rear-wheel drive.

This 1982 Dodge Mirada is based on that platform.

The J-cars included the Mirada, Chrysler Cordoba and the Imperial, a briefly revived luxury brand from the '50s. J-cars were all made only from 1980-1983 and were all 2-door coupes.

The Mirada was offered with a choice of three engines: a 225cu Slant inline-6, a 318cu V8 and a 360cu V8. All cars had automatics. The Mirada also had three trim levels: Base, S/SE and CMX.

This Mirada is a CMX with a Slant I6, so unfortunately it's not a V8 but it is the highest trim level. Chrysler's slanted engines featured cylinders titled at a 30 degree angle for various minor advantages.

Styling-wise it's every bit early '80s Reagan-Iacocca-era-Chrysler and the awkward older sibling of the K-cars. The front end is quite homely, looking like an Atari rendering of a frog, complete with an anonymous protruding grill and Malaise-era government mandated divided multiple-unit headlamps.

The rear is a little better, just a straight angle drop with horizontal slatted rectangular taillights. American designers had a lot of trouble transitioning from 1970s styling cliches to 1980s styling cliches, but they managed to do rear ends ok some of the time. It's hard to mess up a series of rectangles, anyways.

Covering the roof is a simulated convertible cloth-top if you fancy that, one of the many idiosyncrasies of American car manufacturers from the '70s to the '90s (although I occasionally see them on even newer cars).

I also spot mudflaps with "Dodge" imprinted on them.

Inside the interior isn't half-bad. Enormous cloth seats beget a typical over-sized pre-airbag steering wheel, which sits in front of numerous round-housed analog gauges, a surprising relief to find instead of the digital layouts other manufacturers like General Motors were toying with at the time.

The seller states it has only 16,294 original miles which is pretty incredible and would classify it as a bona fide survivor. Apparently only about 53,000 Mirada were made, so to find one with this low miles is exceedingly unusual. The seller explains they are actually listing the vehicle for a friend's deceased father, who presumably owned the car since new, so that fleshes out the story and seems plausible.

Condition-wise the car seems to be in overall good but definitely not perfect shape. The seller says there are some dings and dents, and there is very noticeable damage to the plastic between the body and the rear bumper that is not a major operation but is cosmetically unpleasing and should be repaired by the next happy owner.

Mechanically, they said the a/c is not working and may need a charge but otherwise the car runs and drives "perfect".

Find it here on ebay in Bohemia, NY with active bidding, reserve not met, 2 days left, and a buy-it-now of $5,795. That's kind of a lot for a non-V8 Mirada with some cosmetic flaws, but then again the ultra-low mileage will make ultra-low mileage suckers like me think twice.