Best of Oppositelock: June 17, 2013

Gathered here are the Oppositelock posts that people have put a good deal of effort into writing from the last 24 hours. Today it includes a Wartburg on a G-Wagon chassis, the cars of the Greenwood Revival and more.

• Guys, meet the G-Wart - Klaus Schmoll

When the guy behind this thing was young, the 1.3 l, 4-stroke, de-tuned VW engine Wartburg was one of the nicest cars to have in the pre-unification GDR, he just couldn't afford one. Remember in the GDR you either had to wait 10-20 years for a new car or pay a heavy premium for used cars. New 4-stroke Wartburgs sold privately for what could buy you a house.

• Mercedes E Class review - Speedmonkey

I drove the new Mercedes-Benz E Class 220 CDI SE, with the 2.2 litre diesel engine and 7-speed automatic gearbox. It's pretty much the base model and costs £33,920. Here's my review.

• Princess Four Liter Friday - Dunnik

Presenting Her Royal Highness, the 1963-1968 Austin Princess 4 Liter 'R'. Featuring a bespoke Rolls Royce 3909cc engine producing a get-home-for-midnight 175hp@4,800 rpm, she is a true Sleeping Beauty sleeper car classic.

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• 1996 Bentley Brooklands: The Not So Really Jalopnik Review. - Aya

There's Nothing screams Luxury like the old, big, coachwork-handbuilt Long Wheelbase Bentley. That's what my friend tell me why he end up buying this car. Yes, it's expensive, thirsty, heavy, and will be a huge pain in the ass when something goes wrong. But, is that old sentences are true? Well, i take his car for a spin yesterday, and here's the result.

• The Greenwood Revival: The Cars - StreetsideStig

Though any import forum or Facebook page will moan endlessly about America’s 25-year limit on certain cars that were never sold here, two tours of Woodward have shown me that we actually have a pretty diverse car culture. Yes, we love our American muscle bruisers with an anthemic patriotism, but we’re not afraid to give them a little competition. Still, the more you learn, the less you know, and for all my education, I stumbled last weekend across another gaping chasm in my experience: vintage sports cars.

• Portugese Used Car Market, Vol. I - TheDarkestOfAllCodes

Inspired by Borsuq's similar themed posts, I've decided to start a more-or-less regular analysis of some interesting used cars and motorcycles for sale in my country. WARNING: I live in a country with plenty of taxes so it's not my responsibility if the prices flip your head off.

• Wartburg 353 as a cheap youngtimer. Yay or nay? - Bursuq

Ahh, the Wartburg 353. So many fond memories. Both my grandfathers used to have those, back when I was a kid. I always liked them for some reason, even though back then I didn't know anything about 2/4-stroke engines (or any of the related technical crap). And yet, I still felt that those cars were somehow different.

• Why the Cizeta V16T is the most beautifully insane supercar ever - Alex

The Cizeta V16t is the definition of the supercar. Why? Because it’s fucking bat shit insane. I mean this car had sixteen cylinders! SIXTEEN! Who looks at a V12 and goes “You know, that isn’t enough. ” Ex-Lamborghini engineers, that’s who! In fact when the design of the car was pitched to Lamborghini they responded with “That’s a bit too extreme…” Lamborghini, the kings of “LOOK AT ME! I’M INSANE!” thought this car was too extreme! This wasn’t the tame Lamborghini that we get today. OH GOD NO! This was the Lamborghini that made the Diablo! In fact the design of this car was originally suppose to be for Diablo but Lamborghini had to soften it up to “meet the needs of the consumer.”

• Why Is Japan Such a Haven for Clean Classics? - Kake Bake

I started to take notice of this phenomenon when I was completing an ink drawing of a Mercedes 190e. The vehicle's Wiki page stated something along the lines that most intact and original models of the 190e are sold and owned by individuals in Japan. I found that interesting but thought little of it afterward.

• Driver Profiles: Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic - Satish Kondapavulur

There are only two of these cars in the world. Which makes my life easier in determining what the profiles of half the drivers are. But the other half have remained anonymous, making my life harder.

• Observations on driving a classic muscle car - EssExTee

As the 95 of you who read my post from this morning know, I got to borrow a '68 Firebird convertible for the afternoon. Now that the day's done, here are a few random thoughts I had while driving.

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• Is It Even Possible To Sell A Really Expensive Car Privately? - Thunder

A couple years ago, we traded my '07 Civic Si sedan in for my wife to get a '12 Infiniti QX56, loaded with everything except 4WD. It's gradually become a garage queen, one with a really large monthly payment.

• A True Jalopy - Maui Style - Dan Mosqueda

In 1924 Sennosuke Fujiwara bought this 1923 Ford Model T as a means of becoming his own man. Mr. Fujiwara converted the Model T into a truck and began a business of distributing various goods from Honolulu on Maui, driving the perilous Pali highway from Lahaina to Kahului beeping at every turn on the one lane highway. Below is a modern day picture of the highway he drove on a daily basis. Imagine it in the 1920s.

• My Car Search: I drove a stick...and I liked it - CazzyOdo

This past Saturday saw me going to my local Subaru dealer for a look at their inventory. I have my heart set on a WRX and they were running a special on the exact one I had in mind while also showcasing a 2012 premium. After a comparing the two side by side, I had a good vibe about the 2013. But I don't drive stick.

• The gearbox question is a question of character - FreddsterExprs

After the launch of the new GT3 and Turbo versions of the Porsche 911 many people here at Jalopnik went mad because there is no manual transmission available anymore. I think that the choice of transmission depends on the character of the car it is installed in.

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As always, If I've missed something and you would like me to include it, let me know.

Fun Discussions

There were several posts that asked questions and sparked some good discussion over the the last day. Take a peek and chime in on some of them listed below:

• What's Your Favourite Car From a Least Favourite Automaker?
• What's the worst thing your dad did to your car?
• Dream Engine Swap
• Craigslist Hunt
• What Did You Get Pops?
• Planning the perfect road trip; how would you do it?
• NPoCP.ph: For P320,000/$7,456, a small taste of JDM

Just the #tips

• In Georgia Jaywalking is worse than DUI, apparently
• Can UK based Jalopniks find a stolen VW camper?
• Nameless Performance is building a very special rally car
• Commercial for the Tumbler
• Crazy Leo is Looking for a Co-Driver
• New Audi Sport Quattro Set For Frankfurt Auto Show
• Bouncing Spring Stings at Nürburgring
• Spot Squad App Will Let You Snitch on Illegal Park Jobs

Honourable Mentions

These posts have already been shared with Jalopnik directly but deserve to be mentioned again because they were first posted in Oppositelock:

• Barbie power wheels dyno run
• How to change the oil on an SR500
• The 10 Worst Cars of the 1980's
• Peugeot 208 T16 Pike's Peak - Time Lapse Build
• STUDY: Doing shit while driving, other than driving, is dangerous