Combing Thru FB Marketplace and Going Bonkers About Air-Cooled Boxers

Ever since I learned to read, I’ve always made it a habit every Sunday to go through the Classified Ads section of my dad’s newspaper. During that period from the mid-1970s up to the early ‘90s, owners/sellers would advertise their old or used cars in one or two lines to keep the ad costs low. I would read about cars for sale, such as Ford Mustangs, Chevrolet Camaros, Chevelles, Novas and Impalas, Plymouth Barracudas, and other American cars, which were just old, used cars during that time. Occasionally, some sports cars would be listed, such as Alfa Romeos, Corvettes, Porsches, MGAs, MGBs, a Mercedes-Benz 250/280SL “Mr. Slim” or two, and even a Lamborghini Espada. Listings for Volkswagen Beetles were fairly common.

Mind you, the classified ads of cars for sale didn’t have photos during those days, so I had to imagine what the cars would look like based on how the seller described them in the ad. And boy, did I love to imagine about these cars! My Sunday reading habit yielded results in 1979 when my dad bought a used 1976 Ford Cortina 2000E with an automatic transmission for P25,000 after we found it in the classified ads. In 1988, he gave me P14,000 to get my own set of wheels and I found a 1977 Volkswagen Brasilia, also through the classified ads. When I was gainfully employed in 1993, I got myself a 1974 Chevy Nova for P50,000, which, as you may have guessed, I found in the classifieds.

From Sunday Classifieds to FB Marketplace  

The Cortina, Brasilia and Nova have long been sold but I still make it a habit of going through used car ads. Times have changed, too, as published classified ads have been superseded by online ads, which is now dominated by Facebook Marketplace. Because my father drove a 1952 Chevy Styleline Deluxe and my grandfather was chauffeured around in a 1963 Chevy Nova II, I’ve always had an affinity towards American cars, which is why I have kept my 1971 Chevy Camaro RS. When I have the time, I often surf through FB Marketplace looking at vintage American cars.

However, because the first car I actually owned was the VW Brasilia with its air-cooled horizontally-opposed “boxer” engine, I developed a profound admiration for these air-cooled power plants. As a mechanical engineer, I found myself drawn to the elegant simplicity of its engineering, using air and oil to cool the engine, as much as I admire the compactness of its design. When my late father’s friend gave me a green 1974 VW Super Beetle 1303S after I helped restore his “baby”, a cream 1973 Beetle 1300S, my fascination with air-cooled engines was rekindled.

Interesting Finds on FB Marketplace        

As a young boy, I’ve always dreamt of having my own car collection. When I still had the Brasilia, I dreamt of collecting vehicles with air-cooled boxer engines and, because I had a Volkswagen, I only wanted German-made air-cooled vehicles with 2-cylinder, 4-cylinder, and 6-cylinder air-cooled boxer engines. (So sorry. I was not interested in air-cooled Japanese kei cars back then.) I guess the Universe read my thoughts, or the A.I. algorithm of Facebook has become surprisingly efficient, because these dream vehicles of mine were recently posted on Marketplace:

1960 BMW R50/2

The post states that this red vintage Motorrad is “perfect for serious BMW collectors” and describes it as well-maintained, super rare, and in pristine and original condition. It is advertised as in “good running condition” with 43,083 kilometers on the odometer. Located in Sucat, Parañaque, the seller says that his BMW is a “once-in-a-lifetime ownership experience” – a “Now or Never” chance of acquiring a “museum-level” garage queen that is priced at P1,400,000, although it is “negotiable for serious buyers and upon viewing only”. The seller will not accept trades and stated that he has other “super rare and collector’s item BMW Motorrad” available. Hmm… should I sell my 2022 Harley-Davidson Softail Breakout 114 for this vintage BMW? Let me sit on this for a while…

1967 Volkswagen Beetle 1500

The seller claims that this Beetle is an original and preserved rare one-year only model that was purchased from the first owner. It is said to have matching engine and chassis numbers and powered by the original H-case 1500cc boxer engine. Photos show that the steering wheel, knobs, radio, bumpers, door handles, brake reservoir, and other parts are original and period-correct parts for 1967. Modifications include a set of desirable BRM mags, drop spindles and height-adjustable front coil-over shocks, and air-conditioning. All the lights have original Hella lenses while the pristine interior features a VDO 3-gauge cluster, pop-out rear windows, and seals and weather strips from West Coast Metric USA. Located in Ayala Alabang, Muntinlupa, the asking price for this Bug is P690,000 or a trade with a 4×4 pickup truck or SUV. Even though I already have a Super Beetle, I still want this older Beetle. I highly doubt the seller will accept my 2002 Chevrolet Tahoe LS4800 in trade.

1972 Porsche 911T Targa

Now, this 911T Targa made me want to rob a bank, or wished that I ran for Congress in 2016, or became a contractor 5 years ago, just so that I can buy it right now. (Of course you can’t buy it just yet, heh-heh – Ed.) The “T” stands for Touring, a designation for a purist, lightweight, and sporty version of the standard 911 model. This Porsche is said to be fully restored and fitted with polished Fuchs wheels. The air-cooled 2.4-liter 6-cylinder boxer engine is fitted with 10.5:1 JE high-compression pistons, Carrera S camshafts, Weber 40IDA carburetors, Petronix Ignitor distributor, MSD 6AL digital ignition control box with Blaster ignition coil and braided ignition wires. It is fitted with bigger front and rear sway bars and Brembo disc brakes from a Porsche 944. This dreamy vintage German sports car can be seen in Pasig City but the seller did not indicate an asking price. I can only guess that the price is probably way, way above my current measly budget.

If I had P20 Million burning a hole in my pocket, I’d rush over and buy these three air-cooled boxer engine-powered German beauties, and, along with my Super Beetle 1303S with its dual-port 1600cc air-cooled boxer, become content with the realization of a long-time dream. But unfortunately, I don’t have a big pocket to put P20 Million into, much less, burn that amount of money that I don’t have. Thus, I have to be content with my Super Beetle and just dream about owning these other air-cooled beauties if I win the lottery (But you have to buy a ticket first, dummy! – Ed.) or if I suddenly find myself receiving an unexpected huge windfall. (Hah! You’re not related to any corrupt government official or complicit contractor, so keep dreaming! – Ed.)

Post Script: My wife now checks on me every time I’m on any online device. She wants me to stop looking at FB Marketplace but I had to tell her that it’s hard to stop a habit that I’ve been doing for more than 50 years, which is checking out used cars for sale at classified ads, including air-cooled ones!