Here are four of the thirteen cars for sale on craigslist in San Francisco. The seller is accepting offers. There’s no information provided on the cars but will need careful inspection in any case. They range from the 1956 Bentley to a Triumph Stag, from a 1914 Model T Speedster to a 1976 Renault Le Car. We feature lots of collections here on Barn Finds but this one is a little different. These cars are are at least stored indoors and represent enough variety that they should have a wide appeal.
This 1962 Mercedes Benz 220 SE Coupe is barely visible but could be a very valuable car, depending on condition, of course. Running and driving examples sell for $25,000 or more.
This Jeep has a nice flatbed body that appears to be set up for hauling cars. Either this is a highly modified Jeep or it’s set up for very small cars.
This Model T speedster looks like it could be fun. Like the other cars in this collection it all depends on the price and condition. It surprising to discover there’s a house in that area with a basement this big.
I think the MB sunroof coupes are more valuable as well.
This is why you should have 1 or 2 good cars
Since I live within walking distance of this, I am pretty confident that these cars aren’t in a basement. This neighborhood used to be much more industrial and I think it’s a safe bet that the cars are stored in a small warehouse or disused shop.
Cool to see that these cars exist, in any case!
Thanks for the info. I was wondering where there could be a house big enough to have a basement in that area where these would fit but I didn’t realize there were still any industrial buildings left. I’m sure you’re right about how these cars are stored.
I’ve had poor results with sellers trying to use Craigslist as a freebie version of ebay. They want you to call, chat about each car’s history, condition, etc.-all of which is great, of course. Until it comes to actually wanting to buy something, at which point it degenerates into an episode of ‘American Pickers’.
“How about the ’72 Alfa with the bad rockers and seized motor- the one your cat had kittens in, would you take $500 for it?”
“Oh no, I couldn’t take a penny less than $5,000. It’s a classic, you know.”
Right about then you realize why he’s had a dozen non-operating cars in his basement (or barn) for the past 20 years. And that you just drove 2 hours one-way for nothing.
I typically filter out Craigslist ads with no pricing (or the equally annoying $1 price). Life is too short as it is.
Moral of the story: Unless it’s free, please post a price.
I agree, I don’t even look at Craigslist car ads anymore, even the stuff with prices are too high or in much worse shape than the pics show.
Good thing he made sure to leave all the tops down and windows and sunroofs open. I am very jealous of someone who has this kind of space in SF!!
The Bentley is a Mk. VI which was built from 1946-52, replaced by the R-Type during 1952 and then by the Bentley S (nearly identical to a RR Silver Cloud) in 1955. So no way it is it anywhere near a 1956. 1952 or older. Very easy to get the build date via the chassis number on the firewall. Not very valuable in this condition.
Opinions on the Model T? Is it all original? Looks in good shape
Thanks Greg
The guy is nutz if you talk to him about prices – and I think Craigslist is to blame for this – if people had to actually PAY for an ad, they’d only post when they were serious enough to sell which means they’d be closer to reasonable on asking prices. I think Craigslist has done more damage and promoted more scams than it’s done good. I’d like to see it GONE!!
I think this is a scam- it’s been listed for over a year, and in several different cities around the country.
Well I am not certain about the rest but the ALFA’s are more likely late 70’s models or even into the 80’s. You can tell by the rubber bumper front ends. If these had the chrome bumpers they would be worth much more. Same with many of the other cars. I am thinking that this owner does know what he has but he is trying to find suckers that don’t and hitting them with prices for the more expensive models.
That or he has lived too much of the counter culture over the years and not all of his memory cells are firing anymore. Most of these are very low dollar cars in the condition they are in and I agree in many ways with Brakeservo above but I have picked up some very good buys from reasonable people on Craigslist so my feelings are mixed.
I agree with you Bruce, the good stuff is fair and few between, but I have gotten some damn good deals off Craigslist. I only buy parts off Ebay, would not buy a car unseen or motorcycle for that matter. Last deal I did was a 2005 VW Jetta for 3 grand with 80K miles owned by a family that worked for a Ford dealership. I’ve gotten several Harleys, sidecars, a brand new Toyota FJ Cruiser, so on and so forth. However, a lot of stuff is run into the ground, and still priced too high, or wrecked, or something.
Craigslist has been good to me. I’ve bought and sold everything from dirt to Dusters, from pro football tickets to professional electricians. I’ve found cars, and even given an entire pool away. Common sense and caution are required, just like everywhere else you deal.
But cars are especially interesting on CL. I see classic old cars on there all the time at ridiculous prices for total POS cars. Then there is the damned BMW Isetta for 36K on Tampa CL for the last 18 months, and the guy just keeps re-posting it without lowering the price. And that’s what makes CL interesting…it’s just like real life, because it IS real life. No different than the old days when you’d look in the paper for a used car. It was a crapshoot then, and it’s a crapshoot now. That’s what makes it fun, right?
This was posted in Miami for almost a year in 2016, and I called the ad a couple of times and never did I get a response.
There have been times when I have seen the same ad posted in multiple Craigslist locations. I was never sure if the seller was just trying to cover a larger territory or if it was a scam,,,