Changli Mini Truck, Nissan 240SX LS Swap, Italjet Dragster: The Dopest Vehicles I Found For Sale Online

Another week means another entry in the sweet cars found online that I wish I could drive. I like finding cheap used cars that can either be daily driven right away or daily driven after minor work. Over the past couple of years, I've turned it into a bit of a skill.

I search as much of Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist as I can for interesting vehicles that don't cost a lot of money. They may be hilariously unreliable, unique, tuned or maybe something that stops me in my tracks. While I am based in the Midwest, I also see what I can find across the country. Sadly, prices for a few models are trending higher so it's getting really hard to find absurdly cheap cars, but I'm trying anyway.

Changli doesn't just make the cheapest electric car in the world, it also makes one of the cheapest electric pickup trucks in the world. This silly thing has the front end of a GM heavy duty pickup and the rear end of a Ford F-Series. You can even buy one with Jeep decals, if that's your jam. I can forgive it for ripping off our domestic brands because it looks too adorable.

This little truck is more capable than Jason Torchinsky's Changli, too. The owners say it runs on lithium batteries and can reach speeds up to 35 mph. It even has a pretty nice interior.

It's $5,995 on Facebook Marketplace in Grand Rapids, Michigan. That's twice what Torch spent on his Changli, but it's also already here in America and roughly three times the Changli.

Do you want an off-roader that isn't just another Jeep? Well, I have a neat vehicle for you! The VehiCROSS is body-on-frame, four-wheel-drive and can wheel pretty good. It's a sporty go-anywhere vehicle that you will not likely find on the trails.

This example is one of the cheapest I could find in the U.S. at $5,000. Get it from Facebook Marketplace in Chicago, Illinois.

Here's a classic two-stroke motorcycle that remains on my all-time bucket list. Its 39 horsepower is tame by today's standards, but the motorcycle was an absolute rocket in its day. Pair that two-stroke power to 1970s-tech suspension and brakes and it's definitely a bike that could be challenging even today.

These are creeping up in value but you can still get them for a decent price. This one is in fantastic shape for $5,500 from Facebook Marketplace in Carlinville, Illinois.

Fast wagons are always a load of fun and I think the larger engine versions of the Dodge Magnum also count. The Magnum's profile can still turn heads today. Give it a new grille and it would even pass for a current design. This one is an R/T with the 5.7-liter Hemi V8 and remarkably low miles for its age. I'm not sure you'll find a lower-mile example for a similar price.

This is a car I would buy right now if I had the cash burning a hole in my pocket.

It's $5,999 from Facebook Marketplace in Indianapolis, Indiana.

For this week's enthusiast car I offer two examples of a vehicle popular among Japanese-car fans. This first one is a doozy. It's a clean Nissan 240SX, but that's not all. Under the hood sits a GM LS1 V8 engine. The finished product looks really good and comes with a laundry list of a build sheet too.

It's above my $10,000 limit at $11,000. However, this car may be a prime example of LS engines making everything better. Find it in Knoxville, Tennessee, on Facebook Marketplace.

Now for the other end of the 240SX spectrum we have a completely stock convertible. Finding a stock 240SX is amazingly hard, forget about a convertible that is in pretty good shape. Only downside with this one — to me, anyway — is the automatic transmission. However, it seems people manual-swap these cars quite often. On the plus side, the seller says the car is immaculate inside and out.

It's $7,500 in Chula Vista, California, on Craigslist.

Here's a scooter that looks mean and has some performance to back it up. This one's another two-stroke, all of 180cc, and it can scoot up to a top speed of 70 mph. This little thing was imported from Europe and isn't legal in California where it's being sold. But it may be road-legal in your state.

I've seen a few imported Italjets for sale over the years, but this is definitely the first I've ever seen to have such a big engine. It's $3,000 in Chino, from Craigslist.

Are you tired of ridiculous diesel prices? Completely rotted Cummins-powered trucks have insane asking prices, and it's honestly pretty absurd. Fortunately, this Power Stroke van has a very reasonable price. It's certainly not perfect — no seriously cheap diesel is — but it appears to be all there. It also has some new parts like shocks, brakes and batteries. Access to those rear shocks is handled through holes cut into the floor with plates bolted into place.

There's some rust, however it doesn't appear too bad given its location in Chelsea, Michigan. It also appears to have been repainted at some point in its life, and that paint job had quite a lot of overspray. It's $1,800 on Facebook Marketplace.

To round out this list we have a hot little small car. Before the Smart Fortwo became the smallest new highway-capable car on U.S. roads, there was the Mini Cooper. And above that already fun hatch came the hotter supercharged Cooper S. This car is a ball of fun and thankfully older models aren't worth a whole lot.

This one has high mileage at 196,000, but it appears to be in pretty good shape. It's $2,500 on Facebook Marketplace in Salisbury, Missouri.

That's it for this week! Have you purchased a car based from one of these posts? If so, I want to know.

Since this series began, I've watched how the pandemic has been changing nationwide car prices. Vehicles that were an easy $1,000 before are becoming $2,000 or even $3,000 cars.

It's becoming harder to find what I'd say are insane deals without getting behind the wheel of something that's one harsh pothole away from the scrapyard. Some gems are still out there, but they end up selling before I can even finish writing these.

Know of a weird car for sale on Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist? Drop it down in the comments or in my email! If the car's still for sale, I may feature it on a future post.