Reply With QuoteThanks buddy. For what they are, that's not bad at all. I had a Scirocco GTX back in the day, but always fancied one of these.Originally Posted by vRSG60
Series 1 Elise?
Not yet classic in terms of age, but lovely to drive.
Andy
Wanted - Damasko DC57
Thanks buddy. For what they are, that's not bad at all. I had a Scirocco GTX back in the day, but always fancied one of these.
Already mentioned but a very viable choice
Its got to be a Lotus Turbo Esprit.
Had two, nightmare at times but it was try love.
they are great if you are married , the Esprit has the two things that SWMBO lacks, a beautiful body and predictable handling.
Have a look at the website of Barry Ely , he is in London E11. He looked after my Lotus and I can throughly recommend a true Lotus enthusiast.
I`ve owned 3 MGBs, totally rebuilt 2, and I also owned a TR6 for 10yrs (sold Sept 2010).
I don`t really buy into this 'man's car' bollocks; nowt wrong with MGBs except for a lack of performance....but if you're after performance a classic is probably not a good bet.
For reliability, ease of maintenance and engineering integrity, I`d chose an MGB over a TR every time. Also a bit more civilised to drive; the TR doesn`t cope well with bumpy roads due to its separate chassis and somewhat under-developed rear suspension.
My TR6 was an early (72) 150bhp model. I had a gas-flowed head fitted and the car performed pretty well; 0-60 around 8.0 secs, possibly a tad faster. Fun to drive on good roads on a sunny day, 'interesting' to drive on greasy or wet roads, a nightmare on bumpy roads. Despite my car being a very good rebuilt example with totally rust-freee body & chassis, I still ended up doing plenty of work on it. I don`t think classic car ownership is realistic if you can`t do your own maintenance, there are a limited number of specialists around and they aren`t cheap.
I sold my TR6 at the age of 52, having done DIYing on cars for 34 years. I miss the classics, but I don`t miss crawling around the garage floor in a pair of grubby overalls.
I`ll stick to watch repairing, which is equally frustrating but at least you're warm and comfortable. I`m having to learn a lot, and this reminds me of my first car rebuild (aged 24) when I learnt to weld and spray-paint. Pity we didn`t have digital cameras in the early 80s, they're an absolute godsend when taking stuff apart.
If I was to buy another classic car (which I`m not) it would be either a Triumph Stag or possibly an MGC. Both flawed designs but I like em.
If the OP considers an MG or Triumph I`ll be happy to advise in further detail by PM.
Paul
Thats the one of choice and last of the well made Mercs, money was no object building them :-)
Already mentioned but a very viable choice
I don't somehow think that any of those would sneak in under the £10k budget though :) (especially the 507 which is BEAUTIFUL!)
My thoughts exactly. I have a feeling if a 190SL was under 10k there would be a lot more of them on the road!
That is very kind of you Paul, thanks. I am yet to hit 24 years of age so I think the experience and advice will most certainly be needed!!
Forgot about this, an excellent suggestion
"A man of little significance"
No such thing as an 840CSi :wink:
You want an 840Ci Sport rather than an 850i or 850Ci.
The 850CSi is the fire breathing manual gearbox 5.6l V12 M Car that really should have been called the M8. Much rarer than the others and still demands high prices if a nice example.
Here's my 4.4 V8:
Agreed! If you know of a CSL, 507 or 356 for £10k then I'm there!I don't somehow think that any of those would sneak in under the £10k budget though :) (especially the 507 which is BEAUTIFUL!)
Some of the 507s have made over a million dollars at auctions in the last couple of years so, I'm guessing that's the least likely :lol:Agreed! If you know of a CSL, 507 or 356 for £10k then I'm there!I don't somehow think that any of those would sneak in under the £10k budget though :) (especially the 507 which is BEAUTIFUL!)
^This. Also a good bet for the future if you're thinking over the longer term.
You can't get much more classic than one of these.
Eddie
Whole chunks of my life come under the heading "it seemed like a good idea at the time".
"Jenkins, you fool. I asked you to primp the old girl."You can't get much more classic than one of these.
Eddie
AKA the Bobby Ewing 8)Hi all
I am currently looking for a classic car and it is proving to become quite a journey!
I have spotted a 380SL Mercedes and wondered what you would choose with a similar budget (say under 10k)
There must be a few enthusiasts on here, I have only been looking for a couple of hours so I can't say I am a professional just yet! :D
Haha! Google Images agrees with you!AKA the Bobby Ewing 8)Hi all
I am currently looking for a classic car and it is proving to become quite a journey!
I have spotted a 380SL Mercedes and wondered what you would choose with a similar budget (say under 10k)
There must be a few enthusiasts on here, I have only been looking for a couple of hours so I can't say I am a professional just yet! :D
I am going to go for this approach:
Pick up an MX5 for now until I decide on the classic I would like. Do hours and hours of pointless research to find the right classic (which might end up being an Alfa Spider first) and then take it from there :D
I think this thread is quite thorough now!
Have a look at Angliacarauctions.co.uk. They do a sale every couple of months. Here's the results of the last auction: http://www.angliacarauctions.co.uk/clas ... -2012.aspx
I'd have bought this if I had your cash :)
Or if it was last November, this :drunken:
A bit extravagent and probably very thirsty, but I have always loved the Rolls Royce Corniche
That is a cracking link! I have missed out on some stunners in January :(
Thanks for sharing the link :D
280SL for me much more sensible....
but if I was feeling stupid :shock: 260Z reminds me of my boyhood when my Mum had a one 8)
I love classic cars but if this is going to be a daily driver go into with your eyes open. Wipers are actually smearers, heaters are tepiders, demisters aren't, brakes don't very well.
But on a sunny summers day it's better than being a modern tin box.
1984 280SL's in my experience are a very realistic daily driver; that being said I do drive a 3year Merc now
MX5 will be a good starter...... all of the fun with lots of reliability.
Keep an eye on rust as others have said, but on the upside I once went round Anglesey circuit all day long on almost permanent opposite lock. One of the marshalls was giving me marks out of 10 every lap at the haipin :lol:
They are great cars and the ability to get the roof down in a couple of seconds makes it a fine choice.
The Fiat Dino a few posts above are great but cost the same to run as a Ferrari Dino.
SL300 or SL320 R129
solid investment and look good too.
better value too than older models. still to climb :-)
I do like them but insurance quotes are coming back really high, I think it is due to age and location
Mine is £450 fully comp and parked on street was £375 off street but divorce cost me dear
BUT hey Im happy and love driving her, shes better than the ex too :lol:
Funny thing is I spotted my error in Nomenclature and was going to edit - then I thought, nah, no-one would spot this!No such thing as an 840CSi :wink:
:lol:
Off-piste suggestion (I should declare bias up-front: I have one of these and it makes a great daily driver) - what about a Porsche 928? If you're after German engineering, a big V8 and pop-up headlights - and what sane human wouldn't be? ;) - they're absolutely splendid. The kicker is that like the big-engined Mercs they're dirt-cheap to buy but can be expensive to maintain - it'd be a brave (or foolish, or masochistic) person who bought one without much history but solid, enthusiast-owned cars are a good bet.
There's a good range to choose from, starting at the 4.5-litre 16-valve late '70s/early '80s cars, through the 16v 5-litre S2 (1986) or the 32-valve 5-litre S4 (from 1987), to the 5.4-litre GTS available from 1992. They're all plenty quick, sound great and offer surprising practicality. Gratuitous photo follows:
Front three-quarter by RobK76, on Flickr
I would suggest something German or Japanese. German cars were galvanised from the mid-1970s, it's a very good idea to get something that probably isn't going to rust (or at least if it does it's easy to treat). Two of my favourites (I own an example of each) are Porsche 924S and Mazda MX5. The Mazda certainly doesn't need much maintenance, can be used every day, covers lots of bases and is a lot of fun. Have a look at BBR for their turbocharged version. The 944 S2 or at a stretch a 968 Sport would be my choice in that price range but they're both 1990s really. The Merc is a good option too. Do not under any circumstances think about an MGB or anything similarly rust-prone, I'd avoid everything British. Get an MX5.Probably will self-maintain eventually! Will need to build knowledge from zero.
Will be in frequent use more than likely
Garaging facilities yes
Period would be from mid 60s to mid 80s
Sports
Manchester
:D
I second both the porsche's they are fantastic
Love the 928 but parts and service heavier than my Merc
Plus I have hard top and convertible for summer.
:-))
Heh - the convertible part makes me a teensy bit jealous: most 928s have a sunroof, but it's only the size of a letterbox. Good only for getting a sunburned head, IME! :D
Bizarrely the parts are frequently not that bad. There appears to be no logic to Porsche's pricing so it is frequently cheaper to import parts from suppliers in the US than to get them here. EuroCarParts and GSF often have bits at good prices, too. The nasty bit is anything electronic, which tends to be bespoke to the 928 and only available from Porsche. Lots of black boxes on the later cars, sadly :( . Servicing is OK, if you go to the right people... Many Porsche specialists are really 911 specialists, in that they don't do much work with 928s and tend to spend a long time diagnosing things as a result. Over the past 4 years I've spent about £1,500 per annum on mine, on servicing and preventative maintenance including parts: cheap it ain't, but the smiles-per-mile are worth it, as is the reliability - over new year I did an 1,800-mile round trip to see some friends in Austria, and the car appeared to love it. 8)
Much the same with Merc.
Done lots of long hauls. GSF and Euro. But my independent guy gets genuine Merc bits at trade so that's good.
Full service just cost me 130 quid inc spark plugs oil and all filters!!
Whichever pre 80s porsche fits your budget.
I Can heartilly recommend a Karmann Ghia. Owned 2 in my time and spent 20+ years mucking around with vintage VWs. You will get sneered at by the odd 'Classic Car Enthusiast' as not all see the charm, but you are buying into a way of life to a degree with the scene that goes with it.
£9k will buy a solid one, but it may look a bit rough, budget on 12-15k for a park, polish and drive.
Here if you need any advice or take the plunge!
Si
You can't get much more classic than one of these.
Eddie
Isn't that Mike Wood's Shadow? :D
This link has been confusing me, but having now read it I can see that it is due to be updated on Friday
http://www.angliacarauctions.co.uk/clas ... -31st.aspx
That 308 GTS at the top! Droool!
I'd love one of these. I don't think you can get a minter for £10k though, and I'm not sure it would work too well as a daily driver :-(
Dino coupes are quite cheap to buy but....repair costs are high and an engine rebuild will cost you £15000 if done properly.MX5 will be a good starter...... all of the fun with lots of reliability.
Keep an eye on rust as others have said, but on the upside I once went round Anglesey circuit all day long on almost permanent opposite lock. One of the marshalls was giving me marks out of 10 every lap at the haipin :lol:
They are great cars and the ability to get the roof down in a couple of seconds makes it a fine choice.
The Fiat Dino a few posts above are great but cost the same to run as a Ferrari Dino.
Not an every day car but the noise is worth the money
David (1968 spider 206)
I want one of these!! :D
The brakes were poor on these.... And steering could be a bit vagueI want one of these!! :D
But great choice and would turn heads, cheap to repair/service too Good call
Or a Capri?? JPS special or 3litre!!! :bounce:
A 1989 Porsche 944 2.7 lux is an excellent starter if the history is there.
I've had a few Porsches, old 911s through to a Boxster. Before that mk1 golfs.
The car I miss the most, a Volvo 1800ES - it was the coolest thing ever.
And if you even consider going down the dino line..
Knocks the coupe into a top hat....just don't ask about costs..
I had a nice 944 once which was a good car but I purchased it in the dark. Got a bit of a surprise in the morning when I discovered it was pink :shock:
I had one of these
Then one of these
followed by one of these
All great fun and easy to work on
MkI RS starting to get a bit pricey now though :(
Almost forgot about these
I owned 2 - an early WR (10 valve) then one of the last of the RRs (20 valve)
The latter was a great, great machine and I wish I still had one
My current toy :wink:
The wheels are real ACShnitzer for Jaguar.............pretty rare, also pretty shot but will be refurbished in spring
3dr Sierra Cosworth, A Mk2 Jag, or Rover P6, Merc 560 Sel :D Or Something light and nippy, my old flat mate had a Vincent Hurricane.
:? Looks like that car suffered a terrible backyard hacksaw-blade-wrapped-in-a-handkerchief job to turn it into a convertible. Nasty wheels too. :blackeye:
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