Car collecting for budget minded car nuts.

[AdironRider]

New name + US regulations of the 70s =

Us regulations of the 70s best described as add weight, uglify, cut power


For cheap collector cars BATs had some dirt cheap Soviet/Eastern Block metal that would be fun. $1k?

But who really wants a Lada?

[Hugh Conway]

But who really wants a Lada?

Oh, they've got zero mass appeal, but the Samara did make a half decent rally car and the Niva's an odd little SUV.

[assman]

I really, really want a Lotus Elise. In this color to the point where I am a regular visitor to a Lotus dealer in NJ every time I am in NJ for business. I expect that one of these times I will be driving home instead of flying.

[PNWbrit]

Oh, they've got zero mass appeal, but the Samara did make a half decent rally car and the Niva's an odd little SUV.

Or how about building a Polski Fiat based Fiat 131 rally car replica?

[Alaskan Rover]

I never really liked the 912...previously, I had alwayss thought that the 912 is to the 911 as the 924 is to the 928.

But looking at this particularly sweet 912 targa, I think I can become a believer.

[COUTCA]

I confess, I am a car junkie. I have a small collection, and I want to see your collection and wants as well as share mine.
I have talked about this with my brother in law as he sells Land Rovers, and has similar thoughts.
I want a collection of cars. Cars that I can drive and are great to drive. I am on a budget, I have a new baby and a new house with a larger mortgage. New cars don't interest me much. They all look kind of blah, and I can't afford them anyways.
I have needs. I need a good SUV to take me camping and function as my pickup truck. I need a car that goes in the snow for my winter commute. I need something fast and topless in the summer.

I have managed to get all 3 of those needs covered nicely with my little collection.

Winter Commuter Car: 1988 BMW e30 325ix. This is a manual 5spd, coupe. With studded snow tires, it goes in the snow. This one is getting some love this week. New brakes and exhaust. This is a great little car, and I think it will get the lions share of the miles this year. Purchase price, $2500.

E30. Great car. Mine serves partially as commuter and topless...at least during the good months. Easy to wrench on, relatively cheap to own. Have had a timing issue that I took it to the shop for, and it was a pretty penny, but it now runs as good as the day it rolled off the assembly line.




My other cars aren't exactly affordable, so I won't bring them up. I would really love to find a serious off-road action Jeep - say CJ5 or CJ2 flat-fender, but Jeeps are crazy pricey sometimes.

[schuss]

I really, really want a Lotus Elise. In this color to the point where I am a regular visitor to a Lotus dealer in NJ every time I am in NJ for business. I expect that one of these times I will be driving home instead of flying.

I WILL own one of those at some point. I got in one and the thing fits me like a damn glove.

[AdironRider]

E30's really are amazing. Best model BMW ever made overall IMO.

r3vlimited.com is an excellent resource if anyone needs anything for an e30.

[stfu&gbtw]

I never really liked the 912...previously, I had alwayss thought that the 912 is to the 911 as the 924 is to the 928.

But looking at this particularly sweet 912 targa, I think I can become a believer.

That's a great example.

The 912's definitely have a little more 356 in them.

[systemoverblow'd]

I will have a VW T3 Synchro at some point.

(do yourself a favor and turn the audio off)

[Hugh Conway]

You mean the 4-cylinder leftover from the 356? Because the body's are the same on the early series as well as the later '76 E. Nothing like the comparison between the 924 and the 928 (WTF with that one, anyways). 928's are another one of those GT's which would be fun, 'cept for the high parts + maintenance and how difficult it is to find a good one.

[stfu&gbtw]

You mean the 4-cylinder leftover from the 356? Because the body's are the same on the early series as well as the later '76 E. Nothing like the comparison between the 924 and the 928 (WTF with that one, anyways). 928's are another one of those GT's which would be fun, 'cept for the high parts + maintenance and how difficult it is to find a good one.

Yeah, I wasn't going to address that one. Have you ever seen a 928 with a manual transmission? Every one I've ever seen has the auto. Dont' know anything about the tranny other than that there's no way I'd buy a Porsche with an auto tranny - even today. Not that the new trannys are bad news, just not the experience I'm looking for.

"Because the body's are the same on the early series as well as the later '76 E"

What do you mean here - I know the 912 has a similar engine to the pushrod in the 356, but I didn't know they shared the same body. I do know you can get a nice 912 for about 1/10th of what you'd pay for a nice 356.

[Tippster]

Goddamn the older 840i's were sweet....

[shirk]

I'd give up a nut for a Lancia Delta Integral Evo

[oftpiste]

My cheap-rare-cool lust has long been focused on the Jensen Interceptor. I've also thought it might be fun to find a nice example of the Fiat 850 for summertime fun. I had one in the '70's. Little, tiny, pretty underpowered, but akin to driving a go-cart and you could one-hand the rag top at a stop light.

Those Maserati Quatroportes are cool too, but I've heard nightmarishly expensive to keep running.

[Tippster]

I'd give up a nut for a Lancia Delta Integral Evo

It's like a Golf GTi, but less dependable!

[iceman]

with fender flares though.

[Hugh Conway]

It's like a Golf GTi, but less dependable!

and 4WD. Golf Countryman aren't exactly common.

yeah, I've heard the Q3 aren't cheap to repair/maintain either and they drink fuel. Still would be an interesting vehicle.

[Tippster]

That's what the Audi Quattros were for, Hugh.

[Harry]

I have owned some cool cars in my day, including a 65 Mustang and a 70 Mach One. But my favorite of all was a 76 BMW 2002. Had that car for 20 years.

[guroo270]

Didn't read any of this really, but from the title I vote for owning:

A Datsun 510
An E30 M3
The sexy RX7
BMW 2002 69-73
A Supra
Porsche 944 turbo
one of those two door convertible Mercedes, like a 280sl or something
A BMW 740IL
A 6 speed BMW 535i from the late 90s
An Acura nsx
An integra type r
A miata

[Mazderati]

The engine in the turbo MR2 is arguably one of the best Toyota has made. And god damn Sport Compact Car was a good mag. I still remember reading about their project MR2 lifting the front wheels on a test run.

[Mazderati]

There are other cars I'd buy first, but this model would eventually make it in the garage.

[huckbucket]

Always wanted a late 80's M5. Something about the visual balance of the car.

[GBB]

I will own one of these before it's all said and done.