What can i get!

deegs

Hi All, Great forum, could i please ask a question.

I have €5-€7k and i want a porsche 356? Am I dreaming?
I dont have mechanical experience or a garage so a DIY kit replica is not an option (maybe someday). I have seen turnkey 356's offered from 15K to 40K (on an irish site).

Does anyone have one or can give me any advice on suppliers who provide turnkey replica's.

Finally, if this is not an option for my cash range, can anyone suggest a similiar style car.

Thanks guys

Itsfixed

I think €5-7k for a decent porsche 356, even a replica, is a bit unrealistic:

For an equally stylish alternative, how about:

1 Volvo P1800
2 BMW CS (you wouldn't get a perfect one though), or BMW 2002
3 VW Karmann Ghia
4 Porsche 912
5 Mercedes 250 CE

Hifive

Hi, and welcome to the forum.
I think your in trouble with getting a 356 on that budget. There are two replicas on carzone for €25500 and €40000

http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carid=786108

http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carid=508989

Maybe you would consider something like a Karmann Ghia which is a similar concept but way more affordable.

http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carid=321774

http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carid=719646

Even so I think you would have to increase your budget to get a good one.
Good luck and keep us posted.

rover-v8

Minichamps 1/43 Porsche 356 C Cabriolet, in Green 1965.:D :rolleyes:

deegs

WOW, excellent advice
p1800 on carzone

tho there is not much choice, what are the obvioius things i should look out for when doing my research?

rover-v8

deegs wrote:

WOW, excellent advice
p1800 on carzone

tho there is not much choice, what are the obvious things i should look out for when doing my research?

check the wiring

3ps

i know nothing about that volvo but it has been up there for yonks!

deegs

rover-v8 wrote:

Minichamps 1/43 Porsche 356 C Cabriolet, in Green 1965.:D :rolleyes:

Work filter blocking imageshack

PaulK_CCI

deegs wrote:

I have €5-€7k and i want a porsche 356? Am I dreaming?

In one word: Yes

deegs wrote:

I dont have mechanical experience or a garage so a DIY kit replica is not an option (maybe someday). I have seen turnkey 356's offered from 15K to 40K (on an irish site).

That would be about right. You can get 2nd hand replica's based on an old VW Beetle floorpan, allowing you to import VRT Exempt and drive tax exempt. However, a reasonable to half decent example will still be between 10 and 15k...anything under that, you are looking at restoration/repair work, and since you tell us you have no mechanical experience of a garage, that would not be an option.

I think the list Itsfixed gave has some good suggestions, but most of the cars will turn out to be quite significantly over your budget for a good one, that won't "bite back at you" . The P1800 for 7k is a tight squeeze, but you could be lucky, these are superb cars to own, drive and use. Simple mechanics, excellent parts availability, good enough performance with a 1.8 twin carb setup. BMW 2002 series is also an excellent option. The 912 will be out of reach for your budget, with reasonable/Okish cars only starting from 13k ! anything under I would steer clear of...
Karmann Ghia is possible, but again 7k is tight for a good one.
Mercedes W114 Coupe''s are nice, but they wouldn't be the type of nimble, sporty looking car you might be after.

I would also suggest to look at Lancia Fulvia's, Classic Alfa Romeo's (saloons or the 105 series), Opel GT's, Peugeot 304/504 Coupe's, Fiat 124 Coupe/Spider, or Volvo Amazon's, Datsun 240Z, just to name a few.

deegs

Thanks guys, this was looking daunting to begin with but its a bit more doable with all the good advice, ill look at the models you suggest paul.

On a side note, the biggest range of irishcars is classiccarsales.ie is there any pro's going to a dealer garage in terms of warranty? i.e. The Volvo i linked to had more owners than most classics i am coming accross.

edit: some drop! http://www.classiccarsales.ie/index.php/1026

PaulK_CCI

deegs wrote:

On a side note, the biggest range of irishcars is classiccarsales.ie is there any pro's going to a dealer garage in terms of warranty? i.e. The Volvo i linked to had more owners than most classics i am coming accross.

edit: some drop! http://www.classiccarsales.ie/index.php/1026

just for reference the website you are linking to are not a dealership, they're just listing private and trade cars all together (in order of submittance, so it's a pain to search for a specific car, you have to trawl through all of them).

Whether you use a dealership or a broker like myself, is an individual choice. If you know what you want, and are keen to learn, spend a lot of time on the internet, and know what to look for and consider the sourcing and finalising of the deal as an integral part of the experience, then of course: the sky is the limit. And if you do your research, watch your step, take advice from anyone who is willing to give it, you should be able to pick up a good car for a good price. However, some people just do not have the time, the skill, the experience and the stamina to go out and do it themselves, and for those people a dealer or broker is the easiest way to get your hands on a Classic.

Added bonus is that buying a car, even a classic, through a dealership or broker, protects you under the Consumer Act. So if something serious is wrong with the car and the dealer has willfully kept this from you, you have a leg to stand on. If you buy privately, you have absolutely no rights whatsoever. To put this in perspective though, it doesn't give you the sort of warranty that you have with new good, if say the starter motor gives up after 500 miles, we are looking a 30-40 year old car with components that could be at the end of their lifespan without anyone being able to tell from the outside, and these sort of issues would fall under the risks you take when you buy an older car, but those would be issues that could arise in 10-15 year old cars too!

kyote00

ad says "needs minor electrical work" .... probably means will burst into flames the minute the battery is connected....

(BTW: that is one s**te website...there doesnt seem to be any search option....)

folkswagen

A Karmann Ghia sounds like the solution to your problem:)

[IMG][/img]


on Carzone for €7950:D

Itsfixed

Regarding the price drop on the p1800, it may just be, as some of us are finding, that there is a bit of glut of classic cars on the market these days. Another view would be that many of them are a bit overpriced compared to similar models available from the UK.

As PaulK acknowledges, you can get a good example of the models suggested for 5-7k if you know what you are looking for and do your research etc.

Mind you, if you buy from a dealer or broker like paul, you do have some comeback if the car turns out to be utter ****e. If you know nothing about cars in general, this would be a good bet, but there is a price premium to be paid for buying from a dealer or broker, so you'll have to consider lesser and cheaper models than the ones you're thinking about for 5-7k. Or be adventurous and find a stonking bargain in a private sale.

deegs

Jez i thought this was gonna be easier!

re: Karmann Ghia, i was led to believe from another classic enthusiast that due to the body shape (single panels etc) that there are water traps hence more rust prone and that it is very expensive / hard to panel beat? Is this correct?

Ya that website is fairly annoying, a simple search would do wonders.

The reason my budget is low is because this will be an everyday car (so not too big engine), so i really dont want to worry too much about getting it damaged + i want to ensure i have enough dosh for repair maintenance.

What are the views on old Celica's?
http://www.classiccarsales.ie/index.php/798
or
http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=632208

What kind of service would i expect from a broker on my budget? I am coming to think maybe a dealer/broker would be wiser for my first!

Thanks again guys,

3ps

everyday car??? no experience???

get a merc.

I had a 1972 merc diesel and put 10,000kms on it in 10 months and never had a problem except for a battery that needed topping up.

I went over to Germany and drove it home. It was in great condition!




oh and I had it on a full insurance policy with First Ireland. If you are putting a classic on a full policy you will probably need to get an engineers report on it.

PaulK_CCI

deegs wrote:

re: Karmann Ghia, i was led to believe from another classic enthusiast that due to the body shape (single panels etc) that there are water traps hence more rust prone and that it is very expensive / hard to panel beat? Is this correct?

I wouldn't agree with that remark about the KG. A Karmann Ghia is not more or less succeptible to rust than any other classic from a similar period. The body is actually remarkably simple to maintain, with reasonably good access to all parts of the body: make sure all rubbers are up to their jobs, ensure all drainholes in doors, boot, engine bay are free and keep a close eye on things (as you would have to do with EVERY classic) and you're fine. Because the cars are very popular and are running on simple VW mechanics, parts are plentyfull and easy to obtain and not overly expensive. There are some specific Karmann Ghia items that are expensive, notably the BUMPERS (make sure they are OK!!!) and all the chrome badges. The rest is fairly straightforward.
On top of that, the cars are extremely practical as daily drivers.

deegs

rover-v8 wrote:

check the wiring

you know something about it?
emailed him with no answer.

deegs

deegs wrote:

you know something about it?
emailed him with no answer.

It seems the clock, heater fan and tachograph are not working, are these small problems in themself or should i look at this as the tip of the iceberg?

Does that make the price good or bad?
http://www.usedcars.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carid=482957

franksm

That particular P1800 has been in Carzone for a long time - not sure why, 'cos they're great cars. I love the colour of that one too.

As far as electrics go the wiring diagram for my Triumph fits onto two A4 pages LOL how hard can it be. My car had lots of electrical problems when I bought it, but some tracing, tightening, splicing and replacing has sorted most of them.

If the fan isn't working on that P1800, it could be the wiring or the fuse... or the motor itself, which may mean the dash needs to come out to remove & replace. I don't know the P1800 so can't say how easy that is. Tachometer would be easy - very simple wiring to trace; and if the gauge itself is bust, it's not the end of the world to have to replace it.

Electrics shouldn't put you off if

(a) you can get hold of the wiring diagram
(b) you're okay with tracing and splicing, and "car work" in general
(c) the electrical problems aren't too invasive (like ignition problems, fuel pump oddities, etc)

gn3dr

I'd go for one of the Celica's - I love them (although I prefer the booted one to the hatchback TA22 or 23 I think). The one on Carzone looks OK if it isn't rusty. Like the Merc these should also be reliable for everyday use. And if not you could always throw a more modern Twin Cam engine into it.

PaulK_CCI

problems with Celica's and other early japanese cars is rust: if they need structural/repair body it will be extremely difficult to find panels/parts for them! Mechanically they're very strong.

Therefore cars like the KG or the P1800 are a better option, because most of the stuff can be obtained very easily through the dedicated Owner's Clubs and specialists around Europe.

The P1800 is indeed for sale for a very long time. Main issues with the P1800 are rust, structural issues, especially on RHD cars!! Mechanically the only thing to watch out for are if the engine is still healthy, but these B18 Volvo blocks can somtimes handle over half a million miles without any bother !! The twin carb setup can sometimes be a bit troublesome, but once setup right, it's a joy to drive. Watch out for the Electric Overdrive, this must be kicking in and out, if not, repair is expensive.
If it;s only electrical problems that shouldnt be the end of the world. I know that Clocks in older cars are generally electric, and they rarely work. If you like fiddling with the inner workings of early electronic clocks, they can be brought to live without any problems, but usually noone is bothered. The tacho in the p1800's are always great fun, if they do work, they're generally pretty useless as the needle bounces up and down like you're in a bouncy castle

Dades

A mate of mine paid good money for a P1800 and had various problems, ranging from the electrics, to the brakes failing. :eek:

He has had the electrics sorted since and it's been running good for some time now. So if the mechanicals are good on that silver 1800 maybe it's not a bad price. You'd have plenty of haggle room as it's been on sale for ages - and you will need that change from 7K to get the wiring looked at.

I'd also second Paul's suggestion of a Fiat 124 Spider (I had one for two years!) You could get a nice one for that cash and they are great fun to drive. This car was suggested for someone here before, although I find it very odd it's still for sale at that price.

deegs

franksm wrote:

Electrics shouldn't put you off if

(a) you can get hold of the wiring diagram
(b) you're okay with tracing and splicing, and "car work" in general
(c) the electrical problems aren't too invasive (like ignition problems, fuel pump oddities, etc)

sweet i work in electronics so basic electrics should be ok... bit worried that it has been up for a good few months + tis top of my budget. I'll have a chat to the wife later, maybe she'll even let me view it