What to buy? 30ish year old cabrio

galvo_clare

Hi

I’ve had plans for a while to buy something fun. I’ve changed my mind several times but I’m beginning to get my requirements clearer.
Would love a Spitfire but I really don’t want to spend all my weekends under a bonnet and I need a bit more space which does away with the default MX-5 choice.
Specifically, I need a boot big enough to take a folding Brompton bike or a decent bit of luggage. Rear seats would be useful not so much for passengers but just for a bit of extra space.
I thought of a Merc 320 but I’d prefer a sportier drive.
At the moment I’m leaning heavily towards either an E30 or E36 3 Series, 325 or 328. With the E36 I’d have to pay a bit of road tax until it turns 30 but I could live with that. Equally, I could get an M3 for not much more money but I don’t need the extra complication.
My feeling is that values of E30s seem quite high and there’s better value with E36 cars.
I like the elegance of the E30 but I had an E36 saloon in period and really like the model.
I’d be looking for a manual gearbox whatever I buy.
So thoughts, suggestions, advice greatly appreciated.
Are the Nicasil/Vanos issues with the E36 anything to worry about? How are they for rust/general reliability and would you go to UK or try to source something in Ireland?

TIA

colm_mcm

Saab 900?

galvo_clare

colm_mcm wrote: »

Saab 900?

Not mad about them. I know it'd tick the practicality box but it just doesn't float my boat.

Thanks for the suggestion anyway.

CharlieCroker

Audi Cabrio?

Eric Cartman

W126 SEC , doesnt get cooler than that.

colm_mcm

CharlieCroker wrote: »

Audi Cabrio?

Think the cabrio didn’t come out on the 80 till the early 90s. Very elegant car IMO.

CharlieCroker

colm_mcm wrote: »

Think the cabrio didn’t come out on the 80 till the early 90s. Very elegant car IMO.

Same timeframe as the E36. Not as nice to drive but arguably classier (from someone who had an E36)

galvo_clare

colm_mcm wrote: »

Think the cabrio didn’t come out on the 80 till the early 90s. Very elegant car IMO.

Definitely classy and nearly bought a saloon 80 in early 90s. Wouldn’t be the sportiest although a V6 might be tasty.

galvo_clare

Eric Cartman wrote: »

W126 SEC , doesnt get cooler than that.

Very nice but a bit bigger than I want. Looking for something sporty rather than Luxobarge. Thanks anyway.

Eric Cartman

galvo_clare wrote: »

Very nice but a bit bigger than I want. Looking for something sporty rather than Luxobarge. Thanks anyway.

photos are a little deceiving, theyre roughly the same size as an e36 so in that league.

colm_mcm

Are they not around 2ft longer? Coupe is anyway.

galvo_clare

Eric Cartman wrote: »

photos are a little deceiving, theyre roughly the same size as an e36 so in that league.

Worth a look so. Definitely a classy looking car.
I presume most of them are autos though and I think that car has the stupid Merc foot parking brake that makes using a manual box difficult.

w124man

I've just bought a Mercedes R129 SL320, a bit off the 30 year thing but I got it for a snip, its in perfect nick and fully loaded. The VRT will be a couple of grand but I will still have a cheap car and its as cool as they come. Also don't forget that cars from the UK MIGHT be getting more expensive soon and I reckon my 320SL will hold its value for a while before going up in value.

Eric Cartman

colm_mcm wrote: »

Are they not around 2ft longer? Coupe is anyway.

its not that big an odds on it, ive seen one parked beside an e46 coupe before and there was a bit in it but nowhere near 2ft.

RobAMerc

golf gti cabrio ?

306 is too new but an XR3i cabrio or Strada ( Ritmo ) might do it for you too

RobAMerc

how deep are your pockets ?

504

galvo_clare

RobAMerc wrote: »

how deep are your pockets ?

504

Gorgeous. Maybe not sporty but a beautiful Pininfarina design. DS decapotable would be nice too. Probably even rarer.

galvo_clare

RobAMerc wrote: »

golf gti cabrio ?

306 is too new but an XR3i cabrio or Strada ( Ritmo ) might do it for you too

XR3 just wouldn't appeal. GTi better, but maybe a bit dull.

Love the look of the Ritmo (Strada) but I'd be iffy about build quality. A friend had a nice black one in the early 80s. It was a good looking car alright.

unkel

Jaguar XK8 convertible? Even with an early one, you'd have to pay max tax for a good few years until it turns 30, but the benefit is they are extremely cheap to buy now at the bottom of their market. They can only go up in value as they become older and proper classic.

Porsche 996 cabrio? Again about at the bottom of their market now. Will be worth 2 or 3 times what you are paying now in about 10 years time.

Dades

Was there a budget mentioned?

unkel

LOL yeah, we might be losing the run of ourselves here. A decent E30 cabrio would be the guts of €8k at this stage? And that being too much for the OP, I think it's safe to say he wants to keep it to maybe €5k-€8k

Sir Galahad

unkel wrote: »

LOL yeah, we might be losing the run of ourselves here. A decent E30 cabrio would be the guts of €8k at this stage? And that being too much for the OP, I think it's safe to say he wants to keep it to maybe €5k-€8k

€8k ? I sold my E30 cab for £8,000 sterling four years ago. They are making silly money at the moment.

galvo_clare

Sir Galahad wrote: »

€8k ? I sold my E30 cab for £8,000 sterling four years ago. They are making silly money at the moment.

I can see decent E30s are around £10k and E36 maybe half that. The E36 would still have 5-6 years of tax to pay at around €700 for a half year. I’m ok with either option.
You can buy E46 cabrios for peanuts.

galwaytt

unkel wrote: »

Porsche 996 cabrio? Again about at the bottom of their market now. Will be worth 2 or 3 times what you are paying now in about 10 years time.

Lolz - I'm going quote that back to you in 10 years time - 'Unkel said it would be worth a fortune' :D:D:D

galwaytt

You'd get a lovely Boxster for that money. Or a good MX-5.

unkel

galwaytt wrote: »

You'd get a lovely Boxster for that money. Or a good MX-5.

Too small for his needs. That's why I recommended the 2+2 996 instead

Another choice, bigger than those two but also a bit on the small side: Alfa GTV spider. Drove a red Busso 3l V6 around Italian mountain roads with the roof down and it was a glorious experience :cool:

galvo_clare

unkel wrote: »

Too small for his needs. That's why I recommended the 2+2 996 instead

Another choice, bigger than those two but also a bit on the small side: Alfa GTV spider. Drove a red Busso 3l V6 around Italian mountain roads with the roof down and it was a glorious experience :cool:

Yep, the MX-5 is too small. 996 would be nice. More expensive I'd say but I'll have a look.
I like the idea of the Alfa but I think that's only a two seater isn't it? I know a friend who has one from around 1990 and he's mad to get rid as he doesn't have the space.
Expanding my search now to E46 cabrios. A nice 325 ticks lots of boxes. Maybe not quite a classic but I presume I could get classic insurance on a 2001 for example.

turbocab

galvo_clare wrote: »

Yep, the MX-5 is too small. 996 would be nice. More expensive I'd say but I'll have a look.
I like the idea of the Alfa but I think that's only a two seater isn't it? I know a friend who has one from around 1990 and he's mad to get rid as he doesn't have the space.
Expanding my search now to E46 cabrios. A nice 325 ticks lots of boxes. Maybe not quite a classic but I presume I could get classic insurance on a 2001 for example.

maybe a Porsche 944 s2 cab might fit the bill lot cheaper than a 996

scannerd

will be back up for sale once weather is better.....

https://www.adverts.ie/vehicles/1988-bmw-3-series-e30/16134562

unkel

galvo_clare wrote: »

I like the idea of the Alfa but I think that's only a two seater isn't it? I know a friend who has one from around 1990 and he's mad to get rid as he doesn't have the space.

Has a wee shelf, good for a weekend bag or two. Much more space than MX-5 or Boxster

Can't go far wrong with E46 cabrio. Cheap as chips. Get a good one. Will be classic and will appreciate in time.

RR3.5

Go the whole hog jaguar xjs v12

Henry Ford III

Pug 205 CTI?

Dades

scannerd wrote: »

will be back up for sale once weather is better.....

https://www.adverts.ie/vehicles/1988-bmw-3-series-e30/16134562

Look a good car. First thing I'd do though would be swap those awful alloys. The reg plate reminds me of the recent conversation here, as an example of when not to go ZV. :pac:

scannerd

Dades wrote: »

Look a good car. First thing I'd do though would be swap those awful alloys. The reg plate reminds me of the recent conversation here, as an example of when not to go ZV. :pac:

agree on the alloys, not to everyone taste but have the original's as well, but with chrome bumpers I think the zv plate works better