"LJ909" (lj909)
11/08/2018 at 12:28 • Filed to: None
0
14|
"LJ909" (lj909)
11/08/2018 at 12:28 • Filed to: None | 0
| 14 |
At the beginning of the year. I’ m looking to spend $3-$6 grand, and I think I’ ve narrowed down my choices. They all range from another convertible, to to coupes to sedans to suv’s:
Mercedes C32 AMG
3.2 liter supercharged V6. 349 horses and rwd in an early 00's German sedan. Wh ats not to love? Kirsten Lee loves her’s, and I’ve read its fantastic if you take care of it. I’ve seen these listed for about $5-6 grand.
W210 E55 AMG
I’ ve heard it been described as “One of the last well built AMG’s”. When AMG was actually AMG. Powered by a 5.4 L 354 horse V8 I’m really leaning heavily towards this.
Pontiac Solstice
What I like to call the American Miata (sort of), this car was always a dream of mind when I was a teen. Low, good handling, and kind of fast, at least in GXP trim, these are super cheap now, as long as you stick with the convertible. GXP’s have finally come under $7 grand in a lot of places, and standard trims are often under 6 or 5.
Miata: Of course Ideally a Mazdaspeed Miata like this example . Its just a matter of finding a good example of any Miata. Mazdaspeed’ s are never under 8 grand through. I found one for 6 the other day but its gone.
Later 00's Range Rover
I don’ t know why these damn things are a bad idea but they appeal to me. 06's usually go for under 5 grand with high miles.
Second Gen Lexus SC430
Another one with a weird appeal to me. Don’ t know how that complicated hard top will hold up after all these years. But these are cheap often with high miles as well.
VW Phaeton
I wish I could find one for sale, but there’ s about 3 in the whole state: 1 $750 bucks because its trashed, another is about $2800 and needs some cosmetic work and the last is for sale at an actual dealer for $15 grand because it s a rarity: a W12 model. But even then it has a salvage title. I would have one shipped from another part of the country for the right price.
350z Coupe or Convertible
Preferably convertible. But the reliability of the 3.5 combined with the terrible Nissan paint quality from this era make me wary.
Honda S2000
But these are in pain in the ass in that: they are getting harder and harder to find unmolested without shitty mods and the prices are stubbornly high. Thankfully there are a few around 6 and under, but most are over 10 grand.
I have a few others but I’m still looking. What do you guys think of these? Or any suggestions?
sony1492
> LJ909
11/08/2018 at 16:39 |
|
I would rule out all the German cars based on their interior quality and/or reliability.
Would recommend a gs400, ls430, ls400, sc430, + 97 sc400, 00 mr2, older cayman? , g35, c4 vette,
Khalbali
> sony1492
11/08/2018 at 16:52 |
|
“ Rule out all the German cars”, recommends a German car....
|
LJ909
> sony1492
11/08/2018 at 17:04 |
|
I considered that. But the W210 has a ton of parts available for it because they made so many. Its just that the AMG parts on it when they break...
I hadn’ t considered any of those listed.
The first and second gen LS’s would do because they are bulletproof . I wish I could find an LS430 with the rear seat executive package.
First gen SC’s are getting hard to find unmolested as well now because people realized their tunability, especially the 6 cylinder versions.
I never cared for MR2's,
Cayman’
s need a few more years to get under 10 grand
I thought about the G35, but those have the same problem the S2000 have, especially here in SoCal. I will look though.
A C4 Vette? How are those.
fintail
> LJ909
11/08/2018 at 17:22 |
|
Genuinely nice W210 E55s are out of that budget. You can find them in that range, but they will be project cars.
If you go that route, inspect the transmission, and depending on where you live, watch for rust.
|
sony1492
> Khalbali
11/08/2018 at 17:25 |
|
Well aware of that, Im assuming their interior is better so it might be worth it
|
LJ909
> fintail
11/08/2018 at 17:56 |
|
There’ s a few here in SoCal that are within that range surprisingly . But like you said, i would have it meticulously inspected at that price point. Dont have to worry about rust down here unless its a transplant from another state
|
fintail
> LJ909
11/08/2018 at 19:06 |
|
There will be a reason they are so cheap. Really good 210 AMGs still bring over 10K - they seem to have stopped depreciating at around that level. You’ll find cosmetic or other needs with declining prices, and although the engine is near-bulletproof, other things can be quirky.
I had one as a DD for 7 years. Good car, but not the cheapest thing to run.
|
LJ909
> fintail
11/08/2018 at 19:14 |
|
Right. I kind of started suspecting this. I kinda feel like they could be bad but not as bad as my old S Type R.
|
fintail
> LJ909
11/08/2018 at 19:37 |
|
I’d be most leery of transmission servicing and ancillary bits, especially the AC system. Also bear in mind they chew through expensive tires, a set lasting no more than 20K miles under gentle driving.
Maybe only a troublesome W203 could approach a period Jag :) - if I had my pick of a C32 over E55, I would probably choose the latter. I think they are less troublesome, and a lot more rare. I occasionally have sellers remorse from my old car.
|
sony1492
> LJ909
11/08/2018 at 19:52 |
|
I dont have any personal knowledge about the c4 but I know a little. Interior is not good until somewhere in the 90's where it got revamped, original versions made around 220-250hp with later years making more power , clamshell hood, massively wide tires, affordable compared to other cars in its performance range/age.
|
LJ909
> sony1492
11/08/2018 at 19:55 |
|
Yea from what I saw the early 80's C4's had typical 80's GM interiors. Especially with the steering wheel. Su per cheap performance. I’d just be worried about the reliability .
|
sony1492
> LJ909
11/08/2018 at 20:02 |
|
From what I gather the main concern on that front is with the optispark system that uses a hall effect sensor which is located under the water pump(if I remember right), and dosent respond well to (any) moisture.
|
LJ909
> sony1492
11/08/2018 at 20:08 |
|
With as old as these things are now that shouldnt be too expensive to fix.
|
sony1492
> LJ909
11/08/2018 at 20:44 |
|
And well documented, I mean most of that info was just from light skimming when I was looking into some non running $1000 examples