Shits and giggles are all well and good until someone giggles and shits

"The Lurktastic Opponaught" (oppolurker) 08/05/2016 at 18:10 • Filed to: Advice

3

24

Edit: Friday after work wasn’t the best time to post this. I’m still looking for ideas, so here’s a repost for the weekday crowd. No idea is too wacky...

Oppo, I need your ideas. I may be in the market for an interesting car next spring. Let’s say the only limitation is a purchase price of <40k USD. Imported cars over 25 years from the UK/Japan? That’s cool. A Unimog? A-OK. More iron(III) oxide than steel? Less ok...

Consider it to come with an annual maintainance allowance of 5-7k. It’ll be a fair weather driver, probably in the range of 10k miles a year.

I found the car above locally for sale today. If anyone wants a closeup of the contact info I’m happy to oblige.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > The Lurktastic Opponaught 08/05/2016 at 18:16

1

Autozam AZ1!

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > The Lurktastic Opponaught 08/05/2016 at 18:17

1

You can buy some very well turned out and rust free Americana for $20k. A lot of choice models from the late ‘50s through early ‘70s, cheap parts, reliable even. The $20k mark is about where you break through from “has things wrong with it” and “needs *some* attention” and “ill advised project somebody is trying to unload” to actual really solid quality drivers. I’m not saying you can’t get some showcar things for $11k or less, but I’m saying that the $20k mark is where, unless you’re after something really inflated, you can very nearly buy a ‘new’ classic, and not have to spend months looking.

The Lurktastic Opponaught > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 08/05/2016 at 18:19

0

Thanks. Good advice, I appreciate it. I’ve never been in this market before so I’m looking for information exactly like this.

S65 > The Lurktastic Opponaught 08/05/2016 at 18:20

0

What state are you in?

interstate366, now In The Industry > The Lurktastic Opponaught 08/05/2016 at 18:29

1

You may still be able to import a decent NSX for under $40k. But not by much.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > The Lurktastic Opponaught 08/05/2016 at 18:32

2

The 15k-20k bracket ( I said 20k to cover taste, region, and making sure it’s *right*) is where you start to find basic but really cool cars that essentially have nothing wrong with them - like below:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1958-Buick…

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1968-Buick…

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1962-Ford-…

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/…

Basically that budget allows you to find something which is turn-key and *done* - more than that, done properly.

The Lurktastic Opponaught > S65 08/05/2016 at 19:58

0

Maine. So consider the entire NE market. I'd be willing to travel inside the US for the right car. Keep in mind that this purchase is ~6 months out.

The Lurktastic Opponaught > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie 08/05/2016 at 20:02

0

That is a sexy car. Slow car fast!

S65 > The Lurktastic Opponaught 08/05/2016 at 20:16

0

I’d get a Mazda RX-7, A Nissan Silvia, Maybe a C4 Corvette. You might be able to import a Skyline for 20K

The Lurktastic Opponaught > S65 08/05/2016 at 20:32

2

The skyline had certainly crossed my mind, though I'd wait for the R34. C4s don't really interest me, though a RX-7 plus apex seals is a neat idea.

S65 > The Lurktastic Opponaught 08/05/2016 at 20:46

1

What about the Silvia?

The Lurktastic Opponaught > S65 08/05/2016 at 21:05

0

Everything is on the table.

torque > The Lurktastic Opponaught 08/06/2016 at 10:08

1

What’s wrong with going with the lead photo car? Body looks relatively clean, classic lines. If mechanicals & interior are up to snuff + in your local area...

Or do you really want something more modern?

The Lurktastic Opponaught > torque 08/06/2016 at 10:50

1

Age doesn’t matter. I’m just looking for interesting ideas that I may not have thought of. The purchase is far enough out that when I do decide to buy, I’ll have had time to do thorough research on the issues with that model.

torque > The Lurktastic Opponaught 08/10/2016 at 13:43

0

Gotcha. I asked b/c that car (lead photo) looks like a good candidate.

Thinking of unique... If you want something aircooled & ass engines... VW is obvious choice, though a Corvair or Dodge A100 are good choices as well

Something French...? 2CV (or if you want more refinement and speed) DS Citroen would be great unique driving experiences

Micro car? BMW Isetta 3 or 600 Classic choice, or tons of great more modern Japanese choices here like the Suzuki Cupachino, Honda Beat (like a mini S2000)

Thinking of Mini, an original Morris Mini Would be very unique too!

Ohh what about a old American boat, like a Buick Roadmaster (could be had with an LS1) or a Woodie wagon?

So many great unique choices when you look at the used market.

The Lurktastic Opponaught > torque 08/10/2016 at 13:48

1

I’d love to dd a >25 year kei, but being 6-5" before shoes might make that a tad difficult. The couch on wheels option I like, especially in long roof form. An original mini had crossed my mind, but an Isetta had not. The DS seems to have gotten stupidly expensive, as with the 2CV. I tend to like British hardware, but I'm also OK looking outside of my comfort zone. Thanks for the suggestions.

Party-vi > The Lurktastic Opponaught 08/11/2016 at 10:26

1

Damn you’ve got a bit to spend. Sounds like you need a Lancia Fulvia or an Esprit .

The Lurktastic Opponaught > Party-vi 08/11/2016 at 10:31

0

I’d rather not spend that much, but as some other folks pointed out, there are some interesting possibilities that open up north of 20-25k.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > The Lurktastic Opponaught 08/11/2016 at 10:32

1

You’d be surprised how much room some Keis have!

If you’re not going to be doing huge highway drives, I’d suggest something totally quirky like a 2CV! There’s a great place in New Jersey that can basically BUILD one for you with a galvanized frame in whatever paint combo and interior combo you want. They use the largest engine the 2CV had (the 602cc) so you’d have “all the powerz” as well.

http://citroenimportservices.com/

I have their site bookmarked, but it seems to be down right now diue to an error. Check back with it maybe later?

Party-vi > The Lurktastic Opponaught 08/11/2016 at 10:35

2

You need something Italian or British, so you can make the most of your maintenance allowance.

The Lurktastic Opponaught > Party-vi 08/11/2016 at 10:37

1

I was thinking I’d like to buy 3 MGB GTs. Between them and a hefty maintainance budget, I have a fair chance of having something running at any given moment.

BringBackTheCommodore > The Lurktastic Opponaught 08/11/2016 at 10:38

0

Interesting ideas?

Hmmmm...

1960 Diamond T Fire Truck for $10K - http://topnotchvehicles.com/gallery/1960-d…

Could always go for a Landcruiser, this one’s right at $30K , and diesel-equipped Cruisers can be had for under $40k .

This Mercury M250 looks like an interesting choice. True, it’s essentially a rebadged Ford, but they have an interesting history behind them.

If you can find one under your chosen budget, the Amphicar always makes for an interesting choice. Only found one under $40K, though.

The Lurktastic Opponaught > BringBackTheCommodore 08/11/2016 at 10:40

1

I drive past an original land cruiser every day on my commute. It's on my list. However, my son would flip if I brought home a fire truck. That alone makes it worth it.

BringBackTheCommodore > The Lurktastic Opponaught 08/11/2016 at 13:04

0

Plus, low initial cost (retired fire engines seem to be surprisingly cheap), and plenty of room left over in the budget to recondition or upgrade the drivetrain - lots of options with something that size.