Dream stuff

If you had, say $25 that you could spend to buy a roadworthy toy, what would you choose? $25K is not a set amount, just trying to weed out all the totally unreasonably priced cars from this discussion. Background-I'm tired and want something that all I have to do is drive and put gas in.MGBGT V8 is my first choice but these are not readily available here. Datsun 240Z or Volvo P1800 would be my second choices. Modern cars like the Miiata, S2000 and Saturns are way down on the list but look to be the only things that are around in any numbers. Toyota 2000 is my first choice but it fit's in the "yea, right" catagory

Thing is nothing strikes my fancy any more

I vote for the Saturn Skye.

Bryanm362 Wrote:

240Z through 280Z

or

Datsun 510

Just wait on one of the new MGs Gerry ;)

Buy a used Honda Accord or Camry and put the rest of the money into collector cars. Hondas run forever, and never break plus great on gas and safe...Same w/ toyotas.

Collector cars are cool and go up in value...Plus you only live once, why waste money on something new.

I have a "traffic car" and collector cars.

Check this out for 25K.

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/doc/car/617328662.html


Date: 2008-03-24, 6:46PM EDT


Beautiful and extremely rare car which is rust free, and driven regularly.

Remarkably detailed engine compartment, interior, trunk and fender wells.

First place in class at Britain on the Green show in 2006 and 2007. First place in class at all British Hunt Country Classic show in 2007.

Completely rebuilt, balanced and blueprinted engine by Gassman Automotive, a renowned Triumph restoration facility in Waynesboro, Virginia. Has approximately 2,500 miles on it.

Professionally installed two year old Moss black leather seat covers with white piping on new springs, foam and slide rails by Mountjoys, a British car restoratation facility in Maryland. Brand new white soft top (December 2007) and original white sidecurtains fully restored (December 2007) by The Roadster Factory.

Maintained by certified British car mechanics at Motorhead in Fairfax, VA.

Two year old jet-coated headers flow into a two year old Monza exhaust. Electronic ignition. Optima battery inside a "Tar Topper" cover. Original peach colored tool kit with all tools, including engine crank (TR-3B was the only TR produced with this color tool kit). Tonneau cover; stick cover; custom made indoor car cover from The Roadster Factory; sunvisors; wind wings; headlight stone guards; owner's manual, shop manual, and electrical diagram; collection of car magazine articles and books on the TR dating from 1954; and framed British Heritage Certificate of Authenticity.

All original instruments. Turn signal works. Car is driven only on dry roads and is stored in my garage under it's car cover when not in use.

Lowest production number of all TR Sports cars. Only 2,804 TR-3Bs were produced from May through September 1962. All were shipped to the U.S. Only 300 are estimated to exist.

My car is number 486 of the 2,804 produced. It was built on June 8 1962 and shipped to Baltimore on June 21 1962. All TR-3Bs were produced with the "big block" TR-4 engine,TR-4 all synchromesh transmission, and TR-4 disc brakes. Original engine. All numbers match. TCF/486-L; TCF/519-E; 721-TSF.

Highest value of all TR Sports Cars. NADA average retail price is $19,100; high retail price is $32,200.

Realistically and fairly priced at $25,000. Car is located in Fairfax, VA. Serious inquiries only please. Many additional pictures are avialble.

Gerry,
seems to me that either Hemmings, or Classic Motorsports just did a story on driveable classics in that price range. Had several interesting choices, not the least of which were the 240 - 280Z cars, along with some reasonably priced Porsche models.

Good luck - wish I had that problem.

I think I'd spring the $7500 for that really nice Mineral Blue '74 GT in Minnesota, that has been in the Trader for a week or so.

You know, I can't answer that question. What I want is always some hare-brained thing that jumps up and hits me in the face. Then I can't rest untill I have it or know I never can have it. Right now I don't have a thing in mind.

you should be able to find a Z car or Volvo P1800 (ES?!) in the mid of that range.

Gotta agree with you Gerry nothing really hits me either,but yet what i might be intreasted in is something simple,maybe a car in my past,like a mint fifty two plymouth bombroke with that flathead six or a fifty two buick with the straight eight or better a forty eight willys cj2

Series III Jaguar XJ6 or XJ12.

Jaguar XJ6 Coupe. Love that car a whole lot. Or, like Gerry, I also llove the Volvo 1800. A classy car if there ever was one. Very saintly, too. But, I'd get it restored with new leather, modern radio, a/c, and it would have to be white with red leather. Or maybe green with biscuit. Or that nice pale blue . . . . Hey, I've got kids to put through damn college.

Very saintly.

Get a driver. I have a worry free Civic that is 20 years old. Due to the age I have been putting some effort into it but have driven it all these years without concern. Once it was paid off it was cheap cheap cheap to operate and has just kept on going, great milage too. A careless driver hit the poor thing, but I was not upset because it was not my truck or my MG.

For 25K you can get the new Civic SI which is the top of the line sporty fun to drive car. Will last the rest of your life and once it is paid for save you cash for your other cars/hobbies. Plus it would not be boring like a hybrid, or demasculating and they are good looking.

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.bartlesvillehonda.com/images/colors/CivicSiSedan2008/CivicSiSedanNighthawk.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.bartlesvillehonda.com/Civic2008.htm&h=234&w=374&sz=10&hl=en&start=34&um=1&tbnid=ZfR9z3ZiOhJVSM:&tbnh=76&tbnw=122&prev=/images%3Fq%3D%25222008%2Bcivic%2Bsi%2522%26start%3D20%26ndsp%3D20%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN

I would be going for an early Camaro if I could. I really like the 69 and 70's, although with the price of gas today you could only drive it to the gas station and back

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1970-RS-Split-Bumper-Camaro-Resto-Mod-383-stroker-4-spd_W0QQitemZ320232248920QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item320232248920

Ken

stranskydw Wrote: [quote]

Get a driver. I have a worry free Civic that is 20 years old.

I agree with Steve...get a driver, worry free, great on gas and buy another classic!
Classics will continue to hold their value and go up in value dispite the ecomony.

If I had to go buy another car...I would look at the Honda Accord 4 cyl. and lease for $199.00 per month....

Thats $7,164 for 3 years. cheap

Invest the rest...$17,836 in oil/refinery and govt. defense contracters...

Anything I get will be a driver. Got no use for a trailer queen. Been years since I've seen a P1800 in my neck of the woods. Even in the 70's they were rare here. I want a toy, not some Honda. I want something with the novelty that a LBC has, not something so common that I'd see the same thing 15 times every day going to work. I want something that will excite me and make me proud to be driving it. The problem is that not many cars do this to me any more. A 1970-1973 Pont T/A might do that but they are just so big in comparison to LBCs. And gas hogs to boot.

6-cylinder jag XKS - buy a nice one for half to 2/3 what you say and use the rest to "doll" it up.

No interest in Jags. Too big, too expensive to by parts for and too much like a pimp car. Lot's of new Jags around here and very few appear to be driven by normal people. Owners seem to be status conscience folks who will not give a comman person the time of day. Drive by one gated subdivision twice daily and have let many Jag owners in front of me. Never a wave or nod in appreciation like I get from others after the same show of courtesy.

Sixties Mustang or Camaro or OHC 6-cyl Firebird.

Scion Breadbox Van....very cool.

$25,000 really gives me a lot of room to dream! Most of my "wish list" is much cheaper. If you eliminate mg's, triumphs, etc, I'd have to agree with the early Datsun or Volvo choices. I like the P1800, but right now I'm on a 122 kick. Either way they are very good drivers, and you should be able to get the best one in the country at that price. I also like the early Porshe 911's or 912's, when they were still simple and clean looking. For something new, I know it's predictable, but I could really go for a new MINI Cooper. For something in between new and classic, you could find a really nice early to mid '90's Miata and put a lot of go-fast goodies on it.

Of course, a nice mgb gt is the best answer! What does yours need to get back on the road? For $25,000 you could ship it up to Ed Sweeney or Tom B. and have them square it away for you!

I saw this and thought it was priced high but they are open to offers...

Looks in good shape.

http://www.flemingsultimategarage.com/galleria_detailed.php?id=C254&nhs=0&make=&cat=&mt3=New_Arrival

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Triumph-Roadster-1980-TR8-CONVERTIBLE-32K-ORIG-MILES-2-OWNER-V8-TR7_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ6469QQihZ003QQitemZ130204959236QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

Hey Gerry,
Problem is $25K used to be enough get all kinds of dream cars. In my area there is an exotic car rental shop, maybe one in your area could help those cravings once in a while?

Beauutifulll....

...and NOT tempermental. the early ones have lucas electrics....

...had a glitch, hope it comes thru

..........I'm in love......

How about a nice used S2000?

Joe..S2000...is that one of those Honda sport cars from a few years ago? The ones that revs up to some wild number? What do they go for$$$