Your MODEST dream car collection

[Johnny L.A.]

A lot of us would love to have a car collection with such exotics as Ferraris, Aston-Martins, Lamborghinis, etc. But most of us will never have enough dough to have them. So let's hear your modest and realistic 'dream car collection'. Please limit your list to FIVE cars. Here's my list:
Porsche 911/997 coupé. (I don't consider this an 'exotic' because, while they are a bit pricey, they are really mass-market cars and they don't cost as much as the examples I posted in the first paragraph.)
1966 MGB Roadster. Naturally. ;)
Triumph Herald convertible. I wouldn't really have considered it, until I got one. Intended as a stop-gap while waiting for the MGB to be finished, it grows on me every time I drive it.
Triumph Spitfire Mk.II or Mk.III. As stretch once pointed out, they have a nice rear-end.
Porsche 914. An under-appreciated car by many, it's packed with fun.
Okay, so why these cars? My first car was a '66 MGB Roadster. Nostalgia plays a role there. Also, it's a very sexy design and offers good performance from a small engine. The Herald is just funky. It was the predecessor to the Spitfire, which is mechanically similar. Its styling is not as sexy as the Spit's -- indeed, it's rather boxy and has those weird tailfins -- but it's cute, in a homely sort of way. The Spitfire is dead-sexy for an entry-level sports car. The 914 is another entry-level sports car, with very sexy styling. The minimalist approach to its amenities is attractive to me. Very functional. The 911/997 is for going very fast in a very capable car. And it looks neat.

[mittu]

Just one car for me, TVR Cerbera (http://www.tvr.co.uk/usedcars/cerbera.htm) . Not too expensive and looks and goes like a dream :D

[QuickSilver]

Audi rs4 - weekend car
VW R32 Golf - daily driver
VW Toureg V10 diesel - to haul stuff, quickly
Porche 356 Roadster - convertible class
Mercury Marauder - american muscle and fuck off road presence

[Mr. Blue Sky]

1968 Olds 4-4-2 convertible
1959 Cadillac convertible (bow down before my fins!)
1974 Karmann Ghia convertible
1989 Porsche 959
1965 Corvette Stingray, uh, convertible (I see a trend here)
1936 Stout Scarab (http://www.indiacar.com/index2.asp?pagename=http://www.indiacar.com/infobank/stout.htm)

[Cisco]

Awhile back I took an acting class and one of the "warm-up" excersizes we did early in the semester was stand around in a circle and throw this ball around and name our dream car. Everyone was saying Porsche and Ferari and Bugati and all the things you would expect, but when it got to me I said "Classic Volkswagen Beetle" and everyone looked at me like I was nuts.

I'd actually like to have 3 of them: 2 for offroad and 1 for cruising around town.

Why Volkswagens? Well, my parents had them and my grandfather had them and the first time I climbed behind the wheel of one I realized why. They're just good-looking, fun to drive, well-built cars.

[Johnny L.A.]

when it got to me I said "Classic Volkswagen Beetle"
Not included in my list, since I limited it ro five (Mr. Blue Sky :p ), but I'd like to have a 1963 VW Beetle with the fabric sunroof. Naturally, it would be white with red and blue racing stripes and a big 53 on the front, back, and sides. ;)

[Mr. Blue Sky]

Not included in my list, since I limited it ro five (Mr. Blue Sky :p )

:smack:

The Scarab is, uh, an exception, yeah, that's it because they only made nine, yeah, and it's be virtually impossible to get one, yeah, that's it.

:D

[Cluricaun]

1970-ish International Harvester Scout (Blue)
1972 Hurst Olds 442 (Red)
1965 Lincoln Continental (Midnight Blue w/ black convertible top)
1986 Buick Grand National (Black, naturally)
2005 Dodge Magnum (Black)

[scr4]

Volvo 1800
1960s Karmann Ghia
1980s Mercedes 500SL
Corbin Sparrow
some new minivan or full-size van

[Cisco]

Corbin Sparrow
Are you some kind of masochist?

The idea behind that thing is great, sure. Why commute in a multi-passenger vehicle when you're alone? Makes perfect sense.

You'd get your ass kicked driving one of those though.

[kevja]

1967 GTO
1969 Eldorado
1969 Camero Z/28 (Saw one on the net today. Only $55,000)
1970 Chevelle SS
1970 Mark III

[Pushkin]

This thread is quite easy for me after being to the Motorplus car show in Belfast just today. Pricey brands were represented by a prestige section of a local dealer, everything else was for the average pleb (who is paid better than I ;) )

In no particular order;

Mazda MX-5; Even thought its on a recent list of girly cars on here, it was actually the only car that made me feel low slung and close to the ground. And yes, I got to sit in a Jaguar XK as well. In fact the Jag and a DB-7 even looked cheaper inside than the Mazda. That and I forgot my license so I couldn't get a test drive of an RX-8 :p

Alfa Romeo 147; For daily hot hatch needs its more comfortable inside, looks better and probably performs better than other offerings from GM, Ford and Renault at the show.

TVR T350c; Since we're being modest I'll not plump for the Tuscan. And I'll not go for the cheaper Vauxhall Monaro (a rebadged Holden/Pontiac) since it looks so much better. And damn the sales man for refusing to let me sit inside one :rolleyes:

SAAB 93 Convertible; Very comfortable, looks good and my Mum always wanted one so I'll be nice and lend it to her :D

Triumph GT-6; Just had to have a classic British sports cars in here and I'm thinking a BMW 2800CS or 3 litre coupe may be a little pricey, especially to restore :)

[sleeepy2]

1967 Camaro.

[Rick]

OK I'm in
1967 MGB Either BRG or Black
1967 MGB GT This one must be BRG with crome wires
1967 Austin Healy 3000 MK III (or any large Healy, but I really love MK IIIs)
Series I XKE roadster
GT 350 Mustang white with the double blue stripe

If any of the above are unavailable feel free to sub in any of the following:
MG TC, MG TF, 68 Charger w/440, 68 Z28

[Tuckerfan]

Just five, huh? No total dollar amount, Johnny? Because, you know, I could probably wind up with 6 or more that I like for a total cost (sans restoration expenses, of course) of what your Porsche costs. :p

But, if you're going to hold me to five "reasonably" priced cars, then here's my list:
1969 Chrysler Newport 4 door. (http://usera.imagecave.com/tuckerfan/49_1_b.JPG) (Already acquired for a mere $950.)
1969-1971 Chrysler Newport/Hurst/300 2 door. (http://usera.imagecave.com/tuckerfan/2f_12_b.JPG) (The Hurst and 300 variants are a bit pricey, but a decent 2 door Newport can be had for about $2-3K.)
1969-1971 Chrysler Newport/300 convertable. (http://usera.imagecave.com/tuckerfan/C7318.jpg) (These tend to be a bit pricey, but can be had for anywhere between $5-20K depending upon model, condition and options.)
AMC Pacer, any year. (http://amcpacer.panhorst.net/images/archives/slickhb.jpg) (These generally go for about $2K or so.)
1980 Jeep Cherokee (http://www.fedrelandsvennen.no/amcar/brochures/jeep/bilder/80jeepcherokee2.jpg) (These can be found for around $2K or so, depending upon condition.)


Alternate selections include:

1953-1954 Studebaker Commander. (http://oldcarandtruckpictures.com/Studebaker/1954StudebakerCommanderStarlight.jpg) ($5K's a pretty good price for one in need of a little TLC.)
AMC Gremlin. (http://www.retrocrush.com/archive2004/amc/gremlin3.jpg) (Despite what everyone thinks, these cars aren't given away, you have to pay as much as $5K for one.)
AMC Eagle (http://www.edmunds.com/media/news/column/letterstotheediors/02.dec/83.amc.eagle.500.jpg) (Same price for these as for the Gremlins.)
1948 Tucker Replicar (http://perfectpowerusa.com/red/brochure.html) (At $35K, it's less than 1/10th what a real one would cost me.)
Studebaker Lark convertible (http://www.ritzsite.demon.nl/Lark/pics/Studebaker_Lark_VIII_Regal_convertible_1960.JPG) (These go from anywhere between $10-20K.)
1956 Packard Caribbean. (http://republika.pl/classiccars/56_Packard_Caribbean.jpg) (A near basket case car can start out at $10K, while a fully restored model will cost about $60K.)
1958 Plymouth Fury. (http://members.chello.nl/~w.been/img209.jpg) (It's Christine! :D They go for about $20K or so.)
A Soviet built Zil. (http://www.ykt.ru/review/290800/images/zil.jpg) (Insanely huge, insanely heavy, and insanely ugly! No idea of what one costs.)

[Cisco]

Well, since Tuckerfan just had to include links, I guess I'd better do so as well :D.

Here's (http://www.hemmings.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/dealers.detail/hmn_vehicle_id/214834) a pretty good street specimen. This should change the opinion of at least a few of you who think classic Beetles can't be "nice" cars.

Here's (http://www.azbaja.com/GRBaja1b.JPG) a cool offroad ("Baja") Beetle.

[Tuckerfan]

Well, since Tuckerfan just had to include links, I guess I'd better do so as well :D.
Hey, how many people here are going to know what some of the cars I like look like? I figured I'd forestall the inevitable bitching about how no one (as usual ;) ) knew what the hell I was talking about. :D And hey! I included prices unlike some people I could name. :p

[DirkGntly]

In no particular order:

Any '66 - '68 Pontiac GTO
'70 Dodge Charger
'67 Corvette Stingray

[percypercy]

There is only one car I want, a Triumph Spitfire. Someday, someday, I say.
-Lil

[bouv]

DeLorean. Flux capacitor optional. I love the way a lot of 80's cars look, with the sharp lines, and this car seems to personify that decade of automobiles so well. Asd besides, how freakin' awesome are gull wing doors?

The other four:
2005 (or whatever the most recent year is) Subaru Impreza WRX.
1965 Jeep CJ-5, fully outfitted for offroading.


That's pretty much it. I would like some kind of vintage convertable, but at this point I don't know enough about makes/models to make an informed choice.

[Tuckerfan]

DeLorean. Flux capacitor optional. I love the way a lot of 80's cars look, with the sharp lines, and this car seems to personify that decade of automobiles so well. Asd besides, how freakin' awesome are gull wing doors?If you ever get a DeLorean, immediately have the electrical system redone by a professional. The car's biggest weakness is that the electrical system in them is crap. My brother has a friend with one, and the guy literally has a mechanic on duty 24/7 to fix the thing. One time, because of an electrical problem, the guy got trapped inside his car, and he had to have the mechanic come to him to get him out of the car! :eek: (Can you imagine being stuck inside a bright and shiny silver car, parked in the sun in the middle of summer, while you waited for your mechanic to show up and get you out of the car?)

[Tuckerfan]

Oh, yeah, I forgot! DeLorean's look absolutely stunning when painted. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know, stainless steel body and all that, but trust me, I've seen three of them painted and I was totally blown away by the look of the cars. I didn't even realize that they were DeLorean's until I saw the emblem on the front grill.

[scr4]

You'd get your ass kicked driving one of those [Corbin Sparrows] though.
Hey, why single out the Sparrow? I don't think VW Bugs and 60s British sports cars are much safer.

[racer72]

Noticed a couple folks chose a GTO, I already have a 66. But if I could have 5 more I would choose:

A 66 to 70 Hemi Mopar, preferrably a 67 Plymouth Satellite or GTX.
69 Shelby Mustang.
A 57 Chevy covertible.
56 Ford Thunderbird.
69 AMC AMX.

[Gatopescado]

Without too much thought:

70-73 Camaro RS
Well built FJ-40 Landcruiser, with a 350 and all power, discs, etc. (had one ready to build, but dumped it)
Jeep Commando (gots 2 of em! one nice and one nasty. makes up for selling the FJ)
Bitchin' BMW Land Yacht (gots that, too! 5 passenger cruiser at 130 mph. smooth!)
Genuine Italian sportscar (gots that too, natch!)


Its not having what you want, but wanting what you have. Just waiting to find that RS and my list will be nearly complete!

Okay, okay! Heres a "real list":

Subaru WRX or Baja
BMW M5
Super-Duty F350
That Camaro again
Special Edition Nissan Maxima with the 6-speed and fancy seats

[Beware of Doug]

'32, '36, and '40 Ford V-8s (victoria, convertible sedan, and woody wagon respectively).
'55 Chrysler 300.
'64 Mustang convertible.

[MacTech]

'69 Dodge Charger
Original Cooper Mini
Subaru Brat
Jeep CJ-7
Dodge Shadow V6 convertible
my second car was a 4 cyl. Shadow America, the stripped-down bare-bones Shadow, yet i loved that little car, ran it into the ground and it *never* failed me, i'd love to get another Shadow, just for nostalgia reasons, i know it's not as fast or powerful as my Neon (95 HP in the Shadow, 132 HP in the Neon), but it was a great little car, i can only imagine the power-to-weight ratio for the Mitsubishi-engined V6 Shadow

[LucyInDisguise]

1967 Mustang Fastback 2+2 with the Pony Package powerd by a little 427 Shelby powerplant ...
1969 Pontiac Firbird
1953 Kaiser 'Henry J'
1937 Cord Roadster
Shelby Cobra [any year ]

At least four of those would give my insurance agent a heart attack.


(Come to think of it, my wife would probably throw a fit as well ...)

[mike1dog]

Porsche Boxster. Depending on what your definition of reasonable is, a used one from the first year or two is less than $20k.
Triumph TR4. I choose this over an MG because MGs are so common.
Morris Minor convertible. (http://www.farmauction.net/forauctions/soldlist/2003/Hensley%205-9-03/59%20MM%20Convertible.jpg) Because it's so damn cute.
Ford Falcon Sprint. Instead of the common Mustang. I really hate seeing the car I'm driving everywhere.
Lincoln Continental. One of the sixties ones with suicide doors. These are unappreciated cars that sell for less than half of what a similar Cadillac would sell for.

[PapSett]

1968 midnight blue Mustang Mach I - spoiler , hood scoop , mag wheels , lots of chrome.... *drool*

1969 cherry red Camaro - pretty much decked out as above

2005 Avalanche pick up , metallic copper

2005 Mustang Mach I -bright screamin' yellow

any type of nice mini-van with all the goodies , for going to dog shows :p

[Johnny L.A.]

Triumph TR4. I choose this over an MG because MGs are so common.
Come to think of it, maybe I should replace the Spitfire in my list with a TR4A IRS.

I agree that it's fun to have less-common cars. That's a point in favour of keeping the Herald -- everyone finds it unusual. It's a tough choice choosing between a TR4 and an MGB. There were many fewer TR4s made, which make them nice for the collector. Which is prettier? Tough call. They're both beautiful. But having lived with MGBs, I still have to choose a chrome-bumper MGB.

I agree with the Falcon and the Lincoln; but I just can't place them in a five-car collection.

[minor7flat5]

Oh, yeah, I forgot! DeLorean's look absolutely stunning when painted. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know, stainless steel body and all that, but trust me, I've seen three of them painted and I was totally blown away by the look of the cars. I didn't even realize that they were DeLorean's until I saw the emblem on the front grill.Had to do a search to see this. You're right, they do look nice (http://home.tampabay.rr.com/deloreans/index.htm). I particularly liked the yellow one (http://home.tampabay.rr.com/deloreans/yellow01.htm).

[Cisco]

2005 (or whatever the most recent year is) Subaru Impreza WRX.

Aye, I'll add this and a most recent year BMW M3 to my list. A few years ago I would've listed a BRAT but I think the Imprezza might be more solid and it's definitely faster. I'd have to remove that ridiculous spoiler, though.

[Green Bean]

So, is the 5 cars supposed to include what we want for daily driving, or is it 5 cars in addition to that?

Anyway, if I had a 5-car garage, but didn't have an excessive budget, this is what i'd fill it with:

1975 Mercedes 450 SEL. Beautiful, perfect, big luxury sedan.
Early '70s Mercedes 560 SL convertible. In red. Woo!
1995 Jeep Wrangler--the kind with the roll-bar and where you can take the doors off.
1995 Ford full-size pickup with 4WD, crew cab, diesel engine, and cap.
1995 Subaru Outback. <-- the daily driver.

(FWIW, our current vehicles are a 2001 Subaru Outback and a 1995 Toyota T-100 pickup.)

[Johnny L.A.]

Re: DeLorean. There is a buyer's guide in the July 2005 issue of Classic Motorsports.

I've seen people mention the Lotus Elise from time to time in other threads. Here's what CM has to say:
At this point, you pretty much need to drop everything and devote your life to the acquisition of a Lotus Elise.

[Tuckerfan]

Well, you know what Lotus stands for, doncha? "Lots Of Trouble, Usually Serious." :D

[Johnny L.A.]

Well, you know what Lotus stands for, doncha? "Lots Of Trouble, Usually Serious." :D
This one's powered by Toyota:
This gem of an engine, which in normal use should prove as reliable as any other Japanese powerplant (meaning that anything short of a medium-yield nuke will not knock it out of service), powers one of the best chassis ever to grace a strip of asphalt.
It also uses the same six-speed manual transmission found in the Celica and Matrix.

[Pork Rind]

Re: DeLorean. There is a buyer's guide in the July 2005 issue of Classic Motorsports.

I've seen people mention the Lotus Elise from time to time in other threads. Here's what CM has to say:

At this point, you pretty much need to drop everything and devote your life to the acquisition of a Lotus Elise.

I agree! Especially if you have the inclination to take it to the track where it really shines. I am the lowliest puke of a novice track driver and I get to regularly beat up on supposedly much faster cars.

So here goes:

2005 Lotus Elise (I hope I'm wrong, but I think it's downhill for the Elise from here. Get one before the waivers expire.)
A big Healey of some sort. Probably a BJ8. Like this. (http://)
A Lotus 23. If not that, a Lotus 20/22. 23. (http://www.race-cars.com/utility/photos/lotus/l23s93pf.jpg) 20. (http://)
A Lotus Type 14 Elite. Here's one. (http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/frame.php?file=pic.php&imagenum=1&carnum=618)
A Series 1 E type.

[Casey1505]

I'm pretty happy with what I have, but one of my managers has a Chrysler Crossfire convertible. I wouldn't mind having one of them to cruise chicks in.

[Cisco]

Lotus Elise
I thought the Elise wasn't street legal in the US, due to its excessive emissions. Or is that just the Exige?

[bouv]

If (correction: when) I finalyl get a DeLorean, it will be from here (http://www.delorean.com/). A company out in Texas that restores and fixes them up for resale. They cost a lot more than a normal used one, but it's worth it to be sure everything on the car works right when you get it. And yes, the lock problem is a known issue. And, oddly enough, I stumbled upon this (http://easyweb.easynet.co.uk/~shadelet/tmac.htm) while looking for info on the DeLorean and it's lock issue. :confused:

[yellowval]

I bought my dream car two weeks ago: a yellow '99 Volkswagen New Beetle, five-speed manual, fully loaded. It's the most beautiful damn thing I've ever seen.

If I could have one other car, it would be a yellow Corvette, just about any year.

That's all. I don't need three other choices.

[jimpatro]

1984 Renault Fuego - Owned two in the past and really miss them, a zippy little car, and had the coolest soft fold back roof than ran almost the entire length of the roof.

1967 Pontiac Firebird - My first car, foolishly sold it many years ago, :(

1974 AMC AMX Javelin - A friend owns this car, original paint(yellow w/original decal stripe), a contest winner, niiice.

2001 Isuzu Vehicross - The SUV to beat all SUVs, very spacy.

1969 Shelby Mustang Convertible - Cobra Jet, Ran across this one in my twenties($15,000).

[sewalk]

The Elise is available in the US, albeit after a bit of a wait at most dealers. I'd love one but first I need to drop a few^H^H^H lot of pounds so I can fit in one. I really love my GenII 1986 Toyota Supra, too. Awesome styling and decent performance, with a Lotus-designed suspension (see, the Elise wasn't the first Toyota-powered Lotus design).

As far as European cars, here's my relatively obtainable list.
1979 Porsche/Ruf 935 The ultimate doctor-killer.
1976 Porsche 914S Had one 18 years ago, want another one now.
1982 Audi Quattro I mean the big bad Group B car.
1984 Renault R5 Turbo Yes, a Renault, but only the mid-engine rwd version.
1989 BMW M635CSi A true classic. As classic as the 300SLR, IMHO, but far cheaper and faster.
Surely $100,000 would cover collectible examples of my five.

[gouda]

Porsche 911 Turbo (996)
The newest BMW M5 - it's got frickin' launch control!
Saab 9-3 convertible, because it's such a cool car
Porsche 356B
Jaguar E-Type coupe - classiest car ever built

[archmichael]

Fully restored and modded Rabbit GTI
Karmann Ghia convertible
Buick GNX
Imported Nissan Skyline
61 Corvette Convertible w/ Tuxedo paint job

[js_africanus]

So let's hear your modest and realistic 'dream car collection'.
I'd like to have a car with dependable headlights, a working driver's side window, and a sway bar on the rear wheels. Oh, and more than one working speaker would be nice, too.

[Anaamika]

Hump. If I can't have my Aston-Martin, I don't want anything.

Oh, all right.

I don't know costs of these, OK? So if some don't fit, tough.

A Mini. I don't really care or even know if it comes in different brands.
A Prius. Drove one once, for a long drive, and it was fine.
Celica. Not sure why, just like it.
A BMW sportscar.

[DrLoveGun]

A 1969 Dodge Charger. 440 Magnum. You get to guess what paint job it has to have.

[Pork Rind]

A 1969 Dodge Charger. 440 Magnum. You get to guess what paint job it has to have.

Panther Pink (http://www.pantherpink.com/cars/fm3002/fm3002_01.jpg)?

[mack]

Cars I've had the hots for recently:

Porsche 911 Carrera 4S
Jeep wrangler
New Mini
Jag-yoo-ah XK
BMW Z3 M (http://www.z3roadster.com/galleries.asp?c=5&g=1)

Oh, and a '65 Lotus 38 (http://www2.eis.net.au/~bramwell/lotus38.htm). :D

[Pork Rind]

Oh, and a '65 Lotus 38 (http://www2.eis.net.au/~bramwell/lotus38.htm). :D

Jimmy!

[LindyHopper]

Well, I'm not going to give years, because I don't really know that much about cars. So:

Hemi 'Cuda (it was a pure-D crime when they destroyed one to make Phantasm)
Shelby Cobra (maybe the coolest car ever)
BMW Z4 (so swoopy...drool)
Cooper Mini (I will have one of these as my next car)
Porsche 928 (I really love the rounded rear end and the headlights that go flush into the hood when not in use)