Well, as much as I love my motorcycles, it’s clear that my gf does not share the joy.
I don’t have a lot of free time and I do like to spend time with her. I currently have a 1985 BMW K100 that is in excellent running shape. I also have a 87 K100LT sitting by as a donor bike. A good combo, probably worth 35-4500 if I were to try to buy it now.
If I sold it I might get 3K, That’s just the way it is. I’m looking to buy a small sporty car.
I’ve got a guy who wants to trade me the bikes for his 1985 Alfa Romeo Graduate. I’m going to see a 1994 325i convertible tomorrow that might also be a trade.
Both have their charms, but I’m wondering what else I should look for. No MG’s , I’m too tall (in all directions) A 90’s Lexus SC300/400 would be awesome as well.
I can do a LOT of the maintenance on any of these plus I have mechanics at hand, especially for the Alfa I have a friend who is a specialist.
I like the Miata but the last time I sat in one, my eye sight went right through the top of the windshield support, not fun. Strangely the Alfa has more headroom.
I do have a Honda daily driver, I’m looking for something to essentially replace the motorcycle: fun, sporty, but that my gf will happily accompany me on. I want mid 90’s at the very newest as I can work on those easier.
What about a Mini Cooper? Tall dudes seem to take to those pretty well with the taller roof. Don’t know anything about the slightly older ones, but they’re fun. Or the 1980’s 300zx? I had a 6+ foot tall boyfriend who loved his back in the late 80’s.
Mini would be nice but I wasn’t clear in the OP. I’m going to either trade straight up or sell and use the money so I’m looking at ~$3500. No Minis in that price range.
I’m 6’1". In my late-90s 3-series (BMW) my head brushes against the ceiling. I used to drive a MGB-GT and had 4 inches more headroom than I needed, and in the passenger seat I could point my toes without touching the firewall.
Small and unreliable? There’s lots of options there.
Avoid any Japanese brands - they tend to be more reliable than American makes.
If any are still alive, the Dodge Omni/Plymouth Horizon was a terrible car. Never seen much love for the Ford Fiesta either. Old Jaguars, Fiats, anything with Lucas electrics would also be good picks.
If it fits your requirements, go with the Alfa. When it’s dry and it works, the Alfa is a fun driver. When it’s raining and/or when it’s in the shop, you’ve got a perfect excuse at the ready - because, well, it’s an Alfa.
An older MB 300SD or Volvo 240DL (coupe if you can find one) would also be neat and certainly fit you. Trouble is, once you get them running, they will be hard to keep from breaking down and therefore be un-necessarily reliable.
Else, an old VW Beetle or Kharman Ghia might fit the bill. You might also try to find a Porsche 924. That would be fun as well. Hell, a 1980’s VW GTI would be a blast and require enough tinkering to keep your machanics busy.
Completely different direction, but you might wish to consider Corvairs.
I bought my 62 Monza 4-speed for $2500, and it was a blast after redoing the brakes and front linkage.
Stock Monza would likely not compare with the Alfa, but a Spyder or Corsa would have plenty of pep (tho might stretch your budget).
It is very easy to replace the seat brackets to move them back a couple of inches. I’m 6’3", and it was extremely comfortable. Head came nowhere near touching.
Extremely easy to work on, and parts readily available.
Tough call MikeG! I’d love to have either one. I’d go with the Alfa, I guess, since I already have a 325i. And they are probably not as reliable or as easy to work on. And it would look good next to the Fiat.
Too bad you have to give up the bikes, however. Maybe upgrade the girlfriend, instead?
I’m a big fan of the aircooled VW’s. Yeah, they’re not as fast as an old Alfa or BMW, but the cheapest hatchback you can buy today will blow the doors off any of those. At least IMHO, the old VW’s deliver some of the same somewhat intangible primitive motoring fun that old roadsters do, they’re notoriously easy to work on, and need lots of tinkering. The best part is that unlike an old roadster where you’ll spend all your time and money prowling eBay and severely picked over out-of-state junkyards looking for parts, there are dozens of catalogs and websites where you can buy every single part for your VW new, with better quality than the original and lower prices than the junkyard parts for most cars. Also, even your friends who aren’t car people will be interested in it, which is nice.
The only real drawback these days is that it’s getting harder to find one, especially a Ghia, that isn’t a total rustbucket, but I imagine that’s a problem with most of these cars in the Chicago area.
Sounds fun. I liked the Corvair - look great, easy to work on, lots of support for them. The Pontiac Fiero has a strong following as well.
Going foreign: I’ve had an enjoyed a Fiat Spider 124. I’d also suggest the Fiat X1/9. From the Germans, try the VW-Porsche 914 or a Porsche 944 (my favorite Porsche ever, not a convertible but big sunroof).
There’s also the Honda Civic Del Sol and the Toyota MR2 - yes, they’ll keep running but they’ll also need some work.
Corvair parts availability is pretty good, but they’re pretty much the usual vintage car mishmash of used parts, NOS parts and expensive reproductions. Because they still sold new aircooled VW’s in Mexico and Brazil last decade, there’s a separate source of really cheap parts. Things have started to creep up a bit since then, and vintage-specific stuff like interior trim has always been typical classic car part prices, but mechanical parts, sheet metal, glass, etc are still dirt cheap.
I sold my last Beetle about 5 years ago due to rust, but at the time you could actually buy a completely new rolling chassis with all the sheetmetal (so basically a complete car except for the drivetrain or interior) for $1000. I still somewhat regret not moving the parts (and VIN plate) from my old one onto one of those.
BTW, no possible way to upgrade the gf, she’s the best thing to ever happen to me.
Alfa: cool looking, but I guess it was just a meh for me. I’m going to give it another drive though just to be sure.
Miata: Nice, if the windshield were 3’ taller it would be great.
1994 325i: Wow, what a nice car. The one I drove was in bad shape cosmetically and had a bad O2 sensor which prob means cat going too so I had to pass but the 3 series are def near the top of my list. Fit me like my old Honda fit my old shaped self if that makes sense Engine and handling were sweet.
I think I just need to sell the bike and try to find a cherry 3 series.
Lots of cool cars out there, and I have no desire to get into a pissing contest. Just really feel Vairs are unjustly overlooked. Beetles and Vairs are probably the cheapest way to get into old cars. (Kharmans are way cool, but IMO, WAY overpriced.) Either is a lot of fun to drive with a stick. Add a vert, and you can’t go wrong.
Beetles are cool cars. And they made a ton of them. But they made millions of Vairs as well. Because they made so many, there are many sources of repro, salvage, and reconditioned parts which I did not find expensive at all. A good percentage of the mechanicals are just GM mix and match. Could be expensive and a hassle if you were attempting some frame off nut and bolt perfection. But if you are not overly concerned with 100% pure accuracy, a lot of inexpensive fun to be had with either.
When my daughter was recently in the market for a car, I was strongly suggesting a VW Cabrio. Was astounded at what $5-6k could get you. But she went with a new Mini.
Engine and handling were sweet.