Which classic car upto £15K

[Greenie]

Further to the following topic:

www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=221685&f=92&h=0

I am looking to buy a classic car and would welcome the PH massive input.

The price has to be upto £15k
Have 4 seats (2plus2 is fine)
Quick 0-60 sub 7.5 secs
Decent reputation for reliability (I realise it is an old car and won't be 100% reliable!)
Looks classically good
Initial purchase price new less than £4k
Can be modified easily to improve performance (good network of specialist garages)

I have owned classic cars before Spitfire and TR4A. Like the look of those 2 and E-type, A-Healy 3000, early 911 etc to give you an idea of my taste. No MGs-sorry!

[simonrockman]

E-type coupe manual.

[Bedford Rascal]

Some delights on this PH topic similar to yours. CLICK

HTH

[plasticpig]

I have been waiting for that question

So a few suggestions:

Ford RS3100
Sunbeam Tiger
Ford Mustang Mach 1
Gordon Keeble
E-type Series 2 2+2
Porsche 911s
BMW 2002 Tii

[aeropilot]

Greenie said:

The price has to be upto £15k Have 4 seats (2plus2 is fine) Quick 0-60 sub 7.5 secs Decent reputation for reliability (I realise it is an old car and won't be 100% reliable!) Looks classically good Initial purchase price new less than £4k Can be modified easily to improve performance (good network of specialist garages)

I have to say it......you don’t want much do you

I’m a bit puzzled by the ‘Initial purchase price new less than £4k’ bit....

That’s really going to put you into the pre-73 free VED category I would think, certainly pre-mid70’s at any rate.

That means you’re 15k limit is going to start to be a problem for wanting something with a good spares and specialist network backup, as well as performance.

Best bet, if you can find one, might be a BMW 3.0 CSL, or for a more available choice, but in the 2+2 department, an early 911.

An early Lotus Elite may be an option as well.


>> Edited by aeropilot on Tuesday 15th November 12:12

[williamp]

Aston DBS or V8

[eccles]

lancia fulvia
alfa romeo bertone coupe

[dinkel]

Bedford Rascal said:

Some delights on this PH topic similar to yours. CLICK HTH

Marquis_Rex said:

You'll get a reasonable to good condition BMW 3 litre CSL for under 15 grand. I Love em!

Alfa GTV 2.5: best sounding 2.5 6pot ever . . . on the streets that is.

Bedford: are you keeping a record of my posts / topics? Still like to know what you mean by 'Dinks English is usually spot on bollox' . . . Does that mean it sucks?

Sorry for the slight hijack!





Not to mint examples for about 15k I can imagine . . .

[greenie]

Aeropilot if you read the original link you will find out why it needs to be less than £4k.

These look good

E-type Series 2 2+2
Porsche 911s

Also how about an Alfa Montreal-can you get those for less than £15k?

Can you get a DBS for that money? Can anyone find a link to one for sale?

Dinkel-how much does a Europa cost-very cool car

[Bedford Rascal]

Dinkel, I don't follow your topics , I just remembered Barefoot's delicious MG from that thread - I've actually got it in my favourites.

As for your English being "spot bollock", I mean it's absolutely first rate, excellent.

[deadslow]

There's a very nice looking BMW 3.0 CSL on the Redline site www.redlineclassics.com/showroom.asp

[dinkel]

Thank gawd . . . Few times a week I woke up with the scary dream: BR laughing his head of going to piles of binders with a collection of my hilarious 'English'. Pfhew . . . thanx for making me sleep again.

12k! reminds me of my little Matchbox



Read all about it

[aeropilot]

greenie said:

Aeropilot if you read the original link you will find out why it needs to be less than £4k. These look good E-type Series 2 2+2 Porsche 911s Also how about an Alfa Montreal-can you get those for less than £15k? Can you get a DBS for that money? Can anyone find a link to one for sale? Dinkel-how much does a Europa cost-very cool car

Ahh....tax reasons...hmmm

Alfa Montreal...nice idea...too few specialists and parts could be a problem...not to mention the dreaded tin-worm.

A DBS for £15.....
Maybe a ropey money-pit DBS auto......

Still think the best bet would be the 3.0 CSL, an early 911 or the Lotus Elite, Eclat or Excel.

Another option (don't know if it would pass the £4k new criteria?) would be a Merc SLC......damn ugly though.

>> Edited by aeropilot on Tuesday 15th November 13:56

>> Edited by aeropilot on Tuesday 15th November 13:58

[justayellowbadge]

Maser QP?
Ferrari 365/400?
ISO Lele
Citroen SM

[Andrew Noakes]

Suspect a CSL was well over £5k new. So was a ’70s 911 so you'd have to stick to a 2.0-litre.

Elan Plus 2?
Lotus Cortina?
Alfa 2000GTV?

[ettore]

Citroen SM
Rover P5B (perhaps with a Griff500 engine!)
Series 1 XJ
2002 tii
Alfa 1750 GTV
Lancia Fulvia HF
TR5
230SL


all of which can be tweaked and are/can be pretty reliable.

or you could get a lovely Elan, or a Fiat Dino, or an Alfa Spider etc etc etc

[Shed_Jensen]

How about a Jensen Interceptor Ticks all your boxes I think?

I'm looking at doing exactly what your thinking about with mine. Finding it tricky to get a reasonable insurance quote for Business use though?

Cheers,

SHED.

[dinkel]

Those DeTomaso thingies are cheap and stylish.

GTi Citroen CX . . .



Cheap and big and that 3.5 is yum . . . 286 horsies, nice soundtrack, easy to tune, a Grand Tourer avant la lettre . . .



EUR 11.500,00 / manual / 1984-02 / 118.000 km / Blue met.

[greenie]

OK short list is:

Elan plus2
Fiat Dino
E Type 2 2+2
Porsche 911s

The Jenson is tempting-my old man used to have one. But in oil crisis it wasn't the car to have. Also what is the original purchase price? Maybe a bit high.

My broker will duplicate my personal no claims to this car so the insurance should be OK.

Thanks for the other suggestions. I have mostly rejected them because of the original cost being too high or they look boxy! I'm a smooth flowing lines kinda guy.

Keep them coming-I'm having a great time searching the internet for examples and info. Does anyone have a classic car search facility (like autotrader for classics) they would recommend?

[aeropilot]

Shed_Jensen said:

Finding it tricky to get a reasonable insurance quote for Business use though?

I agree, this is the potential flaw in the idea....

A 'normal' insurance policy with no-claims etc, is far from ideal as the insurance company is unlikely to 'agree' the value of the car, and will value it as per Glasses or whatever...not good.

And most classic car policies as you say won't offer an agreed value policy with non-limited mileage for business use, although I'm sure they will but at a price...!!!

greenie said:

My broker will duplicate my personal no claims to this car so the insurance should be OK.

I'd be very wary of that, if this broker and the insurance policy is not a specialist classic insurance broker/company, as mentioned above