What cheap 4 seater convertible?

[Toaster Pilot]

Pondering a snottery convertible, < £1500.

No real requirement for economy etc, but a reasonably low insurance group (I can insure up to 15 it seems for a reasonable amount TPFT)

Original thought was a Saab 9-3 2.0/2.0T.

[buzzer]

I replied with below on a simmilar thread a few days ago....

steer clear of Saab convertibles unless you check it well... Our local MoT man has failed a few due to bulkhead cracks. Seems this is now common knowledge amongst testers where to look and its an engine / dash out job to repair it. for me, it rules them out.

just Google Saab bulkhead cracks!

I came across this after doing some research... I was going to buy a 9-3... one owner, 40k miles, absolutely mint, and I mean mint. I pulled away the sound deadening by the brake servo and wobbled the steering wheel side to side (engine not running to exert max force)to see a big crack that was opening and closing as you moved the wheel!

[Toaster Pilot]

- I thought that was only a problem on the 900 hence was avoiding that.

Shame, they look good for the money

[lestershaw]

Astra convertible, styled by bertone? Roof operation is good, looks neat when it's down

[Toaster Pilot]

lestershaw said:

Astra convertible, styled by bertone? Roof operation is good, looks neat when it's down

Can a decent one be had for less than £1500 these days? Might be in with a shout if so, certainly reliable enough...

[anonymous-user]

The bulkhead problem is rare. Wont get better than the SAAB for the money (google any car & you will see a load of people whingeing about this or that, the 99% satisfied customers have nothing to post!!)

[Toaster Pilot]

Just had a look for Astras, apart from a Cat D and a couple that have the contents of Halfords stuck to them there's slim pickings for my budget.

[lestershaw]

You were a bit late.. My boss just sold his girlfriends 02 reg for £1000 with a years mot and 72000 miles. As the insurance was up and she already had a new car. It was only a 1.8 but it was in great condition
Suppose bargains are all about timing :-)

[Toaster Pilot]

lestershaw said:

You were a bit late.. My boss just sold his girlfriends 02 reg for £1000 with a years mot and 72000 miles. As the insurance was up and she already had a new car. It was only a 1.8 but it was in great condition
Suppose bargains are all about timing :-)

I'm not going to be buying immediately anyway, might end up buying at the worst possible time in the height of the summer though

[g3org3y]

BMW E36 cabrio, ideally with a nice 6 pot upfront.

[Toaster Pilot]

g3org3y said:

BMW E36 cabrio, ideally with a nice 6 pot upfront.

Bit out of reach with insurance.

[g3org3y]

Toaster Pilot said:

g3org3y said:

BMW E36 cabrio, ideally with a nice 6 pot upfront.

Bit out of reach with insurance.

Even as a 318i? (I think the 4 pot fitted to the cabrio was the later 140bhp 16v engine from the 318iS but don't quote me). Shame as you can pick of decent examples (leather, full OBC etc) for not very little cash.

[Toaster Pilot]

I'll run a quote for a 318i just to see but my insurer seems to have a BMW tax on my risk profile.

[RoadRat99]

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2012...

I use to have the GT4 version of it, one of the best cars i ever had!! Just got the permission from the Mrs Rat to get one as a w/end car.Ill
be looking for the hatchback and even if the all imports will cost me under £300 fully comp!!
Convertibles are very hard to cone by,only 12 nationally on Auto-trader!!Rare to become classic

[kiwifraser]

Try this topic

http://pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&amp...

[Baryonyx]

I would avoid the Saabs. The chassis is very floppy without the roof. A bloke I know had a Viggen convertible and apart from the awful torque steer the thing he recalls most is how the chassis would bend like a banana when the car was full!

[Toaster Pilot]

kiwifraser said:

Try this topic

http://pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&amp...

!!

I like the Volvo C70 but it's hard to find one in budget. Found one at 200k miles

[SlowcoachIII]

A few of my family have had Saab 9-3 convertibles in the past and they've never had any problems. If you find one in good condition they look great, just be careful about the badges as they tend to lose their foil coating (now that's just being picky).

[Toaster Pilot]

SlowcoachIII said:

A few of my family have had Saab 9-3 convertibles in the past and they've never had any problems. If you find one in good condition they look great, just be careful about the badges as they tend to lose their foil coating (now that's just being picky).

Not sure what I'll get at the bottom end of the market mind. Probably looking for a 2.0 NA rather than 2.0T because there's not a masssive difference in performance yet the insurance is a fair bit more.

[Rollcage]

I wouldn't be bnothered about the bulkhead problem with the SAABs - it's easy enough to spot, and now you know what you are looking for at least! If it hasn't failed on a car by now, it probably isn't going to.

Just make sure the roof works OK (The 9-3s had a better roof mech) and the rest is simple!