'80's cool on a budget

[Baz2000]

I'm talking about the cliche 1980's, Miami Vice, Thatchers Britain type of car but on a budget. Obviously the high end stuff that springs to mind is Ferrari Testarossa in white or a Porsche 911 Turbo.

I'am looking for something that sums up this period but on much more modest budget, my immediate thoughts are Porsche 924/944 with there trippy '80s interior. Any other thoughts?

[Ved]

Escort RS Turbo or any Ford Cosworth?

[Benbay001]

Here is mine.




1986 Lotus Excel.

Whats your budget?

[Benbay001]

Benbay001 said:

Here is mine.




1986 Lotus Excel.

Whats your budget?

ETA. Fiberglass body, well galvanized steel chassis and mostly Toyota running gear.

[deltashad]

BV speciale

There was recently a very nice X1/9 with Uno turbo power unit for sale. I saw the car at a show a while ago and it was absolutely stunning. Something like this i would want. This was it:

[Claudia Skies]

Benbay001 said:

ETA. Fiberglass body, well galvanized steel chassis and mostly Toyota running gear.

Yes. You wonder how they managed to progress quite so far backwards from the Toyota Excel to the Toyota Evora.

[Baz2000]

Benbay001 said:

Here is mine.




1986 Lotus Excel.

Whats your budget?

Oh my that's gorgeous. My budget would be around the £5-6k mark.

[marshalla]

Baz2000 said:

Oh my that's gorgeous. My budget would be around the £5-6k mark.

You could get a sound usable Excel for that - if anyone's selling

or you could get 3 or 4 project cars and turn them into 2 good 'uns.

[CountZero23]

Claudia Skies said:

Yes. You wonder how they managed to progress quite so far backwards from the Toyota Excel to the Toyota Evora.

Evora is an awesome car, if they come down to 20k buy the time I've got the cash sorted for a decent Esprit I'd be sorely tempted.

Reliable (for a lotus), looks to die for and more fun than a lardy 911.

[CountZero23]

Benbay001 said:

Here is mine.




1986 Lotus Excel.

Whats your budget?

Stunning collection.

[Hallsy01]

944 would definitely be a good call, but for the trippy interior (I guess you mean Pascha?) it would be a 924 or square dash 944.

How about an 80's TVR?

As already mentioned, a S1 RST would be a good choice also.

Any 80's hot hatch? Pug 205 gti?

[Justin Case]

Rover SD1

[Benbay001]

CountZero23 said:

Stunning collection.

Only the excel is mine. I snapped the photos before i drove it when i picked it up (freshly valeted).
Its now covered in mud.

[marshalla]

Benbay001 said:

Only the excel is mine. I snapped the photos before i drove it when i picked it up (freshly valeted).
Its now covered in mud.

As it should be. The more you use it, the more reliable it is.

[Huntsman]

BMW E28's are cool and very useable.

[AmitG]

Jaguar XJ40 would be a good choice IMHO. Introduced in 1985 I believe (need to check).

The boxy shape, all-digital dash (on the early ones; it was abandoned around 1989 I believe) and BL build quality (again on the early ones only) mean that it sums up the 80s for me.

Also, this is the car that senior politicians (including Thatcher) and captains of industry were ferried around in, so most people over a certain age would recognise it as an "80s car".

For your budget I would buy 2 - 3 examples and put them together to make a working one

[Benbay001]

marshalla said:

As it should be. The more you use it, the more reliable it is.

I will post up a "new owner" thread on LE.N soon. I moved house last week too, so everything is chaos atm.
Loving the car though. Never thought a 4cyl could sound so good.

[Mound Dawg]

Tatra anyone? Got a V8 in the back so a strange mix of Porsche 911 and 928. And Skoda Rapid.

[Hurricane52]

Renault GTA Turbo. Best 80s under the radar car I've ever owned. Looks ahead of its time. Great steering feel. Crap stereo but it has that amazing graphic equaliser.

[sprouting]

Completely ignoring your time period http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C532966

But cool all the same