Talk me out of a very cheap convertible?

[defblade]

Big birthday coming up, and a week off to celebrate it.

The new road bicycle I ordered for delivery in April has slipped back to the end of May (currently), so too late.
Favourite restaurant not re-opening in time. No chance of any sort of family party due to restrictions and distances.
Track day trip to Spa that was original plan for the week suspended due to the obvious.
Feeling a bit depressed about the whole thing. First world problems, I know. However, looking for something to cheer myself up.

Very few options for a few days' motorbike hire around my way (SW Wales) - only really big fat HDs, which don't appeal.

A few days hire of a convertible with performance worth bothering with, or a special/nice classic (previously owned an MGB and mk2 MX-5, so I'd want something a bit further up market), would be several hundred pounds, pushing on towards a grand.

So my attention has turned to cheap pieces of tatty old 'vert rubbish on the usual sites. Budget up to that grand.

Buy it birthday week, either swap the insurance off my real car for a bit or go "classic" (#cough#), tool around in it for a bit (maybe not even the whole summer), flog it on for peanuts, still cheaper than a few days hire. Bin it if it breaks (only got to get 4 or 5 days' use to break even).




Is this even a vaguely sensible plan?!

[Pistonheader101]

Seems like a good plan, go for it!

[Dimebars]

I've not long bought a 99 Mk1 TT Roadster

Not exactly an appreciating classic, but a cheap summer toy (if summer ever appears) for pottering around in the sunshine

I'd say do it!

[bristolracer]

At a £1000
Mgf
Maybe an SLK
or a chopped saloon C70 Audi peugeot thing
Anything else will be rubbish and you may struggle finding anything solid with the choices above.

A grand will buy you a few experience days, formula ford, ferrari, 4 by 4 days

[defblade]

bristolracer said:

At a £1000
Mgf
Maybe an SLK
or a chopped saloon C70 Audi peugeot thing
Anything else will be rubbish and you may struggle finding anything solid with the choices above.

A grand will buy you a few experience days, formula ford, ferrari, 4 by 4 days

There's a couple of tatty MGFs around, and a couple of dented SLKs (I'm perfectly happy with cheap dented cars for this job, so long as the roof goes up and down, and has enough MOT to get through the summer). C70s have always had a guilty appeal, and there are several Sab 9-3s around, which are pretty much 2 seaters anyway


I've done loads of experience days (and trackdays) in the past - 4x4, supercars, rally, etc, etc... I'd sort of consider PalmerSport, but it's 4.5 hours drive away, so you're adding 2 nights away to the total - not impossible at this budget...

[crofty1984]

Mgf/MGTF was my first thought. I bought mine for 500 quid and it was a fun wee thing. That budget should get you a TF 135 I would think.
An MX5 at that price is likely to be fked in my experience.

What about a MINI? You might pick up a high mileage ragtop. Our maybe the 1.9 Z3?

[Jamescrs]

I bought a cheap Mk2 MX5 a couple of years ago on an eBay auction for £1050 and got 18 months good service out of it before the rust got too bad, whilst I wouldn't buy another as I don't really fit them too well due to my height I did enjoy it, no regrets

[james6546]

I'd go for a saab 9-3 I reckon.

I was split between a vert or an estate and ended up with a 2006 V6 aero wagon a month ago.

Probably not the best example of one as it's needed a lot replacing, but for £2k it's a hell of a lot of car

[W201_190e]

You'll get a CLK 320 for cheap, which apart from the rust are very strong reliable cars.

[anonymous-user]

I bought a nice relatively low mileage '99 SLK 230 in August '19 for £1200. Love it. Within a few weeks I did the NC500 in it with awesome weather and the top down.

[defblade]

Here's the other thing: I'm 6'4" - reckon I'll fit in an SLK?

[defblade]

A few things have occurred...

Turns out, now I'm 50, I can't slouch into small sports cars like I used to in my 20s without upsetting my lower back

Scope therefore extended to 4 seater types.

Lack of choice combined with quality of offerings has lead to budget creep...

...and I've bought a car

Reveal and pics to follow once I've picked it up (and maybe polished it a bit).
The budget creep means I will actually have to sell it on at the end of the summer for more than pennies in order to keep the overall budget within the £1k ish, but hopefully that won't be too difficult... so long as nothing breaks! It's a gamble I can afford, though, if I have to.

[defblade]

So, £2350 (cheap, but not very cheap), 141k miles, definitely had a new wing at some stage 'cos it's not quite the same shade, a few little scratches and dings etc but nothing excessive... new MOT; drives far, far, better than it has any right to at this age/mileage and basically tidy and working
A good cut or two above the other stuff I was looking at from maybe £750 to £2000.

(I think maybe an auto box would suit it better - as a 320/2.2 litre, it's not fast enough to make stirring the cogs special and the engine majors on smooth creamy torque... but a 141k BMW auto box is much more likely to go pop than a manual...)

[Walter Sobchak]

defblade said:

Here's the other thing: I'm 6'4" - reckon I'll fit in an SLK?

Yes, just about although honestly you’ll find it a bit small, I’m 6’1” and bought one as a shed last autumn and ended up getting rid because I just found it too small to live with long term.
Went for a CLK instead which unfortunately had a fked automatic gearbox which the seller omitted to mention and scrapped it.
If you can find one that suits your budget I’d probably go for a mk1 TT 225 BHP variant, can’t comment on space but they’re good cars and I’d bet money on them starting to appreciate if you hold onto it for a while.
The SLK and CLK are also generally tough mechanically (I just had bad luck with mine water had got into the transmission) the main thing to watch out for on them is rust!.

[W201_190e]

Walter Sobchak said:

defblade said:

Here's the other thing: I'm 6'4" - reckon I'll fit in an SLK?

Yes, just about although honestly you’ll find it a bit small, I’m 6’1” and bought one as a shed last autumn and ended up getting rid because I just found it too small to live with long term.
Went for a CLK instead which unfortunately had a fked automatic gearbox which the seller omitted to mention and scrapped it.
If you can find one that suits your budget I’d probably go for a mk1 TT 225 BHP variant, can’t comment on space but they’re good cars and I’d bet money on them starting to appreciate if you hold onto it for a while.
The SLK and CLK are also generally tough mechanically (I just had bad luck with mine water had got into the transmission) the main thing to watch out for on them is rust!.

Post 2004 CLK will have a different radiator and the transmission thing isn't an issue. Shame about yours, the CLK is a lovely car in any form.

[Tasmin200]

What about a Z3? Too small for you to get in?

[drgoatboy]

Nice choice OP. Nothing better than a bit of budget creep!

[abzmike]

Looks good. Is this the seasonal equivalent of a shed - summerhouse maybe?

[BigMon]

I bought a C70 for £1900 and had about 20 months of very enjoyable (although expensive, it drank like a fish) motoring before something in the electronic roof gubbins borked and I had to sell it as a runner for peanuts.

If I bought another cheap convertible I'd want one with either a manual roof or, if it had an electric roof, one that was easy to fix. Volvos and Saabs are, I think, pretty complicated and if the electric roof breaks on a shed level car pretty much a write off.

[V1nce Fox]

Looks like an individual colour, maybe brass?