The PH best 'summer shed 4 seat convertible' challenge

[kiwifraser]

The household controller/ Swmbo mentioned 'a summer convertible' would be good this year, which immediately sent me off to look in the classifieds.

Key criteria: needs 4 comfortable seats (with roof up and down), max £1.5k, retro cool/ classic/ luxury is good (chavy is a definite no), it's going to be a weekend family cruiser not b-road blaster, leather and high spec seen as a big plus, reasonable boot space preferred, reliable and not a complete money pit, and she doesn't like the E36

Last year we had a 1971 Beetle Karmann Cabrio, which was fun... when it worked! Luckily it sold for a fair chunk more than it cost me

This time I have had an idea of getting a Shed convertible, where we will run it on nice days either until I fancy changing it, or it dies and requires scrapping. The other 2 cars we have would stay, so we don't have to worry if it turns out to be a crap idea

A quick autotrader scan shows up a few apparently good looking options.

What is the general consensus on the options, and the likely success?


Edited to add some visual reminders of what you get today for between £800 - £1500 on AT (in order of price):



Audi


Sabb 9-3 (98-02 shape)


306


Mk3 Golf


C70


Celica


Mk1/2 Golfs



Both the below options are likely to be close to blowing the £1.5k budget, and finding a good one could be difficult

Saab 900 Classic (87 - 93 shape)


E30

Edited by kiwifraser on Thursday 26th January 12:21

[m44kts]

I would say the 306, look quite nice with the roof down, drive alright, later ones will be within your budget so will have leather, air con etc.


I had a '95 plate one 8 year ago and loved it.

[fluffnik]

You won't get a W124 for 1.5k but you will get your money back...

[billzeebub]

I would go classic 900 (model up to 1993 K) every time fella, but leave the Full Pressure Turbo Aero models alone at this price level, you would be incredibly lucky to find a decent one for £1.5k (ie someone who has no idea what they have in terms of desirability!)..the 2.0 16v or Light Pressure Turbo (LPT) are the ones to look for, and much easier to find a good un for the budget. Find one with wood and leather and the whole experience is very bespoke..mechanicaly very strong, the major issues to watch for are gearboxes that whine/jump out of gear and rust..

..One of the few classless older cars out there, even now more likely to be a Lawyer or a High Court Judge driving than the local Asbo youth (something you can't honestly say about equivalent age Beemers)..

oh, and forgot to say you shouldn't really lose money on one of these (depending on the time of year you choose to eventually sell it you could make a decent profit) as they have a very enthusiastic owners club, and as long as rust doesn't claim it you should be fine

Edited by billzeebub on Wednesday 25th January 02:29

Edited by billzeebub on Wednesday 25th January 02:30

[g3org3y]

[/biased]

Retro cool FTW

Edited by g3org3y on Wednesday 25th January 06:38

[Eighteeteewhy]

Audi for me, Diana had one don't ya know

Saabs look ok, and if you can get a turbo are quite quick. Problem is they have a nasty habit of falling in half

[kiwifraser]

Are the 900 saabs a lot better than the newer 9-3?

E30 - Are the baur convertibles ok?, or is that the only option?

[garrykiller]

just buy 2 mx5s.

[alfa pint]

Triumph Stag?

A good one for £1500 is a huge ask, but a little bit more would see you right.

[kiwifraser]

garrykiller said:

just buy 2 mx5s.

I'm not sure they are small enough for the 3 or 5 year old to drive. Wouldn't mind a bit of boot space either for a small bike/ tent/ bag/ beer chiller

[kiwifraser]

alfa pint said:

Triumph Stag?

A good one for £1500 is a huge ask, but a little bit more would see you right.

After having the VW bug (and only getting to drive it in the 50% of time it wasn't in the workshop), then it will take some convincing to get a proper classic over a more modern Saab/ Volvo equivalent. I think even the E30 is pushing the acceptance boundaries.

[horza]

I was going to say Audi until I saw that pic of the BMW.

It's amazing how time degrades your memory of old cars. That looks great!

[cptsideways]

There has been a tidy looking Audi on ebay for a few days going for £1000 which might be worth a punt

[davidsc]

205 Cti

[mike325112]

Not sure if this is more dodgy than a dodgy thing but it looks to be amazing value, if its kosher...

http://www2.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

[Eighteeteewhy]

mike325112 said:

Not sure if this is more dodgy than a dodgy thing but it looks to be amazing value, if its kosher...

http://www2.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

I fear something's missing....a zero maybe

[kwak]

kiwifraser said:

Are the 900 saabs a lot better than the newer 9-3?

In general, yes. They look and drive a lot better, but the 9-3 has the more modern interior.
As said before, go for the classic shape, not the gm900. The only issues are gearboxes and some rust, however in my experience, strucutral rust is usually a result of an accident, and not common on accident-free cars.

Be aware that the classic 900 isn't the stiffest car around, have a test in one before you buy, because some people get really annoyed by the scuttle shake.

[kiwifraser]

I'm hunting for £1500 model example photos... watch this space.

[g3org3y]

kiwifraser said:

E30 - Are the baur convertibles ok?, or is that the only option?

Tbh? No. You need to get the proper BMW version.

Avoid the electric roof - always breaks and difficult/expensive to put right.

The 2.5 is the pick of the bunch, super smooth and goes well. Auto box suits the cabriolet's relaxed nature.

Body is important: sills, arches, bottom of the windscreen and boot floor are common rust spots.

Engines are by and large solid (mine is on 170k), just watch for potential overheating.

If you're interested in the E30, check out http://www.e30zone.net/ good forum with (for the most part) knowledgeable members.

[kiwifraser]

The Crack Fox said:

I voted Saab 900 (classic shape). I'm sure these will go up in value as they're an unusual design and were arguably the last good thing Saab did before GM got their claws into them. I can see the E30 is popular but good ones might be a tad out of budget and there are loads of rusty/chavvy ones about.

The 900's look amazing value, with a large selection available well under £1k. The same applies to the Audi and 306 (although I'm less keen on the smaller size 306). That leaves a LOT of room in the budget for any shed ownership 'issues'

In contrast, C70, and early Golfs are likely to be closer to the full £1.5k budget, and therefore could cost twice as much as one of the above.

The E30 is looking like a £2k car, and at that cost {and the risk of leading the thread off topic from finding a Shed Cabrio} one of these also fits the original criteria...

CLK320

Edited by kiwifraser on Wednesday 25th January 11:58