Characterful classic-ish daily?
Discussion
I don't know if this is the right place to post this, or if it should have been in the Car Buying section, but i guess that some here might know a bit about these cars, so here goes!
I'm looking for a car that makes me smile! Something engaging, something a bit special, something with a bucket load of character.
It doesn’t necessarily have to be the sharpest handling or the fastest car of all time, but i am after a sporty character, so a big ol’ S-class is not what i’m looking for.
When browsing around it’s usually cars from the late ‘70s and ‘80s that catch my interest, which is why i seek inputs from people with more knowledge and experience with cars from this era since i can’t just go down to the local dealer and try one out.
Now, the car is not going to have all the best conditions that a classic-ish motor could hope for.
Besides the fun trips around the countryside on a sunny summers eve, it has to take me 8 miles/12 km each way to and from work every day - also in rain, snow, and salt.
It’s going to be parked outside in the open, both at work and at home. It will hopefully get a roof to sleep under during next year, but it is by no means going to be an enclosed garage with heated flooring or anything like that.
I am going to do all i can to keep it clean and protected from unintended weight reduction (rust), and if something does show up it’s getting treated as quickly as possible.
I can do basic servicing, belts, brakes and maybe some larger jobs too, provided that they are fairly straight forward and i have a good guide to follow. But i don’t want to wrench on it every weekend. Parts availability is also a concern on some cars.
My budget is fairly small - just to make things easier.. We have some intricate taxes here in Denmark, so it depends on the specific model what i can afford. Somewhere around the £8-10.000 mark is probably not off by a lot.
I keep coming back to these three
Mazda MX-5 NA
Porsche 924 2.0
BMW E21 320i/323i
The Mazda is a strong contender! Reliable, great fun to drive, endless customisation possibilities.
There is not really anything wrong with the Mazda as such, but i am wondering if the Porsche or the BMW would feel more special since they are that bit older and possibly provide the more authentic classic experience - you know, the sound, feeling, connection with the car - all the clichés you can think of!
I have no idea how suitable the 924 and E21 are for daily driving though. My impression is that they are pretty strong motors, but at the same time i fear that their age will start to show and i would have to potentially rebuild an old expensive fuel injection system - and possibly a lot of other things - fairly often to keep them running smoothly? Or do they just work, providing they haven’t been neglected?
I would love to hear your thoughts and inputs on this! What would your choice be? Are there other cars i should consider? Am i overthinking this and creating problems regarding daily driving that don’t exist?
TLDR:
Rugged, dependable, sporty ‘80s car for daily duties that puts a big smile on my face for £8k or less? Talk to me!
Thanks!
I'm looking for a car that makes me smile! Something engaging, something a bit special, something with a bucket load of character.
It doesn’t necessarily have to be the sharpest handling or the fastest car of all time, but i am after a sporty character, so a big ol’ S-class is not what i’m looking for.
When browsing around it’s usually cars from the late ‘70s and ‘80s that catch my interest, which is why i seek inputs from people with more knowledge and experience with cars from this era since i can’t just go down to the local dealer and try one out.
Now, the car is not going to have all the best conditions that a classic-ish motor could hope for.
Besides the fun trips around the countryside on a sunny summers eve, it has to take me 8 miles/12 km each way to and from work every day - also in rain, snow, and salt.
It’s going to be parked outside in the open, both at work and at home. It will hopefully get a roof to sleep under during next year, but it is by no means going to be an enclosed garage with heated flooring or anything like that.
I am going to do all i can to keep it clean and protected from unintended weight reduction (rust), and if something does show up it’s getting treated as quickly as possible.
I can do basic servicing, belts, brakes and maybe some larger jobs too, provided that they are fairly straight forward and i have a good guide to follow. But i don’t want to wrench on it every weekend. Parts availability is also a concern on some cars.
My budget is fairly small - just to make things easier.. We have some intricate taxes here in Denmark, so it depends on the specific model what i can afford. Somewhere around the £8-10.000 mark is probably not off by a lot.
I keep coming back to these three
Mazda MX-5 NA
Porsche 924 2.0
BMW E21 320i/323i
The Mazda is a strong contender! Reliable, great fun to drive, endless customisation possibilities.
There is not really anything wrong with the Mazda as such, but i am wondering if the Porsche or the BMW would feel more special since they are that bit older and possibly provide the more authentic classic experience - you know, the sound, feeling, connection with the car - all the clichés you can think of!
I have no idea how suitable the 924 and E21 are for daily driving though. My impression is that they are pretty strong motors, but at the same time i fear that their age will start to show and i would have to potentially rebuild an old expensive fuel injection system - and possibly a lot of other things - fairly often to keep them running smoothly? Or do they just work, providing they haven’t been neglected?
I would love to hear your thoughts and inputs on this! What would your choice be? Are there other cars i should consider? Am i overthinking this and creating problems regarding daily driving that don’t exist?
TLDR:
Rugged, dependable, sporty ‘80s car for daily duties that puts a big smile on my face for £8k or less? Talk to me!
Thanks!
Lockguard said:
I don't know if this is the right place to post this, or if it should have been in the Car Buying section, but i guess that some here might know a bit about these cars, so here goes!
I'm looking for a car that makes me smile! Something engaging, something a bit special, something with a bucket load of character.
It doesn’t necessarily have to be the sharpest handling or the fastest car of all time, but i am after a sporty character, so a big ol’ S-class is not what i’m looking for.
When browsing around it’s usually cars from the late ‘70s and ‘80s that catch my interest, which is why i seek inputs from people with more knowledge and experience with cars from this era since i can’t just go down to the local dealer and try one out.
Now, the car is not going to have all the best conditions that a classic-ish motor could hope for.
Besides the fun trips around the countryside on a sunny summers eve, it has to take me 8 miles/12 km each way to and from work every day - also in rain, snow, and salt.
It’s going to be parked outside in the open, both at work and at home. It will hopefully get a roof to sleep under during next year, but it is by no means going to be an enclosed garage with heated flooring or anything like that.
I am going to do all i can to keep it clean and protected from unintended weight reduction (rust), and if something does show up it’s getting treated as quickly as possible.
I can do basic servicing, belts, brakes and maybe some larger jobs too, provided that they are fairly straight forward and i have a good guide to follow. But i don’t want to wrench on it every weekend. Parts availability is also a concern on some cars.
My budget is fairly small - just to make things easier.. We have some intricate taxes here in Denmark, so it depends on the specific model what i can afford. Somewhere around the £8-10.000 mark is probably not off by a lot.
I keep coming back to these three
Mazda MX-5 NA
Porsche 924 2.0
BMW E21 320i/323i
The Mazda is a strong contender! Reliable, great fun to drive, endless customisation possibilities.
There is not really anything wrong with the Mazda as such, but i am wondering if the Porsche or the BMW would feel more special since they are that bit older and possibly provide the more authentic classic experience - you know, the sound, feeling, connection with the car - all the clichés you can think of!
I have no idea how suitable the 924 and E21 are for daily driving though. My impression is that they are pretty strong motors, but at the same time i fear that their age will start to show and i would have to potentially rebuild an old expensive fuel injection system - and possibly a lot of other things - fairly often to keep them running smoothly? Or do they just work, providing they haven’t been neglected?
I would love to hear your thoughts and inputs on this! What would your choice be? Are there other cars i should consider? Am i overthinking this and creating problems regarding daily driving that don’t exist?
TLDR:
Rugged, dependable, sporty ‘80s car for daily duties that puts a big smile on my face for £8k or less? Talk to me!
Thanks!
2 Cars I've kept as dailies and enjoyed as special cars too are the Classic shape Saab 900 Turbo. Immensely practical and in my mind pretty cool too. You'll get a good one at that money that will only go one way in value,in my mind. I'm looking for a car that makes me smile! Something engaging, something a bit special, something with a bucket load of character.
It doesn’t necessarily have to be the sharpest handling or the fastest car of all time, but i am after a sporty character, so a big ol’ S-class is not what i’m looking for.
When browsing around it’s usually cars from the late ‘70s and ‘80s that catch my interest, which is why i seek inputs from people with more knowledge and experience with cars from this era since i can’t just go down to the local dealer and try one out.
Now, the car is not going to have all the best conditions that a classic-ish motor could hope for.
Besides the fun trips around the countryside on a sunny summers eve, it has to take me 8 miles/12 km each way to and from work every day - also in rain, snow, and salt.
It’s going to be parked outside in the open, both at work and at home. It will hopefully get a roof to sleep under during next year, but it is by no means going to be an enclosed garage with heated flooring or anything like that.
I am going to do all i can to keep it clean and protected from unintended weight reduction (rust), and if something does show up it’s getting treated as quickly as possible.
I can do basic servicing, belts, brakes and maybe some larger jobs too, provided that they are fairly straight forward and i have a good guide to follow. But i don’t want to wrench on it every weekend. Parts availability is also a concern on some cars.
My budget is fairly small - just to make things easier.. We have some intricate taxes here in Denmark, so it depends on the specific model what i can afford. Somewhere around the £8-10.000 mark is probably not off by a lot.
I keep coming back to these three
Mazda MX-5 NA
Porsche 924 2.0
BMW E21 320i/323i
The Mazda is a strong contender! Reliable, great fun to drive, endless customisation possibilities.
There is not really anything wrong with the Mazda as such, but i am wondering if the Porsche or the BMW would feel more special since they are that bit older and possibly provide the more authentic classic experience - you know, the sound, feeling, connection with the car - all the clichés you can think of!
I have no idea how suitable the 924 and E21 are for daily driving though. My impression is that they are pretty strong motors, but at the same time i fear that their age will start to show and i would have to potentially rebuild an old expensive fuel injection system - and possibly a lot of other things - fairly often to keep them running smoothly? Or do they just work, providing they haven’t been neglected?
I would love to hear your thoughts and inputs on this! What would your choice be? Are there other cars i should consider? Am i overthinking this and creating problems regarding daily driving that don’t exist?
TLDR:
Rugged, dependable, sporty ‘80s car for daily duties that puts a big smile on my face for £8k or less? Talk to me!
Thanks!
The next may not be so obvious as a daily but an S3 or S4 Alfa Spider. I had an S4 (early 90's, last of classic shape) and drove it everyday for work, parked on street for 5 years and it was superb. You'll be tight with the budget but there are Autumn bargains to be had. Theres always the later incarnation 916 Spider/ GTV too.
Good luck
JimmyJam said:
Lockguard said:
I don't know if this is the right place to post this, or if it should have been in the Car Buying section, but i guess that some here might know a bit about these cars, so here goes!
I'm looking for a car that makes me smile! Something engaging, something a bit special, something with a bucket load of character.
It doesn’t necessarily have to be the sharpest handling or the fastest car of all time, but i am after a sporty character, so a big ol’ S-class is not what i’m looking for.
When browsing around it’s usually cars from the late ‘70s and ‘80s that catch my interest, which is why i seek inputs from people with more knowledge and experience with cars from this era since i can’t just go down to the local dealer and try one out.
Now, the car is not going to have all the best conditions that a classic-ish motor could hope for.
Besides the fun trips around the countryside on a sunny summers eve, it has to take me 8 miles/12 km each way to and from work every day - also in rain, snow, and salt.
It’s going to be parked outside in the open, both at work and at home. It will hopefully get a roof to sleep under during next year, but it is by no means going to be an enclosed garage with heated flooring or anything like that.
I am going to do all i can to keep it clean and protected from unintended weight reduction (rust), and if something does show up it’s getting treated as quickly as possible.
I can do basic servicing, belts, brakes and maybe some larger jobs too, provided that they are fairly straight forward and i have a good guide to follow. But i don’t want to wrench on it every weekend. Parts availability is also a concern on some cars.
My budget is fairly small - just to make things easier.. We have some intricate taxes here in Denmark, so it depends on the specific model what i can afford. Somewhere around the £8-10.000 mark is probably not off by a lot.
I keep coming back to these three
Mazda MX-5 NA
Porsche 924 2.0
BMW E21 320i/323i
The Mazda is a strong contender! Reliable, great fun to drive, endless customisation possibilities.
There is not really anything wrong with the Mazda as such, but i am wondering if the Porsche or the BMW would feel more special since they are that bit older and possibly provide the more authentic classic experience - you know, the sound, feeling, connection with the car - all the clichés you can think of!
I have no idea how suitable the 924 and E21 are for daily driving though. My impression is that they are pretty strong motors, but at the same time i fear that their age will start to show and i would have to potentially rebuild an old expensive fuel injection system - and possibly a lot of other things - fairly often to keep them running smoothly? Or do they just work, providing they haven’t been neglected?
I would love to hear your thoughts and inputs on this! What would your choice be? Are there other cars i should consider? Am i overthinking this and creating problems regarding daily driving that don’t exist?
TLDR:
Rugged, dependable, sporty ‘80s car for daily duties that puts a big smile on my face for £8k or less? Talk to me!
Thanks!
2 Cars I've kept as dailies and enjoyed as special cars too are the Classic shape Saab 900 Turbo. Immensely practical and in my mind pretty cool too. You'll get a good one at that money that will only go one way in value,in my mind. I'm looking for a car that makes me smile! Something engaging, something a bit special, something with a bucket load of character.
It doesn’t necessarily have to be the sharpest handling or the fastest car of all time, but i am after a sporty character, so a big ol’ S-class is not what i’m looking for.
When browsing around it’s usually cars from the late ‘70s and ‘80s that catch my interest, which is why i seek inputs from people with more knowledge and experience with cars from this era since i can’t just go down to the local dealer and try one out.
Now, the car is not going to have all the best conditions that a classic-ish motor could hope for.
Besides the fun trips around the countryside on a sunny summers eve, it has to take me 8 miles/12 km each way to and from work every day - also in rain, snow, and salt.
It’s going to be parked outside in the open, both at work and at home. It will hopefully get a roof to sleep under during next year, but it is by no means going to be an enclosed garage with heated flooring or anything like that.
I am going to do all i can to keep it clean and protected from unintended weight reduction (rust), and if something does show up it’s getting treated as quickly as possible.
I can do basic servicing, belts, brakes and maybe some larger jobs too, provided that they are fairly straight forward and i have a good guide to follow. But i don’t want to wrench on it every weekend. Parts availability is also a concern on some cars.
My budget is fairly small - just to make things easier.. We have some intricate taxes here in Denmark, so it depends on the specific model what i can afford. Somewhere around the £8-10.000 mark is probably not off by a lot.
I keep coming back to these three
Mazda MX-5 NA
Porsche 924 2.0
BMW E21 320i/323i
The Mazda is a strong contender! Reliable, great fun to drive, endless customisation possibilities.
There is not really anything wrong with the Mazda as such, but i am wondering if the Porsche or the BMW would feel more special since they are that bit older and possibly provide the more authentic classic experience - you know, the sound, feeling, connection with the car - all the clichés you can think of!
I have no idea how suitable the 924 and E21 are for daily driving though. My impression is that they are pretty strong motors, but at the same time i fear that their age will start to show and i would have to potentially rebuild an old expensive fuel injection system - and possibly a lot of other things - fairly often to keep them running smoothly? Or do they just work, providing they haven’t been neglected?
I would love to hear your thoughts and inputs on this! What would your choice be? Are there other cars i should consider? Am i overthinking this and creating problems regarding daily driving that don’t exist?
TLDR:
Rugged, dependable, sporty ‘80s car for daily duties that puts a big smile on my face for £8k or less? Talk to me!
Thanks!
Also, Volvo 240 Turbo would be on my list for the same reasons, but one of these may well be out of budget by now, as quite rare and sought after.
With your location, I wouldn't be looking at anything other than something Swedish or German.
The problem you will have at your low end budget, with any of your choices is going to be RUST, RUST and more RUST and may require lots of money spent now rather than at, as well as any point in the future.
Of your choices the Mazda is likely going to be the hardest thing to source parts for. The Porsche should be the easiest (possibly).
The E21 is a great choice, but again, finding one that isn't already a rust bucket is going to be tough, and maybe already beyond your budget.
Edited by aeropilot on Wednesday 29th May 12:07
As an ex 924 owner
Good cars very underrated.
Rust not such an issue as most were galvanised from about 1980 onwards. Cills and valances can still rust. The 2.0 can suffer from a cold start problem which can be worked around by a bypass. Cams are non interference so no worries there. Gearbox work can be a pig, its transaxle so quite heavy work. Fueltanks can rust and they are a transaxle out job to change.
Some suffer from rough running,cutting out and I have seen it test some owners to the point of giving up. Interiors suffer from sun damage as most cars of that era do.
If your budget will stretch to the S, bear in mind it is virtually the same as a 944 mechanically so has proper Porsche costs to match. The 2.0 shares lots of mechanical parts from the VW/Audi parts bin. Stay away from the turbo unless its going to be a toy car/ 2nd car for the weekends
The owners club
https://porsche924.co.uk/
Are a great bunch very knowledgeable.
An E21 is a lovely car, but here in the UK a clean one is £10k plus, anything cheaper will be requiring work. Cool,very cool car.
The MX5 is the MX5 , not much more to be said, massive following, huge support (in the UK anyway) great fun and if you had to trust a car to start every day it would win hands down every time, just check for rust and check again.Oh did I say check for rust? Yes check for rust.
Have you considered a MK2 Golf Gti? Not quite silly money yet, finding an unmolested one can be tricky. Good support for parts and clubs.Should also be quite reliable.
Saab as previously mentioned is a good shout to.
Good cars very underrated.
Rust not such an issue as most were galvanised from about 1980 onwards. Cills and valances can still rust. The 2.0 can suffer from a cold start problem which can be worked around by a bypass. Cams are non interference so no worries there. Gearbox work can be a pig, its transaxle so quite heavy work. Fueltanks can rust and they are a transaxle out job to change.
Some suffer from rough running,cutting out and I have seen it test some owners to the point of giving up. Interiors suffer from sun damage as most cars of that era do.
If your budget will stretch to the S, bear in mind it is virtually the same as a 944 mechanically so has proper Porsche costs to match. The 2.0 shares lots of mechanical parts from the VW/Audi parts bin. Stay away from the turbo unless its going to be a toy car/ 2nd car for the weekends
The owners club
https://porsche924.co.uk/
Are a great bunch very knowledgeable.
An E21 is a lovely car, but here in the UK a clean one is £10k plus, anything cheaper will be requiring work. Cool,very cool car.
The MX5 is the MX5 , not much more to be said, massive following, huge support (in the UK anyway) great fun and if you had to trust a car to start every day it would win hands down every time, just check for rust and check again.Oh did I say check for rust? Yes check for rust.
Have you considered a MK2 Golf Gti? Not quite silly money yet, finding an unmolested one can be tricky. Good support for parts and clubs.Should also be quite reliable.
Saab as previously mentioned is a good shout to.
Thank you all for your inputs! Lots of interesting suggestions, greatly appreciated! Although some of them fall a bit short in the “feel special” category in my own picky mind they are great cars for sure! Will be looking closer at some of them.
I think i may have underestimated my budget a little, or maybe market values are just different between DK and UK.
There is a very nice NA MX-5 with just over 50.000 miles/80.000 km as rust free as they get - only spot was at de edge of the trim plate on the door sill. It has been undersealed. This is within budget with a little to spare - priced at rouhly £12k, but minus taxes it translates to around £8-9k.
There is also a nice looking E21 323i - looks very clean on the pictures, but haven't seen it in person. It is slightly out of budget, but not more than i could find the money for it, if it's the right one.
The Alfa Spider doesn't really speak to me - at least not in the later generations, and the earlier ones are way out of budget or in need of TLC..
E28 and E34 are too big. E30 is an option, but i struggle to find nice ones within budget, and i do find the E21 more interesting.
Great stuff bristolracer! Very informative on the 924! What is your personal opinion - would it be suitable for the task? I would go for the 2.0 to keep running costs down.
If anyone could give similar details on owning an E21 it would be much appreciated!
I’m well aware of the rust issues on the MX-5. They all have rust, it’s just a question of how much..
I think i may have underestimated my budget a little, or maybe market values are just different between DK and UK.
There is a very nice NA MX-5 with just over 50.000 miles/80.000 km as rust free as they get - only spot was at de edge of the trim plate on the door sill. It has been undersealed. This is within budget with a little to spare - priced at rouhly £12k, but minus taxes it translates to around £8-9k.
There is also a nice looking E21 323i - looks very clean on the pictures, but haven't seen it in person. It is slightly out of budget, but not more than i could find the money for it, if it's the right one.
The Alfa Spider doesn't really speak to me - at least not in the later generations, and the earlier ones are way out of budget or in need of TLC..
E28 and E34 are too big. E30 is an option, but i struggle to find nice ones within budget, and i do find the E21 more interesting.
Great stuff bristolracer! Very informative on the 924! What is your personal opinion - would it be suitable for the task? I would go for the 2.0 to keep running costs down.
If anyone could give similar details on owning an E21 it would be much appreciated!
I’m well aware of the rust issues on the MX-5. They all have rust, it’s just a question of how much..
I can offer some personal experience on the 924 as I'm running one currently - a 2.0L naturally aspirated 'Lux'
Mine underwent a pretty comprehensive round of recommissioning prior to being pressed into service but that was more down to a protracted period of idleness and wanting it to be reliable as I knew I wanted to be driving it as much as possible.
It's proven to be excellent!
It very much gives the 'classic experience' whilst also being amazingly civilised and competent in modern traffic. I'm often staggered by just how good it really is for a 40 year old car. It handles surprisingly well, goes ok (it's not 'quick' by any real standard), rides very nicely and is even pretty easy on the motorway. Even better, I can use 100% of the performance all the time if I want to and have an awful lot of fun without getting into big trouble whilst doing it.... It's even alright on fuel (28ish mpg). I really like the fact that it's practical too. The four seats is a bonus for me (with kids) and the hatchback is surprisingly capacious (it even swallowed a two drawer filing cabinet once!), yet the car is still tiny by modern comparison. If you get one with the huge sunroof you get to enjoy wind-in-the-hair motoring too.
I really like the styling, personally. I think it's a good shape that has aged well.
Parts and service wise it's been a doddle. The parts are readily available and dirt cheap with lots of commonality between VW models, e.g. the rear brakes are late VW Beetle! The engines appear to be as tough as old boots and the whole thing is pretty easy to work on, bar the odd major job as eluded to above (clutch, gearbox and fuel tank work is ... shall we say, involved!). The fuel injection system is good old Bosch K-Jetronic - it's mechanical and genius in it's functionality. When working properly it's a delight. It can be less so after years of neglect and deterioration though.... There are quite a lot of components that ALL have to be working properly for it to work harmoniously, so it pays to understand it and be sympathetic with repair and maintenance. The key to this is either finding a proper old-school mechanic / garage who knows K Jet inside out, or to become well versed in it yourself. It's very simple once understood, eminently DIY-able and there is plenty of info on the web to assist.
Vital places to check for rust include battery box and back end of sills where the subframe pick up points are. Rust in the battery box is a pig to fix properly as there are numerous panels that come together, it constantly fills with water by design and HAS to be waterproof to prevent water getting on the fusebox and electrics which are inside the car directly underneath - a leaking battery box will bring a world of gremlins in due course. The back of the sills is also a relatively involved repair as you usually end up having to cut off the outer sill to be able to get to the inner sill to effect the repairs - check this area carefully. Further rust traps include the base of the front wings behind the wheels and around the rear hatch, but overall they rust far less than contemporaneous tin.
Other potential issues include cracked dash tops and worn out front seats on early cars 'they all do that, sir'; deteriorated wiring in the engine bay causing hot start issues (an easy and cheap DIY fix or work around); non-working heater fan motors on early cars (pre-'81 I think) which is a dash out job to change... but that's about it from what I recall. The later cars offer some worthwhile improvements over the early ones, but I do like the purity in the pre-'80 colours and designs.
One of things that has surprised me most having grown up in an era when 924s were commonplace and even frowned upon as the "poor man's Porsche" is what a positive reception it receives today, particularly amongst younger generations. I have old cars for me and don't really care what other people think of them, but it's been amusing to encounter several 'yoof' proclaiming how 'cool' it is or asking 'what is it?'. They are certainly being appreciated more than ever and about time in my opinion, it's a very capable, enjoyable classic and deserves to be well supported by discerning owners.
Mine underwent a pretty comprehensive round of recommissioning prior to being pressed into service but that was more down to a protracted period of idleness and wanting it to be reliable as I knew I wanted to be driving it as much as possible.
It's proven to be excellent!
It very much gives the 'classic experience' whilst also being amazingly civilised and competent in modern traffic. I'm often staggered by just how good it really is for a 40 year old car. It handles surprisingly well, goes ok (it's not 'quick' by any real standard), rides very nicely and is even pretty easy on the motorway. Even better, I can use 100% of the performance all the time if I want to and have an awful lot of fun without getting into big trouble whilst doing it.... It's even alright on fuel (28ish mpg). I really like the fact that it's practical too. The four seats is a bonus for me (with kids) and the hatchback is surprisingly capacious (it even swallowed a two drawer filing cabinet once!), yet the car is still tiny by modern comparison. If you get one with the huge sunroof you get to enjoy wind-in-the-hair motoring too.
I really like the styling, personally. I think it's a good shape that has aged well.
Parts and service wise it's been a doddle. The parts are readily available and dirt cheap with lots of commonality between VW models, e.g. the rear brakes are late VW Beetle! The engines appear to be as tough as old boots and the whole thing is pretty easy to work on, bar the odd major job as eluded to above (clutch, gearbox and fuel tank work is ... shall we say, involved!). The fuel injection system is good old Bosch K-Jetronic - it's mechanical and genius in it's functionality. When working properly it's a delight. It can be less so after years of neglect and deterioration though.... There are quite a lot of components that ALL have to be working properly for it to work harmoniously, so it pays to understand it and be sympathetic with repair and maintenance. The key to this is either finding a proper old-school mechanic / garage who knows K Jet inside out, or to become well versed in it yourself. It's very simple once understood, eminently DIY-able and there is plenty of info on the web to assist.
Vital places to check for rust include battery box and back end of sills where the subframe pick up points are. Rust in the battery box is a pig to fix properly as there are numerous panels that come together, it constantly fills with water by design and HAS to be waterproof to prevent water getting on the fusebox and electrics which are inside the car directly underneath - a leaking battery box will bring a world of gremlins in due course. The back of the sills is also a relatively involved repair as you usually end up having to cut off the outer sill to be able to get to the inner sill to effect the repairs - check this area carefully. Further rust traps include the base of the front wings behind the wheels and around the rear hatch, but overall they rust far less than contemporaneous tin.
Other potential issues include cracked dash tops and worn out front seats on early cars 'they all do that, sir'; deteriorated wiring in the engine bay causing hot start issues (an easy and cheap DIY fix or work around); non-working heater fan motors on early cars (pre-'81 I think) which is a dash out job to change... but that's about it from what I recall. The later cars offer some worthwhile improvements over the early ones, but I do like the purity in the pre-'80 colours and designs.
One of things that has surprised me most having grown up in an era when 924s were commonplace and even frowned upon as the "poor man's Porsche" is what a positive reception it receives today, particularly amongst younger generations. I have old cars for me and don't really care what other people think of them, but it's been amusing to encounter several 'yoof' proclaiming how 'cool' it is or asking 'what is it?'. They are certainly being appreciated more than ever and about time in my opinion, it's a very capable, enjoyable classic and deserves to be well supported by discerning owners.
Lockguard said:
Great stuff bristolracer! Very informative on the 924! What is your personal opinion - would it be suitable for the task?
Thats the $64000 question...The youngest will be about 30 years old now. Would you trust any 30 year old car to reliably work? Do you have a backup plan when it wont go? How will a 30 year old car fare in Scandinavian winter conditions?
Out of any of your choices the Mazda will probably be the most reliable
Here in the uk cars are really cheap, we mostly run classics as second cars so they are rarely used day to day.
All of your choices are fine cars,and were when new generally reliable Only you can really answer if you have the time, spirit and patience to run an old car daily.
I've owned an E21 ( a Baur ) for about 6 years now. I replaced the sills, did all the bushes and brakes, and put in the engine from a 318is. Since then it's been very reliable, low maintenance and very economical to run. Having just finished the long term restoration of something else, the Baur is about to be sold. I'll miss it 😭
I am absolutely blown away by all your responses and the quality of them!
Larrylamb
Thank you for that! Very useful! Is yours an early or later model?
Bristolracer
We don't really have cold winters here. I think we had temperatures down to around -8C and one week with a bit of snow this last winter, so not really that bad.
We do also have a sensible car in the household, and I could take the bike to work if I really needed to. But I see your points!
Generally I get the impression that all three - and now more with your suggestions - are pretty good candidates to fulfill my wishes, provided that I can get a fairly well sorted one. I don't see any huge red flags and risk of breaking the bank. Of course there's going to be the odd thing from time to time, but as long as it's DIY-able for an average Joe like me, then I don't see it as a deal breaker.
This hasn't made it any easier to choose though..
Larrylamb
Thank you for that! Very useful! Is yours an early or later model?
Bristolracer
We don't really have cold winters here. I think we had temperatures down to around -8C and one week with a bit of snow this last winter, so not really that bad.
We do also have a sensible car in the household, and I could take the bike to work if I really needed to. But I see your points!
Generally I get the impression that all three - and now more with your suggestions - are pretty good candidates to fulfill my wishes, provided that I can get a fairly well sorted one. I don't see any huge red flags and risk of breaking the bank. Of course there's going to be the odd thing from time to time, but as long as it's DIY-able for an average Joe like me, then I don't see it as a deal breaker.
This hasn't made it any easier to choose though..
I'll put in a vote for the 944 as a daily driver; I'm on my second. The early ones (pre-85, so-called square-dash) share a lot with the 924 including battery box rot and petrol tank woes. I did have lots of electrical problems with my first one before it got written off in an accident after which I went straight out and found another, slightly later "oval-dash" model. Much better electrics, all fuses and relays brought together under the bonnet - and for RHD cars the battery was moved to the boot. Also the fuel tank was replaced with a plastic one. As I understand it, the same mods were not made to the contemporary 924. You should certainly be able to find a good 944 in the UK for well under £10K and they're great fun on the twisties. I'd avoid the Pasha interiors unless you enjoy migraines. Sills are always the first area to look for problems and you need to know when the belts were last changed.
Have a read of this and I'll wager you'll decide on a 924 (which I think is a brilliant choice, and one that I can see going up in value, even toying with the idea myself)
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Well, a lot of you have suggested different cars so i'm going to give them a run down.
Saab 900
Don't know a lot about these, but i do kinda like the way the look. They definitely score high on the character scale! I'm not so sure i would really want to own one though, but i am going to investigate a some more - they do catch my interest.
Volvo 240
The good old tank! Doesn't really spark anything in me though. Maybe i'm not dentist enough.. Probably also a bit too far on the boring/casual side of "sporty character"
Mk2 Golf GTi
I have been looking at both the Mk1 and Mk2 Golfs since they have a massive following. I'm sure they are a laugh to take out on a small country road with loads of twisties - but it doesn't quite feel special enough to me, at least not the Mk2. Might take a look at the Mk1 again.
VW Corrado
The Corrado is a bit too modern in this comparison. Your suggestion reminded me of the Mk1 Scirocco though, but they might be out of budget for the nice ones.
Fiat Coupé
Interesting car, and it has crossed my mind a few times! I would of course prefer the 5 cylinder for sound reasons, but like the Corrado though it is a bit too modern.
Audi 80 Coupé
The very early ones (B1) i like! And i did actually forget about this car. The newer ones i like not so much.. I did actually look at an early one for sale a few years ago, but it didn't come through. Don't know if it would be a bit hard pressed with only 4 gears and 75 bhp on a good day though. Will need to investigate!
Honda CRX
I know it's a nice driving car, but like some of the others here i would like to drive one, but i'm not so sure i want to own one..
Mercedes W124
Beautiful motor! Falls short on sportyness. There is a dark blue W123 for sale around the corner from where i live - the thought crosses my mind everytime i go by, but it's not what i am after.
Porsche 944
Obvious contender since i am considering the 924, but the 944 is sadly just too expensive here..
Triumph Dolomite
As little as i know about it, i do actually like it! But at the moment, there is one(!) for sale in the entire Europe that fits within budget, and doesn't look too bad..
Ford XR2/3
I'm not sure i have ever seen any of these in real life actually.. But again, they don't really do enough for me to consider one.
I think that's all of them covered so far. Thank you all for your suggestions and don't hold back if you think of somehting else. Sorry if it seems like i just reject every other suggestion than my own - but i have been looking seriously at this for a few months now, and many times before. Am i picky and difficult to satisfy? You bet i am! But hopefully this car will be with me for a lot of years, so i want to make sure i pick the right one.
The 924 is getting a lot of love here. The MX-5 is still the obvious choise - as i said before, it doesn't do anything wrong, but the 924 keeps appearing in the back of my head. There is one for sale close to me. It definitely wouldn't bring home any throphies at a concours, but i need to take a closer look at it to see how i gel with it.
Saab 900
Don't know a lot about these, but i do kinda like the way the look. They definitely score high on the character scale! I'm not so sure i would really want to own one though, but i am going to investigate a some more - they do catch my interest.
Volvo 240
The good old tank! Doesn't really spark anything in me though. Maybe i'm not dentist enough.. Probably also a bit too far on the boring/casual side of "sporty character"
Mk2 Golf GTi
I have been looking at both the Mk1 and Mk2 Golfs since they have a massive following. I'm sure they are a laugh to take out on a small country road with loads of twisties - but it doesn't quite feel special enough to me, at least not the Mk2. Might take a look at the Mk1 again.
VW Corrado
The Corrado is a bit too modern in this comparison. Your suggestion reminded me of the Mk1 Scirocco though, but they might be out of budget for the nice ones.
Fiat Coupé
Interesting car, and it has crossed my mind a few times! I would of course prefer the 5 cylinder for sound reasons, but like the Corrado though it is a bit too modern.
Audi 80 Coupé
The very early ones (B1) i like! And i did actually forget about this car. The newer ones i like not so much.. I did actually look at an early one for sale a few years ago, but it didn't come through. Don't know if it would be a bit hard pressed with only 4 gears and 75 bhp on a good day though. Will need to investigate!
Honda CRX
I know it's a nice driving car, but like some of the others here i would like to drive one, but i'm not so sure i want to own one..
Mercedes W124
Beautiful motor! Falls short on sportyness. There is a dark blue W123 for sale around the corner from where i live - the thought crosses my mind everytime i go by, but it's not what i am after.
Porsche 944
Obvious contender since i am considering the 924, but the 944 is sadly just too expensive here..
Triumph Dolomite
As little as i know about it, i do actually like it! But at the moment, there is one(!) for sale in the entire Europe that fits within budget, and doesn't look too bad..
Ford XR2/3
I'm not sure i have ever seen any of these in real life actually.. But again, they don't really do enough for me to consider one.
I think that's all of them covered so far. Thank you all for your suggestions and don't hold back if you think of somehting else. Sorry if it seems like i just reject every other suggestion than my own - but i have been looking seriously at this for a few months now, and many times before. Am i picky and difficult to satisfy? You bet i am! But hopefully this car will be with me for a lot of years, so i want to make sure i pick the right one.
The 924 is getting a lot of love here. The MX-5 is still the obvious choise - as i said before, it doesn't do anything wrong, but the 924 keeps appearing in the back of my head. There is one for sale close to me. It definitely wouldn't bring home any throphies at a concours, but i need to take a closer look at it to see how i gel with it.
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