4 seater mot/tax exempt convertibles?
Discussion
Hi everyone
Would like a weekend classic car for beginners. 4 seat convertible to get the wife involved. Days out, shows etc.
5k budget.
I've seen some old posts, nothing recent (all referencing on it as in adverts cannot be viewed) , but what I can see for the money is stags, beetles and Morris minors. Am I missing any others?
Is any better for beginners (parts more available etc) ? If I'm correct the 40 year I believe is rolling therefore maybe some I'm missing only a few years away from exemption. Or am I better just going modern as many are only £30 tax anyway. Any help/advice will be great! England, UK if that makes a difference.
Thankyou!
Would like a weekend classic car for beginners. 4 seat convertible to get the wife involved. Days out, shows etc.
5k budget.
I've seen some old posts, nothing recent (all referencing on it as in adverts cannot be viewed) , but what I can see for the money is stags, beetles and Morris minors. Am I missing any others?
Is any better for beginners (parts more available etc) ? If I'm correct the 40 year I believe is rolling therefore maybe some I'm missing only a few years away from exemption. Or am I better just going modern as many are only £30 tax anyway. Any help/advice will be great! England, UK if that makes a difference.
Thankyou!
Xcore said:
Morris minor convertible?
Was my first thought to although I agree with other suggestions of a later 80/90s car and paying for road tax might be more suitable especially if you want to be driving it more than tinkering with it. The Mercedes E class is an excellent suggestion. I'd also consider
- BMW 3 series E30/36 or perhaps even a Baur based conversion on a e21 for something from the 70s
- Saab 900 Pre GM era <1992
- Jaguar XK8 - a modern classic ,
I think you’ll struggle to get a decent stag for 5k so would avoid that for starters if you are a beginner. V8 so a lot of things to go wrong and put you off for life.
As an example I bought my stag for £5k 21 years ago and it was far from perfect. Had a full restoration 4 years ago at great expense so I’d not expect much from a £5k stag today.
Have you thought of a golf clipper? There should be a few in that price bracket.
As an example I bought my stag for £5k 21 years ago and it was far from perfect. Had a full restoration 4 years ago at great expense so I’d not expect much from a £5k stag today.
Have you thought of a golf clipper? There should be a few in that price bracket.
An original Saab 900 convertible is a nice thing but they do rot and are a little ‘floppy’ to say the least.
An e30 3-series Cab is a nice thing if you can find a good one for that money
A Mercedes W124 Cab is a lovely thing but be very careful at the £5k price point, even for the much less desirable 220
Don’t discount an early VW Golf Mk1 cabrio - decent ones are out there for your budget
Triumph Stags will be a minefield at your price point
You could get a very nice Herald or decent Vitesse at your price point, but they are quite antiquated in their feel
Depending how big you need the back seats to be, you could probably get a Lancia Beta Spyder that would be worth having at that money, albeit you may have to wait a while for one to come up
An e30 3-series Cab is a nice thing if you can find a good one for that money
A Mercedes W124 Cab is a lovely thing but be very careful at the £5k price point, even for the much less desirable 220
Don’t discount an early VW Golf Mk1 cabrio - decent ones are out there for your budget
Triumph Stags will be a minefield at your price point
You could get a very nice Herald or decent Vitesse at your price point, but they are quite antiquated in their feel
Depending how big you need the back seats to be, you could probably get a Lancia Beta Spyder that would be worth having at that money, albeit you may have to wait a while for one to come up
Very old, relatively cheap 4 seat convertibles are probably the worst introduction to classic cars.
Personally I'd be looking at 90's Merc, Volvo, BMW, Saab or Audi - easy to get a good one for sub £3k, decent hood and reasonable crash protection.
Unless you want to go LHD - some older American cars are great (in a crap way) Mustangs etc but you'd only get the unloved ones in budget.
Personally I'd be looking at 90's Merc, Volvo, BMW, Saab or Audi - easy to get a good one for sub £3k, decent hood and reasonable crash protection.
Unless you want to go LHD - some older American cars are great (in a crap way) Mustangs etc but you'd only get the unloved ones in budget.
Hi thanks for replies everyone. Definitely given me alot to think about. Some great points and suggestions I didn't consider. Would prefer something older, thin steering wheel, nice dash etc think mot testing them is a great idea both for myself and future sales. I think in my 5k price range I will go classic 50s to 70s morris or triumph. VW beetle/ golf cabriolet, escorts, would be next. I may go completely the other way and go modern around 2011 mini, a3, golf. As much as I like the mercs, audi and bmws of the 80s and 90s it's not what I want for this. When the merc triples in value by 2030 I'm sure I will have changed my mind 
ClaphamGT3 said:
RSTurboPaul said:
Didn't James May drive a classic Peugeot 504(??) convertible on a Top Gear challenge thing once?
It was a 304 which are either two seaters or an option very cramped 2+2. A 504 Convertible would be well outside the OP’s budgetGassing Station | Car Buying | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff