Car Shopping

[ali_kat]

Ok, I need a car; I can't keep borrowing off my mate, he likes to be able to drive it too!

Has to be fun to drive
Has to be a convertible
Has to have a boot!
Has to be pretty
Has to be under £3k

I'm kinda thinking

Triumph TR7
Triumph Spitfire
Toyota MR2 Roadster
Alfa Romeo Spyder
Mazda MX5
BMW Z3


Thoughts for/against any of these?

I've had a Spitfire & MX5 before

[ali_kat]

Fleckers said:

for the love of god scratch this from the list Triumph TR7

Reasoning?

[ali_kat]

robsco said:

A TVR S1? Maybe even an S2 if you'd stretch your budget just a few hundred quid.

I don't have a garage & it needs to be reliable without one

[ali_kat]

YBTurbo said:

Get a 300ZX targa-top


Or if it must be a full convertable, a Toyota Celica ?

Neither are to my 'taste' I'm sorry to say

[ali_kat]

NiceCupOfTea said:

MR2 doesn't have a boot does it?

I would be looking at the Alfa or the Z3 (6-pot, natch). Nowt wrong with the MX5, but if you've already done it...

Don't think so, but it IS pretty

Ah, now you see a mate has told me that Alfa's go wrong @ this age & can cost thousands

I don't know anyone with an 'old' Z3 to advise me about them, but se plenty about so that is tempting me more than the MX5

However, I have ALWAYS wanted a TR7 and adored my Spitfire, as the one I've seen is yellow

[ali_kat]

robsco said:

I'm not being funny, but is a Triumph going to be reliable? That, and in the TVR there's very little going on in the way of electrics, and a solid, dependable Ford V6 under the bonnet. Fair enough, build quality might be a bit flaky, but I can't imagine you'd have a great deal of issues if you got one with a strong chassis.

That said, I might be massively wrong.

Based on past experience

Plus, the TVR is a very heavy car to drive (again, based on personal experience), the Spitfire is quite light in comparison.

[ali_kat]

ironictwist said:

ali, you can see all about my '5 on FB through the bundles of photo albums about it's adventures. It fits the criteria to a tee, you could nab a supercharged one for that money too.

But had 2...

And it is the 'sensible' choice...

[ali_kat]

robsco said:

Don't worry about the so called reliability issues with Alfas by the way. I'm on my third now, with no major problems.

[ali_kat]

McAndy said:

How much of a boot? Mine has taken The Whiff, me, two bags of shopping and my camera gear. Also two people + two laptops fairly comfortably for the commute. I love it!

Reader's cars link

More information on costs in my garage section.

That much will do

[ali_kat]

James P said:

No idea of prices but how about a Reliant SS1? 1.8 Nissan turbo and plastic body so should be fairly reliable (and tuneable).

ali_kat said:

Has to be pretty