Still undecided.

So I'm at an automotive crossroads. Hopefully somebody out there has a great idea that will help me make a decision or two.

I bought a nice, clean 1991 Mercedes wagon last year. It's been a great car for us, but my wife hates to drive it. I think it's OK, but I'm not quite in love with it. It also gets about 16-18 mpg, so it's not quite as practical as I'd like for a daily driver.

Since she won't drive it and I don't love it, I'm thinking of either giving the Benz a facelift or trading for something more interesting. I consider the value of the Benz to be around $3k.

Is there a cooler, more classic car that could fill this role for similar money, or should I put some time and money into making the Benz look like this?

What would you do?

For me, how a car drives is everything. If you don't like driving it, then get rid of it.

Tom: I am not sure what role the car plays. It is a daily driver but for kids or material hauling. I would say to satisfy the wife first. (Not sure that this sounds right- Ha) Then look for a cool toy car. Combining both daily transport and cool in one car is difficult unless you put serious money on the table. Anything ten or more years old will have a higher than acceptable repair rate and spent too much time in a shop or waitng for you to fix it. We have a very reliable Honda Civic dd and the Fiat Spider (his) and Auto/AC Miata (hers). I can take my time to do any repairs. Cheers Ron

I don't think you can make them more 'interesting' if you don't like driving them now. The really late ones that have the next model's engine (like the one I just sold) are somewhat different to drive and maybe a little nicer but the general character of them doesn't change.

Thanks for the feedback, fellas. It's nice to kick ideas around, even though I think the answer is to stick with the Benz.

Our other cars are an early Subaru WRX (which is a great combination of practicality and fun) and my turbocharged Miata. Both of these are projects on the Grassroots Motorsports side, so they have to stay.

The Benz is supposed to be the practical car. Daily driver, no real need for massive storage capacity. It will haul kids regularly, but we can usually predict who's doing what and make sure they have the WRX.

Since the wife hates the Benz and fetches children more often than I, she uses the WRX about 90% of the time. This leaves me wide open to replace it with something interesting as long as it seats 4 and is (moderately) safe.

Alternatives I've considered-

Volvo (Not entirely different from the Benz, unless they're really old.)

Corvair (Not sure about one as a semi-daily driver, though)

Early Japanese econobox (Crank windows, manual transmission. Light, cheap, reliable.)

Early VW Rabbit (See above, probably less reliable but much cooler.)

I

With a bit of searching, $3k would buy you an AE86. How's that for a Japanese Econobox?

How about a BMW E28 (533i, 535i)? 4 doors, 5 speed 'box, great aftermarket support. Maybe an E21? $3k would buy a real nice 320i. Cheers, Scott

GSCReno wrote: How about a BMW E28 (533i, 535i)? 4 doors, 5 speed 'box, great aftermarket support.

This, times 100. Same tank-like construction as the Benz but with BMW fun-ness.

Unless you're talking early, early Datsun Z or 510 I confess Japanese cars are a total snooze-fest to me. Celica? Meh. Corolla, meh. Maybe some kind of rotary something. Rabbits are fun and tossable but they were pretty archaic inside. Alfa GTV6? Audi Coupe GT?

Over on the GRM side of things there's a thread on 3-series BMW's with 5.0 Ford power for relatively low bucks that might fit the bill (probably more fun than utility but very reliable).

Well there are plenty of Japanese cars besides the cliche Z or 510 (Due note I am a Datsun guy, specifically a 1200), love 510's and Z's owned / raced / autocrossed almost every 70's Datsun over the years but maybe something a little different would suit your needs.

The early 80's stuff is still a bargain:

Mitusbishi Starion great Holigan car with box flares......not the most plentiful.

Corolla GTS is a great car but finding one that hasn't been given the "drifter theme" maybe tuff.

Celica GTS, rear drive with some of the best seats ever.

Supra is good car, plush but sporting enough to be fun.

Mazda RX7 2+2.......I just looked at an 87 a fellow SCCA member used for Autocross. Comes with a parts car and all the stock bits for $1000.......the A/C is there as well.

Now for something completely different....

Toyota Cressida Wagon, the Supra parts bolt onto to the motor, you can get a limited slip diff for them and built like a truck.

A BMW is great but given the price of parts and anything found for cheap will likely have been neglected.

Other Picks; Nissan Sentra SE-R, 240SX is you can find a stock one, the V-6 200SX and my favorite runabout Toyota Starlet (maybe with a 4AGE fitted) or if you must have something European a Volvo 142 (one of my favorite cars)

    Tom

The "BMW parts are expensive" thing is simply not true on most of the older cars. Unless you climb above the 5 series they really are not expensive to fix. Pelican Parts has a great web site you can price anything. Particularly the M20 powered cars; reliable and truly affordable.

Now, you get something with an M badge, that's an entirely different beast...

In reply to ddavidv:

OK I better clarify my version of expensive parts: Yes good deals on BMW parts these days but when I'm buying starters for $25, Close ratio gearboxs for $500, heads for $100, piston sets for $125 and Flatslide carbs with manifold for $250...........BMW parts are expensive.

Now as for reliability BMW's do seem to be built like tanks, provided the guy before you didn't neglect the car........otherwise unlike the Japanese stuff (used engines $600 from Japan) the bill can be as much as the car.

  Tom

I would say dump the Merc. It's not that there's really anything wrong with keeping a '91 model other than having a car that could cost lots of money for parts. I wouldn't think of buying a project Mercedes for a restoration because of the cost of restoring the car. The parts are too much money for my budget and if you're looking for something in that $3K price range that is economical to drive I would look for something else. I just bought myself a Ford Ranger for practical reasons. No. It is not a sports sedan but for doing the hauling it offers a whole lot of practicality without a great deal of expense. Matter of fact, with a cheap ride like that I should be able to save more money for the cars that really matter. Now that I think of it is that not like a Japanese truck? Ummm, Mazda?

I love the "BMW parts are expensive" line. I hear that alot. Strangely, always from folks who have never owned one. Over the years I've owned two 240Z's and a 260Z. They're great cars. However, my 635CSi has 247,xxx miles on it and has never had the head removed. Not many Z owners can make that claim with a straight face. Sorry for hijacking, Tom. Cheers, Scott

I 'third' the E28 suggestion.

"Same tank-like construction as the Benz but with BMW fun-ness"....this describes them very well. In fact, I'm itching to get back behind the wheel of my 528i.

GSCReno wrote: I love the "BMW parts are expensive" line. I hear that alot. Strangely, always from folks who have never owned one. Over the years I've owned two 240Z's and a 260Z. They're great cars. However, my 635CSi has 247,xxx miles on it and has never had the head removed. Not many Z owners can make that claim with a straight face. Sorry for hijacking, Tom. Cheers, Scott

Of course my E36 had a new head by 5k miles, and a new motor by 10k, so I'm not a good example of that. Oh, and new front and rear seals by 40k on the replacement motor, and new electrical and AC parts on a regular basis... It was by FAR, the most expensive car I've ever had to keep, and some of that was covered under warranty.

Not that I dislike BMWs, far from it, but I've found many owners overlook some of their issues because of they way they drive.

As far as the Benz, if I didn't enjoy driving it that much, I would cut my loses and move on. I've also found that if the wife doesn't really care for it, that's a more than a clue to get something else as well. When I first got married, I greatly underestimated the importance of this!

BMWs are under consideration...sort of. Some of the folks here in the office LOVE theirs, and I do enjoy the driving experience. Margie's E28 seems more like than different than my car.

I think I'm looking for something smaller, lighter, and simpler than even the E28.

An AE86 would be a great option if I could find one at the right segment of the cost/condition cycle.

There's a Cressida wagon on the Grassroots site that appeals to me.

Unfortunately, trucks are out of the picture for now since I still need to be "kid-capable" in a pinch.

Thanks for the great ideas, everybody. The right answer will present itself, but I love jawboning the possibilities.

Hey Tom, how 'bout a Fiat 131 (Brava) ? I've always thought that one of these lil buggers dropped and on 15 inch Panasports would be so cool... Not to mention the fact that the FLU guys would love you forever. Just a thought. Cheers, Scott

In reply to GSCReno:

I'm feeling just adventurous enough to try a Fiat. It would be my first Italian car, so I'd like to check that off the bucket list anyway.

I'm not seeing any in my normal used car searches, nor in the FLU classifieds though.

I got a great lead on an early 4-door VW Rabbit in the meantime. It's nice to shop for a car while I'm not desperate for transportation! The last few purchases have been driven by need, not curiosity.

Tom: Here is a thought. Join FLU and get on the list to purchase one the first new Fiat 500s that are being offered exclusively to the club membership. Traderonline often has a good selection of older Fiats. Cheers Ron

You might also check out a Fiat 128. I drove one a few years back and came away very impressed. It's a lot more nimble than the 131 and really not much slower. All the X1/9 hop up parts also apply.

Euro Ford Capri?

RossD wrote: Euro Ford Capri?

I LOVE that idea. Know where I could find one?

Europe? .

I do see sub $3k AE86s on Socal/NorCal CLs and club4ag from time to time that aren't stripped out drift sheds. Happy to store one for you for a little while if you find one out here, we've got three acres so I'm sure I can hide it somewhere. I'd even take it on a run for you occasionally .

This one's not far from you: http://forums.club4ag.com/zerothread?id=79542

A little above your budget and the wheels need shooting but otherwise it looks pretty good at a cursory glance.

In reply to RacerDave600: The question was raised on one of the BMW forums recently as to why decent E30s are still commanding higher prices than E36s... The general response from 3 series guys of all stripes was that the E36s in general were not very well engineered/built cars by way of comparison. Please save the hate mail E36 guys, as I'm merely repeating what I read there. Also, I think it's important to make the distinction between the cost of parts and the cost of service (labor). That said your statement is true, IMHO... It's not hard to be blinded by love, therefore justifying the cost of keeping an example of one's favorite marque on the road (or in the shop). Cheers, Scott