Unique old Touring car for 4...

If I wanted to buy something vintage, unique, and affordable, would an old Volvo do the trick?

Thinking of the Volvo project car Classic Motorsports did a few years back. Looking for something oddball to cruise around in with my kids, will probably never autocross it (have a Miata for that).

2002...I've seen far too many with serious rust issues, and they don't turn me on that much.

Other oddball cars I should think about?

Want a tin top that seats 4...

What are 510's bringing these days?

GTV's seem to be getting pricy...

What about an original GTI? are very many of them still left running around?

Just fishing for ideas at this point.

Chris

Yeah, a Volvo would fit the bill nicely.

Not all 2002s are rusty. A lot are, but there are good ones out there.

MG Magnette? Pretty and distinctive, but kind of slow, and rust worse than almost anything I've ever seen.

Stag? Not exactly a tin-top, but still cool.

Early Celica? Maybe slightly easier to find than a decent 510.

Fiat 124 Coupe? Another prodigious ruster, but neat cars.

Corvair?

Ford Falcon (cloned to look like the Monte Carlo Rally Sprint factory race-cars or the early Trans-Am racers). Parts are pretty easy to get.

SAAB 96 (in "rally trim" of course)

Jaguar XJ6 (not as bad as people think, especially if it has carbs).

Lately I've been thinking that a nice, understated VW Type 1 would be cool.

If you're feeling brave, a Pinzgauer is uber-cool. Slow but nothing will stop it.

Volvo 122s and 140s are truly practical cars that will fit four full-size adults comfortably. 140s are dirt cheap -- I'm looking at a white '67 144 outside the window in pristine original condition that a customer just picked up for $600. Engine and suspension bushings are tired, which is why it's here, but everything to fix that is readily available.

I went through the same process almost 2 years ago. Tried a Capri first, but it was a rust bucket and parts were unobtanium.

I went with a 122S Wagon. I've been doing body work for a while and I will be shooting it with sealing primer tomorrow! Decent club activity and lots of vendor support.

Here's mine. It will be all grey tomorrow, and then tan top with green below when painted.

At first I almost kicked myself for asking the question...but you guys gave me a good ideas to think about.

Falcoln and Corvair are both great ideas, and the Type One (bug) could be a really neat car to run around in.

Old Volvo's just have this wierd appeal to me.

Keep the ideas coming.

VClassics wrote: Volvo 122s and 140s are truly practical cars that will fit four full-size adults comfortably. 140s are dirt cheap -- I'm looking at a white '67 144 outside the window in pristine original condition that a customer just picked up for $600. Engine and suspension bushings are tired, which is why it's here, but everything to fix that is readily available.

These cars are really THAT cheap???

Chris

Beetle? Meh. Get a type 3 and dare to be different. Fiat 124 Coupe. Not easy to find, but a great car. Ford Cortina Mk1 Ford Cortina Mk2 I do like the Volvo choice also. Datsun 510, but they are harder to find than the Fiat and Cortinas. I would not be so quick to dismiss the 2002. There's always the Austin ADO16 "king size" Mini: And, if you're the type of person who enjoys poking himself in the eye with a sharp object, you can find one of these:

Nice selection! I take some exception with your statement about the 510 being hard to find. The 510 seems to be easier to find than the Fiat 124 Coupe or either Mark Cortina. Where have you been looking?

1966stang wrote: These cars are really THAT cheap???

140-series Volvos are cheap if you look around for a while -- they haven't turned into classics from being just old cars (yet, at least). 122s bring quite a bit more and are rising in value.

Along the same lines as the Austin ADO16 (exactly, actually, as it was just badge-engineered) there's the MG 1100/1300 "Sport Sedan". I've always wanted one myself.

Of all my aircooled VWs, I liked my Type 3 Squareback best. Still, I'd pick a lot of the other cars mentioned before another one.

Chris,

If family participation is important, then a Volvo 140 is an excellent choice.

Outward visibility is great, lots of room front and rear, space to carry a huge load of stuff... The brakes and suspension are properly engineered and the fuel injected cars are reasonably quick.

They're tough, reliable, easy to work on, parts are definitely available and, yes, they are fun to drive. In fact, they really come into their own on gravel or snow.

My suggestion would be to also consider the '75 - '93 240 series. Same as a 140 from the windshield back but enjoyably modern up front. And still classic.

I've owned some of the others mentioned - all good choices. The 2002 is very nice, the 510 seemed like a 3/4 scale version of the Bimmer. The Capri is a terrific highway tourer but the kids found the back seat cramped and claustrophobic. (Solved that by installing a roll cage... then they really had something to complain about)

Err, only brought into Canada, but how about a Mk III Ford Cortina?

Jeff

75-93 240 series might make an interesting car. Hadn't thought of the Cortina idea.

Thank you everyone for your input, you've got the wheels in my head turning.

Chris

KaptKaos wrote: Nice selection! I take some exception with your statement about the 510 being hard to find. The 510 seems to be easier to find than the Fiat 124 Coupe or either Mark Cortina. Where have you been looking?

I live in the Mid-Atlantic area. Haven't seen a 510 sedan in 25 years. Found one pathetic wagon sitting in a yard maybe 15 years ago. 124 Coupes I can find; there was one on Ebay in Philly just a few weeks ago. I'll admit Cortinas aren't easy to find either, but I've come across a few on the internet. Maybe 510s are plentiful on the west coast but they just didn't hold up in the salt belt.

Stang,

If you were willing to do with out a lid, an 4 seat Morgan would fit the bill!

Leo

In reply to ddavidv:

Before I bought my Capri project (and ultimately sold because it was so rusted) I looked high and low for a 124 Coupe. I didn't find a single one for sale in about 6 months worth of looking. And this is in SoCal!!

Bad timing, bad karma, I don't know, but that got me started on the Capri.

Note: I also looked for a pre-76 128 Sedan and those are impossible to find too!

Ha, I can't find Capris either.

When looking for any of the oddball cars, you really have to network to find them. It's essential you get into the brand enthusiast community before you shop, not after. Much like us, the marque geeks will know where every example of something is stashed, or broadcast it the minute it turns up posted for sale somewhere. Just searching by yourself sometimes isn't enough.

Since you brought up the GTV- how about it's 4 door partner, the Giulia TI? Or even the plane, jane Berlina?

A buddy made on for the Carrera Paramaracana. Good cars.

In reply to ddavidv:

Oh I did! I worked my way into the Capri world. Even then, there weren't much pickins'.

Unlike other brands, there is no really good forum for the Capri stateside. Tons in the UK, but not so much here. There is a Yahoo! group for Capris, but it's an old school style mailing list and the guy that runs the forum is a curmudgeon. He only "allows" for sale listings a few times per year during the virtual "swap meets".

I discovered that a good gauge to help in choosing an oddball car is the vibrancy of the online community. That's one of the big reasons I dumped the Capri and went forward with the Volvo 122S Wagon.

Although I've still got a hankering for a 122 wagon, I'm leaning towards a BMW Bavaria, a fintail Mercedes or a stacked headlight Mercedes as my next classic. I toyed with the idea of an MGB, but the idea of a family-friendly classic is pretty appealing with a 14-month old boy running around the house.

When I finish the GRM Golf, I'll go on the hunt for something like that.

I thought about Bavarias too. There were a few issues that drove me away:

1) Gas mileage in the 6er isn't great. B) I couldn't find a 4 speed in decent shape. 3) Although its 35+ years old, it's still a BMW and has BMW prices for parts.

I love the early Mercs too, but again, parts pricing is what pushed me off.

I had an old 144 Volvo and replaced it after a few years with similar looking 1978 Toyota Corona. I would look off the beaten path and see what you find. The Japanese sedans of the 1980's are going to get noticed as an enthusiast's ride if not a collector car.

Ron

I'm back and forth on a 4-seat classic. I need reliable family transport, but I want something classy and fun. Volvos are on the list, but on the other hand so is a late model Crown Victoria cop car. I both hope and fear that a Volvo 140 appears in the next few months while I'm shopping.

Per's suggestion of a stacked headlight Mercedes seems like a good one, too.

Try finding an old Subaru Brat, I find parts on Ebay but never a whole truck, well not one that runs.

Volvo 164? Same boat-like handling as a 140-series but rarer, the front is more appealing (at least to me) and the six has a lot more grunt. Works quite well with an autobox.

I bought one a while back and it had all the makings of a half-decent day to day classic, had this particular specimen not been an utter shed.