In reply to Beer Baron:
IIRC the classic Mini never came with a five speed from the factory, but there is at least one aftermarket supplier of five speed boxes. Cheap, they are not.
In reply to Beer Baron:
IIRC the classic Mini never came with a five speed from the factory, but there is at least one aftermarket supplier of five speed boxes. Cheap, they are not.
911
BoxheadTim wrote: In reply to Beer Baron: IIRC the classic Mini never came with a five speed from the factory, but there is at least one aftermarket supplier of five speed boxes. Cheap, they are not.
Yes. The 5-speed appears to be an upgraded trans.
The car in question I am looking most closely at has an upgraded trans, 1275cc engine... and appears to have an airbag. All that, and it's already registered in CA.
What about a E36 M3? their prices are quite low right now.
RX8 is an alternative to the S2000.
Would love to have a 90's MR2 as well.
ST_ZX2 wrote: Thinking about auto-x prowess. Came up with these: MR2 TurboFD RX7
I'm agreeing with the wise post i quoted, with a bias towards the MR2. $15k into an MR2 gets you into an incredible machine.
JtspellS wrote: What about a E36 M3? their prices are quite low right now. RX8 is an alternative to the S2000. Would love to have a 90's MR2 as well.
I'm considering the E36 M3. I think they are the best performance value for the dollar right now, and still a comfortable and practical vehicle. They just aren't especially unique. I'd rather spend another $10k more on something more special that still manages to be at the bottom of its depreciation curve.
The fiancee already has an RX-8.
Beer Baron wrote: Yes. The 5-speed appears to be an upgraded trans.
Check which one it is - I vaguely remember that at some point there might have been two available, but at least one of them uses straight cut gears and might be a little noisy.
Beer Baron wrote: The car in question I am looking most closely at has an upgraded trans, 1275cc engine... and appears to have an airbag. All that, and it's already registered in CA.
Fuel Injection or carbs?
Check very carefully for rust, they somehow never really got around to rustproofing them.
92CelicaHalfTrac wrote: I'm agreeing with the wise post i quoted, with a bias towards the MR2. $15k into an MR2 gets you into an incredible machine.
Hmm... baby Ferrari. Lots out there seem to be a bit riced, but I imagine a nice example could be found for $10k-$15k, and would hold its value well if I keep it clean.
BoxheadTim wrote: Fuel Injection or carbs? Check very carefully for rust, they somehow never really got around to rustproofing them.
Don't know about FI. It doesn't have pictures of the engine. I'd need to ask.
I am very aware this is a car that needs to be checked for rust. Since it lives in a CA valley, I'm slightly less worried than I would be if it were from someplace else.
Sorry about your loss. Make your grandfather look down and smile: Since this can be a fair weather "fun" car check out the Maserati Cambiocorsa Spyder. It is basically a Ferrari California with a $170,000 discount. Ferrari V8, F1 gearbox, etc. Just go on Youtube and listen to that glorious sound. A tremendous bargain with a reputation for good reliability. The '03 and '04 models are the best. The '02's are the best values.
Beer Baron wrote:92CelicaHalfTrac wrote: I'm agreeing with the wise post i quoted, with a bias towards the MR2. $15k into an MR2 gets you into an incredible machine.Hmm... baby Ferrari. Lots out there seem to be a bit riced, but I imagine a nice example could be found for $10k-$15k, and would hold its value well if I keep it clean.
A nice example could be found for $6k, which leaves you an easy $9k to make it mind-boggling AWESOME.
I know it's been mentioned, but aircooled 911. :)
Beer Baron wrote: In reply to ST_ZX2: Thought of those two. the FD is a tempting thought, but I keep thinking of apex seals. The Z06 seems like the better all-around value.
Better yet...combine the two. www.norotors.com has plenty of gorgeous FDs with various LS-based motivation. All the fun of a Z06 with the gorgeous looks of an FD. $20k buys you a dead nuts reliable one.
I'd think about a mercedes 500e w124. Maybe find one that is modified a bit, might not be as fast or handle as well but it would make a hell of a 170mph sleeper.
If I were to have 15k laying around, it would be an E30 M3. But for that price, you'll find one that needs some work. I HAD 
to sell mine back in 05 when I went overseas, back then, for $14.5 with zero questions asked by the buyer..
FFWD 6 years: I get back to the states in 2011 and buy my 00' M Coupe. Couldn't be happier. You can get a deal on an 00/S52 around there.. Check out mcoupebuyersguide.com for deals.
In about 2 years, I'll get another E30 M3... I'll go as far as Germany or Italy to get the perfect 320is of M3.
Good Luck!
In reply to M3Loco:
Yeah, I used to have a '99 M Coupe. Estoril Blue. Loved that car. I actually do prefer the S52 cars over the S54's. Save a bunch of money for the same kind of performance on the street, and the engines are simpler and so have fewer problems.
flyin' miata LS2 NB?
993 turbo?
Well if i had 15-30k to play with i would go big and get a viper, there's just something about a big v10 with no driver aids that really does something for me lol. If the viper is to extreme for you then the a z06 is its much more refined, practical, machine.
My list would be -viper -z06 -TT Supra -Rx-7 with LS swap
In reply to Datsun1500:
So Mini > Datsun?
How practical or not do you find the Mini? Is it really only good as a toy, or does it actually work for a runabout? Around here even just a runabout means that it will have to be able to hold its own on freeways where most traffic is doing about 70. I think a 1.3 car (maybe a 998cc) or a Honda/Acura swap one would be up for that task.
Of all the cars we've come up with the idea of a Mini or Caterham are the only two that really make me giddy at the thought of just sitting in and driving one, and the Caterham seems like the more expensive and harder to manage daily car.
Depends - Minis are not really good for shopping at Costco, but for a small shopping run an general runabout, they should work. A 1275 should fairly easily top 70mph. It's just that bouncing down I-80 or US50 at 75mph can get old pretty quickly. They're not exactly suffering from compliant suspension.
Having owned a couple of classic Minis and driven a couple of pre-lit Westfields, I'd probably go for a Caterfield if I had the spare cash. Part of it is my well-publicised dislike of FWD cars, though.
I think my friend is getting ready to go pro on his brewing as well. He has won a number of home brew competitions the past couple years. It does not seem easy to break into as a business he has a written up business plan etc but has yet to take the plunge away from his fairly good day job.
Car wise the number one thing I would answer is how much automotive ADD do you have and how long do you think youll keep this car.
I love classic mini's but seeing one at Auto-X this last weekend it just really is so small I can't imagine having it be very useful for daily needs.
Quite honestly I can't imagine daily driving my miata for my slog of a commute. Its noisy, small, and has horrid visibility if the top is up. Mind you I bought it as a weekend car and for performance driving opportunities so I am fine with that. Love the car but am glad I have another car to drive to work at 80mph most days
I like sedans for practicality, its not unique but I like the E36 M3 idea. I for feeling like a million bucks and driving something completely awesome I like the NSX idea. For something that looks also awesome and any autocross you bring it too will still get tons of attention etc I also love the LSx 3rd Gen RX-7
Aircooled 911 would go high on my list too
Honestly, i have to say i would only consider a mini with a honda swap.
Whats almost funny is that pretty much any honda swap would do. Even the 58hp motor from the 85 CRX HF i just sold would be entertaining in a mini. The CRX did 95mph on flat ground with 58 hp and more weight, and didnt seem to be struggling until low 80s mph.
But of course you're not going to find a mini with an 80s honda motor. Any well-sorted fuel injected 90s or 00s honda swap would make a mini capable of any speed you'd actually want on normal roads, and be very smooth and reliable, leaving you to enjoy the platform and the quirkiness and novelty of driving a 10 ft long sports hatch without having to plan your route AROUND 80mph traffic flows, or having to worry about getting tired of motor NVH at high cruising speeds, etc.
just my .02
Jaynen wrote: I love classic mini's but seeing one at Auto-X this last weekend it just really is so small I can't imagine having it be very useful for daily needs. Quite honestly I can't imagine daily driving my miata for my slog of a commute. Its noisy, small, and has horrid visibility if the top is up. Mind you I bought it as a weekend car and for performance driving opportunities so I am fine with that. Love the car but am glad I have another car to drive to work at 80mph most days
I am quite different. I have been used to driving a Miata for my daily commute and really enjoyed it the vast majority of the time. I sometimes preferred the van in bad weather, or if I just felt like a change of pace for a day or two, but the Miata did me well as a commuter. I use it for most of my grocery shopping, errands, and such. A Mini would actually have more space for carrying stuff.
As for Automotive ADD, I've had this Miata for over 5 years and am still enjoying it, although it really could use some new bushings and a new soft top if I intend to keep enjoying it.
Vigo wrote: Honestly, i have to say i would only consider a mini with a honda swap. Any well-sorted fuel injected 90s or 00s honda swap would make a mini capable of any speed you'd actually want on normal roads, and be very smooth and reliable, leaving you to enjoy the platform and the quirkiness and novelty of driving a 10 ft long sports hatch without having to plan your route AROUND 80mph traffic flows, or having to worry about getting tired of motor NVH at high cruising speeds, etc.
That's along the lines of what I'm thinking. That or a '90+ with a fuel injected engine and 5-speed transmission (although I'd still prefer the Honda for reliability and availability of parts). Any idea what that means as far as registering and dealing with DMV on a car registered as old enough to be exempt from emissions inspections?
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