[Closed] mid life crisis car on a shoestring

Can't say I would want to move from a rwd to fwd, it's going to feel dull in comparison.

I'd say repair, another MX5 or a Suzuki Cappuccino, a stunningly good car to drive.

Andy it is mostly Japanese!

I never got past the fact the Esprit had the same door handles as my Mum's Allegro

Lotus Elise?

edit - my bad, way outside the price range. The cheapest on Autotrader is R reg for eight grand! Can't quite believe that.

my mates selling a porsche but i dont know what type or age it is, i dont do cars 😀

if youre interested in finding out then mail me mate and ill find out some details. car is in lincs.

cheers

sadexpunk - Member
my mates selling a porsche but i dont know what type or age it is, i dont do cars

Probs one of these then, should be within budget:

[img] [/img]

Its not a mid life crisis car unless its a money pit. Rules is rules 🙂

Seems logical , do all the welding then sell it....

Welding done right shouldnt need looking at for ages....

Had the same chat with mcmoonter when the disco was due for mot....he welded shit out of it last year , it failed on the other side this year , the original sides still solid. So he just fixed it up and it sailed through.

GTV / Spyder. What could go wrong? 😆

Good point TR.

Andy - yeah.

Quite like Cappuccinos bit they are known rusters?

TINAS tragically I like something that is considered naff - had many a flaming for the MX5

Yes caps are know rusters. But it tends to be where you can see it ie arches. I had one for abt 3 years and wax oiled it myself. A lot of the panels are simply bolted on.

Engine is pretty bomb proof if the turbo hasn't been boosted.

Only car I wish I still had. Go kart handling like nothing else, not much grip, incredible feel through the brakes, and 70mph feels like 150 in modern cars, and the noise it makes is really quite nice with a stainless exhaust

Read its the best FWD carever

Okay. Or a DC2 Integra Type-R. But good luck getting one of them on budget that isn't a dog.

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Not sure it counts as MLC car, but the more powerful one should be fun.

The 944 has had some big bills in the last year but stuff that was routine and known to be needed when we bought it (belts changed and steering rack recon.) All parts are pricey. Otherwise just fuel. It drives brilliantly on all surfaces and finds traction well, not harsh, not rolly. Plenty of noise and torque, 3.0 S2, and all the valves really get moving at 4k and it urges on again.

Downside is you have to go so fast to get the feel of the '5 in the corners, but pulls out of them like the '5 never could.

Fuel wise it is marginally worse than the '5 and possibly better than the 1.8t 4x4 octavia shed.

cynic-al - Member

..I just want something fun, reliable and topless as well as the GF...

I have read through this thread carefully to see what car may be more fun than a reliable topless girlfriend.

Ours was in your budget this time last year too.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MK-Indy-kitcar-project-/181667139591?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item2a4c349007

Open top sports car - check

Project/moneypit that will sit in the garage for months/years before it's finished - check

Hora, your expertese comes from....? Owning? Forum reading?

He's an expert on cars don'tcha know. After all, he said this on a thread a while back:

hora - Member
I don't know much about cars

Oh, hang on... 😉

No one mention an early 225 Audi TT Roadster yet ?

You confuse me..

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Al I thought Pete was your welder of choice these days. OK so you might need to buy the odd pattern part and industrial quantities of Hob Nobs but that's got to be cheaper than a Hethel special?

You secretly see yourself as the Saint or 007 in The Spy Who Loved Me, that's it. We'll if you're taking your Elan underwater, best get it Waxoyled 🙂

I also really like the Fiat Coupe - it's a thing of beauty, especially with the matching-coloured interiors.

The NAs are actually quite sensible in terms of running costs, FIAT actually did a good job of galvanising them so rust isn't a problem. Add a turbo into the mix though and they can get very expensive very quickly - ideal mid life crisis car if they weren't fwd.

To be honest I can't think of much cheaper to run than an MX5, what is costing the money? 182 would be up there as a cheap, fun car but hardly mid life crisis worthy.

I had one of these. Great fun.

[img] [/img]

This one is on eBay right now.

It might be possible to sum this up - [i]fast/fun reliable cheap[/i] choose two.

Its not a mid life crisis car unless its a money pit. Rules is rules

On that basis, I can thoroughly recommend a Corrado VR6. On the face of it a mass-produced VW, in reality put together by Karmann from a mix of VW production and heinously expensive limited production run parts, which are starting to disappear from the world. Good fun, does almost 150mph, but a bit like running a stealth Porsche...

I sometimes think I could have bought a 911 instead and saved some money... 😉

Read its the best FWD carever
Okay. Or a DC2 Integra Type-R. But good luck getting one of them on budget that isn't a dog.

I owned both (M100 Elan and DC2 Type-R) at the same time!

Both were great handling but very different. Elan was much softer but lower (hence didn't roll much), car felt more solid than you might imagine. Type-R was pretty stiff, felt very light and delicate to drive. Steering feedback was brilliant.

I'd happily have either again as a second car. My Elan had been tweaked by the previous owner - more boost, sports exhaust - and made some lovely noises.

[url= http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201502261274520/sort/atcustom/page/1/quicksearch/true/make/austin/postcode/bt366dp/ni-only/on/onesearchad/used%2Cnearlynew%2Cnew/model/mini/radius/1500/usedcars?logcode=p ]Nice wee mini ?[/url]

182 would be up there as a cheap, fun car but hardly mid life crisis worthy.

Get a turbo/supercharged/ITB'd one - should drop it neatly into the money pit category then

RX8? I used to be able to get my bike in the boot of mine.

cheap RX8s make me shudder. brits as a whole seem to be scared of engine work.

its all voodoo isnt it (it isnt really - its not rocket science )

seeing how folk on here regard timing belts (the concensus seems to be a "cant see it from the drivers seat and the car still drives on cheap motors) - represents how normal folks see the seals on the rotary engines in bottom of the market rx8s where the OP is looking to shop.

Quite right. If it's done right it's a 60,000 mile job, and if you shop around won't be much more than your average timing belt/pulley/water pump replacement. Plus, you could buy at the bottom, save £1500 for a fresh engine when the time comes and still have cash left from your £3k to pay for insurance and first tank of fuel. Even the running costs aren't [i]that[/i] bad. Roughly 22mpg, compared to 29-30mpg for the mk1 MX5s. I'd take a punt on that any day of the week.

Thanks all, plenty more good suggestions.

I would re iterate:
It does NOT need to be fast, just fun.
It is NOT to be a money pit.
It does 1-2000 miles pa.

Any thoughts on a mk 1 TT hardtop? Massive payload! My guess is the cabrio will be a bit soft, and neither cheap to run.

Some options.

Remember, any car can be a money pit.

I would avoid the Lotus, unless it came with lots and lots of bills to support all the common jobs being done (suspension refresh etc.) Have you priced up a replacement hood?

- Properly sort the MX5. Better the devil and all that.
- Mk3 MR2.
- TVR S. Robust mechanicals, Check chassis for rust.
- Find a rust free MX-5 if you like it.
- MG TF.

Personally I would go for a 2003 ish MR2.

Just to add support to another contender, +1 for the MG TF. For 3k you could get a to spec 160hp VVC. Ideally look at a 2002/3 model for the best specification.

Surprisingly spacious for a 2 seater and capable of taking a bike on a boot mounted rack or with the wheels off, on the passenger side. Room in the boot for a weeks luggage.

High revving engine on the VVC which really works well with being thrashed, but doesn't need to go fast to be fun. Shines on B roads & can put many an Audi or BMW to shame through the corners.

Budget for a head gasket at some time, but if you can do it yourself it's not expensive, and if you treat the car right, you may not even need it.

Not fast, but fun.....

Ford Puma.

Or, thinking about it.....the SportKa or StreetKa (if you want a convertible)

What about a 2.8 Z3? I've driven one a bit, good noise and that's half the appeal of that sort of motor.

TVR s is a bad idea. chassis would be suspect unless it's been rebodied, and if it's been rebodied i'd expect it to be over budget. much as my chimeara was awesome, i would not recommend a tvr to anyone on a shoestring.

TT would be neither fun nor cheap.

Z3 is like driving sitting on an orange crate IME.

unfortunately OP you appear to own the budget mid-life crisis car already.

Just got an 02 Cooper S 60K miles FSH 1 owner £2400, immaculate goes like stink and puts a smile on my face everytime I get half an hour to nip out!! £120 fully comp 47 year old full no claims. Mid life crisis at bay for now 😀 if the crisis returns i`m told a supercharger pulley kit will help!!!

Make sure you fit in a TF if you go for that, I didn't (I just fit in the MX5).

TT would be neither fun nor cheap.

Was going to suggest an S2000 but I've just had a look and they've rocketed in value. Maybe a scoot on Ebay might turn one up, but generally they're bombproof and pretty quick. Not great if you're tall though.

You'd pick up a cheap non-S boxster for around that and parts aren't 'too' bad for them these days.

TT isn't a bad shout, Mk1's aren't that bad if you fit them with a Haldex controller. Parts are reasonable as you can go to GSF or EuroCarParts and they're not bad to work on. Anything french or Italian will be a pain in the arse to work on.

Well looked after mk1 TT's are quite frankly Ace.

The 225 can suffer with coil pack issues but they're piss easy to fit and cost £20odd. Don't think about the DSG box on the 225 because sometimes the mechtronic thingy goes pop, but they can be changed easy and cost about £120 if you look around. The hardtops probably the one to go for if you intend to carry a bike (my mate carries his windsurfing kit inside his not problem with the seat flat) if not then the roadsters pretty damn fine car. Also if you look at a roadster get the one with the manual hood closure system not the auto one. Shocks on the front can wear because they're front end heavy and speed bumps tend to take aim at the front wheels. Discs and pads you can get for £75 a side. Check the hood around both door/window junctions because they wear here. Other than that parts are cheap because EuroCarParts and if you fancy it VW/Audi mean all stuff is easily available. Also the haldex 4wheel drive will need checking out to make sure the oils been changed on service intervals. Also another thing, front radiators may need a flush or replacing (depending on age and condition) they sludge up if not serviced and cost £200, also the oil radiator under the front bumper may need checking for no other reason than why not.
But, but these are very good cars and a lot are second car family loved and looked after.
Also, if you look at the roadster you can get a bike on the back via a saris bones rack easy, they just fit in the seal behind the hood and under the rear bumper splitter.

Can't honestly think why you wouldn't think about a TT, plenty available for your budget and if looked after big mileage shouldn't be an issue.

Its not a mid life crisis car unless its a money pit. Rules is rules

Can't honestly think why you wouldn't think about a TT

because after having a MX-5 a TT would feel duller than just walking instead?

Maybe, but he's had an MX5.. And TT's do handle rather well, ok track cars they ain't but what is..

It does NOT need to be fast, just fun.
It is NOT to be a money pit.
It does 1-2000 miles pa.

Vauxhall VX220?

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-reviews/vauxhall/vx220/4752b5bc07b67c8dfa79cf443de0b7c7
http://www.parkers.co.uk/cars/reviews/vauxhall/vx220/roadster/