What vehicle do you drive?

Jackie Treehorn said:

Oh, yeah, it's a ridiculous question by all means, way too broad. Classic car prices have seemed to skyrocket lately too, seems really bad compared to a handful of years ago. Definitely ready to go, no work needed. Sporty car. Not a daily driver, just something to take out for fun.

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Starting from your other post, between a Classic and a modern Lotus; I wouldn't think of a full restored classic car as a performance vehicle unless it is in a straight line. You buy them for looks and there are a ton of nice looking old cars. Take your time to find a handful of models you think look "neat" and then start shopping those. Take +-6 months to make a lists of the prices you find and get a running average, so you don't get ripped off. Barrett-Jackson might keep a log of their sale prices, and, if so, it would be a good place to start.

If you want something for performance and fun to drive around corners in the $30K price range, it will be hard to beat a used (2005 or newer) Porsche, Lotus, BMW, or Z06/Vette. Hell, you might even be able to score a GT-R from a private party, as a quick search showed a 2009 from a dealer for $47k, which means they probably payed high 30s.

Consider a convertible, there's nothing quite like driving a convertible through a beautiful area or even on a warm summer night. Since most are bought as fun side cars, there's usually a good supply of well cared for, low mile cars and if you use yours the same way it will keep its value fairly well.

Any thoughts? Seems a little cheaper than most R v8's I've seen amongst the locals, seems to have most of the little sub packages so it's not stripped. Assuming it's mostly just the 40k miles vs other 15's being closer to 20k ish. 47k still puts it a bit high by a KBB of 42-45.

Sludig said:

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Any thoughts? Seems a little cheaper than most R v8's I've seen amongst the locals, seems to have most of the little sub packages so it's not stripped. Assuming it's mostly just the 40k miles vs other 15's being closer to 20k ish. 47k still puts it a bit high by a KBB of 42-45.

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40,000 miles in 5 years probably means it was a daily driver. I would not knowingly buy a used car that had be driven in winter salt slush, which Denver has a lot of. If you aren't going to keep it for more then 5 years, the extra wear that salt causes might not become an issue, though.

As for the price from a dealer, the best you can hope for is a fair price, never a good deal (unless you are friends with the owner).

Sludig said:

New Maserati Car and SUV Inventory Available Near Denver, Colorado

Browse pictures and detailed information about our extensive selection of luxury performance Maserati car and SUV models available near Denver, Colorado.

www.mikewardmaserati.com

Any thoughts? Seems a little cheaper than most R v8's I've seen amongst the locals, seems to have most of the little sub packages so it's not stripped. Assuming it's mostly just the 40k miles vs other 15's being closer to 20k ish. 47k still puts it a bit high by a KBB of 42-45.

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Keep an open mind that cars like this are coming into some serious maintenance requirements and upkeep which is why a lot of people drop them years 3 and 4 (just about every high-end European car in the $75K and higher range). They bought them or leased them for the badge but can't necessarily afford to keep the car healthy. I would suggest you research what the 30k, 45k, and 60k mile requirements are (and if the car is out of warranty, what the reliability history of the model is). Might save you a nasty surprise and a several thousand dollar bill.

Also, fuck cars driven in areas with salt, lol.

Car started off in MO, spent a couple years in texas then made it's way here. Theyve changed it up a few times, but for the most part I thought we use chemicals more than salt like the north east. Rust issues from the TATA sourced steel I did pick up as something to check for. Been diving into as many posts and vids about reliability and issues. Some quirks here and there but seems fairly benign outside of an issue with some hoses etc coming loose to watch for and the biggest one being people losing the rear differential is the biggest though it sounds like that may be ameliorated with frequent fluid changes and not trying to drive it like on a track.

I may be back to mr original premise of sometime next year as much as I'd like to hope to score a better deal end of year on taxable inventory. Wifes expenses are seperate and would have been chipping in. But come to find out she's running a bit leaner than I knew from some medical stuff that grew a bit bigger than forecast paired with her already paying for college and needing to replace her car with some thing practical.

It is hard to tell what salts are used where, without looking up every jurisdiction, since there are various de-icers available (corrosive ones seem to be the cheapest). Calcium Chloride (CaCl2) was listed as the most corrosive and what is often used in some New England states.

Since you live up north, the car will be in the shit eventually and the cost of extra maintenance on a used northern car is still going to be much cheaper than buying new, 99% of the time.

The F-Type R would be considered a sports car, no? The sports car market hits bottom around January and February (at least, in relatively normal years). The longer you wait, the more informed you can become; I would keep watching and taking notes (copy/paste into excel with date/year/miles/price worked great for me). Don't forget to also start looking into shipping and loan options, so you know what the all in price should be, for non-local purchases. Banks can be tricky if you do a private party purchase from out of state.


Chart I found for various De-Icers in use:

Deicer Chemicals

what recommendations do y'all have for a 2nd 'fun and cheap' vehicle? i'm old enough for a mid-life crisis, young enough that if i act soon i can get a 2nd one down the road.

i'm looking at cheap convertibles or jeep/bronco. i see the occasional Scout, but they seem to usually need a good bit of work. i've changed oil and headlamps, no other real auto-work. trying to stay under $5k. I'm looking at a '73 triumph for ~ $2k. I don't need AC or radio, but don't want something that'll need $5k of repair before I can just tool around on the weekends.

With that budget, I'd say Miata or Wrangler. Once purchased, the sky is the limit on modifications to suit you because of how popular the platforms are. And, maintenance will be a breeze.

Adebisi said:

I mean

If you're a woman

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Not sure if serious, but...

The Miata is purportedly one of the best entry level track cars. It is cheap to purchase, maintain, fix, and upgrade. A 2000 lbs curb weight and 50/50 weight ratio help to mitigate understeer or oversteer by driver error. It has enough horsepower to have fun in the corners, but not enough to get a novice driver in too much trouble.

Due to its popularity as a track car, there is a huge body of work to reference, in regards to the car, as well. Go out to any popular track day at your local race track, and you will see a bunch of Miatas.

Adebisi said:

The downside being you're a man driving a miata

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You say that until you're doing wheel stands in a v8 powered Monster Miata, you'd have to put the top down to make room for your erection.

In all seriousness, the new RF miata is sex. I'd buy one if I could afford it.

Adebisi said:

The downside being you're a man driving a miata

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Its ok to be ignorant.

Screw the convertible. They're more fun to think about than to own, and I've had a couple. Up your budget a little and get this.