What vehicle do you drive?

Burns

Burns

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Hekotat said:
Yeah since it parks outside under trees I did a claybar, scratch X in a few spots and a wax. Did a complete interior detail and door jams/etc. It needed it badly.
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Since you put in all that work, and if you plan on keeping the car for a while or until it dies, look into getting a tube of dielectric grease (or another type of silicone based grease with no solvents in it) to put on all the soft rubber seals to increase their life. Some people use products specifically marketed as weather-stripping lubricant. I put the grease on, then let it sit for 6 to 24 hours to soak into the rubber, then wipe off the excess.

Here is a GM bulletin on it and I would assume the soft rubber seals are the same on all vehicles:
2024-03-30 18.51.32 www.corvetteforum.com 2a3eb0b3ef1e.png
 
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Palum

Palum

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Alright I need used car recommendations.

Small 2-4 seat convertible available with manual transmission. Possibly consider the right coupe/sedan/hatch. I have a good BMW mechanic we go to already so that's covered.
<$30K

Decent P/W ratio (more is better, just don't want a dog)
> 2000MY and maintainable (so no classic or weird shit with no parts)
reliable enough to take small regional road trips
GT(ish), at least comfortable
enough trunk to fit say 2 small suitcases

So far I think I've crossed off the following:
modern muscle cars (too big)
Miata ND/Fiat 124 (passenger foot well hump thing was annoying)
Focus ST (friend had one, ambivalent at this point)
Audi TT
WRX (had some, moved on)
Boxster 986 (neighbor has one)
S2000 (might have been cool if they had continued to be produced)
MR2
RX8 (had one, fuck apex seals)

Possibles:
BMW 1 or 2 series convertibles (M2s being closeish price wise is dangerous...)
BMW Z4 3.0si or M
Audi A3/4 (unfortunately doesn't look like S3 ever came with manual?)
Mini Cooper S or JCW
???

Any recommendations?
 
Burns

Burns

Golden Baronet of the Realm
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Palum said:
Alright I need used car recommendations.

Small 2-4 seat convertible available with manual transmission. Possibly consider the right coupe/sedan/hatch. I have a good BMW mechanic we go to already so that's covered.
<$30K

Decent P/W ratio (more is better, just don't want a dog)
> 2000MY and maintainable (so no classic or weird shit with no parts)
reliable enough to take small regional road trips
GT(ish), at least comfortable
enough trunk to fit say 2 small suitcases

So far I think I've crossed off the following:
modern muscle cars (too big)
Miata ND/Fiat 124 (passenger foot well hump thing was annoying)
Focus ST (friend had one, ambivalent at this point)
Audi TT
WRX (had some, moved on)
Boxster 986 (neighbor has one)
S2000 (might have been cool if they had continued to be produced)
MR2
RX8 (had one, fuck apex seals)

Possibles:
BMW 1 or 2 series convertibles (M2s being closeish price wise is dangerous...)
BMW Z4 3.0si or M
Audi A3/4 (unfortunately doesn't look like S3 ever came with manual?)
Mini Cooper S or JCW
???

Any recommendations?
Click to expand...
Price can depend on how long you want to sit around looking, you might be able to find a good deal on a car that would normally be north of $30k. There are also a few cars that have removable targa tops, which aren't as expensive as a full convertible but function almost the same.

For example you might be able to find a 20ish year old Lotus Elise (Targa Top) for around $30k from a private seller (this one pictured was $34k from a dealer):
2024-03-30 22.10.31 static.cargurus.com 8508bab23444.png

I'm not sure if you include corvettes in "American muscle cars" since they are smaller and much nimbler than Mustangs, Camaros, and Challengers. You should be able to find a C5 convertible and early year C6 convertibles for under $30K. You should be able to find plenty of base model C6s for under $30K, which all have targa tops.

They were asking $25k for this 2006 C6 last summer:
2024-03-30 22.20.13 www.corvetteforum.com 68cee7b360be.png

This 2002 C5 is currently for sale for $17k:
2024-03-30 22.23.17 www.corvetteforum.com d176d02b2f83.png
​
​
Honestly, a ~20 year old Porsche sounds like a good fit for what you are looking for... but alas.
 
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Kobayashi

Kobayashi

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Palum said:
Alright I need used car recommendations.

Small 2-4 seat convertible available with manual transmission. Possibly consider the right coupe/sedan/hatch. I have a good BMW mechanic we go to already so that's covered.
<$30K

Decent P/W ratio (more is better, just don't want a dog)
> 2000MY and maintainable (so no classic or weird shit with no parts)
reliable enough to take small regional road trips
GT(ish), at least comfortable
enough trunk to fit say 2 small suitcases

So far I think I've crossed off the following:
modern muscle cars (too big)
Miata ND/Fiat 124 (passenger foot well hump thing was annoying)
Focus ST (friend had one, ambivalent at this point)
Audi TT
WRX (had some, moved on)
Boxster 986 (neighbor has one)
S2000 (might have been cool if they had continued to be produced)
MR2
RX8 (had one, fuck apex seals)

Possibles:
BMW 1 or 2 series convertibles (M2s being closeish price wise is dangerous...)
BMW Z4 3.0si or M
Audi A3/4 (unfortunately doesn't look like S3 ever came with manual?)
Mini Cooper S or JCW
???

Any recommendations?
Click to expand...
I feel like you've covered things pretty well. Maybe add the Lexus IS250C to your list? You could also perhaps do a Nissan 350/370Z or Infiniti G37? Borderline ones since I'm not sure how good parts availability would be: Saturn Sky, Pontiac Solstice, and Saab 9-3.
 
Palum

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Burns said:
Price can depend on how long you want to sit around looking, you might be able to find a good deal on a car that would normally be north of $30k. There are also a few cars that have removable targa tops, which aren't as expensive as a full convertible but function almost the same.

For example you might be able to find a 20ish year old Lotus Elise (Targa Top) for around $30k from a private seller (this one pictured was $34k from a dealer):

I'm not sure if you include corvettes in "American muscle cars" since they are smaller and much nimbler than Mustangs, Camaros, and Challengers. You should be able to find a C5 convertible and early year C6 convertibles for under $30K. You should be able to find plenty of base model C6s for under $30K, which all have targa tops.

They were asking $25k for this 2006 C6 last summer:

This 2002 C5 is currently for sale for $17k:
​
​
Honestly, a ~20 year old Porsche sounds like a good fit for what you are looking for... but alas.
Click to expand...

I do like targa tops as well but they're very rare anymore. Elise I dunno, seems in the niche impossible to maintain category.

Corvettes, I don't know. I have always equated them with old people so I don't really like them. Maybe in another 20 years. C5 and C6 look kinda frumpy. C4 is old. C7 looks decent, but they're still a bit spendy for the next few years it seems like.
 
Palum

Palum

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Kobayashi said:
I feel like you've covered things pretty well. Maybe add the Lexus IS250C to your list? You could also perhaps do a Nissan 350/370Z or Infiniti G37? Borderline ones since I'm not sure how good parts availability would be: Saturn Sky, Pontiac Solstice, and Saab 9-3.
Click to expand...

Yea I do not care for Lexus or Infiniti, they have always had shit styling (LFA notwithstanding). 350/370 looks like a shoe. Agree with Saturn/Pontiac/Saab, wouldn't touch at this point.
 
Burren

Burren

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Palum said:
Alright I need used car recommendations.

Small 2-4 seat convertible available with manual transmission. Possibly consider the right coupe/sedan/hatch. I have a good BMW mechanic we go to already so that's covered.
<$30K

Decent P/W ratio (more is better, just don't want a dog)
> 2000MY and maintainable (so no classic or weird shit with no parts)
reliable enough to take small regional road trips
GT(ish), at least comfortable
enough trunk to fit say 2 small suitcases

So far I think I've crossed off the following:
modern muscle cars (too big)
Miata ND/Fiat 124 (passenger foot well hump thing was annoying)
Focus ST (friend had one, ambivalent at this point)
Audi TT
WRX (had some, moved on)
Boxster 986 (neighbor has one)
S2000 (might have been cool if they had continued to be produced)
MR2
RX8 (had one, fuck apex seals)

Possibles:
BMW 1 or 2 series convertibles (M2s being closeish price wise is dangerous...)
BMW Z4 3.0si or M
Audi A3/4 (unfortunately doesn't look like S3 ever came with manual?)
Mini Cooper S or JCW
???

Any recommendations?
Click to expand...
Honestly, C6 or C7 Vette Grand Sport. Faster than all your other options. Better ride and more comfortable. More room for bags during a trip.
 
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Burns

Burns

Golden Baronet of the Realm
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Palum said:
I do like targa tops as well but they're very rare anymore. Elise I dunno, seems in the niche impossible to maintain category.

Corvettes, I don't know. I have always equated them with old people so I don't really like them. Maybe in another 20 years. C5 and C6 look kinda frumpy. C4 is old. C7 looks decent, but they're still a bit spendy for the next few years it seems like.
Click to expand...
Ah yea, love the way the Lotus looks but just looked it up. Lotus made the Elise for 25 years with a total production of 35,124 vehicles. They stopped production in 2021 (surprising) and the few threads I read on the Lotus enthusiast forum makes it sound like there are some part sourcing problems. The engine is made by Toyota though, so there are some more options because of that (just for the engine).

I also forgot about the bag space you wanted, which the Lotus is probably lacking.
 
Sledge

Sledge

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Palum said:
Alright I need used car recommendations.

Small 2-4 seat convertible available with manual transmission. Possibly consider the right coupe/sedan/hatch. I have a good BMW mechanic we go to already so that's covered.
<$30K

Decent P/W ratio (more is better, just don't want a dog)
> 2000MY and maintainable (so no classic or weird shit with no parts)
reliable enough to take small regional road trips
GT(ish), at least comfortable
enough trunk to fit say 2 small suitcases

So far I think I've crossed off the following:
modern muscle cars (too big)
Miata ND/Fiat 124 (passenger foot well hump thing was annoying)
Focus ST (friend had one, ambivalent at this point)
Audi TT
WRX (had some, moved on)
Boxster 986 (neighbor has one)
S2000 (might have been cool if they had continued to be produced)
MR2
RX8 (had one, fuck apex seals)

Possibles:
BMW 1 or 2 series convertibles (M2s being closeish price wise is dangerous...)
BMW Z4 3.0si or M
Audi A3/4 (unfortunately doesn't look like S3 ever came with manual?)
Mini Cooper S or JCW
???

Any recommendations?
Click to expand...
Toyota GR86 or Suburu BRZ.

Edit, sorry, missed the convertible need.
 
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sleevedraw

sleevedraw

Revolver Ocelot
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Palum said:
Alright I need used car recommendations.

Small 2-4 seat convertible available with manual transmission. Possibly consider the right coupe/sedan/hatch. I have a good BMW mechanic we go to already so that's covered.
<$30K

Decent P/W ratio (more is better, just don't want a dog)
> 2000MY and maintainable (so no classic or weird shit with no parts)
reliable enough to take small regional road trips
GT(ish), at least comfortable
enough trunk to fit say 2 small suitcases

So far I think I've crossed off the following:
modern muscle cars (too big)
Miata ND/Fiat 124 (passenger foot well hump thing was annoying)
Focus ST (friend had one, ambivalent at this point)
Audi TT
WRX (had some, moved on)
Boxster 986 (neighbor has one)
S2000 (might have been cool if they had continued to be produced)
MR2
RX8 (had one, fuck apex seals)

Possibles:
BMW 1 or 2 series convertibles (M2s being closeish price wise is dangerous...)
BMW Z4 3.0si or M
Audi A3/4 (unfortunately doesn't look like S3 ever came with manual?)
Mini Cooper S or JCW
???

Any recommendations?
Click to expand...

Used/CPO GR86 or BRZ?

EDIT: lol, Sledge beat me by about 5 seconds.
 
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Palum

Palum

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Sledge said:
Toyota GR86 or Suburu BRZ.

Edit, sorry, missed the convertible need.
Click to expand...

I have been looking at the 86 for a while, but two problems: 1) power is middling and 2) they are not available at a price I would be comfortable throwing an FI kit at one yet. I mean people are still asking 20k+ for these, many have ridiculous mods. Maybe I'm missing something but finding clean low milage is still ridiculously expensive for a 30k car new.
 
Sledge

Sledge

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I had an 86 for about 4 years and didn't really see a huge issue with the power. The power lag in the midrange was noticeable because I also had a Honda S2000, but I didn't think the 86 was all that bad considering it's price. The new version is supposed to be quite a bit better and I wouldn't hesitate getting one. Actually I planned to get a new one last year but decided to wait a little longer to see if they came out with any updates.

My wife got a new loaded Miata last year. Unfortunately it's an automatic, but the paddle shifters aren't too bad. It feels good, but not great. The red looks really nice but I was disappointed with interior for 'top of the line'. The radio and other controls are honestly pathetic. Definitely not a car for longer road trips compared to the 86.
 
Palum

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Burren said:
Honestly, C6 or C7 Vette Grand Sport. Faster than all your other options. Better ride and more comfortable. More room for bags during a trip.
Click to expand...
If I found a 2014 c7 at the right price I would consider it. They still seem like they're closer to 40k right now.
 
Palum

Palum

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Sledge said:
I had an 86 for about 4 years and didn't really see a huge issue with the power. The power lag in the midrange was noticeable because I also had a Honda S2000, but I didn't think the 86 was all that bad considering it's price. The new version is supposed to be quite a bit better and I wouldn't hesitate getting one. Actually I planned to get a new one last year but decided to wait a little longer to see if they came out with any updates.

My wife got a new loaded Miata last year. Unfortunately it's an automatic, but the paddle shifters aren't too bad. It feels good, but not great. The red looks really nice but I was disappointed with interior for 'top of the line'. The radio and other controls are honestly pathetic. Definitely not a car for longer road trips compared to the 86.
Click to expand...
I drove a BRZ when they first came out (granted just an automatic iirc) while I was at the dealer with my WRX. It didn't really compare favorably in my head so I had always put it aside that supercharging one would be neat when they became cheap. Unfortunately it seems like they're not mass market enough and prices are still up there for ten year old models with like 80k miles on it.
 
Axiel

Axiel

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Palum said:
modern muscle cars (too big)
Click to expand...

2015+ 4cylinder Mustang isn't a big car and doesn't drive like muscle, has ~310 hp/3500lbs. Can probably find convertible+6speed that hasn't been beaten to shit, unlike the GTs.
 
Sledge

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I wouldn't buy a used 86 considering what people are asking for them right now. The car market is still screwed and it will likely take a few years before the used models come back down to where they should be. But inflation is going to keep prices pretty stupid.
 
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Palum

Palum

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Axiel said:
2015+ 4cylinder Mustang isn't a big car and doesn't drive like muscle, has ~310 hp/3500lbs. Can probably find convertible+6speed that hasn't been beaten to shit, unlike the GTs.
Click to expand...
Yep I owned one of those for a while as well. Was a touch big. Mostly am not considering it because I moved on.
 
Palum

Palum

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Sledge said:
I wouldn't buy used considering what people are asking for them right now. The car market is still screwed and it will likely take a few years before the used models come back down to where they should be. But inflation is going to keep prices pretty stupid.
Click to expand...
Well that's why I really want a car that has bottomed out in depreciation that I feel like I am not losing out on. They're mostly settled for some models IMO. Others are stubbornly high.
 
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