Due to some quite disgraceful behaviour involving a jeweller's shop and my credit card the Girlie has agreed that I can buy a toy.
I want a soft top. I haven't had one for ages, and the Girlies Junior love them. Girlie Senior isn't struck, but hey I don't like jewellery !
Its only going to be a toy, so it would be a waste spending serious money.
It needs to be a 2+2 - which rules out all of the usual suspects.
Don't care about fuel consumption, don't care about resale value, don't care much about performance.
Do want pretty, do want fun, do want a little cred.
I don't regard a Rover 214 Softtop as the sort of thing I'm looking for. So lets forget all of those - golfs, rovers, etc. Boring, boring, boring. I want a toy.
I'd love an MG Roadster which would fit every point except the 2+2 bit. I seem to recall Stags were 2+2 so that's a definite possibility. The "+2" is only Girlies Junior so there doesn't have to be sufficient room for adults. And it will spend most of its life inactive in my garage, so it doesn't have to be capable of stellar mileages.
I do know one end of a screwdriver from another, so something which needs home maintenance isn't a disaster - although I'd rather one that didn't.
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What's your budget?
If it was only going to be a toy (and it would fit in my garage) I'd be seriously considering an XJS.
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Porsche 928 soft top, bloke at work has one and he thinks it's great.
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"Porsche 928 soft top, bloke at work has one"
Are you sure? Not a factory-issue model, IIRC. It needs a roof to contain the torque!
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"Are you sure?"
Sorry - I see this has already been answered. Long thread... :-)
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An XJS is an interesting thought - a really interesting thought.
No soft tops in the Autotrader at the mo' tho'.
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Mondeo TDci? I know it ticks absolutely none of your boxes, but they seem to come highly recommended for some reason.
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>>Mondeo TDci?
No thanks - all the skips on my land are rented and bright yellow.
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>>No soft tops in the Autotrader
Ooops, yes there is - only one. Still, a thought.
Couldn't find any 928 soft tops, but that would also fit the bill excellently. Perhaps even better than the Jag - I've had an XJS soft-top before, and much as I loved it the idea of a car I've not had before does appeal.
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What about a Mercedes 500SL? Or even a CLK?
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A Citroen 2CV with a folding roof. Stylish, unusual and quite chic.
I believe the retro look is in nowdays.
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XJS without a shadow of a doubt but I think you have to go for D-reg or older to get the +2.
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Don't think so, IIRC mine was an M-ish reg and had the +2.
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Really? Good news, that put?s it back on my list too.
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Something old and American? A Mustang or Thunderbird might be fun.
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I believe the retro look is in nowdays.
In that case an old Beetle, or Moggy ragtop.
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How about a 90's Mercedes E-class convertible? 4 seats and good looks.
Now appreciating, according to HJ.
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I think you could meet your needs with a 205 CTi. One of the best, if not the best, GTi ever made. Particularly the 1.9
So you've got your performance and a soft top.
Getting hard to find nice ones now, but if you can find one and look after it, it may even be a good investment.
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Volvo C70 GT T5? True 4 Seater abnd goes like hell
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Thanks, but....
"Don't care about fuel consumption, don't care about resale value, don't care much about performance."
I reckon the XJS and the Porsche 928 are the most attractive suggestions to date. Especially the Porsche.
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928 cabrios were non factory conversions, very few about.
'87 to '91 230, 260, 300CE and '92 to '96 220, 280, 320CE - all likely future classics.
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How about a Daimler SP250? Or a Triumph Vitesse?
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The 968 cabriolet is a 2+2 and there are a few on Autotrader for under £15k if you do a national search.
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You could buy more than one of these type and still have change..:-)
tinyurl.com/b26cb
tinyurl.com/dk2lz
US style:
tinyurl.com/9595e
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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Give us a clue? Firewall at office doesn't like tinyurl.
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So does the 968 do the trick for you?
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The black, K Reg one might. I've forwarded the advert to the girlie to see what she has to say.
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I hope to God you never actually called her "the girlie" else you won't be getting anything short of a 206cc ;-)
...and a smack
--
Adam
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She doesn't object. Her family always refer to me as "The Gringo", so its seems fair enough.
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Lol. The Gringo.
I've never even met you and already I'm leaning towards agreeing with them ;-)
--
Adam
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Think "A fistful of dollars" and "once upon a time in Mexico".
Now I bet you've stopped laughing and are nervously assessing the security of your home.
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yeah well, think carefully before marrying into a latino family. Mad as a box of frogs, the lot of them.
Girlie + her 3 sisters in law + Mother in law = 9 simultaneous conversations. Gooodness knows what it will be like as the Girlies Junior get older.
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= 9 simultaneous conversations >>
If they were Latin and hailed from Liverpool it would be far worse...:-)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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Are we sure a 968 is 2+2 ??
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They may describe it as such, but the rear seats don't look very usable to me...
See: www.968.net/images/images/968_cab_teal_lf.jpg
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www.nurburgring.org.uk/trip_reports/ring17/ring17_...gThere are rear seats, suitable for rodents and small kittens.
So which did he sit on; a rodent or a kitten? His face suggests the former.
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More of a 2+1s6d The rear seats aren't going to offer the little ones much of a view, or legroom for that matter. But it is a 2+2.
Some of the pics on autotrader show you the two leather covered coal scuttles that pass for rear seats.
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968 and 944 are 2+2, though cabrio has less room is rear due to roof folding stuff. 944S2 cabrio could be good value.
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968 seems to be edging it at the moment, but if all you want is a car to cruise in with the family, I can't imagine anything better than a new Mustang, either really old or really new.
Or how about a 206cc? You can get them with a 1.6 diesel engine now too. (I'd even suggest a 1.3 diesel Tigra but they don't have rear seats and so aren't practical enough for you).
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Not quite sure why no-one has suggested the Audi Cabriolet (like Diana's). Must get the 2.6 though.
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Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
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Toyota Celica?
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Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
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>Due to some quite disgraceful behaviour involving a jeweller's shop and
>my credit card..
Mmm, had exactly the same problem last month but didn't realise it could also be an opportunity.
As for the toy.
The 928 conversions were a bit variable quality-wise and suffered a fair amount of scuttle shake. They're pretty rare too. It's got to be in black and make sure that it's had the seperate oil cooler fitted.
The 944 and 968 cabrios are fine and drive very, very well, the most fun would be a late 944 Turbo or Turbo S (250bhp but I'm not sure if the S came in cabrio form). Not much grunt below 4K RPM but wonderful once they're above that. The rear seats are fine for young kids and the occasional 'drive you home?' but nothing more and if the driver is over 6ft then forget anyone sitting behind them. The real problem though is that they don't have 'cred', they are currently in the gap between modern desireable and coveted classic.
XJS? A few years ago you couldn't give away an XJS. Good ones are now sought after and if you've had one you'll know why. Gaining 'cred' at an amazing rate.
If it's just something to cruise around in and put a smile on your face, go for something '60's and american. Cheap to buy, easy to fix and with zero depreciation. I suspect though that you want somthing with rear seatbelt fittings so you'll need to check around.
My own choice would be an XJS in red with doeskin interior and black upper.
Kevin...
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I think it's the 944 I should have said. Not very clued up on Porsches.
What about one of those three door Freelanders with the soft back?
::Ducks::
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Now that is scary!
I was about to suggest just such a vehicle.
If you're thinking 'Porsche', go for the V6, if they do it in a 3 door.
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American Muscle is the only wheels for a Gringo.
Unless of course
You seen the new Nissan advert? with Clint music?
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I was going to say my suggestion from the start but was sure I'd get shouted down (I probably will anyway) but now that a lot more people seem to be saying American muscle,
how about a Mustang. I have no idea how much they cost but I mean the earlier ones rather than the ones that look pretty ordinary from the 90's.
For some reason, I can picture Mark in a Mustang.
--
Adam
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For some reason, I can picture Mark in a Mustang.
With No FM2R sat beside him.
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Looked at three 968s which really was a good suggestion, thank you.
Very lovely looking cars and quite tempted, although struggling to find an example which is quite "right". Still looking though. The 968 has the advantage that the girlie approves.
However, also came across a 1991 H Reg Mercedes 500SL convertible. Does anybody know if that is a two seater or a 2+2 ?
M.
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However, also came across a 1991 H Reg Mercedes 500SL convertible. Does anybody know if that is a two seater or a 2+2 ?
The Burago model I had of one of these as a kid was a 2+2. Though to me there always looked to be the danger of a tall rear passenger being smacked across the back of the head by the pop-up roll bar.
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Which year ?
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Erm. It was a toy.
It looked like this (which I believe were around from the late 80s):
www.carsearch.com/photos/769065.jpeg
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If you buy a 500SL I will be presenting you with a chunky gold bracelet and matching St.Christopher medallion from Lizzy Dukes. Better throw away the top two buttons on any denim shirts you own whilst you're at it.
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What's wrong with a 500SL ? I thought it looked rather good, and it is girlie-approved.
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They tend to be driven by men of a certain age when they get told they can't have a Harley.
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I can see what $$ is getting at. A 500SL falls somewhere in between mid-life-crisis and nouveau-riche. But then the same could be said for a Porsche. Difficult isn't it. Though the 70s-80s SL is much classier.
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Yup, a 70s SL has class. An XJS has class. A Stag has class. A late 80s/early 90s SL has none. E34 hits the nail on the head
The 968 gets away with it. Not sure why, but it does.
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Because no-one on either Bergerac or Eldorado had one?
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Once again E34 slams that hammer down on the nail.
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I'm not struck on the 70s one. Its a bit too square. I've no idea what a 1991 is like to drive, but it looks good and I usually like Mercs. I still can't find out if its a 2+2 or not though.
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I'm going to speak up and say the 80's SL's look fantastic and would be right in keeping with my mental image of Mark.
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Adam
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I think mental image is about right.
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Yeah and I?m going to speak up and say girlie approval is far more important than backroom approval (which you probably only get when you buy a diesel Mondeo).
Bought my XJS without Evil Edna?s approval and you?d have thought I?d just dropped 5k on magic beans the way she went on about it.
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No FM2R,
Why not look for a Crayford Conversion of an early Ford Capri?
StarGazer
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Thought about an old model E class convertible? Great build quality, genuine 4 seater and go for the 300 or 320 and you'll not have enough power. The Germans had an E 200 which was dire and the E220 was better but still very underpowered.
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Funnily enough the idea of an E Class convertible did come up last night. In the end it was discoutned (narrowly) due to its barge like appearance.
Assuming a likely specimen can be found then I think we've decided on an SL. The 500 seems to fulfil most of our criteria.
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"300 or 320 and you'll not have enough power" should have read "OR you'll not have enogh power". Typo Twit!
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Is there some rite of passage whereby retired moderators have to get all their pent up 'inane babble' out of their systems ? {Only until one of us remaining moderators get around to deleting it. DD}
(gets coat and runs away)
p.s. - Armitage - 'you have mail'
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The best bit of the 1990s SL is the fuel gauge. Its at least 270 degrees around (not the, what, maybe 120 degrees you get on modern cars).
That way, even with a big tank, you really can see it move when you floor the throttle. Especially on the 500!
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Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
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You could always buy my 2+2 off me
Peugeot 306 2.0 SE Cabriolet
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306 2.0 SE Cabriolet
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