OK, so here is the deal. I had a real mid life crisis in November in the form of a mild heart attack, 200 miles from home. I view this as Gods message to me to buy an open top car before I die. That's funny, because that is what I want to do, so God and I see eye to eye on that one. Thing is though, before I could ask him what he recommends, he cut the line of communcation.
Have told the wife that if I don't get one, it will up my blood pressure with dire effects. With a C4 VTR+ diesel hatch (2005 on a 55 plate with 7.5k miles) to p/x, what do you think I would be happy with if the p/x +cash took me to £20K. I like comfort, not too bothered by fuel economy as long as I can get 25mpg round town. Don't want back seat room that even Douglas Bader would complain about.
Look forward to suggestions.
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I'd get a push bike if I was you mate!
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....or a combination of both a big bike.
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If it were me looking for a 20K convertible I would only be looking at one option, a TVR, maybe a late Chimeara You may be lucky to get 25mpg round town though but you will get an immaculate one for far less than 20K. Otherwise if you want something thats only a few years old and with more comfort a Tuscan or Tamora should do the trick.
If you are going to get a convertible then why not do it in style??
Have to admit a sensible head would be an A4 3.0 cabriolet though!!
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A used CLK would be one option. My preference would be a used XK8 but you won't get 25mpg around town, more like 18 to 20mpg on the urban cycle, 25mpg in mixed. Rear seat room in both is 'restricted' but bearable for shortish journeys.
Kevin...
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Id say a Morgan Plus 8, TVR as suggested or live the american dream and get a 60's Corvette!
You only live once!
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>>Don't want back seat room that even Douglas Bader would complain about.
Strke off all the above; the OP's comment to me implies that he wants a usable rear seat, not effectively no rear seat.
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So take the roof off the Citroen then? Convertibles and decent rear seat space are rather rare unless you want to be rather dull, which would defeat the object of mid-life crisis car buying surely?
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atsearch.autotrader.co.uk/www/dealerservices_photo...8
For me, no contest.... but I'm hopefully not quite mid-life yet.
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SAAB
i would agree or if you have the room something like a s/h locust or similar to tinker and run on fine days and er maybe anything that takes your fancy with the money left,you only die once enjoy before you do ;-)
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If you were to go for a saab, you could justify it on the basis that it will appreciate. A nice 900SE in your price range will be worth more as each year passes.
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Mustang. Regain the youth you never had.
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Mustang seems a good idea. Or something else American. Presumably TVR wd be a bit tiring and anyway short of back seats. A thirties Bentley convertible would be very nice, but too expensive if good (and you certainly wouldn't want a bad one).
So for affordable, comfortable and big enough, think American. Never mind Saabs.
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STAG!
STAG!
--
Dr Alex Mears
MG BGT 1971
If you are in a hole stop digging...unless
you are a miner.
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">STAG!
STAG!<"
NO!
NO!
Health problems and a cantankerous Stag ..... unthinkable
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Always believe the Doctor....he has taste!!!
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tinyurl.com/yavu3d
4.6 V8. A mere 30k USD, just the small matter of persuading the British excisemen that it has no value.
There are back seats, not certain how much leg room though.
Volvo do a biggish convertible, Hmmmmm, Mustang or Volvo, difficult one that.
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You could keep the C4 (like we have) and get an MX5 (er.., like we have). Keep the practicality and the MX5 thus far has been a joy - roof off action with good handling and not breaking the bank.
If you're hell bent on spending £20k, a used boxster, S2000 or a Z4 spring to mind. The Z4 is a bit of a Marmite car, but I really like Marmite. Alternatively, if you want something brand new, the NC MX5s are getting good write ups, you could get the metal roofed one for £20k. Can't see why you'd want back seats really, it's either a sports car or it isn't and there's probably a good bus service (ho ho ho, when did you last see one of those), somewhere!
(sorry to hear about the ticker-trouble, hope you're now better!)
Lee.
-- You know, it\'s not like changing toothpaste
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On my mid-life crisis I sold a 2.2 Vectra and replaced it with a V8 GT Mustang. It is cheaper to insure than a Vectra, cheaper VED than a Vectra and when you start it you can't stop grinning. I get 26MPG around town and I got 31 on a recent run from London to Derby. Mine has just been featured in Performance Ford Magazine under the Buyers Guide. Go for it
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"> V8 GT Mustang.<"
What year? Any photos? Manual or auto?
Mmm, V8.
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Mine is a coupe (I think they look better), 2006, Auto a couple of pictures here www.putfile.com/netlang/images
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Thanks Pica,
How did you manage to get cheaper insurance than the Vectra?
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The Mustang being a specialist car and restricting the mileage to 7500 per year worked out at £328 for 2 named drivers including business use. The Vectra (which did 5000 miles per year and was a 2.2 CD) was costing me £480 for 2 named drivers including business use.
I guess that if a mustang gets stolen it will stick out a bit being much rarer and therefore more likely to be recovered whereas the Vectra will just blend in with everything else.
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I like the colour, although if it's a hardtop then it has to be a 1968 Fastback (me? In a timewarp? Shirley not)
I'm sure Ford could sell a few RHDs in the UK, but I'm equally sure that Ford have their reasons not to.
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>7500 per year worked out at £328
That's about the same as my Z28 Coupe for what sounds like an almost identical policy.
Adrian Flux?
Kevin...
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Flux was around the same price but I went through a broker based in Stevenage
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Know the feeling (sans heart attack). I've got a CLK AMG Convertible. Love it.
25mpg around town is pushing it, but its not too bad.
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a previous shape xk? built for comfort.
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.... but then if the objective is to purchase a sports-car-without-a-roof-before-you-die, it must be a 7.
OK, so it's not particularly comfortable, only 2 seats and doubtful if it will achieve 25mpg around town. But you'll enjoy it ... probably.
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Hi tack
have you considered a BMW 325Ci? Plenty of room (proper 4 seater) , lovely
powerful (192bhp) straight-6, economy ~30mpg overall .
With leather,auto,cd in a nice colour, I've seen several on 51/02/52 plates in the £16,800-18,500
region with FBMWSH & reasonable mileage , only drawback (no pun intended) is the fabric
(rather than steel folding) roof .
They look lovely in dark blue & tan/beige leather.
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OK...here we go. Open top didn't necessarily mean sports car. I want reasonable rear space for pax because my adult daughter still likes to spend time with her big old Dad and Mum!
Loved the look of the Mustang and the XK Jag', but am erring towards the Saab 9-3 or the Beemer convertibles. I am 52 nearly, so dignified and refined will be my watch-words. Sub 20mpg puts me off the XK8 Jag and possible selling on probs. Have considered Merc CLK, but am put off by a lot of adverse comment on build quality. I am also intrigued at the thought of keeping the C4, but buying a 2nd hand MX5 (which would mean kissing goodbye to wifes Mitsubishi Colt)
Thanks for suggestions
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The MX-5 will be very nice. If ever there was a two seater convertible designed for the masses then the MX-5 is it. Reliable, easy to drive, easy and cheap to service, reasonable insurance. All very good.
Now, if only GM would release a soft Monaro.
tinyurl.com/y787je
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Think my choice within your limitations would be the Volvo C70. Lovely looking car, most comfortable seats in the automotive world, and about as large in the back as you can get with no roof.
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"Sub 20mpg puts me off the XK8 Jag and possible selling on probs."
Assuming you live long enough.
Tick tock tick tock...
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Tick tock tick tock...
its tick tack actually if you look at his name :-0
tack you get what you want and have fun man :-)
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tack you get what you want and have fun man :-)
Yeah om, quite right.
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Hi tack,
If you kept the C4, I reckon you'd still have ~£12.5k for an open top - easily enough for a decent low miles 04/05 MX5 1.8i Sport (146BHP). Our 04 1.6 with a hard top and low miles was <£10k from a main dealer. Enough left over for a great holiday or two for you and your very happy good lady who has also just swapped the Colt for the C4/MX5. I realise that I'll be laughed off the forum now, but I so think the side profile of the MX5 is very similar to the XK8, but shrunk. I don't think there's a prettier car on the road today than that sporty Jag, but the fuel would be a bit of a hard pill to swallow!
Oh, and just realised you could chop the Colt into the equation, even more £££!
-- You know, it\'s not like changing toothpaste
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{do edit}
so think to do think
{end edit}
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>I like comfort,..
>dignified and refined will be my watch-words..
I couldn't think of a better description for an XK8 if I tried.
>Sub 20mpg puts me off the XK8 Jag and possible selling on probs.
Take one for a test drive and then tell me that 2 or 3mpg matters to a man in mid-life crisis.
Kevin...
PS. Jaguars are also medicinal.
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?v=e&t=32...4
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Unless your daughter is 5 forget the XK - no room in the back. Having driven a convertible the scuttle shake was horrendous and despite the car I drove being virtually brand new it was really showing its age. Very quick, but mid teens mpg.
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don't bin the Jag idea totally...... it depends on your planned mileage in it
my V6 3.0 (not an XK obviously) will only do between 15.5 and 19 mpg in heavy traffic........but......... i only use it for 4,000 miles a year or so..........so it doesn't matter as much
longer journeys are in the more economical family car......
think of the 'grin factor' when you do drive it.......and lastly you can't take it with you
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"it depends on your planned mileage in it"
A little insensitive Westpig to talk about "plans" to someone who only has weeks to live at most.
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My kind colleagues at work presented me with a nice china Grim Reaper when I popped in to say hello.
I am more and more looking towards a s/h MX5 and keeping the C4. I may well use the Grim Reaper as a dashboard mascot!
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Talking of insensitive comments got me wondering: since when did a mild heart attack equate to only weeks to live ?
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People can be stronger after a mild one.
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"People can be stronger after a mild one."
Yeah right, I'm sure that's what they tell them.
I'm only poking fun because I'm jealous. My mortgage gets paid off if I have a mild heart attack.
Although I think in the interests of accuracy you should rename this thread "End-life crisis + open top car"
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Back to the topic - how about an E-series convertible - a true 4/5 seater - and there must be some around that have been kept warm and dry, and have yet to sport chrome wheel arches, surely?
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BBD - the diplomatic service will be the poorer without you if you do go.
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