Pelican Parts Forums - Lamenting Our No-Longer Affordable Hobby

Pelican Parts Forums (http://forums.pelicanparts.com/)

- Off Topic Discussions (http://forums.pelicanparts.com/off-topic-discussions/)

- - Lamenting Our No-Longer Affordable Hobby (http://forums.pelicanparts.com/off-topic-discussions/973139-lamenting-our-no-longer-affordable-hobby.html)

There were so many cool Japanese Sports cars of the '80s that are undervalued, overlooked and remarkable...to name a few to what's been mentioned on this thread:
1) Mitsubishi Starion \ Dodge Conquest
2) Mk.3 Toyota Supra Turbo
3) Toyota Corolla GT-S (RWD and FWD)
4) All years and generations MR2
5) Nissan 200SX (esp. the VG30 V6 and Turbo variants)
6) First Gen. Subaru Legacy Turbo
7) Isuzu Piazza

A few more:

Miata
Galant VR4
Eclipse GSX
3000GT
Lancer Evolution I (legal to import)
Prelude
Integra GSR/Type
Pulsar GTiR (legal to import)
Subaru SVX

Integra GSR's are great cars. Fun and reliable.

The best bang for the buck cars in the UK probably wouldn't have been sold in the USA.
Here one can get the Smart ForFour Brabus 177BHP in a one tonne car for a few thousand US$ or the 172 or 182BHP(again about 1 tonne) Renault Clio 2 for even less.
These cars date from the 2000s so probably can't be imported into the US yet.

I worked on these when they were brand new at the dealer, funny, I only see one every couple of years these days.
Last week, 2 vr4's towed in not running, both owned by car dealer, collector type guys. Both maroon, weird .
Im guessing the jap cars we all grew up with are the next ones be on the hot list .

I gave up too.. way too much $$ for me.. I'm out of the p-club.

But motorcycles... still very-very affordable and very satisfying to fulfill your time and wrenching needs..

I agree, motorcycles are still affordable as a hobby. Not as many mods can be done, but I hear DE events are fun and track days are crazy addicting.

Motorcycles are cool but I know my limits. I’d probably be dead in 6 months.

Quote:

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy (Post 9781065)

Motorcycles are cool but I know my limits. I’d probably be dead in 6 months.

As it says on Joebob's dashboard: "Don't do anything stupid!" ... And you'll be fine.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brando (Post 9781105)

As it says on Joebob's dashboard: "Don't do anything stupid!" ... And you'll be fine.

purchasing a bike would violate that rule.

sigh, sucks to be a man of modest means!

Its the other idiots on their IPhones that make bike riders organ donors...

Quote:

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy (Post 9781065)

Motorcycles are cool but I know my limits. I’d probably be dead in 6 months.

This.

Quote:

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy (Post 9781065)

Motorcycles are cool but I know my limits. I’d probably be dead in 6 months.

Yep, although it would be my wife that would kill me.
My friend who used to commute on his huge Suzuki commented "I love bikes but when I remember riding back in the day all the close calls, with my reaction time today I would be wiped out." (we are both 60 and live in Los Angeles).

Frankly I bought the 944 to get away from the motorcycle hobby.

The Morgan three wheeler looks like a cool compromise.

Thou I think this time around I would like a hard top (did the Miata thing) I am intrigued by the Toyota Corolla GT-S.

I’ve always thought the Starion and Conquest were awesome looking cars. Nothing is more 1980s than boxed flares, just like a 951.

As I get older, I see my cars as less like a hobby, and more like a mental obsession. But if you love cars, you will find that your enthusiasm spreads around you, and you will be known for your passion. At some point, cars will start to come to you if your enthusiasm is strong enough. Once you get to that point, turning them down becomes the hard part, and that's where the obsession comes in.

In the last week, I saw a running 928 5 speed for sale for 4400 dollars. Last fall I saw a 400 HP Vette go for 4000. Boxsters routinely go for under 9 grand, supercharged Miatas for under 7, and V8 Mustangs can still be had for under 5, with nice 2006 V8s going for around 10.

People tell me that there is no more magic in the world, and make a great case of presenting the evidence. I say that is bunkum. You can't ever see a rainbow if you keep glumly staring at the ground. You have to pick your head up and look around. There it is... I work with a guy who says that if he wasn't getting paid, he would still come to work. Well, cars are just my hobby at this point, and if people don't pay me to work on them, I would still play with them, even if I had to pay for the privilege. It's a choice.

Porsches have never been cheap. Some are more affordable to buy into I guess, but they have always wiped their asses with thousand dollar bills. That hasn't changed. I'm the one who would rather sit with a coffee and type on the computer than go out on a cold morning and smell the fresh air.

Life. Use it while you still can, and maybe there will be Porsches in Heaven if you are lucky. The other side of that coin though is that they are probably also in Hell, if you make it so.

Let's do some living. With cars, while we are at it, while we still can.