Classic for $5k or less?
 

Ok, this is gonna be real subjective but what cool, classic car is out there for $5k or less. I've been seeing some cool Mercedes 350SL or 450 Sl's out there. Lots of BMW 3, 5 or 7 series. What other cool classics should I be looking for? Or, what should I stay away from at the price?

In my experience, ANY car under $5000 is full of problems. It's one thing if you're looking for a project and don't mind investing another $5k and several hours of your time, but I don't think you can buy anything for 5 and expect it to be even halfway reliable as it is. Classic or not.

914
2002
Alfa Spyder
Saab 900
Datsun 510, maybe a 260/280Z
Miata
1st gen MR2
Fiat X1/9
Early 928
GTi
Scirocco
BMW E30
RX-7
CRX
5.0 Mustang

Browse Bring A Trailer for a while, that will get you in trouble.;)

Datsun 240Z.

most bang for the buck, by a long shot, is the 914.

Great fun to drive, still a porsche, and a great community.

oh, and that autocross thing - awesome performance!

Lots of parts available too.....and the damn lid fits in the trunk! AND you can carry 2 sets of golf clubs, and a suitcase! In what other sports car, never mind the cost, can you do THAT?!!?

I like 'em.

td

That's going to be pretty tough. Not impossible, but your choices improve at $8.5k and up.

Yup. 240 is tough, the 260 and especially the 280 are cheaper.

An old Alfa Romero?

Not the most reliable car but always fun when they're running well. All the fasteners are metric so your Porsche tools will work.

Picked up this Turbo for 3.6k.

I'm at 6k total if I include the re-paint, the wheels and the pair of Recaros SRDs.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8050/8...007d6c96_b.jpg

It's not a common deal, but they do appear from time to time. I've got enough power to blow the doors off an NSX. And it's been sharing DD duties with my '91 Miata since last June and has been the sole DD since January.

You can find non-turbo examples easily in that budget as well.

How tall are you?

I tried one of these but my head rubbed against the head-liner. Also, the tops of my thighs rubbed against the steering wheel and I'm not fat.

Few more....

Jaguar XJS
BMW E21
BMW 635i
Datsun 1600
Mini

5'6" and ~150 lbs.

Certainly roomier and more comfy than a Miata or a first gen MR2.

Sprite and MGB both fit this

Thanks All! Lots of great suggestions to ponder.

944. Possibly even an S2.

1973 Datsun (Nissan) 240Z


914 values have gone up since the last time I looked...Not sure if that's the case everywhere.

This is just wrong. With a PPI a car at just about any price point can be reliable. Here is a quick list of cars I have purchased for less than 5k and have been dead reliable:

BMW 535is (e28)
BMW 325is (e30)
Volvo 850R
Porsche 944 Turbo
VW GTI VR6 (MK3)
Datsun 280Z

So that spans car from 1975 to 1997, all of which only needed standard maintenance items to keep them up and running, sure all of those are not classics, but the BMWs, Porsche, and Datsun qualify.

I like that list Klaus!

My daily = FUN! It's worth about $2,500 ;)

VW VR6 (MK3)

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1369279979.jpg

if you go with a 70s MB SL, the 380 engine had a tendency to have problems with the engine timing chain. Many of them have been upgraded by now, but good to ask about it. Also, if you go very old (1974), you can find them with manual tranny.


I agree with a lot of what was said. Here are some others that I have heard are pretty easy to own.
bmw 318i
http://files.conceptcarz.com/img/BMW...9-PVGP-002.jpg

Saab 900
http://www.saabsunited.com/wp-conten...+rear_view.jpg

Mitsubishi 3000GT
http://www.theautochannel.com/media/...shi_3000gt.jpg

Mitsubishi Eclipse
http://www.classycars.org/Mitsubishi...clipse.09a.jpg

Subaru SVX
http://www.motorsbros.com/images/Subaru-SVX-02.jpg

Alfa Romeo Alfetta GT / GTV (this one might be a little less reliable than the others)
http://www.cuorealfista.com/Public/d...ettaGT-USA.jpg

if you want to go REALLY cheap
70s rabbit/golf - if you want sport, I would stay away from the 48 HP diesel one I had
http://www.adclassix.com/images/76vwrabbit2.jpg

Ford Escort GT - a friend of mine had one of these and it was a lot of fun
http://www.imcdb.org/i139981.jpg

What is nice about the really cheap ones, it breaks down, leave it you take your plates and hitchhike home.

oh, one more
Chrysler Conquest...was really a mitsubishi starion
http://www.drifting.com/forums/buy-a...1&d=1090995162

Amen to that. I've owned a lot of sub-$5k cars, and while they may have had misc needs I can't recall any of them leaving me stranded. Except for my 318ti which was a mistake from the beginning.

For $5k I would look for someones pan based Speedster replica project that probably needs another $5k worth of work. Or, maybe the best bug I could find.

Must depend where one is from... I've never had a daily driver cost more than $3K. My civic has been nothing but reliable. I've done NOTHING but normal maint (oil change, filters, etc... and a Tbelt & water pump when it was due). My friends with expensive cars as DDs spend way more time broken down than I do (which is never).

I was going to say '01 Honda civic EX, but I didn't want anyone to think I was being insensitive, unfiltered, making inappropriate jokes, or tell me I dont deserve to post here.

Same here, just keep your expectation realistic.

Miata is common but a great car if you fit. Just about everything I remember (fondly) about my MGB w/o the electric gremlins.

'65-69 Corvair (65 or 66 Corvair Corsa if you can find one). Air cooled, flat 6, parts easy to find and quite inexpensive.

It's pretty pitiful what many consider to be a "classic" car here. Really, a Honda Civic? A Honda Civic or any similar car will never be a classic. A 200z series or 5.0 mustang will qualify.

Those posts mentioning Civics didn't indicate they considered Civics to be a classic. They were discussing reliability as mentioned in Christien's "classic or not" comment in post #2.

Exactly my point. :)

88 fiero GT last year with the upgraded brakes and suspension

throw away the little v6 and replace with .....
anything GM all the newer FWD motors bolt in
eco-tec 4 or the older quad4 with turbo or SS [requires a trans swap too]
3800s3 with the blower or turbo 300hp eazy as a pulley swap
good old chevy mouse motor or new ls v8 [need a kit for adapters]
old caddy 4.9 or north star 4.6 v8

my car has a north star 4v 4 cam alloy v8 mid engine 300hp stock swapped in
13'' vett brakes+ 18'' wheels
aftermarket tube A-arms bigger ARB polly bushings ect

what else is out there under 2500lbs mid-eng 300hp for 5k [if you do it your self]

I guess folks here have not seen 914 prices lately. Nor many of the other cars listed. Sure, a pile of junk sells for what the part value is. Jaguars can be had for cheap. I don't know how far back a car has to go to be a classic.

I think the definition is 20 years. I could be wrong though.

wrong - just like guys who grew up with Bad Boys and a great looking black 911 get money, want to relive their youth, the same thing happens with guys who grew up with Fast and Furious... they are going to want to relive their youth...

Buy a decent CRX Si - second generation - if you can - for under $5k - it will go up in value.

35 years old to be classified as an "antique" in KS, which saves you from having to renew your tag every year. By the 20 year old standard, some first generation Miatas are already classics.:eek: Damn I'm getting old......

ABSOLUTELY! Take whatever generation is now in their 50s & 60s (have plenty of money, mid life crisis, getting the car that they've always wanted). Then look at the cars that were hot when they were kids and teens. Today it's the muscle cars of the 1960s and early 1970s, but the '80s stuff is already starting to creep upwards.

Yeah, we've been meaning to tell you, Matt. :p

Badass. Always wanted one.

Merkur XR4Ti

I have to agree with you. I've wanted a Integra Type R since my 16th birthday. And I still get tempting thoughts when I see even GS-R's for sale.

for under $5k, you should be able to buy two 944s, and the 80s-early 90 Corvetttes, late 80 early 90 5.0 Mustangs would be a good bet.