Good "starter" car to show

H

hook

New member
Ok, don't know if I really have the $$ to get into this, but I'm curious after attending a local Concours event.



Obviously, I'm never going to own a vintage Ferrari 275GTB. So what would be a good car for a person to "get their feet wet" with events? Something not too terribly expensive, but unusual enough to make it worthwhile to actually show?



The one car that comes to mind for me is a convertible Kharman Ghia. Probably because I've always thought they were just....fun.



I should add that I enjoy detailing both the family daily drivers regularly...I'm certainly a member of the "neighbors thinks he's nuts" club.



Other ideas?



thanks,

Andrew
 
You need to find out what car pushes you… If you don’t have the passion or the motivation to work on the car nonstop. When you find the right car, you will know it. It is like love, you cant stop looking at it, you get sweaty palms, Goosebumps, and have that feeling in you stomach. This not be the case for everyone, but it is how I feel..:eek:
 
Redcar GUY said:
You need to find out what car pushes you… If you don’t have the passion or the motivation to work on the car nonstop. When you find the right car, you will know it. It is like love, you cant stop looking at it, you get sweaty palms, Goosebumps, and have that feeling in you stomach. This not be the case for everyone, but it is how I feel..:eek:
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Yep, I know that feeling....



My problem is it usually occurs when looking at a car I just can't afford! :shocked



So, any ideas of some cars that aren't terribly hard to find, aren't too expensive to restore, and are worth driving/showing...



heh, put that way, I guess I'd like some cake so I can eat it, too :D



cheers,

Andrew
 
Yeah, find something that really turns your crank.



The K-G just might be it! Serious VW fanatics might make it tough to be really competitive in hardcore concours competetion, though, if that matters. If the process (being in the concours game) means more than the result (getting a trophy out of a field of trailer-queens) then that's not an issue at all.



Same applies to older BMWs and Alfas, but they can get expensive depending on what they need.



Brit cars always come to mind, and Triumphs and MGs are everywhere. Bug/Frog-eye's are fun and easy to own and have a huge following.



Some Japanese cars might fit the bill- old (1st generation) RX-7s are great fun and quite reliable, as are other, similar offerings from the other makers. And you can really use these as real cars :D



Just get something that you absolutely love- a "labor of love" is quite different from "just plain labor".
 
Thanks Accumulator, that's the kind of info I need.



I think I'd be ok knowing I wouldn't have much chance winning against trailer queens...but the idea of just having a car that's worthy of showing is the idea...worthy both from a quality of detail and uniqueness/fun.



So, here is the list I might start looking at in more detail:



Kharman Ghia convertible

VW convertible

Older BMW

Porsche - I found a 944 convertible that looks like it's in great shape that's not terribly pricy. I know the 944 isn't a well-liked model, but I had a friend who had one of these when they first came out, and I always enjoyed riding in it and driving it. Advantage is I could actually use it, as it has enough of a backseat for my son...



MG - added to list, hadn't thought of it.

RX-7 convertible - not sure if I could find one, and $$ if I did.

Nissan 300Z convertible - same as above, only probably more challenging.



Are any of these way out of line with costs to restore or maintain compared to the others, either much cheaper or much more expensive?



thanks!

Andrew
 
Hook , I think your first to choices are the best. I'm an advid air-cooled fanatic , I'm currently building my 15th Beetle and I'm going all out on this one. They are simple cars to work on and generally inexpensive. I would highly reccomend starting with either the KG or a later 70's convertable beetle. A good choice would be a 1979 triple white conv. here's a link to one:



http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=49831



Also check out the rest of the site for other air-cooled's



www.thesamba.com
 
hook- I'm familiar with a few of your choices...let's see...



Air cooled VW's- Not (*IMO*) fun to drive, but many do some people love 'em so decide for yourself. If you're not buying for the driving experience, the *rest* of the experience sounds right down your alley- easy and cheap to work on, cool styling, great support network, classic time-frame aura (the whole pre-1980s thing just radiates from these cars).



Older BMW- Watch out for rust!!! Often they can't be saved, so this is just *critical*. Great fun to drive if you don't mind the bottom-hinged pedals on some of them. Great support network. Heh heh, these things are classics if you like the sport-sedan thing (which I do). Not always as expensive as one might think to maintain, but find a good mechanic.



Porsche 944- While some "purists" dismiss any front-engined Porsche, the 944 is a great car, period. Incredibly good-driving experience. Somewhat expensive to keep maintained though, but they do hold up well. Make sure you have a good mechanic check it out first, these can be *really* expensive if you get the wrong one.



MG- Get a good one. Fun and classic. Can be pretty reliable if you sort 'em out. Great support on these, too. I myself would probably get a Triumph instead though. Just a bit more classic, low-buck British sportscar in my mind.



RX-7 convertible (though I was thinking about the first generation coupes, my faves). Not all that pricey, certainly not compared to the 944. Watch for apex seals on the rotaries, it's usually just a "replace the motor" thing as opposed to a rebuild. But that's not as expensive as it sounds. Sorta a "baby-944", and I mean that in a good way. At least check out a few of these.



Nissan 300Z- A friend has one (actually a ZX, I believe, not a ragtop either) and it's held up well. I don't like driving it though, sorta like a 944/RX-7 with all the fun taken out.



If you like the origami-styling, the early toyota MR2s are cool, and the later ones are sorta like a Fiero (sp?) done right. Kinda "mini-italian" mid-engine cars. Some people *really* like 'em.



Oh, and the older Fiat convertibles are sorta like an Italian version of the MGs. Alfas are worth a look if you know a decent mechanic.



Notice how I kept saying "find a good mechanic"? ;)
 
Accumulator said:
Air cooled VW's- Not (*IMO*) fun to drive,
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Really you don't think they're fun the drive , when I finish my Porshe Powered , Beetle on 17's I'll let you take a ride and we'll see if you think it's not fun. lol:D





edit , see my avatar for a preview of what my cars going to look like.
 
detailbarn said:
Really you don't think they're fun the drive , when I finish my Porshe Powered , Beetle on 17's I'll let you take a ride and we'll see if you think it's not fun. lol:D
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Heh heh, well maybe I'll need to test drive it :D



Oh yeah, no question you can *make* 'em fun to drive! I actually have a soft-spot for them, having grown up when they were must-have new vehicles. I just never had fun operating a *stock* one after the initial novelty wore off. Modified is a whole 'nother ballgame ;)
 
Oh no we're not talking stock , we're talking 120hp & 120 ft lbs ,

four wheel 1.8T VW brakes , Audi TT seat front and back. 17" BRM wheel that look like the orginal 15". Ah I just get happy talking about it. And to add to all that, the actual body of my car is a 1999 Mexican built air-cooled beetle , the chassis is a 1971 German that how it's legal. It's great no body work. So my car is a far from stock as you can possibly get. Stock sucks anyway. :D



We'll see about that test drive , maybe a show will happen to be in your area and I might happen to attend it. :D
 
detailbarn said:
Oh no we're not talking stock...[but] ...no body work. ...
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Heh heh, I love sleepers ;)



Hook- We sorta got OT here :o But anyhow, this afternoon I saw a bunch of people cruising in their older imported convertibles and they sure looked like they were having fun.
 
Hook- There are alot of groups out there like this one , except they are concerned with the particular marque. Find the ones you are interested in and ask them questions. I personally have a '76 Triumph spitfire, '91 Mercury capri 'vert, '86 Nova, 88 & 89 Ford Ranger, '02 Tribute (wifes car too new for me). I love the tinkering, take it apart, clean, polish, paint, etc and put it back together. My wife says why? I say why not. Good luck and just insure it is something that you will enjoy. Wherever you are MAKE sure that it doesn't have hidden rust (floor pans, fender wells) that can get real expensive.



Good luck
 
Thanks folks! This is all good info.



The KG appeals to something in me, but I know they're not terribly exciting to drive.



Actually found a red 944 convertible not too far from here for sale - seems like a reasonable price and I'v eseen about 10 pics of it, looks like it's been well-cared for.



As far as a mechanic, I'm a believer! A friend of mine from our church owns his own shop, specializes in foreaign cars (mostly M-B and such), and his son just opened up his own shop as well. We take both our vehicles to them. I'd take the son with me to look at anything - he has a fully restored 1965 GTO convertible we'd have to drive ;) (plus, he's offered to buy my wife's Maxima if/whenever we sell it).



thanks again, maybe just maybe I'll get into this hobby with both feet....



Further comments still welcomed - and dont 'mind the OT stuff, interesting to read the differing opinions on this stuff.



blue skies,

Andrew
 
I'll throw in a plug for this venerable two-seater. I had one and have regretted getting rid of it ever since. Wish I'd known Autopia at the time -- the car was easily a concours winner in the rough when I had my hands on it.



Mid-engine, Italian, cheap to maintain (though not maintenance free!). Was a PITA to drive in traffic...but get it on a twisty road (Mulholland or Sunset here in L.A.) and it was downright sublime. The thing would float around curves seemingly just by thinking about direction. And a sharp design, if you like it.
 
My suggestion is to decide what kind of car you really want, and then join a club for owners of that car. You'll be surprised at the knowledge base that will be available to you, but most of all you may find the best buys on those cars through the other members.



A friend of mine in Indiana bought a bug-eyed Sprite several years ago and spent a ton of $$$$ restoring it. After he joined a Sprite club he discovered he could have bought one in much better condition than his for a lot less money. Just a thought....
 
Eliot Ness said:
My suggestion is to decide what kind of car you really want, and then join a club for owners of that car. You'll be surprised at the knowledge base that will be available to you, but most of all you may find the best buys on those cars through the other members.



A friend of mine in Indiana bought a bug-eyed Sprite several years ago and spent a ton of $$$$ restoring it. After he joined a Sprite club he discovered he could have bought one in much better condition than his for a lot less money. Just a thought....
Click to expand...



I think this is a good approach. I think the key (and what I'm looking for now) is picking out the car.



Excellent insights, folks....keep it up!



blue skies,

Andrew
 
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