Vintage Roadsters

[randomxzero]

Im in the market for purchasing an old roadster and i have been looking at Austin Healey Sprites, Datsun 1600, Fiat Spyders, MG and i cant think of any other car makes. If you guys could help me out with some that i might have forgotten that would be awesome!:wiggle:

[TheWolf]

While your picking out slow rusty old POS's... don't forget triumphs... and karman ghia's.

[gmarzan]

Honda S600

[yokotas13]

why? budget? end result?

[raz0rbladez909]

Im in the market for purchasing an old roadster and i have been looking at Austin Healey Sprites, Datsun 1600, Fiat Spyders, MG and i cant think of any other car makes. If you guys could help me out with some that i might have forgotten that would be awesome!:wiggle:

Just buy a Miata and call it a day, all of the experience of a classic roadster without the reliability factor of an old ass car.

[randomxzero]

Its actually for my father, he wants a weekend cruiser to go topdown and turn heads. Miata ive owned 2 so far he isnt interested in one. The Datsun Roadster caught his eye and he wants anything along those lines.

Yokota: Budget 8 grand, he would rather get one that is complete but if its somewhat of a project he is down for that too...

[drift freaq]

shear reliability go with a Datsun Roadster. For all out fall down worship shit go with a British car. While the Fiat Spyders are not bad they do not garner as much attention, nor do the Alfa Veloce Spyders. In the 8k range you are going to be limited to the likes of TR3's MG's Austiin Healey Sprites and whatnot.
I would focus on what brand really gets him going. I have a friend, a Japanese American women that is pretty much a straight up Toyota girl but she owns a Austin Healey Bug Eye Sprite that she absolutely loves.
If you want a more classic look than a Triumph TR3 will definitely do it. MG's unless they are A's are kinda meh. Oh and lets not forget one of the cars I loved as a kid the Triumph Spitfire. They kicked ass on the track, but tended to fall apart on the street. LOL British cars what do you expect.


All the British stuff is going to require constant attention.

If you wanted something rare, odd and baller you could try and find a TR8, Rover bought the rights to the Buick 215 Aluminum block V8 back in the late 70's and proceeded to put out a V8 Version of the Triumph TR7. Which has a distinctly 70's-80's wedge styling but with a V8 it would definitely be a head turner and a little more modern. Definitely going to be if not already a real collectors item as well. lol

Oh and I forgot to mention the Sunbeam Tiger( the original Get Smart car) . The Tiger was a Sunbeam with a V8 stuffed into it. This was in answer to Caroll Shelby stuffing a V8 in the AC thus creating the AC Cobra.

I am not sure if you could find a Tiger for 8k but having one would be a head turner and bad ass.

[Matej]

The Alfa Romeo Spider looks neat. I have been seriously contemplating purchasing one.
They can also be found for über cheap.

The fourth generation is actually only as old as S13's.
Although as far as appearance goes, the first and second generations are my favorite.

Then there is also the Porsche 914, but all the hipster kids drive those.

[foxystyle]

Ive been really thinking about building an mg nissan motor powered lately... since I have a mg just sitting around.

[HyperTek]

porsche 914!

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploads14/DSC_84311223350008.jpg
914 on 17 rota fox.. looks good. Throw the fender flares on it.
http://www.pristinemotorsports.com/pristinemotorsports/inv_pics/914%206-1.jpg

I always thought they would be a fun car to drive

[roboticnissan]

Datsun 1600 with a sr in it haha (been done) but power and reliability

[randomxzero]

thank you guys for your help :bow:

[word sux]

datsun roadster


/thread


http://www.zcargarage.com/images/1967-datsun-roadster-alvin1.jpg

[yokotas13]

i agree on teh datsun roadster.

[TheWolf]

British cars do not have wiring but run on smoke. All lucas electronics should be regarded as suspect

Smoke theory of electricity (http://www.peizhang.com/forfun/forfun_writings_smoke.htm)

A word of advice on buying an old car. Buy the absolute nicest one you can afford. DO NOT BUY a project thinking it will save you money. If your budget is 8k then buy the nicest $10,000 car that you talked the guy down to $8500. DO NOT BUY a 6k car thinking for 2k you can make it into the 10k car. It just doesn't work that way. Never buy an old car sight unseen. Never buy an old car without getting it up on a rack to look underneath it. Ignore this all at your peril.

[drift freaq]

British cars do not have wiring but run on smoke. All lucas electronics should be regarded as suspect

Smoke theory of electricity (http://www.peizhang.com/forfun/forfun_writings_smoke.htm)

A word of advice on buying an old car. Buy the absolute nicest one you can afford. DO NOT BUY a project thinking it will save you money. If your budget is 8k then buy the nicest $10,000 car that you talked the guy down to $8500. DO NOT BUY a 6k car thinking for 2k you can make it into the 10k car. It just doesn't work that way. Never buy an old car sight unseen. Never buy an old car without getting it up on a rack to look underneath it. Ignore this all at your peril.


:rofl: British Cars run on Smoke. That was great its right up there with the whole thing about the fact that Lucas Electrics also made Refrigerators . Which of course the British were never known for having refrigerators that worked either, back in the day.

All the other points made above are completely spot on.

I also never mentioned a 914 because to me they aren't really roadsters. As their tops are more of a T top deal. Though very fun to drive.
They also do not have nearly as much Classic Cache as some of the other cars mentioned. After all they were called Volkswagen's in Europe and other parts of the world. The only ones considered to be a true Porsche was the real 916 chassis's.

[randomxzero]

Yeah inspection of the vehicles we are looking at will be very thorough, thanks wolf for the tip.

[TheRealSy90]

Suzuki Cappuccino.

[raz0rbladez909]

Suzuki Cappuccino.

Really now? Tell me where you can get one legally stateside?

[randomxzero]

Therealsy90: :duh:

[WanganRunner]

Yokota: Budget 8 grand, he would rather get one that is complete but if its somewhat of a project he is down for that too...

For $8k, you can get a decent TR6, Alfa Spider, or metal-bumpered MGB.

Maybe a decent Sunbeam also.



$8k is more than enough to buy the nicest Fiat 126 Spider in existence I'd imagine, or the nicest Midget. Not sure about Sprites, prices vary wildly by year.


I'd go TR6. So cool.

[ericcastro]

914/916/ghia parts are readily available as well as really good mechanics for them.

datsun would be nice, but gl getting a non rusty one that doesnt need more then the 8K to get it together.

love some of the euro stuff, but to costy.

why no Alpine :)

[drift freaq]

914/916/ghia parts are readily available as well as really good mechanics for them.

datsun would be nice, but gl getting a non rusty one that doesnt need more then the 8K to get it together.

love some of the euro stuff, but to costy.

why no Alpine :)

LOL Eric two of us have mentioned Sunbeam's. For those that do not now the Alpine was the Sunbeam Tiger with the original 4 cylinder engine. The Tiger had the Ford 289 V8 in it.


Anyways I have said this before 914/916 's are really not true roadsters as they are a partial permanent top. i.e. a T top.
To qualify as a Roadster it has to be a full convertible. Oh and Karman Ghia's did come in roadster form.

Though why anyone would want a underpowered lesser imitation of a Porsche Speedster is beyond me. LOL Those crazy folks at Volkswagen suffering from being Porsche's little brother.

[dsastr_clan]

my friend is selling this Datsun 240Z

Datsun : Z-Series | eBay (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Datsun-Z-Series-?cmd=ViewItem&_trkparms=algo%3DLVI%26itu%3DUCI%26otn%3D3%26po%3D LVI%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D4040211122901472302&_trksid=p5197.m7&item=160675599574#ht_1254wt_1048)

[randomxzero]

Thanks guys for your suggestions.. he changed his mind on the roadster lol and is going with a 1975 BMW 2002