And make sure to avoid anything with a folding metal hardtop, such as a Peugeot 206CC.

Whilst less fun to drive and lacking interior space I would have thought a hard roof convertible would be a good choice providing the roof still works well. Something like the mitsubishi colt had the potential to be a fun summer car, still usable in bad weather. They are all so cheap at the moment that if/when the roof breaks just sell it for scrap.

If it was £1k maybe, but not everybody can afford to write off £3k. Even if the roof works when you go and look at it, that doesn't mean it still will in 6 months. A manual, fabric soft top is the best option, followed by an electric fabric soft top. But a metal one?, there is just too much potential for it to fail spectacularly.

Even then, and i know beauty is very much in the eye of the beholder, but pretty much all the folding metal jobs, certainly on a small car, are just sooo ugly and ill proportioned!. The Colt and the Micra (IMO) are the worst offenders here.

Thanks everyone for your messages. I have seen many other convertibles but the only ones I could think of buying are mx5, MR2 and possibly mg tf. Others don't look that pretty to my eyes or are far too expensive.

Lack of space of MR2 is not a problem and I just need a weekend car so age/miles should not be a problem. But rust and oil leaks is what make me think about not buying.

If anyone knows about an MR2 for a good price I am your man :)

Any help, advice, suggestions will be very appreciated.

Thanks

No special tricks here and the only advice is to be patient and be prepared to travel. You are looking for a good car on a small budget, so you are just going to have to sift through the rubbish to find a good one. That is going to be easier with the MX5 as there are simply much more of them to choose from. But if you are really set on an MR2, see if there is a dedicated forum or owners club, as this may well have a for sale section. Plus, club members will be able to give you much more thorough info on what to look for in the car.

So am I. Occasionally a TR7 like mine will come up for sale - probably not as good as mine which was Ziebarted from new, but will have outlasted many an MR2/MX5. Here's one....

www.autotrader.co.uk/car-search?search-target=used...l