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Hi there.i am just about to retire (52),and i am looking for something to put a smile on my face,be reliable ,possibly carry my golf clubs,and reasonable running costs.i have had classic cars in the past,and i like the idea of no road tax and cheap insurance,but i am still not sure.Any commnts would be greatly received.
Edited by Pugugly on 10/11/2008 at 21:35
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You're 52 and about to retire!
Whatever you get, get it in green to match our envious faces. ;>)
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........ (52) .............
Too much information!
;-)
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Hi there.i am just about to retire (52),and i am looking for something to put a smile on my face,be reliable ,possibly carry my golf clubs,and reasonable running costs. >>
I began by thinking this was an unusual and interesting post then realised baldypaul was talking about a car.
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can some one hurry up and give the poor old man the advice he requested, i can hear his bones turning to dust and hear the cackle of his leathery worn out lungs as we speak
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I have absolutely no idea of your budget, which is quite an important factor I would think, but if I were you and needed something smart, fun, and with a boot big enough for golf clubs, I'd be getting myself an Alfa GT.
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1. How classic?
2. What's your budget? 2k? 5k? 50k?
3. How desperately do you need it? Like most other things, classic cars are rapidly heading to being worth considerably less than they are currently. If you must get one now, then look for something sub-£2k?
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A few of the lads and lasses I grew up with joined the Police and they're all retiring now - youngest retired at 47.
Here's something to keep a 52year old occupied:
tinyurl.com/55j9b2
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Well Bill, that ticks most of the OPs boxes ("i am looking for something to put a smile on my face,be reliable ,possibly carry my golf clubs,and reasonable running costs") - except maybe the reliability one.
But let's stick to motoring shall we? :-)
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But let's stick to motoring shall we? :-)
I think you'll find there were 2 vehicles involved. :)
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Hmm so there were. Silly me, jumping to conclusions about what you were getting at... ;-)
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Here's something to keep a 52year old occupied:
tinyurl.com/55j9b2
Err maybe not. A motorbike might be less dangerous!!
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smile, golf clubs, low running costs, classic and reliable are all mutually exclusive.
However
you are in my age bracket, you remember and hankered after, like me, Ford Capris.
a nice late tidy well looked after 2.8i would fit the bill.
I am 54 and not about to retire (2 yeatrs to go) however unlike baldypaul I have hair. ;)
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An XJS will guarantee you some action even at 52 and balding.
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I'd go and ask on pistonheads. On here, before long someone will suggest a diesel Mondeo. Great classifieds there too, go and drool.
Edited by nick on 10/11/2008 at 16:03
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The joke is a diesel mondeo is probably something of a hoot! Better tone it down a bit, especially at his age. Hows about an Avensis for that extra level of reliability?
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Hell! I'm 52 and have just bought an Impreza RB320. Go for it OP, you're a long time in that box six feet down.
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Go for it OP you're a long time in that box six feet down.
With circumspection though. You don't want to get there any sooner than you have to...
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I pray deeply before I venture out and make offerings.
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Well, I bought a Smart Roadster when I was 61-go for something interesting I say.
"The most fun you can have with your clothes on", as the saying goes.
Trouble is,when my wife rides with me, she keeps saying, "Do you have to do that?"
(Actually-only whizzing around roundabouts at full pelt, for which you need both hands on the wheel.)
What about an MGB GT?-but not sure if golf clubs would fit.
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Strange coincidence that this this thread has come up as I am retiring in a few weeks. Where has all that time gone?
I have always said that I would have a TR6 when I retired. Now the time is nigh I am not so sure. I have the mechanical ability to keep one in tip top condition. Do I buy one that requires a rebuild to my perfectionist standards or do I buy one that someone has lavished time and money on but is an unknown quantity?
The latter would be the cheaper option and with the credit crunch taking a grip maybe the time for a bargain.
Or do I pass and buy another motorbike? Decisions decisions!
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After many years of owning classics my advice is buy the very best example you can afford (without going to concours extremes), it always works out cheaper.
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bp
Something that meets your spec of tax-exempt and golf-friendly has just come to mind - a Triumph TR6. [With Weber DCOE conversion.]
Quite solidly built, for its time, reasonably quick and just about the only convertible a straight man should be seen in....
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Fullchat
And when did you first notice these psychic powers....
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And now for Wednesdays Lotto numbers....... :-)
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www.findmeafillipinobride.com might tick all the described requirements....
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Alfa - retiring next May - 3 weeks before my fiftieth whoopeee !
TR6 ---- Drool Drool - Money, Shiny Car, Money Shiny Car.
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I retired a few weeks after my 50th. Beware - the time still passes fast and it gets faster...
Edited by mike hannon on 11/11/2008 at 13:30
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Spend the winter months buying various classic car mags to get your juices flowing.
Then next spring/summer get to some of the excellent classic car shows held all over the Country (some are dedicated to a particular model) and see what owners are selling and see which of them grab your fancy.
I went to a BMW owners club event in September and there was some excellent metal on show, early 2002s still look the part.
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I was 60 in August and although not retired yet I couldn't wait. I wanted a convertible of some sort for 6,000 to £8,000: I was very tempted by a Triumph Vitesse 2 litre, but I'm no mechanic and I could have been buying a heap of trouble. Morris Minor - simpler and maybe more reliable, but s-l-o-w.
So I nearly went for an MX-5: I loved the one I tried, but SWMBO, who has an arthritic knee, couldn't get in and (especially) out of it without difficulty. She wouldn't have stopped me if I'd set my heart on one, but we then tried a BMW Z3 and were both smitten. My Y-registered Z3 2.2 is just as much fun as a classic - faster than most classics (though not faster off the mark than my diesel Golf) - and touch wood, so far totally reliable. The boot's a bit bigger than an MX-5's too.
I'm not sure why, but somehow at my age a Z3 looks less like a mid-life crisis than an MX-5.
Edited by Avant on 11/11/2008 at 20:59
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Thanks to everyone who replied,I didn't know how much controversy it would produce.
My budget would be £15k tops,and I have been looking at Z4's,SLK's,MX5's,etc, but i started thinking about the servicing,new co2 road tax bands,etc. So i then thought of something a lot older like an MGA,TR3-6,etc which i could service myself,no road tax and cheap insurance.I have a main car, so i wanted something to keep covered in the garage for high days, and ood weather. i bought a frogeye off ebay,but it is virtually a basket case and i can't get myself motivated so it has to go.i did have a Z3 a few years ago,lovely car,but it was the 2.0litre straight six and it gobbled petrol.anyway there you have it,so if you know of any common faults that i need to watch out for, that would be great.cheers
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How about a Daimler SP250? Better than money in the bank and great fun to drive, fast too. A peach of a V8, sounds great, good club and spares back-up. £15k would get a good one. Over 30mpg on a run too.
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I'm about to sell my 1998 Boxster if interested, pretty mint, big spec & FSH, well under £10k too! Keen?
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Whatever you might think you need or want then can I suggest you take a look at Honest John's Car by Car Breakdown link above. You will find useful info there that helps you narrow down your choice in addition to any suggestions for cars given in this thread by members.
It would also be worth doing a Forum Search (link to the right) onto the Technical Matters Forum on anything you're interested in to see what problems members have reported and asked questions on, e.g. a search on Porsche or better still a Ferrari :-) Not that we'll have many Ferrari owners.
Edited by rtj70 on 16/11/2008 at 00:58
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There's not much about Porsch or Ferarri on this site - since I bought my Boxster I started using Boxa.net a lot which is a friendly enthusiast site. The only post on here about Porsche in recent memory, was by a total donut who sold his brand new Cayman S after a sgort amount of time at a massive loss as it had a rattle!
Unless a car gets universally derided by HJ and the general public, I'd take what you read about cars and their so called 'commen faults' with a pinch of salt too if you want to buy something even a little bit special, as forums tend to highlight problems rather than satified owners. How many Jag V8s pre 2001 suffered from the Niksil liner issue, and how many Boxsters/ 911s suffered engine failure? Probably well under 1%. If you're buying a car as a retirement treat and it's a heart over head decision, just do the research, get specialised advice & inspection proior to purchase, and make sure youcan live with the worst case scenario that applies to that model! If you want something less exotic and with less risk - and fun - think about a Mazda MX5 or a Toyota MR2 mk3, which my friend's fiance has and has so far only needed a new gearbox, engine, handbrake and ecu fitted.
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If the budget is 15k, and you mention an MX5 they are meant to be fun to drive. Not a classic so not exempt from VED etc. but a nice car. And within your budget, one with a folding "hard top" will be possible second hand. And being a Mazda ought to be reliable. No comments here on their diesels as that's another thread (my Mazda6 diesel is fine BTW).
When my brother moved to the States the Mx5 (Miarta there) was his cheapest fun option in terms of insurance and he loved it. He replaced it with a Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.2 litre for a bit but that was not fun. He moved there in about 1994 so the newer version likely to be even better.
Only problem is people trying to say they are hair-dressers' cars. But they revived this market segment and the Rover MGF was born.
Happy hunting.
Edited by rtj70 on 16/11/2008 at 01:11
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The MX5 did revive the market, that is correct, and shortly after, cars like the Boxster, SLK, Z3, MGF, Elise came along - it's actually hard to think of many popular 2 seater roadsters before these in the mid-late 90s. The hairdresser's thing realy does seem to have gone away now too gladly for some reason.
Edited by perleman on 16/11/2008 at 07:42
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