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Classic Cars MY FUTURE OLDER CAR?
81 messages, Last post on Apr 03, 2009 at 12:54 PM
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Replying to: andre1969 (Jan 14, 2009 2:31 pm) while we are on the subject of maximizing the performance of vehicles tested by various reviewers, in the old days, guess it would be a cheater engine. these days, i can see fiddling with the computer, and/or replacing some of the factory fluids with some high performance substitutes.
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Replying to: explorerx4 (Jan 14, 2009 7:26 pm) IMO though, the Crown Vic sort of won by default. When the Panther first came out for 1979, it tended to be rated last. The Chrysler Newport/Dodge St. Regis were the top rated back then, with the Impala coming in next and then the Crown Vic at the bottom of the heap. The Mopar R-body went away after 1981 and for 1982, the M-body Diplomat/Gran Fury were used. I think they still tended to be the top rated, although by 1985 they were slipping, while the Impala was steadily improving. Ironically, for 1985 the cop Mopars started using GM 4-bbl carbs. Maybe it was sabotage!  By 1989, the Caprice (they dropped the Impala name after 1985) finally surpassed the performance levels of the 1979 St. Regis/Newport. Kinda sad, when you think about it, that it took police cars a full decade to get back UP to performance levels achieved by a car that was issued in one of Chrysler's darkest hours! 1989 was also the last year for the Gran Fury/Diplomat, but I think they still ranked it higher than the Crown Vic. So once it went away, the Crown Vic moved up to #2. I've heard that the 1991-93 "Whale" Caprices were pretty good police cars, even just with the TBI 350, which put out 185 hp. And when the 1994-96 models came out, with the 260 hp LT-1, they simply blew the Crown Vic away. After the Caprice was discontinued, many police departments would rather refurbish a used Caprice, rather than buy a new Crown Vic! After the Caprice, GM did try putting out police versions of the Lumina and Grand Prix, but they were best suited to patrolling neighborhoods, serving court summonses, doing doughnut runs, etc. Chrysler experimented with a police version of the Dynasty, but never really went anywhere with it. I think it actually performed fairly well, but just wouldn't have been very tough and durable...and a police car has to be both. Probably wouldn't have been any worse than the police Taurus, or the Lumina/Grand Prix, though. I dunno if there was ever a police version of the first-gen Intrepid, but around 2001, IIRC, Mopar did issue a police version of the 2nd-gen. 3.5 V-6, 250 hp. It was actually a good performer. Tied the Crown Vic in 0-60, but had a higher top speed. The next county over from me uses Crown Vics and Intrepids, and one cop I talked to said that in his opinion, the Intrepid blows the Vic away. Whenever I go over there, I still see Intrepids in circulation, so they must not be doing too bad. They do have one little achilles heel, though. Evidently, work the brakes too hard, and they'll burst into flames! I think the MSP managed to achieve this in their testing, and that scared away a lot of police departments. There's a local used car lot that has a 2004 Intrepid copcar, ~41,000 miles. Dark grayish-green. I've looked at it, and have to admit I've been tempted. They're asking $7995, but it's been there for months now, so I'm sure they'll take much less. The last thing I need right now is another car though. And if I do replace my 2000 Intrepid, I'd feel kinda silly replacing it with another one! |
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I,too,pine for a weekend,hobby car....but it must be a European car from,say 1960 to about 1973.... Speed doesn't matter,nor does exclusivity.....I just don't want a money pit...... I'd love a Fintail,or the model after that,like a 220 or 220D...I do like a lot of oddballs like a Renault 12 or a Fiat 124 sedan.....I wont mention my admiration of the Renault LeCar...... Hemmings just featured a 1975 Opel 1900...that was nice.. Any suggestions? Any suggestions?
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Replying to: merckx (Jan 15, 2009 7:42 am) A nice fintail can be had for 5K today, I think it is a good deal for a good driving old car. Of course, I carry some bias 
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Replying to: merckx (Jan 15, 2009 7:42 am) How about an Alfa Berlina 4D sedan 1750/2000? Way fun to drive, don't cost too much, and you can get parts and service. Or a BMW 2002? Or an ordinary Alfa Spider, 1982-93? I'm trying to think of cars that are FUN to drive as well, so I'm limiting suggestions somewhat. MGB--GT. You can get any part you need, 2nd day UPS. Triumph Spitfire -- tinny piece, but easy EASY to work on, and really fun in summertime. Peugeot 504-- parts are hard to get but they have a certain charm and are tough as nails. Good cars. Avoid the ZF automatic---good trans but if it breaks, you junk the car. Renault LeCar -- you could buy 1/2 dozen of them for the price of one very tired BMW 2002, and then cannibalize them into one possibly good running car. Fiat 124 coupe -- hard to find but handsome and fun to drive. My bias suggests that you generally don't buy anything European that is a) big, b) heavy, and c) has 4 doors. Why? Because you end up putting money into something that isn't worth much and generally isn't fun to drive, IMO. Of course, if the deal of the century comes along, or the car is so quirky that its very weirdness compensates for all the rest, well then.... |
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My real choice for a future older car is a 1970 or so Alfa GTV. I had a chance to buy one with a mildly tuned engine and panasports back in 1977 but turned it down to buy a Spider instead. Many's the time I've regretted that I just had to have that convertible top - but I guess it was the right thing to do at the time. I enjoyed that Spider. Still - ain't they pretty? I have no idea what a decent one would cost these days. eBay didn't have any and neither did Craigslist in my city. 
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May I offer some suggestions- and here is my Swedish car bias kicking in: How about a late '60s Volvo (122) Amazon? They're reasonably priced, well-built and generally last indefinitely. Shifty will probably tell you to go for the '66-'68 models, as those will usually have the durable B18 engine. Avoid automatics, and look for camshaft wear in the engine. Maybe a mid-to-late '70s Saab 99? Nimble handler, and quite fun, if you can find one that hasn't blown its transmission or head gasket. If you can get a '78 Turbo, you'd be looking at the first mass-produced turbocharged European car.
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i'd really love an old Benz. and many here say they shouldn't cost much....But in Virginia Beach,any $5,000 or so one i've seen would have numerous issues...Cracked interior parks,a dash warning light on,small rust perforations by the wheels....I still often look,though.... A Peugeot 504 is one of my all time favorite cars.....I want to buy local,if possible,and 504s are never seen here.....Even though we were a major port of enty for them. the first Bugeye is the only roadster that has any real appeal.....i'm forgetting personal favorites like a Caravelle.....
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Replying to: jrosasmc (Jan 15, 2009 10:26 am) i had a chance to buy a 1971 BMW Bavaria,but the seller(whom i worked with)wanted $8,000....Before I could gently tell him that was about 2.5 times what it was worth,he got rear-ended in it.....But boy,it was a stunning car.....My definition of a really fun to drive car....... Until something really enticing comes along,I'm just waiting until my current hobby car,my 2001 Catera,gets old enough to be interesting..
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Replying to: merckx (Jan 15, 2009 10:40 am) Alfa GTV 1750/2000? Sorry the market has run away on them. Figure $15,000--$20,000 for something nice. |
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