fun-to-drive reasonably priced vintage cars

It has been mentioned a couple of times here already, but for my money an early 911 is almost impossible to beat for pure driving. We've got a very well-sorted '72 2.4 and it is an absolute gem. And we drive it 5.000 kms a year without issues. Old Alfas, Masers and the like have much more charm, but need a looooot more maintenance.

 

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I had a '71 2.4 (with external oil filler flap) and I really loved how it drove. Quick enough, precise handling and a great sounding engine.
Porsche-parts are not cheap though, but they are good cars in general.

 

'69, light, 2 liter motor, shifts easily, great pedal position for heel and toe ....
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Forgive my ignorance but is that a Datsun ?

 

Yes, very rare in the UK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datsun_Fairlady

 

Alfa SS

 

Agreed, that was the source of my fasination with the Italian cars in the begining.

Lotus Elan, the Real one, or the 26R Giant Killer, if you want to step it up on the collectable aspect.

 

No reason you should know the car! 1969 Datsun 2000. The line began in 1963, and was followed in the 70s by the much better known 240Z. A few thousand dollars in '69, so a bargain sports car. Raced by Peter Brock/BRE. Lots of these little cars in the west US, especially California, where I learned to drive - using the car in the photo, which I still own.

 

Very cool car! We have two in our little 2 horse town and they are always an eye catcher!

 

Had one and drove it for 12 years as a (slightly rusty) everyday car. Nice design, wonderful engine and gearbox, but big car, best on motorway. Traded it for a Mercedes 126 serie, 500SEC equally big car, also fantastic on motorway. But none of them are sportscar...

 

VW Karmann Ghia. Very pretty but also very slow.

Austin Healey 3000

Triumph TR6

 

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNSFbdwe8bE[/ame]

BMW 2002 Tii.

Triumph GT6.

MGC.

 

Having had a '74 GTV, I'll toss my hat to that car as well, but others I've owned were a blast, too. Tho' I never really connected with my Ghibli, it was really fun to drive as is my Kirkham Cobra. (I'd insert scary in that descriptor as well.)

In three pages of opinions, is a mid-year 'Vette so unloved? It's just a blast to drive, always gets "thumbs up", the Muncie gearbox shifts like a hot knife in butter and you can get small block Chevy parts in the desert. Still relatively cheap with a wide audience when it's time to say good-bye.

 

Midyear Vettes unloved? Not from my POV at least. Had I the space and $, a '65 or '66 small-block roadster would surely be in my car collection.

The Corvettes I don't get are the '68-on "Stingrays". I had a '69 big block roadster and it was an ugly hog of a car, fit only for driving in a straight line. Made some of my Ferrari money with the sale profit and wasn't sorry to see it go.

In 1973, I bought a '61 Alfa Giulietta coupe for $300. It was a great car and I'd love to have another, but asking prices for those little buggers are in the $75K range now.

 

I think people should talk about cars they have actually driven. Just listing a bunch of models you've read about seems pretty pointless to me.

I own a 1970 911s. Drove it cross country and love it every minute I'm in it. I also own a 1974 2002turbo wonderful odd car that drives great and is very entertaining as the turbo whine howls as it spools up and though you could go out for coffee with the lag, it makes for a fantastic mathematical dance of keeping the car at the point where the turbo is there when you need it.

And I also own a 1964 330 gt. totally different car from those other two. It seems to me to be what a Ford Mustang would have been if America made fantastic cars not just inexpensive ones with dynamic style. If you drive it all day, or all week, it will change in charecter and you will find yourself growing into the car and the car will loosen up, become smaller and like an old jacket begin to fit you better and better. Really nothing else like it, at least in my limited experience. And there is quite a differnce between a good one and an ok one.

I've also driven an MGA, great car, very human, not fast but entertaining. I liked it so much better then an MGB.

I've drive a Lotus Cortina great car in a cheap suit. Everything tactile about the car is crap. Cheap seats, cheap dash, feels like a tin can, but it really drives and handles great.

I've driven a Ferrari 400, pointless car as far as I can see. Why would you want a Ferrari that looks and drives that boringly.

I've driven a Maserati Mexico fast and cool but very boulevardier.

I've driven a SWB, damn, pretty near perfect.

Not speaking to the original posts question - The other thing people seemed obsessed about that drives me crazy is talking about values all the time. Or what's under valued etc. It's all fashion and heard mentality. I bought the 911 last year and it was expensive for me. It has doubled in value in one year. I don't think that means anything though. If you want a car and you enjoy driving it and can afford what it cost at the time your ready to buy it then it's a good value for you. It might go up. It might go down. There could be a bigger economic crash, one that makes vintage cars almost worthless or the car you bought could go out favor but if you enjoyed the car, your needs were met. The value, whatever it was or will be, was what it should be.

 

1954 Lancia Aurelia IV series - an all round great car and only a fraction of the Ferrari/Maserati V12 equivalent, eligible for almost everything - FIVA rally, racing, tours, MM

1960 Daimler "Dart" or SP250 (UK) or SP252 (USA) - a great car, no rust (!) very reliable, and because of the styling...a bit of a secret gem!

1964 Sunbeam Tiger - see above, with rust, but you forgive it all for the 289 burble and performance

Slightly more modern...

1990 - Lancia Delta HF turbo and series 1 and 2 Integrales - cheap to buy, fabulously fast, but not cheap to run

1990 Mercedes E 500 - A 5 litre, 350 bhp V8 in an E class bodyshell, assembled by Porsche AG - fantastic everyday car, superb build quality, with plenty having done over 300k kms...mine did!

Ed

 

My vote also goes for the 911 but I favor the mid 80's. Fuel injection, bulletproof 3.2l, but no power steering, traction control, or anything else to take away from the raw driving experience. I have an '84 that I have gutted and lightened it up considerably. It feels like a go cart.

Colby

 

Not vintage but as far as exciting driving experiences go the Porsche 964RS with its light weight, stripped out interior and no sound deadening is truly fabulous.

 

Sorry, but value is important. It's like trying not to talk about ugly when your girl friend is ugly. If she a looker, you want to make it a bragging right, show her off, boast and even lie. - come on !

Given the true value of currency, good and notable Ferrari's and a select few cars are solid as gold and will continue to be. When a production Gullwing hits 1.3 M, a good vintage Ferrari is cheap today. Wait until China bails on the dollar and Spain can not pay off the Euro bonds at 7%. Rolling art will replace many less fun investments and certainly investments that even bankers can't understand. Wait for tomorrow to come on the good stuff - there will be nothing for sale. Ferrari's ( great ones) are prizes, trophys , rewards, presents, and outright appreciating assets. That will never stop as the true value of paper money devalues and more of the world has more of it to dump.

 

Sunbeam Tiger -- my brother has one and it is a pleasure to drive. It is light and has lots of torque from the small V8, sounds great, and relatively easy to maintain. This is probably the car I would add next if I had space for it.

BMW 1600 - the precursor to the 2002. My brother had a 1600 and friend had a 2002. The 1600 was beat to hell, truly one of the ugliest cars on the road but it drove great -- felt much lighter than the 2002, which was in great shape, maybe the 1600 was light because of the rust but it drove great.

Pre-74 Porsche -- I've had several Porsches. If I could pick one to go for a drive in again it would be the 69 912, over the 74, 87, or 05 Carreras. The 912 is not fast, but those early cars are so tossable it just is a completely different drive from the later cars and preferable to me if you're not in a hurry. I would get a 911 over a 912, but early is better than late for pure relaxed driving experience.

308GT4 - these cars are a lot of fun to drive -- great sounds, pretty fast, great handling, gets your adrenaline going just picking up groceries. Mondial 3.2 is also great, but probably too modern based upon your other comments.

330GT -- great driving car, not quite as frenetic as the v8 Ferraris, but fun, comfortable, and satisfying to drive.

 

My all time favorite "affordable" classic car:

S1 E-Type Roadster.
Wonderful torquey engine, beautiful lines, truely a pleasure to drive briskly.

Runners up:
Porsche 930 - Point, squirt, repeat.
Triumph TR4a - Arm out the window cruising, makes every trip fun.
Datsun 240Z - Fun, but watch out for rust!

I've owned all the above, miss the E-Type the most.

 

The Lusso is gorgeous but only has 4 forward gears, whining at freeway speeds.

Since "affordable" has no dollar figure associated with the question and Lussos are in the mix them I'm thinking the Dino pricing fits in well.
The 246 GT/GTS are well balanced and go kart like being wonderful drivers. Add a Tubi and it gets angry...LOL
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmgkDX7EoYU[/ame]

 

I had both back in the day and the 1600 felt a lot nicer than the 2002. The biggest difference was that my 2002 had AC and the 1600 did not. When I had the AC compressor broken and out of the car for a while it felt a lot better. It was amazing that a few pounds over the front axle could make that much difference between what was essentially the same car, but it did.

If you have a 2002 and get rid of the air pump, as well as put a set of headers on it to get rid of the heavy exhaust manifold it will feel a lot more lively...