I need a toy, but can only justify it to myself if I can put the kids in the back. I'm really missing my boosted miata - it wasn't the perfect car, but it could deliver more smiles per mile than anything else I've driven. What do you think, can a bimmer do the same?
A quick CS search turned this up:
http://cincinnati.craigslist.org/cto/4555083510.html
If it isn't a piece of junk under the cover it might be a decent starting point for my tight budget.
No. /thread
Sorry. I 've had Miata and an E36 conv. Nowhere near the same feel. Can a BMW conv make you happy? Sure, but if you are looking to compare to a boosted Miata, you'll need to recalibrate your fun meter.
thepope540 wrote: If it isn't a piece of junk under the cover it might be a decent starting point for my tight budget.
My guess is that if one of the best attributes he can come up with for the ad is "have key" I wouldn't get my hopes up.
glueguy wrote: No. /thread Sorry. I 've had Miata and an E36 conv. Nowhere near the same feel. Can a BMW conv make you happy? Sure, but if you are looking to compare to a boosted Miata, you'll need to recalibrate your fun meter.
Same thing. I've owned Miatae and e30's and been behind the wheel of an e36 vert plenty of times. The answer is no. The e30 will be a bit closer than the e36 when it comes to feel, but neither are a replacement for the Miata.
The story starts to change when you add boost to the Bimmer. I'd be interested in the one you posted at about $500.
In reply to nokincy:
If it looks decent I was thinking $650ish. Get it running and cleaned up, drive it through fall and boost it over the winter. I want a car that can deliver the wind in my beard, smiles, the ability to completely disappear on a good road, and kids have to fit in the back. I might autocross and there's a remote chance of a track day, but whatever I can come up with will be a back roads to work toy.
If backseats are a requirement, then I'd say an e30 or e36 vert will be infinitely more satisfying than a Miata - since they have backseats (and therefore you can buy one) and a Miata does not (and therefore you can't buy one). Unless your kids can fit in the trunk of a Miata, of course.
I'd like to have backseats if I don't have to sell my soul to get them, otherwise I'll go toyless until I can find a miata that's so cheap that it just doesn't matter.
I use an E36 vert as my daily driver. It is no appliance car, but it's totally different from driving a Miata. Kind of like a German Mustang next to the little roadsters.
What's your budget? In speaking from experience, a Mini Cooper S may be as close as you'll get to a Miata feel with a back seat (albeit a small one)
I like my E36 on the auto-x course more than a Miata, so it may be possible. For you, a limited slip diff and good shocks are probably required. Don't automatically rule out a coupe.
I generally prefer Euro cars to all others so a German mustang may make sense. I'm leaning more toward the E30 as I've heard they are more responsive, but I haven't driven either so who knows. I'm more interested in tactile feel than outright speed. That's a big piece of why I want the top down - it feels faster and more engaging.
Unfortunately a mini is outside my current toy budget.
I'm ruling out all coupes because I find very little fun in a sporty car or toy with a roof. To that end I would probably enjoy a lebaron more than the 944 I just got rid of. Shocks and a junkyard LSD would be on the shopping list.
One thing to think about regarding a 4 seat convertible. The rear seat passengers are not having much fun above about 45mph. My foray into a 4 seat convertible for the kids was not what I hoped. I now have a Miata. YMMV
In reply to Adrift:
I hadn't considered that, but if we're out on an ice cream run we don't need to break 40ish and most of the time, if the kids are with me the top would generally be up or we'll be in the volvo. Topless mode would be mostly just for me, but I need the back seat so it can still be a semi functional vehicle if maintenance is needed on one of the "normal" cars.
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