toconn
New Reader
12/23/21 6:42 p.m.
Everyone's favorite question. I typically have between 3-5 cars at any time and I'm getting sick of my fleet. So if you had 4 cars that (roughly) fit into these categories and a budget of around $25-30k combined, what would you get?
1 - Sports car (summer only)
2 - Year round daily (AWD, I live ontop of a snowy mountain)
3 - Year round pickup truck
4 - Project car
Honestly in this car market this is a super tough one.
1) cheap NA or NB Miata
2 and 3) GMT400 extended cab Z71
4) whatever you like.... F body? Mustang? A track Miata? C4 or C4 Corvette?
Honestly unless you combine 2 and 3 in this current car buying environment, it's going to be rough.
1. 1976 Porsche 911 (but I use it more than summer)
2. Nissan Altima (cause that's what they gave me)
3. Toyota Tundra, double cab, 4wd
4. 1971 VW Beetle, soon to be rally beetle.
This is legit my current driveway. I would not have bought the Altima, but it's Free99 and free gas and maintenance.
Tom1200
UltraDork
12/23/21 8:31 p.m.
Miata.
Outback.
Any old F350
Vintage Formula Super Vee.
For me, I have a DD that can tow, an all out racecar, a backup performance street car that could summer DD in a pinch, and a fun/aesthetic project.
I'm reasonably close to your price if you got a deal on a less creampuff mustang than mine (97 with only 60k) and/or subbed a square body spridget for my Bugeye.
- 07 expedition
- Formula 500
- Mustang Cobra
- Austin Healey Bugeye Sprite
Part of it is that I get mad if my racecar isn't ready to run, so I don't have my project needs met with it too much. Occasionally a seasonal improvement project, but mostly maintenance and surprisingly little needed. A British roadster, good vehicle for all the projects, at some point I want to build a motor for it to replace the stock 73 1275 in it.
parker
Reader
12/23/21 9:42 p.m.
My actual fleet comes pretty close.
FR-S
1998 4Runner, manual 4x4 with e-locker
1994 Toyota Pickup
1983 Mercedes 380SL (wife's nice weather car)
I kinda have that with my current fleet sans the daily AWD car, but I constantly try to justify adding one.
1. BMW E36 (not a "sports" car but its my track car)
2. Volvo P2 (they don't rust and aren't too bad to maintain, from what I hear)
3. Chevy Colorado diesel
4. BMW E46 (to become a Spec E46 car)
Summer sports car: NB Miata, N/A 300zx or any good condition RX-7
Daily: E46 Touring
Truck: GMT800 with as little rust as possible
Project: something that works well in areas the other cars don't; so maybe a GT car that's enjoyable for long drives? Jaguar XK, the nicest Corvette you can afford, 500 SL, something along those lines..
1 - Sports car (summer only): LT1 C4
2 - Year round daily (AWD, I live ontop of a snowy mountain) AWD Express Van
3 - Year round pickup truck: AWD Express Van
4 - Project car Build a 383 LT1 for the C4
There. Filled 4 slots with two cars. What do I win?
tr8todd
SuperDork
12/24/21 9:49 a.m.
I got this.
1. a Triumph TR8 (i actually have 11 of them)
2. Ford F350 diesel( mine is an 07 with 250k miles owned since new)
3. Wife's Saturn Vue all wheel drive with Honda v6
4. duh! I have 11 TR8s
My Fleet:
1. Lotus Elise
2a. Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V - Daily + rallyTrash
2b. Jeep TJ - when the weather gets serious
3. Clapped out Chevy 1500HD
4. '78 CJ5
4-potential. Waiting for local Doc to retire so I can buy her 911
4
I'd accomplish 2 & 3 with a 1st Gen Honda Ridgeline. AWD, reasonable gas mileage, nice place to spend time, dead reliable and has a bed. Pricing is favorable on them too due to the macho truck purists not loving them.
1 & 4 I'd also consider combining.. may be the best use of budget. Selecting the car is a soul searching exercise though.. I'd assume the normal suspects - mx5, 350z, s2k, bimmer. Whatever gets your heart racing! Enjoy it during the summer, modify/repair it in the offseason.
Nissan Murano Crosscabriolet
One vehicle to do it all.
In reply to Captdownshift (Forum Supporter) :
Some men just want to watch the world burn..
1. Plum Crazy Hemi Challenger. Is that sports car or a muscle car?
2. 1968 Chevy Suburban power by a 455 Buick and TH400 . Have that.
3. 1971 GMC 1500. Have that, but needs restoration.
4. Triumph Spitfire 1500. Had that but it was stolen.
1&4 would be a spec FRS
2&3: whatever I could afford with the remaining $
I check 1-4 with a 17 Honda Fit. Seems to do okay.
1 - Sports car (HPDE toy, occasional nice day weekend toy, want to keep it as something I can drive to the track and drive home)
C6 corvette (currently in the garage)
2 - Year round daily
BMW 330i xDrive (currently in the garage)
3 - Year round pickup truck
wife drives an SUV that I can borrow when needed and if i need more than that I rent a pickup truck from the hardware store, for towing duty I keep AAA.
4 - Project car
I like the idea of a kit car over a "project car" and dream of a caterham 7 but the cost of the kit would mean less money for track time/supplies.
Additionally, living in the Chicago suburbs where good driving roads are an hour plus in traffic away means that its hard to justify something like that.
Erich
UberDork
12/27/21 1:38 p.m.
1 + 4: NA Miata
2 + 3: New Maverick hybrid