Any car is a convertible with a sawsall! 
There aren't a lot of choices you haven't mentioned, but I might also throw in an E46 3 series convertible. There are a few around here advertised in the $5 to $7k range now, and I'd probably rather have one of those than a Z3. I may be the minority but I don't find Z3's to be very inspiring unless you go to the M. I'm not sure you'd fit well in one anyway.
racerdave600 wrote: I'm not sure you'd fit well in one anyway.
I have been in a Z3 and fit very well I thought.
Swank Force One wrote:93EXCivic wrote: FC RX-7, MKIII Supra and 944 and I am assuming any 'Vettes in that price range are probably older then I want right now. '90s Camaro might be an option. Never driven one. S197 is a flexible flyer as a convertible. S2000 is too expensive. Forgot to put in the OP I am thinking about an open-top car.Make sure you spend some time in a convertible first. I paid a significant amount over $10k to learn that i berkeleying hated convertibles.
Good point. Does anyone know a place that rents convertibles?
oldeskewltoy wrote: What about a Saturn Sky/Pontiac Solstice??
Not in this price range. Maybe a high-mileage, first-gen Cobalt SS?
The open top is the real limiting factor here. I think I would be looking at this:
Or this:
Or this:
93EXCivic wrote: I want to replace my Si with a sports car that will be around the same cost so say $4000-$5000. It will be a daily driver. Miata- I don't fit in them very comfortably. I have only driven a 1.6 but that motor was very uninspiring (not talking about power, it just didn't feel very peppy or rev happy). Probably the most reliable and easy choice. Toyota MR2- Might be a little long in the tooth at this point. Finding a good one is difficult. Not sure about how difficult it is too work on with mid engine layout. Toyota MRS- not an option. Just too small. BMW Z3- Fits me like a glove. Haven't driven one yet. I imagine it would be the most expensive to maintain. The engine bay looks very tight with the six so I am not sure how difficult it is to maintain. I am leaning towards the Z3 in all honesty but what am I forgetting. Must be newer then 1990 preferably newer then '95. Manual, A/C, open top (either convertible or t-tops)
Finding a good one is difficult.
And the good ones are overpriced. If you are talking MR2 turbos. I've seen plenty of good AW11s but you have to shop online for them across country and be willing to pick it up or pay for shipping.
I bought a Skyline over buying one of those. To show you how overpriced and E36 M3ty all the MR2 turbos I saw were.
BMW Z3- Fits me like a glove. Haven't driven one yet. I imagine it would be the most expensive to maintain.
With sports cars it's pay to play. Another thread on here about 370Zs talks ab out how spendy they are. I had a 350Z and it was a nightmare for me. I can't imagine a Z3 being worse. I know they have some issues like subframe issues though find a car with problems like that already taken care of.
A non turbo 300ZX would be something to look at. They are all over for cheap.
In reply to kanaric:
I was mostly thinking non-turbo MR2 honestly.
93EXCivic wrote: In reply to kanaric: I was mostly thinking non-turbo MR2 honestly.
2nd gen non-turbos are extremely plentiful and cheap. If you wanted a good turbo you would probably need like $7k or $8k. A non-turbo however is like pennies. At that point if you find a clean chassis, which for me was a near impossible task, you could always swap in a late period JDM turbo engine in or a na 3SGE later on if you want more power.
I was able to find several 1st gen MR2s that were clean. I found ZERO 2g that were. I was only looking at turbos though. People were asking 8k for beat to E36 M3 cars with near 200k miles and faded paint.
93EXCivic wrote:wlkelley3 wrote: I don't think all Z3's had 6-cyl. Believe some had 4-cyl. They are kinda hard to find in this area anyway. Did you see that Brett is selling his autocross 3-series?I just looked and saw that. That is interesting but I am not sure it is what I want. I kinda want something I can drop the top on.
So when you say "sportscar"is the pool limited to two seat vehicles where the top goes down?
In my world, "sportscar" excludes any that are not exclusively RWD. So topless RWD 2 seaters in the under 5k price-point narrows this down quite a bit. Miata. Or MGB if you want to go classic.
When I was looking, it seemed pretty hard to find a Z3 six in that price range, but maybe memory fails.
My dream is a 2 seat, six cylinder, convertible sports car, but the Z3 six I drove turned in about like my 2012 Focus (i.e. "ok" but not sharp, really). That and the "potential" for the hassle of the rear sub-frame fix started me looking at MRS, NC, and finally to the NB I drive now.
I suspect some suspension goodies would've helped a lot, and I really do like the look of the Z3, but I didn't come back around to it.
As far as convertibleness, if you're the type that drives with all windows down at every opportunity, with the sunroof open to go along with it, I think you'll be happy with a 'vert.
If on a great day, mid 70s to mid 80s and clear blues, you routinely yell out your window at people with convertibles with the top up, wondering why the h-e-double hockey sticks they own one in the first place, I think you'll be happy with a 'vert.
I've had the NB for a month or more now, and the top is rarely up. I drove around a fair amount yesterday for errands (over an hour, easy), temp was 93 or so, and I was happy as a pig in a blanket.
93EXCivic wrote: In reply to kanaric: I was mostly thinking non-turbo MR2 honestly.
Eric has one sitting behind his shop right now. Not sure what he's going to do with it. '91 I think, non-tubo. I have an extra set of wheels for it. 
Z3. Especially the one with 315hp
NOHOME wrote: So when you say "sportscar"is the pool limited to two seat vehicles where the top goes down? In my world, "sportscar" excludes any that are not exclusively RWD. So topless RWD 2 seaters in the under 5k price-point narrows this down quite a bit. Miata. Or MGB if you want to go classic.
I am not exclusively looking at two seaters honestly and I would consider t-tops or targa tops.
T.J. wrote: I hope this turns into a thread about what is and what isn't a sports car. Paging Nick Comstock.
Everyone knows what a sports car is 
I don't fit well in miatas or solstice/sky either. The S2000 fit me like a glove. I have never been in a Z3 to compare but that's the one that is most appealing to me.
Have we shot down the C4 Corvette yet? Pretty much ticks all the boxes. Might have to search a bit for a convertible with a manual. Plus side is the removable targa panel on the hard tops. It's like 1/2 a convertible if you want it to be. Open exhaust will make it sound fast even if it's not so much.
In reply to pinchvalve:
The Fox-body Mustang convertible isn't really all that sporty, and the SN95 makes more sense. They're probably a lot cheaper for comparable condition and come with stuff you want like four wheel disc brakes and five bolt wheels. Both that car and the Camaro convertible, but especially the Camaro, are floppy like cats. And I don't think either qualify as a "sports car". The Saab, while cool, seems more cruiser than sports car as well.
And no, the C4 Corvette wasn't shot down yet. The OP never addressed it.
1st gen MR2 with a sunroof or t-bar might be good? I just don't see a four-seater cloth top as a "sports car". I would call an FC RX-7 convertible a sports car though... perhaps that works?
mazdeuce wrote: Have we shot down the C4 Corvette yet? Pretty much ticks all the boxes. Might have to search a bit for a convertible with a manual. Plus side is the removable targa panel on the hard tops. It's like 1/2 a convertible if you want it to be. Open exhaust will make it sound fast even if it's not so much.
I'll keep an eye on prices. TBH I haven't really looked at them.
93EXCivic wrote:mazdeuce wrote: Have we shot down the C4 Corvette yet? Pretty much ticks all the boxes. Might have to search a bit for a convertible with a manual. Plus side is the removable targa panel on the hard tops. It's like 1/2 a convertible if you want it to be. Open exhaust will make it sound fast even if it's not so much.I'll keep an eye on prices. TBH I haven't really looked at them.
I've had a zillion cars and my C4 was by far one of my favorites, its just raw enough to feel like you're the one doing the driving. Loved it,.
Are these still really cheap?
C4 can be had in that price range, either a legit convertible or the standard targa top. Downside is you have to use a ratchet and socket to remove 4 bolts or nuts to pull the top off. I don't know if the c4 is designed to stow the top securely in the trunk the way the C5 and C6 are. It has been mentioned before, and I agree, that the Corvette is one of the few cars that looks good in both the vert and hardtop format. From reading Vorshlag's Danger Zone build, it sounds like the 92 and up versions have a much better motor. I'm not that well versed in the C4.
In reply to 93EXCivic:
Boxter? I've seen quite a few at the upper edge of your price range, and some nice ones for a bit more...
racerdave600 wrote:93EXCivic wrote: In reply to kanaric: I was mostly thinking non-turbo MR2 honestly.Eric has one sitting behind his shop right now. Not sure what he's going to do with it. '91 I think, non-tubo. I have an extra set of wheels for it.
Is it running?
93EXCivic wrote:racerdave600 wrote:Is it running?93EXCivic wrote: In reply to kanaric: I was mostly thinking non-turbo MR2 honestly.Eric has one sitting behind his shop right now. Not sure what he's going to do with it. '91 I think, non-tubo. I have an extra set of wheels for it.
Honestly I don't know. He took it in on trade for work on a race car. His plans were to give it to his son who will be driving soon, but the ex wife I think has vetoed that idea. It looks decent from what I've seen. I can ask if you are interested.
As for the C4, I actually like driving them. They're like a cross between a modern and older Corvette, you get all the rattles of an older car, with the G loads of a newer version! I autocrossed an '86 4+3 once (Z51?) and it was a blast. Many people do not like them, but one is on my bucket list.
If it does not have to have air conditioning, you could get into a 914, maybe
When I got my last DD a few years ago, I drove everything sporty and two seat. Did not care for the Z3/4 or Audi TT, felt too heavy, I liked the evil clown shoe though, a lot. The S2K was fun, but could not manage to get comfortable in the driver's seat, stupid video game dash, motor and shifter are amazingly amazing, no really. The Boxster spooked me a bit with the IMS thing. Skystice, not enough leg room in passenger seat for an adult human, coupled with a convertible top that would have been disappointing to anyone but a guy with a TR-3, novacaine steering too. The MR2 was a candidate, but could not find a nice one. Drove an NB and NC Miata, did not like the newer one as much, seemed heavy and too Buickesque. Really dug the NB, ended up in a Mazdaspeed Miata. Had the Miata for 2 years before I realized it did not have a tilt steering column, and that was only after someone else drove it and asked. Fits me like a glove, though I am not a really big guy.
Turns out, the answer really is Miata, but I still miss my Integra GSR Sedan
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