Wife wants a convertible... ideas?

Did some of you miss the $5-8k in the initial post?

You can get a Tiptronic Boxster (or a R129) for that sort of money...

eBayfreak wrote: The E36 sounds like a possibility; did they make a 318is 'vert (cis)?

Yes they did, and they usually go for bargain basement prices because most people want the six. They can be sold as everything from "318i convertible" to "318is convertible" to "318ic" though so spread out your terms if you're searching online.

BoxheadTim wrote: You can get a Tiptronic Boxster (or a R129) for that sort of money...

Get out of town! Really?

I've seen early 986 Boxsters (with the 2.5L) advertised over in CA (Sacramento or Bay Area) for around $7k, yes. Might be the combination of winter prices and Tiptronic, though.

We paid $8k for my wife's low(ish) mileage R129 500SL, but that needs some work and I might have overpaid a little. I've seen a couple of 320SLs for similar money or less.

I watched a true mileage unknown Boxster S sell for 6300 the other day at the auction.

Once again, mr-spyder?

Tell her no.

I will say, convertibles keep the upholstery shop near me in business. The owner gets an evil grin on her face every time one pulls in the lot.

Personally, the saab, e46, or mustang would be my choice. However, what about a beetle or mini 'vert?

You can have my 1999 BMW M3 convertible for ~$10k. It's only got 54,000 miles, 5-speed manual, bone stock. I know it's not $5-8k, but I thought I'd offer. It beats the heck out of a Solara.

I have a Boxster S and I'm feeling some garage redundancy. Something has to go.

Here are a couple more choices:

Eclipse (3G)

Audi TT

Jaguar XK8

Volvo C70

C4 Corvette

Kitchen with a retractable roof?

Raze wrote: Kitchen with a retractable roof?

Double win... Open the roof over the sink.

Less time doing dishes equals more time cooking. She would LOVE the thoughtfulnes and foresight!!!

grafmiata wrote:

Raze wrote: Kitchen with a retractable roof?

Double win... Open the roof over the sink. Less time doing dishes equals more time cooking. She would LOVE the thoughtfulnes and foresight!!!

Hoping to ward off the kitchen remodel as long as I can. I expect it will cost way more than the car, or at least take a couple months of hard labor.

So, one can get an early Boxster for this kind of money? Hmm... maybe possible. From what I understand, DIY maintenance is on the difficult side for those, right?

94-2004 Mustang GT's can be had for that money and are a blast to drive with a few upgrades

1998 BMW M3 Convertible. Asking $3800~ Body in great shape. New Top, 166K miles. Leather interior. Runs good. Heat and Air! Been well maintained. Must see! Contact me through Craigs List. Serious inquiries only! Great Deal! Must sell due to medical reasons. Leave a phone number and I will contact you. http://asheville.craigslist.org/cto/4342574497.html

Couldn't get the pictures to link.

No?

The nice thing about the E36/E46 is the back seat, if you have a need for any such thing. The interiors on 'verts do seem to take a beating. I recall the one we had was just this side of horrendous. It was next on the to-do list, but we sold the car before I got to it!

Edit: The XK8 is one sexy cat! We almost bought one, a 98 I think. Nikasil cylinder liners, blue smoke on startup, and the prospect of hyper-expensive top repairs cooled me to the idea. Nice cruiser, with just a tad more panache than the lowly (gaaaak!) Solara.