I want to buy a useable reasonably priced sports car to keep my 300D company in the garage, and to drive on those nice summer days when I do not really feel like driving a sedan. I presently have a 1974 Alfa Romeo GTV 2 litre, but beautiful as it is, it is not a reliable daily driver that I would take on weekend trips. I have owned a Volvo P1800, which I sold to finance the bodywork on the Alfa, and I think I sold the wrong car. I have never owned an English car, or a Porsche 912 or 911, out of fear that the upkeep would be waaay too high. I have had a 1974 BMW 2002, bit I do not consider that to be a"sports car". I hope to elicit responses from others in this group with suggestions. I am somewhat leaning towards a 912 or another P1800. Any other considerations? I do not want to pay megabux - I have already spent stupid money restoring a GTV that is now too nice to really use.

Yes, Miata! But its...uh... Got No Soul...!

I will concur that a Miata will be less grief than an Alfa or a Porsche 912, or maybe even a P1800 (which actually was a very reliable car; but I would prefer a convertible roadster this time around) And being able to have readilly available parts would be nice...but...two things bug me: 1) I have driven one, & found it a wee bit cramped. I actually found an MGB to be a wee bit roomier.
2) They are Girls cars! Also, I don't want to see myself driving in the other direction every day.
I am 6'2" . Maybe a convertible roadster is just not realistic for me.
If so, then it looks like I am back to a small coupe like a P1800 or 912...unless there are other options. If all else fails, and I decide I really want a convertible, perhaps an MB 380SL...Hmmm...!
Compromises; I hate them!

How come no mention of one of the SL's.The 350 Euro SL with a manual Transmission is a true sports car yet comfortable and durable and fast...
William Rogers.....

Hmmmm...Yesss....Euro 350SL with a stick. MmmHmm I can see that in my garage.

Take a look at a well-kept Porsche 944, if you can find one. There is a huge 944 site maintained on the 'net somewhere...plug in "Porsche 944" and search on Google.

They aren't garage queens, but you have to pay more attention to them than a Benz, I'd say. Timing belts are very important; engine and trans are pretty sound overall. It's just a SOHC 8-valve 2.5 liter, 150 hp four, nothing overly complex.

I'd say you'd have some "passion with a pedigree" in that case.

-Sam

Unless the euro models have a much stiffer suspension I don't see them as a true sports car. Having owned and driven a few 350/450's they seem to be more of a tourer. My neighbors 250sl handles like a slot car compared to the 107.

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2005 SL55 AMG Kleemanized
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Ducati,

What is your price range?

Have a great day,

No more than $12000.oo Cdn. A friend recently sold a very nice Porsche 912 for $7000 Cdn; My Alfa GTV 2 litre is near perfect & is worth about $15000.oo, to give you some idea of price scales up here. The 1970 P1800 went for $8000 & it was also in exc. cond.
The 300D cost me $5000 Cdn. & its really presentable with no rust, dings, dash cracks, upholstery tears, & 215ooo miles when I bought it.

I think G-Man is selling his '44 P-car. I don't think the 912 is available as anything else but a coupe. It's relatively simple to work on being nothing but a VW engine. Heck, you can buy a longblock for USD$400! If you're not opposed to changing the oil every thousand miles and doing valve adjustments every 3k miles then this is the car for you

There are also some Porsche 911's out there for around USD 6-10k. These, depending on how much you intend to put into them ($ and labor) might be worth looking into.

Kuan

You might also want to look at an older Toyota Mr2. Fine throw about car. Handles nicely and verrrrrry comfortable & reliable.

Porsche's are expensive to maintain....

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'00 ML320 "Casper"
'92 400E "Stella"

Ducati,

You've picked some neat choices. At one time I was an English car fan and owned two MGA's and an MGTD. A friend of mine had two Porsche 912's and I always thought they were great cars at a lot less money than a comparable 911.

I also owned a 914 which was marketed in the US as a Porsche and everywhere else as a Volkswagon. I thought it was one of the best handling cars I ever owned, and the Targa top was a two minute operation when you wanted that open air ride. Not everyone liked the looks, but I think it might be a car to add to your list.

Good luck, I'm sure you'll have fun making the choice.

Bob Hall

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Here's some Ebay cars (to give one an idea of what is out there).

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=600531836
-1985.5 Porsche 944

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=600557391
-1985.5 Porsche 944

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=600377357
-1966 Porsche 912

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=600663698
-1970 Porsche 911

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=600463135
-1973 BMW 2002 (looks REALLY sweet....)

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=600662684
-1991 BMW 325i

Here are a few cars with some character and which don't seem to be chronic garage queens (note that I left out anything British or Italian....)

-Sam

Okay, a MR2 makes sense. But...its....Japanese and soul-less. The Miata is out due to it is..well..a girls car (Please do not take offense).
I had a 912 many years ago, and could not afford to restore it. Always wanted another whack at it, but do not need another almost unuseable money-pit like the GTV. So, I am seriously researching the 912's...I know that a 911 will be too expensive for me to own (GTV x $$$) The 924/944 is not as desireable, in my mind, as the 912, & will always leave me wanting. A 928 is another complex expensive money pit. I would be afraid to tinker with it.
The 380/450 SL is possible, but will need uprated springs & Koni's to make it a truly sporty handler.
Another P1800 Volvo would be nice. Again, I did not own my former P1800 long enough to really get into it. I flipped it to get $ together to restore the GTV. This one is a serious possibility.
A friend has suggested that I not just dismiss the later Rubber Buggy Bumper MGB's, as they are less $ to buy and vastly more reliable than the more classic chrome bumper models.
So, if anyone out there has owned a 912, P1800, 380/450SL, an MR2 or a later model MGB...or whatever has been a good sports car to own, give me some feedback please. The criteria is Fun To Drive and Reasonable Cost of Ownership. The car will probably be daily driven all summer, and should be fairly simple & straightforward to work on.

Oh, and BMW 2002's are out, as I had a 1974 several years ago. Great car, would out-accelerate a Formula 400 CID Pontiac V8 (Heh heh heh...was he ever suprised) but I have done the 2002 thing already. Looking for a true roadster if possible, or a sporty 2 seater coupe.