A thought or two on the C4. As a tall guy, at a hair under 6’4, it actually, and surprisingly, is the only hardtop Corvette that I comfortably fit in. C3? Let’s not go there, though I own one, shared with a friend. C5? Head hit the b pillar/hoop thing. C6? Knees dug into dashboard. C7? Worst of all. Just didn’t fit in any way.
If you can scrape up enough scratch for a C4 from the final years, the ride gets better and the squeaks get less. It turns into a pretty nice back road cruiser. Though I wonder how that (flexy) chassis would have felt with tires in the 225/60 range.
Jack, I’d love to hear your thoughts on why there are so few cars that accommodate tall drivers nowadays. First and second gen CRX’s were great. I could barely reach the pedals with the seat all the way back. My W116 Benz let me put the seat all the way back against the back seat. No one could sit behind me, but I would fit! Actually, I couldn’t drive it with the seat all the way back - couldn’t operate the pedals. My daily driver ended up being a 2019 Bullitt, as it was one of the very few cars that had a manual, and decent legroom and headroom. Damn few cars that will give me that.
Aug 4, 2022·edited Aug 4, 2022Liked by Jack Baruth
I’m no Nostradamus, but unless I was dying to have something for the last few weeks of this summer, I’d sit on my cash for 4-6 months. For one, people will be looking to unload toys before winter. For another, your guess is as good as mine as to where the economy is going but I’m guessing prices won’t be higher in 6 months than now. $10k might be $15k in the used car world.
I own an MG TD. The MGB is a substantially newer vehicle than the TD, but it's still a dinosaur compared to almost every car on the road now. You have to really want to own a vehicle like an MG in the modern era. I would not recommend an MG to someone who only has a passing interest. The newest (and worst) cars are 40 years old. The best iterations of the MGB are 50-60 years old. They are different animals: SU carbs, points based ignition, points based fuel pump, Lucas electrics, marginally effective cooling systems, marginally effective weather protection, nonexistent crash protection, rust, zerk fittings, painfully slow synchros, etc. If you can live with all of those issues and limitations, they are 100% worth it. Driving mine feels like driving through the frameless world Prisig talked about in Zen but in car form. It feels different than modern convertibles. You are substantially more exposed and connected to the road. The car requires your constant attention--listening, feeling, hearing, smelling. You have to respect and protect the car. Everything is real when you drive it.
There's an aging owner base, but it's not too hard to find people driving their cars on the weekends. The clubs are active, and it appears that there's a younger group of new owners moving in to take over for the old guys. I haven't done anything with clubs yet, but they appear to be a good, helpful community that tries to support owners. MG is also likely the last collector marque that money hasn't ruined. Only certain prewar cars are worth serious money, and there should be enough MGBs and Midgets out there to keep prices reasonable to a while. Folks seems to get into them because they have a genuine affinity for the cars, not because they are waiting to cash out. That's what the collector car hobby should be about and was for a lot more marques until the past 10 or so years.
If you can't deal with all of the issues I listed above, the NA Miata would be my next suggestion, but my guess is that all cheap good ones are almost all gone.
Failing that, I'll submit a nomination for any 3-series before the E90 generation. It's still possible to find them for under $10,000. That won't last much longer. Notably, I caught a kid taking cell phone photos of my ratty 2002 330Ci coupe a few months ago like it was a Lambo or something. They aren't as bad as "the internet" or "YouTube" make them out to be. Find a car that hasn't been destroyed cosmetically and start addressing the known problems and deferred maintenance. You'll wind up with a very pleasant, enjoyable car.
Aug 4, 2022·edited Aug 5, 2022Liked by Jack Baruth
As an early MKI MGB owner / driver / mechanic / Idiot (means I love the damned things) I'll tell you to RUN AWAY ! .
They're fun cars, dirt cheap and so easy to fix but, they're just not good high speed fun cars no matter what the guys who followed my antics on various road runs .
For me, driving slow cars quickly is the best bang for the buck .
You're wise to be skittish of Motocycles but they _are_ so much fun .
You needn't buy a big sport bike : just buy a reasonably powerful dirt bike and slap some really good street tires on it, nothing brings out th stupid in a man like a Super Motard between his knees .
Come back and let us know what you buy .
As mentioned, waiting until December and being ruthless will net you incredible deals.....
Funny enough, a sweet looking 2006 NC popped up right down the road from me. Going to look at it on Saturday. I've heard they are practically bulletproof, I'm 5'11 175 so I have no reservations about fitting in them, and obviously their reputation is at stalwart as it comes.
I am partial to Mustangs and Vettes because I am, at heart, a muscle car guy that likes loud shouty V8s and is nothing close to good enough a driver for eeking out that extra tenth to matter at all.
But then again, I've never owned something actually light and nimble. Worthwhile to check it out at least for sure!
I second the bike, but suggest you go as small as you can go and while staying sporty. I'd probably choose one of the motards, a KTM Duke, a Suzuki DRZ400 or a TW200 Yamaha modded with street tires like the Japanese kids used to do. None of these are hyperbike fast but none of them are total slouches either - although I would keep the TW on the backroads and off the freeway.
Take the money you save and buy great gear and maybe a life insurance policy.
I can't say don't buy one.... But you better be willing to wrench on the damn thing.
Plus you have to deal with that whole "Prince of Darkness" thing.
If you agree to those conditions though, the aftermarket for parts is great and so is the ownership community. Guys are regularly letting driver-quality cars go for enough under your budget to have a good shop go through it too...
Also, a bit of housekeeping: I am logged in to SubStack and am getting 2 different “subscribe to this content” ads in this article (right before the reader quote, and at the end of the piece). I don’t much care, but my profile shows logged in and paid subscriber, not sure if it’s a glitch or a weird non-targeted ad? Running Norton Ad-Blocker for iPhone FWIW.
Aug 5, 2022·edited Aug 5, 2022Liked by Jack Baruth
You might be able to find a decent NA Z32 Nissan for this price-ish. I found mine local, rust free, 5 speed (but 2+2) for around 8k last fall. granted, i had to rebuild the front suspension (struts were freakin ORIGINAL and had zero fluid left) and source a new exhaust, but that all still put me right under 11k or so. runs incredible, i drive it pretty hard and still take it 400+ miles in a weekend for road trips if i feel so inclined.
Aug 4, 2022·edited Aug 4, 2022Liked by Jack Baruth
When my son was a mech engr student at VT (2020) he did a senior project building and racing a car in a race at VIR in the ChampCar Endurance series. The budget was severely limited and ChampCar handicaps the results based on how capable the car is so it favors cheap builds. The team started with an old Civic, stripped it, and put all new instruments, suspension, etc but kept the original engine. They finished the 12 hour race at VIR after some minor mechanical problems and on/off-track damage which required a run to Lowes to get repair materials. My son was one of the 3 drivers and says it was the most fun he's ever had in a car. Most of the other cars were very old 3-series and Miatas. Unfortunately now ChampCars allows no spectators.
A thought or two on the C4. As a tall guy, at a hair under 6’4, it actually, and surprisingly, is the only hardtop Corvette that I comfortably fit in. C3? Let’s not go there, though I own one, shared with a friend. C5? Head hit the b pillar/hoop thing. C6? Knees dug into dashboard. C7? Worst of all. Just didn’t fit in any way.
If you can scrape up enough scratch for a C4 from the final years, the ride gets better and the squeaks get less. It turns into a pretty nice back road cruiser. Though I wonder how that (flexy) chassis would have felt with tires in the 225/60 range.
Jack, I’d love to hear your thoughts on why there are so few cars that accommodate tall drivers nowadays. First and second gen CRX’s were great. I could barely reach the pedals with the seat all the way back. My W116 Benz let me put the seat all the way back against the back seat. No one could sit behind me, but I would fit! Actually, I couldn’t drive it with the seat all the way back - couldn’t operate the pedals. My daily driver ended up being a 2019 Bullitt, as it was one of the very few cars that had a manual, and decent legroom and headroom. Damn few cars that will give me that.
I’m no Nostradamus, but unless I was dying to have something for the last few weeks of this summer, I’d sit on my cash for 4-6 months. For one, people will be looking to unload toys before winter. For another, your guess is as good as mine as to where the economy is going but I’m guessing prices won’t be higher in 6 months than now. $10k might be $15k in the used car world.
I own an MG TD. The MGB is a substantially newer vehicle than the TD, but it's still a dinosaur compared to almost every car on the road now. You have to really want to own a vehicle like an MG in the modern era. I would not recommend an MG to someone who only has a passing interest. The newest (and worst) cars are 40 years old. The best iterations of the MGB are 50-60 years old. They are different animals: SU carbs, points based ignition, points based fuel pump, Lucas electrics, marginally effective cooling systems, marginally effective weather protection, nonexistent crash protection, rust, zerk fittings, painfully slow synchros, etc. If you can live with all of those issues and limitations, they are 100% worth it. Driving mine feels like driving through the frameless world Prisig talked about in Zen but in car form. It feels different than modern convertibles. You are substantially more exposed and connected to the road. The car requires your constant attention--listening, feeling, hearing, smelling. You have to respect and protect the car. Everything is real when you drive it.
There's an aging owner base, but it's not too hard to find people driving their cars on the weekends. The clubs are active, and it appears that there's a younger group of new owners moving in to take over for the old guys. I haven't done anything with clubs yet, but they appear to be a good, helpful community that tries to support owners. MG is also likely the last collector marque that money hasn't ruined. Only certain prewar cars are worth serious money, and there should be enough MGBs and Midgets out there to keep prices reasonable to a while. Folks seems to get into them because they have a genuine affinity for the cars, not because they are waiting to cash out. That's what the collector car hobby should be about and was for a lot more marques until the past 10 or so years.
If you can't deal with all of the issues I listed above, the NA Miata would be my next suggestion, but my guess is that all cheap good ones are almost all gone.
Failing that, I'll submit a nomination for any 3-series before the E90 generation. It's still possible to find them for under $10,000. That won't last much longer. Notably, I caught a kid taking cell phone photos of my ratty 2002 330Ci coupe a few months ago like it was a Lambo or something. They aren't as bad as "the internet" or "YouTube" make them out to be. Find a car that hasn't been destroyed cosmetically and start addressing the known problems and deferred maintenance. You'll wind up with a very pleasant, enjoyable car.
People who ask “what xxxx should I buy” seem to already know the answer and want validation of that choice.
Jack’s opinion is worth reading, but a second, third, or fourth car does not have to be rational.
KoR should buy something that is beautiful and special to him within reason (a 6 owner 170,000 mile Maserati Quattroporte is probably off the table).
You should still be able to get a decent MR2 Spyder for $10K.
Lighter than a Miata, as reliable as a Corolla, and the mid engine adds some novelty.
As an early MKI MGB owner / driver / mechanic / Idiot (means I love the damned things) I'll tell you to RUN AWAY ! .
They're fun cars, dirt cheap and so easy to fix but, they're just not good high speed fun cars no matter what the guys who followed my antics on various road runs .
For me, driving slow cars quickly is the best bang for the buck .
You're wise to be skittish of Motocycles but they _are_ so much fun .
You needn't buy a big sport bike : just buy a reasonably powerful dirt bike and slap some really good street tires on it, nothing brings out th stupid in a man like a Super Motard between his knees .
Come back and let us know what you buy .
As mentioned, waiting until December and being ruthless will net you incredible deals.....
-Nate
Saying no to a bike only
Funny enough, a sweet looking 2006 NC popped up right down the road from me. Going to look at it on Saturday. I've heard they are practically bulletproof, I'm 5'11 175 so I have no reservations about fitting in them, and obviously their reputation is at stalwart as it comes.
I am partial to Mustangs and Vettes because I am, at heart, a muscle car guy that likes loud shouty V8s and is nothing close to good enough a driver for eeking out that extra tenth to matter at all.
But then again, I've never owned something actually light and nimble. Worthwhile to check it out at least for sure!
I second the bike, but suggest you go as small as you can go and while staying sporty. I'd probably choose one of the motards, a KTM Duke, a Suzuki DRZ400 or a TW200 Yamaha modded with street tires like the Japanese kids used to do. None of these are hyperbike fast but none of them are total slouches either - although I would keep the TW on the backroads and off the freeway.
Take the money you save and buy great gear and maybe a life insurance policy.
As the resident MG owner (there may be others)
I can't say don't buy one.... But you better be willing to wrench on the damn thing.
Plus you have to deal with that whole "Prince of Darkness" thing.
If you agree to those conditions though, the aftermarket for parts is great and so is the ownership community. Guys are regularly letting driver-quality cars go for enough under your budget to have a good shop go through it too...
Also, a bit of housekeeping: I am logged in to SubStack and am getting 2 different “subscribe to this content” ads in this article (right before the reader quote, and at the end of the piece). I don’t much care, but my profile shows logged in and paid subscriber, not sure if it’s a glitch or a weird non-targeted ad? Running Norton Ad-Blocker for iPhone FWIW.
Faced with a similar pocket fire, I picked up a clean, high-ish miles e36 M3. Unfortunately It seems like last year’s $10k is now $15k.
Miata Is Always The Answer
i don't know sh*t. i just always wanted to write that.
Your beginning reminds be of someone's email signature from a person we both admire - "Often wrong, Seldom in Doubt". Max Bob
You might be able to find a decent NA Z32 Nissan for this price-ish. I found mine local, rust free, 5 speed (but 2+2) for around 8k last fall. granted, i had to rebuild the front suspension (struts were freakin ORIGINAL and had zero fluid left) and source a new exhaust, but that all still put me right under 11k or so. runs incredible, i drive it pretty hard and still take it 400+ miles in a weekend for road trips if i feel so inclined.
"Too much of anything, &c."
If this is a Who reference, te salud, Signor.
When my son was a mech engr student at VT (2020) he did a senior project building and racing a car in a race at VIR in the ChampCar Endurance series. The budget was severely limited and ChampCar handicaps the results based on how capable the car is so it favors cheap builds. The team started with an old Civic, stripped it, and put all new instruments, suspension, etc but kept the original engine. They finished the 12 hour race at VIR after some minor mechanical problems and on/off-track damage which required a run to Lowes to get repair materials. My son was one of the 3 drivers and says it was the most fun he's ever had in a car. Most of the other cars were very old 3-series and Miatas. Unfortunately now ChampCars allows no spectators.