any advice / opinions about 2 seater convertibles? I think a miata would be a really fun, reliable bet but I'm drawn to the 1960-70s classics. Alfa Romeo Spider, Datsun 2000, something like that. It seems they would be budget friendly but how much trouble are we talking reliable-wise? What kind of engine swaps would work? Any similar 2 seaters to consider? Thanks for the help
don't mind a little work get a 300zx conv. just need to swap in the turbo motor and have a nice cruiser. if you don't mind rotory motors you can get an late 80's rx7 conv. they are only NA but still a funny little car to drive. miatas have good aftermarket support endless engine swap pos. ls1, rotory, big block v8. you name it they have done it. also if you like the vintage car they make body kits to convert maitas into classic looking roadsters(check out stacy Davids gears banshee)
Here's an option. http://mnsubaru.com/threads/1969-da...tore-project-modified-for-sr20det-swap.36591/
Are you considering 2+2s as well? Triumph spitfire 1960s mercedes sl 1960s lotus elan E30 m3 convertible
The question is, do you actually want to enjoy driving it, or do you want to spend all your time in the garage fixing it?
LOL. Yes. Check out the new Simpson Design Italia 2 kit for the NB Miata: http://www.simpsondesign.net/italia2.html Sweet.
I thought he said budget friendly too. I thought one of the MG/v6 swaps might be cheapish fun. Only challenge is finding one in decent shape. http://bmcautos.com/british-car-blogs-articles/111-why-convert-my-classic-british-automobile
The Datsun isn't for sale right now. We may just go the non-original route on the suspension components and finish it up. I don't care if it is all-original at this point, since it's got an SR20DET in it.
I am a fan of the Miatas. I have a family member who has a Miata that would kill 90% of the subies on this forum. They are fun little cars.
The spitfire can be had for $1500. Under 10k for a good example... elan and m3 are 20-35 and sl is 20-70 depending on year/model. Wasn't sure since "budget-friendly" is pretty relative, so I listed a wide range of examples. I had the same issue finding a good example mg. My buddy and I brought his mom's 1967 mgb roadster back to life in highschool. Such a fun car until you encounter other cars on the road. I seriously thought we were going to get blown off the road or ran over by an suv. I still want one though.
Agreed. Cheap, super reliable fun cars. They take kindly to turbo/supercharging and are super easy to work on. They handle better than most other cars on the road regardless of price. Drive a Miata and your Subie will feel like a numb lazy bloated pig.
yes that would be the one i'd do an ls1 instead doesn't though off the weight disturbution as much only like 1 or 2% depend in top up or down
THANKS!! Lot's to think about. I'm not in the buying position now but this gives me a great start to do more research. I think I'm just going to keep an open mind but I'll mostly keep my eyes open for a decent datsun roadster. As far as price, I think my ceiling would be $8,000. Got some more finds in that range?
As someone that has dealt with Datsun Roadsters (I've purchased 3 of them so far) let me just say, 8,000 will likely not cover it. You can find driveable examples for that much no problem. But they all seem to be total rust buckets. My last one, the one I'm restoring right now, had some rust issues that were manageable. But the other two required extensive work, and they were far from road worthy. If you have any questions about the Datsun Fairlady roadster, let me know. And you can come see the one I am working on, though it isn't much to look at right now.
Not exactly $8000 but Miata & British - http://jalopnik.com/5872986/a-reliable-miata+powered-mgb+gt-will-only-cost-you-77k
I have a Miata that I bought for quite a bit less than a grand that continues to give me summertime joy, the way that mine is tuned it gets around 27 with pretty decent power, if it were me I would look for a late 92 model with the 1.6
