Ok... I'm looking at the kms on the SiR and starting to do some thinking. It's now got 210,000 on it - it had 180,000 on it when I bought it just over 12 months ago. Not good.
So I'm thinking of picking up another car as a beater so that I can save the SiR for fun.
I've decided to go old school - I like old cars, they have more character than a lot of the plastic fantastics on the road. More to the point, it needs to be something I can tinker with - something I can never quite bring myself to do with the SiR. Most importantly it needs to have torque and a fair bit of bottom end power.
Options on my list so far are 1G Civic, Triumph Stag, Dolomite or 2500S, Datsun 240/260Z, TA22 Celica, Torana SLR5000/A9X, Toyota Crown, '80 Range Rover.
Ok, it's an assortment. 1G Civic is just about out - I can't find a decent body, plus it's small and tinny and not much chop for touring. Stags/Dolomites/2500S are Brit cars - way cool when they run... when they run
If I got one I'd be thinking of dropping a Jap engine into one.
240Z is something I've always wanted - the fastest of all the NA Z Cars, nice styling and a grunty engine. TA22 Celica will get a 3TGTE engine swap if I get one... only problem is the engine eats diffs like it was about to go on a hunger strike. The plus is the Coke bottle lines really appeal to me.
A9Xs are too expensive - over 14,000 but the SLR5000s start at 5 grand. Nice meaty V8 and the cars are brutal in the acceleration stakes - my old one did 0-100 in 5.9 seconds and it was only mildly worked. Only minuses are that they are pig-ugly and drink fuel. Range Rover (2 Door) has a beefy 8 but it's a bitch to drive around the streets... plus a pig with the fuel. But it would be cool for when I take leave and decide to go camping.
Toyota Crown is a long shot... ugly in factory trim, the things look awesome dropped with old-school mags on them... plenty of room for a Jap turbo-6. I'm talking the old '70s Crown, rounded ends to it.
I'm thinking a budget of 8000 tops - anyone got any ideas or feel like commenting on the options?