Talk Morgan Forums Community Vehicle Talk (non-Morgan) classic/specialist car market

The Porsche idea is a good one, but not the 914. How about a 924? That's basically the German counterpart to the MGB Coupé, but with corrosion resistance.
Fully galvanized since 1980.

Beware.... I suspect that there is NO such thing as a cheap Porsche, as no matter which "lesser" Porsche one might buy into, the parts prices can seem no less costly than for the top end of the Porsche market. 50 years ago I priced a valve spring for my then 912, (cheap 4 cyl version of the 911) each valve has two springs, an inner and an outer, the same set up as many old m/cycles.... The price back then for for one valve pair of springs was £25 while at the same time a full set of valve springs for an MGB was £14..

A good MGB is a far safer bet than any Porsche in terms of maintenance and repair, the early 911 derivatives in the form of the 996 are complex machines with known potential issues, and any air cooled seem to be attracting crazy prices. If your MG`s have all been B`s then perhaps a GT..?

I spent more on having my 991 serviced in the first year of ownership than I have spent in over 20 years on my +8..

On the other hand if you came across a Porsche that had EVERYTHING maintained to perfection.... then it might be worth the gamble.

Best of luck in your choices..

Sensible words indeed.

As someone said to me three decades ago - far before 'all things Stuttgart' started to trend upwards in price: "you either pay upfront for the best example you can buy or you pay after to repair and bring it up to useable condition." I have now been bitten twice and both of those were on cars that I had inspected by experts! That said, even when having unexpected bills, I still sold both and came out neutral in terms of finances; this, in my experience, is rare in the world of classic and modern classics and a testament to the wide appeal, and market, for Porsche.

My suggestion of a 914 was one part tongue in cheek, one part nostalgia and the remaining serious.

Tongue in cheek - because it is a two-seat 'open top' so in the extended genre of a Morgan

Nostalgia - a friend owned a 914 2.0 in the late 80s / early 90s and I have very positive memories of driving around in it. The 2.0 engine was a decent motor and had good poke.

Serious - Grumpy has skills, so much of the work he can carry out. The link to VW means parts are not all silly in price. Cost to buy isn't insane and they are climbing in value; therefore, buying one that needs some TLC could end in a cash-positive position once the DIY work was carried out.

I'd suggest a Mk2 2lt Vitesse saloon with overdrive. That would tick the warm waterproof saloon box, with good performance and good parts availability. Enjoy the search.

If you want a real sports car then the answer has to be Lotus. All together a different league to the likes of MG and Triumph.

Oddly enough I’ve been looking at one or two Vitesse’s, only virtually as the closest one is 120 miles away and looks questionable. Rover P6 a so appeals but may be too big for my lockup.

As much as I’d like a true sports car, I already have that box ticked with the Morgan. I need something to use when the occasion is less suited to an open top valuable sports car. A sports saloon would fit the bill nicely. There’s a great choice below the M4 corridor but slim picking further north.

How about a SAAB?

Wonderful cars.

….soft top looks good and those Saabs I see about all look to have aged well…….classic shape and design and I’m no architect !
MM

I suspect we have almost all watched Bangers & Cash occasionally, and from that gathered that there is a mix of old scrap, through to pristine examples of just about every type of vehicles available, and as it seems you may be in search of a classic, then perusing the stock of Mathewsons might give you a few ideas, might even be worth a visit via the web, and if anything of real interest turns up then perhaps a visit, though if you are up for a gamble I suspect if you bid over the phone for anything they might even deliver it...?

I doubt the distance selling regs might cover kit bought at auction, though I suspect if you offered to pay Mathewsons to use their expertise to supply you with a written pre purchase inspection, that might be an option worth exploring, or alternatively pay for an engineers report on anything that really takes your fancy..?

Whatever, best of luck and enjoy your research, which might be more fun than eventual ownership..? (-: