Car appreciation... the aesthetics, the engineering, etc

Did anyone else hear the thing on BBC London last week about the guy who buried a rare british sportscar in his front garden?
I only caught the tail end of it, but it was some bloke who was a relatively famous artist and lived somewhere down near the Horniman museum. He had an Allard, which was his pride and joy, and when he found he could no longer afford to keep it on the road he buried it because he couldn't bear to sell it.

True fact: I knew a girl whose mother buried many things in her garden. Her finest achievement was a Ford Anglia.

Okay, not an Allard, but still.

Now it's all working perfectly again I took the Porsche up to Sheffield for a party with some of GF's friends, and took the opportunity to give it a bloody good hiding the following day in the amazing roads of the Peak District National Park.

It confirmed what I think I always knew. It's perfectly good at everything. It's fast, it doesn't drink that much fuel, it's fairly comfortable, it looks good inside and out, it makes a lovely noise, it handles without fault, grips as much as you could want and the steering is absolutely spot on.
And it does absolutely nothing for me. There is no emotional connection whatsoever.

Time for it to go.

I feel something Italian coming on...

I have given it serious thought.
It'll be either Italian or British.

Hmm - what choice is there that's British?

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Westfield with a Fiat engine?

a nice 16v evo 'grale, in giallo natch..

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C664424

although I prefer the earlier 8v, but it's your money

More than likely some 70s Brit monstrosity :)

Being serious, I waaay prefer wringing the neck out of something older, noisier and smellier, than driving something new and fast at 40% of its ability.

Much more fun pushing the car's limits, than yours.

I'd get this (if I had all the money in the world) as it's incredibly beautiful: http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C626581

tr4a it is then!

How much are we talking, quinny? C'mon - fantasy sports car shopping.

I love your thirst for old car pain...

Austin Ambassador.

Budget is the £10k-12k I hope to get for the Porsche.
For this I want a car I won't worry about leaving parked in a Hackney street, that will be fun to drive, but a bit comfortable.
I have learned from the Porsche that I don't like driving fast with the roof down (and I don't like driving slowly at all!), so no more convertibles.
I can hire a van any time so it doesn't need to be practical.
Small is better than large, so the most likely option is a proper Mini. I've wanted a Mini for 25 years.
However I've also wanted a Jaguar XJ-S V12 for about as long. And I really wouldn't mind another Rover SD1 - a V8 this time. Or a P5B coupé. And I keep looking at Lotus Esprits on ebay and wondering how hard it is to make an S2 or S3 look like an S1. So there are 'fuck-it' buttons to be pushed. There aren't really many Italian cars I'd be brave enough to actually buy with my own money. Except maybe this: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1981-ALFA-ROMEO-2-5-GTV6-60000-MILES-UNRESTORED-SOLID-CAR-/231686870602?hash=item35f19d164a

Then it needs to be a Mk1 Cooperalike with a vtec conversion or perhaps a rear bike-engine conversion with a nice sequential gearbox. Nope. V-Tec all the way! A well built one will give you all the reliability, eighty five tonnes of grin and a lot of stealth go.

What's not to like?

I've even seen a couple where they avoided adding the four inches into the front arches.

What's the going rate for a totally rot-free, working Mini?

i.e. is your 12k going to be enough?

12k should be heaps for a good mini. Fuck the v-tech and the massive arches, just get a 60s, neat job with sensible mods and thrash it. It will rot on the street, so factor a 5k body job over the next 10 yrs.

Or go the 70s monstrosity And see what frustration is really made of.

Mgb gt v8?

Im excited for you...

I pass two MGC coupe's on my way to work (and back again) each day, I like the look of those, but of course have no idea how they drive compared to the four-pot.

I maybe able to sort you out a p5b that has been sorted properly, rusty bits cut out and replacement panels welded in.

But a V12 is a v12.....