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

@catfood

i want to go for a spin, btw - are you around over christmas?

Options I am currently considering:

Option 1: Buy a new MX5 with a good shell and move all my parts over, sell parts off new car, scrap leftover old car. Cost hopefully <£2k
Option 2: Part out old MX5, add some money (maybe around £2k) to get a total budget of maybe £5k and buy something new
Option 3: Part out old MX5, sell E39 wagon, add some money (maybe around £2k), get Em to add a bit of money too and end up with around £7.5-8k in total and just have one car for everything
Option 4: Use £5k + E39 wagon trade-in as a deposit on something new or nearly new that I can lease or PCP for about £250/month that will actually be fun on track

Just buy an MX5

Swap it for Pigfarmers when he's not looking.

Went to a garage today to check out a car to replace my Citroen. Almost walked away with this even though it's far less practical.

Charming, beaten up 109 series 2. If it were diesel I probably would have.

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dat plate

Great input. Thanks.

How much to repair the shell?

You can get the panels. But then that is time, to strip, remove sspotwelds and then welding new panels.

i want to go for a spin, btw - are you around over christmas?

This to Russell or me?

New family buy of a Plus-2 with a special history. Needs a lot of work.

Yes!

You!

Nah, something slightly more practical caught my eye instead. Just got to see if I can make it work.

Cheaper than a new Astra.

Yeah interesting history, wonder what is left from the original car.

Love a good type 3!

Ok! Around until the bitter end this time, let's sort something out

Spyder chassis, 250bhp 9000rpm Zetec and away you go. History schmistory.

My 2p...

Option 1: Good option as you end up essentially getting a longer lasting version of the car you have now which you love. Plus nice NA's are getting harder to find and will always be incredible cars for what they are.
Option 2: Possible to get some decent fun stuff for £5k. My money would be going into soon to be appreciating classics like Civic Type R/Teg Type R (hard to find but some possibilities at that kind of money), 106 Rallye, Clio 182 (possibly a Trophy if I could stretch the budget), a tidy 1st Gen GC WRX Impreza.
Option 3: Don't do it. After having the E39 and the MX, I'd find whatever I was buying to do do all things too much of a compromise. You'll end up buying something that is too nice/road orientated to use on the track or just something that isn't suited to fun/track driving.
Option 4: Same as above, but more so.

I agree with the above, having now had the experience of running a sports car as well as a performance car- there is a big difference, and you'll struggle to make one into the other.

How about replacing the MX5 with an S2000?

Some other MX5 options:

"options"