Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[AlastairC]

Which classic car should I get? It needs to be capable of transporting the family, (3 of us) be modifiable (to some extent) and have that certain x factor. Also i'm 6'5" so it needs to have plenty of room. Also needs to be used as a second car and for commuting
the candidates are so far
Triumph stag
Triumph 2500
Jag xjx s1
Rover p6
porsche 911 sc

At this stage the stag is the preferred candidate. jag too big, Rover and Triumph 2500 lack the x factor, porsche too expensive and too hard to find one in nz. May end up going for a 2500 given that stags are still a bit expensive. Any other options I have overlooked? Which one should I go for?
cheers
alastair
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Alastair Cox

[Rick]

I guess much will depend on spares availability in NZ. How about a Rover P5, or one of the large BMC Farina range? As the Stag is a contender, does this mean you're leaning towards an open-top car if something turns up within budget?

RJ
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[MikeEdwards]

You don't say how old (or how large, more to the point) the third member of the family is, but the back of a 911 isn't very big. I've been able to sit in one for a short journey, but it was back from the pub so my tolerance level was higher than it might otherwise have been. Also I had to sit across the seat, so not a great position.

[buzzy bee]

Some Older cars are still useable, if you can remember to plan a bit of extra time into the journey.

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C391179

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C390874

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C367512

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C382547

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C277858

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C388582#

Lots of ideas, and worth thinking about an older car maybe. They deinateley have the wow factor!

Cheers

Dave

[pogo]

If they are available in NZ, how about a Volvo P1800, if the 3rd person is quite small?

I had one a few years ago, and was one of the most useable every day classics Ive had, and it handled a 100 mile daily round trip with ease.

Not bad fuel consumption, and bullet proof mechanics. Personally, I absolutely love the look of them.

Paul
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[AlastairC]

A volvo 1800 or even better an Amazon would be great but there are hardly any of them either out here. 3rd passenger - harriet is at this stage 18 months old, however although she is small her seat takes up a lot of space. Rover and Triumph parts are pretty easily available out here - they were assembled in NZ I used to own a stag and I think it is the only convertible that I can think of that has a decent back seat. Im not particularly sold on the convertible thing but I have had one or two memorable trips in the the stag with the top off. I think a triumph saloon would probably come in 2nd place simply due to its versatility (they were raced and rallied in the day) and you can develop them a lot especially the mk1s however they lack that x factor IMHO, great cars that they are. I didn't add that I currently run an Imp which is quite good but now that it has been developed with all the whizzy bits it is loud and quite fast which is fun for me but not that family friendly as far as a day out is concerned or a holiday for the family. BMC cars are a bit few and far between and could be an option - Van den Plas maybe? Farina cars are ok sort of - i don't know much about them really
Rover BMC or Triumph saloons may be the sensible option, keep coming back to the stag though....
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Alastair Cox

[rjt10/4]

a stag is good especially if you get a good un plus they come with soft and hard tops so best of both worlds a sporty 2 dr coupe or 2dr tourer a stag would be my personal choice

[Farmer John]

Hi Alistair, did you consider the top-end Aussies? Up to mid-seventies any way, they will accommodate your height easily, have six or V8 engine options, and a range of body configurations.
You could, for example, choose between a six cylinder limo Regal, and a sporting Charger. Ford and Holden have competitive models, every single one will accommodate your family although some are two door.
Parts are readily available, as are modified parts.
Just a thought.
John

[V8 Nutter]

I would go with Farmer John, big Aussie. A few reached the U.K. and they all seem very good.

Stags, lovely looking car and most of the problems will have been sorted now, but when they were new they were so unreliable.

I remember we fitted a new crank in one, it did about 10 miles and it broke. When we phoned Triumph the reply was "Yes we had a bad batch you must have one of those". They covered all the costs

[Jonv8]

Had you considered a two door Range Rover ? Easy to fix and will do just about anything you want - esp family camping trips....

[lowdrag]

If you need 3 places a MacLaren or a Matra will fill the bill but as a soft top then how about a Vitesse convertible? Cheap and cheerful, easy to work on, and a lot of fun - but it has four seats.

[AlastairC]

yeah vitesse convertible could be an option however i think they may be a bit on the small side as far as my height is concenred and also their ability to carry the large amounts of stuff that go with small children, also they are quite expensive out here due to their rarity. Although the stag boot is relatively shallow you can also fit heaps of stuff in the hood compartment as long as the soft top is up

I have been taking my Imp to work most days recently and it seems the more I use it the better it seems to run. Car parking buildings are a lot of fun in the Imp and it sets off a lot of car alarms due to the noise it makes. the commute into town is only just long enough to get it warmed up so being a long weekend this weekend I 'll see if I can get it out for a decent long run before changing the oil and the filter. I use Penrite 20/60 due to its added zinc - but it aint cheap!
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Alastair Cox