Most reliable/economical classic car?
 

Hey guys. So I'm looking to buy a second car as a daily driver, but I want it to be something with character. Something semi-classic. I'm thinking early 80s at the very newest.

Obviously something so old is going to have some age-related issues which I'm prepared for. But besides that, what pre 1985 car is the best candidate for dependable daily driver out there?

My thoughts immediately went to the Mercedes E-class W123. It has a stellar rep for build quality.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...07_(14wik).JPG

That said, am I missing anything worth serious consideration? Maybe a BMW 2002? I have to admit a Euro bias.

By the way, I'm not looking for this to cost me $100 a year. If it costs me $200 a month, that's a bit high but I could swallow it if I'm driving around in something I love. I'm tired of these new cars with no personality to be honest. Life's too short! Any recommendations would be appreciated. :thumbup:

American muscle cars from the late 60's through the 70's tend to be fairly reliable, dead simple to maintain (from a mechanical standpoint), and cheap to purchase. Here's a list of cars you might want to consider:

1. 1964 Ford Fairlane -- if I bought this car, I'd probably turn it into a Thunderbolt replica.

http://www.swaqvalley.com/Blueprints...erbolt_low.jpg

2. 1970-1974 Dodge Challenger

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...e_%2711%29.jpg

3. 1969-1981 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...e_Julep%29.jpg

4. 1968-1975 BMW E9

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...d/BMWE9CSc.jpg

5. 1970-1977 Toyota Celica Liftback

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi..._Celica_01.jpg

6. 1966-1967 Mercury Comet

http://www.secondchancegarage.com/pu...-comet-dsf.jpg

7. 1978-1987 Buick Regal GNX

http://www.gnregistry.org/images/BGN00336B_667miles.JPG

2002 Tii...awesome car in its day!! My dad had one when I was young and loved every minute of it. It was def ahead of its time when released. I have a friend that still loves these and has two of his own. Great little cars.

God I love e9s. Thanks for the suggestions!

I forgot to mention, my budget should be around $8k at most. I know I can get a decent driving W124 for under $5K. It may be the most practical of the bunch, though not the most exciting.

E body mopars are cheap to purchase? Where?

All around. You just gotta keep your eyes peeled. Obviously, R/T 440's aren't cheap, but the 198 c.i. and 225 c.i. Challenger variants with automatic transmissions are very reasonably priced (<$10k).

Damn I looked all over, all I found in that range was cars that needed lots of love. I spose deals are still out there

http://north-carolina.locateanyauto....hallenger.html

There ya go!

8. 1982-1991 Porsche 944 (preferably the Turbo S variant)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...944_Turbo_.jpg

I'd recommend an e28 5 series BMW. I have an '85 with over 200k miles on the clock and daily drive it. It's known for being remarkably reliable. I've had it for 27 yrs. Needs very little maintenance other than the usual fluid/belt changes and since it's an old car parts are relatively inexpensive. If you want pre '85, it's predecessor is the e12.

Are you open to Japanese cars? I doubt you'd find a nice 240z for $8K, but you might find a decent 75-78 280Z, or more likely a 79-83 280ZX for that. As mentioned above, First gen Celicas are nice cars (I prefer the look of the coupes over the liftbacks, but that's just my taste), but good ones are getting pricey. You could probably get a really nice, un-molested 3rd gen (81-85) Celica for that money if you can find one. What about a mark I or II supra?
If you really want european, I'm with you on the 2002...nice little cars. A clean low mileage e30 coupe might fit the bill too.

[QUOTE=Wes B.;637832]American muscle cars from the late 60's through the 70's tend to be fairly reliable, dead simple to maintain (from a mechanical standpoint), and cheap to purchase. Here's a list of cars you might want to consider:

1. 1964 Ford Fairlane -- if I bought this car, I'd probably turn it into a Thunderbolt replica.

Rust

2. 1970-1974 Dodge Challenger

Even worst Rust...

3. 1969-1981 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am

Notorious Engine problems if were going 70's here...

4. 1968-1975 BMW E9
Sure?
5. 1970-1977 Toyota Celica Liftback

Don't these fall apart? :lol:
6. 1966-1967 Mercury Comet

Good

7. 1978-1987 Buick Regal GNX

$$$

Good luck finding someone to touch one of those...




I'm not a master mechanic (or even a mechanic, ha) but i'd have to disagree with these choices...


I'm going to pull this card. Reliable depends on the person, how hard you drive it, how often you clean and take care it.

I bet you i can find someone with a Yugo running 250K miles and having no problems. Weird shit happens in the car world, to me there is no such thing as a truly reliable car.

I'd still drive a Yugo for the hell of it.

[quote=dem00n;638132]Everything rusts. Depends which Trans Am engine you're referring to (the first and second generations had a total of 5 different engine options). E9's are fantastic in nearly every way. That generation of Celicas yielded some of the most reliable cars from the 70's. Proper automotive enthusiasts should be able to do most of the work their car demands.

Agree...disagree...I don't care. I just thought I'd throw a few options the original poster probably wasn't even considering.

True, reliability does depend mostly on the driver, but there are still inherently reliable and unreliable vehicles out there.

Why not a Honda Civic (egg shaped). Got a rental one a few months ago and I got 35mpg without trying. Cheap, reliable, soulless. It doesn't around like you're looking for that, it sounds like your looking for another car to put mileage on that's still "cool". Personally, I'd be looking for a first gen Lexus LS; comfy, reliable, world class build quality.