My dream car as I spent part of my youth in Germany looking constantly for every Porsche I could find. I do wish it was in my budget to purchase it. What color?

 

I don't know the official color name. I believe it is referred to as Gold, we call it Butterscotch -- a color you don't see very often. Pictures available via email. I would post here, if I could figure out how.

 

There were 3 TVRs on ebay and not priced too terribly badly either. Below is a good example.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1974-...1%7C240%3A1318

Another good option other than the fact that it isn't British or German are the older Alfas. My brother-in-law has a 69 Giula 1750, and as much as I'd hate to admit it, it's a great car. It's small, the back seat is big enough for humans to sit in, it drives great, and just has a certain character about it that is intoxicating. Reluctantly, I do see why people say you aren't a real car guy till you've owned an Alfa.

Oooo, or how about a BMW 2002TI? LOL, he's got one of those too. Another great little car with a back seat that is a total blast to drive.

 

Good looking car but it will sell for much more or not sell. Price is pretty low right now. Probably has the original engine since it is the 2.5 TR6 engine. I like the looks of the Alfa's as well as the sleeper 2002 Tii. Had a 74 2002 for a couple years.

 

Early 1980s fiat spyder. Has a back seat big enough
for 2-3 smurfs. Handling is great.

I'm not sure how far back they go late 70s for sure, but
I seem to remeber the 80s models were fuel injected and
a bit more zippy.

Italian cars are fantastic for the 8 days per year they run.

 

used Miata. IF you want to fill your budget, make it a Monster Miata (Miata with a ford 5.0 in it. fits with little work). But no back seat.

I'm a big fan of Fiats and Alfas. If you do an MGB, get one before the ugly black bumpers....

Early Mustang? Tons of room, you could get a 6 cyl ragtop for that kind of money. Parts are cheap for sure.

Here's a though Jak XK8. Has a back seat, can be had for LESS THAN $10K!

There are really tons to choose from. 240Z?

Matt

 

I'm with Matt - An Alfa Romeo Spider is always a good choice - a classic italian sports car. There are a couple of years in the 70s where they had a "2+2" seating style. I wouldn't want to spend a lot of time in the seats but they are there.

A 65-74 GTV is always classic too....but those tend to be pretty expensive for one in decent shape.

I think that the quote below sums it up nicely...

"You're not a real petrol-head until you have owned an Alfa." - Jeremy Clarkson

 

MG Midget with a 1275CC motor and chrome bumbers (find one with a 5 speed conversion). Not tons of power, but the car only ways 1900 lbs. Close to the Mini experience, but without the top. Have family take turns being the passenger. You can pick one up in decent condition for $2500-$6000 depending on time of year. PArts are plentiful and you can order almost any part from Moss motors. You should be able to do the most of the work on it with a shop manual. The main concern is rust in the sills as this is a unibody construction. Good luck

 

Just my two cents backing up what others have already suggested:

Assuming you can accept a 2 seater as a daily driver (with the Mini for family jaunts), the Karmen Ghia is a great car that just about anyone can work on themselves and parts are still quite easy to find. But - no A/C and little in the way of safety equipment.

But, when I get room in my garage again, I think I will add a first or second generation Miata. After seeing other small cars in accidents, safety is important to me. For little $$ you can get a Miata with at least a driver's side airbag, possibly passenger side too, and most were ordered with the antilock brakes option included. Easy to work on, tires and parts are inexpensive, engine is super solid, top goes up and down with a flip of the wrist, and if you don't need a torque monster, the engine was plenty of fun to play with. You can even put on REAL snow tires and drive it in the winter.

 

I have to say I really like the XK8 as they can be had for a song. Backseat is nothing to right home about but does have a bit of room and it is pretty modern in terms of safety and such. Can be a bear if something goes wrong though.
This exercise was what I went through before I bought my Classic Mini Cabrio. I wanted something that I could enjoy with the kids and my wife (ie had to have four seats.) Of course now that we have added my daughter I find my toy with one too few seats (which is why I would sell the Classic for the right price )