summer is approaching, what cheap 'verts to look for?

Vigo wrote: If you're bothering to fix something on a lebaron , you're doing it wrong.

Fixed.

I've seen two of these kits, both were well executed and you don't need crazy bodywork skills. You will need help lifting the hardtop off and on to the holder rack in the bed.

http://www.slidingragtops.com/60.html

When I lived in Memphis I saw one of the few "factory-built" Dodge Dakota "rag tops". It was equipped (as I believe most were) with a V8. With all the ridiculous niches that car manufacturers have come up with since that Dakota rolled off the line, and Detroit's perchant for "re-inventing" old products, it's too bad rollover standards are preventing this concept from re-appearing.

I guess I don't pay much attention to LeBaron/Sebring ads on CL, as I sure see a lot of them on the roads.

If you're bothering to fix something on a lebaron , you're doing it wrong.

One could CONCEIVABLY construe that to mean that MOST of the people who show up to the $20XX challenge are doing it wrong.

I have a FIAT 124 Spider I'm looking to move.

Javelin wrote:

Vigo wrote: If you're bothering to fix something on a lebaron , you're doing it wrong.

Fixed.

Hey. I like 'barons. The later ones are pretty nice cars actually. They aren't Miata's, certainly, but they are nice cruisers and not exactly bad looking (compared to the plastic clad nightmares coming from GM or the sound of crickets coming from Ford at the time)

I'd rather work on a Lebaron than nearly any other similar vert from anyone else. Parts are cheap and easy to get and common across many platforms. The chassis, while FWD is stiffened and designed to be convertible from the start. The 3.0V6 isn't the best, but they work just fine, 4-speed auto transmission problems have been long solved and can be repaired properly by someone that bothers to do the research. The 2.5L Turbo and either 3-speed auto or the 5-speed are even better as they are nearly bullet proof and can be modded to be a little more fun.

I do have to say, that no one should sit in the back of any 4-seater convertible. It just doesn't look right and it is rarely if ever comfortable, between the excess wind coming over the windshield or the usually cramped seats, it just isn't worth it.

However, for standing up and waving at your adoring crowds while you slowly roll by, you'll realize the effort put into your facial topiary and the repairs of your Lebaron will be worth at least another 1000years of trouble free driving. :))

I think the Square-Headlight Jeeps are kinda hated in that community. Nothing says DIY like a Wrangler!

I'm surprised no one's suggested E30s. The answer is always either Miata, E30, or P71. (Actually, the image of a chopped up P71 convertible is awesome...)

See if you can find the Top Gear episode from the most recent season where they all go buy a convertible fitting your requirements. They ALL ended up with their own E30 325i...

zipty842 wrote: any car can be made a convertible for ~$30

Well, $30 for the saw, maybe $10 for the blades.

integraguy wrote: When I lived in Memphis I saw one of the few "factory-built" Dodge Dakota "rag tops". It was equipped (as I believe most were) with a V8. With all the ridiculous niches that car manufacturers have come up with since that Dakota rolled off the line, and Detroit's perchant for "re-inventing" old products, it's too bad rollover standards are preventing this concept from re-appearing. I guess I don't pay much attention to LeBaron/Sebring ads on CL, as I sure see a lot of them on the roads.

I was probably in Jr. High when a neighbor kid's dad bought one of those. I thought it was one of the coolest ideas ever. And for whatever reason the Chevy SSR thing strikes me as cool, even though I know there is virtually nothing to recommend it for any purpose whatsoever.

Dakota convertibles were never sold with the v8, they were all 3.9s as delivered. Unfortunately, most of the people who still have them know what they have, so they are not easy to get a cheap price on.

For some reason, Jeep Wranglers have fallen in price by about 20% over the past month here. Even more odd is that Cherokees have increased in price about the same percentage.

My vote is for a Jeep.

Derick Freese wrote: For some reason, Jeep Wranglers have fallen in price by about 20% over the past month here. Even more odd is that Cherokees have increased in price about the same percentage. My vote is for a Jeep.

Not around here! I bought my 99 TJ for 4900 bucks in the early spring of '10, and sold it a month ago for 7000!

Joey

I just picked up a 90k mile E30 'vert for $500, runs and drives but needs a headgasket.

So I figure for about $1300 (need to replace the dry rotted tires on the car) I'll have a running 'vert to play around with. No idea if the AC and such still work, but it was cheap enough to play around with!

What no Geo Metro's??????

Ranger50 wrote: What no Geo Metro's??????

I had that covered halfway through the first page.

In reply to 92CelicaHalfTrac:

Ooops.... What I get for reading a thread without enough coffee and allergy meds.

Id love to recommend a wrangler but in no way are they disposable. They arent cheap, or expensive enough to fix, or hard enough to fix, or easy enough to break, or unloved enough.

Wranglers are one of those things you're almost guaranteed to not be the last owner of, unless you manage to die in it and completely ruin it in the process (not necessarily).

Of course, we dont get rust down here.

Vigo wrote:

If you're bothering to fix something on a lebaron , you're doing it wrong.

One could CONCEIVABLY construe that to mean that MOST of the people who show up to the $20XX challenge are doing it wrong.

Damn. Beat me to it. That car was either $90 or $190, btw. + eleventy billion hours of clean-up and detailing...but still. Only thing wrong with it mechanically was that the timing was a mile and a half off.

Also: I see 2.2 turbo shadow verts for $1k to $1500 aaaaalll day in these parts, and Waynimal got a free(? - or close to it) V6 vert a couple years back.

The Shadow convertibles always did seem like a nice enough little car. I wonder if they're as flexible as the LeBaron convertible I once drove; rail road crossings made the car flop around like a slinky.

"No GEO convertibles?"

I've seen 2 different Geo convertibles in the last 2 or 3 months. I was a semi-ratty yellow and the other a very nice white one. 99.9% of the ones I ever see on CL have an automatic transmission...did they even come with a manual?

Also: I see 2.2 turbo shadow verts for $1k to $1500 aaaaalll day in these parts, and Waynimal got a free(? - or close to it) V6 vert a couple years back.

Swap a junkyard 5spd into a v6 shadow convertible and you've got a low 15 second, high 20mpg car with a folding top for almost no money.

Old Celica convertibles are usually cheap. Found one last summer for $800. Maybe a beaten on wrangler 4 cyl if you are only cruising locally. Eclipse 'verts can be had for cheap as well.

Edit: I totally forgot about cavalier and sunfire/sunbird verts. I'm guessing everyone else did as well...with good reason.

What you need is my wife's 2001 VW Cabrio..

Fun little car that proves that you are one secure guy when you drive it.

I gotta say the Saab 900s are pretty cheap in my hood.