What car: 4 seat Convertible edition

E30 318.

http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/reader-rides/1839/

Saab 'vert!

aussiesmg wrote: oh no wait, this is pure sex http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/CERTIFIED-2002-Volvo-C70-Convertible-Black-Sport-SHOWROOM-CONDITION-w-WRNT-/261045863157?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item3cc78bc2f5

You may be on to something there, and those seats! Volvo seats are like butter.

I wonder why the family convertible died? You just don't see them anymore.

Flight Service wrote: i was thinking, volvo, bmw, mb, saab scarred of the vw, and i haven't seen many tdi converts either. although that would be perfect.

No... they never offered a TDI Beetle 'vert, although I think some nut on TDIclub did a conversion - and then commented how the exhaust fumes reduce the enjoyment more than he was expecting. Granted, the back seat of my Jetta is barely tolerable for small adults. Beetles are worse and the 'vert even more so due to the reduced rear interior width for the top mechanism (our MINI 'vert had a fair bit less rear seat shoulder room than our hardtop does).

A Volvo 'vert is probably the most likely to meet your requirements... except maybe the MPG bit. That said, after buying a '96 850, my faith in modern Volvo reliability has been significantly tarnished. If you get one, don't sell whatever the wife is driving now...

You might consider a pre-'93 VW. All of the teutonic goodness without the gremlins. Buy the nicest one in the country for your budget.

bigdaddylee82 wrote: In reply to DrBoost: I drove one we've serviced at work a few times (sold out of the used lot) and the convertible hard top is what turned me off of them. Leaked horribly in the car wash, creeked, growned, and made all kinds of noise over every bump and turn as the body flexed. It's the only one I've ever driven, but if the rest are like it, no thanks. - Lee

The only ones I drove were brand new, like pre-production ones so they hadn't aged into the creaky-ness. I had higher hopes for them than that, but I'm not surprised.

I have a desire for an Infiniti M30 convertible. I am not sure thats such a good idea or not. I am fairly certain a 240SX or E30 convertible would be a better idea, at least from a parts availability standpoint.

But I still sort of want the M30.

njansenv wrote: E46 convertible? I think they're approaching that price point. An E36 certainly is...

Using an E36 convertible back seat to carry adults is only practical for short trips, in my experience. Although it depends on how tall the driver is; if you don't have long legs like me and don't have to have the front seat all the way back to get comfortable, the back seat might be more usable.

The wife's Solara does ~26 mpg on the road. I do not like the way it drives, but it may be just her car. A different on we test drove drove just fine. Finding one for $7k is going to be hard and will have to be an early model or a high mileage car. It is a reasonably comfortable back seat once you get in.

What about a mid to late 90s Celica. I don't know about the back seats though.

bludroptop wrote: You might consider a pre-'93 VW. All of the teutonic goodness without the gremlins. Buy the nicest one in the country for your budget.

I would totally drive that, I'm not a cabby kind of guy either.

I worked on the program (the top, not the whole car) and was very impressed by the car.

The first time i tried to put the top down on an Eos, i literally made a horrible face and aborted the mission halfway through (which was longer than it took to sit through a light) and just put it back up. Honestly i think the Eos is one of the least sensical purchases anyone can make. It takes a relatively mundane, unreliable starting point, makes it less reliable, less good looking, handle worse, and be way more expensive. Id rather have an SC430 than an EOS, and that's saying something.. lol

I vote Solara. If it's not interesting, make it interesting. If you cant make it interesting, hand in your 'legit car enthusiast' card.