JohnRW1621 wrote:Swank Force One wrote: Probably not tons of them on Craigslist these days, but bubble body 929s are seriously cheap. http://cincinnati.craigslist.org/cto/4149735784.htmlWow, that is a rare find!
Yeah that looks like a REALLY nice one, too. I bet you could take that away for $3000, and what else are you going to buy for $3k that has 63k original miles?
If you want sportier, the Lexus IS300 and GS are possible. I am also partial to the Acura CL wit a manual if you can find it.
X-Type
Buick Riviera. For some strange reason I have been obsessing about them for a couple months. Useless fact of the day, in 1984 the t-type Riv had a computer controlled distributerless ignition. Go for a 7th Gen for a supercharged 3800.
W124 Mercedes.
Dr. Hess wrote: They practically give away the earlier GS', like the GS400, GS300. I'd go with the V8, though. I think they get the same gas mileage, unless you just want the 6. And in 99, the 1UZ had the variable cam and CoP. I'm not sure about 98.
The GS400 was variable timing from the beginning, and I think it was coil on plug too. I love my GS430 and the power is really addicting, but working on a GS4xx is much more difficult than working on a GS300. My wife's GS300 is super easy to work on since the engine is so narrow relative to the engine bay. Doing engine repairs (other than on the front) on my GS430 is like pulling teeth - the sides and rear of the engine are really close to the car's structure. It's obvious it was made for an inline 6.
That said, the chance of needing repairs is very low, the power is incredible, and I average 20mpg in town and 27 or so on long trips. That's pretty respectable.
Comparing a Roadmaster, Grand Marquis, or Lincoln town car: the GS is more comfortable, handles better, gets better gas mileage, is faster, and in general is miles better than any of those cars. I've had a Roadmaster and while I loved it, comparing it to the GS is like comparing an M3 and an Astro van. The GS has also been more reliable, both of them.
You'd be welcome to drive either of them any time. They have their niggles but both were bought for a bargain price. $2500 for the 1998 GS300 and $3000 for the GS430 with head work needed.
2000 E430 sport. My current car that I am lusting after. I worked on one kast weekend that only had 54k and was like new. It is a direct competitor to the 540 sport. I have always liked MBs better and this car was just perfect. I complemented the owner on the car and told him that whenever he wants to sell it to let me know.
The Buicks had the 3.8, possibly with the Supercharger depending on model. It's really the SBC of the v6 world. I have a not-running 94 Regal GS (two dr) and it was a great riding car.
Infiniti G35. I owned one for a while, nice car. Go for an '05 or later though.
My wife bought a 3800 Buick LeSabre Limited in 2000. This year she finally traded it in on a 2013 Subaru legacy just because she wanted a new car. 13 years and 162K miles and the only problems we had was the power window mechanisms would keep breaking (all 4 replaced at least once). And it never had the intake gaskets replaced and it never leaked!
I would prefer the buick regal gs supercharged, if I were going to buy a Buick of that era.
I enjoyed my old Volvo 850 for what it was.. a mid-sized psuedo luxury car. They can be had for peanuts and I did not find maintance to be a bother
I vote Lexus LS400. In my area they are pretty cheap and typically well kept. Original owners are just selling them because they got a newer Lexus.
In reply to clutchsmoke:
The LS400 is a lot more than a "pseudo luxury" car, its what a W140 benz should have been.
LS400 is a touch bigger than I'm interested in, but at least it's smaller than a Grand Marquis. Around here, a lot of the used ones end up in the ghetto, so I'd need to be picky.
I do seem to see a lot of older ones where the only serious issue is torn upholstery on the drivers seat. I suppose I could just factor in the cost of the repair work.
sanman wrote: If you want sportier, the Lexus IS300 and GS are possible. I am also partial to the Acura CL wit a manual if you can find it.
IS300s are great, i know a few people who've had them unfortunately never owned one myself but only hear good things
Acura TL and CL are getting pretty affordable these days.
Jaguar XJ
If you're really just looking at a comfy freeway ride and don't mind FWD, I bet an ES would be great. That or even an Avalon, those are nice and very cheap nowadays. I have an irrational dislike for them but I bet if you drove either one they would be just what you're looking for. The reliability and build quality are certainly there.
Turbo Volvo.
dc, How do the GS' do in the ice? Does the traction control take care of it, or are snow tires a must? Any experience?
I accidentally reported dculberson's post like a jerk. I actually agree with him. I think a nice ES330 should be on your radar.
I like Avalons ok but the grey interiors on many just seem soul-sucking. I dont know why but too much flat grey in an interior just doesn't sit right with me. Im sure there are a few color options.
while my Fiesta was in for some service, a 2009 Taurus loaner felt like a luxury car.
Is the GS300 as well put together as the LS400 from the original era was? I don't see anywhere near as many of those for sale as the LS400s.
Dr. Hess wrote: dc, How do the GS' do in the ice? Does the traction control take care of it, or are snow tires a must? Any experience?
The traction / stability control helps some. We've been having some mild winters here so since getting the GS I haven't actually driven in a serious snow storm. But I did hit a big patch of ice and kept it together with just an unscheduled lane change. With the LS, snow tires were an absolute must, but the GS traction control seems a lot better. My LS was a 1995 and my GS is a 2001 so it could just be an evolution of the software. That said I'll see if we get any serious snow this winter and put it to the test. On my wife's car, I install snow tires.
@eastsidemav: The GS is very well put together. I'm not sure it's quite as solid as the LS but mine has 238k miles and it's still solid. It has a couple minor rattles, mostly from the sunroof cover, but I'm really picky so to most people it would probably be rattle free. It does not feature as much aluminum in the structure and high quality bits as the LS, which makes sense as the list price is a lot less.
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