Cheap "collectible?" Gassaver vehicles
 

This was a reply of another thread, but I figure it has the possibility of a complete hijack as it is worthy of its own thread.

I keep thinking more and more of antique microcars/subcompacts or even something such as the Beat.

Pros:
Great mileage
Super attention getter
Little if no depreciation

Cons:
Getting parts for some models
Getting PROPER insurance


I could go on and on with the pros and cons, but IMO, if you had the money and automotive knowledge (just in case it were to break down) I'd like search for something like that. I remember seeing a restored B210 for something like $6kUSD - a great price for something that gets decent mileage, is considered an antique, reliable, retro etc.

Anyone got ideas of a car that can be found for..........lets say under $12kUSD - US legal - over 30MPG - stylish (ones own opinion I guess). Let the ideas flow.....I won't limit this to cars as there are things like the old Crosley trucks that are neat IMO.

I'm biased towards the honda n600. There are two on ebay right now. You can buy a completely restored one for way under 10k every so often.

Or get a classic mini-cooper. Love those cars.

Slightly off-topic
 

Slightly off-topic (sorry :o ) but have we had any members with Minis?

My Wife's friend is selling her '04 Cooper 5-speed and reports tanks in the 40's with a normal driving style. It's not the "S", but it's a blast to drive. The only downside is servicing it -- with the BMW engine, it requires syn-oil, and the filter is the paper-type that's a real buggah to replace. It's also had its fair share of Gremlins. Unfortunately (right now) it's out of my price range :( but didn't know how "hyper-milable" it would be. They're selling it for a Civic or Accord for a little one on the way.

Back on-topic, the original Cooper was indeed brilliant. I wonder if they sold any in Left-hand-drive Countries like France -- I've only seen a couple RHD ones around here.

RH77

I've seen a few LHD vehicles. You can also convert a RHD to LHD. The original LHD vehicles are definately more rare than the RHD.

No problem being off topic. :thumbup:

When I lived in Germany my buddy had a LHD one. What I couldn't believe was how roomy that thing was on the inside, but the Brits are great with that - EXAMPLE - The phone booth in Dr.Who is much bigger in the inside than it is on the outside. :rolleyes:

How about a Plymouth Scamp/Dodge Rampage:
Attachment 343

My dad almost bought me a Rampage about a year ago. Front wheel drive & 4 speed tranny :thumbup:. Poor crash test rating though :thumbdown:.

the other day I saw a Subaru Brat that was in mint condition, compleat with the rear facing bucket seats, it was tiny! 4 wheel drive, and looked like it would be awsome to drive! altho they apparently only get 30mpg at best, I would think you could do an engine swap to fuel injection and improve that.
I have a '83 civic that I'm waiting for the weather to get warmer, I realized the other day that it's about the same size and shape as out Geo Metro.
I would say that a N600 would top my list of a cute fuel efficent collectable vehicle.
I know it's not as classy looking, but a King Midget would be awsome as well, powered by a 10HP Wisconsin engine and a two speed automatic belt drive.
another one is the HMV FreeWay, 80mpg three wheeler, came in gas or a diesel option, I passed one up a few years back for around $1,000.
Tomarrow we are going to look at a ComutaCar, 1980 two seater, 50mph top speed, 40mile range electric car (4 wheels).

I personaly think that having fuel efficent vehicles that stand out is a good thing, put a little tag on it, and take it to car shows, get people who are in to cars wanting more then just speed.

Wow, I've never seen a Brat before, but do they ever look cool!

Attachment 344

We've got some great ideas going! Rampage and Brat are among some of my favorites. The later Brats with T-Tops are even cooler. I seriously contimplated a Rampage a few months ago when I went to a car show/swap meet and saw one for sale.

I think if I ran across a nice one that was minty fresh I'd be very temped to get it - if the price was of this world, but I'm know to pay too much when I want a quality item.

Ahh, the King Midget. I was looking a tone on eBay the other day. N600 and Mini are for sure cool too. I think these will catch on as gas prices soar. I was thinking some of the old Toyota Coronas too, late 60's.
GREAT IDEAS, keep em coming.

Anything old and small. Insert efficient engine/box of choice. :D

VW rabbit-based pickup truck was unusual and kind of fun. I wanted a Brat big time back in High School.

Diesel "Caddie"
 

You beat me to it -- I was gonna say the same thing about the VW Pickup -- a lot of the Diesel ones are still going...

I have always liked the looks of the classis Mini, but was under the impression they only got around 30 mpg. Did any of the classic Mini’s get better then 30 mpg?

Definitely. I don't think my buddy and I could fit in a Rabbit pickup, but the Rabbit itself is very nice imo. Decent side to side room, and more importantly, a nice angle for my knees. Most imports don't have enough space between the floor and seat imo.

why hasnt anyone mentioned the chevette?ive seen at least 2 or 3 around me for under a $1000. fits 4 adults comfy comes in 4speed. gets 30+mpg.

VetteOwner- We were all saving it for you to say. :thumbup:

Funny you mention the VW Rabbit Truck. I've been watching one on eBay for a few days and it ends in a few hours. I'd be all over it sight unseen, but it's in CA. There is a gasoline version on eBay in PR (Puerto Rico) that apparently only has 6,000 original miles. :eek:

Rabbit diesels are cool too.

The old little Celicas.

British cars I tend to stay away from, though I love the styling of that Mini.

An Opel GT.

A 2cv (the french thing).

opel:
https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...b662f37b8b.jpg
chevette
https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...5a366f62cf.jpg
gremlin
https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...bbab6d83e2.jpg
Vega
https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...570f9b0031.jpg
Pinto
https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...1ba6c9f679.jpg
not gas saver but awesome car Mercury capri
https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...74b115a170.jpg
moris minor
https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...03b971c4d0.jpg
renualt Le car
https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...c89c969cc4.jpg
https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...c5e0971ee8.jpg

The LeCar rocks! My friend had one (out of 2 registered in SK) in real nice shape and sold it for a mere $1,500.

Is that a Geo Storm in the background of the Opel picture?

Peakster -

I noticed that too. I say yes (it even has the same wheels!) :

Attachment 351

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geo_Storm
Attachment 352

I always liked the Storm "wagonette" :

Attachment 353

Which was kin to the 2nd gen Isuzu Impulse :

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isuzu_Impulse
Attachment 354

I liked the nose of the Impulse more than the Storm, though.

CarloSW2

Awe, now you're making me want to ditch the Metro and get something sporty :(. The only thing that's holding me back is my cents per mile is still lowering on the Geo, and I'll need to penny pinch when I move out of my parent's place in the next year or so. That and I still want to get into the top-10-list on this site... so close yet so far!

Omni glhs!
https://www.shelbyregistry.com/graphics/dave-glhs.jpg

Peakster -

You want sporty? Then how about this AWESOME 29/40 Old School MPG Megalith that I drove in the mid 1980's :

https://www.ratdat.com/brochuregal/ho...rgal/index.htm
Attachment 356

Catchin' Honeys with a Honeybee!

Attachment 357

CarloSW2

lol u dont have to tell anyone what a chevette looks like around here. i drove it to a rather large car dealer cuz i was lookin for some specialty parts. so i park go in and come out about 10 minutes later and theres like 6 or 7 salespeople around my chevette!

Man, that Opel is so sweet looking. Beautiful curves.

I really liked those Capris. The Celica GTs from the same time frame were great too.

I drove a Datsun B210 for a couple of weeks. It was yellow like the honey bee but it was a fastback. The interior looked like it was right out of a 240Z, all black and brushed aluminum. Too cool.

41 miles per gallon?!? I guess those are the really old school epa numbers.

Peakster -

At the end it was probably getting even better MPG, since one cylinder was offline. Here is something very honest from within their brochure :

Attachment 360

It's up to you!

CarloSW2

Karmen Ghia.

Back in the 70s I had a 57 Karmen Ghia that got 35 to 40 mpg. It was a rather crude little car with very little useable room but I put a lot of miles on it with little mechanical trouble. I bought it for $200, drove it for 3 years, then sold it for $500.

BTW, the car didn't even come with a fuel gage, instead it had a reserve valve like a motorcycle.

Q

Karman Ghias with the bumpers removed are really nice-looking, to me.

Saab Sonett Mark II. They were powered by a Ford V-4, and they looked great.

I'm anxious to see what kind of gas mileage I get out of my Honda S600. I read somewhere it's supposed to get about 30 mpg. You'd think a 606cc 4 cylinder would do a little better than that. But then again, it does have quad carbs.

QDM -

In LA in 1985 a Ghia in really good condition was $2,500. Getting one without a bondo nose today would be nigh impossible.

When you need room, just take out the passenger seat (I remember it being pretty easy, no bolts, just rails)!

My Dad's 1971 Ghia had a fuel gauge. Big difference between 1957 and 1971, though.

If you don't care about the Aerodyanimcs, go with a classic VW Beetle, since it's the same drivetrain.

CarloSW2

Karmann Ghia
 

Theres a KG Collector club in town and had a really nice one on display at a car show 2 summers ago. My wife fell in love with it instantly, and she spotted one at a used-car dealer by her work (this was about a year ago). I also liked the design, so I went and took a look at it. The poor thing probably sat in the same place for 15 years as the tires were rotted in the ground and it was rusted beyond belief. It ran, but needed a something vital (forget). It still had the 1988 Missouri registration sticker, which led me to believe that's when it was given up on.

Finding a decent one is indeed tough. It would've been a serious project and talent that I don't have :o

haha u mean this:
https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...4b1b329c17.jpg
https://www.fuelly.com/attachments/fo...18fdedb205.jpg
thats my dads he got done restoring a few years ago. the interior isnt quite done. its a 1960 VW Karmin Ghia

VetteOwner -

Beatiful pix. Did he make the "tube bumpers" himself? The chrome emblem is spotless.

I miss my (Dad's) Ghia, *sigh*.

CarloSW2

yea he did but they are gone and he got some plastic ones that he modified to go over the pipe bumpers. it looks a whole lot better now.

1500, bored .040 over with Ford Taunus pistons, hardened valve seats, F44 grind (high lift, high duration) cam, lighter weight hydraulic followers, larger valves, opened exhaust ports, 2 inch headers, Holley square choke two barrel (mechanical secondary) on Ford intake, electric fan, electric fuel pump, electronic ignition, cruise control, free-wheel functional.
Handles like a pig. Too much weight up front, about 70%. That means each rear tire carries a load of only 270 lbs! Still trying tires to balance the initial understeer to terminal oversteer issue. Presently with 195-60-15s on front with 165-78-15 on the rear. I think 185-70 all round might work best. Top speed is about 125 mph, but I get right around 35 mpg tank after tank.
Will consider selling it.

Actually, until the 2007 model year, the MINI's engine was made by Chrysler in Brazil. The 2007 MINIs have a Peugeot-BMW engine, much better and also smoother.

REAL Minis have an A-Series engine with three main bearings ;)

Wow -- thanks for the correction. I knew it was Brazilian, but Chrysler -- zoinks. No offense to any fans. It has had some problems...

Triumph Spitfire. You an pick them up in relatively good condition for a few grand, but a fully restored one can fetch about $6-8k.

The GT6 comes close to the economy you're looking for, but it was built more for the racetrack than for economy. They're also getting pretty rare these days.

Sometimes you can score a Lotus Europa in fair condition for under $10k. These get over 30 mpg and 0-60 mph ~7 seconds!

Also very rare but sometimes affordable, a Ginetta G4. 40+ mpg. FAST.