I love reading these, but I get a little sad, knowing how far out of reach all of these interesting cars are for me at this time in my life. Best of luck to Jared, I will eagerly anticipate hearing about what he purchases.
That's the problem with this business... there's always something a bit nicer ahead of you. Jared would be best served by a six-speed F430 but the budget isn't there.
Ferrari quietly increased production of the Purosangue but raised the price from $400K to $460K. It’s doable if you are patient and willing to spec up a generous build, availing yourself of the Atelier and Tailor Made options. You could spend another $250K - or more - on top of the base MSRP fairly quickly. So we’re talking $750K for some of the top spec Puros. Before tax.
I have a friend who is (a small) part of a Ferrari dealer ownership group on the west coast who happens to have a GMA T.33 Spider incoming, in addition to all of his Ferraris. He has to buy a Purosangue to stay in the game, but he is grandfathered in at the lower price and plans to hold his the minimum amount of time required, likely six months. He has a Roma coupe and an F8 Tributo that he owns - paid in full - that he has never even sat eyes on. Just sitting in a warehouse until he sells them with delivery miles.
I simply do not understand Ferrari culture, and having to beg for permission to buy something, *after* you buy three or four other things you didn’t want. Ferrari owners must have very red knees.
The relationship between Ferrari and the automotive world is EXACTLY like the emotionally-damaged woman who keeps going back to her abusive, tatted-up douchebag boyfriend - not because he's sorry or anything, but because, "There's just something about him!"
If you’re at the rarefied altitude that he has achieved, you make a little money driving Ferraris.
You get the earliest example of the the new car, sell at a profit through the dealer as you pick up the Spider, then the “special version,” then the spider variant of the special version.
Stratus is getting another 3.0 installed but it’s the higher compression version from its Mitsubishi Eclipse GTS twin.
The Charger is probably getting a rebuilt A568 but that is a recent need created by my springtime mistreatment, and wasn’t really in the plan (or budget). Frankly I’d settle for anything that’ll bolt up if I can find it cheap.
You know, the Stratus coupe was a good-looking car, but I really loved how the old Avenger coupe looked. But instead of being able to put one of those on my list of second cars, there are NONE that survived.
Well, no. I purchased one car to be a driveable project car, the other to be a daily driver (either for me or my son, depending on how much I liked it).
Now they're both just holding my driveway down so it doesn't blow away in the wind.
One answer to rule them all. Best 3 car garage, $200k MSRP total. C8 HTC, Wrangler 392 (although the new models have questionable red interiors), Honda Odyssey.
This is actually a really good list! Or maybe for me, as I expect the 3rd. I could redo your list at 100k: supercharged LC200, a 5yo sienna/odyssey, and a c6 vette. That and knowing the name of the guy at the trailer rental place and you’d be gtg.
What about a first gen R8? I take it that sound is important to you, and it’s got a snarling V8 just like the M3, although neither sounds as good as the Aston Martin.
The R8 is reputed to offer plenty of headroom for the more vertiginous among us - not a problem for me at 5’8” on a good day.
Three pedals are available…
Let’s check and see if it’s doable within the budget?
That's an understatement. There's a difference between used and whatever happened to that thing. Chances are that turns out to a tub of suck for whomever buys it. A lowered price because of issues is one thing, but that's a bit excessive.
Chevy SS? 6 speed examples are going to be right near the $50k mark, but they have plenty of space and are as quick as some of the other choices stock, or can be made as fast as you want for fairly reasonable money.
I used to consider that as my old-man car for whenever the '05 Skyline dies in some tragic rear ending. But I vaguely recall Baruth savaging it for being pretty mediocre, especially given its price as a collectible.
I own one and while it’s hardly perfect, it does what I need it to (haul a family and haul ass) pretty well.
I admit it would be a lot harder to pay $40-50k for a 6+ year old car now than the $40k I paid for mine new, but the list of spacious and quick cars with 3 pedals isn’t long, so I suppose you gotta pay to play in a sense.
:metal emoji: Nice! That vehicle always seemed like something too good to be true, but I dearly loved the way my friend's ancient, Australian Pontiac GTO drove, so I'm holding out hope that my wife would let me buy a stupendously expensive used sedan in the hopes that it could excite on the street the way my little Japanese sedan can.
For the record, I just didn't think it was as fast or as interesting as the spec sheet suggested, but I very seriously considered one of the run-out cars in 2017.
Is the SS the most-competitive and least-marketed car that The General ever produced? I remember telling my brother when we heard the SS was discontinued, "I barely knew that it was available...and I'm a car guy!" So sad. I keep coming back to a 2018 quote from Peter DeLorenzo about Chevrolet, "No marketers have done less with more than the people charged with nurturing one of the most iconic American brands of all time."
They agreed to a deal with the Australian union to keep the factory open longer by selling a LHD version in the US, but there wasn’t really a desire to spend any more than they had to marketing the car. They knew word of mouth and magazine reviews would sell enough to enthusiasts and that would allow them to meet the obligations of the deal at minimal cost. They sold exactly as many as they intended.
On top of that, a lot of police and municipal departments had policies that they could not buy non-NAFTA vehicles. And, since the Caprice was made in Australia, it was ineligible...unlike every other police-duty vehicle on our market.
Maybe I need to drive a C6Z again. I remembered it being so tight on room, but always liked the look and noise over any C7 I’ve personally been around.
We are about the same height. I found that I fit in the C6 better than the C7. C5 is better yet but I wouldn’t recommend one with the budget you have to work with.
I’ve said it before here, but the Viper is tight. My knees hit the underside of the dash and the center console is massive. There’s a seat drop that will get you some extra room, but I haven’t been able to sit in one with that installed.
That's funny. I was just taking a break from booking an every-tooth root canal and double hemorrhoidectomy to web search for E60/E61 manual rwd 528i's.
I did have what I considered a near perfect two car solution nearly a decade ago when my garage consisted of a C5 Z06 and a fairly loaded brand new GMC Sierra. I moved on from that combo for a condo in West Hollywood and a WRX. A WRX, by the way, is what I consider a great “one car solution”
Now, about the readers question; what about a C7 ZR1? Are those obtainable?
For selfish reasons, I'm on the 6spd Challenger brainwave as well. Good combo of fun, roomy/comfortable, nothing too high tech to make it a liability to own, would probably be an awesome daily driver when needed.
Car people might talk about "two car solutions," motorcycle guys talk about "five bike solutions."
vintage/local rider: '76 XS500C- my first bike, could never sell it, but will relocate to my bro's place in PA this fall where the twisty lower speed roads fit the nature of the bike
vintage/tourer: '78 XS1100E - finally got the carbs 100% sorted out this week, want to do some long multi-day tours on it once time allows. Insanely smooth and comfortable for its age. I've got *Another* '78 XS1100E on the way, low mile original paint bike that I'll restore this winter.
sports/touring: '02 Bandit 1200 - I have honestly contemplated selling this purely for the sake of keeping myself out of trouble. Hooligan bike. Seat sucks for anything over 200 miles.
all of these things get ridden on gravel roads both locally and on trips, my riding makes me the ideal candidate for an adv-bike but I just hate the look of them. The UJMs actually handle gravel very decently at moderate speeds. But I would love to get another DR650.
Not only works but has 57k miles on it, and I rode it across the country from NY to CA back in college in 2008. Granted, we did have the engine apart in Kansas on the outward leg for a compression issue that turned out to just be some carbon on the valves (scraped off and lapped in with crest toothpaste+sand mixture). Once they went to the single-piece head in '75 and especially 76-78 are perfectly robust bikes. But the damage to their reputation was cemented by the 73-74 TX500 models. Speaking of TX500s, one was along for the ride across country, having been rebuilt with a later round-port single piece head after blowing up on a shakedown ride up to the Adirondacks.
I have a 10k mile spare motor sitting in the garage to put in if/when this unit lets go.
Keep in mind that if you find a car you really like other than the headroom, it's not the end of the world to get a custom lower seat rail. I remember being at a track day years ago where one of the drivers in the pits was easily 6'6," and he drove a 90's 240sx. The driver seat was mostly behind the B pillar and he had one or two steering boss adapters to locate the wheel where he wanted it, but I imagine he got it just right for his build. Since you have the X5, I'd push the needle further away from practical and more toward fun compared to what you've listed to far..
E93 might be a tough squeeze with the roof up. I have headroom problems for similar reasons, but I'm only 6'. With an E92, I had no sunroof but it was still a little tight. I also have a short reach, which puts my seat in front of the roof's highest point. Hopefully you don't have that problem.
I don't know why you would consider an e60 550 with that budget. Go for the m5. I've owned an 08 550. Headroom was good enough, but not as good as a w212. Exhaust was perfect for me - nice bark at cold start, then quiet until you pass 3500 rpm. Gears are too tall; 2nd gear almost reaches 70 mph. Took some of the fun out of the manual. I think the m5 manual also has tall gearing, but it makes v10 noises.
An E60 M5 is quite famously one of the most problematic cars you can buy. Going from a W221 S 600 to an E60 M5 would be like going from a blue square to a triple black diamond ski course. That S85 V10 will stay broken.
The subsequent F10 M5, with its S63 V8, isn’t much better.
On the E60? The N52, a (a 3.0-liter N/A I6) in the 528i is perfectly reliable, but you’ll find it underwhelming.
The N54 (a 3.0-liter twin-turbo I6) in the E60 535i is somewhat more expensive to maintain. HPFPs go out a lot, carbon build-up is common, the oil pan gasket develops leaks easily and frequently, the injectors are heinously expensive, and turbos do sometimes die. However, the N54 is not nearly as bad as that V10. It’s highly tunable, and does at least have a forged crank. You can get 380-ish HP out of it with just an ECU tune.
On the F10, the introduction year carried over the N52 (N/A I6) for the 528i, but subsequent years had the 2.0T.
However, the F10 debuted the N55 engine (a 3.0-liter twin-scroll-turbo) on the 535i. It’s a solid engine, though not as tunable as the N55 without a serious rebuild. The main real issue people have with them is the charge coolant pipe cracking, and that’s a cheap fix. The other issues are a lot less common. You can find the F10 535i with a 6MT, but it’s rare. I had a 2016 535i xDrive M Sport, but mine had the 8AT (which BMW replaced under warranty at 30K mi).
As for quality, the E60 and F10 are both pretty solid, though the F10 has fairly dead steering and feels its weight. On the other hand, the E60 is subject to the earlier versions of iDrive, which suck.
I drove an f10 535 manual before buying the e60 550. Did not like. This is a case where everything written about a car is true - it's very much a luxury cruiser without much sport. The manual felt out of place, and I see why BMW stopped offering it in the f10.
The 6MT on the F10 535i felt rubbery. A contemporary 6MT Accord put it to shame.
Really, the E60 was the last 5 Series that felt like a proper sport sedan. Subsequent ones have all been, figuratively and literally, SWB 7 Series’. Fortunately, that’s what I wanted at the time.
The s85 in the m5 is similar to the s65 in my the m3 that Jared is also considering. Rod bearings are basically a maintenance item and throttle body actuators might fail. The smg transmission is responsible for much of the car's terrible rep, and that's solved by buying the manual.
It's still no Toyota, but if a v8 m3 is an option, the v10 m5 isn't a stretch.
the V8 requirement really does keep options quite limited. how long you intend on keeping, and how many miles a year the car would get also factor into the choice, as well as your tolerance for pocketbook pain.
-GT350
-ZL1
-E9X (scares me a bit long term)
-B7 RS4 (also scares me a bit long term, for totally different reasons than the BMW) plus a tight fit for your size
-SS stick
-Jaaaaaaaaaag F type V8 (no idea if those come with stick though, also scary long term)
i too feel analysis paralysis with my next car purchase, as i feel like if i do not get my dream garage combo set up with the climate gestapo decides to cancel ICE car sales, i will commit seppuku. but just jump in and see how you like it. I have a feeling that you're just going to need to do something that speaks to you, personally, at this price range, versus establishment consensus as those are waaay more than 50k as jack noted
my friend, go do a nationwide search on autolist or whatever and you will see there are in fact many GT350s in the 40-50k range. but as a friend who was an engineer at ford when they were in production told me, the engine is held together with loctite and a dream, and while i am sure some of that is hyperbole, im not sure id roll my dice on a 40k one.
Thanks! I was being flip. I know a guy who picked up a used one for around 40, but it’s thrashed. I was on the fence about getting one when I got my GT a couple of years ago. Then Ford announced the end of production and they were all gone in about three days.
gotcha, i have yet to disengage my autism thrusters from the workweek so literal is all i can read rn. i'd take a nice bullit or mach 1 over a GT350 anyway. i feel like part of the point of a mustang is that nothing in the driveline is unobtainium which cant be said for the GT350 at some point in the future
I own a 2016 GT350 (Technology Package) I bought new, and I've had no problems at all with the GT350-specific bits. 42,000 miles and the only significant repair it's had is to the A/C system, and that's a 2015+ Mustang issue, not a Shelby issue. The car gets driven everywhere, uses negligible oil (I might add 1/4 to 1/2 quart every 3,000 miles between oil changes), and no issues at all with the trans or differential. I figure a lot of these cars get abused by their idiot owners, but if you take reasonable care of it and drive it like a semi-responsible adult, it holds up just fine. I still love the sound of that flat-plane crank whenever I fire it up!
Nope. Several of my neighbors tell me they can always tell when I fire the Shelby up, but luckily for me they’re car guys, so they don’t complain about it!
After driving a GT350 for a while...uh, buy something else. Fun cars but gutless unless it’s wound out and kinda heavy considering the way you have to drive it to experience the thrill. Unless you’d want forced induction, in which case please carry on.
brother, dont we all. i have more often regretted the cars i have not bought, then the ones that i bought which then bit me. at least i was richer in experience...
also, if you REALLY REALLY hate yourself, why not an E60 M5 6 speed? 2 more cylinders, awesome sound, self deprecatingly expensive to maintain from what i understand
Unfortunately, the F-Type V8 never came with the manual.
There was the 2.0-liter turbo I4, the 3.0-liter supercharged V6, and multiple flavors of the 5.0-liter supercharged V8. Of those, only the V6 came with the stick.
Nope, it really was just the S trim, which had the V6, in either 340 HP or 380 HP guises, and the manual could be had from 2016-2019. They never offered it on the V8 or the I4 (the latter of which did not become available until 2018).
At this time, and for the foreseeable future, daily-driver does *not* require a backseat. DINK life is great, especially given that wifey doesn’t wanna change that situation anytime soon.
As for the Viper itself, I got a Burago model of a GTS Blue ‘96 GTS when I was perhaps nine years old… have lusted after them ever since.
yea, ditto @burgersandbeer, i really think the viper is the right intersection of thinking with your brain and cenis (car penis) for you specifically. the kind of car that never makes you think "ugh well if i sell it now i can avoid xxxx costs" and instead you only think "how much money does this need to be ready for xxx event"
While the correct answer is whatever Corvette strikes your fancy the most (C6 Z06 for me), I feel like we’re overlooking Hellcat. Sure it doesn’t super fit your needs as it weighs more than a small moon, and Jack did mention the T/A, which yes is probably an all around better car in many regards, but when faced with the opportunity to buy a Hellcat, you gotta do it right?
Hellcat Chally with a stick will also probably skyrocket in value in the coming years (or days at the point, really) so you’ll get your money back and more if you decide to chase your Euro dreams again.
Speaking of the Euro stuff, and if you’re truly not afraid, why not an E60 M5 or M6? There are a couple with stick shifts, and they are about as batshit insane as one will ever see from a nominally mainstream car manufacturer going forward.
If you can drop either the three pedal OR eight cylinder mandates, a Jag F-Type would be a very lovely thing to own too.
I love reading these, but I get a little sad, knowing how far out of reach all of these interesting cars are for me at this time in my life. Best of luck to Jared, I will eagerly anticipate hearing about what he purchases.
That's the problem with this business... there's always something a bit nicer ahead of you. Jared would be best served by a six-speed F430 but the budget isn't there.
My “Two Car Solution” is a GMA T.50 and a Ferrari Purosangue.
Alas, the budget ain’t there for me either!
Nor the connections. *Gooooood* fucking luck getting on the list for a Purosangue.
Ferrari quietly increased production of the Purosangue but raised the price from $400K to $460K. It’s doable if you are patient and willing to spec up a generous build, availing yourself of the Atelier and Tailor Made options. You could spend another $250K - or more - on top of the base MSRP fairly quickly. So we’re talking $750K for some of the top spec Puros. Before tax.
I have a friend who is (a small) part of a Ferrari dealer ownership group on the west coast who happens to have a GMA T.33 Spider incoming, in addition to all of his Ferraris. He has to buy a Purosangue to stay in the game, but he is grandfathered in at the lower price and plans to hold his the minimum amount of time required, likely six months. He has a Roma coupe and an F8 Tributo that he owns - paid in full - that he has never even sat eyes on. Just sitting in a warehouse until he sells them with delivery miles.
I simply do not understand Ferrari culture, and having to beg for permission to buy something, *after* you buy three or four other things you didn’t want. Ferrari owners must have very red knees.
just a $ game more fun and surer than the stock market
The relationship between Ferrari and the automotive world is EXACTLY like the emotionally-damaged woman who keeps going back to her abusive, tatted-up douchebag boyfriend - not because he's sorry or anything, but because, "There's just something about him!"
If you’re at the rarefied altitude that he has achieved, you make a little money driving Ferraris.
You get the earliest example of the the new car, sell at a profit through the dealer as you pick up the Spider, then the “special version,” then the spider variant of the special version.
My two car solution is a Dodge Stratus R/T Coupe with no engine and a Dodge Charger Shelby with no transmission.
I'm clearly doing this wrong.
"wrong" depends upon your plans for an engine and transmission...
Stratus is getting another 3.0 installed but it’s the higher compression version from its Mitsubishi Eclipse GTS twin.
The Charger is probably getting a rebuilt A568 but that is a recent need created by my springtime mistreatment, and wasn’t really in the plan (or budget). Frankly I’d settle for anything that’ll bolt up if I can find it cheap.
You know, the Stratus coupe was a good-looking car, but I really loved how the old Avenger coupe looked. But instead of being able to put one of those on my list of second cars, there are NONE that survived.
Maybe. But is it working?
Well, no. I purchased one car to be a driveable project car, the other to be a daily driver (either for me or my son, depending on how much I liked it).
Now they're both just holding my driveway down so it doesn't blow away in the wind.
I always liked those Stratus Coupes - but the pre-facelift rounded one, without the mandatory wing.
I like your style
One answer to rule them all. Best 3 car garage, $200k MSRP total. C8 HTC, Wrangler 392 (although the new models have questionable red interiors), Honda Odyssey.
This is actually a really good list! Or maybe for me, as I expect the 3rd. I could redo your list at 100k: supercharged LC200, a 5yo sienna/odyssey, and a c6 vette. That and knowing the name of the guy at the trailer rental place and you’d be gtg.
“Jared,”
What about a first gen R8? I take it that sound is important to you, and it’s got a snarling V8 just like the M3, although neither sounds as good as the Aston Martin.
The R8 is reputed to offer plenty of headroom for the more vertiginous among us - not a problem for me at 5’8” on a good day.
Three pedals are available…
Let’s check and see if it’s doable within the budget?
Here’s one for $5 UNDER the budget! https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/bad19baf-5889-474f-bbbe-afd749092c9e/
Bad example, but the R8 could be the car for you if you fit and can stretch the budget a bit.
Six-speed coupes are heading for the stratosphere, relatively speaking, but yeah!
And getting paid NOT to be seen in the Lamborghini equivalent is such a nice feeling when buying an R8.
Photo 9. I guess the Velcro must have let to on that panel gap concerning the bumper. Same for photo 27. Photo 21, the hood latch is broken.
Hehe.
I found the cheapest example on the market by some margin.
That's an understatement. There's a difference between used and whatever happened to that thing. Chances are that turns out to a tub of suck for whomever buys it. A lowered price because of issues is one thing, but that's a bit excessive.
Chevy SS? 6 speed examples are going to be right near the $50k mark, but they have plenty of space and are as quick as some of the other choices stock, or can be made as fast as you want for fairly reasonable money.
I used to consider that as my old-man car for whenever the '05 Skyline dies in some tragic rear ending. But I vaguely recall Baruth savaging it for being pretty mediocre, especially given its price as a collectible.
I own one and while it’s hardly perfect, it does what I need it to (haul a family and haul ass) pretty well.
I admit it would be a lot harder to pay $40-50k for a 6+ year old car now than the $40k I paid for mine new, but the list of spacious and quick cars with 3 pedals isn’t long, so I suppose you gotta pay to play in a sense.
:metal emoji: Nice! That vehicle always seemed like something too good to be true, but I dearly loved the way my friend's ancient, Australian Pontiac GTO drove, so I'm holding out hope that my wife would let me buy a stupendously expensive used sedan in the hopes that it could excite on the street the way my little Japanese sedan can.
I’m always tempted to make one of my own; but that’s just so expensive.
For the record, I just didn't think it was as fast or as interesting as the spec sheet suggested, but I very seriously considered one of the run-out cars in 2017.
Is the SS the most-competitive and least-marketed car that The General ever produced? I remember telling my brother when we heard the SS was discontinued, "I barely knew that it was available...and I'm a car guy!" So sad. I keep coming back to a 2018 quote from Peter DeLorenzo about Chevrolet, "No marketers have done less with more than the people charged with nurturing one of the most iconic American brands of all time."
That was more or less on purpose though.
They agreed to a deal with the Australian union to keep the factory open longer by selling a LHD version in the US, but there wasn’t really a desire to spend any more than they had to marketing the car. They knew word of mouth and magazine reviews would sell enough to enthusiasts and that would allow them to meet the obligations of the deal at minimal cost. They sold exactly as many as they intended.
Thanks. Those details make sense but it is still sad. I guess your explanation also applies to the scarcity of police-issue Caprice sedans.
Yep.
On top of that, a lot of police and municipal departments had policies that they could not buy non-NAFTA vehicles. And, since the Caprice was made in Australia, it was ineligible...unlike every other police-duty vehicle on our market.
Wasn't it Just a Pontiac GTO rebranded? Or a holden rebranded
Yes, 4 separate Holden-engineered vehicles were sold here.
GTO = Holden Monaro coupe
Pontiac G8 = Holden Commodore (VE generation)
Chevy SS = Holden Commodore (VF generation)
Caprice (fleet only) = Holden Caprice, basically a long wheelbase version of the Commodore.
But no Pursuit Special.
No, that was a Ford.
The Nightrider’s was a Holden.
Posh and a C7
I'm 6'3", and fit just fine in my C6 Corvette Z06 with a helmet on. Taught a class once and drove a student's C7 and it was ok, too.
Maybe I need to drive a C6Z again. I remembered it being so tight on room, but always liked the look and noise over any C7 I’ve personally been around.
I'm 6'1 and fairly long legged and have never had trouble fitting comfortably in a corvette of any generation.
We are about the same height. I found that I fit in the C6 better than the C7. C5 is better yet but I wouldn’t recommend one with the budget you have to work with.
I’ve said it before here, but the Viper is tight. My knees hit the underside of the dash and the center console is massive. There’s a seat drop that will get you some extra room, but I haven’t been able to sit in one with that installed.
I find that there’s more room in my C6 than there is the C7.
Jared, you might have to come to grips with the notion that you’re going to have to spend money to modify the seats on your vehicle. I have.
That's funny. I was just taking a break from booking an every-tooth root canal and double hemorrhoidectomy to web search for E60/E61 manual rwd 528i's.
Edit: Uh, Ginger?
I did have what I considered a near perfect two car solution nearly a decade ago when my garage consisted of a C5 Z06 and a fairly loaded brand new GMC Sierra. I moved on from that combo for a condo in West Hollywood and a WRX. A WRX, by the way, is what I consider a great “one car solution”
Now, about the readers question; what about a C7 ZR1? Are those obtainable?
They are more like $150k, not $50k
Yeah, and heading up as we speak
Manuals with ZTK package are going for twice that now.
For selfish reasons, I'm on the 6spd Challenger brainwave as well. Good combo of fun, roomy/comfortable, nothing too high tech to make it a liability to own, would probably be an awesome daily driver when needed.
Car people might talk about "two car solutions," motorcycle guys talk about "five bike solutions."
Bar hopper, touring, sport bike, dual sport and dirt bike
I'm in a downsizing phase from 5, currently it's:
vintage/local rider: '76 XS500C- my first bike, could never sell it, but will relocate to my bro's place in PA this fall where the twisty lower speed roads fit the nature of the bike
vintage/tourer: '78 XS1100E - finally got the carbs 100% sorted out this week, want to do some long multi-day tours on it once time allows. Insanely smooth and comfortable for its age. I've got *Another* '78 XS1100E on the way, low mile original paint bike that I'll restore this winter.
sports/touring: '02 Bandit 1200 - I have honestly contemplated selling this purely for the sake of keeping myself out of trouble. Hooligan bike. Seat sucks for anything over 200 miles.
all of these things get ridden on gravel roads both locally and on trips, my riding makes me the ideal candidate for an adv-bike but I just hate the look of them. The UJMs actually handle gravel very decently at moderate speeds. But I would love to get another DR650.
Xs500c that still works? Rare jewel!
Not only works but has 57k miles on it, and I rode it across the country from NY to CA back in college in 2008. Granted, we did have the engine apart in Kansas on the outward leg for a compression issue that turned out to just be some carbon on the valves (scraped off and lapped in with crest toothpaste+sand mixture). Once they went to the single-piece head in '75 and especially 76-78 are perfectly robust bikes. But the damage to their reputation was cemented by the 73-74 TX500 models. Speaking of TX500s, one was along for the ride across country, having been rebuilt with a later round-port single piece head after blowing up on a shakedown ride up to the Adirondacks.
I have a 10k mile spare motor sitting in the garage to put in if/when this unit lets go.
Challenger is the correct answer.
I don’t think I know any motorcycle guys who only own one.
So funny that the 'euro' crowd scorn them. Anyone in Europe would ache for one!
Uhhh Jack. Did you just recommend a boxster?
At least the maintenance is free
Exactly
A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds!
But will you cover the maintenance costs? :)
For an LS Boxster? Possibly!
Did you specify that maintenance coverage upon recommendation of a used Boxster was limited to a former thread, or should I just send you the bill? :)
Never hurts to send a bill and see if they pay it. I currently have a 69.99 bill being sent out for “reading the substack”
It could get paid any day now!
Half a Boxter. And he tasted metal when he said it.
Keep in mind that if you find a car you really like other than the headroom, it's not the end of the world to get a custom lower seat rail. I remember being at a track day years ago where one of the drivers in the pits was easily 6'6," and he drove a 90's 240sx. The driver seat was mostly behind the B pillar and he had one or two steering boss adapters to locate the wheel where he wanted it, but I imagine he got it just right for his build. Since you have the X5, I'd push the needle further away from practical and more toward fun compared to what you've listed to far..
i took the rails out of my miura and let the seatbelt hold me and the seat in place; worked fine!
I’d unload the first-gen X5 and the Saab before I’d worry about replacing anything else.
No offense, “Jared,” but that’s the most glutton-for-punishment fleet I’ve heard of in a long time.
I’ve gotten that line too many times to count. 🤣
Replace those with a 6spd A6 Allroad.
E93 might be a tough squeeze with the roof up. I have headroom problems for similar reasons, but I'm only 6'. With an E92, I had no sunroof but it was still a little tight. I also have a short reach, which puts my seat in front of the roof's highest point. Hopefully you don't have that problem.
I don't know why you would consider an e60 550 with that budget. Go for the m5. I've owned an 08 550. Headroom was good enough, but not as good as a w212. Exhaust was perfect for me - nice bark at cold start, then quiet until you pass 3500 rpm. Gears are too tall; 2nd gear almost reaches 70 mph. Took some of the fun out of the manual. I think the m5 manual also has tall gearing, but it makes v10 noises.
An E60 M5 is quite famously one of the most problematic cars you can buy. Going from a W221 S 600 to an E60 M5 would be like going from a blue square to a triple black diamond ski course. That S85 V10 will stay broken.
The subsequent F10 M5, with its S63 V8, isn’t much better.
How bad by comparison is the straight 6 and/or the car around it?
On the E60? The N52, a (a 3.0-liter N/A I6) in the 528i is perfectly reliable, but you’ll find it underwhelming.
The N54 (a 3.0-liter twin-turbo I6) in the E60 535i is somewhat more expensive to maintain. HPFPs go out a lot, carbon build-up is common, the oil pan gasket develops leaks easily and frequently, the injectors are heinously expensive, and turbos do sometimes die. However, the N54 is not nearly as bad as that V10. It’s highly tunable, and does at least have a forged crank. You can get 380-ish HP out of it with just an ECU tune.
On the F10, the introduction year carried over the N52 (N/A I6) for the 528i, but subsequent years had the 2.0T.
However, the F10 debuted the N55 engine (a 3.0-liter twin-scroll-turbo) on the 535i. It’s a solid engine, though not as tunable as the N55 without a serious rebuild. The main real issue people have with them is the charge coolant pipe cracking, and that’s a cheap fix. The other issues are a lot less common. You can find the F10 535i with a 6MT, but it’s rare. I had a 2016 535i xDrive M Sport, but mine had the 8AT (which BMW replaced under warranty at 30K mi).
As for quality, the E60 and F10 are both pretty solid, though the F10 has fairly dead steering and feels its weight. On the other hand, the E60 is subject to the earlier versions of iDrive, which suck.
I drove an f10 535 manual before buying the e60 550. Did not like. This is a case where everything written about a car is true - it's very much a luxury cruiser without much sport. The manual felt out of place, and I see why BMW stopped offering it in the f10.
The 6MT on the F10 535i felt rubbery. A contemporary 6MT Accord put it to shame.
Really, the E60 was the last 5 Series that felt like a proper sport sedan. Subsequent ones have all been, figuratively and literally, SWB 7 Series’. Fortunately, that’s what I wanted at the time.
The s85 in the m5 is similar to the s65 in my the m3 that Jared is also considering. Rod bearings are basically a maintenance item and throttle body actuators might fail. The smg transmission is responsible for much of the car's terrible rep, and that's solved by buying the manual.
It's still no Toyota, but if a v8 m3 is an option, the v10 m5 isn't a stretch.
the V8 requirement really does keep options quite limited. how long you intend on keeping, and how many miles a year the car would get also factor into the choice, as well as your tolerance for pocketbook pain.
-GT350
-ZL1
-E9X (scares me a bit long term)
-B7 RS4 (also scares me a bit long term, for totally different reasons than the BMW) plus a tight fit for your size
-SS stick
-Jaaaaaaaaaag F type V8 (no idea if those come with stick though, also scary long term)
i too feel analysis paralysis with my next car purchase, as i feel like if i do not get my dream garage combo set up with the climate gestapo decides to cancel ICE car sales, i will commit seppuku. but just jump in and see how you like it. I have a feeling that you're just going to need to do something that speaks to you, personally, at this price range, versus establishment consensus as those are waaay more than 50k as jack noted
Show me a GT350 for 50k and I’ll elbow Jared out of the way to get to it.
my friend, go do a nationwide search on autolist or whatever and you will see there are in fact many GT350s in the 40-50k range. but as a friend who was an engineer at ford when they were in production told me, the engine is held together with loctite and a dream, and while i am sure some of that is hyperbole, im not sure id roll my dice on a 40k one.
Thanks! I was being flip. I know a guy who picked up a used one for around 40, but it’s thrashed. I was on the fence about getting one when I got my GT a couple of years ago. Then Ford announced the end of production and they were all gone in about three days.
I’ll just have to soldier on with what I have.
gotcha, i have yet to disengage my autism thrusters from the workweek so literal is all i can read rn. i'd take a nice bullit or mach 1 over a GT350 anyway. i feel like part of the point of a mustang is that nothing in the driveline is unobtainium which cant be said for the GT350 at some point in the future
Yeah, and for the rear diff they left out the loctite
I own a 2016 GT350 (Technology Package) I bought new, and I've had no problems at all with the GT350-specific bits. 42,000 miles and the only significant repair it's had is to the A/C system, and that's a 2015+ Mustang issue, not a Shelby issue. The car gets driven everywhere, uses negligible oil (I might add 1/4 to 1/2 quart every 3,000 miles between oil changes), and no issues at all with the trans or differential. I figure a lot of these cars get abused by their idiot owners, but if you take reasonable care of it and drive it like a semi-responsible adult, it holds up just fine. I still love the sound of that flat-plane crank whenever I fire it up!
There's no sneaking out of the neighborhood at 6 am with that car.
Nope. Several of my neighbors tell me they can always tell when I fire the Shelby up, but luckily for me they’re car guys, so they don’t complain about it!
Same here.
Can't stand dogs and bass, but sportbikes, car exhaust, construction equipment - as long as it's mechanical, I can dig it.
After driving a GT350 for a while...uh, buy something else. Fun cars but gutless unless it’s wound out and kinda heavy considering the way you have to drive it to experience the thrill. Unless you’d want forced induction, in which case please carry on.
I wish I had 2023 money in 2019. My uncle offered to sell me his 1-year old GT350 with 2k mines on it for $50k. Wasn't in the budget back then.
brother, dont we all. i have more often regretted the cars i have not bought, then the ones that i bought which then bit me. at least i was richer in experience...
also, if you REALLY REALLY hate yourself, why not an E60 M5 6 speed? 2 more cylinders, awesome sound, self deprecatingly expensive to maintain from what i understand
Unfortunately, the F-Type V8 never came with the manual.
There was the 2.0-liter turbo I4, the 3.0-liter supercharged V6, and multiple flavors of the 5.0-liter supercharged V8. Of those, only the V6 came with the stick.
I believe it briefly came with manual, one model year only - impossible to find.
Nope, it really was just the S trim, which had the V6, in either 340 HP or 380 HP guises, and the manual could be had from 2016-2019. They never offered it on the V8 or the I4 (the latter of which did not become available until 2018).
Jared, what does it mean to share daily driver duties? Does it need a back seat? How is a viper on your list with that criteria?
At this time, and for the foreseeable future, daily-driver does *not* require a backseat. DINK life is great, especially given that wifey doesn’t wanna change that situation anytime soon.
As for the Viper itself, I got a Burago model of a GTS Blue ‘96 GTS when I was perhaps nine years old… have lusted after them ever since.
Sounds like that makes a viper a good fit for this!
yea, ditto @burgersandbeer, i really think the viper is the right intersection of thinking with your brain and cenis (car penis) for you specifically. the kind of car that never makes you think "ugh well if i sell it now i can avoid xxxx costs" and instead you only think "how much money does this need to be ready for xxx event"
While the correct answer is whatever Corvette strikes your fancy the most (C6 Z06 for me), I feel like we’re overlooking Hellcat. Sure it doesn’t super fit your needs as it weighs more than a small moon, and Jack did mention the T/A, which yes is probably an all around better car in many regards, but when faced with the opportunity to buy a Hellcat, you gotta do it right?
Hellcat Chally with a stick will also probably skyrocket in value in the coming years (or days at the point, really) so you’ll get your money back and more if you decide to chase your Euro dreams again.
Speaking of the Euro stuff, and if you’re truly not afraid, why not an E60 M5 or M6? There are a couple with stick shifts, and they are about as batshit insane as one will ever see from a nominally mainstream car manufacturer going forward.
If you can drop either the three pedal OR eight cylinder mandates, a Jag F-Type would be a very lovely thing to own too.
Jack mentioned the T/A, but holy shit, you’ve got a good point.
Please buy a stick shift Hellcat in the most obnoxious color you can find so that I can live vicariously through you.