Now I'm that guy... I'm not selling the 914s, but my 2nd little one (William, now 8 months old) is going to be ready to face forward in the car seat at some point (within a year), and he'll likely be joining Lily (now 3) and I on trips to Cars & Coffee and runs up Palomar/etc. And then Mom is more likely to come too. Super Truck™ (CrewMax Tundra) is a great truck and amazingly convenient, but not so much *fun*.

Some ideas I've had...

BMW 2002
VW Golf/GTI (MK 1 or 2)
BMW 3.0cs
MB 6.9
356 (back seats are probably too small)

Any suggestions? I'm open to anything at the moment. Maybe even a big old American car... ?

-Steve

Love the 2002s.

My boys love the 911 cab with the jump seats in the back. They are 5 and 7 and I think that we started putting them in the back at 4. Of course there is no room for a baby seat back there unless you buy a newer 911 and spend the $900 on the porsche baby seat.

a tii would be a real nice 'family' sedan
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2002. Yep.
Also, second generation Corvair. None of the handling issues of the first gen cars, and an aircooled 6 that can be rebuilt for less then the cost of a T4 rebuild when it needs it.

23 window bus.

I don't know if it would be fun to work on, but I have always though a black Lincoln continental with suicide doors would be really sweet.

For me it came down between a 914 and a 2002. So a 2002 would be my decision.

2002's are sweet! That would be my choice!
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I had a 2002tii and I loved it!! I only sold it because I finished my 67 911s and at the time I had way to many cars!

You can see it in the background!

2002 tii and the 3.0CS are both really cool cars...as long as they aren't too rusty.

Yes, the 356 seats are tiny...and they don't have seat-belts either!

I have a Mercedes W114 280C that I'm working on for future family cruising/showing.

My old BMW..and my New wife..about 1985Click to view attachment

> 23 window bus

That's a good idea too. Or 21 window/etc.

Dont forget about the Alfa GTV. I like that one a pinch more than the 2002. I had a Kombi bus. It was fun but long drives beat up my kidneys. It was lowered with a bus boys select a drop. A notch back would also be sweet if you want to stay aircooled. How about a crew cab - old or new? You can go to the shows and haul home the goodies.

In the same boat...

I would say the BMW 2002 would be a neat choice, but I would go E28 M5, or even a Cosworth Benz 190

No love for a modern Mustang convertible?

Speaking for myself, TONS of love, I want one badly. But I view it more as a DD, not the weekend toy.

Point taken.

1946 Triumph Roadster!! My girls love it. Not for any sort of long drive however (no top over the two back seats) - and there has to be an adult sitting with which ever little one wants to sit in the back. Really turns heads at car shows, primarily because very few know what it is.

here is BMW's version of the 914

VW Thing.

VW Vanagon is really fun to drive and has lots of room for the kids. I have a GL with the backseat "weekender" package where the back seat folds down into a large bed.

Wife loved it because there is a gap bethween the seats that allowed her to get out of the front seat and walk to the back while the van is moving. Great for kids that spill things or need a diaper change! I liked it because it carries anything including 4x8 plywood sheets.

What is really fun is the 50/50 weight distribution. Corners like crazy since all the mass is really down low. One thing that really makes a difference is ditching the 14 inch wheels with soft sidewalls and going with 15-16-17 inch rims. I added 15 inch Mercedes alloys to mine and what a difference one inch of rim diameter makes!

The 2.1L engine is a watercooled flat opposed engine that looks a lot like a waterjacketed 914 engine but only has 110 hp. It is a bit slow but the wasserboxer engine guarantees really good heat. A lot of people are stuffing subie engines in there for a bit more power.

Easy engine to work on as a huge panel lifts out of the floor for access.

996TT, cheap now, big bang for the buck.

Most of the 'collector' cars listed on here can be near as much $$...

That's what my wife and I agreed on doing, (a Westy with a Subie conversion), instead of a big gas-guzzling motor home.

Gorgeous car! Love the two windshields.

3.0CS is a great car, handles well, has that silky BMW-6 engine, avail with 5 spd. I put miles and miles on one and enjoyed it every step of the way.

no mention of the 944 or 951 or 924s? Back seats, storage, great handling, good following and super cheap right now. GREAT vehicles all if you get the right one and stay up on the maint. Sound familiar?

my 2cents - have fun!

td

ps - re: vanagon? Had one in DEN and hated it every mile! No guts up and down the hills at altitude, and the last straw was when I pushed a head wind all the way to SLC at the beginning of the week in 3rd gear, and then did the same thing back to DEN (easterly headwind?!) all the way home! aaaarrggghhhhh. sold that sucker and never looked back!

How about an E46 generation BMW M3 convertible? I picked one up very reasonably last year and it has been great for fun family road trips.

I agree on most of the cars mentioned and have owned several of them as well. One I'd like to add that I had about 10 years ago and was one of my favorites was my 1988 Mercedes Benz 300CE (88-93 300CE and 94-95 E320 Coupe) What a great driving, fun car, I loved it! They are hard tops with no B pillars and with the windows down and sunroof open it was the next best thing to a convertible. They are very well built, extremely solid and you can pick up nice ones for $5-$6K
(this isn't my car, just a nice looking one I pulled off Google) ~ Paul
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Westy! Camp, hang out, tailgate parties, sneak out for a quicky with the wife

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ps - re: vanagon? Had one in DEN and hated it every mile! No guts up and down the hills at altitude, and the last straw was when I pushed a head wind all the way to SLC at the beginning of the week in 3rd gear, and then did the same thing back to DEN (easterly headwind?!) all the way home! aaaarrggghhhhh. sold that sucker and never looked back!
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TD,

Not much has guts going up hills and mountains at altitude. Everything gains guts going down. Still recall my dad bitching about how much power his big 64 Olds rocket power V-8 lost driving from Salina to Denver. Seem to recall almost losing all power going up the side of a mountain at high altitudes.

> 1988 Mercedes Benz 300CE (88-93 300CE and 94-95 E320 Coupe)

That's a good idea.

Or maybe an S600 Coupe (sample photo below)... ?

Geez, I'm all over the place on this.

-Steve

Read up on the S600...terrible reliability and if anything does go wrong, huge $$$ to fix. The 300CE I agree with, always liked the looks of those.

> 3.0CS is a great car, handles well, has that silky BMW-6 engine, avail with 5 spd. I put miles and miles on one and enjoyed it every step of the way

Yeah, I've always loved the styling on those.

-Steve

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Well, it took me some time, and it turned into a bit of an impulse buy, but I just bought a Colorado Orange 1972 BMW 2002tii. Should be here in a week or so (then pictures will come).

What's the best 02 forum out there? There seem to be several, but nothing like 914world (that I've found).

-Steve

bmw2002faq.com

Nice choice. You're gonna love it. Was working on one today.

Click to view attachment Help me get the Hot chicks...Click to view attachment

My best friend in Highschool had an orange 2002, I had my 914...it was always a blast

Congrats ...

Well, it didn't work out so well. 5th car I've bought on eBay, and the first time I've been really screwed. The seller blatantly lied about a huge number of things on the car.

Sigh. Cool little cars, but this one is not for me and is for sale again:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAP...em=111043664712

I'll keep looking for something, but I can only manage one big car project at a time (putting my x19 3.6 back together).

-Steve

Looking through your pictures has made me want a 2002 even more. Good luck with the sale!

> Looking through your pictures has made me want a 2002 even more.

I know where you can buy one!

-Steve

I'll be keeping an eye on it, but i'm fairly sure its headed out of my price range!

Bummer Steve ... it 'looked' nice in the pix.

Hope this one didn't leave you with a bad taste, and that you'll find a nicer one

Did you report the seller? Hope so.... that's not right! He should give you some of your money back or take the car back.

That SUCKS! Sorry to hear it was such a bad experience.

later version (fixed headlights) 240sx coupe with one of those 300hp jdm engines or a fairy dust and without one of those koukuri body kits.

L

S

1 =fairy dust on 1/4/2010. haha.

If you guys like BMW 2002's check out this place in Pomona, CA.
https://www.2002ad.com/pages/carsforsale.cfm

I saw one of these on the road yesterday. Had to later look up what it was, and obviously the photo isn't the one I saw.

Jaguar 420 - I really liked the styling that bridged the gap between the swoopy older Jags (Mark 2) and boxier newer ones (XJ).

I am a BMW fan and own these two - I would strongly recommend a nice E30 or a 2002

1975 BMW 2002



1991 BMW 318i