Daily Driver

[Scott Danforth]

Well...after 225,000 miles, the PT cruiser convertible may need to get replaced...

Not from mechanical failure.....however from a minor fender-bender that the insurance company wants to total it.

the car needs about $200 worth of repairs to make it road legal. Insurance company states car isnt worth anything due to the miles. so I asked them, please find another one-owner 2005 PT cruiser convertible with a manual trans to compare it to. the comps they had were all 4-doors

the choices are as follows:

1. repair the car, put $200 into required repairs, and about 6 hours of work to straighten out the front sheet metal and drive it. plan was to get to 300k.
2. accept a low-ball settlement and find a replacement.

So, if I look for a replacement the criteria is simple. Must be reliable, must be fun to drive, must be a manual transmission, must have a convertible top, must get between 25 and 30 mpg must have 80hp/ton or more (or be really cool), must be easy to maintain and most importantly according to the wife, must be able to get it for $5k or less to pay cash. I am leaning toward fixing the car simply because so few cars meet the requirements

Jeeps are out because the fuel economy
No FWD GM cars simply because they suck to work on


These are the candidates I have added to the list:
older VW beetle convertible (1958-1975). low on HP, really cool
Triumph Spitfire with a
pre 1980 MGB with buick V8 conversion
VW carmen ghia (1955-1974) low on HP, really cool
VW Mk 1 Cabriolet with quad headlights (1992-1992) low on HP, really cool
Generation 3 MR2 (2000-2007)
MINI roadster (2012-2017)
Original Mini with a VTEC honda transplant
Mini Cooper convertible (turbo or supercharged)
Another 2005 PT cruiser (has to be 2005 for various reasons, most have to do with the construction of the car)
Audi A4 Quattro
Gen 1 Miata with a 1.8 transplant or a 1.8 turbo transplant
Gen 2 RX7 convertible with a LS transplant
Gen 1 Mercury Capri convertible with 2.8 V6 (rare German built 1970-1977)


please add to my list.

 

[DouglasW]

My neighbor has a nice older Chrysler Sebring convertible, No stick shift and not quite the gas mileage, but he likes it. Wife could drive it.

 

[Scott Danforth]

The are not fun to drive. Gotta have 3 pedals.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Going to add the GM Kappa platform as well (2006-2010 Pontiac Solstice / Saturn Sky / Opel GT )

 

[DouglasW]

Well, my 98 Trans Am has only two pedals but is fun as Hell to drive

 

[Scott Danforth]

not on my commute it wouldnt be. it also doesnt get the requisite fuel economy.

 

[Old Ironmaker]

Forget about the insurance company and put the 200 bucks into the PT Cruiser. Of all the cars you listed you will never find one for 200 bucks, not even $2000.00.

 

[Maclin]

I feel ya on maybe losing the PT. My mom had one, a Woody. Dad put exhaust and intake on it, kinda quick off the line. Mom passed and my brother got it for his daughter for college. They were all in it one nite and had a brush with a deer. Insurance wanted to total it because the fake Woody stuff was NLA. I think Little Bro did that and bought it back. He works for a Chrysler dealership and was able to wrangle it back together, and have enough leftover for a semester of college. He gets "lucky" like that. I could see where he had to make a compromise or two, but it is still a 10 footer

Disclaimier: It is an automatic, but I am next in line anyway!

So what would yours look like after the $200 in parts plus the fender work?

 

[Bayou Dave]

This would be my choice: Gen 2 RX7 convertible with a LS transplant

 

[ajgraz]

Gen2 Miata.

 

[garbageguy]

+1 on Ironmaker's idea. On my way to work one morning, a car backed out into my '03 Grand Prix (traffic coming the other way, had to take the hit and keep from getting in a head-on), and her insurance co totaled my car. It still drove fine, just didn't look so good on one side. They sent me a check, and I kept the car. Was told it had to be re-registered (wonderful NY state) as a salvaged vehicle. I never quite got around to that. Drove that car for a while.

Not sure if you will just get a check without surrendering your PT - but I think that's the way to go, and keep driving your car. Or, just forget about ins company, $200 is pretty inexpensive

 

[jbuote]

Yup.. I'm with Old Ironmaker and garbageguy...

It's been a long time, but the last time I had a car "Totaled" by the insurance company.
Insurance payout was $2500.
I asked about a buy-back...
Could buy the car back from insurance company for $500 at the time..

So, negotiated that....
I kept the car, and they sent me a check for $2000.. ($2500 settlement - $500 buy-back.)

Could be worth asking about..

 

[Scott Danforth]

Gen2 Miata.

ugly as phuck

round headlights are the only reason i would consider a first gen NA

https://www.carthrottle.com/post/7-reasons-why-the-second-gen-mazda-miata-sucks/

 

[Scott Danforth]

will be asking about the buy back. repairs are $2k. they are offering less than 1800. waiting for updated comps.

in the mean time, looked at an 07 solstice GXP and a 05 MINI Cooper S 'vert..... both needed work.

 

[Lightwin 3]

Have you condsidred a 05 and up Mustang? Simple, RWD, plentiful, reliable. The 4.0 V6 will easily deliver 30+ MPG.

Plenty of convertibles out there and manual trans units are NOT rare.

 

[Scott Danforth]

No, would never consider the S-197 mustangs. the handling on them leaves a bit to be desired as most suffer from failing ball joints. down here they are considered old-peoples cars so a convertible V6/manual car would be more rare than a 13B turbo powered 1970's Opel GT (there are 3 that I know of). most of them are the 4.6 slushomatics

Did drive another solstice today, was a base model, definitely going to search out a GXP. the extra 100hp helps as the 2.4 ecotech is a slug. waiting to hear from a one-owner cooper S 'vert as well.

 

[Old Ironmaker]

Of all the rides you mention as possible I would consider the Cooper S as my first choice Scott. I rented one a few years back to tour the back country of our Maritime Provinces, I never got bored. I would also suggest you buy a few 3 pedal cars for the future, I don't think you will find 1 new on the market in a few years. Paddle shifters are more fun than putting something in D then P then D and, and, but nothing like power shifting coming out of a round about on the M series in the UK, or merging onto the Autobahn or the Autosrada and redlining an Audi or Alfa rental. Now I hear not only I don't get a 3rd pedal soon I won't even get a steering wheel.Maybe time to dust off the old Bike license, or God forbid, take a Bus.

 

[Lightwin 3]

I never liked posting here in DC, in the past, because emotions run too high. However.

Scott, you're kind of all over the place.

In your initial post, you said no FWD. You just came out of one and now you're thinking Cooper??

You trashed Mustang but mentioned a bunch of FWD's. And a rare car that only Wayne Carini can afford.

For someone coming out of a PT Cruiser your expectations are quite high.

Go for a Jag.. Perfect jump from a PT Cruiser.

 

[Scott Danforth]

I never liked posting here in DC, in the past, because emotions run too high. However.

Scott, you're kind of all over the place.

In your initial post, you said no FWD. You just came out of one and now you're thinking Cooper??

You trashed Mustang but mentioned a bunch of FWD's. And a rare car that only Wayne Carini can afford.

For someone coming out of a PT Cruiser your expectations are quite high.

Go for a Jag.. Perfect jump from a PT Cruiser.

you mis-read my first post. so I will repost it here.

"So, if I look for a replacement the criteria is simple. Must be reliable, must be fun to drive, must be a manual transmission, must have a convertible top, must get between 25 and 30 mpg must have 80hp/ton or more (or be really cool), must be easy to maintain and most importantly according to the wife, must be able to get it for $5k or less to pay cash. I am leaning toward fixing the car simply because so few cars meet the requirements

Jeeps are out because the fuel economy
No FWD GM cars simply because they suck to work on"

I never said no FWD. just no GM FWD.

The PT with a stick is a fun little car for a daily commute. however only because the top went down was it a daily driver. the $1500 stereo and nav the wife had put in helped too

the mustang doesnt meet the fun to drive criteria and has the ford name on the front and to top that off, I am not driving 1200 miles for the closest one with a stick that is for sale.

Jags absolutely are beautiful cars. and with an LS conversion they can be reliable. not looking to do a project right now. If my life depended on a car, and my choices are a trabant or a jag, I would take the trabant.

I spend between 2 and 3 hours a day on my commute in the 11th worst city in the US for traffic. I hate 95% of the cars I see. So if I have to spend 12-15 hours per week in a vehicle, I want it fun to drive.

I would never own a honda, not even the S2000 (too high of road noise). The only toyotas I would consider are the BRZ or the 3rd gen MR2 and the first of those is not even a toyota.

for the record, the super beetle 'vert with the type 4 transplant was triple my budget, still a bit low on power, however a blast to drive.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Of all the rides you mention as possible I would consider the Cooper S as my first choice Scott. I rented one a few years back to tour the back country of our Maritime Provinces, I never got bored. I would also suggest you buy a few 3 pedal cars for the future, I don't think you will find 1 new on the market in a few years. Paddle shifters are more fun than putting something in D then P then D and, and, but nothing like power shifting coming out of a round about on the M series in the UK, or merging onto the Autobahn or the Autosrada and redlining an Audi or Alfa rental. Now I hear not only I don't get a 3rd pedal soon I won't even get a steering wheel.Maybe time to dust off the old Bike license, or God forbid, take a Bus.

VW has stated the GTI will always be available with 3 peddals, even if their DSG trans is faster, 55% of the market wants a manual.