As you read in the previous installment, once I sold the E36 the plan really was to be sensible, stick with the everyday cars and cut back spending, since we were hoping to start a family soon. And believe me, I really did try, going all of 6 months without a “fun” car. But honestly I was pretty miserable, so after some discussion with the better half and adjusting of budgets, approval was obtained to look for a project/fun car. The only caveat was that complete restorations like the Alfa were strictly off the table, which was fine because I had no intention of dealing with another one of those anyway.
The main criteria that I have is that the car be “interesting” to me. This is obviously as vague as it can be so let me clarify it a bit by saying I want something that I will enjoy seeing, being inside and driving. This does not necessarily mean something sporty and agile, but simply a car that can provide an experience that is different enough from my daily drivers to be interesting, that also looks good to me. That rather broad definition is the only explanation I have for just how eclectic the various contenders for the garage space are, as you’ll see. They each have their strengths and weaknesses, which I’ll be listing out. So, let’s meet them, shall we?
First up, we have the pure nostalgia pick, a Volkswagen Beetle. Ever since selling my Beetle, a little part of me has wanted to get another. The fact that the Beetle owners club here is very active and friendly is an added incentive. In the last couple of years that little voice has gotten louder, so now would be as good a time as any. A very close friend has this rather nice 1970 example that is not exactly for sale, but could be if I really want it.
Very 60s color, too!
It is a 1970 1300, in extremely original shape as you can see. Needs a bit of work to be properly usable, but presents well. Looking at the pros and cons in detail reveals the following:
Pros: Few owners (all long term), current owner is a friend, decent paint and interior, solid mechanicals, very original, VW durability
Cons: Has some rust in the floors and spare wheel well, does not get driven much so may have issues
Another car of similar vintage to the Beetle that calls to me is a Peugeot 404. They have always been quite common in Sri Lanka and are well known for being durable and tough. I became particularly interested in them after reading the various stories about them here on CC. Cars in good shape are getting hard to find, because they have mostly all been used hard and run into the ground. But, after a bit of searching I managed to find this one which had apparently undergone a bare metal bodywork restoration recently.
Very dignified indeed.
The owner is someone who knows a lot about 404s (he has restored 2 or 3) and he claimed the car was quite good because he did a lot of restoration work, but also admitted it needed some detail work to be perfect. Unfortunately I can’t go see it myself as it’s quite far away and travel is currently an issue, so I had a friend in the area look at it for me. According to him it’s quite nice looking, but he feels that the mechanicals were not great based on the test drive. So based on the available information:
Pros: New paint and rust repaired, nice interior, nice to drive, I like how the 404 looks and feels
Cons: Not possible to physically check out the car, mechanical condition suspect, quality of body work uncertain
Of course, nothing beats THIS for dignity!
Contestant number 3 is another car that I credit CC for making me love; the Mercedes Benz W124. Again fairly common here, but we mostly have the base model diesels and petrols, which are err, leisurely to put it mildly. However, bringing over the full components of a higher spec car from the UK for a conversion is still very much a possibility, so I looked for a rough car at a sane price. Unfortunately the asking prices for all 124s these days are so high that there would be no money left over for the conversion, which means I’d be stuck with something very slow indeed. But I still would really love to have a 124 so I found an example that was within my budget and advertised as being mint. Sadly on closer inspection it isn’t quite as nice as advertised.
Pros: I really like how the 124 looks and how it drives
Cons: Asking price is too high, lots of rust, shot interior, underpowered base model engine
And now for something completely different. I really miss the wind in the hair driving experience of the Miata, so a convertible would be great if I can find one. The best would be a NA Miata, but unfortunately they are now really hard to find and the prices are quite a bit above my budget. You’d think roadsters can’t get any smaller than a Miata, but actually they can!
Tiny, but a genuine ball of fun!
This is a Suzuki Cappuccino, probably the coolest thing that Suzuki has ever made. It takes the same basic concept as the Miata and shrinks it by about 20%, which is either insane or brilliant, depending on how you feel about it. This tiny wonder is under ten feet long, just four and a half feet wide and is powered by a 660cc three cylinder turbo engine. It’s probably closest to an original Austin Healey Sprite in size and feel, pretty much nothing else on the road comes close. This example is one of 2 or 3 here and has been in the same family since being imported to the country in the early 2000s.
Pros: Its a roadster, lots of fun to drive, fairly straightforward mechanicals, its just really cool
Cons: Tiny and cramped, “safety” doesn’t really apply here, parts can be hard to find even in Japan, strictly a two seater
I also checked out the Cappuccino’s only real rival, a Honda Beat, which is the same but Mid-engined and non turbo. It somehow doesn’t appeal as much as the “Cap”, and basically the same negatives apply so it doesn’t make the grade.
Moving on, The appeal of an Alfa Romeo is still VERY strong and there are a few options that are within budget. A 156 is just about manageable at the upper end, but that would leave no funds to deal with the repairs that are an inevitability with Alfas, so the next best thing is a 155. Sure, it’s nowhere near as pretty to look at but it has loads of old school Alfa charm, despite having lots of Fiat bits underneath. The most desirable would be the later “wide body” cars but they number in the single digits so the more plentiful early model will do.
Maybe not the prettiest Alfa, but somehow it still has presence.
This one is owned by a guy I know and has had a history of being in the hands of Alfa enthusiasts, so it has mostly been looked after well and driven as intended. It has the 1.8 litre 8 Valve Twin Spark engine, the final evolution of the classic Alfa Twin Cam design, replaced in the facelift cars by Fiat derived 16V engines.
Pros: Good fun to drive, still has old school Alfa charm, racing heritage, well priced, modern enough to be somewhat safe
Cons: Still going to break, looks are not to everyone’s taste, driving position is awkward
The 155 got me thinking about other similar aged cars that combined a practical body with a driver-friendly chassis and of course the very top of that list has to be a BMW 3 Series. We’ve already established that the E36 didn’t work for me but what about the older E30? Hundreds of thousands of enthusiasts, racers, drifters and more the world over are already big fans, so they must be on to something right? The E30 was actually a car I’d dreamed about owning when I was 16 or 17, but I didn’t have the money then, and since that time it had sort of faded into the background. Perhaps it is time to revisit it? Four or five years ago, decent E30s were common finds and were quite cheap too, but nowadays they’ve suddenly gotten very rare indeed. There used to be 2 or 3 examples for sale every week, now you’d be lucky to come across one in a month, and the great majority are very tired. In fact, it was the following car popping up for sale on Facebook Marketplace that made me actually think about an E30 as a contender.
Other than the hideous wheels and missing front lip, it seems quite tidy.
Like the vast majority of Sri Lankan E30s, it is a 4 door 316i, so not very exciting to begin with. A 1990 example, it’s from near the end of E30 production and apart from rather hideous wheels, it looks to be in quite ok shape. The present owner has had it for over 5 years and appears to have maintained it well, but it has a barely believable FOURTEEN owners before him! Test drive showed that it drives really well, with no odd noises or strange behavior, but the owner didn’t have much in the way of service history to provide.
Pros: Lovely chassis, quite practical, seems well looked after, easy enough to fix, lots of information available, parts are fairly plentiful
Cons: No service history, these can rust badly, has had a LOT of owners, terrible wheels/tires
So there you have it, fellow Curbsiders, the six cars above with their wildly varying characteristics are my finalists for my next COAL. Each of them has a lot going for them and they also have quite a bit going against them too. What I want to end up with is a usable but above all fun car that can be kept running without too much time, effort and resources expended, because all of those are going to be in shorter supply than they used to be. Considering all this, I want to know, which one would you pick?
Come back next week to find out which one made the cut!
Cappucino for the win. Very unique, fun to drive (if it’s like the Miata). Parts may be hard to procure, but isn’t that part of the fun of owning a classic?
It definitely ticks a lot of boxes. Parts are the only real concern, as well as the fact that it’s really tiny.
I’m pulling for the VW! 🙂
Haha, I don’t blame you. There’s a reason the bug is so loved to this day after all.
Fun! I can make a choice that’s completely irrelevant to my life. I think this comes down to the VW 300 or the Cappuccino. An I would take the caffeine fix. It’s likely more reliable and gives you more smiles per mile than the Beetle. I have seen one in Omaha, NE and I could not believe how small and cute that thing was. Combine that with a modern engine (fuel injection, computerized engine management, etc) generally better built quality and you are hitting the sweet spot.
I have a thing for the Peugeot 404 as well.
The little caffeine shot is very, VERY appealing!
These would all be very cool picks for a fun hobby car. The only trouble with them is that apart from the bug, parts are liable to be scarce and expensive.
A lot of these cars share DNA with COALs you’ve already owned. The most unique in that respect is the W124.
Surprisingly, most of them are well supported as far as parts go even locally. Thanks to the web, internationally you can find pretty much everything needed for all of them, with a bit of effort.
The toughest is the Cappuccino given the rarity. Probably followed by the Alfa, which only has a very small group of fans
The E30 and 124 have huge enthusiast followings so most things are easy to find, while the 404 is surprisingly good too. The Bug of course, goes without saying.
It’s a fun for the rare fun drives? Cappuccino. Maybe the Bug, all the others seem boring or headaches.
Yes it’s mostly as a Hobby/fun car, but I feel I can justify it more if there was a bit of practicality too.
That Cappuccino really is something great though.
I would say keep looking. These all seem like compromises. I would wait until something really jumps out at you. scottn59c is right. These seem like variations in cars you’ve already owned. The W124 would be interesting, but if it’s underpowered and the interior is shot and it’s rusty, that doesn’t seem like much of a fun car.
The realities of available funds and wanting to get something before the kid arrives means I had to pick between one of this lot because they ticked the most number of boxes. I’m pretty happy with the final choice, after sorting some niggles of course.
The 124 appealed strongly but was just too much work.
If the cars were all in good condition and spec’ed to your liking, or you had the time and money to make them so, I’d say the 404 or the W124. Based on these cars as they actually are, it sounds as if the Alfa 155 is more or less turnkey, with the fewest negatives.
If I got a Mercedes, I’d want a W201. Are there any of those in Sri Lanka?
I thought I read an article in a magazine recently or saw a YouTube video that depicted the W201 as one of Mercedes-Benz WORST models, lots of cost cutting.
I wish I could remember where I saw that so I could provide a reference. Perhaps it was right here a Curbside Classics?
You’re probably thinking of the W210, which replaced the W124. The W201 was the little 190, which came out in 1982, and had old-school MB quality, if not quite up to W23/126 standards.
The call of the Alfa is very strong indeed. That and the E30 are basically even in terms of ability to just get in and run. At least that’s how they seem.
We do have W201s, but all have the base petrol engine, or are diesel. While I respect the model, I prefer the 124 personally.
I’d first consider a discontinued brand, then a low selling model from Ford, then Chrysler, then GM.
404. But that’s just me wanting to relive the past a bit.
I figured you might prefer the 124, but the 404 is a great car. Regardless of how this turns out, I have some 404 content lined up that I hope will be interesting
Cappuccino or 404. Fun or practical, either one to the extreme.
That’s a good way of looking at it!
Cappucino
155
E30
W124
Beetle
404
I like all of them though. Looking forward to see what you ended up with.
They all appeal in a different way. The final choice was pretty tough!
E30. Parts availability is probably very good. W124 will be a slug and money pit. Beetle is too “ho hum”. Cappucino is too small. Others…eh..
E30 is my pick.
Parts availability is pretty decent for the E30 even locally and definitely so on a global sense. Plus the possibilities for improvements are endless.
Lots of choices here but _you_ have to live and deal with it so FESTINA LENTE ! .
Of course I’m a VW Airhead from 50 years ago, they’re extremely fun and enjoyable to drive and cheap to maintain but, DEATH TRAPS .
Second for me is the Peugeot but you said it doesn’t drive well, that’s secret code for : it’s junk, you’d better be rich so a hard pass .
A old Bimmer ? that’s a joke, right ? . forget it .
The MIATA is reliable, fun to drive and and parts are dead easy , not sure why you’d think otherwise, I ass-U-me you can do the internet thing and order in whatever you need and cheaply too .
If the Mercedes W124 too slow I’d give that a hard pass too, I rather enjoy driving / riding slow vehicles quickly but it’s not for everyone and as a German vehicle Mechanic I assure you the maintenance will kill you unless ( !$$$!) you do it your own self .
The others aren’t really worth a serious look unless you’re looking to hit replay again….
Remember : never- _EVER_ purchase *any* vehicle until you’ve seen it up close and personal and _TEST_DRIVEN/RIDDEN_IT ! .
I’m always interested in how it handles , rides and stops, I can live with or deal with dents, poor paint and rusty chrome and some exhaust smoke but a poor driver will put you off it very quickly no matter how beautiful or rare you think it is .
-Nate
Haha, learned enough from the Alfa about buying without driving, so that isn’t happening again!
The convertible isn’t a Miata, its a Suzuki Cappuccino, which is not quite as easy to find bits for because they are quite rare. Believe me, if I could get a first gen Miata, that would be top of the list!
The BMW e30 has developed a reputation as being fun and not complicated to fix, I think this generation and perhaps the one after are probably still solid enough.
The Beetle seems like a sensible option, while there is know rust it will be reparable and even if the engine is tired a 1300 is infinitely rebuildable.
The Capuccino does seem like the most fun even if parts are tricky. As an aside Suzuki did make one other fun Kei car, the Suzuki Caren which was the OEM version of the Autozam AZ-1 gull wing. (Suzuki actually did all the design work before selling it to Mazda)
If there’s one thing we can be certain of, a Beetle can always be kept going almost indefinitely!
I did not know about the Suzuki Caren, thanks for that, learned something new!
Maybe I missed an earlier post, but I’m not sure if this is supposed to be an everyday, semi-practical car, or just a hobby/weekend car. If the latter, and you don’t need it for everyday transportation, I’d go with the Alfa. Italian cars, emphatically including Alfa are renowned for the fun factor, if not reliability. Even with plenty of Fiat in the Alfa, I bet it’s still well above a Fiat in build and maybe even longevity.
Now if it is supposed to be an everyday car, the BMW. Bias here, I’m a big longtime BMW fan, but they will go to ungodly high miles if taken care of. E30’s are not my favorite chassis, but they’re still a BMW with an absolutely fanatical following.
VW. Old. Design even if not by actual age.
Peugeot. I like them, but not much fun factor.
MB. Too slow for you to even make an argument for.
Suzuki. Maybe. But sounds like a toy car not a real car.
It’s more a hobby/weekend car, but I feel I can justify it more if it could be used to to carry the wife and kid/s for a drive too.
The Alfa calls strongly, it really does.
But the 404, of course! The fact that the mechanicals are a bit suspect is nothing, as they’re simple and inexpensive to rebuild.
Actually, don’t. If you haven’t driven one, you may not love it: in RHD, the gearchange can be cantankerous (and weirdly laid out), and you might find it just too slow. And perhaps it’s more a highly-enjoyable car rather than a fun one.
The BMW, then. They’re a delight to drive, and not disastrously slow, because they’re light. A lot more charm than the E36, and prettier.
But I suspect it’s the Alfa for you. The fact that it’s a fugly is just a long Alfa tradition, of making their sedans dull or awkward. (The 156 was the first pretty one in a very long time). That Twin Spark is a torqueless jetstream-smooth super-revver, enough entertainment itself to overcome whatever flaws the rest of car has.
Thanks for the well defended case justy. A close friend bought a very nice 404 recently and I got some driving time in it, you’re right the gearshift takes getting used to.
The E30 and the 155 both have a lot going for them.
What a challenge to choose!
404, 155, Cappuccino.
You’d be recommended to check back tomorrow for an update I suspect
Can’t really go wrong with any of the three. But the decision really ended up being tough!
Definitely the Bug.Put a 2.0 l single carb engine in it, upgrade the brakes and suspension and you will have a lot of reliable fun.Plus you will see growth in value over time.
That would make for one serious bug!
Sajiv, if you don’t mind, I’d like to hear an overview of the Sri Lankan automotive market in general. You’ve mentioned various things, but I’d like to get the bigger picture.
I say this because in my many years of reading CAR magazine, I’ve felt that the UK or Europe must be the ideal place to be a car nut, at least from the standpoint of availability of different makes and models. Quite a few imported makes have left the US market over the years, and not all models from a given make have US type approval. But I don’t know of any situation comparable to what happened with your Alfa-Romeo 33!
As you may know, a car 25 years old or older can be imported into the US, even if it didn’t originally have type approval. What’s the rationale in your country for not allowing import of cars more than 3 years old? Can I assume new cars sold in Sri Lanka need safety and emissions certification? Can any car built within the 3-year window be imported? I’m assuming that Sri Lanka doesn’t have its own safety and emissions standards, and you probably use EU or Japanese standards—or do you?
Which makes are sold in Sri Lanka today, and which makes have been sold there in the past? You mentioned that Sri Lanka has a small-scale domestic auto industry—which makes? Thank you.
Hi Staxman,
One of these days I will try and put together a post that gives an overview of the car market in SL. It really is one of the strangest markets around as far as I can tell.
As someone who grew up on a diet of UK car mags, I too feel that the UK and Europe probably has been the optimal place for most of automotive history in terms of choice, but then again the US has had it better when it comes to large and powerful automobiles. With the current focus on EVs and reducing ICE vehicles via legislation however, I don’t know what the future will hold for Europe and the US/UK.
To answer your question on our import age restrictions, like many things in this country there is no rationale or logic behind it, just something the clowns in charge pulled out of thin air one day.
We do have emissions testing, but the standards are quite a bit behind EU/Japanese standards. Safety standards are woefully behind, although as of 2018 they passed a law saying all cars brought in must have dual airbags.
Cappuccino. The other cars are nice, but they are just cars. After looking at 2 CV and bug chassis, one would never want to go faster than 30 in those cars. We had a 404 which was charming. My cousins had a W124 diesel. A safe car for teenagers! The only fun car is the Cappuccino. As a kei car it is much more reliable than almost all the others and it will be fun to drive, versus being a time capsule of two generations of aspirations… The Cappuccino will be easy to sell when you tire of it and in the mean time your kids will love it, and your wife might like driving it herself.
The little Cap is definitely very appealing! On the downside it really does not feel very safe when you’re in it.
The Bug
Easy to work on
Still fun
Millions of parts available
All good points. But I feel like something a bit more modern might be best.