My End of Life Crisis Vehicle

[keith.rogers]

Originally Posted by hubcapsc

My wife has a Mini S convertible and that thing is fun and fast. I rarely drive it as it is cosmetically “girly”.

I picked up one of my motorcycle buddies in my Mini at his house
in Charleston when I was down there a while back, he put on
a pair of those Groucho Marx nose-mustache glasses before he'd
get in.

-Mike

My sister is on her 3rd Mini, all Ss, this one is a JCW. Anyone that thinks it's "girlie" should sit in the passenger seat while she takes you for a ride on some back roads in Pennsylvania. You'll probably need a few days for things to descend...

[hubcapsc]

Anyone that thinks it's "girlie" should sit in the passenger seat

Back when I first got my R53 (2005 Mini Cooper S) I was
playing regularly with some folks, including a fiddle player.
The first time I drove the Mini to practice, she drove the
Mini a few miles down this curvy country road in her
neighborhood and back while I was in the passenger seat.

I know I screamed like a girl.

-Mike "Oh yeah! It's still got more! (floors it and upshifts)"

[fitness1]

Originally Posted by Brucebubs

Down here we call an 'End Of Life Crisis Vehicle' an ambulance.

Thanks for the chuckle - akin to Hobo Bill's Final Ride....

[Denandannie]

Life is full of"what ifs". Its also full of just a few "second chances"

[Naboz]

My wife and I have traveled--even out of state--for vehicles that meet our criteria. All of the earlier comments about "doing your homework" if you're going to road-trip it are a given, but one thing I'm surprised no one has mentioned; Firestone has many service shops in many places across the country, and if you call ahead and book an appointment for their used vehicle inspection (price varies depending on corp. or franchise shop--I'm a Platinum member and get it for $39), you will not only know what condition the vehicle is in, but also have a print out to negotiate with the seller. (I am not affiliated with Firestone, but appreciate their availability.)

[tigobah]

When I was a young guy I had many sports cars, among them a Sunbeam Alpine, Triumph TR4, MG Midget, Jaguar XKE and a Datsun 240Z. Things changed as I got married and we started a family. Always missed having a top-down two-seater but I never missed the work they entailed. Finally about 4 years ago I got a used 2008 Mazda MX-5 with the six-speed manual trans. What a fun car to drive. As good as any of the old sports cars I had but without having to worry about the Lucas electrics or having to balance the Weber carbs. I'll drive this thing until I can no longer get in and out of it.

[RP]

Originally Posted by tigobah

...Finally about 4 years ago I got a used 2008 Mazda MX-5 with the six-speed manual trans. What a fun car to drive. As good as any of the old sports cars I had but without having to worry about the Lucas electrics or having to balance the Weber carbs. I'll drive this thing until I can no longer get in and out of it.

As a kid I was exposed to a TR-3, Morgan, MGB and MG-TD and now own a '10 Mazda MX5. I agree that these Mazdas retain the joys of driving classic sports cars without the headaches. Being retired and owning an MX5, it's always 5 o'clock except when someone is blocking the way between my front door and my ragtop...

[Don Lampson]

Just a follow up on my EOLCV... I couldn't get to it fast enough. "Snooze & you lose", I guess? Someone else drove it off into their future...

But, my dream is still alive, and my search continues... I'm finding that there's still some nice Solara convertibles, out there... The problem is finding a good one in red....

Don

[KevWind]

2012 Red body Black roof Mini Clubman S
I shoot a photo tomorrow

[Acousticado]

Ahh, too bad. Like I’d said, it took me at least a couple of months to find my Solara rag top. You’ll find a great one...they’re out there.

Have you seen this one? It’s an ‘04, in LA, but only has 78k miles on it. Looks pretty good in the pics. https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/l-Used...ting=280918638

[Don Lampson]

Originally Posted by Acousticado

Ahh, too bad. Like I’d said, it took me at least a couple of months to find my Solara rag top. You’ll find a great one...they’re out there.

Have you seen this one? It’s an ‘04, in LA, but only has 78k miles on it. Looks pretty good in the pics. https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/l-Used...ting=280918638

I've contacted them by e-mail, but they haven't replied? Same goes for a Black, 07, model in Costa Mesa....

Don

[joe white]

Don, sorry you missed out on the first one. That often happens when you are car shopping. I don't know if you are a Costco member but if so, you might consider using their auto locator. My wife wanted a very specific Toyota Rav4 earlier this year. All the usual search sites found cars with too many miles or just too far to drive and buy so she searched through Costco and we found the exact car she wanted with only 8000 miles on it. That kind of mileage is nearly unheard of with an almost three year old car. It was at a Chrysler dealership about 1.5 hours from us. The car was in great shape, drove well and the dealer gave us a very fair trade in for the failing Escape she had been driving the last four years. I didn't even know that Costco had such a service.

Keep up the search. The hunt can be part of the fun of buying a new car.