Looking for another vintage car/grand tourer as good to drive as the Coupe

Luis A.

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Hi guys, of several vintage cars I own I find myself gravitating to the coupe for most driving events. It is such an enjoyable car to drive, even in its bone stock form as mine is, with 3.0 /Zeniths and the 4 speed box. Never mind the good looks, reliability, parts availability and the great community of support that exists.

I'd like to have another vintage grand tourer that I would enjoy driving as much as the coupe but I know of none. What other car(s) do you own that you enjoy driving as much as the coupe on, say, a drive of 100s or 1,000s of miles over the course of a few days? Let's leave aside the good looks, parts and community for this question. Let me hear your thoughts!
 

Luis A.

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dp: Had one of those. Although enjoyable in many ways, the dynamics not like the coupe at all. Seemed a bit more ponderous. Chris, can you elaborate? Which of those have you driven.
 

Stevehose

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Alfa all the way with Weber carbs. GTV or older, talk to Scott Crater, resident Alfista
 

teahead

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XJ12C or xj6c. Was a great car.

20160612_185643.jpg
 

Arde

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I am multi-tasking between the Coupe and the Lancia Fulvia for fun after work and week-end rides. The Fulvia has less power but a very flat torque curve up to 6k RPM. The Fulvia handles better for cornering and twisties, but if you do lots of highway the CR tranny has you at 4k to 5k RPM for prolonged periods of time, like here:



A great project would be to get a Fulvia and figure out a way of adapting a 6-speed transaxle...

The community is a bit smaller in the US but parts have not been a problem.
 

rsporsche

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i have to agree on alfa / lancia ... although electrical issues can be painful. i love the alfa gtv from the late 60's to mid 70's. put the pricing on these is a little out of hand for a good one. as for BMW - the 2002 tii, a big yes, also - what about the e24 or the early 5 series - e12 or e28 (just not the 528e). there are also the porsche 924s or turbo / 944s, s2 or turbo - a little smaller but a lot of fun
 

Luis A.

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Thanks for all the great suggestions guys. I did think about an E24 and a tii but the experience would be too close to that of the coupe. I would enjoy something from a different manufacturer yet retaining a similar driving experience. I really feel that vintage BMWs constitute a rare sweet spot in the world of vintage vehicles given the superior support, parts, documentation, reliability and price points but I'd like to experience something else. I've developed a strong affinity for the Euro (and only Euro) Dino 308 GT4 but I think the driving experience will not be that of a tourer but closer to a 911 type experience. I'm interested in learning more about the vintage Alfa's. Hopefully I can find one locally to get a ride/drive in.
 

rsporsche

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one thing i learned when driving an early 60's alfa - test drive for Scott Crater of a local car ... they don't drive like a modern car. now the mid '70's alfas - gorgeous drive in the GTV. a sailing friend had one in louisiana and we had a half hour ride to the lake each way on a really twisty road. tons of fun. i had a rally friend who had a lancia beta scorpion ... also a lot of fun ... i always liked the look of the beta sedan. i drove a slighly bigger lancia sedan in italy ... nice drive on the road from Bologna to Florence with all of the tunnels. if you can find one to drive, try a lancia delta integrale ... a little expensive, but cool car
 

rsporsche

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Nicad

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I smile almost every drive in my Miata with a few mods. Best mid corner correcting car I have ever driven. Sorry for the thread drift.
I'd probably buy a 240-Z , GSR Type R, or an NSX if I was getting another collectible and wanted something neat but different.
My Brother loved his Mercedes 300CE. Probably too new if I am reading you correctly.
 
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Ohmess

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I think that 65 Riv is one of the best looking cars GM every built.

How about an early 70s MB 280SE convertible.
 

craterface

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Alfas are not really grand tourers. But I have done a 400 mile day in my Junior Zagato, and it was fantastic for me. I am a pretty small guy, so I fit well in them, GTVs are also great cars. They all rust, just like BMWs, but parts are plentiful and they are fairly easy to fix. I'd say it's more the gauges that have issues, rather than the rest of the electrical system. Every vintage Alfa drives differently, so you have to try them out. I have owned a Duetto and GTV until recently, and still have a 63 Sprint. A Giulia Super is an interesting car, roomier, same mechanicals. I would want one with a 1750 or 2 liter transplant.
I just sold my 1994 e320 Mercedes Cab. An amazing car and definitely a grand tourer. They built coupes too (300CE), and of course sedans. Head gaskets and wiring harnesses all fail, and interior plastic parts can fail. Wonderful drivers.
American iron is out of favor at the moment, and I love my 53 Lincoln Capri pillarless coupe, and would love to drive a chrysler 300 from the 50s. Bob Lutz's 300 sold at auction recently. It looked stock, but was modified to maximize performance.
I also can concur with all the suggestions above.
If the budget is north of 50k, you could check out the Ferrari 456. Wonderful car.

BTW Jmackro knows much more about Alfas than I do. And bfeng has one too.
 
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