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I thought about getting a 325 with the 's' package, but, it is Texas, so I figured I'd get some great life out of a drop-top. And yes, it leaks, and is disintegrating as we speak. Sometime in the next month it's going to get it's first non-dealer service, when I have the local top shop replace the top. BMW wanted about 2g's to do it, and I simply won't pay that much.

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I drive a 1999 Honda Civic Hatchback named "Lindy." She is very practical, reliable, cheap to run, and surprisingly comfortable and roomy inside.

In this item from my CyberNet -- "You'll know Objectivism is winning when the parking lot looks like THIS ..."  (click here)  -- my Lindy is the one on the bottom right.

Where do the Ayn Rand was Right license plate holders come from?

Brent

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Here is an apropos picture of my 2000 corvette convertible, 345 hp and 0-60 mph in 4.8 seconds. It was taken the last time that Bush ran for president! The Santa hat was for our Christmas card that year, in which the corvette turned into a sleigh with us all riding along.

post-376-1099093081_thumb.jpg

Here is some picture of the new 2005 c6 corvette I ordered in yellow. 400 hp and 0-60 mph in 4.2 seconds. I expect it to be delivered in about three months.

post-376-1099092978_thumb.jpg

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To second an earlier post:

Where do I find an "Ayn Rand was right" frame?  I don't think the "John Roberts BMW" frame is exhibiting my selfishness quite as well as it could be.

We had it made at a local custom licence frame place. There are many of these little firms around. Here is a pointer to an online source for custom frames. They are quite reasonable.

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Where do the Ayn Rand was Right license plate holders come from?

My husband Stephen had it custom made for me when I got Lindy (my car). Check out local stationery or sign shops or the internet for people who make them.

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Love the license plates, Betsy!

Here is my Taurus– it’s not very fancy, but it’s my first car, and it sure gets around.

FordTaurus.jpg

I am actually looking for a used sporty stick convertible for my next ride – any suggestions? I am as clueless when it comes to cars as I am expert with computers...

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What are the most important criteria for you in a car, David? And what sort of price range?

Well, I know very little about cars, frequently drive long distances, and don’t require a lot of cargo room. I’m a sucker for gadgets. Anything between $5-$25K is good. Other than that, see my first point.

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So, you need a car that:

- Is a sporty convertible

- Is reliable (because you don't know a lot about cars and because you do a lot of driving)

- Is comfortable (again because you want a car that can travel long distances effortlessly)

- Has good mechanicals / technology.

One that comes immediately to mind is the Nissan 300ZX. While they're not 'low maintenance' cars, as long as service them by the book, they should be quite reliable. Nissan in general make very good, strong engines, and the powerplant of the 300ZX is no exception. They're also quite powerful and I think it's one of the best looking cars to ever come out of Japan. The one bad thing about this car is its hefty weight, but that probably wouldn't concern you too much.

Here is a picture:

http://photostore.automark.net/dealerphotos/201177/C1708.JPG

Another one you may be interested in would be the Toyota MR2 of the mid-90's. Think Ferrari on a smaller, more affordable scale and you get the picture. It's not strictly a convertible, but some of them had targa tops (removable roof panels). The mechanicals are bulletproof, it looks great and handles very nicely. But, it is not as comfortable for long-range trips as the 300ZX is, and is quite a bit smaller.

http://home.c2i.net/motorsentrum/mr2rd94.jpg

Another one to consider is the Toyota Supra from the mid 90's. In many ways, it is quite similar to the 300ZX in terms of idea and execution.

http://www.whatodo.ru/bestcars/cars/toyota...ra/supra-06.jpg

Apart from those three, you could also check out some of the BMW 3-series convertibles (and this thread seems to have a few BMW fans that you could ask questions from) and the Mazda Miata / MX-5 may also be worth checking out.

Have fun!

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David, I would look at Mazda Miatas first. Very fun, reliable, and there are a lot of used ones out there.

Is anyone else wondering why Stephen drives a new Vette and Betsy an old Civic? My wife would never stand for that! <_<

As for Volvos, yes they are very safe but so are Subarus. I think Subarus are a better value for money.

edit: David, there is also this:

slide22.jpg

It has a hybid powertrain for extra power and better fuel economy. The only problem is it doesn't exist yet! (The pics are of a concept car.)

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Is anyone else wondering why Stephen drives a new Vette and Betsy an old Civic? My wife would never stand for that!  B)

Ha! Betsy is free to drive any car that she wants, and that is the one she chose. She is the thrifty one in our family, and I am the spendthrift. It works out well because, on the average, we even things out. <_<

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Ha! Betsy is free to drive any car that she wants, and that is the one she chose. She is the thrifty one in our family, and I am the spendthrift. It works out well because, on the average, we even things out.  B)

Stephen and I are enough alike to be comfortable with each other and enough different to have an exciting relationship. <_<

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I am actually looking for a used sporty stick convertible for my next ride – any suggestions? I am as clueless when it comes to cars as I am expert with computers...

I have to suggest my car, a mid 90s Honda del Sol. A lot of people refer to the car as a Honda del SLOW, but they've obviously never driven a DOHC VTEC model. It's quite quick, handles great, has a smooth and easy manual 5 speed, and I think it's better than a convertible. The del Sol has a targa top, so the roof is a hard top that is removable and can be stored in the trunk.

A DOHC VTEC model is relatively harder to find than the other two models but usually runs around $6,000 or $7,000.

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She is the thrifty one in our family, and I am the spendthrift. It works out well because, on the average, we even things out.  :D

It's the reverse for me. B) on the bright side, my wife earns more than I do, so it evens out. ;)

Does Betsy ever drive the Vette? Does she like it? My wife had no interest in sporty cars until we got the WRX, which was my idea. Now, though, she loves driving it and I have to share it on twisty roads. :(

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It's the reverse for me. :D on the bright side, my wife earns more than I do, so it evens out. :D

Does Betsy ever drive the Vette? Does she like it? My wife had no interest in sporty cars until we got the WRX, which was my idea. Now, though, she loves driving it and I have to share it on twisty roads. :D

The driving experience is not the same for Betsy as it is for me. On her own, since Betsy has to get from A to B, for her it is an opportunity to listen to books on tapes, or the like. When we are out together, driving is an opportunity to look at all the sights, so she navigates, and I drive. Lucky me!

Needless to say, my goal in driving is to make sure that the tires stick to the road, but, just barely. :D

p.s. This forum gives new meaning to the relativity of simultaniety. My words quoted above ("She is the thrifty ...") show in my original post as having been posted at 7:51 am. As quoted in your response they show as 9:51 am., and as quoted by CaptialismForever they show as 3:51 pm! Further proof that Einstein was right. :D

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The driving experience is not the same for Betsy as it is for me. On her own, since Betsy has to get from A to B, for her it is an opportunity to listen to books on tapes, or the like. When we are out together, driving is an opportunity to look at all the sights, so she navigates, and I drive. Lucky me!

Sara and I used to be like that too, and mostly we still are. But that is slowly changing ... Oh well, at least she is a good driver.

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I am actually looking for a used sporty stick convertible for my next ride – any suggestions?

GC-

I'm one of the BMW owners. The 325 Convertible is a great car: it's relatively sporty and can be had with a stick. Plus, mine was from '89 with great mileage, and it was only 6k. So, chances are you can get a much later one (just a guess: 323ic's from 1998 and newer go for about 18k in College Station via Autotrader.com). The only caveat I'd say is that you should be prepared to pay quite a bit for parts and to suffer a lot of depreciation should you buy a newer model. My car is on the verge of becoming a classic, and so it is actually going to slow depreciation and soon enough appreciate. This car you buy for say 18k will probably only be worth half or less in about 5 years. Keep that in mind if you start seriously looking at Beemers.

I'll second the above recommendations too, but add one more: A Ford Probe (although it isn't a convertible). I'm a mechanic outside of classes, and my roommate (also a mechanic) has one. The newer ones with GT badging are quite quick, and should be fairly cheap (although the Autotrader search doesn't reveal anything worthwhile in your area). The most important aspect to my roommate is that they are really cheap to maintain. They are a japanese car that Ford rebranded, so you don't have to worry as much about durability, either.

The reason I'd recommend a car to you that doesn't meet your specification quite so exactly is that I would be extremely wary of buying a car with a drop-top (even though I have one). Too many times the top is on its way out when you get it, and then you're stuck replacing it. How much does it rain where you live? Chances are even if the top looks absolutely perfect, it's got a leak. Just a few things to consider.

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