Since it seems like gas cars are going to be banned within next decade or so(I know, I think it's dumb, but the government is pushing it, so it is what it is) , I want to buy a car that could last me quite a time but also have some value after 20-30 years. Since I'm no millionaire, I'm thinking about the ND2 Miata or the new GR86/BRZ. What do you think is a better buy in terms of longevity and collectability? If you think there is a better buy, what car would that be?
I don't think any new car will have much in the way of longevity or collect ability. The trend towards planned obsolescence and disposable vehicles is pretty clear, judging from the current offerings. I seriously doubt that anything made new today will have any value, let alone be running in 20-30 years.
This really is a dark age for car enthusiasts, isn't it? When I can finally afford some cars I wanted, (Like lc500, RC F, stuff like that), manufacturers won't be making them anymore. Sad day we are living in..
True, true.
Although Doc the Lexus LFA, modern Ferraris (especially special edition ones), Porsche 918 Sypder and some of the other 911s, the Ford GT, Dodge Demon, Dodge Viper ACR, Corvette ZR1, McLaren P1 - these are all examples of vehicles made within the last 10 years that have all gone up in value and coveted by collectors! (even before 2020 and the current madness).
All of those are unreliable, money pit cars with high tech electronics (although the Lexus LFA would be more reliable) but people still buy and collect them.
I was referring to car made from 2021 on. If you have the money for Porshes and Ferraris and can lock them in a hyperbolic chamber for 20 years, have at it. I was considering normal, every day vehicles.
Correct. None of the everyday, mass produced cars will be collectibles. And then the ones that are collectibles are very expensive to buy and maintain/repair.
I would not touch one of those cars. If you want a collectable item in terms of longevity- try an older Ford Mustang GT. Be careful when buying one of those because people will wreck the heck out of them. You may also find some luck with a V6 mustang because it won't be beaten as much as a V8.
I doubt the older Mustang GT will become a collectible, maybe a Special edition version but that would be decades later, in excellent condition, and low mileage and assuming there is demand for them.
None of them will be collectible because so many will have been made, so I wouldn’t make that a criteria. If you truly care about that, get the rare, exclusive Lexus LC500 but that is lots of $$$. Also, you have to keep the mileage very low on the vehicle, but again if it’s a Miata or GR86 they are not going to become collectibles.
Are you looking at a toy or a daily driver? Anyways, if you are OK with the tight space and it’s just going to be a toy, I would go with the Miata. Otherwise, as a daily driver I’d go with the GR86. If you have the money, for a daily I would also consider the Lexus RC350 F-sport.
I don't think that the Lexus will be a collectable because the repairs for those vehicles are expensive. I am not saying that those vehicles are not reliable. Whenever I think of a collectable I think of manual transmissions and neither the Lexus LC or RC-F has those as an option.
@kesterpaul62 they are all going to be money pits and expensive to repair in the future because they have so much electronics on board good luck getting those modules and someone who knows how to fix them - it won’t be cheap to fix. Maybe a 90s/early 2000s car would be better than any vehicle in the last 10-20 years. I told OP to just forget about collector car status; just get an enthusiast car and enjoy it.
Also, collector cars don’t necessarily need to be manual. Just look at the Ferraris (special edition ones), Porsche 918, some of the Porsche 911s with PDK, the Lexus LFA have all gone up in value and they don’t have manual transmission.
What ever you get you'll need to adopt a two car strategy. Preserve one and drive it occasionally. Then have a beater for the tortures of daily use. You'll go through two or three of those in a 20-30 year time span. I think DOC is right that today's cars just won't last. They're not made to.
Get a Civic type R, if money is not the issue.
If Toyota actually releases an MR2 successor that’s actually a Toyota, that may be interesting and fit the criteria. Not too sure about pricing.
Miata would come closer to hitting the criteria, but since it is mass production, may not be as collectible in terms of $$$. It is definitely an enthusiast car, and may be collectible and in that sense if the word.
I feel like the ND2 is more proven in terms of reliability too, since it's been around for quite a while and didn't really have any known issues. I would want to buy something more rare, but you know, money's always the factor we can't ignore haha. I just want to enjoy it for a long time rather than really making money out of it.
If you don’t have much money, get a C5 Corvette Z06 maybe one of the special editions they aren’t that much more expensive. You get a V8 in a light manual drivers car.
You didn't say how old and how collectible you want, but if you want to get your hands dirty and learn how they worked on cars in the good ol' days, I'd suggest finding an American car from the 70s to the mid 80s or so. Get the full-size sedans nobody wants right now, before they're the only ones left and people charge them up as well. I paid $750 for my 1979 Catalina this year, it needed $300 in brake work and $400 in tires to be driveable again after sitting for 5 years. You will get a lot of enjoyment out of working on one, and there are a few great guys here to answer your questions about carburetors. @Doc and @Chuck-Tobias are those guys.
Get an american made anything built before 1972 [ no emission controls! ] and restore it and drive it.Try to find one with a good engine and tranny [rear wheel drive ] and the rest can be fixed as go go.
IMHO the engines are these to look for.
GM ; 2.5 l 4,250 I6.,3.8 L V6, 4.3 L V6, 350 V8, 305 V8, 454 V8.
Ford; 351V8, 300 I 6.
Crystler, 318 V 8, 225 slant 6. 360 V8.
Good Luck
