My Quest To Buy A Classic Car (1): Choosing A Car

I'm gonna do it!  I'm going to buy a classic car.  It's going to be a long process, as I am very indecisive (almost fickle) and because I still have to find a place to store it.  At the earliest, I will get it in about a year's time.  But I thought I would chronicle my journey, from research to test drives to purchase.  I hope you enjoy this series and learn from my mistakes (which I am sure will result).

So the first question is, what am I looking for?  First, in the span of fifteen minutes, I came up with a list of cars within my price range-- $5,000 to $10,000.  My list is as follows:

1. Alfa Romeo GTV
2. Alfa Romeo Milano
3. Alfa Romeo Spider
4. Audi ur-Quattro
5. BMW E24 6 Series
6. BMW E30 M3
7. Chevrolet Camaro (1967-69)
8. Citroen CX wagon
9. Citroen XM
10. Datsun 240Z
11. Ford Mustang LX (with trunk)
12. Isuzu Impulse (first generation)
13. Maserati BiTurbo
14. Mazda Miata
15. Mazda RX-7 (FD)
16. Mercedes R107 450SL
17. Mercedes W124 500E
18. Mercedes W126 560SEC
19. Merkur XR4Ti
20. Mini Cooper (original)
21. Nissan 300ZX (last generation)
22. Peugeot 504
23. Peugeot 505
24. Pontiac Firebird Trans Am (late 1970s)
25. Porsche 928
26. Porsche 944
27. VW Scirocco

I know, some of these are not technically classic cars.  Plus, some of these may not be available for under $10,000.  But it's my list, so there.

My second step is to figure out my priorities.  I want, in no particular order, the following characteristics in my car:

• easy to work on,
• easy to find parts,
• reliable,
• safe,
• good looking,
• sporty (two doors), and
• significant number of local shops that have experience working on the car.

Preliminarily, and this is very preliminary, I have chosen the Mercedes-Benz 450SL.  I don't know how easy it is to work on, but I see one of these at least once or twice a week on the road.  They are reliable, as my folks' W116 450SEL ran like a champ for over twenty years.  It is relatively safe, although the lack of a top may be an issue.  I think it will be a classic in five to ten years, if it isn't one already.  A quick Craigslist search revealed a handful of superficially decent examples for $5,000 to $8,000.

A little background on the American 450SL: In 1972, it was called the 350SL, although it had a 4.5 liter V8.  It was called the 450SL from '73 through '80.  It produced approximately 185 horsepower and 230 lb-ft of torque.  I'm not too crazy about the fact that it only comes with a 3-speed auto.

I will obviously have to do more research.  This involves surfing the net, buying a few guidebooks, and chatting it up with the local independent Mercedes shops.

If I do get one, I will immediately change the headlights and bumpers so that they have the original, European look.  Plus, any aftermarket/modern head unit will be tossed in favor of the original Becker Mexico tuner.  Wish me luck!