I Need A Totally Awesome 80's Car For Ten Grand! What Should I Buy?

Despite what some people think, the 1980s had some pretty awesome cars. Josh’s buddies have realized this, and have started an official local car club in Tulsa, OK where they zoom around in 80s’ classics. But Josh needs his own ride with two doors from the decadent decade. What car should he buy?

Jalopinions | Porsche 944

(Welcome back to What Car Should You Buy? Where we give real people real advice about buying cars. Do you want us to help you find a car? Submit your story on our form.)

Here is the scenario.

Quick Facts:

First-off, I’m not a car guy, but I like perusing Jalopnik for the interesting articles. Some friends of mine have started buying weekend drivers and we’re considering forming an unofficial “city limits” club – cars that we probably wouldn’t take to take on a road trip, but are fun to kick around in. One has an ‘81 cabriolet, another just bought a 1986 MX-2 for 9k with less than 40k miles, and it looks amazing. The rules are as-follows: an 80s car with two doors, for less than 10k. Because I will do zero wrenching myself, I need this to be halfway reliable, even though I will only drive it around town, and probably not even every week. I like the bodystyle of the 85 Fiero, but am open to just about anything. I’m very utilitarian with cars otherwise, but in this case the looks/fun factor are of primary importance.

Budget: Less than $10,000

Location: Tulsa, OK

Daily Driver: No

Wants: two doors, fun, reliable-ish

Doesn’t want: Anything after 89’

Expert 1 – Tom McParland: B-Unique

Image: Autotrader.com

So let’s be real for a second, if you are shopping for a forty-year-old car at less than ten grand, reliability is going to be a big ask. That being said, if you can score a vehicle that isn’t terribly complicated you should be able to find someone who can manage the maintenance. While there are plenty of excellent rides from the 1980s, the Radwood effect has caused a number of the icons to really shoot up in value, this doesn’t leave a ton of options at that sub $10,000 price point, especially in your area.

That means you are going to need to get creative in terms of the car and location. I would suggest something Japanese as these tended to be built to last without being overly complex. A dealer in Florida called SV Classic Cars has a neat selection of vehicles from various decades at a variety of price points. They have this 1987 Nissan BE-1 with only 75,000 miles for just under eight grand. The car needs some work, but that is probably to be expected for almost anything you buy within this budget. However, the ad indicates that several major components were upgraded or repaired. The speedometer doesn’t work, but I doubt you will be exceeding your local speed limits with its 1.0-liter motor. Also since this is a JDM import, you will need to learn to shift with your left.

Expert 2 – Bradley Brownell – The Best Cars Start With 9

Image: Autotrader

My first Porsche was a 944, and I’ve owned half a dozen of them over the years. I absolutely adore these cars, and this is an absolute no-brainer for your budget and desires. There isn’t a car that screams 1980s more than the 944, and there isn’t a better car from the era you can buy for less than ten grand. I’ve done tens of thousands of miles in 944s, and driven them across the country, and every mile is more fun than the last.

So long as the water pump, balance shaft belt, and timing belt are changed on schedule (an admittedly truncated schedule, as they’re required every 60,000 miles), these cars will keep you on the road for as long as you want them to. I had a 944 Turbo with half a million miles on the original engine, if you can believe it. When they’re cared for properly, the reliability can be described as “dead nuts.”

This Zermatt Silver Metallic example is a later 1988 model, and while I personally prefer the 1983-only manual steering rack and MkI Golf-derived front suspension of the pre-1985 models, these late 944s are still a great ownership experience waiting to happen. The seller claims this car has fresh belts and pump, working A/C, and a fresh tune-up with just 130,000 miles on the clock. They’re asking a low-for-this-market $5,995, so that gives you some budget to fix a few of the issues, like the torn passenger seat and the not-yet-nasty rocker rust.

Expert 3 – Steve DaSilva: Make Them All Jealous

Photo: Facebook Marketplace

Josh, my friend, you’ve got a fun set of criteria here. Coupes of the ‘80s are largely gorgeous, entertaining cars, and you could do plenty worse than the Fiero that your eye is set on. The thing is, you could do better too — you could get a Toyota MR2.

What is an MR2 but a Fiero that’s more reliable, better looking, and stuck around in the market for decades longer? That longevity makes MR2s plentiful on the used market, and the Corolla reliability means you’re likely to find one that’s cheap and in good shape. Take this example, a relatively clean ‘88 model with some recent fixes for just half your budget. That’s a lot of room left to bring it by a mechanic and ensure it’s in tip-top shape — and to keep it there for a good long while.

Or, if you really want to be the cool kid on the block, you could put that money elsewhere. You’ve got $5,000 left to spend on ‘80s coupes, so why not add an ‘88 Prelude Si to the collection? That still leaves you with $2,000 in spare cash to keep the two fueled and oiled, and it means you can keep some variety in those retro cruises.