So I've been thinking of good "project" cars that can keep me busy (and happy) for a long time. It's actually a tough decision. Here's what I'm looking for: (1) high quality design when it was new, (2) beautiful, (3) timeless (not dated looked), (4) classy (no fox-body mustangs), (5) good performance with moderate upgrades, (6) not overly expensive/collectible, (7) some amount of support available (i.e. possible to get parts, find people to work on it, etc).
My current list, including some thoughts (and feel free to add yours):
-300zx (doesn't do it for me aesthetically, but otherwise fits the bill)
-Supra
-Rx-7
-Ferrari 355 (too expensive for what it is)
-Ferrari 308 GTS (starting to look dated to me)
-BMW 850Ci or 850Csi
I've always loved the 8 series. It's obviously not as performance oriented as most of the other cars on the list, but that's not a problem for me. My real concern is availability and support. Used models don't seem too outrageously priced, although condition is a concern. I wonder if there are quality forums for the car, though. And whether any mechanics know how to work on the v12. What about aftermarket parts? Does the car have any fatal flaws that can't be dealt with?
I'm sure some of you car guys know the answers to some of these questions already, so share your knowledge!
Here's a link to a nice example of an 8-series:
1991 BMW 850 V12 6 Speed Home Page