I shall shove my 2p in here. I have had a few E30 Beemers, when they were still cheap. I would run them till they died and then pick up another, swap the best bits off the dead one and scrap the rest.
Yes, they rusted, but they were lovely to drive. The big difference, I think, is that when fixing/taking them to bits, fasteners would come undone, door cards would fit back on properly and not break all the little plastic thingies, stuff like that. Compared to other cars of the same age (Ford spring to mind as I had a few of them too), they seemed better put together and thought out.
And if you were really stuck for parts the main stealer could get them over night, whereas the Ford man would be shaking his head and mumbling about not carrying much for them anymore (unless it was a 1300 xflow engine!)
Yes, they rusted, but they were lovely to drive. The big difference, I think, is that when fixing/taking them to bits, fasteners would come undone, door cards would fit back on properly and not break all the little plastic thingies, stuff like that. Compared to other cars of the same age (Ford spring to mind as I had a few of them too), they seemed better put together and thought out.
And if you were really stuck for parts the main stealer could get them over night, whereas the Ford man would be shaking his head and mumbling about not carrying much for them anymore (unless it was a 1300 xflow engine!)