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which one should I keep?

I have a 1971 144 with an M40 transmission and a 1988 240 sedan, auto trans. I'm moving house to within easy walking distance from work, and going from a double garage to a single. I really have no need for both cars, but I am having trouble working out which to keep. They both have small amounts of rust, and the body is in about the same condition in both. The 144 has 110,000 miles on it, and has noisy valves and/or rocker assembly that will need attention at some point. I've had it for about 3 years, and it's otherwise in very good shape mechanically. The 240 I bought for cheap a year ago, and I've been slowly taking care of the previous owner's mild neglect of some systems. It has 130,000 miles on it, and needs suspension bushings quite badly. I really enjoy driving the 140, but to be honest, the heavy steering in town and inability to do 70mph quietly make me choose the 240 for many trips. The 240 is pretty effortless and enjoyable to drive. The 144 is way cuter, and here in the UK it does not incur road tax -- which is about £200 per year for a 240 (US$300). I keep flip-flopping about which to keep. The 144 is so simple, and starts and runs every time. The 240 has been a pain in the backside, but I'm steadily making it more reliable. Sorry for the long post, but I'd appreciate suggestions.

David








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    which one should I keep?

    I would say you should decide which to keep by deciding how much time you can or want to spend working on your car.

    I had a 90 740T for several years and it needed maintenance or repairs frequently, as I undid a decade of poor/no maintenance. It's parked, after an engine swap didn't go so well.

    Now I'm driving an 84 244DL. No ABS or Airbags. It's noisier. But it starts every time, and aside from my freshening up a few things when I bought it to get it running right and oil changes, it has asked nothing from me.
    It needs its overdrive seals replaced, tires, and tie rods, and is quite loud doing 3000rpm at 60mph, but it gets me around just fine.
    There is a lot of maintenance I could do to it, but that is waiting for summer.

    I live just shy of a mile from my school, so I've just been walking there and taking the car to get groceries.

    The third option you didn't mention is to keep neither. Just food for thought, but some cars aren't worth fixing up money-wise, thought they may be other-wise.

    Good Luck







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