I would not think twice about buying a well maintained and serviced German car that has done 100,000 +.We had an R reg BMW 323i from new and I swear it was as good at 100k as it was when we bought it.
If you are thinking older cars like a Capri for example, is it not best to go for one that has been renovated to a very high standard, if not you may be buying whole heaps of trouble.
Problem is that properly renovated cars are expensive, or are there many good ones still out there.
I know what you mean about soft tops, if you have on street parking its a worry, cold frosty mornings are uncomfortable and a poor one can leak, some 2nd hand MX5's come with a hard top which sorts all that out.
However, on a sunny day zooming around the country lanes and down to the beach you...
If you can get away with 2 seats then go for Mk1 Mazda MX5 the one with the pop up headlights.
Get a British made 1.8.One that has been looked after and has a good roof or maybe even a hard roof for the winter.
I had one in British racing green.
Whar a brilliant car it was, great to drive and...