Discussion
As I'm (hopefully!) going to be gradutating with my degree next summer, and it coincides with my 21st birthday and a bit of inheritance coming my way, I'm going to be on the hunt for a car.
I discarded the kitcar idea, as that would be too expensive (at least 5k for the car, and more for everything else), and decided to go the retro route. So I'm after something thats:
a) retro
b) easy to work on/tinker with
c) at least 2 litres
d) RWD
e) £1500 tops
I've thought about maybe getting an unmolested 1.3l escort, and dropping in a 2 litre pinto from a scrappy...I don't have any experience with anything this major, but I reckon the only way to learn would be to do it - good summer project!
I discarded the kitcar idea, as that would be too expensive (at least 5k for the car, and more for everything else), and decided to go the retro route. So I'm after something thats:
a) retro
b) easy to work on/tinker with
c) at least 2 litres
d) RWD
e) £1500 tops
I've thought about maybe getting an unmolested 1.3l escort, and dropping in a 2 litre pinto from a scrappy...I don't have any experience with anything this major, but I reckon the only way to learn would be to do it - good summer project!
I've thought along the Capri lines already - a 2.0, or even 2.8i if I can find one would be great...would be a mk3 - I'd hazard a guess that a half decent mk1 would be out of my price range.
An old cavalier is kind of out - Gareth (littlegearl), who is a good mate drives one already!
What're the old E21 3 series BMs like? I've not heard or seen much about them...which might be a good thing - a bit more individual?
An old cavalier is kind of out - Gareth (littlegearl), who is a good mate drives one already!
What're the old E21 3 series BMs like? I've not heard or seen much about them...which might be a good thing - a bit more individual?
Competent, fairly bland, not too bad to work on but some awkward bits IIRC, driving position felt a bit funny (low) to me, driver's seats wear out.
Triumph 2000 / 2500 / 2.5PI range are nice cars, bit soft and wallowy though; same engine in the smaller and sportier Vitesse and GT6. Common fault with these engines is dropping crankshaft thrust washers, which makes the clutch go funny.
Volvo Amazons are tough and easy to work on and you should be able to get one within budget.
Triumph 2000 / 2500 / 2.5PI range are nice cars, bit soft and wallowy though; same engine in the smaller and sportier Vitesse and GT6. Common fault with these engines is dropping crankshaft thrust washers, which makes the clutch go funny.
Volvo Amazons are tough and easy to work on and you should be able to get one within budget.
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