Your bangernomics stories...
Discussion
..How many people here have been successful bangerneers?
I haven't. I've had two real bangers. A 1993 vauxhall astra with 120k on it. Unfortunately I only got 4 months out of it before it hit a rather big pothole rather quickly (private land - no chance of cliaiming from the council) and needed £600 of work to get roadworthy. Bought for £250, sold for £125, 4 months/5000miles trouble free motoring though.
My second was a Hyundai Accent. It was very rusty around the arches, but I got it for £100 and immediately took it on holiday to scotland. Unfortunately when i got back it was due and MOT, and despite the trip being trouble fee, it needed plenty of suspension work + tyres. 2 months motoring, sold without MOT for £180. (Unfortunately it cost me a lot more than that including insurance, so made a sizable loss on it)
Since then I haven't ventured into the bangernomics arena.
I do however have a friend who needed a van when he started his own business. He knows f-all about cars and literally went and bought a van ('99 Vauxhall Combo) out of the paper because it "looked clean". I had a look over it, and plenty of rust has been covered up with (wait for it...) household emulsion! Despite the mileage (220k) it has been very good only requiring a thermostat and a headlight bulb (total cost of <£10 with me fitting them for him). Bought for £350, a year on just gone through it's mot with NO advisories!
...
I haven't. I've had two real bangers. A 1993 vauxhall astra with 120k on it. Unfortunately I only got 4 months out of it before it hit a rather big pothole rather quickly (private land - no chance of cliaiming from the council) and needed £600 of work to get roadworthy. Bought for £250, sold for £125, 4 months/5000miles trouble free motoring though.
My second was a Hyundai Accent. It was very rusty around the arches, but I got it for £100 and immediately took it on holiday to scotland. Unfortunately when i got back it was due and MOT, and despite the trip being trouble fee, it needed plenty of suspension work + tyres. 2 months motoring, sold without MOT for £180. (Unfortunately it cost me a lot more than that including insurance, so made a sizable loss on it)
Since then I haven't ventured into the bangernomics arena.
I do however have a friend who needed a van when he started his own business. He knows f-all about cars and literally went and bought a van ('99 Vauxhall Combo) out of the paper because it "looked clean". I had a look over it, and plenty of rust has been covered up with (wait for it...) household emulsion! Despite the mileage (220k) it has been very good only requiring a thermostat and a headlight bulb (total cost of <£10 with me fitting them for him). Bought for £350, a year on just gone through it's mot with NO advisories!
...
i started on bangernomics shortly a few years back as i work in heavy industry and needed a car i could drive through the site everyday and not care about the state it got in [try following an earthmover for a mile on the road in winter!] or the amount of miles i was putting on.
first banger was an N reg 1.1L fiesta. bought for £280 at auction [inc. premium!] with 82k on the clokc and a full year's ticket. i put a pair of front tyres on taxed it, then did 27k miles before the mot ran out when someone paid me £85 to take it away! best banger experience to date by a long way.
second was a H reg pug 205 1.9D which cost £350. again bought at auction as it had 10mths test and looked mint. someone had bodged the mechs. to f
k though - i.e. it needed a new caliper as some no mark had used threadlock on the bleed nut and it sheared off! ended up scrapping this when the head gasket went after 2mths ownership.
nest up was an N reg clio 1.9D, bought for £550 with 63k miles on the clock and a full ticket. kept this for 18mths and put 40k miles on. even passed an MOT, requiring new springs and a new stalk for the main beam.
currently running a skoda felicia bought in september for £275 with a fresh [that day] mot, new discs, pads, calipers, break lines and battery. have had a few starting problems with it and its off the road atm with a fuel problem. either i can fix it this week or i will be buying banger no.5!
first banger was an N reg 1.1L fiesta. bought for £280 at auction [inc. premium!] with 82k on the clokc and a full year's ticket. i put a pair of front tyres on taxed it, then did 27k miles before the mot ran out when someone paid me £85 to take it away! best banger experience to date by a long way.
second was a H reg pug 205 1.9D which cost £350. again bought at auction as it had 10mths test and looked mint. someone had bodged the mechs. to f
k though - i.e. it needed a new caliper as some no mark had used threadlock on the bleed nut and it sheared off! ended up scrapping this when the head gasket went after 2mths ownership. nest up was an N reg clio 1.9D, bought for £550 with 63k miles on the clock and a full ticket. kept this for 18mths and put 40k miles on. even passed an MOT, requiring new springs and a new stalk for the main beam.
currently running a skoda felicia bought in september for £275 with a fresh [that day] mot, new discs, pads, calipers, break lines and battery. have had a few starting problems with it and its off the road atm with a fuel problem. either i can fix it this week or i will be buying banger no.5!
bought a 205 turbo diesel, for £180, spent £80 on filters, timming belt, new front disc, tie rod and drop link. got a set of gti wish bones for free (she needed 2 new ball joints) , £36.50 on mot and £100 for 6 months tax. cleaned up and bought 2 tyres for a set of porsch 924 alloys i had and fitted them.
it handles like a gti, it's got lethal mid range and returns 50 to the gallon. plus it got electric windows and remote central locking.
it handles like a gti, it's got lethal mid range and returns 50 to the gallon. plus it got electric windows and remote central locking.
bought an h reg pug 405 after some numpty drove into the back of my 16v golf.only bought it to get to work in until the insurance claim was sorted.4 years later it was still running strong.only item it needed was a starter motor.brakes packed in after 4 years and i scrapped it. now driving a passat that i was given free.190k on the clock and still running fine
edited to say i had to bypass the heater matrix on the pasat and the compressor for the ac was faulty,so no heat or cold air.this is the kind of thing you have to do in order to run at minimal cost
edited to say i had to bypass the heater matrix on the pasat and the compressor for the ac was faulty,so no heat or cold air.this is the kind of thing you have to do in order to run at minimal cost
Edited by jas xjr on Tuesday 5th May 18:17
Got a fully-loaded 1993 Saab 9000 CSE 2.3 that I bought from a friend in 2006 for I think £700 with 152k on the clock. Acts as a general family hack-about and I've still got it some 3 yrs and 7k miles later. Has needed two new tyres, a new battery and a new rear exhaust section in that time, but that's been it apart from routine servicing. All the multifarious gadgets still work A-ok. This is a recent pic:
Edited by RacingTeatray on Tuesday 5th May 17:30
Bought my Eunos with 10mths T+T for £650, have run it for approx 18mths so far. In that time it has needed a waterpump, I changed the cambelt at the same time, a headlight bulb, and two tyres on the back 
I've covered 16000KM's in her so far, went through the last MOT with no advisories. I have broken the number one rule of bangernomics though and become hopelessly attatched to it, it needs a clutch, some paint, discs and pads and some bushes on the front and I'm just trying to work out the most cost effective way of getting it all done.
I've covered 16000KM's in her so far, went through the last MOT with no advisories. I have broken the number one rule of bangernomics though and become hopelessly attatched to it, it needs a clutch, some paint, discs and pads and some bushes on the front and I'm just trying to work out the most cost effective way of getting it all done.
RacingTeatray said:
Got a fully-loaded 1993 Saab 9000 CSE 2.3 that I bought from a friend in 2006 for I think £700 with 152k on the clock. Acts as a general family hack-about and I've still got it some 3 yrs and 7k miles later. Has needed two new tyres, a new battery and a new rear exhaust section in that time, but that's been it apart from routine servicing. All the multifarious gadgets still work A-ok. This is a recent pic:
Almost identical to mine (a 9000i) which I acquired with slightly fewer miles but added 60k to. Definitely worth buying a slightly bigger, better quality car as a banger - little minis don't depreciate enough and seem to die quickly once past 120-130k.Edited by RacingTeatray on Tuesday 5th May 17:30
I got a Mazda 323f J reg 1.6 auto from ebay in June 2007. It cost me £460.
In nearly 2 years it has only needed a new middle part of exhaust (£40), new front pads (£25) and 2 new drop links (£20).
The Mrs learned to drive in it, an is now using it daily as a run around.
I have also replaced a electric window motor, the other 2 drop links and 2 lower ball joints and front discs, just to make the car perfect for her. I could of left them all but I quite enjoy working on the car, and the parts are well priced from my local parts shop.
In nearly 2 years it has only needed a new middle part of exhaust (£40), new front pads (£25) and 2 new drop links (£20).
The Mrs learned to drive in it, an is now using it daily as a run around.
I have also replaced a electric window motor, the other 2 drop links and 2 lower ball joints and front discs, just to make the car perfect for her. I could of left them all but I quite enjoy working on the car, and the parts are well priced from my local parts shop.
ive been playing the game for a while now.
Had a E30 BMW that cost £200 with 1 month MOT an Tax, needed a back box and a tire for its MOT and spent another £200 in the year. It lasted 20k before engine failed.
Then came my first golf GTI, bought for £600 used for 1 year no money spent on it at all, sold for £800.
Then i bought a mk2 golf gti no T&T for £108, stripped all the panels off it and sold majority of parts to generate £300. Had another golf gti at the same time which id paid £275 with 12mths T&T mechanically perfect but poor bodywork so swapped all the panels from the £108 golf onto it.
Drove it 2 years and it only suffered a alternator failure an that was it. When it required welding for its MOT i stripped it and made £500 plus i kept the engine and gearbox and plenty of other parts.
Bought another mk2 golf GTI excellent bodywork, full leather interior, tired engine. Swapped the engine into it from the £275 golf .
Whilst doing this a bought a passat GT for £90 with 11mths MOT to get me about - sold it 5months later for £450 having replaced only the rear wheel bearings and brake pads.
Got given a Saab 93 TID for free, ran it for a year an gave it to my dad.
Bought a Mk2 Polo for £70 that needed a head gasket, did that , drove it for 3 months sold for £400.
Bought a MK3 polo with the proceeds for £300 with 12mths T&T which is my current daily and in the last few weeks have picked up another mk2 polo for £300 with 11mths MOT&Tax.
So i think i have had around 10 cars all sub £500 in the last 4years 5 of them Golf GTIs an am now left with 2x polos an 1 golf.
dave
Had a E30 BMW that cost £200 with 1 month MOT an Tax, needed a back box and a tire for its MOT and spent another £200 in the year. It lasted 20k before engine failed.
Then came my first golf GTI, bought for £600 used for 1 year no money spent on it at all, sold for £800.
Then i bought a mk2 golf gti no T&T for £108, stripped all the panels off it and sold majority of parts to generate £300. Had another golf gti at the same time which id paid £275 with 12mths T&T mechanically perfect but poor bodywork so swapped all the panels from the £108 golf onto it.
Drove it 2 years and it only suffered a alternator failure an that was it. When it required welding for its MOT i stripped it and made £500 plus i kept the engine and gearbox and plenty of other parts.
Bought another mk2 golf GTI excellent bodywork, full leather interior, tired engine. Swapped the engine into it from the £275 golf .
Whilst doing this a bought a passat GT for £90 with 11mths MOT to get me about - sold it 5months later for £450 having replaced only the rear wheel bearings and brake pads.
Got given a Saab 93 TID for free, ran it for a year an gave it to my dad.
Bought a Mk2 Polo for £70 that needed a head gasket, did that , drove it for 3 months sold for £400.
Bought a MK3 polo with the proceeds for £300 with 12mths T&T which is my current daily and in the last few weeks have picked up another mk2 polo for £300 with 11mths MOT&Tax.
So i think i have had around 10 cars all sub £500 in the last 4years 5 of them Golf GTIs an am now left with 2x polos an 1 golf.
dave
I've been doing this for a while. started with, er, god knows, lots of sheds. '67 Land rover, chevettes, Audi, Rovers 216s, 216 SLi,623is, Alfa 146 Ti.
Los of fun. Alfa is UBER reliable, needed brake discs pads and oil but not much else after cambelt was changed. I do the oil/filter myself so cheap! revs like a motorbike!
£209 fully comp so not worth scrapping. Sounds like no other 4 pot...oh and the leather!
Los of fun. Alfa is UBER reliable, needed brake discs pads and oil but not much else after cambelt was changed. I do the oil/filter myself so cheap! revs like a motorbike!
£209 fully comp so not worth scrapping. Sounds like no other 4 pot...oh and the leather!
I got re-located 120 miles away for work. I stayed in a hotel for the first couple of weeks but hotels are a depressing place to spend your week so decided I would commute and make some extra cash from my mileage. I didn't much fancy it in the VX so I bought a Ford Escort Weasel (minus turbo - gave up the ghost a long time ago by the feel of it) for 200 notes. Years MOT and Tax and 140k miles. Probably the slowest thing on 4 wheels.
Ran it for 6 months and did 15,000 miles without an issue. I managed 50+ mpg...it served me well.
Eventually changed jobs and as if the car new it had done it's duty the clutch went the evening before I started and it went to the great scrap heap in the sky.
I never even opened the bonnet.
RIP the red rocket.
Ran it for 6 months and did 15,000 miles without an issue. I managed 50+ mpg...it served me well.
Eventually changed jobs and as if the car new it had done it's duty the clutch went the evening before I started and it went to the great scrap heap in the sky.
I never even opened the bonnet.
RIP the red rocket.
2 mainly.
First was a clio for £70 with 10 months tax and 2 months MOT. Ran it out of MOT and cashed the tax in. Sold the car for scrap and ended up £50 up.
Second was a laguna off ebay. £100 purchase.. used for all of the remainding tax and MOT and sold it to a polish chap for £120.
Happy days.
First was a clio for £70 with 10 months tax and 2 months MOT. Ran it out of MOT and cashed the tax in. Sold the car for scrap and ended up £50 up.
Second was a laguna off ebay. £100 purchase.. used for all of the remainding tax and MOT and sold it to a polish chap for £120.
Happy days.
When I was 15 I bought a Land Rover series III LWB Safari. It cost me £200, no MOT but was only being used by me to bomb around the field next door in. Even though I knew about Land Rovers (and this one was a perfect example of one not to buy; chassis shot, bulkhead gone, original 2-piece doors buggered, nasty 2.25 diesel capable of about 34mph tops etc) I fell in love and bought it. Lasted about 6months tearing up and down the field, but earned its keep helping to put fences up and shift stuff about. Finally 'died' when I drove over a hill and the core plug burst out the side of the engine, pissing water everywhere and finally knackering the only part of the motor that wasn't in some way broken! I would recommend the experience though, and at that age it was a superb learning curve for me, once you can drive a 3-tonne vehicle that length with no power steering and a dodgy transfer box you can drive anything! I got about £200 in scrap so didn't come out of it too badly.
Edited by al1991 on Friday 8th May 23:40
Track Day Bangernomics..
I used to have a Peugeot 309 Gti 8v , £250 ,stripped out and ragged mercilesly on track days for a couple of years.
Head gasket began to faint over time.. Did'nt stop the fun though , the Pug carried on for a good six months of track fun..
IIRC using 1 litre of water per 10 min track session.
The alternator eventually surrendered , so i used to take a selection of old batteries - changing them when the sod starting mis firing..
Thinking back , those 309's (had three over time) provided some very cheap ,and extremely enjoyable track time
.
I used to have a Peugeot 309 Gti 8v , £250 ,stripped out and ragged mercilesly on track days for a couple of years.
Head gasket began to faint over time.. Did'nt stop the fun though , the Pug carried on for a good six months of track fun..
IIRC using 1 litre of water per 10 min track session
.The alternator eventually surrendered , so i used to take a selection of old batteries - changing them when the sod starting mis firing..
Thinking back , those 309's (had three over time) provided some very cheap ,and extremely enjoyable track time
.Edited by RetroWheels on Friday 8th May 23:44
My first car - a Sierra, bought for £300, with tax and short MoT. Passed that first MoT with flying colours.
Things didn't go so thereafter...
Starter motor died - £120 for a garage to replace.
Backbox fell off on an A-road. Given a backbox from a friend - £0.
Lethal old tyres - new ones all round cost £175 (ouch!)
New front track control arms and polybushes - about £30 from ebay.
New HT leads - twice, as one connecter of the new set at the dizzy cap corroded badly and kept falling off.
Carburettor float went - thus the car massively overfuelling as a result, and failed its second MoT. £15 on ebay - brand new carb (!) and straight through the MoT with no advisories...
... and was crashed into 3 minutes later outside the testing station. New steering rack, front strut and hub, another TCA, and anti-roll bar, with more polybushes added whilst I was there.
Eventually sold it after 18 months for £300. However I'd clearly spent more than that keeping it going, but it was so incredibly rust-free and the interior was sound, would have been a shame to give up on it.
Things didn't go so thereafter...
Starter motor died - £120 for a garage to replace.
Backbox fell off on an A-road. Given a backbox from a friend - £0.
Lethal old tyres - new ones all round cost £175 (ouch!)
New front track control arms and polybushes - about £30 from ebay.
New HT leads - twice, as one connecter of the new set at the dizzy cap corroded badly and kept falling off.
Carburettor float went - thus the car massively overfuelling as a result, and failed its second MoT. £15 on ebay - brand new carb (!) and straight through the MoT with no advisories...
... and was crashed into 3 minutes later outside the testing station. New steering rack, front strut and hub, another TCA, and anti-roll bar, with more polybushes added whilst I was there.
Eventually sold it after 18 months for £300. However I'd clearly spent more than that keeping it going, but it was so incredibly rust-free and the interior was sound, would have been a shame to give up on it.
My first car bought in 1993 was a 1984 Vauxhall Astra 1.4. I paid 400 quid for it and got it with about 95k miles on the clock. I kept it for three years, put another 50k miles on the clock mostly thrashing it up and down the motorways with the engine screaming (it only had a four speed gearbox).
Did me well though. Someone drove into the back of it on the Tyne bridge in Newcastle so I got 450 quid on the insurance, drove it for another six months (only minor damage to the rear end) and then sold it for 250 quid for parts! Can't complain about the bangernomics on that one. 300 quid net profit, and apart from the normal consumables the only parts it ever needed were a new centre pipe on the exhaust and a new radiator (and that was only after getting a stone though the old one).
Did me well though. Someone drove into the back of it on the Tyne bridge in Newcastle so I got 450 quid on the insurance, drove it for another six months (only minor damage to the rear end) and then sold it for 250 quid for parts! Can't complain about the bangernomics on that one. 300 quid net profit, and apart from the normal consumables the only parts it ever needed were a new centre pipe on the exhaust and a new radiator (and that was only after getting a stone though the old one).
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