I peaked too soon...HELP

[Jalo1548]

Hello guys,

So basically, at the ripe old age of twenty I own a 240-260bhp fiat coupe 20vt, and I fear I have peaked to soon. What do I mean? For the £2k this car has cost me I don't think much can match it, and I have had my hand forced by my next-door neighbour unfortunately reversing his gorgeous M3 straight into my boot meaning I need to find something pretty quickly. Before anybody asks this car needs more money put into repairing it than what it is worth so it will be broken to hopefully help other fiat coupes live on.

I am quite the car freak and I am open to almost anything. My background I think is important, as the car can be almost as impractical as anything so any suggestions are welcome, although I have probably already thought about it already. The less I can spend the better, but my budget is anywhere between 2-5k. Maybe a little more if I decide to save up but the problem I also have is insurance. Being 20 years old the old insurance companies love to see me trying to insurance something that can outperform a 1.0 clio, so keep that in mind (basically no scoobies or supras, I always get daft £5000 quotes)

If you could also shed any information on the following list of cars I would appreciate it greatly, and be warned, my range of cars is large:


Honda Accord 2.2 CDTI, Honda civic 2.2, Toyota mr2 Mk2, Volvo c30 d5, Ford focus st170, Alfa Brera 2.4, Audi a3 2.0 TDI 170: , Mazda mx-5, Honda Prelude 2.2, Honda s2k, Another fiat coupe, Citroen c2 VTR, Seat Leon Cupra r, Clio 172/182/197, Ford puma 1.7, Skoda Octavia vrs, Ford Fiesta ST (05 bubbly shape) Toyota Celica 190BHP (1.8 VVTI?), Nissan 350z.

I am hoping some people can help me get rid of a few cars off my list, or help me put a circle around them haha. I am off to view an accord at the weekend, followed by a cupra r and hopefully a celica soon. I want to get around to seeing all these cars in the flesh, sitting in them and hopefully test driving a few, but for obvious reasons sellers wont tell you the horror stories or common faults these cars have, that would be beyond stupid.

So anyways guys, any help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Jalo1548.

Edited by Jalo1548 on Monday 13th April 22:03

[Jalo1548]

Basically. It's been killing me for the last two weeks, all I can think about it what car I want next. I need some form of justification at least hahaha

[Jalo1548]

Haha I am now regretting not just putting the list of cars and letting people pick and choose, would have made it about a quarter of the size in length.

[Jalo1548]

Should be about ten times better now.

[Jalo1548]

Very true. I will look into the st500 and see what they are fetching at the moment. I have heard of the montune packages offering good improvement performance wise.

[Jalo1548]

Love the GTV!!! I would like to think I could go Italian but would prefer to go Japanese or German just to see if the stereotypes are true. So far they aren't, my Italian experiences have been a delight but I don't want to push my luck.

[Jalo1548]

I have clearly phrased this wrong. I don't mean I have peaked completely, just for now until a few years at least. I didn't realise how much I would have to spend to reliably surpass my current performance. Most cars mentioned struggle to match the performance figures of the coupe. I look at cars in my budget like a s3 or a favourite of mine a BMW 850 and it don't feel right buying a car I cannot afford to run properly. I am not a fan of modifications either, my car was the most standard coupe in my budget and I make no mods at all. I like handling mods before just making more power.

[Jalo1548]

Any chance you remember who that was with? Id happily save up for a STI hawkeye if the insurance was only around £1700 or so.

[Jalo1548]

TREMAiNE said:

Ignore paper figures, they're utterly meaningless unless you're showing off to your mates.*

How a car feels to drive means so much more than how fast the dials are moving, I recently picked up a cheap MX-5, its the slowest of all my cars but its an absolute blast to drive and I can't stop taking it for drives, don't necessarily try to get a car that trumps the coupe in terms of performance, look for something that's going to give you a really enjoyable driving experience.

*DISCLAIMER: relative to that sort of budget etc

Yeah I completely understand, but the lad who hit my car said he was shocked how the turbo whacked you in back and how it pulled, bearing in mind he had a 300bhp astra vxr and now drives an m3. A lad from work who has the 300 evo x as his daily said my car felt like lightening once you get out of first and get some half decent traction. This is why I think something mr2/mx5 that's low and nippy should give me the fast feel but with probably more long term reliability and better mpg. I'm not sure how much hard tops for the mx5's cost either, any idea?

[Jalo1548]

Some justification to some of my ideas. I put 2-5k so people didn't just aim for 5k. I would spend it if the car was great (gt4, s2k, 3000gt) but I would rather spend less if I can have just as much fun. I am no snob, to me age, badge and exterior condition mean very little as long as it does what it is supposed to mechanically, the rest are bonuses.

Unfortunately the bump has caused masses of damage, folding the boot, ruining the structure such as lock alignment, bent the rear quarter panel on the passenger side, trapping my spare wheel by folding the tyre well over the tyre. Made a right bang, sounded awful and looks it too. I have managed to make it look acceptable and keep driving it for now but I have been quotes around £2000 for the repair, I would rather spend that elsewhere. That's also with second hand parts, fiat want £800 for the bumper and boot new!!!

This is my issue, I don't want to buy a ropey example of anything but 5k is decent enough for 80% of those cars and a little risk for some.

[Jalo1548]

Hey guys just a quick update:

I have been looking at the cars suggested and really fancy an MR2. I have found a few issues with them, most have been modified beyond recognition with daft boost gauges and the like, or the standard ones hold their value like mad! I really like the look of this http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/t... and would like an opinion (or a few) on this car. Anybody know if this will be a beast to work on, although from the advert I would say everything is sweet as a nut. It is a real shame it is 170 miles away from me, but if it all works out I would be more than happy to go that way to buy what seems to be a great car at an absolute bargain price!!! Insurance is only £1100 for the year which for an import doesn't seem too bad and is only a few hundred more than the coupe would have been.

[Jalo1548]

Just messaged me saying it's already sold, gutted isn't the word. Ah well the search continues, although one sorted like that will probably show up the day after I buy one. I'm 99% sure I would have seen it and bought it at the weekend, some lucky bugger got a brilliant deal there.

[Jalo1548]

Haha very true, solid build. However after he told me how much he had to spend on a new clutxh and a few other bits left me thinking I don't fancy a performance BMW anytime soon haha. I'll see what cars come up, but I really have taken a fancy to the mr2, but it's a right pain in the ass trying to figure out N/A or turbo, stock or modded, colour, revision (there was 5....5!!!) and throwaway price at 1k or a good example to keep and sell for similar at £2-4k. The joys of not wanting a boring car.

[Jalo1548]

AndyLB said:

Fiat Coupe is hardly "peaking too early" is it?

Considering I bought a reliable 250bhp 155mph 0-60 sub 6 seconds decent handling car for less than £2000 I would say so at 20. What else can that budget get me that comes close, along with nice leather seats, AC, sunroof and style (very marmite I know). I'm not saying I've peaked for life, but short term I'm not far off considering I have a very average job and don't have the ability to save a great deal. I came on here hoping people could suggest similar cars but in all honesty none match the style and power, but many trump the fiat in handling. I fancy the mr2 as it is a totally different car, albeit not as good looking nor unique to me.

If you haven't been in a fiat coupe 20vt I suggest you do. The 225 bhp feels like a lot more than what it is in reality. I am also not basing this off my mates corsa and Clio in the Maccys carpark. I have been lucky enough to be the passenger in a few fast cars (focus rs, m3 e46, lancer evo, cupra r, k1) but for the cash it's fantastic power.