Non-depressing second car ?
Discussion
Hello all. I've got myself into a bit of a difficult situation and would appreciate some thoughts.
Basically, I have had a 'change of personal circumstances' which means that I no longer live in my nice house with garage in a reasonable part of Leeds. Having sold our house, my now ex-girlfriend has (for reasons I won't bore you with) taken all the equity in the house and moved into what was to be our new house. I, meanwhile, have had to move into my younger brother's place.
Now, he lives in a slightly less salubrious part of town and has a no garage. There is no way I can leave the 964 on the street there for 6 months while I wait for the my ex to do up and sell 'our' new house and give me my share of the cash back so I can buy a place with a garage. Hence, I am going to have to find a lock up to keep it in for a while.
Finally to the point. I need another car to tide me over for a few months. The 964 has all my NCB so any second car will need to be a low insurance group and cost no more than £2000. Most importantly, it needs to be something not too soul-destroying (i.e. not a ten year old 1.4 Escort).
Whady'a reckon?
Basically, I have had a 'change of personal circumstances' which means that I no longer live in my nice house with garage in a reasonable part of Leeds. Having sold our house, my now ex-girlfriend has (for reasons I won't bore you with) taken all the equity in the house and moved into what was to be our new house. I, meanwhile, have had to move into my younger brother's place.
Now, he lives in a slightly less salubrious part of town and has a no garage. There is no way I can leave the 964 on the street there for 6 months while I wait for the my ex to do up and sell 'our' new house and give me my share of the cash back so I can buy a place with a garage. Hence, I am going to have to find a lock up to keep it in for a while.
Finally to the point. I need another car to tide me over for a few months. The 964 has all my NCB so any second car will need to be a low insurance group and cost no more than £2000. Most importantly, it needs to be something not too soul-destroying (i.e. not a ten year old 1.4 Escort).
Whady'a reckon?
Hmmmm, it's the low insurance group that's the problem or I'd go for a 'sporty' (relative use of the word) Clio. A more lowly Clio is still a good choice for half-decent driving experience and cheap as chips to run (although the interior might be a bit off-putting).
Other than that I'd go for a really tidy Mk2 or Mk3 Golf Driver - the Driver kind of looks a bit GTi-ish (from a distance and if you squint), and the Mk2 is great fun to drive, with a £2000 budget you could get a decent one, put g-max suspenion on it (drops it about 10-15mm, just enough to 'tighten it up', not enough to 'chav it up'!) and have change for the extra 6 months of garage costs when the house doesn't get redecorated quite as quick as she promised!
Other than that I'd go for a really tidy Mk2 or Mk3 Golf Driver - the Driver kind of looks a bit GTi-ish (from a distance and if you squint), and the Mk2 is great fun to drive, with a £2000 budget you could get a decent one, put g-max suspenion on it (drops it about 10-15mm, just enough to 'tighten it up', not enough to 'chav it up'!) and have change for the extra 6 months of garage costs when the house doesn't get redecorated quite as quick as she promised!
How's about a nice bit of BMW E34? Mine well within your budget here:
[url]www.pistonheads.com/sales/98064.htm[/url]
£200 quid fully comp to insure as well, cheap as chips.
Bummer re the split.
[url]www.pistonheads.com/sales/98064.htm[/url]
£200 quid fully comp to insure as well, cheap as chips.
Bummer re the split.
Edited by Hammerhead on Friday 8th September 11:04
VS, great while the 205 is, it's made of cardboard. Our man here will be spending most weekends fixing bits and pieces to keep it on the road! Fun yes, durable no!
I'd go with the Mk2 Golf option, but at least a GTI and ultimately a GTI 16V. It's a hoot to drive, almost as good as the 205, and quite possible one of the toughest and durable cars you'll be able to lay your hands on. One of the finest VWs ever made if you ask me. And thanks to the likes of GSF and ECP, it's cheaper than chips to maintain. An easy DIY car to work on too.
I'd go with the Mk2 Golf option, but at least a GTI and ultimately a GTI 16V. It's a hoot to drive, almost as good as the 205, and quite possible one of the toughest and durable cars you'll be able to lay your hands on. One of the finest VWs ever made if you ask me. And thanks to the likes of GSF and ECP, it's cheaper than chips to maintain. An easy DIY car to work on too.
Edited by 993_C2S on Friday 8th September 11:16
993_C2S said:
VS, great while the 205 is, it's made of cardboard. Our man here will be spending most weekends fixing bits and pieces to keep it on the road! Fun yes, durable no!
I'd go with the Mk2 Golf option, but at least a GTI and ultimately a GTI 16V. It's a hoot to drive, almost as good as the 205, and quite possible one of the toughest and durable cars you'll be able to lay your hands on. One of the finest VWs ever made if you ask me. And thanks to the likes of GSF and ECP, it's cheaper than chips to maintain. An easy DIY car to work on too.
I'd go with the Mk2 Golf option, but at least a GTI and ultimately a GTI 16V. It's a hoot to drive, almost as good as the 205, and quite possible one of the toughest and durable cars you'll be able to lay your hands on. One of the finest VWs ever made if you ask me. And thanks to the likes of GSF and ECP, it's cheaper than chips to maintain. An easy DIY car to work on too.
Edited by 993_C2S on Friday 8th September 11:16
I had a Pug 1.9 GTI as a company car years ago (from new). I put 60k miles on it in 18 months and nothing went wrong with it. It was a fantastic car. It all depends on the previous owners as usual.
LeeME3 said:
... and have change for the extra 6 months of garage costs when the house doesn't get redecorated quite as quick as she promised!
Yeah, that had occurred to me! Trying not to think about it...
Cheers for the suggestions (all good) and sentiments. Like the Capri idea, that would be hilarious. Think I will spend the afternoon on confused.com checking out how much this exercise will set me back.
The beauty of a couple of these ideas (Golf and BMW in particular) is that I could realistically end up with a decent car that would last long after I get my self sorted. Had briefly considered selling the 911 but after driving in to Manchester over the Pennine backroads in the early sunlight this morning, that ridiculous notion has been scrapped permanently!
993_C2S said:
VS, great while the 205 is, it's made of cardboard. Our man here will be spending most weekends fixing bits and pieces to keep it on the road! Fun yes, durable no!
Edited by 993_C2S on Friday 8th September 11:16
Not always so. I know of a 205 gti that has 200K miles on it and the owner has only just had to put new bearing shells in it.
You can always get a bad example of anything. I don't think the 205 would be any worse than even a much newer Ford for example.
Hammerhead said:
How's about a nice bit of BMW E34? Mine well within your budget here:
[url]www.pistonheads.com/sales/98064.htm[/url]
£200 quid fully comp to insure as well, cheap as chips.
Bummer re the split.
[url]www.pistonheads.com/sales/98064.htm[/url]
£200 quid fully comp to insure as well, cheap as chips.
Bummer re the split.
Cheers, mate.
Used to have an E34, a 535i to be precise. Was brilliant for a month, stationary with a blown head-gasket for a year!
Go for something that you can get classic insurance on, don't need any NCD. If your in a less exclusive part of leeds then the Pug GTi idea may result in a space where your new run around was sitting might it not?
Classic BM insurance for a couple of hundred its rear wheel drive and German (What your used to).
Classic BM insurance for a couple of hundred its rear wheel drive and German (What your used to).
trickywoo said:
993_C2S said:
VS, great while the 205 is, it's made of cardboard. Our man here will be spending most weekends fixing bits and pieces to keep it on the road! Fun yes, durable no!
Edited by 993_C2S on Friday 8th September 11:16
Not always so. I know of a 205 gti that has 200K miles on it and the owner has only just had to put new bearing shells in it.
You can always get a bad example of anything. I don't think the 205 would be any worse than even a much newer Ford for example.
Maybe I exaggerated a touch on the 205 scenario, but the fact remains you can't compare it's durability or build quality to a Mk2 Golf. Put it this way, and abused 205 GTI and an abused Golf GTI will show up what I mean. The Mk2 will sill have loads of life left in it...
Edited by 993_C2S on Friday 8th September 12:19
993_C2S said:
I'd go with the Mk2 Golf option, but at least a GTI and ultimately a GTI 16V. It's a hoot to drive, almost as good as the 205, and quite possible one of the toughest and durable cars you'll be able to lay your hands on. One of the finest VWs ever made if you ask me. And thanks to the likes of GSF and ECP, it's cheaper than chips to maintain. An easy DIY car to work on too.
Edited by 993_C2S on Friday 8th September 11:16
I've got a Mk2 GTi 8 valve as a second car and I'm paying about £250 pa insurance - but that's using the wife's NCB if you see what I mean. Having had both 8v and 16v models I actually prefer the 8v - mine's worth about £500 (and that's generous), costs about £200 pa maintenance (DIY from GSF as suggested) and generally walks through MOTs without major probs (most do - so long as the underside/sills are relatively corrosion free) and is a lot of fun to drive. I was only recommending the Driver model to keep insurance down and to reduce the risk of it 'going for a walk' (Golf GTi's probably a bit more likely to get nicked and security is not fantastic on these cars).
Anyway, let us know what you go for, glad you're keeping the 964!
Have just been out for lunch with a mate who suggested that his ex (it must be catching) has a spare P-reg Punto 55 that I could have gratis.
Two things spring to mind:
1) Why is it that the prospect of a free Punto seems much less attractive than spending cash I don't really have on a Golf GTI / Capri 2.8 / Porsche 924? How is it that car afficionados are able to justify this obviously irrational hobby?
2) Why, when I should be worrying about finding a house, a new girlfriend, sorting out the post and the banking, does the objectively less important question of what to do about the car become the most important issue?
Madness...
Two things spring to mind:
1) Why is it that the prospect of a free Punto seems much less attractive than spending cash I don't really have on a Golf GTI / Capri 2.8 / Porsche 924? How is it that car afficionados are able to justify this obviously irrational hobby?
2) Why, when I should be worrying about finding a house, a new girlfriend, sorting out the post and the banking, does the objectively less important question of what to do about the car become the most important issue?
Madness...
You're 
so you go 
and then you're 
and 
See?
Oh, and i had a 2.0 Laser capri with 2.8 wheels and recaro interior, and a hot cam and weber twin choke, and it was awesome. God's own grip in the dry, no grip at all in the wet
Where do you think i got this name?
so you go and then you're and See?
Oh, and i had a 2.0 Laser capri with 2.8 wheels and recaro interior, and a hot cam and weber twin choke, and it was awesome. God's own grip in the dry, no grip at all in the wet
Where do you think i got this name?
Edited by verysideways on Friday 8th September 14:54
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