Sub £1k winter shed / barge / whatever
Discussion
My MX5 is away for it's winter hibernation, and the GF is using the Focus more, so I need something to kick about in over the winter.
So far, I'm kinda leaning towards a Saab of some description, but basically anything goes as long as I've got a decent chance of it being reliable.
What would you buy ?
So far, I'm kinda leaning towards a Saab of some description, but basically anything goes as long as I've got a decent chance of it being reliable.
What would you buy ?
I've used an 18 year old Audi A4 B5 for winter shed duties for the last 3/4 years and can recommend one.
It's never gone wrong and you don't have to worry about rust from road salt etc as the things just don't rust and it's even still on the original exhaust and cat.
I would go for a basic N/A model ( I went 1.6) as there's less chance of bills for turbos etc plus I achieve around 38/40 to the gallon.
It feels a nice well built car with no rattles and has a heater which works like a furnace on cold winter mornings the only problem is I've got quite attached to the old shed and can never see me parting with it.
It's never gone wrong and you don't have to worry about rust from road salt etc as the things just don't rust and it's even still on the original exhaust and cat.
I would go for a basic N/A model ( I went 1.6) as there's less chance of bills for turbos etc plus I achieve around 38/40 to the gallon.
It feels a nice well built car with no rattles and has a heater which works like a furnace on cold winter mornings the only problem is I've got quite attached to the old shed and can never see me parting with it.
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Here's a good thread on running a cheap Audi for the winter months.
Here's a good thread on running a cheap Audi for the winter months.
)cat220 said:
Ford puma would still be a laugh to drive.
great timing on the thread - I'm thinking about the same and then also trips to saincorose. Puma seems to cover:reliable
cheap to buy
economical
heated front screen (seems like a great idea for the 06:45 off)
not glacially slow
fun
small
TheJimi said:
You do seem to get a lot of car for your money with the Rover 75, looks like a nice place to waft along in 
Any foibles to be aware of?
Head gasket on the 1,8 (inc 1.8 turbo).Any foibles to be aware of?
To be honest I'd be looking for a V6. They're pennies to pick up now (I bought a perfectly good one two weeks ago for £500 odd - with 67,000 miles on), so you can splash out on fuel. Mine is a 2.0v6 and is giving 32-34mpg at the moment.
Thermostats are weak, and prone to leaking. I paid £150 for a replacement, including inlet manifold gaskets & new coolant and fitting.
They can be quite tyre sensitive, but when you get it right they have a lovely ride. Very wafty.
Leaks into the boot are common, and usually trackable to the rear light seals, or the clips that secure the rear window.
Plenum chambers in to bonnet drains get clogged, so water collects around the ECU (one of the first things to check).
Clutch hydraulics are generally weak. Replacement slave cylinder is a gearbox out job, too, so not cheap. Autos are accepted to be very strong.
Cambelts (three on the V6) are a £500+ job. Try and get one that's had them done (or budget for it).
Again on the V6, the inlet manifold butterflies can fail and become rattly. Won't do any damage, but sounds quite dire in some instances!
Vis motors regularly fail, although won't do any damage, car will be down on power and return poor economy.
Other than that - all the usual stuff.
Superliminal said:
+1 on the Puma. Still a lot of fun to drive, but heated front screen is bloody brilliant. Stick a decent set of winters on it and it'll go pretty much anywhere. See also any other Ford of the same era!
I also thought about a Fiesta for the station/shopping etc winter car... but a Puma does seem to tick more boxes for me. Now I just need to look at the reliability side of things - though IIRC they're pretty bomb proof (as long as the body isn't an MoT failure then not too worried about rust spots)Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff