Good, cheap car to learn spannering on
Discussion
funkyrobot said:
AJS- said:
Old Vauxhalls are a good bet - tons of them around cheap, fairly simple and lots of bits available in scrap yards.
Good point. Owned an Astra a few years ago and because I didn't know what I was doing, ended up spending a bit on it. I'm determined for this to never happen again. I ran a puke yellow Belmont for a couple of years on a shoestring, then replaced it with an LPG ex taxi with over 250K on it. Both cars served me very well and cost less than a set of tyres for a sensible car!
I was very lucky that my dad was mechanically minded and able to teach me a lot, but it's really not that difficult. Mostly a matter of replacing parts rather than actually fixing anything.
funkyrobot said:
Blib said:
OP. I'm in the same position as you. To this end, I bought a 1970 Fiat 500 and I intend to restore it myself, as far as possible, as a birthday present for Mrs Blib, with the help and guidance of a very good friend of mine, who is a mechanic.
I received my first Haynes manual through the post last week. I was so proud!
Good luck !
I know how receipt of the first manual feels. I received my first Haynes manual through the post last week. I was so proud!
Good luck !
Good luck with the car.
I'm attaching the rear number plate this morning. I've got to measure up, fit the special spacers in the correct holes because of the curvature of the boot, then I must drill holes in the square, old style metal plate in the correct places! before screwing it onto the car.
I have 999 on speed dial.
Blib said:
funkyrobot said:
Blib said:
OP. I'm in the same position as you. To this end, I bought a 1970 Fiat 500 and I intend to restore it myself, as far as possible, as a birthday present for Mrs Blib, with the help and guidance of a very good friend of mine, who is a mechanic.
I received my first Haynes manual through the post last week. I was so proud!
Good luck !
I know how receipt of the first manual feels. I received my first Haynes manual through the post last week. I was so proud!
Good luck !
Good luck with the car.
I'm attaching the rear number plate this morning. I've got to measure up, fit the special spacers in the correct holes because of the curvature of the boot, then I must drill holes in the square, old style metal plate in the correct places! before screwing it onto the car.
I have 999 on speed dial.
I know there are some on here that may think we're daft, but I've been worrying about changing a bloody bulb on my Mazda 3. It's a tough one as the owner manual says send it to an approved Mazda dealer. I've managed to find out how to do it on t'internet (it's a parking light one that is in a very awkward position) and will have a go soon.
Trouble is though, as it's all new to me and I'm st scared of breaking something, you do worry.
The coolant temp sensor on my fiancee's Polo will be my first big job. Hopefully, after getting stuck in for a while a big job will be something like changing a belt, then a spring, then a pump etc.
Good luck with it.
Sorry to drag this back up OP, but any progress on this front? I've been in the same state of mind as you for the past two years waiting to take the plunge (with currently zero experience, the most I've done is replace tyres... terrible, I know!) but figured I was being silly minded and it wouldn't be possible, so it's nice to see a thread here with others as well in the same boat wanting to learn and has made me realise it's certainly a possible 'hobby' to look into!
Do let us know how you've got on if you can, call it inspiration!
Do let us know how you've got on if you can, call it inspiration!
Buy something you're actually enthusiastic about and will be keen to drive, rather than just a knackered old Vauxhall.
A well cared for and structurally sound Midget, Mini, MGB, Spitfire or Chimaera maybe will be a pleasure to work on (inasmuch as the nuts and bolts tend to come apart much better than 1990s vintage things which I have lots of experience of). More modern cars tend to just be rusted together and you'll either just p155 yourself off rounding heads off or shearing heads off.
If the car is just a nail you're not enthusiastic about there's little impetus to actually fix and reassemble the thing. With a classic sports car you're actually proud of owning you've always got that drive to complete the work and get out in it.
That would be my slant on it at least
A well cared for and structurally sound Midget, Mini, MGB, Spitfire or Chimaera maybe will be a pleasure to work on (inasmuch as the nuts and bolts tend to come apart much better than 1990s vintage things which I have lots of experience of). More modern cars tend to just be rusted together and you'll either just p155 yourself off rounding heads off or shearing heads off.
If the car is just a nail you're not enthusiastic about there's little impetus to actually fix and reassemble the thing. With a classic sports car you're actually proud of owning you've always got that drive to complete the work and get out in it.
That would be my slant on it at least
I have just the thing OP.
A 1998 vintage Discovery V8. Access to most of the mechanical bits isn't too difficult, parts are available cheaply, including every upgrade imaginable, and there's always something that needs doing to it .
The V8 makes the right noises too, and it's on LPG so not too ruinous to run.
Mine is about to go SORN as I have no further use for it, so if you or anyone else wants it for under Shed budget, give me a shout.
A 1998 vintage Discovery V8. Access to most of the mechanical bits isn't too difficult, parts are available cheaply, including every upgrade imaginable, and there's always something that needs doing to it .
The V8 makes the right noises too, and it's on LPG so not too ruinous to run.
Mine is about to go SORN as I have no further use for it, so if you or anyone else wants it for under Shed budget, give me a shout.
andy-xr said:
NP
Whenever I jack the car up I always give it a sideways push when it's off the ground to make sure the jack is seated before I get underneath it.
I dont own axle stands so tend to make do with a spare wheel if I'm at the side of the car. 2 wheels on pavement and a little suspension push up from a jack mean I can use a creeper if I want to get underneath with the wheels still on.
That's all well and good until the jack fails (I've had it happen once)! For the sake of a cost of stands I'd get a set, even with my gung-ho H&S attitude I wouldn't dream of getting under a car only held on a jack!Whenever I jack the car up I always give it a sideways push when it's off the ground to make sure the jack is seated before I get underneath it.
I dont own axle stands so tend to make do with a spare wheel if I'm at the side of the car. 2 wheels on pavement and a little suspension push up from a jack mean I can use a creeper if I want to get underneath with the wheels still on.
My main tool kit is all Halfords Professional kit, serves me well and has a lifetime warranty.
Find a Haynes is a useful guide but not the be all and end all, sometimes they make the job seem a lot harder than it is.
carmadgaz said:
That's all well and good until the jack fails (I've had it happen once)! For the sake of a cost of stands I'd get a set, even with my gung-ho H&S attitude I wouldn't dream of getting under a car only held on a jack!
My main tool kit is all Halfords Professional kit, serves me well and has a lifetime warranty.
Find a Haynes is a useful guide but not the be all and end all, sometimes they make the job seem a lot harder than it is.
I had the "safe jack" experience with a Rover 60 some years ago and I was very lucky - I had just taken the wheel off and realised I needed something from the house. I went indoors for thirty seconds and, when I came out, there was the back end of a Rover blocking the door (the front was on the jack when I left it). I have four pairs of axle stands - the originals (bought the day after the incident), a better set (Halfords), a heavier set (Draper I think) for the tractors and a tall set my neighbour was throwing out - and it's even better for the tractors!My main tool kit is all Halfords Professional kit, serves me well and has a lifetime warranty.
Find a Haynes is a useful guide but not the be all and end all, sometimes they make the job seem a lot harder than it is.
Haynes manuals are OK - though don't always give the true details (possibly because of mods and improvements during production). I spent half an hour upside down in the passenger footwell of my Golf trying to find the two screws that it said were holding something together. I eventually realised they didn't exist and that the thing was a slide-lock fit (though seemed to have to unused bosses for screws). I won't mention the "2 spanner" job on the old Passat that took eight hours of hard graft...
WoodsterT said:
Sorry to drag this back up OP, but any progress on this front? I've been in the same state of mind as you for the past two years waiting to take the plunge (with currently zero experience, the most I've done is replace tyres... terrible, I know!) but figured I was being silly minded and it wouldn't be possible, so it's nice to see a thread here with others as well in the same boat wanting to learn and has made me realise it's certainly a possible 'hobby' to look into!
Do let us know how you've got on if you can, call it inspiration!
No vehicle yet unfortunately. The budget I set aside is going to be used for some home improvements. However, I am slowly raising the required funds and should be able to commit to something in the summer. The desire to do this hasn't faded though. Do let us know how you've got on if you can, call it inspiration!
jamieduff1981 said:
Buy something you're actually enthusiastic about and will be keen to drive, rather than just a knackered old Vauxhall.
A well cared for and structurally sound Midget, Mini, MGB, Spitfire or Chimaera maybe will be a pleasure to work on (inasmuch as the nuts and bolts tend to come apart much better than 1990s vintage things which I have lots of experience of). More modern cars tend to just be rusted together and you'll either just p155 yourself off rounding heads off or shearing heads off.
If the car is just a nail you're not enthusiastic about there's little impetus to actually fix and reassemble the thing. With a classic sports car you're actually proud of owning you've always got that drive to complete the work and get out in it.
That would be my slant on it at least
Makes sense. Thanks.A well cared for and structurally sound Midget, Mini, MGB, Spitfire or Chimaera maybe will be a pleasure to work on (inasmuch as the nuts and bolts tend to come apart much better than 1990s vintage things which I have lots of experience of). More modern cars tend to just be rusted together and you'll either just p155 yourself off rounding heads off or shearing heads off.
If the car is just a nail you're not enthusiastic about there's little impetus to actually fix and reassemble the thing. With a classic sports car you're actually proud of owning you've always got that drive to complete the work and get out in it.
That would be my slant on it at least
My fiancee clocked an MX5 for sale locally. Said she liked the look of it.
p4cks said:
Corsa C 1.0?
I've got one as a shed and it's incredibly easy to work on. I've got an OBD reader too (£15) and can connect it to my laptop to read and reset faults etc. Getting an older car won't allow you this benefit.
A good starting point IMO.
Thanks.I've got one as a shed and it's incredibly easy to work on. I've got an OBD reader too (£15) and can connect it to my laptop to read and reset faults etc. Getting an older car won't allow you this benefit.
A good starting point IMO.
As much as I'd love an older car, something cheap and mainstream may be the way to go.
I currently have 3 cars in my household and look after a friends, all except my '72 beetle should be available within your budget.
The easiest one to work on is a 2004 Volvo V40, very simple car to work on, parts are very cheap, and for the money its a very modern behaving car, for me its a workhorse and i can throw most anything in the back.
Second is a mates 2002 Astra, I have serviced it, changed coil packs, removed and cleaned throttle body, done the brakes, swapped some suspension parts, very simple car to work on.
The third is SWMBO's 2005 Megane, unfortunately it needs lost of attention, service wise, electrics wise, its just french but its an easy car to work on.
What i would say is the older the car you buy for this endeavor the more time will have passed for things to rust solid, and just generally be a pain...so that leaves the '72 beetle, on paper should be the easiest and most simple car in the world to work on, but factor in 40 years of time elapsed for things to cease, bolt heads to rust rounded, and unexpected tin worm, this will apply to mini's or anything from really more than a decade ago.
The easiest one to work on is a 2004 Volvo V40, very simple car to work on, parts are very cheap, and for the money its a very modern behaving car, for me its a workhorse and i can throw most anything in the back.
Second is a mates 2002 Astra, I have serviced it, changed coil packs, removed and cleaned throttle body, done the brakes, swapped some suspension parts, very simple car to work on.
The third is SWMBO's 2005 Megane, unfortunately it needs lost of attention, service wise, electrics wise, its just french but its an easy car to work on.
What i would say is the older the car you buy for this endeavor the more time will have passed for things to rust solid, and just generally be a pain...so that leaves the '72 beetle, on paper should be the easiest and most simple car in the world to work on, but factor in 40 years of time elapsed for things to cease, bolt heads to rust rounded, and unexpected tin worm, this will apply to mini's or anything from really more than a decade ago.
big_boz said:
I currently have 3 cars in my household and look after a friends, all except my '72 beetle should be available within your budget.
The easiest one to work on is a 2004 Volvo V40, very simple car to work on, parts are very cheap, and for the money its a very modern behaving car, for me its a workhorse and i can throw most anything in the back.
Second is a mates 2002 Astra, I have serviced it, changed coil packs, removed and cleaned throttle body, done the brakes, swapped some suspension parts, very simple car to work on.
The third is SWMBO's 2005 Megane, unfortunately it needs lost of attention, service wise, electrics wise, its just french but its an easy car to work on.
What i would say is the older the car you buy for this endeavor the more time will have passed for things to rust solid, and just generally be a pain...so that leaves the '72 beetle, on paper should be the easiest and most simple car in the world to work on, but factor in 40 years of time elapsed for things to cease, bolt heads to rust rounded, and unexpected tin worm, this will apply to mini's or anything from really more than a decade ago.
Thanks. I guess rust is the main challenge on any car? Have you had a lot of mechanical experience, or is it just something you do as a hobby?The easiest one to work on is a 2004 Volvo V40, very simple car to work on, parts are very cheap, and for the money its a very modern behaving car, for me its a workhorse and i can throw most anything in the back.
Second is a mates 2002 Astra, I have serviced it, changed coil packs, removed and cleaned throttle body, done the brakes, swapped some suspension parts, very simple car to work on.
The third is SWMBO's 2005 Megane, unfortunately it needs lost of attention, service wise, electrics wise, its just french but its an easy car to work on.
What i would say is the older the car you buy for this endeavor the more time will have passed for things to rust solid, and just generally be a pain...so that leaves the '72 beetle, on paper should be the easiest and most simple car in the world to work on, but factor in 40 years of time elapsed for things to cease, bolt heads to rust rounded, and unexpected tin worm, this will apply to mini's or anything from really more than a decade ago.
I'm hoping that after a while, I'll have more confidence and be able to do things like you do.
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