£100K Garage – the archive

£100K Garage – the archive

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Dan Trent

Original Poster:

1,866 posts

167 months

Friday 13th February 2015
quotequote all
£100K Garage has quickly become a PH institution and we’re massively grateful to everyone who’s sent a submission in. Sadly we can’t publish every single one on the homepage but to give them a home where people can see them we’ve created this thread where we’ll archive all the selections PHers have sent in, exactly as we receive them. Please bear in mind if the selected car sells before you read this the link will default to the landing page for cars meeting the same search criteria.

From this we’ll chose ones that stand out as especially interesting/creative/controversial/cool and put them on the homepage in the usual style. See here for the dedicated landing page.

We’ve closed the thread for comments as we’d like to just keep it as an archive – we hope you enjoy browsing and if you want to submit your own check out the how-to guide here and drop us a line at DearPH@PistonHeads.com with your choices.

Thanks!

The PH team



Dan Trent

Original Poster:

1,866 posts

167 months

Friday 13th February 2015
quotequote all
Name: Paul Towers
Previously owned: Aprilia SR125, Vauxhall Nova, Renault 19, Honda Hornet 600, Renault Megane, Honda Civic, Suzuki SV650, Rover 420, Suzuki SV1000, Renault Clio
Currently owned: Honda Civic Diesel
On the shortlist: Some sort of estate and a Z3 or MX5 for weekend fun



My choices...

Compass Rambler 4 Berth Motorhome

Cost: £17,995
Balance: £82,005
Why I chose it: Probably a controversial choice, but I love the lifestyle one of these affords. Improptu weekends away/days at the beach. Fulfil my desire to go and watch Le Tour. BSB, BTCC weekends. This one is the perfect layout for my family of 3, with a rear lounge/bed for us and overcab bed for the daughter. It's also low mileage and not as big a chunk from the budget as other alternatives!



Ducati 996R
Cost: £19,995
Balance: £62,010
Why I chose it: I've always been into bikes. My first mode of transport was a 125cc Aprilia scooter and I had a bike ever since my licence restriction lifted at 21 until a couple of years ago when my daughter was born. It's the one thing I really miss and owning a Ducati, especially the most exclusive version of the best design ever, would be a dream. This won't get much use, but every occasion when it is, will be savoured. And when I'm not able to ride it, I can just sit and stare at it!



Renault Sport Spider
Cost: £17,995
Balance: £44,015
Why I chose it: I wanted a 2 seater, no-nonsense, Sunday morning blast and possible track day car. A Caterham or Westfield would be the obvious choice, but I've loved the Sport Spider since seeing the support series at BTCC in the mid to late 90's with the younger and at the time less renowned Jason Plato and Andy Priaulx driving. When did you last see one of these on the road too?



Fiat 500 Abarth
Cost: £15,990
Balance: £28,025
Why I chose it: I predominately work from home and for the vast majority of the time my Monday-Friday daily drive is a quick trek across town on the nursery run in the morning and the same at night. Being nippy is ideal for the job. Being Italian and red makes the mundane, enjoyable. Being small makes it the perfect car from the OH should she ever take her test!



BMW 750i
Cost: £7,495
Balance: £20,530
Why I chose it: Purely for comfort for when I need to make the 100 mile round trip up the M6 to the office. The thirst of the engine being offset by a fuel allowance.



BMW M3
Cost: £12,995
Balance: £7,535
Why I chose it: The 'sensible' weekend family day trip car for when we're not out in the camper. I am huge fan of the E46, it's styling and purposeful stance especially in Laguna blue.



Audi A6 Allroad
Cost: £2,250
Balance: £5,285
Why I chose it: The big and cheap shopping, tip run, dog and all round 'dirty chore' car.



Ford Escort XR3i
Cost: £4,850
Balance: £435
Why I chose it: A classic fast Ford. Something I couldn't afford to buy or insure when I was younger. A chance to relive my youth.

Dan Trent

Original Poster:

1,866 posts

167 months

Friday 13th February 2015
quotequote all
Name: David Robinson
Previously owned: 996 GT3, 993 Carrera 2, Seat Leon Cupra R, Skoda Fabia VRS, Westfield Sport, Ginetta G4, Ultima Spyder, Peugeot 106 GTI, Peugeot 106 Rallye, Clio 172 Cup, Clio 182 Trophy, Jaguar S type R, BMW E36 M3 (5), Mx5 Mk2,Lotus Elise Mk1, Triumph TR6,Alfa Romeo GTV (2), Panda 100.
Currently owned: Alpina D3 Estate, BMW E36 M3, Renaultsport Twingo Cup, Mazda MX5 Mk3 BBR Supercharged.
On the shortlist: A really nice 993 again.

My choices...

Porsche 996 Turbo
£24995

Ok a confession here , I really wanted a good 993 Carrera 2 but when I looked at the prices I couldn’t justify it. The 993 is probably the prettiest car Porsche ever built especially in a base unmolested form, however for half the price, a 996 Turbo is all the supercar you will ever need on a normal British road. This car looks a nice tidy looked after example and not a bad price. As a point to point missile they take a bit of beating massively better in the real world than a 993. 996 Turbos have got to be on the up very soon so catch while you can. The garage car for the missions (getting somewhere quick and back where you shouldn’t have been before the misses finds out) in any weather.



Maserati Quattroporte
£42950

An oddball colour but a grower, thank God it wasn’t speced with dogs knob red leather. Looks a nice place to be. The car to waft down the motorway on the way to the family holiday in Italy (and general family duties). I think this is a ZF auto car at least I hope it is, not the automated manual. The Quattroporte is the best looking big four door car, nothing else comes close, fast Jags are starting to look chavy and only a mother would love a Panamera, all big BM’s and Merc’s look the same to me.



BMW E36 M3 Race car
£14000

Track car and at this price probably about as quick as you can go. 360 bhp hopefully no more than 1200kg’s it will be very potent. Sat in something like this I would happily take on virtually any other car on track. It might not be a GT3 but it is the Hurricane of the track, flown by more ace’s , a stable gun platform, shot down more enemy aircraft and always on your side. Having driven a few E36 M3’s I would sit in a well sorted one any day and hunt down a supercar costing ten times as much from my stable gun platform, watching GT3’s getting more than 5 degrees of slip and then their fat arses dragging them off the track backwards. Not sure about the Hurricane comparison sat in a German car with a spinning prop badge.



Mazda MX-5
£8750

Might have made a mistake with this car as its not clear from the pictures if its a 09 face lift sport but still with a cloth roof, the car has been (deliberately?) parked so the front grill is not too visible. The facelift, soft top sport is the best out of the Mk3’s, it has LSD, six speed and the lighter roof. Ok I've got £9305 left and I always like to do a bit with my cars, so this MX5: BC Coilovers (Get rid of horrible on stilts look of original car) , fit RX8 ARB’s (three types so you can play around to tune the handling). The MX5 has straight forward wishbone suspension so its an ideal car to play around with as regards suspension adjustment, a cheapish set of coilovers then learn in an empirical way. Lots of people will tell you on a forum that this or that is the right way to do it, they are not always right and what works well for you and the way you drive may not work for another. Can’t recommend any version of the MX5 enough the Swiss army knife of cars. The general mess about car able to chuck around without massive risk (licence, limb or wallet). Take the roof off and go off down France with a filly.



So 1k ish spent on MX5 , chip the 996 Turbo , buy a wine/beer chiller for the back of the Masser, set of inters and slicks for the M3, rest on petrol and beer!

Speaking of which.

Dan Trent

Original Poster:

1,866 posts

167 months

Friday 13th February 2015
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From: George Pribojac
To: DearPH@PistonHeads.com
Sent: Friday, January 09, 2015 2:18 PM
Subject: £100K Garage

Name: George Pribojac
Previously owned: MGB GT (modified), 1.6 205 GTI, CRX, Jaguar X-Type, Skoda Superb, Scenic RX4 and various other shopping/family cars
Currently owned: Peugeot 508 SW, GTA V6 Turbo (owned for 20 years and currently undergoing restoration - thanks to Jav it's now the best painted one in the country!!)
On the shortlist; not a lot really. There's probably nothing that I would really want that I could actually afford. Prices for small Italian sports cars have really firmed over the past year. I would love a GT Junior or a Fulvia but couldn't afford one now. The GTA is I think underappreciated and grossly undervalued. It still makes me smile whenever I drive it. I have been in the very fortunate position though my employment to have been the custodian of a 1974 3.0 RS Carrera, 288 GTO, F40, F50, F512M. Cars were kept in the UK for an overseas owner and unfortunately someone had to drive them occasionally!! Sadly have all now been sold. I need my GTA back so that I can have some fun.

My Choices

Ferrari P4 replica
Cost; £37,500
Balance; £62,500
Just look at it. What is there not to like? I know it's not a real one but they are slightly out of budget - at least £15 million. I have only ever seen one real one back in the 1980's on track at Brands Hatch. This has a chassis by Lee Noble and 500 bhp per ton so it probably drives better than an original! Just enough power/weight to be scarily fast. Because of its relatively low value and modern running gear it would be a viable option as a regular weekend driver.

Renaultsport Spider
Cost; £17,995
Balance; £44,505

I have always liked French sportscars. I know the obvious choice would be a Caterham/Elise but I think these look great especially in Liquid Yellow. I recall seeing the Renault Sport Spider support race at Monaco in 1998; I didn't realise you could get about 10 people in/on one of these! Engine can be tuned to about 210 bhp which would make it interesting.

Maserati Quattroporte
Cost: £16,995
Balance; £27,510

I know it's a risk as a daily driver, I didn't want a clinical German ubersaloon. It looks so elegant and yet so menacing in black. Ferrari don't build a 4-door and this is as close as it gets. There has to be a V8 in the garage and the fact that it's a saloon means it can be shared.

Land Rover Defender
Cost: £11,495
Balance; £16,015

It's timeless and classless. Who needs an overpowered German estate? Quite simply I need something that will be able to take a typical British winter in its stride. It will go anywhere and through anything. Living in a part of the country which is prone to flooding, the ground clearance would be great. Perfect for trips to the tip. Wouldn't have to worry about the dog's dirty paws. Big enough to take just about anything. My son especially would love to be able to take all of his mates out.

Alfa Romeo 2000GT Veloce
Cost: Euro 19,500 = £ 14,430
Balance: £1,585

I wanted either a GT Junior or Lancia Fulvia. Surprised to see this at the price. Would have preferred a 1750 but this will do fine! Masterful piece of design by Guigaro.

The balance would be spent on importing the Alfa and/or tuning the Sport Spider engine.


Dan Trent

Original Poster:

1,866 posts

167 months

Friday 13th February 2015
quotequote all
Name: Asif Ikram

Previously owned:
1983 Vauxhall Cavalier Sri
1989 Peugeot 309 Gti 5 door
1989 Peugeot 205 Gti
1990 Peugeot 205 Gti
1989 Peugeot 205 Gti
1990 Peugeot 309 Gti 3 door
1989 Mini 1100
1991 Honda CRX VTEC
1995 Citroen ZX diesel
1988 Peugeot 309 Gti 3 door
1991 Toyota MR2 GT
1992 BMW 325i coupe E36
1999 Honda S2000
1998 Volkswagon Golf SE
2002 Toyota RAV-4 GX
1996 Mazda RX7 Twin Turbo
1998 Mercedes CLK 320 Avantgarde
1996 Peugeot 306 Gti-6
1996 Honda NSX coupe
1998 Subaru Forester GTB Turbo
2005 Volkswagon Touran Tdi 140
2002 BMW M3 Coupe E46
2003 BMW 330i Sport E46
2001 Porsche Boxster S
2000 Volkswagon Golf V6 4Motion
2002 Mercedes C32 AMG
2004 BMW X3 2.5i Sport
2005 Nissan Murano
2004 Volkswagon Golf GT Tdi Sport 140
2005 BMW 120d Sport
2004 Mini Cooper
2010 Acura MDX tech
2007 Audi 3.0 Quattro Sport
2002 Subaru WRX
2002 BMW 325xiT E46
2004 BMW F650 GS
2004 Honda CB600F Hornet
2006 BMW F800S
2007 Honda CB600RR7
2010 Triumph Street Triple R


Currently owned: 2011 Subaru Impreza Sti, 2006 VW Touareg V8, 2014 Subaru Forester (I live in Canada now)

On the shortlist: Really wanted a 993 widebody, however they command ridiculous money now, and having driven one, they are not as great a drive as you'd expect for the dough. Garage has to have a bike, an SUV, a weekend car, and a classic.
My choices...
Honda NSX
Cost: 32950
Balance: 67050
Why I chose it: I've owned 30 cars, and my '96 NSX still stands out as the best car I ever owned. I sold it to '5th Gear', the TV Show, and they gave it away as their weekly competition, after Honda stopped production. Prices started going up after that. Nothing comes close in terms of a driving experience; my first choice if I had 100k. Nailed on classic.

MV Agusta F3
Cost: 17980
Balance: 49070
Why I chose it: MV Agusta is the Ferrari of motorbikes. Tough choice between the F4, F3 and Brutale, however this brand new ORO Serie Limited Edition is a collectable and also probably the best looking bike money can buy. Ride it or park it your living room as a piece of art. Either works.

VW Touareg V10 TDI
Cost: 9995
Balance: 39075
Why I chose it: I moved to Canada a few years ago, and I drive a Touareg V8 as my winter 'beater'. It ploughs through snow, tows my trailer, I throw building materials in the back, it tours with the family, it basically does everything I ask of it. The 4.2 V8 is creamy smooth, and I would only change it for the V10 oil burner. A hugely over-engineered car, sister to the Cayenne, built at a time when VW were making the Phaeton, designing the Veyron, and basically burning millions in R&D. A forgotten bargain.


Porsche 997 Carrera 2 S
Cost: 24995
Balance: 14080
Why I chose it: Amazing that you can buy a 997 Carrera S for 20 grand these days. When the air-cooled cars become garage queens, and the 996s become scrap, the 997 will be rightly regarded as one of the finest 911 models. Wanted the 997.2, however, budget will not allow it. This would be a daily driver - not too shabby.

BMW 335i Touring
Cost: 10500
Balance: 3580
Why I chose it: My dad used to drive estate cars, and they always have held a certain fondness for me. In North America, where I live, you can't buy decent fast estates, however in good old Europe there's always the demand for a fast station wagon. Audi's are not my thing, but a manual 335iT even with some miles on it makes for fun trips to the supermarket.


Fisher Fury
Cost: 3500
Balance: 80
Why I chose it: BECs have always fascinated me, and like many petrolheads, the idea of building a car in my garage has always been a far fetched dream. Fisher fury with a Blade engine - no need to track the NSX or 997 when I'll have this. Finish it, and track it. Garage complete.

Matt Bird

1,450 posts

204 months

PH Reportery Lad

Friday 13th February 2015
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Name: Paul Greenhalgh
Previously owned: 2005 VW Sharan, 1999 Modified Ford Galaxy, 1984 Celica XT, 1990 E30 318is, 1986 Orion 1.6i Ghia (among others not worth mentioning!)
Currently owned: 2009 E87 BMW 123d, 1975 Triumph Spitfire 1500
On the shortlist: A mix of my ultimate cars and something to replace my aging classic (excluding the top of the list 288GTO which would blow the budget 20 times over!). Driving pleasure is what it’s all about for me, enjoying being on the road in the car you’re driving. Having spent the last 10 years in a people carrier and just getting back in a proper car with decent power (Can’t knock the 2.0 twin turbo of the Beemer!) then I’m starting to see driving as less of a chore again. I think this list reflects that quite well.

My choices...
Ford Sierra RS Cosworth
Cost: £29,995
Balance:£70,005
Why I chose it: This is my ultimate fast Ford, in the right colour, with honest mileage and unmolested condition which has obviously been driven and enjoyed as much as it would be by me. Can’t help but stop and drool over these at car shows, so imagine I’d spend most of the time doing the same if it was mine. Always loved the looks, the stance and the noise that the YB engine with a decent exhaust rumbles out Oomph!


Porsche 911 2.7 Targa
Cost: £25,000
Balance:£45,005
Why I chose it: My favourite shape of 911. Targa top for coolness, Whale tail spoiler, Guards Red, Fuchs alloys, amazing condition, more conservative 2.7 engine for a more manageable drive every day. How can anyone not love this. I first fell for this shape of 911 when a colleague of my Dad’s took me out in his Carrera when I was about 10. The smile didn’t go from my face for a week. I will have one of these one day!


Mazda MX-5 2.0i Sport
Cost: £4,900
Balance:£40,105
Why I chose it: Something a bit more reliable to replace the Spitfire! Don’t get me wrong, I love my Spitfire, but when it goes wrong, which is quite often, it does erode a bit of the magic of owning a classic. This MX-5 has the 160bhp engine, some additions (not sure I’d keep them all) and the same 2 seat, top down fun that the Spitty does, but with the reliability to stop the erosion!

Audi RS6 Avant
Cost: £39,995
Balance:£110
Why I chose it: The daily driver! Take the kids to school, do the shopping, throw the Weimaraner in the boot and head to the Lakes, then smoke almost everything else you see on the road; because you can! Especially with the Stage 3 mods this one has! A mate took me out in one of these beasts while he was doing a PDI at the garage he worked at and I was absolutely blown away by it. A bit like Hong Kong Phooey – mild mannered janitor and number 1 super guy in the same package.

Dan Trent

Original Poster:

1,866 posts

167 months

Monday 16th February 2015
quotequote all
Name: Dave Brown
Previously owned: Fiesta 957 popular plus, Tired Cavalier 1.6 x 2 and sri x 2, Lancia Prisma 1.6 Walkers tuned (first introduction in to a car that handled well!), Fiat Cinquecento Sporting (ribbing that lasted years, but it did have a little character of its own), Nissan 200sx S14a (MY1997), Blobeye Impreza WRX (MY2005)
Currently owned: Hawkeye Impreza Sti Spec D (MY2007), Prius+ 7 seater (MY2013) - my domestic carbon offset scheme…
On the shortlist: Impreza 22B - I’m a big Subaru fan, spawned from many a day in a Welsh forest waiting for Colin or Richard to drift pass, and an affinity for Japanese motors from early performance/running cost needs. My daily drivers for the last 10 years have been of that persuasion, but the real stand out one for me is the flared out hardcore 22B which is the closest to Colin’s company car. Lancia Fluvia 1.6HF - I grew up surrounded by old Lancia’s – Fluvia and Flavia mostly. My mum drove a red Fluvia 1.3 HF which was pretty cool. I’d love to relive that with a Lancia Fluvia 1.6HF, maybe setup for some classic hillclimb or sprint work. Exige S2 supercharged – Some folk feel my current steed (Impreza Sti) is a bit harsh for daily use. I commute only 30 miles a day, with the occasional longer trip. To me it’s not harsh enough! I’m toying with running a S2 Exige as a daily machine… why shoudn’t a drive to work be an event…

My choices...

Lancia Delta Integrale
Cost: £22,995
Balance:£77,005
Why I chose it: <I need a rally renegade in the collection. 22B/Quattro/Inte. Martini 6 would be ideal, but price a bit strong for the garage. This looked like a useable example, not much text but photos looked like it’s been well cared for. I’m not an “improver” of cars, but I would want brakes/chassis/powertrain upgrades, so I just need some budget at the end for a little fettle to make sure the legend stands pace with contemporary machinery. Current road tests would indicate that a warm hatch would have the better of the Delta, and I know it’s not all about point to point pace and the Integrale is best part of 20 years old, but I would like some very carefully selected modifications that retain the original feel and look but bring the performance up a notch.or two. After all, these machines were all about evolution..>

Lotus Exige S2
Cost: £25,500
Balance:£51,505
Why I chose it: < Connection to car, performance against running costs, useable throughout the year, track day outings – so much is right with this car. Series 1 looks proper race but maybe reliability/useability questionable (k series engine etc.), S3 for me loses something with more weight, big engine and more refinement and more cost. I love a 4 pot forced induction and in white to me this looks the business. As from the “shortlist” I do fancy starting or finishing the day with an experience and I think the Exige could make a great long term companion. We do a “boys” weekend to Alps every so often and have driven a lot of the mountain passes in Imprezas (and a Lancia Prisma!). I was a bit depressed after a ride in a Clio 200 Cup out there – it showed a bit of a “blunt” side to my Impreza – plenty of pace, but a bit detached in how it did it. I think the Exige could be just the antidote to this…>

BMW 335 xdrive Touring
Cost: £32,500
Balance:£19,005
Why I chose it: <The clan needs roof racked, bike racked, all purpose machine. Weekend jaunts and family European driving holidays feature highly. Faster breed of Audi tempting, RS6 for sure, but with a fiscal hat on this BMW sounds amazing. 0-60 in 4.something, 50mpg, 4WD – sounds like a good family workhorse to me! This one has the first dollop of value scrubbed off. I’ve never driven a performance diesel (family MPV’s and a work borrowed XF Jag) so this is a leap of faith, but specs and reviews look totally compelling. The touring is ideal for the lugging of load, and to me somehow looks more “honest” as a car.

Land Rover Defender 90
Cost: £11,990
Balance:£7,015
Why I chose it: <I’m generally a bit of a car data nerd. For the Defender though, very little knowledge of what’s what, but I do know it’s an icon. Basically I just see one and think, that looks like fun, likable motoring. There must be a charm to it. Cars with a focus of some description appeal greatly. For that reason I like my rally cars for the road, attracted to an Exige and also dare I say have a soft spot in coaxing high MPG out of our bullet proof Prius+. They all have a technical purpose that defines them, and I think that is the same for the Defender. So many swear by the machine I’d like to give it a go. This one looked within budget (I have two more requirements left…)…

Jaguar V8 XJ
Cost: £995
Balance:£6,020
Why I chose it: <This has a very specific use. I’m sorry in advance for showing disrespect to this graceful old barge. We need a Le Mans tour bus. Preferably RWD, Preferably V8. Tick, tick. I actually felt this one was calling, as the only listed fault is with the traction control. Perfect. We use to run one of these at work, and although the 240 BHP doesn’t really overwhelm the mass of the machine, it could show a decent turn of relaxed pace and would “kick down” at triple digit speeds. Any advice on winter tyres in the summer welcome as I need my remaining budget on other garage areas……

The balance of £6,020 would be put in to the Delta. There is not much mention of current spec, but we’ll assume we could stiffen the suspension a little, brake upgrade and a modest engine fettle with breathing and management to say 250-270 BHP, tyres and geometry.


Dan Trent

Original Poster:

1,866 posts

167 months

Friday 20th February 2015
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http://thumbsnap.com/E0TPvPYh

Jonny Kermode
Previously Owned: Ford Fiesta 1.25 Zetec, Peugeot 206 1.4 HDi, MX5 1.8s MK2, BMW Mini Cooper, Eunos Roadster 1.6, Honda Civic Type R GT.
Currently own: BMW 3 Series MSport Touring
On the shortlist: My car history has been fairly fast paced, I’ve never kept a car longer than two years; as researching and buying a car is one of my favourite things to do. For my £100k garage, I wanted a full cross section of cars, a suite, or a family if you like. A car for every occasion. So that’s exactly what I’ve done, all these cars have a place in my heart, past or mind and I’m passionate about all five of them. Please let this be real.


My Choices...

Ferrari 355
Cost - £59,950
Balance - £40,050


Why I chose it – Since I went on a Ferrari experience day for my 21st Birthday, I’ve wanted one of these. In fact, this car has become somewhat of a goal for me, maybe even an obsession. I look at this as the achievable Ferrari, not too expensive to buy, and not too expensive to run. If I die having not owned one of these, I’ll be very disappointed in myself. I chose this particular classified because the fact that it’s ‘highly original’ is something I would look for in a car like this, why modify such a thing of beauty?


Lotus Elise S2 111s
Cost - £12,999
Balance - £27,051


Why I chose it – The director of a company I once worked for had one of these. He was a really nice bloke and a fellow PHer. He wasn’t in the office much but whenever we spoke, it was usually about cars. One lunchtime he let me have a shot, I couldn’t believe my luck, I was so nervous driving the gaffers car but I fell in love with it straight away. I love the rawness and it’s quirky characteristics. I chose this classified because I love the black and red together, it has a full history, and a lot has been done recently so it’d save me a few quid, in the short term anyway.


Jeep Wrangler
Cost - £7,995
Balance - £19,056


Why I chose it – When I was younger my dad was invited to a Jeep garage demo day, I’ve no idea why as he’s never owned a Jeep, nor was he thinking of buying one. Anyway, we went along and he got to drive (I was passenger) the Cherokee and the Wrangler. As far as I’m concerned if you’re going to off road, it’s got to be a Jeep, and it’s got to be short wheel base and at least 4.0L – Perfect. I also remember watching a Top Gear special where the guys were off roading in the Sierra Nevada mountains, and one of the guys had a Wrangler, it just looked so at home, more at home than a new housing estate in Edinburgh where I live I suppose. I chose this one because, well, it looks great, and it’s been very tastefully modified, it also doesn’t have leather seats which is a good thing in a 4x4 if you ask me, can’t do with all that sliding around.


BMW M5
Cost - £14,500
Balance - £4,556


Why I chose it – For me, the ultimate family car. I was looking at AMG Merc’s and RS4’s but there wasn’t enough left in the pot to allow me to purchase the ultimate hot hatch (see next car). So I’ve gone for the M5, if it’s good enough as a Ring taxi, it’s good enough for me. I love it because it’s understated but with supercar speed, I have a 3 Series MSport touring now and I love it. It looks great and handles great for a family and bike carrying wagon. This particular classified ticks all the boxes for me, the panoramic roof, understated colour, wheels and the fact that it’s had a new clutch has got to be a good thing.


Alfa Romeo 147 GTA
Cost - £4500
Balance - £0,056


Why I chose it – For me, the ultimate hot hatch. I like a hot hatch to be true to it’s name, and a bit frickin’ wild, and this is all those things. I’ve always thought that only a real pistonhead would own an Alfa, all the joy and pain that come with owning one are all part of the experience of a true car lover. When it breaks, you don’t get angry at it because you expect it will break, it’s an Alfa, and it could also break you, those 247 horses at the front wheels are going to keep you on your toes. I chose this one as I’ve not much cash left. It needs a bit of love and I think I could be the person to hand it some love, afterall, look at it, an actual thing of beauty. Apart from the green valve caps, you can keep those. I’ll get a new set with my spare £56…

Dan Trent

Original Poster:

1,866 posts

167 months

Friday 20th February 2015
quotequote all


Name: Andy Craven (forum name andyc11)
Previously owned: BMW M135i, BMW 120d, Citroen Xsara VTR,
Currently owned: Porsche 997 Carrera GTS
On the shortlist: Ferrari 355, Ford Sierra Cosworth RS500, Aston Martin V8 Vantage

My choices…

Ginetta G40R 2014
Cost: £29,950
Balance: £70,050

Why I chose it: I’m desperate to go racing and nearly bought a G40R instead of my 997, but bottled it in the end. It might not be everyone’s idea for a car in a dream garage, but would tick a lot of boxes for me.

1957 MG MGA Roadster
Cost: £29,995
Balance: £40,055

Why I chose it: I’m not quite yet 35, but have been hankering after a proper classic car for several years now. Although they’re worlds apart, it was a tough call between this and an Aston Martin V8 Vantage. I’m not a fan of drop tops, but on a classic like the MGA it’s stunning. With the uprated 1800cc engine, it won’t be any slouch either. This would be a car for the old man and me on a sunny Sunday afternoon.

1988 Lotus Esprit Turbo
Cost: £16,995
Balance: £23,060

Why I chose it: Look at it! It’s just magnificent and my perfect spec being blue with the cream leather. I’m determined to own one of these, restore it and use it as my pride and joy, I like them that much. I’ve had my eye on this one for a while now, but find myself having to quickly stop otherwise the temptation might be too much.

1987 Ford Escort RS Turbo
Cost: £12,995
Balance: £10,065

Why I chose it: I’m an 80’s kid and grew up around these at my Dad’s garage. I still remember him selling mint examples of these for less than £5k…if only we’d have known! For the record, this would get driven and driven hard as well, just like they should be.

2007 Mazda RX-8 (192)
Cost: £3,950
Balance: £6,115

Why I chose it: I remember seeing this on Top Gear when they first arrived and thinking ‘one day I’ll own one of them.’ I can’t believe how cheap these things are these days, well I can if you count the oil cost on top. I actually went out in one of these a few weeks ago with a mate who came up from the Cotswolds, he refused to say how much he spent on fuel that weekend…

1995 Ducati 748 SP
Cost: £5,500
Balance: £615

Why I chose it: There’s an interesting thread on the forums at the moment about the engagement you get from a car and in comparison, a motorbike. I don’t mind admitting the thought of riding on the road terrifies me these days, but with the balance of my spends I’d turn this into a track bike. I need to scratch that bike itch and this is the only way I’d do it.

Dan Trent

Original Poster:

1,866 posts

167 months

Sunday 8th March 2015
quotequote all

Name: Jim Pace
Previously owned
Various air cooled VWs - Beetles (1959-1971) with various engines (1200 30hp-1835cc), Karmann Ghia, bay window type 2.
Various water cooled VWs – Mk1 Jetta GLi (the last one imported), Passat, Scirocco, a couple of Polos.
Ford Orion Diesel (sorry!), Citroen BX, ZX, BMW E36, E39.
Triumph TR7, Riley Elf
Reliant Scimitar GT (1968) Scimitar GTE (1973, 1976)
Currently owned
Skoda Octavia 1.9TDi (daily driver); Toyota Sera (wife’s); Fiat Seicento (daughter’s, known as Enzo); Reliant Scimitar GTE (1972) Reliant Scimitar SS1
On the shortlist
Top 5 cars:
Gordon Keeble (none in the ads)
Porsche 911 Carrera 2.7RS (too pricey)
Jaguar XK150 fhc (they are available in budget, but not in the ads)
Aston Martin V8 Vantage (see below)
Scimitar (see below)
Austin Suntor caravanette (I know, I’m weird)
If the ex-Jumbo Goddard Turbo Bentley, or the ex-Nick Mann turbo V8 Minor hill-climber were available in budget I’d go with them too.

100K choices

Fiat Seicento Sporting
Cost: £1,100
Balance: £98,900 remaining
Why I chose it:
The only one in the classifieds at the time, so I had to go for it. I bought my daughter one to learn to drive in, an 899cc model, so no power, but still great fun. Bought for £350, we expected it to last a year and then fail the MOT and die; three years on, it keeps passing the test and the whole family has fallen in love with it. I doubt you could find a car that gave more fun for as little cash. Ideal spec would be a yellow Abarth with Webasto folding sunroof, A 1.4 16 valve motor, 6 speed ‘box and 4 wheel disc brakes should simply add to the fun!

TVR Griffith
Cost: £29,995
Balance: £68,905 remaining
Why I chose it:
My wife wants a TVR and for me, with the Griffith they got the shape just right. If it’s going to be a Griff, it might as well be something special and one look at the spec of this one tells you everything you need to know: ‘323 BHP engine with forged pistons, modified camshaft, big valve heads, etc. Running on Omex engine management with Jenvey throttle bodies, full Chris Tullet exhaust system with equal length primaries, T5 gearbox. Fitted with Compomotive MO 16" and 17" alloy wheels with Toyo R1R tyres, Brembo front brake calipers, grooved discs, braided hoses etc.

Even the colour is right (green is my wife’s favourite colour and it’s a similar colour to my Scimitar). Finally, Hexham is just up the road, so it would be easy to collect.

Reliant Scimitar GT
Cost: £5450
Balance: £63,455 remaining
Why I chose it:
As a serial Scimitar owner and Registrar for the RSSOC, I had to include a Scim. My first was a Coupe and I would love another. I read a road test in Hot Car magazine in the 60s and it took me a long time to get one, which I then sadly had to part with. Ideally, I’d have one with standard rear lights and a Webasto, but the factory sunroof of this car is appealing, and I could always replace the rear lights with standard items. The Wolfrace wheels look good, although my preference would have to be for Revolutions, so maybe I’d have to put a bit of my own money in to get it exactly the way I wanted it. They make great sprint/race cars so this one would probably end up as a multi-role road/track car.

Skoda Octavia VRS
Cost: £2674
Balance: £60,881 remaining
Why I chose it:
I run an Octavia TDi as a daily driver. It’s economical, reliable and tows my caravan (sorry!). It’s my favourite of the everyday cars I’ve had, so I’d have another Octavia. I also like the shape, it’s the simplest shape you could get for a 5 door hatch, I hate over styled cars. The VRS is the pick of the bunch and as I think the world is starting to move against diesels, I could justify the turbo-nutter version of the car. This one has a reasonable mileage (87,980), FSH and comes from a main dealer, so it should be OK. It’s also yellow, and I’ve wanted a yellow car since my father failed to buy a Daytona Yellow Escort in 1972, as I haven’t got my yellow Fiat Seicento, I’ll go for this instead.

Aston Martin VirageCost: £59,950
Balance: £931 remaining
Why I chose it:
The big one! A V8 Vantage (the classic one) is out of reach, so this Virage sneaks in. It’s British, it has the engine in the front driving the rear wheels, it’s a V8 and it’s bespoke so it has to be on the list. I’d like a manual, but with the power of a 5.3 litre quad cam V8 and the size of the thing, then maybe an auto is the wise choice anyway. It has the ‘Vantage chassis configuration’ which sounds like a good thing, and the fact that it is number 001 means it must be collectable which also appeals. I wouldn’t even need to drive it, just look at it! I could happily spend my life with it just gazing at the shape, the engine, the leather. It comes from a respected specialist and has only covered 35k miles and has a ‘comprehensive history file’.

Jaguar XJ8
Cost: £931!
Balance: £0
Why I chose it:
What to buy? I love the XJ40, but there aren’t any of those within budget, so I’ll go for the V8 instead. This one is reasonable mileage at 107,178 and is very well spec’d so ideal for wafting. Having seen one thrown round the sprint circuit at Curborough 5-up I also know they can pick up their skirts and fly and that you can take all your mates along. It has those essential words ‘service history’ in the ad (though the word ‘full’ is absent), so it might be worth a punt. Add an LPG conversion and it might even be affordable to run. But then you read the dreaded phrase ‘cat c’ so checks on the level of damage and standard of repair would be sensible, but hey, it’s ‘shed’ territory and I’d have other cars to use, so I think I’d be risking it.

Dan Trent

Original Poster:

1,866 posts

167 months

Sunday 8th March 2015
quotequote all


Name: Tom
Previously owned: Renault Clio Dynamique 1.2, Renault Clio expression 1.2, Ford Fiesta St.
Currently owned: Volvo C30 T5
On the shortlist: Audi TT, Bmw Z4, Subaru Impreza STI

My choices...

Lotus Elan
Cost £7950
Balance £92,050
Lotus Elan - Ive always had a great admiration for this car ever since somebody owned one in this exact colour down my road when I was growing up, I love the way it looks and besides the fact its a lotus it looks fabulous!, this would be my weekend car.


Nissan GTR
Cost £38,000
Balance £54,050
Nissan GTR - Ever since I drove one of these around Silverstone I would love to experience that power and acceleration on a daily basis.



Audi RS4
Cost £15,750
Balance £38,300
Audi RS4 - Any decent 100K garage needs a sports saloon and this is in my opinion is the daddy, 400HP on tap and a noise that would put Katherine Jenkins to shame.



Lotus Elan S2
Cost £16495
Balance £21,805
Lotus Elise S2 - A bit like the Elan with the Lotus heritage however with more Grunt and arguably the best handling road car ever built.



BMW 325i M Sport
Cost £16990
Balance £4815
Probably an annual fuel bill for the RS4.BMW 325I M Sport - My daily drive something not to slow to be boring but comfortable and looks good.



Edited by Dan Trent on Sunday 8th March 08:42

Dan Trent

Original Poster:

1,866 posts

167 months

Sunday 8th March 2015
quotequote all


Name: Killian Cronin
Previously owned: Toyota Corolla SR, Lexus IS200 Sport, Lexus IS200 SE, BMW E46 318i MSport
Currently owned: Subaru Legacy B4 RSK
On the shortlist: I have no kids, a long commute or need a car for work purposes so this list is purely based on dreams and fun to be had, although I do want to be able to briskly transport my friends and I with comfort should we wish to take a road trip. I want the cars to reflect different capabilities and driving characteristics across a range of eras. I told myself I must have a fast estate (who doesn't love fast estates?) a convertible and a risky choice in the list somewhere. Do I get to keep my current car too? And so it begins.....



My choices...

Audi quattro
Cost: £29,999
Balance: £70,001
Why I chose it: I've loved rallying from a young age and Group B particularly captured my imagination. Watching the crowds of spectators parting like the Red Sea as a Sport quattro, a Lancia S4 or a 205 T16 hammered down a gravel track was mesmerising. More recently the quattro caught my eye in Ashes to Ashes and while cheesey it'd be great to "fire up the quattro" every so often! This car is an iconic link to a bygone era of rallying while being usable and reasonably practical if I need it to be (not a homolgation special in other words). It looks amazing in Tornado Red. Bonus points: The 5 pot engine note! This example is at the upper end of what you seem to pay for a quattro but I figure with a car like this thats gonna be an investment.



Honda S2000
Cost: £13,995
Balance: £56,006
Why I chose it: This ticks the convertible box anyway (while not being a more obvious MX5). I've never owned a Honda and I've wanted for a while to scratch that VTEC itch. Screaming along changing up at 9000rpm with the top down seems like it would be great fun! It has a starter button (awesome) and I think they look great and have aged quite gracefully. Looking at the S2000 you'd never guess the design originated in the 90's and didn't really change across its lifespan either. This one looks great in black with the contrasting red seats has quite a low mileage and comes with a hardtop as well as a 6 month warranty which is a bonus. Not that you'd need the warranty as Hondas are generally bombproof and with this mileage I'd have few worries.



Lexus IS F
Cost: £24,990
Balance: £31,016
Why I chose it: I loved Lexus ownership and would not hesitate to buy another, and an IS F would be my ideal way of doing so! I like the brand and I like the idea of a V8 super saloon even more. Lexus took on the Germans at their own game and while they didn't quite beat them its a pretty good effort and its always nice to be a bit different. This would probably be my daily driver. The IS F looks mean. Its an aggressive beast. In standard form the second gen IS is a nice looking car but the F while not hugely altered just looks like its ready to devour something (tyres probably) while still being reasonably understated to the point that a non petrolhead probably wouldn't pick it out for what it is. From my many forays onto YouTube that V8 sounds amazing. This is the car that could transport 5 people comfortably at ludicrous speeds and more than likely never let you down. Its the car I could drive to the 'Ring, put in a few laps and cruise back with a smile on my face. I'm thinking you would end up with a loyalty discount at your local tyre place though...

Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R Tommy Kaira
Cost: £11,495
Balance: £19,521
Why I chose it: Its a Skyline! And if you haven't guessed, I'm something of a jap car enthusiast. For me the R32 is the best looking Skyline of the last 25 years. The R33 looks too big and soft and the R34 just never clicked with me for some reason. This is another iconic car that I've dreamed of owning for years. With this one I would get something a bit different in the form of the Tommy Kaira edition. I just love these. Its very much a living legend. This car has been modified tastefully and the power ouput, while a fair bit higher than standard is way below the maximum the RB26 engine can take. For 11.5k with 52,000 miles and 443bhp I would consider this a bargain. There's not many ways of going faster for less than 12 grand. Many petrolheads would be green with envy if you cruised by in one of these. They seem to hold their value too, so in this fantasy world where I've ended up with 100k to spend on cars, when I inevitably become broke I'd make most of my money back. Perhaps the Lexus has competition for the daily use car here...



Lotus Esprit S3 Turbo
Cost: £16,995
Balance: £2,526
Why I chose it: And now for the risk! Here's where I live out my James Bond fantasies without the likes of a far pricier Aston Martin or a far more boring BMW 750. Its even a similar colour and model to the one that Bond had in For Your Eyes Only. Regardless of the Bond connection there's just something quintessentially cool about the Esprit (before they became more rounded in their later guise anyway) its sleek, low and clearly Lotus hadn't used anything but a ruler in its design stage. It looks so right. The inside looks wonderfully cramped and classically dated. I love the 2 spoke steering wheel. I love how you would be sitting with your arm resting right on the transmission tunnel. I normally hate wood in car interiors but the wooden gearknob looks perfect. The minimalistic switch gear is great. I'd ditch the aftermarket head unit for something era appropriate to complete the look. This looks like quite a tidy, well looked after Esprit but I'm sure the famed Lotus unreliability would show itself at some stage! And you know what? If it was my car, I wouldn't care. I'd sit and admire it while I waited for the recovery truck to arrive.



Subaru Legacy GT Twin Turbo Wagon
Cost: £1,495
Balance: £1,031
Why I chose it: Here's the fast estate, and its not because I need something to put the dogs in! This would be my track car. I'm a huge Scooby fan (currently have one) and I always wanted an estate for the track as you could travel up in it and transport your various bits, pieces and fresh tyres in the back. I originally planned on a Volvo 850R when I started this but there was none on the classifieds unfortunately. This isn't the cleanest example out there but its more than sufficient for the basis of a track car. It already has a stainless exhaust so the famous boxer rumble should be nice and audible. Strip out the interior and use my change from the 100k for a rollcage, track tyres and the likes. Should be more than capable and fun on a track.

Edited by Dan Trent on Sunday 8th March 08:42

Dan Trent

Original Poster:

1,866 posts

167 months

Sunday 8th March 2015
quotequote all

Name: Gary Reid
Previously owned: Vauxhall Astra Mk11 1.3, Rover 600, Ford Fiesta 1.3 duratec, Alfa Romeo 155 2litre Twin Spark Widebody, Mercedes E240 W210, Audi A4 Cabriolet, Fiat Punto 1.2 2nd Gen, Suzuki Grand Vitara 1.9 ddis, Suzuki Swift 1.3 ddis, Alfa Romeo GTV 3.2 V6 Ph3.
On the shortlist: Alfa 166 2.0Ts as my daily.

My Choices :



Fiat Dino
Cost: £44,995
Balance: £55,005
Why I chose it:
Weekend car. Sellers a bit ambitious on their price tbh, but are correct in that this is an appreciating classic. I sat in one at Brooklands Auto Italia and its become my grail car. Later 2.4 models are probably more desirable but this looks in pretty good nick and will need little work. Engine was shared with the Ferrari Dino of the same era as well as many of the other components. Engine is pretty robust with a good specialist network, so not too much of a headache to run.I just think the Bertone design is beautiful.



Maserati Quattroporte
Cost: £7930
Balance: £47,075
Why I chose it:
My Family daily. Not an obvious choice, particularly when the fabulous QPV is looking such good value these days. I do however have a soft spot for this unassuming and rare Gandini designed QPIV. This ones got good history and looks in pretty good condition. I’d still get a specialist check before purchase though ! It’s the last iteration of the inconsistent Biturbo era but this ones been built post Ferrari takeover and has a fabulous V8 twin Turbo as well as being pretty well screwed together. They did however remove the oval gold clock and replace with a really cheap looking digital display  Shocking. 
A bit of a Q car and its quite cool driving around in something most people have never seen before. Plus its fast…..very fast. 



 Bentley Continental
Cost: £38,950
Balance: £8,250
Why I chose it:
For impressing the relatives. Always loved these despite the negative footballer image. This one doesn’t look too tarty and has a top spec. No photo’s of the interior so need to check that but in general looks pretty good value. Reliability can be awful so will need a very good check before purchase. Even then I’ll be in for some big bills and not just at the fuel pump.!



 Suzuki Jimny
Cost: £7895
Balance: £230
Why I chose it:
For total trust. They say after the apocalypse only two things will survive, cockroaches and Suzuki Jimmy’s. This thing hasn’t changed in design or construction in 20 years. Every weak point has been addressed, my wife’s hairdryer has more complex electrics. Its got old school 4wd with low range , basic suspension and break over angles that will make a Range Rover blush. If I was to cross the African subcontinent unsupported this would bey choice. Its slow, uncomfortable and you look like a know driving one, but hey, you can look like a knob driving a Ferrari. While the rest of the fleet is in the garage getting fixes, my Jimny will be available come snow, floods or heaven forbid, the apocalypse!


Dan Trent

Original Poster:

1,866 posts

167 months

Sunday 8th March 2015
quotequote all

Name: Jack Stephens
Previously owned: 2003 Renault Megane 1.6 Expression
Currently owned: 1997 Toyota MR2 2.0 GTI 16v , 2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser 2.0 Electric
On the shortlist: Alfa Romeo 147 (Facelift) Lotus Elise S2 (Although I should really use my savings on a deposit! )
My choices...
I'm only 22 so I don't have space for all these cars!
I am going on the assumption that I have somewhere to keep all the cars! (would be nice)
My Dream car would be a 1973 Pontiac Trans Am in Brewster green! but sadly they don't appear on the classifieds very often , if not at all!


2013 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport V8
Cost: £42,995
Balance: £57,005
Why I chose it: I have always loved Corvettes! I have always been a huge fan of the C6 shape which came out when I was young , I remember my hot wheels red c6 was one of my favourites. I would love a black one , but sadly the black Grand sport on the classifieds had an Auto box! So silver wins for the manual box! Not as fast as the ZR1 or the Z06 but still plenty of car to enjoy! I think the C7 generation Vette doesn't look as good as the C6.

2002 Lotus Elise S2 Type 72
Cost: £16,495
Balance: £40,510
Why I chose it: How can you not love the second generation Elise in its JPS inspired special edition! Yes , this is a K-Series car but a Head gasket upgrade isn't hard to have done!
This would be great for those weekends when I want to go for a spirited drive and not break the bank! (This is where the corvette has its shortcomings!)


2009 Alfa Romeo Brera 2.2 JTS
Cost: £8,945
Balance: £31,565
This would be my "sensible" car!
Something needs to ferry me to work everyday after all! (although if its sunny i'll be headed there in the Elise with the roof down!)
I first saw this car at the London motor show in 2008 , I have loved it ever since!
My only requirements were , A - its Red and B - Its manual!
This ticks both boxes! Now forgive me whilst I stare at that rear end.........

1994 Nissan Skyline GTR R32
Cost: £9,995
Balance: £21,570
I am a self proclaimed lover of American Muscle , but I also love a good JDM hero car! (Provided it hasn't been ruined by a frequent visitor of Halfords!)
Out of all the Japanese Machines my favourite is the Toyota 2000GT (but even with 100k that isn't going to happen!) So an R32 GTR will do. This one looks good , it has the standard 5 spoke wheels and a non over-excessive exhaust. And its even in my favourite R32 colour!
Sadly it isn't the V-spec , but standard looking examples of this car are becoming hard to find now.

1965 Ford Mustang 289 V8
Cost: £15,490
Balance: £6,080
A gorgeous American Pony , even better as it has the V8 and not a straight 6!
As I said I before , I love classic American cars! As the 73 TA is a bit rare I needed something else to scratch the American classic itch! So what better car than a gen 1 Mustang.
This would also be great as I could take it to the Goodwood revival and park in the classic car park. (seriously , if you have never been , go there! )
This car is made even better still as its also a Manual.

1988 Toyota MR2 1.6 Supercharged
Cost: £4,495
Balance £1,585
I already have the UK spec MR2 MKII SW20 (Standard wink ) and have been in the UK MR2 owners club for two years now.
I have always fancied a go in the AW11 shape MR2 and this one looks good! It has a factory fitted body kit and is totally standard apart from that. (Best colour too!)
I figure this is an excellent choice to use up the last of my virtual cash
Just don't ask how I plan to insure them all!
I can imagine the phone call now!
"So Mr Stephens , you want insurance on your 2013 Corvette. How old are you?"


errrrmmmmmm............

Keep It up guys!


Dan Trent

Original Poster:

1,866 posts

167 months

Sunday 8th March 2015
quotequote all


Name: Russell Attwood
Previously owned: Toyota Yaris
Currently owned: Toyota Yaris
On the shortlist: Honda NSX Type R, Honda Integra DC2 Type R, Nissan Skyline R34 GTR, BMW 750i, Mercedes 280se convertible
My choices... I'm 19 so that's the reason for having only owned a Yaris, I'm a big jdm fan and love 90's japanese metal (apart from the interiors)

Honda Accord Type R
Cost: £2,650
Balance: £97,350
Why I chose it: An ATR will soon be my next car as they rev high, handle very well for a family saloon, helped by the LSD they don't look too loud and they are a lot cheaper to insure than a Civic Type R. I chose this on as it has had some fairly tasteful mods apart from the replica alloys.

Honda Integra DC5 Type R
Cost: £9,995
Balance: £87355
Why I chose it: I chose an Integra as it is most probably the best handling FWD road car produced, it has the better six speed over the 5 speed in the DC2 and has a k20 which is very easy to tune as its such a popular engine, i think they also look a lot better than the DC2, which i was considering, also it revs crazily, vtec yo! This one is a nice stock low mileage one which are becoming hard to find. I would also want to ,odify it and keep it for weekend blasts.

Honda Civic EK9 Type R
Cost: £8485
Balance: £78870
Why I chose it: The EK9 was the first Civic Type R and the most hardcore civic Type R made, the famous vid of an EK9 vs a Ferrari F355 adds to legend of the EK9 and ever since i saw the clip on youtube i have wanted an EK9. I would turn into a track car fit it with a roll cage and harness and hoon about on track making the most of that b16. I chose this one over the limited other options as it is very stock compared to most, they are also starting to creep up in price and are becoming increasingly sought after.

BMW Alpina D3 Estate
Cost: £19,900
Balance: £58,970
Why I chose it: If i'm tracking the EK9 I'm going to need something to pull it and to do serious motorway miles, the D3 is understated but faster than it looks, plus i haven't seen any bad reviews of it. I opted for the estate so i could chuck the mountain bike in the back if i needed to. There's only two in the classifieds and this one has a higher mileage but has a much nicer interior.

Nissan Pulsar GTI-R
Cost: £5,000
Balance: £53,970
Why I chose it: I know it's a slightly oddball car and not the prettiest but i love it for the fact it looks like its been fed a pure protein diet and pumped with steroids, 300bhp and 4wd from something that used to be a humble Nissan Sunny sounds cool to me plus i think it would be excellent in the snow and general bad weather us brits have. Only one in the classifieds so no other option really, shame about the alloys and unknown mods.

Nissan Skyline R32 GTR
Cost: £13,995
Balance: £39,975
Why I chose it: everyone who loves jdm cars loves a skyline gtr, for me the r32 is my favorite, the r32 is too curvy for me and the r34 too muscular, the r32 looks so lean and agile with the infamous rb26 at it's heart, the r32 is one of the best Japanese cars ever made in my opinion, this one is in great condition but i would like to add a few tasteful mods and get the power up to about 400bhp, not a difficult thing to do in one of these.

BMW 630i Convertible
Cost: £15,995
Balance: £23,980
Why I chose it: Something for when we occasionally get a hot summers day when you want to cruise around with the top down maybe with your mates that's why i chose the six, for the practical seats in the back, this one had a nice speck with the alloys and colour plus the 3 litre six, perfect for summer cruising

BMW 850csi
Cost: £22,995
Balance: £985
Why I chose it: I have always thought the 8 series to be one of the best looking beemers and the ultimate iteratation of the shark nose, it just looks like its going to knock your teeth out if you look at it funny, also the 850csi has the beautiful v12 with a manual gearbox as the only option in a csi, perfect, this is the only one on ph and they are pretty rare as it is.

that leaves me £985 for some fuel and parts for the Honda's and a good mix of metal for my perfect 100k garage. I hope you approve.


Dan Trent

Original Poster:

1,866 posts

167 months

Tuesday 17th March 2015
quotequote all

Name: Tim Condran
Previously owned: Fiat Punto / BMW 320d (E90)
Currently owned: BMW 320d M Sport Auto (F30)
On the shortlist: BMW 328i (F30) / VW Golf GTI (MK7)
My choices...

Alfa Romeo 159 Ti 3.2 V6
Cost: £8990
Balance: £91,010
Why I chose it: I’ve always been a fan of saloon car styling & I’ve always been drawn by the Alfa appeal, this is simply the best looking Saloon in recent years.

Volkswagen Transporter T32 Sportsline
Cost: £24,295
Balance: £66,715
Why I chose it: I like the great outdoors & especially Mountain Biking, this would be ideal for trips away with the lads on the bikes at weekend. This one looks clean & tidy with no boy racer bodykits.

BMW M3 3.0 DCT (F80)
Cost: £49,850
Balance: £16,865
Why I chose it: No hiding it, I’m a massive BMW & M Car fan & my (realistic) dream car is an M3, it was a tough call, but this just gets the nod over the E90 M3 & Not that adventurous but awould be the daily driver!

Renault Clio Williams 2
Cost: £5995
Balance: £10,870
Why I chose it: The late 80’s & 90’s were a cruel time to grow up as a car loving Kid, 205 GTI, Golf MK2 GTI, Sierra Sapphire Cosworth were all dreamed of for many years, the Clio Williams still ticks all the boxes for me!

Honda S2000
Cost: £8493
Balance: £2377
Why I chose it: You have to have a car for those rare summer days when spending £100k, ideal for a costal blast on a summers evening Great colour & VTEC!!!

£2377 Remaining can cover running costs.


Dan Trent

Original Poster:

1,866 posts

167 months

Tuesday 17th March 2015
quotequote all

Name: Michael Warburton
Previously owned: Classic Mini, Vauxhall Chevette, Peugeot 405Mi16, Celica GT, MkIV Supra TT
Currently owned: Ford Puma, Audi A4 Avant 2.0T FSI
On the shortlist: I've had a few interesting cars, but not many compared to some people. That's mainly due to owning the Supra for a decade! The Puma replaced that as a short term run-around while I'm saving and looking at what to buy to properly replace the Supra. Even with an imaginary £100k to spend, this still took me a long time to come up with a shortlist!

I decided on a few requirements right from the start. We have a Great Dane so a dog hauler is essential, a GT cruiser for me, a convertible for my wife to pose in during those two days of summer, a fun shopping cart that I can just jump in and thrash down some back roads, and a track car.

My choices...

Mercedes C63 AMG Estate
Cost: £30,950
Balance: £69,050
Why I chose it: Big enough to fit our Great Dane in the back (just), and that glorious 6.2 litre V8! We're unlikely to see such naturally aspirated engines again, and I've always longed for a big V8 burble in my life. I love the rarer colour too. This one would be my Wife's main drive.

BMW M6 Coupé
Cost: £29,850
Balance: £39,200
Why I chose it: Another glorious naturally aspirated engine, this time a V10. The M6 is actually on my shortlist of cars as a proper Supra replacement (although that changes on a weekly basis). Sure most people seem to prefer the M5, and that "Bangle Butt" isn't to everyone's taste, but personally I love the 2 door coupé. It's a bit lighter due to that cool carbon fibre roof, and I've always been a fan of Interlagos Blue.

Audi TT 2.0T FSI Quattro TTS
Cost: £18,995
Balance: £20,205
Why I chose it: I'll own up straight away here; I'm not an Audi TT fan. However, my wife is, and white in particular. Erm, other justifications... It's the same engine as our current dog hauler, so I'm familiar with it, and it's a Quattro for if it snows! Buying her this might also let me get away with spending £100k on cars instead of something ridiculous like a house.

Renault Megane R26
Cost: £7,295
Balance: £12,910
Why I chose it: Cheap shopping cart and immensely fun to thrash around back roads with ease. I wouldn't be too concerned about leaving it anywhere, and it would be the go to car for commuting and if any of the others were in the garage. I'm surprised at how cheap these are now, and this is one of the later F1 editions with slightly more horsepower and fancy front diff.

Westfield Megabusa
Cost: £12,250
Balance: £660 to go towards a car trailer for it, towed behind the Merc!
Why I chose it: I've been thinking about a "Caterfield" type car for mainly track day fun for a while, and I've also always wanted to try a bike-engined one. This subtle green one with sequential gearbox must be huge fun.

Dan Trent

Original Poster:

1,866 posts

167 months

Tuesday 17th March 2015
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Name:Hugh Gabriel (PHer HughG)
Previously owned: Alfa GT, Fisher Fury Fireblade, Locost 7, Ford Capri, and some boring diesels.
Currently owned: Toyota MR2 Roadster, Peugeot 205 1.6GTi track car, and a boring (but competent) diesel.
On the shortlist: TVR Cerbera was right at the top, there aren't any really good ones on at the moment though, Daimler 250 V8, Audi Allroad 2.7TT, Defender, Porsche Cayman S.

My choices...

TVR Tamora
Cost: £14,500
Balance: £85,500
Why I chose it: Tamora and T350s seem to have fallen below the radar since the Sagaris appeared despite being great looking and sounding. None of those available at the moment have had a rebuild, so I've got for a cheap one and keep some money in the pot for when the time comes.

Range Rover 4.2 Supercharged Vogue SE
Cost: £15,395
Balance: £70,105
Why I chose it: A V8 family barge for all the long trips in comfort surrounded by leather and wood. I need something 4wd on the list, which could do towcar duties. Nothing would tick every box quite as well as one of these.

BMW i3 eDrive
Cost: £24,450
Balance: £45,655
Why I chose it: As I write this I'm sat in a cafe off Berkeley Square, outside there is one of these, a Tesla Model S and a Nissan Note parked and charging free, this strikes me as a win win situation. IMHO they look decent, and are a nice departure from the appearance of virtually every other small car out there at the moment. It'll be interesting to see whether the batteries last.

Porsche 356 B 1600 Reutter Coupe
Cost: £29,995
Balance: £15.660
Why I chose it: I need a classic to tinker with, this Porsche 356 may be needing a bit more than just tinkering, but a complete project car has got to be a good start. Restoring it properly wouldn't be cheap, so the balance of my budget would go on that, fingers crossed its enough

Dan Trent

Original Poster:

1,866 posts

167 months

Tuesday 17th March 2015
quotequote all


Name: Michael Suter
Previously owned: Daewoo Lanos 1.4 SE (Never buy a car with your parents, awful, just awful!), Fiat Punto Sporting 1.2 mk2, Peugeot 206 1.4 Verve (Went car shopping with the parents again, apocalyptically dull car!), Peugeot 206 GTI 180, SEAT Ibiza Cupra GTI 2.0 8v, Ford Fiesta ST, Ford Focus RS mk1, Mazda mx-5 1.8is mk1, Porsche 944 S2, Toyota MR-2 mk3
Currently owned: Mitsubishi GTO Twin Turbo, Fiat Cinquecento Sporting
On the shortlist: Had nothing particular in mind, but I've got a theory that the perfect garage should have four cars that fill four specific roles (Although I know I've picked 5, but all will make sense, sort of!). These are, a stonkingly fast GTish type car for high speed medium/long journeys, a focused sports car for weekend fun, a cheap, cheerful, back to basics hatchback/citycar for that's easy to whip round town and can be thrashed everywhere! Finally a practical(ish) car that can carry four+ people and fulfil any task I threw at it!

My choices...

Porsche 911 Turbo (997)
Cost: £47,999
Balance: £52,001
Why I chose it: This should fill the stonking fast GTish car role nicely! This would also work nicely as my daily driver, comfortable, easy to drive, all weather traction and it should get me where I want to go fairly sharpish! I can't even comprehend how fast this car would feel as I find my current Twin Turbo ride with half this power treats the national speed limit with absolute disdain! I just love the wide hip look of this car, to me it is everything a 911 should be and I feel the 997 will go down as one of the greats of this cars lineage. I also think the black on black looks positively evil, like it should be at some kind of midnight club type illegal street race!

TVR Griffith 500
Cost: £24,990
Balance: £27,011
Why I chose it: I think every true petrol head should have a TVR at some point. Any TVR would have done as they are all just awesome, the noise, drama, looks, rawness and general don't give a f*** un-PCness attitude! It makes me so sad we'll never see their like again in this increasingly over sanitised world. This particular one just looks stunning, I think I'd be tempted to just drive it everywhere, if anything just for the noise. But I'd use it sparingly on the odd weekend here and there and savour every moment of glorious Blackpool insanity! And maybe just occasionally for the odd epic road trip to places like Wales, Scotland, Route Napoleon, the alps.......

Tiger Cat E1
Cost: £6,995
Balance: £20,016
Why I chose it: This will be my second weekend sportscar, as the TVR is just too special to use all the time. Obviously being much more of a compromised car this would just be for days out up to the coast when just fancy a quick thrash and at a push possibly the the odd overnighter here and there, as it does come with a bag! I can just imagine winding my way across the countryside, car and driver as one, driving fast but travelling slow. Then there's the thrill of that perfectly time downshift, blipping the throttle and hearing the revs flare with that exhaust being so close to my ear hole! When the suns blazing (it does happen!) there would be some priceless moments with a car like this and I'm grinning like a Cheshire Cat at the very thought of it!

Ford SportKa SE
Cost: £2,350
Balance: £17,666
Why I chose it: I think the description sold me on this one! Seriously though, this would be ideal for making the inevitable trips into town. Small, simple, wheel in each corner fun, perfect for cutting through heavy traffic and whipping round tight multi-storey car parks. It's small size means it can be parked almost anywhere and modest power means you can drive with the throttle nailed almost permanently and not have to worry too much about getting into trouble! One of the other reason I chose this particular small car is it reminds me of the mk1 Focus RS I had. I know it's worlds away, but I think it looks almost like a mini-me version with its (relatively) aggressive bodykit, imperial blue paint and gaudy blue interior. I only hope some of its big brothers fast ford DNA has trickled down.

Land Rover Defender 90
Cost: £16,949
Balance: £717
Why I chose it: Just look a it! I don't think it could be possible for a defender to look anymore aggressive short of having a machine gun and armour plates fitted! For some reason I've always loved the idea of having a Defender, though I doubt I'd ever do any serious off roading it's nice to know if the situation arose, I could! However it does have plenty of space for moving people/things around, so in my eyes that makes it practical! Though I'd have to wrestle the key off my girlfriend anytime I wanted to use it, as she also loves Defenders. Her criteria for one being it has to be short wheelbase, with a snorkel and it has to have the ability to "run over stuff". This should fit the bill nicely!

The remainder would go on petrol/diesel and Pistonheads smiley's for all my new metal

Dan Trent

Original Poster:

1,866 posts

167 months

Tuesday 17th March 2015
quotequote all


Name: Robert Jolliffe
Previously owned: Austin Metro, Rover 820, VW Golf GTi Mk2, Ford XR3i, Nissan SX200, Mercedes CLK230 Kompressor, Jaguar XJ8 3.2
Currently owned: Citroen C4 Grand Picasso
On the shortlist: Realistic; Mondeo TDi estate. Aspirational; Jaguar XF Sportbreak Daydream; Pagani Zonda, Ferrari 288 GTO, Lamborghini Muira, Ford Mustang (mid 60's), Ferrari 275 GTB/4...

My choices...

Bentley Turbo R
Cost: £16,950
Balance: £83,050
Why I chose it: Restrained elegance, British craft and quality, heritage, luxury and sure to appreciate in value over the comig years. Close the door and leave the world outside.

Lotus Elise 111 S
Cost: £14,750
Balance: £68,300
Why I chose it; Offers the complete opposite than the Bentley in terms of size and scale but adds its own unique twist on the British art of motor making. Immerse yourself in the act of driving.

Maserati Granturismo
Cost: £32,990
Balance £35,310
Why I chose it; Oh come on....just look at it! It's not just a car its a work of art.

Mercedes CLS 320CDi
Cost: £11,500
Balance: £23,810
Why I chose it; Seats the whole family in comfort takes the shopping in the boot, would not look too conspicuous on the school run and will get 40mpg. And, as its a Merc, it will last for 200,000 miles.

TVR Cerbera 4.2
Cost: £16,995
Balance: £6,815
Why I chose it; Lived near the TVR factory, toured round it, met Peter Wheeler. Always like the Cerbera but knew I had to have one when it pasted all comers on the Top Gear drag race!

Mercedes CLK430 Convertible
Cost: £3,250
Balance £3,565
Why I chose it: Open Air Motoring for the family. Classy, likely to increase in value and a V8

Ford Mondeo Diesel Estate
Cost £3,400
Balance: £165
Why I chose it; You always need a car to take the rubbish to the tip or transport a wet dog....well this is it.

thanks for looking

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