How far would you travel for a cheap car?

[funkyrobot]

DrTre said:

Try splitting the ticket. Various websites around.

Will give that a try.

[Hi]

I couple of years ago I travelled from Cirencester to Provence in the South of France to pick up a car I was given, shame it was a 1.8 petrol xantia estate! Still, it was a fun journey and all told (including insurance) I worked out it cost me about £300 to go and fetch it.
I later swapped it for a 306 GTI6 (which I had to drive up to aberdeen to fetch). I then sold the 306 GTI6 for £1000 so I did well in the end!

[LordGrover]

funkyrobot said:

It's a make and model that is slowly disappearing (Volvo 850). It appeared on my radar and as I am after something cheap, it ticked quite a lot of boxes.

It's also a private sale and I have spoken to the seller. It seems to be a genuine reason for sale.

I've looked at others and they are much higher mileage, older or even more expensive (there is one on AT for over £4K ).

Is it the green one near Bristol?

[Mikeyplum]

£500 NA MX-5
South Wales to Stalybridge for a £500 MX-5.

3 trains and 2 trams.

Arrived to meet the drug-dealer-esque seller leaning up against his blacked out Range Rover Sport with the keys to the Auto MX-5 that I had travelled 5 hours to see.

It was advertised as a Manual. FML.

£1100 MK3 Golf VR6
South Wales to St Helens.

Left at 2.30pm on a Sunday afternoon. Got home at 1am. Up for work at 7am.

Car was mint. 66k miles one owner from new. Seller didn't know what he was selling.

Loved that car.

£1400 VW Golf Mk4 GT TDI Estate
South Wales to Blackburn

2 trains and 6 hours on a train.

Car was okay. 177k miles with lots of history. But a terrible sticky vaned turbo meant a smokey, laggy and underpowered 4 hour trip home.

Still have that car

£450 Mk3 Golf GTI
South Wales to Luton

Car was a back of nails. But had a £500 interior.

Drove it home. Zipped about in it for a while.

Got written off. Paid out £500, bought it back for £60 and sold the interior for £300.

Quids in :P


There are lots more too.

Generally have no issue travelling for the right car, at the right price. Early morning train tickets are a bargain

[funkyrobot]

funkyrobot said:

DrTre said:

Try splitting the ticket. Various websites around.

Will give that a try.

Worked a treat. Got it down to £52.00

Thanks.

[funkyrobot]

LordGrover said:

funkyrobot said:

It's a make and model that is slowly disappearing (Volvo 850). It appeared on my radar and as I am after something cheap, it ticked quite a lot of boxes.

It's also a private sale and I have spoken to the seller. It seems to be a genuine reason for sale.

I've looked at others and they are much higher mileage, older or even more expensive (there is one on AT for over £4K ).

Is it the green one near Bristol?

Indeed.

As pointed out in the bargain basement thread.

[skyrover]

funkyrobot said:

skyrover said:

Alnwick to Cardiff for a Land Rover 90.

The trip home was "interesting" thanks to knackered steering and no back window.

700 miles and 13 hours roughly. Paid just over £1000

Edited by skyrover on Friday 12th February 12:12

No back window?

Yeah, I was fking freezing.

At least it kept me awake as I didn't get back until 3am

[bob1179]

Hooli said:

Wave as you pass the M1/M18 junction. Good luck Bobski.

Cheers Hooli!

[andy-xr]

It's usually within about 75 miles based on my ebay search preferences. I'll look further afield if I cant find what I want in that radius, but it'd need to be special to warrant travelling further.

Last car I bought was 55 miles away, car before that 20, before that 60, before that 85, but it was a V8 so that's OK

[LordGrover]

funkyrobot said:

Indeed.

As pointed out in the bargain basement thread.

I'm a little bit interested, but it's probably too good and a shame to use for tip/allotment runs.
I could take a look if you like, but I'm a bit of a numpty and clueless buying cars.

[matt12023]

Newcastle to somewhere down south, maybe Wiltshire, for a £350 triumph acclaim. I then drove it to Southampton then back to Newcastle

[Pints]

Swindon to Leeds (and back).

[funkyrobot]

LordGrover said:

funkyrobot said:

Indeed.

As pointed out in the bargain basement thread.

I'm a little bit interested, but it's probably too good and a shame to use for tip/allotment runs.
I could take a look if you like, but I'm a bit of a numpty and clueless buying cars.

Thanks, but don't worry. If I can see it in time and it is good, it'll most probably be used for better things.

I'm a numpty too, if that helps.

[edo]

Westfield driven back from Leeds to Guildford in the rain with no side screens or roof.

[Shakermaker]

i flew to Leeds as well, to buy a £500 Vauxhall Senator

Drove home to Horsham with the gearbox warning light flashing a lot, so I could cruise easily enough but not kick-down so well. Discovered later the breathers were all dodgy, but meh, was a good car for a little while

[skyrover]

edo said:

Westfield driven back from Leeds to Guildford in the rain with no side screens or roof.

You must have been numb

[Slow]

Flew Inverness to London for my cherry turbo, with 2 days mot for £1300.

Drove Inverness to Norfolk and back for a £560 e30 323i last year.

[Digby]

Four odd hours to buy an old civic with so much filler in one rear arch, I suggested we carve and image of M.Jackson into it and have "Cos this is filler" written underneath.

[edo]

skyrover said:

edo said:

Westfield driven back from Leeds to Guildford in the rain with no side screens or roof.

You must have been numb

A bit. Luckily my girlfriend (now wife) is a petrol-head and we shared the journey!

[docter fox]

I would go anywhere in the UK for the right car... Providing I have seen lots of pics, spoken to the seller and it's either better or cheaper than nearby alternatives to justify the travel time and cost.