Best of the Bargain Basement Vol. 2
Discussion
TonyRPH said:
Strawman said:
The owner might have spent thousands fettling it and for a brief window of 2 weeks it will indeed drive faultlessly.
Emeye said:
As the previous owner of 2 £400 Alfas, including a GTV, you may find it does drive faultlessly, but the doors may not lock, or the electric windows may not open, etc etc
On my 156, the doors locked, but the number plate light would randomly fail and then work again, as would the brake lights.Not to mention the knocking / squeaks from the front, and the knocking from the rear, and the horrible noise from the variator.
Did I mention the random water leaks too?
Having said all that, it was an excellent car to drive, although my knees would also constantly make contact with the steering wheel too...
kapiteinlangzaam said:
A brave few have tried the sub-£1k GTVs in this very thread.
Ive said it before and ill say it again:
Great cars, but not one you want to be buying at sub £1k, nor running on a budget IMO.
It depends what you want out of a car? As long as it goes, stops and steers OK then a cheap Alfa can be a fun experience which you get shot of when something expensive breaks!Ive said it before and ill say it again:
Great cars, but not one you want to be buying at sub £1k, nor running on a budget IMO.
Whatever you do, do NOT fall in love. That would be fatal.
I went over a GTV last week for someone - TS, full Momo interior, stickered at £1300 in a backstreet dealer - over 100K miles - some paperwork - receipt for engine work last year (incl variowotsit/belts etc.) - some evidence of bodgery (nobrand tyres on the front - branded on the back!!) - engine cleaner than a chip fab floor (so it leaks oil then) - I was skeptical but the potential buyer wasn't going to be swayed by trifles.
Test drive (yes, he let us both take it out - amazing!) revealed nothing really amiss tho - temps were OK - no bangs, knocks, smoke - nice noice - pulls - interior designed for shorter men than I!
He bid £900 - large man stared for a while - then said £950 and a deal was done then-and-there.
We'll see how that goes then ;0
p.s. I tried every gizmo and EVERYTHING worked - I mean EVERYTHING. Even all the dash trim was present (it's frequently missing in Alfas in my experience - from the endless repairs?!)
It's going to explode, isn't it...
Test drive (yes, he let us both take it out - amazing!) revealed nothing really amiss tho - temps were OK - no bangs, knocks, smoke - nice noice - pulls - interior designed for shorter men than I!
He bid £900 - large man stared for a while - then said £950 and a deal was done then-and-there.
We'll see how that goes then ;0
p.s. I tried every gizmo and EVERYTHING worked - I mean EVERYTHING. Even all the dash trim was present (it's frequently missing in Alfas in my experience - from the endless repairs?!)
It's going to explode, isn't it...405dogvan said:
I went over a GTV last week for someone - TS, full Momo interior, stickered at £1300 in a backstreet dealer - over 100K miles - some paperwork - receipt for engine work last year (incl variowotsit/belts etc.) - some evidence of bodgery (nobrand tyres on the front - branded on the back!!) - engine cleaner than a chip fab floor (so it leaks oil then) - I was skeptical but the potential buyer wasn't going to be swayed by trifles.
Test drive (yes, he let us both take it out - amazing!) revealed nothing really amiss tho - temps were OK - no bangs, knocks, smoke - nice noice - pulls - interior designed for shorter men than I!
He bid £900 - large man stared for a while - then said £950 and a deal was done then-and-there.
We'll see how that goes then ;0
p.s. I tried every gizmo and EVERYTHING worked - I mean EVERYTHING. Even all the dash trim was present (it's frequently missing in Alfas in my experience - from the endless repairs?!) It's going to explode, isn't it...
A friend of mine bought a £350 GTV. Since then he's done the cambelt and sourced and fitted New spring pans to the rear. Absolutely everything works. He's just sold it after 18 months for £1,000 and bought a 3.0 GTV. Test drive (yes, he let us both take it out - amazing!) revealed nothing really amiss tho - temps were OK - no bangs, knocks, smoke - nice noice - pulls - interior designed for shorter men than I!
He bid £900 - large man stared for a while - then said £950 and a deal was done then-and-there.
We'll see how that goes then ;0
p.s. I tried every gizmo and EVERYTHING worked - I mean EVERYTHING. Even all the dash trim was present (it's frequently missing in Alfas in my experience - from the endless repairs?!)
It's going to explode, isn't it...Similarly my Alfa experiences are mostly very good. I still have one and always look out for them. Only V6 ones mind you...
Hi all, long time lurker and first time poster on here - I've actually read through every single page of the Bargain Basement threads. Committed or just sad, I'll let you decide...
Anyway, the time has come for me to make a bargain basement purchase of my own. I want to spend a grand on my first car and I want it to be a cut above the usual Fiesta/Polo/Yaris choices, in performance, space and interestingness. I'm currently borrowing a MINI One as and when and while it is fun, it's just too small.
I'm 26, passed in December and will be using the car for weekends and evenings only.
So far I've found this and I rather like the look of it - £995 for a 1.8 20v SE SEAT Toledo. 81k miles with FSH, recently had its timing belt, sailed through its MOT with no advisories.
Group seven on insurance, which with a bit of trickery works out to about £850. Not bad at all.
Has anyone any experience with these or with the 20v VAG engine in general?
The other car I'm currently considering is a Rover 75... never see anyone my age driving one of these but I rather like the olde-worlde styling and image. I know they're a thread favourite!
Anyway, the time has come for me to make a bargain basement purchase of my own. I want to spend a grand on my first car and I want it to be a cut above the usual Fiesta/Polo/Yaris choices, in performance, space and interestingness. I'm currently borrowing a MINI One as and when and while it is fun, it's just too small.
I'm 26, passed in December and will be using the car for weekends and evenings only.
So far I've found this and I rather like the look of it - £995 for a 1.8 20v SE SEAT Toledo. 81k miles with FSH, recently had its timing belt, sailed through its MOT with no advisories.
Group seven on insurance, which with a bit of trickery works out to about £850. Not bad at all.
Has anyone any experience with these or with the 20v VAG engine in general?
The other car I'm currently considering is a Rover 75... never see anyone my age driving one of these but I rather like the olde-worlde styling and image. I know they're a thread favourite!
GeordieInExile said:
Hi all, long time lurker and first time poster on here - I've actually read through every single page of the Bargain Basement threads. Committed or just sad, I'll let you decide...
Anyway, the time has come for me to make a bargain basement purchase of my own. I want to spend a grand on my first car and I want it to be a cut above the usual Fiesta/Polo/Yaris choices, in performance, space and interestingness. I'm currently borrowing a MINI One as and when and while it is fun, it's just too small.
I'm 26, passed in December and will be using the car for weekends and evenings only.
So far I've found this and I rather like the look of it - £995 for a 1.8 20v SE SEAT Toledo. 81k miles with FSH, recently had its timing belt, sailed through its MOT with no advisories.
Group seven on insurance, which with a bit of trickery works out to about £850. Not bad at all.
Has anyone any experience with these or with the 20v VAG engine in general?
The other car I'm currently considering is a Rover 75... never see anyone my age driving one of these but I rather like the olde-worlde styling and image. I know they're a thread favourite!
25 year old 75 driver here! Brilliant cars for us younguns - get a lot of "WTF" looks and "nice jag" comments from the uneducated. Oh, and the V6 engines sound loverrrly!Anyway, the time has come for me to make a bargain basement purchase of my own. I want to spend a grand on my first car and I want it to be a cut above the usual Fiesta/Polo/Yaris choices, in performance, space and interestingness. I'm currently borrowing a MINI One as and when and while it is fun, it's just too small.
I'm 26, passed in December and will be using the car for weekends and evenings only.
So far I've found this and I rather like the look of it - £995 for a 1.8 20v SE SEAT Toledo. 81k miles with FSH, recently had its timing belt, sailed through its MOT with no advisories.
Group seven on insurance, which with a bit of trickery works out to about £850. Not bad at all.
Has anyone any experience with these or with the 20v VAG engine in general?
The other car I'm currently considering is a Rover 75... never see anyone my age driving one of these but I rather like the olde-worlde styling and image. I know they're a thread favourite!
On the other hand that seat does look a good buy.
GeordieInExile said:
Which engine does yours have? I know the 2.0CDT is the sensible purchase, but there is a very smart looking 2.0 V6 nearby...
I swapped a troublesome shed for a CDT Tourer Auto. I thought I'd get bored within minutes...But... In the 3 months I've had it, I've done 9k trouble-free miles, all in supreme comfort.
I'm now quite fond of it!
Such under-rated cars.
GeordieInExile said:
Which engine does yours have? I know the 2.0CDT is the sensible purchase, but there is a very smart looking 2.0 V6 nearby...
I've got the 2.0v6. It's not the fastest thing in the world (around 9 seconds 0-60) but in gear acceleration is pretty good, and it more than keeps up with traffic. This engine's real strong point is how nice it sounds and how smooth it is. The 2.0v6 is noticeably smoother than the 2.5 variant, too. Fuel consumption is usually 'dissed' but it's not bad! I get 33mpg in mine on a pretty decent combined cycle.A few things to watch out for though:
- Cambelts. There are three and its a £500 job to change them. Nice if they've already been done! Intervals are 90,000 miles or 6 years.
- Thermostats. They have a plastic housing which becomes brittle and breaks down. This causes water loss, which by most garage 'experts' will be declared as "HEAD GASKET OH NOES!!!! BEST SCRAP IT MATE". The V6 is NOT prone to head gasket failure. Another common side effect of a dodgy thermostat, is that the engine does not reach operating temperature.
- Inlet Manifold & VIS Motors. They have some fancy VVT system which BMW decided should be made out of plastic. This means it wears out, and if the plastic mechanism goes in the inlet manifold it sounds dreadful - but really it's only some worn plastic bits flapping about. Attached to this set up are two little motors known as "Vis Motors" that control the plastic flaps. They are prone to oil ingress and stop working. If these stop working, you'll see a big decrease in fuel consumption, and the car won't feel lively at all. A set of reconditioned VIS motors will set you back about £100. They're held on by 4 screws each and are a doddle to change.
- Leaking rear light clusters : Needs new seals. An improved version is available from a member on the owners' club. Around £15 for a pair, I think.
- Interior sill protectors come off : Needs new clips. Those BMW clips they used just don't last forever (;)). You can get a set of decent fir tree clips to re-fix them on with for about £2.00
- Plenums collect water : Under the bonnet there are some voids below the scuttle panel. The drain holes in the bottom tend to get clogged with leaves, and they fill with water. This is mainly an issue because it is where the cars ECU is situated. Lots of cars have had to have new ECUs because of water damage. This tends to affect diesels mostly, as their ECU cases were not water proof. Better to keep the plenums clear of debris anyway. Doesn't cost anything but about 2 minutes to check and clear.
- Weak Clutch Hydraulics : This one is a bit annoying. The slave cylinder is made out of plastic and it prone to fail. It is also situated within the gearbox housing. This makes replacing it a £500+ job. Lots of cars out there with it already done though, so don't be put off by a relatively low mileage car that has had a replacement clutch.
- Front suspension arm : £125
- Rear brake set up : £90
- Thermostat : £140
- Drop links and Exhaust Middle Section : £150
Anything else, just ask!
GeordieInExile said:
Hi all, long time lurker and first time poster on here - I've actually read through every single page of the Bargain Basement threads. Committed or just sad, I'll let you decide...
Anyway, the time has come for me to make a bargain basement purchase of my own. I want to spend a grand on my first car and I want it to be a cut above the usual Fiesta/Polo/Yaris choices, in performance, space and interestingness. I'm currently borrowing a MINI One as and when and while it is fun, it's just too small.
I'm 26, passed in December and will be using the car for weekends and evenings only.
So far I've found this and I rather like the look of it - £995 for a 1.8 20v SE SEAT Toledo. 81k miles with FSH, recently had its timing belt, sailed through its MOT with no advisories.
Group seven on insurance, which with a bit of trickery works out to about £850. Not bad at all.
Has anyone any experience with these or with the 20v VAG engine in general?
The other car I'm currently considering is a Rover 75... never see anyone my age driving one of these but I rather like the olde-worlde styling and image. I know they're a thread favourite!
That looks very clean for the price, give it a good going over and offer em a bit less then drive away before they realise Anyway, the time has come for me to make a bargain basement purchase of my own. I want to spend a grand on my first car and I want it to be a cut above the usual Fiesta/Polo/Yaris choices, in performance, space and interestingness. I'm currently borrowing a MINI One as and when and while it is fun, it's just too small.
I'm 26, passed in December and will be using the car for weekends and evenings only.
So far I've found this and I rather like the look of it - £995 for a 1.8 20v SE SEAT Toledo. 81k miles with FSH, recently had its timing belt, sailed through its MOT with no advisories.
Group seven on insurance, which with a bit of trickery works out to about £850. Not bad at all.
Has anyone any experience with these or with the 20v VAG engine in general?
The other car I'm currently considering is a Rover 75... never see anyone my age driving one of these but I rather like the olde-worlde styling and image. I know they're a thread favourite!
Had a 1.8 20v in an A4, absolutely lovely engine to both drive and maintain. Lots of torque and very refined.
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