ULEZ-Compliant, Fun. What Car?
Discussion
This may have been done on here before but I couldn't find anything. It's a 'What Car' with a slight twist.
I live in the outer London ULEZ area. This means that I will be charged £12.50p/day to drive my car from April 2021. Cars over 40 years old are deemed to be 'Historic' and don't need to pay. My current car is a 944 S2 and unfortunately will be about 33 years old in 2021 so will be charged.
So, what can I get to replace my 944 that will be ULEZ-compliant? Obvious answer is something modern which is Euro4 (or later). But I am struggling to find anything that fits the bill which I'd actually like to drive. So, something older beckons ....
Criteria are:
- 40 years old or more in April 2021 (i.e. made in 1981 or before)
- Can live outside in all weathers
- Can cope with city driving as well as longer-distances (seeing friends outside London, European road trips etc)
- Must be reliable when well-maintained. I cannot have a car for which starting in the morning is a gamble
- Must, must, must be fun to drive
- Being respectably quick would be nice but not essential
- Can't be ruinously expensive to buy or run
I do all maintenance myself and am pretty handy with spanners. What I can't do is bodywork, so once well rust-proofed (I'm a big fan of Bilt Hamber products) it needs to be able to keep the tin worm at bay.
Budget? Dunno. Up to £15k. £20k or a smidge more could be found if something really good came up.
What are the options? Old German Tin always appeals, so an older Merc would be an option. Or an older BMW. Early Mk1 Golfs would be in range, although I'd been there and done that having owned three of them before. A really stinky, big V8 Rolls Royce would appeal, just to leave it idling it outside City Hall with a big notice saying 'Sod You Sadiq Khan' in the back window but I think it would be impracticably thirsty to be a realistic proposition.
What other serious suggestions are there out there?
I live in the outer London ULEZ area. This means that I will be charged £12.50p/day to drive my car from April 2021. Cars over 40 years old are deemed to be 'Historic' and don't need to pay. My current car is a 944 S2 and unfortunately will be about 33 years old in 2021 so will be charged.
So, what can I get to replace my 944 that will be ULEZ-compliant? Obvious answer is something modern which is Euro4 (or later). But I am struggling to find anything that fits the bill which I'd actually like to drive. So, something older beckons ....
Criteria are:
- 40 years old or more in April 2021 (i.e. made in 1981 or before)
- Can live outside in all weathers
- Can cope with city driving as well as longer-distances (seeing friends outside London, European road trips etc)
- Must be reliable when well-maintained. I cannot have a car for which starting in the morning is a gamble
- Must, must, must be fun to drive
- Being respectably quick would be nice but not essential
- Can't be ruinously expensive to buy or run
I do all maintenance myself and am pretty handy with spanners. What I can't do is bodywork, so once well rust-proofed (I'm a big fan of Bilt Hamber products) it needs to be able to keep the tin worm at bay.
Budget? Dunno. Up to £15k. £20k or a smidge more could be found if something really good came up.
What are the options? Old German Tin always appeals, so an older Merc would be an option. Or an older BMW. Early Mk1 Golfs would be in range, although I'd been there and done that having owned three of them before. A really stinky, big V8 Rolls Royce would appeal, just to leave it idling it outside City Hall with a big notice saying 'Sod You Sadiq Khan' in the back window but I think it would be impracticably thirsty to be a realistic proposition.
What other serious suggestions are there out there?
2Btoo said:
What I can't do is bodywork, so once well rust-proofed (I'm a big fan of Bilt Hamber products) it needs to be able to keep the tin worm at bay.
Budget? Dunno. Up to £15k. £20k or a smidge more could be found if something really good came up.
I don't you'll find anything pre-1980 that will keep the tin-worm at bay when used as a daily, unless it's already had an extension full body restoration, and I doubt you'll budget will stretch to anything that meets your criteria that will have had that.Budget? Dunno. Up to £15k. £20k or a smidge more could be found if something really good came up.
You'd be better off keeping the 944 and sucking up the charges for another 7 years until its makes it 40 years old......probably the cheaper option than changing it?
Have you tried the website? https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/ultra-low-emissio...
Just checked and all my cars are compliant, even my Euro 3 Subaru which is approaching 20 years old!
Just checked and all my cars are compliant, even my Euro 3 Subaru which is approaching 20 years old!
ULEZCHECKER said:
SUBARU IMPREZA WRX TURBO
You are not subject to the ULEZ.
You do not need to take any action. However, other charges may apply.
Edit, perhaps a 1978-81 Saab 900 may fit the bill?You are not subject to the ULEZ.
You do not need to take any action. However, other charges may apply.
2Btoo said:
This may have been done on here before but I couldn't find anything. It's a 'What Car' with a slight twist.
I live in the outer London ULEZ area. This means that I will be charged £12.50p/day to drive my car from April 2021. Cars over 40 years old are deemed to be 'Historic' and don't need to pay. My current car is a 944 S2 and unfortunately will be about 33 years old in 2021 so will be charged.
So, what can I get to replace my 944 that will be ULEZ-compliant? Obvious answer is something modern which is Euro4 (or later). But I am struggling to find anything that fits the bill which I'd actually like to drive. So, something older beckons ....
Criteria are:
- 40 years old or more in April 2021 (i.e. made in 1981 or before)
- Can live outside in all weathers
- Can cope with city driving as well as longer-distances (seeing friends outside London, European road trips etc)
- Must be reliable when well-maintained. I cannot have a car for which starting in the morning is a gamble
- Must, must, must be fun to drive
- Being respectably quick would be nice but not essential
- Can't be ruinously expensive to buy or run
I do all maintenance myself and am pretty handy with spanners. What I can't do is bodywork, so once well rust-proofed (I'm a big fan of Bilt Hamber products) it needs to be able to keep the tin worm at bay.
Budget? Dunno. Up to £15k. £20k or a smidge more could be found if something really good came up.
What are the options? Old German Tin always appeals, so an older Merc would be an option. Or an older BMW. Early Mk1 Golfs would be in range, although I'd been there and done that having owned three of them before. A really stinky, big V8 Rolls Royce would appeal, just to leave it idling it outside City Hall with a big notice saying 'Sod You Sadiq Khan' in the back window but I think it would be impracticably thirsty to be a realistic proposition.
What other serious suggestions are there out there?
Probably need two vehicles. An XJ6 and another XJ6. Or an XJ6 and a Range Rover.I live in the outer London ULEZ area. This means that I will be charged £12.50p/day to drive my car from April 2021. Cars over 40 years old are deemed to be 'Historic' and don't need to pay. My current car is a 944 S2 and unfortunately will be about 33 years old in 2021 so will be charged.
So, what can I get to replace my 944 that will be ULEZ-compliant? Obvious answer is something modern which is Euro4 (or later). But I am struggling to find anything that fits the bill which I'd actually like to drive. So, something older beckons ....
Criteria are:
- 40 years old or more in April 2021 (i.e. made in 1981 or before)
- Can live outside in all weathers
- Can cope with city driving as well as longer-distances (seeing friends outside London, European road trips etc)
- Must be reliable when well-maintained. I cannot have a car for which starting in the morning is a gamble
- Must, must, must be fun to drive
- Being respectably quick would be nice but not essential
- Can't be ruinously expensive to buy or run
I do all maintenance myself and am pretty handy with spanners. What I can't do is bodywork, so once well rust-proofed (I'm a big fan of Bilt Hamber products) it needs to be able to keep the tin worm at bay.
Budget? Dunno. Up to £15k. £20k or a smidge more could be found if something really good came up.
What are the options? Old German Tin always appeals, so an older Merc would be an option. Or an older BMW. Early Mk1 Golfs would be in range, although I'd been there and done that having owned three of them before. A really stinky, big V8 Rolls Royce would appeal, just to leave it idling it outside City Hall with a big notice saying 'Sod You Sadiq Khan' in the back window but I think it would be impracticably thirsty to be a realistic proposition.
What other serious suggestions are there out there?
Guys,
Thanks for the answers. Old BMW's and old Mercs are probably the way to go looking.
An old 928 is a good suggestion but they are fiendishly complex. I have helped a friends rebuild his and they are very lovely things. Perhaps I should seriously consider one.
P6 V8. Not a bad idea. Don't they rust? Within budget too. This could be a good idea. Thanks.
untakenname - my 944 is definitely non-compliant. Nice idea though.
aeropilot - sucking up the cost is an option but not a nice one. It would get expensive quite quickly. However I will probably keep the 944 somewhere warm and dry until it is 40 years old and then bring it back into service. Good ones are getting hard to find and will be harder still to find then, and mine is a good one!
XJ6/XJ6? Presumably this is a car and a back-up car? Not viable, but I like your thinking ....
Thanks for the answers. Old BMW's and old Mercs are probably the way to go looking.
An old 928 is a good suggestion but they are fiendishly complex. I have helped a friends rebuild his and they are very lovely things. Perhaps I should seriously consider one.
P6 V8. Not a bad idea. Don't they rust? Within budget too. This could be a good idea. Thanks.
untakenname - my 944 is definitely non-compliant. Nice idea though.
aeropilot - sucking up the cost is an option but not a nice one. It would get expensive quite quickly. However I will probably keep the 944 somewhere warm and dry until it is 40 years old and then bring it back into service. Good ones are getting hard to find and will be harder still to find then, and mine is a good one!
XJ6/XJ6? Presumably this is a car and a back-up car? Not viable, but I like your thinking ....
2Btoo said:
P6 V8. Not a bad idea. Don't they rust?
Yes.....mostly in places that you can't see as well.....like everything of that era, but especially BL products.While its another BL product from the same era, and again, very rot prone, what about a Stag?
Good parts support, lots in your budget to choose from, and likely could get one that has a documented body resto done in past decade or so.
Would a Porsche 924 fit the bill? Budget should stretch to a nice 924 Turbo which would be a pretty special solution. Practical, familiar architecture, easy to work on, cheap for parts etc. etc.
924 Turbo launched in 1979, with 1980 the biggest production year, so should be plenty of pre-81 cars around to choose from and you have plenty of time to find a really nice one..... would be a fun thing as a city car with great all-rounder credentials to boot.
Alternatively, VW Scirocco? If you can find a GLi they're fuel injected and all the mechanics are Golf, so easy and cheap. They can rot though, so it'd pay to find a solid one. Quite rare things now, but the styling is still sharp.
924 Turbo launched in 1979, with 1980 the biggest production year, so should be plenty of pre-81 cars around to choose from and you have plenty of time to find a really nice one..... would be a fun thing as a city car with great all-rounder credentials to boot.
Alternatively, VW Scirocco? If you can find a GLi they're fuel injected and all the mechanics are Golf, so easy and cheap. They can rot though, so it'd pay to find a solid one. Quite rare things now, but the styling is still sharp.
aeropilot said:
Yes.....mostly in places that you can't see as well.....like everything of that era, but especially BL products.
While its another BL product from the same era, and again, very rot prone, what about a Stag?
Good parts support, lots in your budget to choose from, and likely could get one that has a documented body resto done in past decade or so.
Everything from that era is rot prone though isn't it? Even GRP stuff can have rotted chassis. And eighties stuff not much better until we get to the late eighties.While its another BL product from the same era, and again, very rot prone, what about a Stag?
Good parts support, lots in your budget to choose from, and likely could get one that has a documented body resto done in past decade or so.
I think the P6 would be more rugged than the Stag, mechanically.
I run a 1981 Mercedes 500 SEL and have done for the last 4.5 yrs, that will fit the age bill. It is respectably fast at around 230BHP or whatever is left by now. I keep it on the drive and use it apart from when there is salt on the road.
Ok it is not my daily, but does about 3k per year. It has let me down twice, once when I first bought it and the alternator needed a refurb, that was my fault as I put off the inevitable, but I was at work and got a jump start. The second a few years ago when it randomly destroyed a rotor arm, both cheap fixes.
I can do long journeys with ease and it is comfortable and gets unanimous approval on the road from small children to the elderly. I do run flags on the bonnet and it is black, the image of a down on his luck deposed 3rd world dictator is surprisingly popular :-)
Well, well , well within budget and great fun. I take the whole family out in him (it couldn't possibly be a her) for days out, to car shows and general weekend gadding about. In fact with your budget you could get something similar and have loads left to ensure it is up to daily specification.
Ok it is not my daily, but does about 3k per year. It has let me down twice, once when I first bought it and the alternator needed a refurb, that was my fault as I put off the inevitable, but I was at work and got a jump start. The second a few years ago when it randomly destroyed a rotor arm, both cheap fixes.
I can do long journeys with ease and it is comfortable and gets unanimous approval on the road from small children to the elderly. I do run flags on the bonnet and it is black, the image of a down on his luck deposed 3rd world dictator is surprisingly popular :-)
Well, well , well within budget and great fun. I take the whole family out in him (it couldn't possibly be a her) for days out, to car shows and general weekend gadding about. In fact with your budget you could get something similar and have loads left to ensure it is up to daily specification.
I'd definitely add one to the P6 vote - I have a series 1 with a V8 in it and the later LT77 5 speed (out of an SD1) manual conversion. The engine and exhaust system have been tweaked so it really really shifts and sounds bloody lovely. The price of them are on the rise (especially the series 1) but they are very very reliable and parts are cheap and easy to get hold of. Bonnet and boot are ally too, a few less panels to rust.... I commute in mine most days. Great to cruise in too, ours took the whole family to South France a few years ago in the height of summer even through 2 hours of Paris gridlock without a single grumble.
to 'untakenname' I'm very interested in your letter "SUBARU IMPREZA WRX TURBO
You are not subject to the ULEZ. " we also have a WRX Sportswagon and have just received a letter telling us we may be liable to pay - I was assuming we would until I read your post - did you have to check somehow?
Cheers
Joe
to 'untakenname' I'm very interested in your letter "SUBARU IMPREZA WRX TURBO
You are not subject to the ULEZ. " we also have a WRX Sportswagon and have just received a letter telling us we may be liable to pay - I was assuming we would until I read your post - did you have to check somehow?
Cheers
Joe
https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1016595
https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1076394
Were my first thoughts.
Your budget would also get a pretty good TVR 3000M.
I'l be in this position in 2021, and won't like the idea of paying £12.50 each time I drive out of London.
My car is so totally non-compliant.
https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1076394
Were my first thoughts.
Your budget would also get a pretty good TVR 3000M.
I'l be in this position in 2021, and won't like the idea of paying £12.50 each time I drive out of London.
My car is so totally non-compliant.
https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1083188
https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1078992
Love the manual early XJ6
https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1031774
https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1073673
https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1062534
https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1079489
A few more options.
https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1078992
Love the manual early XJ6
https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1031774
https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1073673
https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1062534
https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1079489
A few more options.
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