Respectable Mile Muncher
Discussion
I'm having more trouble finding a replacement for the Golf than Posh spice does keeping her breakfast down... :hehe:
The goal posts keep moving, and every time I think I've settled on a solution, something new is chucked into the equation. It's been going on for a year now.
First off, I was all ready to hand over £5k for a mint TVR S2, when my previous employer decided they didn't really want to pay me that month and screwed it all up for me. :irked:
Then I decided on a Porsche 944 as a daily runner, opting out of the company polo. So far so good, until I took a trainee position in a new career which meant less money and so the Porker downgraded into a 1987 Golf.
Now the Golf has been great. I get in and it starts every morning, I park it in the same place every day, and it starts and brings me home again. Its fun and frugal.
But... Its lack of aircon makes driving in a suit (99% of the time) a real sweaty drag. The heater doesn't work either, so after sitting in a pool of sweat all summer, I can look forward to ice cold seats and piles in the winter. :eek:
Its heavy in traffic, it doesn't have a radio and it looks like its been permanently dumped in the car park at work (it's tornado red... faded pink to you and I...:hehe:)
So, despite my love of the odd Sunday hoon along the old A20 :cloud9: its not really suitable.
I am a recently qualified Financial Consultant, I need a car that looks ok parked outside clients houses.
I need it to be reasonably entertaining, reliable, preferably RWD and comfortable. It must be good on the motorway and reasonably quick without attracting too much attention. It must have working air con and a decent stereo. It cannot be a soft top (parked during the day in the equivalent of Beirut)
Oh yeah, and I want to spend no more than £2.5-£3k for the beast :D
PH'ers, gimme what you got ;)
The goal posts keep moving, and every time I think I've settled on a solution, something new is chucked into the equation. It's been going on for a year now.
First off, I was all ready to hand over £5k for a mint TVR S2, when my previous employer decided they didn't really want to pay me that month and screwed it all up for me. :irked:
Then I decided on a Porsche 944 as a daily runner, opting out of the company polo. So far so good, until I took a trainee position in a new career which meant less money and so the Porker downgraded into a 1987 Golf.
Now the Golf has been great. I get in and it starts every morning, I park it in the same place every day, and it starts and brings me home again. Its fun and frugal.
But... Its lack of aircon makes driving in a suit (99% of the time) a real sweaty drag. The heater doesn't work either, so after sitting in a pool of sweat all summer, I can look forward to ice cold seats and piles in the winter. :eek:
Its heavy in traffic, it doesn't have a radio and it looks like its been permanently dumped in the car park at work (it's tornado red... faded pink to you and I...:hehe:)
So, despite my love of the odd Sunday hoon along the old A20 :cloud9: its not really suitable.
I am a recently qualified Financial Consultant, I need a car that looks ok parked outside clients houses.
I need it to be reasonably entertaining, reliable, preferably RWD and comfortable. It must be good on the motorway and reasonably quick without attracting too much attention. It must have working air con and a decent stereo. It cannot be a soft top (parked during the day in the equivalent of Beirut)
Oh yeah, and I want to spend no more than £2.5-£3k for the beast :D
PH'ers, gimme what you got ;)
KingRichard said:
But... Its lack of aircon makes driving in a suit (99% of the time) a real sweaty drag.
If heat in the cabin is a big concern then maybe the TVR is not a good choice. They seem to get a lot of heat soak into the cabin. Mind you, you can take the roof off and have natural AC.
anhamgrimmar said:
ooh sounds like the sort of thinks i'm lookin for as well.
just off the top of my head:
300ZX
BMW 328
some of the older mercs
I borrowed my Grandads 827 sterling for a while last year and loved wafting around and charging down the motorway listening to Vivaldi at 130mph.
Very Juicy though, and still a Rover :titter:
300ZX Parts, 2 (yes two) turbo's to worry about and then there is the fact they are hideous to look at.
BMW 328 Not a bad idea at all, but how can you have an old 3 series that doesn't make you look like a council estate Dope Pusher? I have seen some nice looking ones but could I get a classy one in my price bracket?
Mercs Like the sound of this actually... could I pick up a decent 190 Cossie in my price range?
get a merc cosworth evo if you can. great cars!
I had a 190e 2.0 auto, and although it was an auto, and a plain old 2.0, it had great performance, considering! I loved it! The evgo would be a fantastic car, and better looking than the early M3's as well!
>> Edited by andy mac on Sunday 11th September 14:56
I had a 190e 2.0 auto, and although it was an auto, and a plain old 2.0, it had great performance, considering! I loved it! The evgo would be a fantastic car, and better looking than the early M3's as well!
>> Edited by andy mac on Sunday 11th September 14:56
andy mac said:
As I said, the 2.0 190 is a great car. rwd, and plenty of power. granted, the interior isn't the most delightdful, unless you get the black leather. I had cloth and it was awful! Handles well to! I'd sell my mother for an evo!
So would how much would a minter set me back? And how would one handle the miles? I guess the youngest ones have to be 12 years old by now and would be up to around 150k
How about BMW 5/7 series? Are these not worth consideration now on the grounds of cheese?
There are a few arounf the 100K mark. Quite a few 2.5 16V's around too. I wouldn't worry too much about the milage, unless its a friggin taxi or something. Solid engines. I'd be more worried about bodywork, and electrics. still, not that expensive to get fixed nowadays, especially at an independent garage.
This cossie version is 6995... 117K on the clock.
>> Edited by andy mac on Sunday 11th September 15:11
This cossie version is 6995... 117K on the clock.
>> Edited by andy mac on Sunday 11th September 15:11
hi all
i have had 2 different VR6 vw's and i found them great on long runs,i had a corrado and a highline golf,i would go for the golf because i saw one on ebay the other day and the guy wanted £3k for a 97 car done 77k miles they have all the nice gear inc air con.the highline golf VR6 were only made in mulberry(purple/mouve) and met black with matching leather and between 96-98 i also can say if you see a early VR6 make sure you buy a late 94 onwards car as they have the better ignition system(non dizzy).both of mine were manual and only prob i had was i made the diff a bit loose(wheelspinning) so had bearings changed along with front wheel bearing total cost of £350 and usally the 2nd gear syncro is a bit nochy but try finding one over 70k miles thats not.i had 145mph from golf(2.8) and just over 150mph from corrado(2.9)
also on the cossie merc topic my old fella had a 2.3 and a 2.5 both from new the 2.5 was on a G plate and when he got rid of it in 97 it had clocked up 180k miles and all he had go wrong was a waterpump changed and that was only getting noisey.make sure the exhust manifold is in good order because they are mega money also cheak the timing chain has been changed if it is nearing 100k miles.
if your not worried what the car looks like try and find a low mileage vento VR6 because they are alot cheaper than the bootless sister.
regards
Gary
>> Edited by sotonboy1977 on Sunday 11th September 17:01
i have had 2 different VR6 vw's and i found them great on long runs,i had a corrado and a highline golf,i would go for the golf because i saw one on ebay the other day and the guy wanted £3k for a 97 car done 77k miles they have all the nice gear inc air con.the highline golf VR6 were only made in mulberry(purple/mouve) and met black with matching leather and between 96-98 i also can say if you see a early VR6 make sure you buy a late 94 onwards car as they have the better ignition system(non dizzy).both of mine were manual and only prob i had was i made the diff a bit loose(wheelspinning) so had bearings changed along with front wheel bearing total cost of £350 and usally the 2nd gear syncro is a bit nochy but try finding one over 70k miles thats not.i had 145mph from golf(2.8) and just over 150mph from corrado(2.9)
also on the cossie merc topic my old fella had a 2.3 and a 2.5 both from new the 2.5 was on a G plate and when he got rid of it in 97 it had clocked up 180k miles and all he had go wrong was a waterpump changed and that was only getting noisey.make sure the exhust manifold is in good order because they are mega money also cheak the timing chain has been changed if it is nearing 100k miles.
if your not worried what the car looks like try and find a low mileage vento VR6 because they are alot cheaper than the bootless sister.
regards
Gary
>> Edited by sotonboy1977 on Sunday 11th September 17:01
NiceCupOfTea said:
How about a Saab 9000 Aero? Very quick, supremely comfortable, full climate, reliable, and they handle reasonably too (in fact, very well after some suspension tweaks). Pick one up for 2-3k
When I saw it was you that replied I knew you were going to suggest a saab
Is the Aero the turbo? didn't carlson (sp?) do a mean looking one? would that be in budget?
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