Most fun on the road for under £800??
Discussion
I’m looking for a car.
I’m not a rich man, but have about £600 (possibly up to £800) or so and want something that’ll be a laugh. The only factors to be considered are:
It’ll be parked on the street.
It’s not for any practical purpose at all.
I’ll insure it TPFT only – so insurance isn’t too bigger factor.
It can’t cost too much to maintain – no engine re-builds etc. When something major breaks, it’ll go.
I’m thinking along the lines of a MK1 or MK2 Golf GTi, 205 GTi, 2.8 Capri or a Mini.
What would you all suggest? I’d be quite tempted to only spend £400-£500 and then £200 on bits.
Edited as I realised I'd contradicted myself in the money I was looking to spend.
>>> Edited by willdew on Tuesday 8th April 10:46
I’m not a rich man, but have about £600 (possibly up to £800) or so and want something that’ll be a laugh. The only factors to be considered are:
It’ll be parked on the street.
It’s not for any practical purpose at all.
I’ll insure it TPFT only – so insurance isn’t too bigger factor.
It can’t cost too much to maintain – no engine re-builds etc. When something major breaks, it’ll go.
I’m thinking along the lines of a MK1 or MK2 Golf GTi, 205 GTi, 2.8 Capri or a Mini.
What would you all suggest? I’d be quite tempted to only spend £400-£500 and then £200 on bits.
Edited as I realised I'd contradicted myself in the money I was looking to spend.
>>> Edited by willdew on Tuesday 8th April 10:46
I'd say 205 GTI, I had a 1.9 and my gf had a 1.6, both of which I drove pretty hard, I'd actually go for the 1.6 as whilst not as quick was better balanced & lots of fun. Not too much to go wrong and you could work on it yourself. Obviously with a car of this value you will get things going wrong from time to time though.
Another option maybe a fiat x19, good summer fun motoring, reasonably quick and handles quite well.
here's one:
1986 FIAT X19 1500 VS Sports 2dr Coupe
Black/Red, Good condition, lovely car, reluctant sale. MOT Jan 2004. Current owner 5 years £750 ono. 80000 miles. £750 .
Tel: 01202 432034
>> Edited by craigw on Tuesday 8th April 10:16
Another option maybe a fiat x19, good summer fun motoring, reasonably quick and handles quite well.
here's one:
1986 FIAT X19 1500 VS Sports 2dr Coupe
Black/Red, Good condition, lovely car, reluctant sale. MOT Jan 2004. Current owner 5 years £750 ono. 80000 miles. £750 .
Tel: 01202 432034
>> Edited by craigw on Tuesday 8th April 10:16
t
Mini - they can be found for well under £500 (mine was £200) then tune the ar*e of them!
Total bill on mine for all in is about £1000!
Second hand Downton 1310cc (84bhp), roll cage, grooved & drilled discs, fast road pads, solid mounted subframe, performance exhaust & manifold, bucket seats (purchased from PH classifieds for £25 - cheers Grant!)
Brilliant fun & under £100 insurance fully comp!
Do it & soon.
Chris
Total bill on mine for all in is about £1000!
Second hand Downton 1310cc (84bhp), roll cage, grooved & drilled discs, fast road pads, solid mounted subframe, performance exhaust & manifold, bucket seats (purchased from PH classifieds for £25 - cheers Grant!)
Brilliant fun & under £100 insurance fully comp!
Do it & soon.
Chris
gotta be capri for maximum amusement. Its got front engine, rear wheel drive and no grip. Put half decent tyres on the front and rubbish plastic ones on the back to get optimum tail-out handling then find a deserted roundabout and rack up the smiles holding lurid powerslides whilst safe in the knowledge that road surface will probably wear out quicker than your tyres... 
Peugeot 309 Gti - cheaper than equivalent 205 so you'll get a better one.
A lot of people say they handle better than the 205 ( im ducking for cover at this point
).
Relativley simple engine - mine's really robust it sits about doing nothing for weeks on end then gets comprehensivly thrashed on Track days.
Id remove all the gti spoilers and external trim so it looks like 1.1GR with alloy wheels (less nickable ).
Great track day car with lots of tuning potential when funds allow.
A lot of people say they handle better than the 205 ( im ducking for cover at this point
). Relativley simple engine - mine's really robust it sits about doing nothing for weeks on end then gets comprehensivly thrashed on Track days.
Id remove all the gti spoilers and external trim so it looks like 1.1GR with alloy wheels (less nickable ).
Great track day car with lots of tuning potential when funds allow.
Second hand Downton 1310cc (84bhp), roll cage, grooved & drilled discs, fast road pads, solid mounted subframe, performance exhaust & manifold, bucket seats (purchased from PH classifieds for £25 - cheers Grant!)
Brilliant fun & under £100 insurance fully comp!
Do it & soon.
Is it running OK again? Oh, and who are you insured with? (need to try and find someone cheap
)
whitechimp500 said: Peugeot 309 Gti - cheaper than equivalent 205 so you'll get a better one.
A lot of people say they handle better than the 205 ( im ducking for cover at this point
Relativley simple engine - mine's really robust it sits about doing nothing for weeks on end then gets comprehensivly thrashed on Track days.
Id remove all the gti spoilers and external trim so it looks like 1.1GR with alloy wheels (less nickable ).
Great track day car with lots of tuning potential when funds allow.
Could be a good choice. As I said before, it's just for selfindulgent fun. I want something that isn't going to have lots of niggly problems - but am happy to accept that when it's knackered it can go to the scrapheap.
You could look at a rover 800 ... ok its a barge, but even in 2 litre form, it will shift. it will rev to 6500, and when it finally gives up the ghost, you can scrap it. You can get them from £250 upwards... you can even pick up Vitesse 2.7's and 2.0 turbo's for just over a grand
or a 214 / 216 GTi ... as fast as an RS Turbo in standard form, the 214 K series is a real revver. gearing is a little low for motorway driving, but around town, it is a screamer.... you can even get leather for less than 800 in some models, and most have been owned by grannies / grandads who look after them..
ok, you have an old persons car, but it will still kick ass at the traffic lights
The thing is most capri's will be rotten dogs by now, most 309's / 205's will have already been abused,
Golfs are getting rarer, with Mk1's becomming collectable / restorable, its also probably that mk2's will have been screwed already too.
Mini's .. again rust buckets for that money anyway.
>> Edited by jvaughan on Tuesday 8th April 12:58
or a 214 / 216 GTi ... as fast as an RS Turbo in standard form, the 214 K series is a real revver. gearing is a little low for motorway driving, but around town, it is a screamer.... you can even get leather for less than 800 in some models, and most have been owned by grannies / grandads who look after them..
ok, you have an old persons car, but it will still kick ass at the traffic lights
The thing is most capri's will be rotten dogs by now, most 309's / 205's will have already been abused,
Golfs are getting rarer, with Mk1's becomming collectable / restorable, its also probably that mk2's will have been screwed already too.
Mini's .. again rust buckets for that money anyway.
>> Edited by jvaughan on Tuesday 8th April 12:58
Gassing Station | General Gassing [Archive] | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff