Used sub-800kg production car for under £5k. Possible?
Used sub-800kg production car for under £5k. Possible?
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Synchromesh

Original Poster:

2,428 posts

196 months

Monday 6th June 2011
quotequote all
As title suggests really. Is there such a thing as a sub-800kg non kit car available for under (or close to) 5 bags 'o sand?

ETA: Forgot to mention it has to be manual and RWD.



Edited by Synchromesh on Monday 6th June 22:39

RAClNG SNAKE

3,606 posts

262 months

Monday 6th June 2011
quotequote all
Smart Roadster?

EDLT

15,421 posts

236 months

Monday 6th June 2011
quotequote all
Classic Mini?

CarlosV8

817 posts

202 months

Monday 6th June 2011
quotequote all
C1 / 107 / aygo come in at 790kg. You can have our c1 for £4995 smile

Synchromesh

Original Poster:

2,428 posts

196 months

Monday 6th June 2011
quotequote all
RAClNG SNAKE said:
Smart Roadster?
Thanks for the suggestion, but it has to be manual.

EDLT said:
Classic Mini?
Sorry. Forget to mention that it also has to be RWD

Synchromesh

Original Poster:

2,428 posts

196 months

Monday 6th June 2011
quotequote all
CarlosV8 said:
C1 / 107 / aygo come in at 790kg. You can have our c1 for £4995 smile
Really sorry. I assumed everyone was telepathic and knew I wanted RWD. Thanks anyway though.

Toltec

7,179 posts

253 months

Monday 6th June 2011
quotequote all
Pre 2003 Fiat Panda was less than 800kgs

Edit for your edit

Ah RWD?

Drive in reverse?

Otherwise a Lotus Elan would easily be under 800Kgs and some come up or less than £5k



Edited by Toltec on Monday 6th June 22:48

Terminator X

20,641 posts

234 months

Monday 6th June 2011
quotequote all
Old Westfield ... not sure if so cheap though or indeed if classed as production car rather than kit?

TX.

mikefacel

610 posts

218 months

Monday 6th June 2011
quotequote all
Suzuki Capuccino

davepoth

29,395 posts

229 months

Monday 6th June 2011
quotequote all
Suzuki Cappuccino would do it with 100kg to spare.

Honda Beat would also be under.

Fiat 500, although probably a bit iffy at that price, so maybe fiat 126 instead.

MG Midget would be nice.

Triumph Spitfire too.

Mk1 Escort.

In fact most pre 1980 sub 1.3 litre cars will work.

kambites

71,480 posts

251 months

Monday 6th June 2011
quotequote all
yes An MG Midget would fit the criteria and you'd get a good one for 5 grand. As would a Lotus Elan +2, although you'd get a rougher one for your money.

davepoth

29,395 posts

229 months

Monday 6th June 2011
quotequote all
Does really depend what it's going to be used for. If it's a rally I'd be inclined to go for a saloon car since they've usually got better ground clearance.

You could also have a beetle.

Gad-Westy

16,582 posts

243 months

Monday 6th June 2011
quotequote all
Terminator X said:
Old Westfield ... not sure if so cheap though or indeed if classed as production car rather than kit?

TX.
Very much kit cars no matter who builds them.

Suzuki Capuccino and Honda Beat Spring to mind.

A Mk1 MX5 can weigh as little as 900 kg. I dare say a bit of a diet could get one down somewhere near the 800kg mark.

I was going to suggest a MK1 MR2 until I found out they weigh nearly 1100 kg. How did that happen? And I see the last version was less than a tonne and lighter than either MK1 or MK2. How often do you see that?


volks al

4,112 posts

244 months

Monday 6th June 2011
quotequote all
fiat barchetta (sp) ?

Wadeski

9,029 posts

243 months

Monday 6th June 2011
quotequote all
mk1 MR2s are under a ton.

getting an MX-5 to 800kg would be a huge effort - Americans in various race series see 2000lb (900kg) as a kind of holy grail for MX-5s. And thats with pretty serious mods.

I think a Cappuccino or a Spridget are your only realistic bets? Honda Beats are really rare.

Smart Roadster fits the weight and layout but is horrid flappy automatic only.

Jayho

2,413 posts

200 months

Monday 6th June 2011
quotequote all
volks al said:
fiat barchetta (sp) ?
They're FWD IIRC.

The Suzuki Cuppa is all I could really think of.

The Toyota Corrolla AE86 is 200KG overweight...

EDLT

15,421 posts

236 months

Monday 6th June 2011
quotequote all
A Mk3 MR2 is 975kg, could it be stripped out enough?

anonymous-user

84 months

Tuesday 7th June 2011
quotequote all
I have absolutely no idea if you can even get one used, let alone for £5k, but a Tommy Kaira ZZ is 650kg and as far as I know is not a kit car.

Nothing useful to add I'm afraid.



ETA: There is an Elise S1 that went for £3.5k, 725kg according to wiki.

Edited by MSTRBKR on Tuesday 7th June 00:09

SteveS Cup

1,996 posts

190 months

Tuesday 7th June 2011
quotequote all
Most old Fords, mk1 escort, anglia.

What about the old Toyota starlet? Rare as rocking horse poo though.

Can it be modified at all? I'm on my phone so can't check Parkers easily... What would a starved e30 weigh in at I wonder?

AlexiusG55

656 posts

186 months

Tuesday 7th June 2011
quotequote all
davepoth said:
Fiat 500, although probably a bit iffy at that price, so maybe fiat 126 instead.
I don't think 500s are that expensive:
http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C229439
A sub-5k one won't be concours but should be a good daily driver. My dad bought one (which is still driven regularly) several years ago for under 5k with a 126 engine swap and a few other usability/performance modifications- prices have gone up since then, but not that much.

I also thought Copen, but that turns out to be fwd and 10-20 kg too heavy.