Yes, another "what car" thread

[mat777]

Having missed out on the PH free Porsche, but having made various noises to the parents of wanting to get another car over the summer, they have agreed to talk.
I shall be getting a summer job to fund it and am probably looking at an absolute maximum budget of £1000-1200. As its going to be a runaround, it needs to be significantly cheaper to run than the 12-20mpg petrol Land Rover. However I dont just want a bland toaster on wheels - it has to be idiosyncratic and interesting (but reasonable to insure for a 20 year old, preferably on a classic policy).

I have been considering a number of options so far mainly centering on more green oval goodness:
- Td4 freelander 1
- 200Tdi Discovery (can be run on veg oil so even cheaper to run) or V8 Disco on LPG

or

- 4-cylinder Alfa GTV
- Reliant Kitten (if I can find one)
- Road legal quad bike - much cheaper to run and insure than a car, and I do have a helmet and leathers etc

[PH lurker]

The Reliant Kitten seems a good idea actually, but like you say, you need to find one.

Considered an MG Metro?

[PH lurker]

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C305742

Read into the advert and it fits your criteria extremely well, I think.

[mat777]

Hi PH lurker,

Thanks for the suggestions but by "mundane toasters on wheels" I was including pretty much every sub £1200 hatchback (all the exciting ones like renaulsport clios and GTi golf's seem to be above that to buy or otherwise cost a fortune to insure)

[mat777]

I've been idly looking at interesting but cheap cars on ebay today, everything from XR3i Escort convertibles to the PH standard MX5

One car that keeps coming back to me is a 2nd gen MR2 - which being small, japanese, cheap and reliable should be easy enough to get past the parents too. What's insurance likely to be on a 2 litre N/A for a 20 year old with nearly 3 years driving, no claims and no points?

[iva cosworth]

mat777 said:

What's insurance likely to be on a 2 litre N/A for a 20 year old with nearly 3 years driving, no claims and no points?

Insurance comparison websites

[Gooly]

mat777 said:

I've been idly looking at interesting but cheap cars on ebay today, everything from XR3i Escort convertibles to the PH standard MX5

One car that keeps coming back to me is a 2nd gen MR2 - which being small, japanese, cheap and reliable should be easy enough to get past the parents too. What's insurance likely to be on a 2 litre N/A for a 20 year old with nearly 3 years driving, no claims and no points?

An E30 316 costs twice as much to insure as a 325. I know someone who got insured on a 2.0l Megane for less than my 1.3l Fiesta. Theres stories running round of people getting jag XJRs insured for less than corsas. Insurance makes no sense and you'll only know by running a quote yourself.

MR2s could be expensive to insure (As are most jap sports cars of the era) or cheap to insure (avoided by yoofs? enthusiast owned) Only way to know is to run the quote yourself.

[mat777]

Well, it turns out an MR2 is about the same to insure as a TDi discrottery according to confusethemeerkat. Oddly though, a V8 LPG Disco is 3200 cheaper to insure??? Perhaps I need to sit down and do some sums on cost of lpg, cost of diesel, cost of free veg oil, relative economies and relative insurance costs

[getawayturtle]

Don't get a road legal quad bike, you will end up crushed underneath it one day. Most likely due to the fault of someone else.

[mat777]

Hmm, ok - for safety and practicality reasons the quad bike is off the list. As is a freelander as every sub 1k diseasel model has "rear propshaft removed due to knackered VCU and IRD for economy reasons". On the basis that I am unlikely to find a disco 1 for under £1k that doesnt have imminent major welding required, we're back to the small cars....
If I can find a reliant Kitten, which isnt likely, then I'd consider it but on reflection, only if nobody recognised me whilst driving it. SS1 scimitars seem to be out of budget. That leaves the Alfa, which is likely not to fulfil the reliability and economy wishes. My current thinking is going back to small Japanese 2-seaters and either MX5 or MR2. half of me wants the front-engined MX5, but the other half of my says the MR2 is less of a hairdressers car and less of a cliche. Both see,s to be about the same 600-800 mark for good useable examples. I really cant decide now!!!!
Then suddenly out of the blue I also thought of a Volvo 480.... I dont know if I'm onto a loser with that one as regards bodywork issues and prices of spare parts..

Oh by the way, whilst lookiong at MX5 prices I found this gem.... I dont quite know what was going through his mind when he measure up for the stripes....
http://www2.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Edited by mat777 on Monday 4th June 19:59

[mat777]

Hmm... after a long argument with a friend who has quite a lot of main dealer mechanic experience, I've been told all my above choices are pants, he suggested a Frod focus, to which I counter suggested a Cougar. I must admit I wouldnt mind a 2.0 Cougar, are they good cars?

[mikey P 500]

Why not just buy a cheap 924 porsche, for what you will spend fixing a free one and your budget you could buy a working example. Get a non S model for cheaper running costs and insurance.

[mat777]

mikey P 500 said:

Why not just buy a cheap 924 porsche, for what you will spend fixing a free one and your budget you could buy a working example. Get a non S model for cheaper running costs and insurance.

I dont have the budget to actually buy one myself unless I get a complete and utter shed. realistically I'd probably struggle to insure one too

[poing]

If you are considering a Cougar check out the owners club forum first. It seems there are 2 Cougars, good ones and really really bad ones. I know someone who was a big fan and owned one, wouldn't have a bad word said against it etc. It was written off so he bought another and it was one of the bad ones, sold it and bought another but it was even worse. He's now moved onto Saab for some reason.

Edit: If you are looking at MX5's then just get one. If it turns out it's not for you then at least you will sell it on easily enough and you'll have scratched the itch. Alternatively you'll end up like me, I'm now on my second one and can't see me getting anything else to replace it except another one.

Edited by poing on Monday 4th June 23:43

[mat777]

poing said:

If you are considering a Cougar check out the owners club forum first. It seems there are 2 Cougars, good ones and really really bad ones. I know someone who was a big fan and owned one, wouldn't have a bad word said against it etc. It was written off so he bought another and it was one of the bad ones, sold it and bought another but it was even worse. He's now moved onto Saab for some reason.

Edit: If you are looking at MX5's then just get one. If it turns out it's not for you then at least you will sell it on easily enough and you'll have scratched the itch. Alternatively you'll end up like me, I'm now on my second one and can't see me getting anything else to replace it except another one.

Edited by poing on Monday 4th June 23:43

Ok, will do! As tempting as MX5's are, I was told that the cheaper ones do rust a fair bit and can be a bit shagged? I'd be looking at a 1.6 in my budget anyway.
As for Saabs, I was looking earlier and it seems I can get turn of the Millennium 9-3 Diesel for about 700 quid in good nick, 40mpg+ and not too much more insurance wise than any of my previous ideas. I'm pretty sold but having previously been banned from having a Volvo by the parents "because spares cost a fortune", will a Saab go the same way?

[deltashad]

mat777 said:

I'm pretty sold but having previously been banned from having a Volvo by the parents "because spares cost a fortune", will a Saab go the same way?

Never, ever listen to your parents.

Oh, if you know anyone handy with a mig I'd check the insurance out on this. Its one of my 'bucket list' cars.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/mercedes-280ce-/20077167...

[mat777]

deltashad said:

Never, ever listen to your parents.

Oh, if you know anyone handy with a mig I'd check the insurance out on this. Its one of my 'bucket list' cars.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/mercedes-280ce-/20077167...

A coursemate of mine bought one of those in September. So far it's cost him roughly 3 times as much again to keep fixing it every time it (frequently) goes wrong. Now he says he wants to chop in his Berlin Taxi spec model for a top of the range V8 version which won't be at all expensive to fix


Anyway - I think I've found a new shortlist contender in my search. Having scratched the Saab due to costing more to insure than a Cougar *and* being more boring, it turns out I can waft along in a leather-lined, walnut-veneered Rover 75 2.0 diesel for less purchase cost, less insurance cost, and almost double the mpg figure of the Ford. Ladies and gentlemen, I think we have a winner! Textbook bargenomics!

Edited by mat777 on Tuesday 5th June 19:54