£3k to return to my youth....what car?

[greenslime30]

Let me paint the picture....late 90s, thinking about taking my driving test and a family friend rocks up in a scooby...we go for a drive and I’m blown away by the silly feeling the turbo car gave me.....then get a ride in gti-r and again this car is silly fast, makes noises I’ve never heard a car make before. I’m hooked....can’t afford one, can’t afford the insurance so will just have to settle with a memory of how it felt and a poster on my bedroom wall.

Fast forward to now....35 years old, have a job, a house, a child and a diesel ford focus. Life is good.....however I’ve got an itch that needs scratching.

So I’ve been on the hunt....£3k for some childhood silly turbo feeling. Don’t want a modern turbo, got one for work and it doesn’t feel the same.

I’ve looked at an S3....a couple of TTs and a golf. So 1.8T in various guises. Can’t really seem to find what I’m looking for. Today I see a 04 Subaru wrx wagon in budget, it has the noise and made me smile.

Is all of this just a waste of £3k and at this price point am i just asking for drama and money pits? Am I just going to be disappointed and wish I spent £6k? Sensible me says don’t be silly......naughty me says monkeys to it you only live once what’s the worst that could happen?

Any Dr’s about?? Is this normal?? It’s taking over my life! 😂

[TheAngryDog]

I think it is a great idea. I'd love to do it myself.

An S3 isn't going to give you that old school feeling though. A £3k scooby might, if by old school you want to be fixing it every 5 minutes.

realistically you want a non-vag pre 2000 turbo car.

[barryrs]

XR2i or 306 GTI6/Rallye are my first thoughts (both non turbo obviously).

[culpz]

Sod the turbo and get an old school hot hatch. A sorted Clio 182 for 3k should be a belter. I'd also say an EP3 Type R but they're probably a bit ropey at 3k.

[BigMon]

If you can afford it then go for it. Life is too short.

I did something similar but bought a 2 grand Volvo C70 convertible so I can get some wind on my bald spot.

If it borks itself massively it'll be scrapped and have cost me £2K which is less than a nice holiday.

[greenslime30]

Am I going to be fixing it every 5min or are cars of this age reliable in the sense of a 17 year old car.

I’m not afraid of the spanners but am afraid of the Mrs and spending every waking hour laid on the drive isn’t her idea of a family weekend!

Think it has to be a turbo...I’ll just want a turbo if I get something that non turbo. Even if it’s just to disappoint myself.

You are all bad men and are a bad influence....

[anonymous-user]

At 35 I got myself a remapped seat ibiza fr, 200 bhp in a car about 1100 kilos. Reminded me of older cars, had a dump value as well. Had so much fun in it, not best handling but awesome in straight line, and they are cheap. Maybe a decent cupra.

A good shout might be a Fabia VRS they are rated highly.

[Butter Face]

Get a classic Impreza. You’ll get one for 3k. Might be a bit ropey but will give you that Turbo lolz.

Otherwise buy an EP3, no turbo but you can cane the hell out of it everywhere.

[ATM]

Cinquecento Sporting
48,040 Miles
Remarkable Original Example...

£1,695.00


http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/282805955913

[Johnny 89]

Something like this may well be the answer. It won't have the same high running costs as an Evo but will give some of the drama for your budget.

https://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/...

Either this or an Impreza I would say.

[talksthetorque]

ATM said:

Cinquecento Sporting
48,040 Miles
Remarkable Original Example...

£1,695.00


http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/282805955913

OP said what he couldn't afford when he was 17, not what he could but chose not to.

Here you go.
It's the wrong shape and colour, or it's the right shape and colour, depending on your viewpoint.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

[greenslime30]

Not sure how you do all the link thing but this is the car I’ve been to see.

Can’t beat a bit of Fiat love.....mate had an uno and that didn’t give me any feelings that I want to recreate!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/132464925784

[Toed64]

Don't worry, it's absolutely normal! ...I'd be worried about the diesel Focus thing though!

£3000 will buy you an Impreza, but even if you were to double your budget, you would not be assured of a trouble-free, minimum fuss ownership experience. A good one is a phenominal tool, a bad one can be a wallet bleeding exasperation.

My suggestion is that you should buy a cheap hot hatch and do some track days. Get some tuition because driving quickly on the road is very different to driving on track and have a blast.

If you want cheap fun without hefty investment and you don't want to get your hands dirty, the Clio 172/182 suggestion above is good. However, I went for a trackday bangernomics shed - a £500 Toyota Corolla Tsport. It has a screaming 1.8 litre motor that pulls round to 8200rpm and with a few mods (sticky tyres, pads, discs, springs and suspension geometry) it has surprised a lot of cars that should be quicker on track, especially in the wet. After about 1200 miles of hard thrashing on track, it's still running well and my total investment is under £1200.

The Celica Tsport has the same running gear (this engine is used on the later Lotus Elise too) and looks much less gorky...but I kinda like my ugly but surprising shopping car.

[Type R Tom]

They won't be the best but you could get a MR2, Celica or Starlet with a turbo for £3k ish

Punto GT Turbo?

3000gt and some brave pills?

[anonymous-user]

greenslime30 said:

I’ve looked at an S3....a couple of TTs and a golf. So 1.8T in various guises. Can’t really seem to find what I’m looking for.

What about a seat leon cupra r, a bam engine ko4 turbo.

A good thud in the back and has that old school slightly 'tinny' feeling (if you know what I mean?!)

[greenslime30]

Cheers guys.

Some cracking ideas and food for thought....just as I thought I had exhausted all options, you lot come up with some left field turbo madness.

That’s another night spent trawling the interweb!

[ZX10R NIN]

You could go for a Grande Punto T Jet it's an old school turbo engine but with less worries about maintaining it,

Grande Punto T Jet

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2009-59-Fiat-Grande-Pun...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GREAT-LOOKING-LOW-MILEA...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Or you could go old skool cool & grab a Fiat Coupe 20V

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fiat-coupe-20v-turbo-on...

Rover 220 Coupe Turbo

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rover-220-coupe-turbo-T...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ROVER-220-2-0-COUPE-TUR...yEAAOSwq1JZN83f

If you want a sleeper go for the 620TI same engine as the above but in a pipe & slippers body.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1998-ROVER-620TI-RARE-K...

[xstian]

greenslime30 said:

Not sure how you do all the link thing but this is the car I’ve been to see.

Can’t beat a bit of Fiat love.....mate had an uno and that didn’t give me any feelings that I want to recreate!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/132464925784

This car has been for sale for at least 9 months. It got to make you think there is something wrong with it.

[FredClogs]

I'm a bit older than you op, buy my I.mediate thought was a Fiesta RS Turbo as it was a car O turned down the opportunity to buy to get a MK2 golf gti and always regretted... I thought "they can't be much more than £3k now" how wrong was I.

Answer is MX5 isn't it?

[greenslime30]

How do you know the Impreza has been for sale for 9 months? Am I missing something obvious??

It appears anything with Ford and RS in its name has recently become very expensive.

The rover coupe turbo is an interesting proposition....they were silly cars.