UPDATE - 4k appreciating daily.

[stedaley]

Leading on from my post the other day....

So sorting finances out and speaking to a few fellow automotive followers I've managed to wriggle abit more money and try not to want the perfect car.

So I have £4000, and the main thing I don't want is to lose money on the car when I go to sell it in 6-12 months time.

Been looking at
Mk1 TT - covers most of what I need size wise, it'll hold value and I can enjoy it over the summer. Not much to go wrong in a looked after example. 225 convertible seen. - - - https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2...

Ford puma - cheaper and a little bigger than the tt, 1.7 will have enough ooffph but prone to rust. Don't know a huge amount about them. Interior is abit Meh as it's the same as the focus.

Toyota mr2 mk2. - generally bulletproof but never actually seen one in the flesh. Really like the thought of the split roof. And pop up headlights Ofc! But need to see one!

Suzuki swift sport - newest car I've looked at, timing chain so again bullet proof. Would cover some of the gap that the st is going to leave. But could lose some money in the next year.


Let me know if you have any other ideas as I need to pull the trigger in the next 2 weeks and do my research and find a decent car.


Thanks

[mattfuey]

Out of those I’d have a sorted TT 225 personally.

[ZX10R NIN]

TT from that list.

[stedaley]

ZX10R NIN said:

TT from that list.

The one I was looking at has sold, anything to look for on these? Bits that I'd want to be sorted?

[Trevor555]

A TT for £4000 is a good car, but they can throw up some big bills.

Can you live with 2 seats?

A Bmw Z3 for £4000 shouldn't lose too much cash.

[kurt535]

Toyota Celica

[stedaley]

Trevor555 said:

A TT for £4000 is a good car, but they can throw up some big bills.

Can you live with 2 seats?

A Bmw Z3 for £4000 shouldn't lose too much cash.

What bills would I be looking at?

They vary from 1000-3500 which could be due to the condition!

A z3 is another choice I've looked at, just have no idea about any niggles that I could get with them, as I've never had a bmw! It's alot of car!

[Mr Roper]

4k will buy you a nice E46 330ci ...I doubt you'd lose any money.

[OverSteery]

At £4k the depreciation curve is flattening for all but the very cheapest.
I would say if you planning on selling within a year the main key is to buy a bargain. You will probably need to buy private or dealer margin will increase you "depreciation".

[aaron_2000]

TT for me, consider these:

ST170 - (Imperial blue, 3 door (even though the 5 door is nicer IMO) with the xenons and Recaros)
Impreza 2000 Turbo - going up, fuel economy isn't amazing
Clio 182 - Obviously
E46 330i/ci - As an above poster said, you won't lose money
Leon 225 - Same engine as the TT, just a better daily IMO
Sierra XR4x4 - Most certainly won't lose money, obviously old, most likely a stupid suggestion, but I'd own one, in fact I probably will own one soon.
Lupo GTI?

Feel free to email me if you want any advice on an Impreza, ST170 or Leon, happy to help out

[Berlin]

Mr Roper said:

4k will buy you a nice E46 330ci ...I doubt you'd lose any money.

+1

Specifically a facelifted 330Ci M Sport.

[CallorFold]

TT

... would a MK1 TT 240 Quattro sport thing fall into budget? Should hold its value better than the rest of the TT range - assuming it's affordable in the first place

[Trevor555]

stedaley said:

Trevor555 said:

A TT for £4000 is a good car, but they can throw up some big bills.

Can you live with 2 seats?

A Bmw Z3 for £4000 shouldn't lose too much cash.

What bills would I be looking at?

Every car is pot luck, my friend's had one from new and had very few problems, but whenever I was offered one in PX there were faults.

Gearbox problems, the side to side movement can pack up so you'll only get 3rd and fourth.
I've also heard whines which could have been diff or gearbox.

The alloys are brittle, check them for cracks on the inside edges.

The dash pods can go faulty, first sign is the temp gauge reads high, also the fuel gauge so you'll run out of fuel. These can be repaired by sending them off.

Other stuff the same as any car, water pumps, oil pumps, turbos, coil packs, etc..

Check the heater controls carefully, they're very brittle and people try and glue them back together when they break.

Good luck in your hunt, great cars when they're running well.

[Willy Nilly]

We all want cars that don't depreciate. Would you like a bag of my magic beans?

[Tyre Smoke]

Trevor555 said:

A Bmw Z3 for £4000 shouldn't lose too much cash.

And you can start out a lovely sideline as a mobile hairdresser. Win win.

[blearyeyedboy]

In the hot hatch world, a £4k Mk5 Golf GTi or EP3 Civic Type R won't lose much, if anything. EP3's are accumulating value.

[Croutons]

Tyre Smoke said:

And you can start out a lovely sideline as a mobile hairdresser. Win win.

And the point of a comment like that is what exactly?

[Berlin]

Willy Nilly said:

We all want cars that don't depreciate. Would you like a bag of my magic beans?

Its really not that hard at the price point the O/P is talking about. Its easy to pick out the cars that have bottomed out.

[J4CKO]

TT's arent appreciating, the classifieds are awash with them.

I bought one for just over two grand, spent another grand on it and it still had bits needing sorting, struggled to sell it, let it go yesterday for £1500.

Doesnt mean spending more will get you a better one either, might have lower miles and be from a dealer but will still be a minimum of 12 years old.

Pay four grand and you may end up wondering why you cant shift it it for three.

Proceed with caution,

Coil Packs,
Boost leaks
Plugs
Dash pods
Haldex issues
Thermostats
Sticking indicators
Door locks
Gearbox issues

Would need to be an absolute minter for four grand.

[Berlin]

Nissan 350Z.

Thank you. I'm here all week.