Discussion
Hi all
I'm looking at getting something fun for the summer (I'll probably end up purchasing in May) I've been researching the Z4/Z3, Mk3 MR2, and 986 boxster (and Mx5) I've always liked the look of the Mk1 TT though, they seem a lot of car for the money at the moment, and a special interior. I would be looking at a 225 BAM I think. A roadster would make sense in the summer, but I love the iconic look of the coupe. I do know they won't be the best handling car, but I'm not a very fast driver to be honest!
Looking at the forums, and the FB group, they seem to be quite troublesome. I would be looking to spend about 2-2.5K. From folks who have had one, are they as unreliable as I've read?
I'm looking at getting something fun for the summer (I'll probably end up purchasing in May) I've been researching the Z4/Z3, Mk3 MR2, and 986 boxster (and Mx5) I've always liked the look of the Mk1 TT though, they seem a lot of car for the money at the moment, and a special interior. I would be looking at a 225 BAM I think. A roadster would make sense in the summer, but I love the iconic look of the coupe. I do know they won't be the best handling car, but I'm not a very fast driver to be honest!
Looking at the forums, and the FB group, they seem to be quite troublesome. I would be looking to spend about 2-2.5K. From folks who have had one, are they as unreliable as I've read?
NordicCrankShaft said:
Thank you, I shall take a look 
jamesbilluk said:
Hi all
I'm looking at getting something fun for the summer (I'll probably end up purchasing in May) I've been researching the Z4/Z3, Mk3 MR2, and 986 boxster (and Mx5) I've always liked the look of the Mk1 TT though, they seem a lot of car for the money at the moment, and a special interior. I would be looking at a 225 BAM I think. A roadster would make sense in the summer, but I love the iconic look of the coupe. I do know they won't be the best handling car, but I'm not a very fast driver to be honest!
Looking at the forums, and the FB group, they seem to be quite troublesome. I would be looking to spend about 2-2.5K. From folks who have had one, are they as unreliable as I've read?
There's loads of info out there about issues and fixes. I wouldn't say they are any more unreliable than other cars of a similar age.I'm looking at getting something fun for the summer (I'll probably end up purchasing in May) I've been researching the Z4/Z3, Mk3 MR2, and 986 boxster (and Mx5) I've always liked the look of the Mk1 TT though, they seem a lot of car for the money at the moment, and a special interior. I would be looking at a 225 BAM I think. A roadster would make sense in the summer, but I love the iconic look of the coupe. I do know they won't be the best handling car, but I'm not a very fast driver to be honest!
Looking at the forums, and the FB group, they seem to be quite troublesome. I would be looking to spend about 2-2.5K. From folks who have had one, are they as unreliable as I've read?
What I would say is that if you're hoping to get a trouble free and completely reliable one for £2-2.5K you are likely to be disappointed. That is close to the new bottom end of the used car market.
Unreal said:
There's loads of info out there about issues and fixes. I wouldn't say they are any more unreliable than other cars of a similar age.
What I would say is that if you're hoping to get a trouble free and completely reliable one for £2-2.5K you are likely to be disappointed. That is close to the new bottom end of the used car market.
Thank you What I would say is that if you're hoping to get a trouble free and completely reliable one for £2-2.5K you are likely to be disappointed. That is close to the new bottom end of the used car market.
I think I ended up reading about all the down sides of them!
They do seem to vary in price! I did see this one at 3k and its an early one with no spoiler. My favourite wheel design too.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2022102109...
Prices for mk1s seems to slowly be on the rise. I was looking when covid kicked off and there was a LOT of range for the sub £3k mark and that range has slowly dwindled.
Luckily the amount being broken means spares should be pretty easy to come by and cheap. Theres some really good videos on YT - Parrott Brothers I think the channel is called is one of the best I found when I was looking... I'm still really tempted by one...
Luckily the amount being broken means spares should be pretty easy to come by and cheap. Theres some really good videos on YT - Parrott Brothers I think the channel is called is one of the best I found when I was looking... I'm still really tempted by one...
DaveyBoyWonder said:
Prices for mk1s seems to slowly be on the rise. I was looking when covid kicked off and there was a LOT of range for the sub £3k mark and that range has slowly dwindled.
Luckily the amount being broken means spares should be pretty easy to come by and cheap. Theres some really good videos on YT - Parrott Brothers I think the channel is called is one of the best I found when I was looking... I'm still really tempted by one...
It does seem does seem to be harder to find a car that looks good now, I keep looking for evidence that it has a lot if service history as well/folders.Luckily the amount being broken means spares should be pretty easy to come by and cheap. Theres some really good videos on YT - Parrott Brothers I think the channel is called is one of the best I found when I was looking... I'm still really tempted by one...
Very true, there should be a plentiful supply of spares, hopedully the decent ones will then hold their value then.
Ah yes, I've been making my way through their videos, really useful with what to look for, and comparing the different models too. I've seen more decent condition 180s than I have the 225s for some reason
They do seem impressive money for a good looking well built car that looks like they do.
jamesbilluk said:
It does seem does seem to be harder to find a car that looks good now, I keep looking for evidence that it has a lot if service history as well/folders.
Very true, there should be a plentiful supply of spares, hopedully the decent ones will then hold their value then.
Ah yes, I've been making my way through their videos, really useful with what to look for, and comparing the different models too. I've seen more decent condition 180s than I have the 225s for some reason
They do seem impressive money for a good looking well built car that looks like they do.
Obviously we all work to a budget but if you're set on one I'd suggest spending a bit more and getting a really good example than saving a thousand or two now and buying one with high miles and faults to fix. That advice might be different if you like fixing cars and spending money on bringing them up to scratch.Very true, there should be a plentiful supply of spares, hopedully the decent ones will then hold their value then.
Ah yes, I've been making my way through their videos, really useful with what to look for, and comparing the different models too. I've seen more decent condition 180s than I have the 225s for some reason
They do seem impressive money for a good looking well built car that looks like they do.
I think the ship has largely sailed on cheap low mileage 225s. The vast majority are on well over !00,000 miles and have had many owners and a gradually deteriorating service history. Quite a few have been messed about with due to the tuning potential and that might be another reason why good 225s are harder to come by. You haven't mentioned the V6. There is a bit of an Audi tax associated with them now even though they weren't rated particularly highly when new. They sound nice but you'll pay in petrol and won't gain anything significant in performance. Some people prefer the V6 looks. I looked at the V6 and 225 before buying and preferred the manual drive in the 225 to the DSG in the V6 but each to their own.
Unreal said:
Obviously we all work to a budget but if you're set on one I'd suggest spending a bit more and getting a really good example than saving a thousand or two now and buying one with high miles and faults to fix. That advice might be different if you like fixing cars and spending money on bringing them up to scratch.
I think the ship has largely sailed on cheap low mileage 225s. The vast majority are on well over !00,000 miles and have had many owners and a gradually deteriorating service history. Quite a few have been messed about with due to the tuning potential and that might be another reason why good 225s are harder to come by. You haven't mentioned the V6. There is a bit of an Audi tax associated with them now even though they weren't rated particularly highly when new. They sound nice but you'll pay in petrol and won't gain anything significant in performance. Some people prefer the V6 looks. I looked at the V6 and 225 before buying and preferred the manual drive in the 225 to the DSG in the V6 but each to their own.
Very true, probably wise to spend a bit more, I've read stories of folk buying cheap, then having to spend the same again fixing various issues. I think the ship has largely sailed on cheap low mileage 225s. The vast majority are on well over !00,000 miles and have had many owners and a gradually deteriorating service history. Quite a few have been messed about with due to the tuning potential and that might be another reason why good 225s are harder to come by. You haven't mentioned the V6. There is a bit of an Audi tax associated with them now even though they weren't rated particularly highly when new. They sound nice but you'll pay in petrol and won't gain anything significant in performance. Some people prefer the V6 looks. I looked at the V6 and 225 before buying and preferred the manual drive in the 225 to the DSG in the V6 but each to their own.
What would you say is a realistic price for a good 225 now? I've seen quite a few 180s for sale as well, for what I need that may well be enough. I did have a look at the V6s, I really like the extra body styling they have, but like you'd said, wondered if it would be worth the extra fuel considering how good the 225 is, a manual would be great as well. I was wondering weather to spend more on a Sport quattro, but the rear seats of the normal ones I think may come in useful.
Unreal said:
There's loads of info out there about issues and fixes. I wouldn't say they are any more unreliable than other cars of a similar age.
What I would say is that if you're hoping to get a trouble free and completely reliable one for £2-2.5K you are likely to be disappointed. That is close to the new bottom end of the used car market.
I paid £2600 for my '99 Roadster with 98k miles on the clock 18 months ago. It needs an oil/filter/haldex service and the belt/water pump doing over the winter. The only other costs apart from fuel, VED and insurance has been a couple of hundred quid on suspension bits for its MOT last year. Had a clean pass this year.What I would say is that if you're hoping to get a trouble free and completely reliable one for £2-2.5K you are likely to be disappointed. That is close to the new bottom end of the used car market.
It starts, runs and drives as it should, sounds and looks great, so there are good cars out there at that pricepoint
Dimebars said:
I paid £2600 for my '99 Roadster with 98k miles on the clock 18 months ago. It needs an oil/filter/haldex service and the belt/water pump doing over the winter. The only other costs apart from fuel, VED and insurance has been a couple of hundred quid on suspension bits for its MOT last year. Had a clean pass this year.
It starts, runs and drives as it should, sounds and looks great, so there are good cars out there at that pricepoint
That's not bad at all! It starts, runs and drives as it should, sounds and looks great, so there are good cars out there at that pricepoint
You can gamble on a cheap one, or gamble on a more expensive one.
You're probably looking at £3.5-4k for one with no obvious faults and a solid service & MOT history. But that will still be a 20 year old car, with plenty of things to go wrong.
You can also get sub £2k tatty ones, which I did in January for a 225 with 99k but no service history. I've spent about £6-700 so far on suspension, engine mounts and service parts but also undoing a few mods and fixing the various rattles. Also, and by far the best value, a 4-wheel alignment. Still needs some cosmetic rust sorting but it's a great little car.
There are so many out there it's really a buyer's market apart from for the exceptionally good ones.
You're probably looking at £3.5-4k for one with no obvious faults and a solid service & MOT history. But that will still be a 20 year old car, with plenty of things to go wrong.
You can also get sub £2k tatty ones, which I did in January for a 225 with 99k but no service history. I've spent about £6-700 so far on suspension, engine mounts and service parts but also undoing a few mods and fixing the various rattles. Also, and by far the best value, a 4-wheel alignment. Still needs some cosmetic rust sorting but it's a great little car.
There are so many out there it's really a buyer's market apart from for the exceptionally good ones.
You could get an mk2 TT if upping the budget on the mk1s ? Ive read and watched they are supposedly more reliable and a better drive. They start at around £3800 for a low owner well mantained example:
https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/13505864
https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/13505864
E63eeeeee... said:
You can gamble on a cheap one, or gamble on a more expensive one.
You're probably looking at £3.5-4k for one with no obvious faults and a solid service & MOT history. But that will still be a 20 year old car, with plenty of things to go wrong.
You can also get sub £2k tatty ones, which I did in January for a 225 with 99k but no service history. I've spent about £6-700 so far on suspension, engine mounts and service parts but also undoing a few mods and fixing the various rattles. Also, and by far the best value, a 4-wheel alignment. Still needs some cosmetic rust sorting but it's a great little car.
There are so many out there it's really a buyer's market apart from for the exceptionally good ones.
True, even a low milage one could have issues, I could up my budget to £3000 You're probably looking at £3.5-4k for one with no obvious faults and a solid service & MOT history. But that will still be a 20 year old car, with plenty of things to go wrong.
You can also get sub £2k tatty ones, which I did in January for a 225 with 99k but no service history. I've spent about £6-700 so far on suspension, engine mounts and service parts but also undoing a few mods and fixing the various rattles. Also, and by far the best value, a 4-wheel alignment. Still needs some cosmetic rust sorting but it's a great little car.
There are so many out there it's really a buyer's market apart from for the exceptionally good ones.
That's not bad then to fix yours up.
There does seem a great amount out there, and some local to me that don't look too bad at all there's one with 76000 miles, and full history but a bit of rust by the wheel arch.
VeeReihenmotor6 said:
You could get an mk2 TT if upping the budget on the mk1s ? Ive read and watched they are supposedly more reliable and a better drive. They start at around £3800 for a low owner well mantained example:
https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/13505864
I did wonder about the MK2, but I've always loved the look of the MK1, I may well have a research though.https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/13505864
i did it all wrong and bought a sheddy £1k 225 just before the pandemic. previous owner hadnt been the best at preventative maintenance, just replacing stuff when it broke and giving it an annual service.
lots of fragile things to keep me entertained, mainly electronics, but the only unaccounted for expenses were rear shocks and a wiring repair when the VSS signal to the dashpod went missing.
it had the obstructive neutral to 1st shift but it got no worse - a clutch change would have been more than i paid for the car i'm told.
paid for a specialist to do belts etc after the first year but apart from that not too expensive to run and i dragged it from 189k to just over 250k in 3 years without ever being sidelined.
it liked oil and probably changed it's own via top-ups between services but reference to the handbook suggested the consumption was within spec. Parts prices were eye watering at times but plenty specialist breakers out there.
cosmetically it was good so i guess i was lucky as cheap definitely didnt equate to mechanically bad in my case
lots of fragile things to keep me entertained, mainly electronics, but the only unaccounted for expenses were rear shocks and a wiring repair when the VSS signal to the dashpod went missing.
it had the obstructive neutral to 1st shift but it got no worse - a clutch change would have been more than i paid for the car i'm told.
paid for a specialist to do belts etc after the first year but apart from that not too expensive to run and i dragged it from 189k to just over 250k in 3 years without ever being sidelined.
it liked oil and probably changed it's own via top-ups between services but reference to the handbook suggested the consumption was within spec. Parts prices were eye watering at times but plenty specialist breakers out there.
cosmetically it was good so i guess i was lucky as cheap definitely didnt equate to mechanically bad in my case
jamesbilluk said:
VeeReihenmotor6 said:
You could get an mk2 TT if upping the budget on the mk1s ? Ive read and watched they are supposedly more reliable and a better drive. They start at around £3800 for a low owner well mantained example:
https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/13505864
I did wonder about the MK2, but I've always loved the look of the MK1, I may well have a research though.https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/13505864
Stunning car and very much a future classic. Manual, 225, low mileage ones in good colors (mainly that gray) are climbing in value.
You said you were looking for fun, the TT MK1 is not that! I've had one and it was one of the dullest cars I've owned...
Your other options are much better.
MX5 - you can get an NA, NB or NC for under £5k. I've had an NB and NC, the latter a better daily prospect but NB a better drive. Both very nimble and fun but engines are pretty bland.
Z3/Z4 - not as nimble as the MX5 but better engine, interiors
MR2 Mk3 - not very practical but great to drive, similar prospect to an MX5 but feels lighter and even better to drive. Terrible engine though
Boxster - similar to the Z3/4 but more refined and technically better but perhaps not as fun.
I'd add to your list a 350Z, very tasty engine, great fun to drive though big and clumsy compared to the MX5 and MR2 but I prefer it for the kind of driving I do (few B roads)
Your other options are much better.
MX5 - you can get an NA, NB or NC for under £5k. I've had an NB and NC, the latter a better daily prospect but NB a better drive. Both very nimble and fun but engines are pretty bland.
Z3/Z4 - not as nimble as the MX5 but better engine, interiors
MR2 Mk3 - not very practical but great to drive, similar prospect to an MX5 but feels lighter and even better to drive. Terrible engine though
Boxster - similar to the Z3/4 but more refined and technically better but perhaps not as fun.
I'd add to your list a 350Z, very tasty engine, great fun to drive though big and clumsy compared to the MX5 and MR2 but I prefer it for the kind of driving I do (few B roads)
Edited by rotaryjam on Wednesday 30th November 11:16
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