What car for both learning to spanner on and learner driver
Discussion
Hi,
I am looking to try find a second car with a little work to do but simple enough for a (very) amateur home mechanic. There is a two fold logic to it - one as a learner car for kids in a year or so, and two as a well-being escape for myself to have something I can work on and teach myself
So it would need to be cheap to buy and run (from the learners perspective - good on fuel, low insurance) but also fairly simple mechanically
I’ve had a couple of 4 r53 Mini Cooper S’ which I loved (early bmw era) and the mini one sprang to mind. But I remember mine needing front removing to do much work. Then my mind sprang to a fiat 500. Thoughts?
Apologies if this has been asked a hundred times before
I appreciate this isn’t a very pistonhead post as there is next to no bhp
I am looking to try find a second car with a little work to do but simple enough for a (very) amateur home mechanic. There is a two fold logic to it - one as a learner car for kids in a year or so, and two as a well-being escape for myself to have something I can work on and teach myself
So it would need to be cheap to buy and run (from the learners perspective - good on fuel, low insurance) but also fairly simple mechanically
I’ve had a couple of 4 r53 Mini Cooper S’ which I loved (early bmw era) and the mini one sprang to mind. But I remember mine needing front removing to do much work. Then my mind sprang to a fiat 500. Thoughts?
Apologies if this has been asked a hundred times before
I appreciate this isn’t a very pistonhead post as there is next to no bhp
Thanks all. Some really positive comments
My step daughter likes the look of the 500 hence looking in that direction. I do admit I have a bit of nostalgic liking for retro style remakes (especially the mini having had time in old and new). The 500 and beetle have both grown on me (I love the original beetle - blame herbie)
Fiesta is a good shout. Had positive experiences with old ones in the past (although more recently less so in a mk2 focus and mk1 s-max which both should have been good on paper - just bad luck but slightly tainted ford for me)
Will look into the various ones advised
The mii isn’t a bad should - I like the up! and they are much the same.
I quite like the twingo but I think that’s because I fancy a Renault sport one. One French car in the family is enough with the electric gremlins I keep finding
My step daughter likes the look of the 500 hence looking in that direction. I do admit I have a bit of nostalgic liking for retro style remakes (especially the mini having had time in old and new). The 500 and beetle have both grown on me (I love the original beetle - blame herbie)
Fiesta is a good shout. Had positive experiences with old ones in the past (although more recently less so in a mk2 focus and mk1 s-max which both should have been good on paper - just bad luck but slightly tainted ford for me)
Will look into the various ones advised
The mii isn’t a bad should - I like the up! and they are much the same.
I quite like the twingo but I think that’s because I fancy a Renault sport one. One French car in the family is enough with the electric gremlins I keep finding
Simonparsons1982 said:
Thanks all. Some really positive comments
My step daughter likes the look of the 500 hence looking in that direction. I do admit I have a bit of nostalgic liking for retro style remakes (especially the mini having had time in old and new). The 500 and beetle have both grown on me (I love the original beetle - blame herbie)
Fiesta is a good shout. Had positive experiences with old ones in the past (although more recently less so in a mk2 focus and mk1 s-max which both should have been good on paper - just bad luck but slightly tainted ford for me)
Will look into the various ones advised
The mii isn t a bad should - I like the up! and they are much the same.
I quite like the twingo but I think that s because I fancy a Renault sport one. One French car in the family is enough with the electric gremlins I keep finding
You will learn very quickly with a cheeses and chocolate 500. My step daughter likes the look of the 500 hence looking in that direction. I do admit I have a bit of nostalgic liking for retro style remakes (especially the mini having had time in old and new). The 500 and beetle have both grown on me (I love the original beetle - blame herbie)
Fiesta is a good shout. Had positive experiences with old ones in the past (although more recently less so in a mk2 focus and mk1 s-max which both should have been good on paper - just bad luck but slightly tainted ford for me)
Will look into the various ones advised
The mii isn t a bad should - I like the up! and they are much the same.
I quite like the twingo but I think that s because I fancy a Renault sport one. One French car in the family is enough with the electric gremlins I keep finding
Fiat 500 1.2 is fine if you've got small hands, small car, even smaller engine bay.Daughter has one, absolutely loves it. I love it and hate it in equal measures, e.g changing the oil requires it to be up on axle stands as it's so low. Contrast this with our L200 where I can get underneath without jacking anything up.
Simonparsons1982 said:
Ooh thank you. I ll try have a search for that
Here's the link:https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
My niece wants a 500, I would like her to have anything but.
If you like fixing things then the 500 might be the way to go.
In no particular order
Front suspension arms - its easier to remove the front bumper to change them
Exhaust manifold studs snap
Rear shocks fail
Rear bump stops disappear
Rear axle rots
Sills get dented from jacking wrong
Ecu can fail
Mileage flashes - usually blue and me unit fails and cause this
Gear selector cables snap
Slave cylinder fails, seizes to master cylinder pipework meaning it all needs to be replaced
Gearbox sector seizes so gearbox out
Coil pack fails
Cambelt every 4 years for urban use
Door handles snap
Drl bulbs fail and a pain to replace
Headlight brackets snap
Off the top of my head that’s it
Oh and they are slow
Buy a vw up and enjoy the weekends off
If you like fixing things then the 500 might be the way to go.
In no particular order
Front suspension arms - its easier to remove the front bumper to change them
Exhaust manifold studs snap
Rear shocks fail
Rear bump stops disappear
Rear axle rots
Sills get dented from jacking wrong
Ecu can fail
Mileage flashes - usually blue and me unit fails and cause this
Gear selector cables snap
Slave cylinder fails, seizes to master cylinder pipework meaning it all needs to be replaced
Gearbox sector seizes so gearbox out
Coil pack fails
Cambelt every 4 years for urban use
Door handles snap
Drl bulbs fail and a pain to replace
Headlight brackets snap
Off the top of my head that’s it
Oh and they are slow
Buy a vw up and enjoy the weekends off
Worth adding in the interest of balance I haven t minded too much working on Fiat 500s (my wife is on her third).
I did the bottom arms and yes it s bumper off, but then on my MG TF you have to drop the subframe, it was all a fairly easy DIY job.
As for having to jack up to change the oil, that s true for every car I ve owned.
Otherwise the current one s had a clutch earlier than I d like but otherwise nothing but consumables and plenty easy to service on the drive. FWIW I also find them fun to drive in a billy basic kind of way, as James May said on the original TG review just rev the nuts off it!
I did the bottom arms and yes it s bumper off, but then on my MG TF you have to drop the subframe, it was all a fairly easy DIY job.
As for having to jack up to change the oil, that s true for every car I ve owned.
Otherwise the current one s had a clutch earlier than I d like but otherwise nothing but consumables and plenty easy to service on the drive. FWIW I also find them fun to drive in a billy basic kind of way, as James May said on the original TG review just rev the nuts off it!
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