New(ish)bie - Self indulgent history and deliberation thread
Discussion
FAIR WARNING - This is going to be a long(ish) read!
Hello everyone! I've been a bit of a lurker on here for quite a while now, but haven't really posted so I thought I would start the ball rolling with a bit of navel gazing! I'm Doug, I'm 22 and I've been a car enthusiast since I was a small boy. My old man had a succession of snotters (MGB GT, Volvo 340, Rover 820SE anyone?) which would often fail to proceed, so many a childhood day was spent being gainfully employed to stand around handing him one of the various assortment of spanners/hammers/teacups that are requisite when trying to coax life into some wheezing 80's BL chod (No disrespect there - I'm a BL fan!)
Anyway, fast forward to the present day and I'm currently 'between vehicles'. So I reckoned I might give you lot a run through of SOME of what I've had personally over the last few years and ask if perhaps the collective hive mind of PH might be able to point me in the right direction as to what to go for next!
2001 Ford Ka 1.3
Have a photo, taken this evening! In six years I've never seen another one with this wheel/colour combo.
The first (road-legal) car I ever bought was this 2001 Ford Ka Style. Bought from a local dealer in 2008 with 23k miles up the odometer now reads 62,710 miles. It is the only car that I have bought that is still with me and I love it to bits. If you've never tried one I really do recommend getting out there and having a go. Yes, the old pushrod 1300 Endura lump is a little wheezy in the upper rev ranges, but because its a fairly large displacement engine for the size/weight of car you can torque to drive around that. The steering is better than a car of this type has any right to be and the handling in general is grin inducing, and it does 40+ MPG, and it costs next to nowt to insure. I learnt to drive in it, and so did my step-sister. Superb. Just don't mention the welding that I have to carry out every year to obtain an MOT pass (They all do that, sir).
Next was a 2004 Ford SportKa
I can't find a photo of this one but Google will remedy that. It was identical to this:
So after nearly a year on the road I started to lust after something with a bit more POWAH! than the little Ka. But I wanted to stick with Ford, so I initially started looking at used Pumas. It quickly became apparent that although I could afford to buy a decent 1.7 Puma, at age 18 I couldn't afford the insurance with my part time job (£2700 ish IIRC!) so I started looking into alternatives, I looked at the 1.4 Puma, but there were far fewer available and it didn't really seem worth the outlay for a 100cc jump! Then I found an 04-plate SportKa for sale reasonably close to me, I went and looked at it and it was good so I had it! Mine was a base-spec car in Imperial Blue, so it did without the leather and A/C of the SE cars. But I didn't care because it felt like the fastest thing on the planet with its mighty 94 BHP! Essentially it was the original Ka, but turned up to 11. The insurance was way cheaper than the Puma (still £1700-odd) and the economy was decent. Unlike the other Ka though, this one did develop a couple of faults. The remote locking used to go haywire, I had a couple of failed ABS sensors and a small oil leak to contend with. But all in all it was a great intro to "hot" hatch motoring. Had it for about nine months and did a swap for the next car which was a...
2002 Ford Focus 1.8 Zetec
I swapped the SportKa for this nicely modified Focus because well, I was 18 and the law says if you're an 18 year old lad you must own a modified car. What had been done, had been done well though. Brief spec as far as I remember was: ST170 brake setup front and rear, Eibach coilovers all round, 4-2-1 manifold down to a full Magnex S/S exhaust, uprated intake, a remap and the exterior colour coding. A really nice car actually, rode really well for a lowered car as it wasn't slammed too much. Not sure what sort of power it was making but empirical evidence at the time suggested it could pass a standard 2.0 Focus Zetec, but an ST170 would pull away once above 60-ish. The guy who owned it before now has a tuned Mk1 FRS. Anyway, so I minced about in this for a while and then decided to sell up. I think I must have watched an old pirate copy of Tokyo Drift or something on Youtube because I then decided I wanted to try something RWD.
1999 BMW E36 316i Compact
Honestly this is the best photo I could find of the old girl. That isn't me, I decided to help out with the youth unemployment stats by employing my mate to wash the thing.
A foray into Shed-land here. I wanted to go RWD but anything I fancied (328i, C230K etc) was still uninsurable at age 19. So I ended up buying this little E36/5 Compact for something like £700. Surprisingly good little cars these. Mine was the run-out 316i with the 8v SOHC version of the 318ti/iS 1.9-litre engine. I bought the car with roughly 150k on and the motor was still sewing machine smooth. Only about 105 BHP but still good for a bit of gravel car park DRIFT0RZ SKILLZ. Much better cars than people give them credit for IMO, good handling and enough power to be useable but not enough to put you in a ditch if you were learning the foibles of RWD cars as I was at the time. I'd probably still have it but sadly at 177k miles the HG let go. I decided to get something newer and sold the Beemer to a guy who binned the four-pot and fitted an M52B28. Wish I'd thought of that!
Now comes the slightly tricky part where I have to make an admission. I have owned Vauxhalls.
2003 Vauxhall Astra 'G' SRi
Its on Vectra B wheels in the pic, but I ran it on GSi Snowflakes.
Another underrated motor I think. I owned this one for two years - the second longest period of ownership after the Ka - and did well over 30k in this Ashtray with zero incidents/breakdowns/engine thefts etc. The Z18XE 1.8 engine is a very sweet little unit and these were fitted with a close-ratio gearbox for maximum traffic light GP effectiveness. Indeed, this thing would surprise the odd 'proper' hot hatch off the line thanks to the gearing. The steering was a little light, but overall it handled very well and I don't think it was night and day between this and the Mk1 Focus in the handling stakes. Massive boot, bit noisy on the motorway thanks to the gearing and I never cracked more than 39 MPG. But overall a good little car and probably the most painless ownership experience I've encountered.
Moving on, and with much shuffling of feet and looking at the ground...
1998 Vauxhall Vectra V6 SRi/GSi
The V6 Vectra is a good car. I really do believe that and I'm sure that you all probably think I am mad. But I'll do my best to explain!
I bought this car locally in May 2013 from the older gentleman who had purchased it brand new in 1998. I bought it from him with 96k miles and a short tax and test for £650. I took it straight to my local MOT centre and it flew through with no advisories despite being kept outside all its life and used as a daily in all weathers. A good start then - so I pressed the Vectra into service using it to commute from my home on the Sussex coast, to work in South London. I really don't see why everyone had such a problem with these things, alright so its not and never will be a corner-munching Elise rival, but having driven the Mondeo, 406 and Primera of that era I really don't think they were leagues ahead of the Vectra. I know SRi's like this got different and lower suspension so will reserve ultimate judgement until I get the chance to try a 'cooking' Vectra.
The V6 is a peach of an engine. These cars were never out and out sports cars but for daily use, its a great unit. Tractable, easy-going in town and refined and quiet on the motorway cruise but with bags of power in reserve and a willing nature which always invites you to rev it out, fantastic noise as well even through the standard Irmscher exhaust. Oh and on a run a comfortable 31 MPG.
As you might be able to see from the photo I did have a go on the spanners with this one and did a bit of modification. Which was as follows:
- MSD 'G' cams from the Vectra GSi. A worthwhile upgrade for any X25XE unit as the MSD developed camshafts liberate a good 15-20 BHP from the motor.
- Vectra GSi full exhaust system and 200-cell sports cat to compliment the camshafts.
- Courtenay Sport Performance Panel Filter
- A short-shift kit (can't remember the make) as the F23 'box can be a little vague on faster shifts
- 17" Snowflake alloys from my old Astra - hence why the Vectra wheels are on the Astra in the pic above from when I sold it.
and a few other Opel/OPC exterior and interior goodies as well!
Long story short, I loved this car but I had no indoor storage for the old beast and as I no longer worked in London it was being used less and less. So in February this year I reluctantly sold it to a local VX enthusiast who promised to take good care of it. I have seen it since and he's given it the full GSi exterior look which is something I had wanted to do all along and is contemplating a 3.2 V6 conversion. Good man.
Next was the 2001 Audi A3 1.8T Sport
Here it is, looking dull and grey and dull.
Bought after the Vectra sale as I had never owned a turbocharged car myself and thought the ubiquitous VAG 1.8T might be a good place to start right? WRONG. Sorry but I don't see what all the fuss is about. Yes you can map them and get superlative BHP and torque figures from these lumps but I've driven more enjoyable diesels than this FFS. This car was mapped to 200-ish BHP and had a decent exhaust system fitted to help. It was a great overtaking machine, and front-end grip was very high but honestly, it never put a smile on my face once. I know the 1.8T isn't a true hot hatch like the S3 but still it should be at least mildly entertaining shouldn't it? Good points? Well I suppose the leather sports seats were comfy unlike the ride, and it had a lot of kit for a 2001 car. I tidied the bodywork up and sold it a couple of months ago.
Still here after all that? Hopefully you are, as I've caught up to the present day!
Not pictured - because I didn't own them for longer than a couple of months: '96 Citroen AX 954cc Dimension (fun little car, killed by inner wing rust). '00 Volvo V40 1.6 (Bought, moved house in and sold). '00 Audi A3 1.6SE (spares car for the other A3 as I needed an un-dented door, miserable rubbish. SCRAPPED.)
What next?
Well.. I don't know! That's where I'm hoping you lot can help. I need to replace the Audi and I don't really know what to go for. I want something that I've not had before but I've only got a max of £1500 to blow on it. Must haves are a decent amount of power (say, sub 9s to 60 for example), room in the boot for a wheelchair as my Mrs is a part-time cripple, and to be able to stand up to daily duties of around 15k miles per year and it must also have a bit of enthusiast appeal! i.e not a Mk4 Golf TDi or summert like that!
Can't help me can you?
Thanks for reading!
Hello everyone! I've been a bit of a lurker on here for quite a while now, but haven't really posted so I thought I would start the ball rolling with a bit of navel gazing! I'm Doug, I'm 22 and I've been a car enthusiast since I was a small boy. My old man had a succession of snotters (MGB GT, Volvo 340, Rover 820SE anyone?) which would often fail to proceed, so many a childhood day was spent being gainfully employed to stand around handing him one of the various assortment of spanners/hammers/teacups that are requisite when trying to coax life into some wheezing 80's BL chod (No disrespect there - I'm a BL fan!)
Anyway, fast forward to the present day and I'm currently 'between vehicles'. So I reckoned I might give you lot a run through of SOME of what I've had personally over the last few years and ask if perhaps the collective hive mind of PH might be able to point me in the right direction as to what to go for next!
2001 Ford Ka 1.3
Have a photo, taken this evening! In six years I've never seen another one with this wheel/colour combo.
The first (road-legal) car I ever bought was this 2001 Ford Ka Style. Bought from a local dealer in 2008 with 23k miles up the odometer now reads 62,710 miles. It is the only car that I have bought that is still with me and I love it to bits. If you've never tried one I really do recommend getting out there and having a go. Yes, the old pushrod 1300 Endura lump is a little wheezy in the upper rev ranges, but because its a fairly large displacement engine for the size/weight of car you can torque to drive around that. The steering is better than a car of this type has any right to be and the handling in general is grin inducing, and it does 40+ MPG, and it costs next to nowt to insure. I learnt to drive in it, and so did my step-sister. Superb. Just don't mention the welding that I have to carry out every year to obtain an MOT pass (They all do that, sir).
Next was a 2004 Ford SportKa
I can't find a photo of this one but Google will remedy that. It was identical to this:
So after nearly a year on the road I started to lust after something with a bit more POWAH! than the little Ka. But I wanted to stick with Ford, so I initially started looking at used Pumas. It quickly became apparent that although I could afford to buy a decent 1.7 Puma, at age 18 I couldn't afford the insurance with my part time job (£2700 ish IIRC!) so I started looking into alternatives, I looked at the 1.4 Puma, but there were far fewer available and it didn't really seem worth the outlay for a 100cc jump! Then I found an 04-plate SportKa for sale reasonably close to me, I went and looked at it and it was good so I had it! Mine was a base-spec car in Imperial Blue, so it did without the leather and A/C of the SE cars. But I didn't care because it felt like the fastest thing on the planet with its mighty 94 BHP! Essentially it was the original Ka, but turned up to 11. The insurance was way cheaper than the Puma (still £1700-odd) and the economy was decent. Unlike the other Ka though, this one did develop a couple of faults. The remote locking used to go haywire, I had a couple of failed ABS sensors and a small oil leak to contend with. But all in all it was a great intro to "hot" hatch motoring. Had it for about nine months and did a swap for the next car which was a...
2002 Ford Focus 1.8 Zetec
I swapped the SportKa for this nicely modified Focus because well, I was 18 and the law says if you're an 18 year old lad you must own a modified car. What had been done, had been done well though. Brief spec as far as I remember was: ST170 brake setup front and rear, Eibach coilovers all round, 4-2-1 manifold down to a full Magnex S/S exhaust, uprated intake, a remap and the exterior colour coding. A really nice car actually, rode really well for a lowered car as it wasn't slammed too much. Not sure what sort of power it was making but empirical evidence at the time suggested it could pass a standard 2.0 Focus Zetec, but an ST170 would pull away once above 60-ish. The guy who owned it before now has a tuned Mk1 FRS. Anyway, so I minced about in this for a while and then decided to sell up. I think I must have watched an old pirate copy of Tokyo Drift or something on Youtube because I then decided I wanted to try something RWD.
1999 BMW E36 316i Compact
Honestly this is the best photo I could find of the old girl. That isn't me, I decided to help out with the youth unemployment stats by employing my mate to wash the thing.
A foray into Shed-land here. I wanted to go RWD but anything I fancied (328i, C230K etc) was still uninsurable at age 19. So I ended up buying this little E36/5 Compact for something like £700. Surprisingly good little cars these. Mine was the run-out 316i with the 8v SOHC version of the 318ti/iS 1.9-litre engine. I bought the car with roughly 150k on and the motor was still sewing machine smooth. Only about 105 BHP but still good for a bit of gravel car park DRIFT0RZ SKILLZ. Much better cars than people give them credit for IMO, good handling and enough power to be useable but not enough to put you in a ditch if you were learning the foibles of RWD cars as I was at the time. I'd probably still have it but sadly at 177k miles the HG let go. I decided to get something newer and sold the Beemer to a guy who binned the four-pot and fitted an M52B28. Wish I'd thought of that!
Now comes the slightly tricky part where I have to make an admission. I have owned Vauxhalls.
2003 Vauxhall Astra 'G' SRi
Its on Vectra B wheels in the pic, but I ran it on GSi Snowflakes.
Another underrated motor I think. I owned this one for two years - the second longest period of ownership after the Ka - and did well over 30k in this Ashtray with zero incidents/breakdowns/engine thefts etc. The Z18XE 1.8 engine is a very sweet little unit and these were fitted with a close-ratio gearbox for maximum traffic light GP effectiveness. Indeed, this thing would surprise the odd 'proper' hot hatch off the line thanks to the gearing. The steering was a little light, but overall it handled very well and I don't think it was night and day between this and the Mk1 Focus in the handling stakes. Massive boot, bit noisy on the motorway thanks to the gearing and I never cracked more than 39 MPG. But overall a good little car and probably the most painless ownership experience I've encountered.
Moving on, and with much shuffling of feet and looking at the ground...
1998 Vauxhall Vectra V6 SRi/GSi
The V6 Vectra is a good car. I really do believe that and I'm sure that you all probably think I am mad. But I'll do my best to explain!
I bought this car locally in May 2013 from the older gentleman who had purchased it brand new in 1998. I bought it from him with 96k miles and a short tax and test for £650. I took it straight to my local MOT centre and it flew through with no advisories despite being kept outside all its life and used as a daily in all weathers. A good start then - so I pressed the Vectra into service using it to commute from my home on the Sussex coast, to work in South London. I really don't see why everyone had such a problem with these things, alright so its not and never will be a corner-munching Elise rival, but having driven the Mondeo, 406 and Primera of that era I really don't think they were leagues ahead of the Vectra. I know SRi's like this got different and lower suspension so will reserve ultimate judgement until I get the chance to try a 'cooking' Vectra.
The V6 is a peach of an engine. These cars were never out and out sports cars but for daily use, its a great unit. Tractable, easy-going in town and refined and quiet on the motorway cruise but with bags of power in reserve and a willing nature which always invites you to rev it out, fantastic noise as well even through the standard Irmscher exhaust. Oh and on a run a comfortable 31 MPG.
As you might be able to see from the photo I did have a go on the spanners with this one and did a bit of modification. Which was as follows:
- MSD 'G' cams from the Vectra GSi. A worthwhile upgrade for any X25XE unit as the MSD developed camshafts liberate a good 15-20 BHP from the motor.
- Vectra GSi full exhaust system and 200-cell sports cat to compliment the camshafts.
- Courtenay Sport Performance Panel Filter
- A short-shift kit (can't remember the make) as the F23 'box can be a little vague on faster shifts
- 17" Snowflake alloys from my old Astra - hence why the Vectra wheels are on the Astra in the pic above from when I sold it.
and a few other Opel/OPC exterior and interior goodies as well!
Long story short, I loved this car but I had no indoor storage for the old beast and as I no longer worked in London it was being used less and less. So in February this year I reluctantly sold it to a local VX enthusiast who promised to take good care of it. I have seen it since and he's given it the full GSi exterior look which is something I had wanted to do all along and is contemplating a 3.2 V6 conversion. Good man.
Next was the 2001 Audi A3 1.8T Sport
Here it is, looking dull and grey and dull.
Bought after the Vectra sale as I had never owned a turbocharged car myself and thought the ubiquitous VAG 1.8T might be a good place to start right? WRONG. Sorry but I don't see what all the fuss is about. Yes you can map them and get superlative BHP and torque figures from these lumps but I've driven more enjoyable diesels than this FFS. This car was mapped to 200-ish BHP and had a decent exhaust system fitted to help. It was a great overtaking machine, and front-end grip was very high but honestly, it never put a smile on my face once. I know the 1.8T isn't a true hot hatch like the S3 but still it should be at least mildly entertaining shouldn't it? Good points? Well I suppose the leather sports seats were comfy unlike the ride, and it had a lot of kit for a 2001 car. I tidied the bodywork up and sold it a couple of months ago.
Still here after all that? Hopefully you are, as I've caught up to the present day!
Not pictured - because I didn't own them for longer than a couple of months: '96 Citroen AX 954cc Dimension (fun little car, killed by inner wing rust). '00 Volvo V40 1.6 (Bought, moved house in and sold). '00 Audi A3 1.6SE (spares car for the other A3 as I needed an un-dented door, miserable rubbish. SCRAPPED.)
What next?
Well.. I don't know! That's where I'm hoping you lot can help. I need to replace the Audi and I don't really know what to go for. I want something that I've not had before but I've only got a max of £1500 to blow on it. Must haves are a decent amount of power (say, sub 9s to 60 for example), room in the boot for a wheelchair as my Mrs is a part-time cripple, and to be able to stand up to daily duties of around 15k miles per year and it must also have a bit of enthusiast appeal! i.e not a Mk4 Golf TDi or summert like that!
Can't help me can you?
Thanks for reading!
Edited by dougiefourspeed on Sunday 17th August 21:14
deltashad said:
Nice write up, not my choice of vehicles but if I was in your position and looking at your history I'd be looking at one of these:
MG ZS 2.5 180 4dr WIDE ARCH BODYKIT MODEL
Cheers mate. They're not a list of vehicles I ever thought I'd own either - I just sort of stumbled across them over the years. I do like the ZS as well - food for thought there.MG ZS 2.5 180 4dr WIDE ARCH BODYKIT MODEL
dougiefourspeed said:
Thanks Mr Luxury-Yacht!
Hmm good shout. I've never driven a VRS - is the 1.8T engine any different in those to the A3 and Golf? I just find that motor rather characterless. The 2.0TFSI is much nicer - but out of my price range.
No worries - great to read, and nice pics Hmm good shout. I've never driven a VRS - is the 1.8T engine any different in those to the A3 and Golf? I just find that motor rather characterless. The 2.0TFSI is much nicer - but out of my price range.
Yeah, there are quite a few iterations of the 1.8T motor, across the VAG range. From the 150bhp example in some Skodas, up to the 225bhp variant in Audi TT's.
My Mk. 1 VRs has the 180bhp AUQ variant. Remapped and with a different air filter and Forge dump-valve, she now makes around 215bhp. The REVO remap I had done gives a decent increase in torque and hence better driveability - but with a fairly pronounced powerband too. So can 'drive Miss Daisy', or let the revs build for a few minutes of 'hooligan' along with wooshy dump-valve noises (even though it's a re-circ dump valve. Get wooshy noises inside the car, but not 'billy boy' wooshes outside...)
Definitely a Jeckell and Hyde car, and all the better for it.
MEanwhile, I get a sporty but comfortable ride, decent handling when I need it, but enough comfort so that my 80-year old Mum often comments on 'what a smooth ride' the car is.
Cavernous boot and load space - a big boot to start with, but folding the rear seats down gives a monster amount of load space.
Room and comfort for 5 adults.
Great fuel consumption. For example, I did a 300 mile round trip yesterday. Cruised on the motorways at an indicated 60-70mph. Got 46mpg average. Not bad for a petrol turbo with a load of luggage and 2 adults.
Prodigious reliability. 4 and a half years of ownership from 80,000 miles to 140,000 miles, and the expenses have been servicing - plus two electric window regulators, one MAF sensor, two coil packs, and a new exhaust.
Available now in the classifieds for a grand up. I suggest you seriously consider one!
dougiefourspeed said:
deltashad said:
Nice write up, not my choice of vehicles but if I was in your position and looking at your history I'd be looking at one of these:
MG ZS 2.5 180 4dr WIDE ARCH BODYKIT MODEL
Cheers mate. They're not a list of vehicles I ever thought I'd own either - I just sort of stumbled across them over the years. I do like the ZS as well - food for thought there.MG ZS 2.5 180 4dr WIDE ARCH BODYKIT MODEL
Good thread. I really enjoyed my Ka, it was a little cracker on the country roads to work. Now got a Panda 100hp which is even more fun and far cooler (in my eyes anyway, not many people agree!).
The vRS suggestion above is a good one. Get an estate for extra cool points. Otherwise, MX5? (sorry default PH answer but they are great).
The vRS suggestion above is a good one. Get an estate for extra cool points. Otherwise, MX5? (sorry default PH answer but they are great).
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