Discussion
OK so having read through the forum there's some immense motors being suggested and my suggestion isn't going to be as exotic but will be much more readily available...
When I first passed my test it was cheaper to insure a coupe (Hyundai Coupe) than a hatchback such as a Corsa.
I'd recommend looking at these especially with the ph.2 coming down in price recently.
When I first passed my test it was cheaper to insure a coupe (Hyundai Coupe) than a hatchback such as a Corsa.
I'd recommend looking at these especially with the ph.2 coming down in price recently.
How big are you, OP?
(This is a serious question and not the usual PH joke about asking any girl who posts for a pic!)
Anyone of average size or bigger will find they adopt the right-elbow-wedged-in-to-your-side position when driving the Land Rover. Yes, you could have the window down... but are you really going to do that at 70mph on the M4 on a wet January night? Being wedged in on a long drive like that might really wind you up.
That said, either car is a very cool choice. Safety-wise the Landy's streets ahead... but you're still not invulnerable and many MGB owners have miraculously driven their cars without dying. Either will have a thriving club scene and plenty of independent parts places to get bits from.
Hell, you might talk *me* into an MGB at this rate. But try both when you're ready and go with your heart, not what sad older guys vote for on an internet forum (this particular sad older guy included!).
(This is a serious question and not the usual PH joke about asking any girl who posts for a pic!)
Anyone of average size or bigger will find they adopt the right-elbow-wedged-in-to-your-side position when driving the Land Rover. Yes, you could have the window down... but are you really going to do that at 70mph on the M4 on a wet January night? Being wedged in on a long drive like that might really wind you up.
That said, either car is a very cool choice. Safety-wise the Landy's streets ahead... but you're still not invulnerable and many MGB owners have miraculously driven their cars without dying. Either will have a thriving club scene and plenty of independent parts places to get bits from.
Hell, you might talk *me* into an MGB at this rate. But try both when you're ready and go with your heart, not what sad older guys vote for on an internet forum (this particular sad older guy included!).
Many moons ago, I was in a position once where I had narrowed my (Autotrader paper edition) search down to two choices. BMW e30 325i or Mk2 Golf Gti if anyone is interested 
.
I was really torn at the time, so decided I would buy the best example that came along at the time.......of either.
You will get a feeling about THAT car, the history, the seller etc.
I realise the two that you have narrowed it down to are very different, but I think this angle could still apply.
.I was really torn at the time, so decided I would buy the best example that came along at the time.......of either.
You will get a feeling about THAT car, the history, the seller etc.
I realise the two that you have narrowed it down to are very different, but I think this angle could still apply.
Edited by Baz Tench on Tuesday 14th August 22:34
JREwing said:
Have you driven a Series Land Rover? The reality of every day driving and extraordinarily poor fuel consumption etc might wind you up.
Edited for typo.
Funnily enough, I have Edited for typo.
Edited by JREwing on Tuesday 14th August 21:24
I drove a friends of my Dad's in a field.. if that counts! Obviously, this wouldn't give me a realistic view of it's everyday driving experience. How much MPG do both the MGB and the Landy do? I'm not sure it would affect me much, as I won't be travelling far!blearyeyedboy said:
How big are you, OP?
(This is a serious question and not the usual PH joke about asking any girl who posts for a pic!)
Anyone of average size or bigger will find they adopt the right-elbow-wedged-in-to-your-side position when driving the Land Rover. Yes, you could have the window down... but are you really going to do that at 70mph on the M4 on a wet January night? Being wedged in on a long drive like that might really wind you up.
That said, either car is a very cool choice. Safety-wise the Landy's streets ahead... but you're still not invulnerable and many MGB owners have miraculously driven their cars without dying. Either will have a thriving club scene and plenty of independent parts places to get bits from.
Hell, you might talk *me* into an MGB at this rate. But try both when you're ready and go with your heart, not what sad older guys vote for on an internet forum (this particular sad older guy included!).
I'm relatively tall, 5'10" (This is a serious question and not the usual PH joke about asking any girl who posts for a pic!)
Anyone of average size or bigger will find they adopt the right-elbow-wedged-in-to-your-side position when driving the Land Rover. Yes, you could have the window down... but are you really going to do that at 70mph on the M4 on a wet January night? Being wedged in on a long drive like that might really wind you up.
That said, either car is a very cool choice. Safety-wise the Landy's streets ahead... but you're still not invulnerable and many MGB owners have miraculously driven their cars without dying. Either will have a thriving club scene and plenty of independent parts places to get bits from.
Hell, you might talk *me* into an MGB at this rate. But try both when you're ready and go with your heart, not what sad older guys vote for on an internet forum (this particular sad older guy included!).
Again, I'd have to sit in a Landy again to appreciate what your saying, so I'll get back to you on that!Thanks very much for all your advice! Dad'll take me round to different ones.. I've sat in an MGB.. and had a photo taken! and absolutely loved it.. but I feel the same in the Landy!
Baz Tench said:
Many moons ago, I was in a position once where I had narrowed my (Autotrader paper edition) search down to two choices. BMW e30 325i or Mk2 Golf Gti if anyone is interested .
I was really torn at the time, so decided I would buy the best example that came along at the time.......of either.
You will get a feeling about THAT car, the history, the seller etc.
I realise the two that you have narrowed it down to are very different, but I think this angle could still apply.
Thanks very much! I believe this is going to be the method I'll use .I was really torn at the time, so decided I would buy the best example that came along at the time.......of either.
You will get a feeling about THAT car, the history, the seller etc.
I realise the two that you have narrowed it down to are very different, but I think this angle could still apply.
Edited by Baz Tench on Tuesday 14th August 22:34
Go to see loads, and I'll know (hopefully!) when I find the right one If I had my way completely.. I'd get both!
OzKo said:
I'm relatively tall, 5'10" Again, I'd have to sit in a Landy again to appreciate what your saying, so I'll get back to you on that!
Thanks very much for all your advice! Dad'll take me round to different ones.. I've sat in an MGB.. and had a photo taken! and absolutely loved it.. but I feel the same in the Landy!
If you're 5'10" then you'll very likely notice Land Rover Elbow. They're built to be narrow so the door metal and glass sits where your elbow would naturally, so you have to drive with it tucked in. Not a problem on a sunny day with the window down: you just rest your elbow on the door with the window down. On a long motorway trip or in poor weather though, and it's likely to get really annoying. Again, I'd have to sit in a Landy again to appreciate what your saying, so I'll get back to you on that!Thanks very much for all your advice! Dad'll take me round to different ones.. I've sat in an MGB.. and had a photo taken! and absolutely loved it.. but I feel the same in the Landy!
Little suggestion, but how about getting a fairly *normal* car as your first car, maybe a poverty spec Mk2 Golf with the funky 80's colour interiors or something along those lines so it's still got a bit of charm, then get a classic to restore and work on with your Dad so you can learn about the car, learn how to work on it and have something you can take out to shows and get togethers on the weekend?
I do think an old 60's/70's British classic may get tiresome in the Winter when it doesn't want to work as it should and you have to be in work in the next 20 minutes.
I do think an old 60's/70's British classic may get tiresome in the Winter when it doesn't want to work as it should and you have to be in work in the next 20 minutes.
blearyeyedboy said:
If you're 5'10" then you'll very likely notice Land Rover Elbow. They're built to be narrow so the door metal and glass sits where your elbow would naturally, so you have to drive with it tucked in. Not a problem on a sunny day with the window down: you just rest your elbow on the door with the window down. On a long motorway trip or in poor weather though, and it's likely to get really annoying.
I'll remember that! Again, I'll have to sit in a Landy, as I haven't since I was younger. Only then will I see JackP1 said:
You couldnt insure a cat for 2k at 17. Group 5 ins group and below for you, anything above and youre stuffed!
I assume you meant car? I don't quite understand your point! Do you mean I won't find a car to insure for 2k? or that I won't be able to afford it? I made a little table using the results from confused.com. Obviously, to make this fair, I would have to take values of about 3 cars of each make, but I'll do that later.
So, my table:
Landrover Series 3 (1975, 2300cc)
Provisional insurance cost: £630.42
Full license insurance cost: £1608.65
Difference in cost: £978.23
MGB Roadster (1979,1800cc)
Provisional insurance cost: £853.43
Full license insurance cost: £1607.19
Difference in cost: £753.76
MG Midget (1973, 1300cc)
Provisional insurance cost: £647.96
Full license insurance cost: £838.99
Difference in cost: £191.03
Daihatsu Copen Convertible (2004, 1000cc)
Provisional insurance cost: £710.20
Full license insurance cost: £2321.25
Difference in cost: £1611.05
Suzuki Cappuccino Convertible (1994, 1000cc)
Provisional insurance cost: £730.34
Full license insurance cost: £3395.49
Difference in cost: £2665.15
Nissan Juke Visia (2010, 1600cc)
Provisional insurance cost: £638.12
Full license insurance cost: £1516.17
Difference in cost: £878.05
Mazda MX5 Cabriolet (2003, 1600cc)
Provisional insurance cost: £728.22
Full license insurance cost: £2115.25
Difference in cost: £1387.03
MGF 1.6 Convertible (2001, 1600cc)
Provisional insurance cost: £736.70
Full license insurance cost: £1933.52
Difference in cost: £1196.82
Volkswagen Beetle (2003, 1600cc)
Provisional insurance cost: £685.82
Full license insurance cost: £1520.45
Difference in cost: £834.63
Just added some other cars I vaguely like for comparison purposes
LiamM45 said:
Little suggestion, but how about getting a fairly *normal* car as your first car, maybe a poverty spec Mk2 Golf with the funky 80's colour interiors or something along those lines so it's still got a bit of charm, then get a classic to restore and work on with your Dad so you can learn about the car, learn how to work on it and have something you can take out to shows and get togethers on the weekend?
I do think an old 60's/70's British classic may get tiresome in the Winter when it doesn't want to work as it should and you have to be in work in the next 20 minutes.
If the worst comes to the worst and I can't find any... I may have to face up to the fact that'll I'll have to have a normal one.. but I still find them boring! I'll just have to see I do think an old 60's/70's British classic may get tiresome in the Winter when it doesn't want to work as it should and you have to be in work in the next 20 minutes.
you might want a little look at this topic:
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
this guy seems to love his spitfire
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
this guy seems to love his spitfire
Don't drive cars like an MGB on a provisional license. Assuming you're going to take lessons, any private practice done in a car like an MGB will be a completely different experience to your instructors car and will be of no benefit to you when you take your test ( Unless you try to take your test in an MGB in which case BWAHAHAHAHAHAH)
Edited by Raize on Friday 17th August 12:36
to suggest something odd, i had a 205 as a first car, was excellent fun, and built like lego, so when i inevitably bumped into someone it was nice and easy to fix. i only had a 1.4 so nothing to exciting but no abs/power steering or anything like that, so learnt an awful lot about driving with that car.
it is front wheel drive too, so might be abit less of a handful in the rain.
it is front wheel drive too, so might be abit less of a handful in the rain.
Insurance could be cheaper for you with a kit car. Here's a GTM Libra 1.8 for £6k (same engine as the MGF)
http://classifieds.pistonheads.com/classifieds/use...
http://classifieds.pistonheads.com/classifieds/use...
Juke. Serious. My mate's housemate at Uni had one, great, weird thing. Lofty driving position was nice and it had some cool toys. I wouldn't say no to one. I bought a nearly new car after a particularly s
t experience with an 8yr old Renault. Minimising my running costs (warranty, free first MOT, all new parts that had loads of life in them and 2yr servicing intervals.) Best thing I could have done as a student with very limited earnings.
t experience with an 8yr old Renault. Minimising my running costs (warranty, free first MOT, all new parts that had loads of life in them and 2yr servicing intervals.) Best thing I could have done as a student with very limited earnings.Wow I'm 17 aswell your quotes are really good but seriously ? A land rover at 17? A 2litre car at 17 would be scary have you looked on other sites at insurance? Also I would say you should get say a clio and drive that for a year before you go off to something classic ( will fall apart every week) lol.
have you looked on other sites at insurance? Also I would say you should get say a clio and drive that for a year before you go off to something classic ( will fall apart every week) lol. Fantuzzi said:
Alfa Spider,
you might have to search for one on price range. It will be a later one 90s era.
I looked at the Alfa Spider.. they're nice looking cars, but I didn't look into the a huge amount. I'll have a look!you might have to search for one on price range. It will be a later one 90s era.
Raize said:
What do you/your parents have at the moment OP?
My Mum has a Automatic 2001 Landrover Discovery 2 (she's had that from brand new), and Dad has a company car - a 2011 Vauxhall Zafira. I would drive Mum's Disco.. but it's auto :/ajprice said:
Insurance could be cheaper for you with a kit car. Here's a GTM Libra 1.8 for £6k (same engine as the MGF)
http://classifieds.pistonheads.com/classifieds/use...
Haha, haven't even thought of a kit car! I'll have to look into that one..http://classifieds.pistonheads.com/classifieds/use...
Waugh-terfall said:
Juke. Serious. My mate's housemate at Uni had one, great, weird thing. Lofty driving position was nice and it had some cool toys. I wouldn't say no to one. I bought a nearly new car after a particularly st experience with an 8yr old Renault. Minimising my running costs (warranty, free first MOT, all new parts that had loads of life in them and 2yr servicing intervals.) Best thing I could have done as a student with very limited earnings.
I absolutely loved the Juke since I first saw them - especially the interior! The only problem is that they'r expensive to buy in the first place..t experience with an 8yr old Renault. Minimising my running costs (warranty, free first MOT, all new parts that had loads of life in them and 2yr servicing intervals.) Best thing I could have done as a student with very limited earnings.VTECBOY said:
Wow I'm 17 aswell your quotes are really good but seriously ? A land rover at 17? A 2litre car at 17 would be scary have you looked on other sites at insurance? Also I would say you should get say a clio and drive that for a year before you go off to something classic ( will fall apart every week) lol.
Haha, I know it's a little 'different'! I'm one of those people who are determined to succeed in doing something as SOON as I make the decision. I said when I was 3 that I wanted to be a vet, and have never wavered from that. I'm currently doing work experience, and am doing the required A levels. I said when I was 5 that I wanted a Land Rover for my first car.. and here I am! have you looked on other sites at insurance? Also I would say you should get say a clio and drive that for a year before you go off to something classic ( will fall apart every week) lol. I dunno, I'll see. Dad is very pro Landy too.. so.. -shrug-
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