Need to change my car

[wiggum123]

Hey guys, I am fairly new to this site ( I have browsed around but never posted ) and I am after a bit of advice.
I have had to have a massivly boring car for the past 2 years due to my daily 60 mile commute to work, now I have a new job and can cycle to work.
I have decided to rid myself of my Mk5 TDi golf and get something more fun. I have a few requirements;
Must be fast
Must be fun
Must be a classic
Must be around £2k
Must be able to fit my bike in the boot

To give you a bit of background I have had a couple of golfs, a defender and a couple of focus's.
I have been looking at Golf Mk2's, scirocco's, Type-R's

Any advice on which to choose would be amazing!!

[6potdave]

Welcome to the site mate.

I wouldn't say a type R is a classic, how old are you thinking? For that money I would look at BMW 328i Sports, much more of a car than the VW's, fast, reliable, nice looking and enough room for your bike (with wheels removed).

[PH lurker]

TBH that's a fairly hard criteria. What exactly do you mean by classic? And how fast must it be? Also, what do you mean by putting your bike in the boot? (back seats down?, front bicycle wheel removed?).


Off to have a look...

[Karyn]

6potdave said:

BMW 328i Sports

no bias

Fast(ish), SO much fun to drive, relatively practical, brilliantly reliable (we've just got rid of one that had clocked up 240k with no major mechanical faults), parts are quite cheap...

[andy43]

Corrado VR6?
Or an original MR2 and a hacksaw?

[PH lurker]

Would this come close?

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2947559.htm

Not £2k but does save money.

Edited by PH lurker on Thursday 14th July 13:22

[Chris71]

6potdave said:

I wouldn't say a type R is a classic, how old are you thinking? For that money I would look at BMW 328i Sports, much more of a car than the VW's, fast, reliable, nice looking and enough room for your bike (with wheels removed).

I was always told you'd find it hard to get two bikes in the back of a 3-Series (barring the Touring)?

Fine if you ride alone, but a bit frustrating if you want to bring a friend - especially given all but the smallest hatchbacks will take two or three bikes with the rear seats down.

It's hardly original, but I'm going to suggest a Peugeot 306 GTi-6. Realistic in budget, relatively civilised and plenty of space with the seats down.

[LukeBird]

PH lurker said:

Would this come close?

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2947559.htm

Not £2k but does save money.

Job done, surely?
That's an awful lot of car for the money and has the added bonus of being more practical than the hatch.

Welcome OP!

[D1bram]

What's with putting your bike inside the car? Anything wrong with a cycle rack strapped to the back?

Anyway, my suggestion... 'classic' impreza (wagon if you insist the bike HAS to go inside the car).

[Garett]

I know its been sold but an example, a Saab 900 Turbo...

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2728134.htm

[PH lurker]

LukeBird said:

PH lurker said:

Would this come close?

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2947559.htm

Not £2k but does save money.

Job done, surely?
That's an awful lot of car for the money and has the added bonus of being more practical than the hatch.

Welcome OP!

Or: http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2992899.htm if the bike will fit.

+1 for the welcome.

[Riknos]

MK1 MX-5 + bike rack? You could even get an NA one and get a second hand turbo kit + bike rack for under £2k if you shop around.

[Chris71]

D1bram said:

What's with putting your bike inside the car? Anything wrong with a cycle rack strapped to the back?

Most cars will easily fit one bike inside (many of them two or three) so all you need to do is take the wheels off - sometimes only one of them - and pop an old sheet down. It's so quick and convenient you often don't have any need to arse around with a bike rack.

The other, less obvious, benefit is the roads. Have you seen the roads you get around a lot of the trail centres (Wales, Highlands, North Yorks)? The last thing you want to do is take it gently because you've got your bike dangling precariously off the back. This way you can hoon around on the way there without damaging the bike or the car's paintwork.

On a related note, being able to store the bike inside the car also gives you a degree of seucrity if you want to nip off and get a coffee or something. You'd have to be a brave man to leave a couple of grand's worth of mountain bike just strapped to the outside of the car.


ETA I would say the exception is where the car is something you simply can't fit a bike into, which brings me on to:

Riknos said:

MK1 MX-5 + bike rack? You could even get an NA one and get a second hand turbo kit + bike rack for under £2k if you shop around.

Are there now decent bike racks available for the MX5? Last time I looked there was a lot of concern that you'd start knackering bootlids if you put a bike on there?

Edited by Chris71 on Thursday 14th July 16:55

[D1bram]

Fair points, I'd not considered any of them as my mountain bike is worth around 50p, and if it's going on the back of any of our cars it will be the diesel astra which is worth around £50 (full tank).

Also, only time I ever take the bikes anywhere by car is if we're off on holiday so have other stuff in the boot.

[wiggum123]

Wow, sorry I havnt replied earlier.
The BMW looks like a fair choice to be honest.
The £2k is a limit so anything under that is a bonus!! And yeh, the bike in the back is with the seats down, front wheel off ( I only mention it as I tried to fit my bike in my mates Fiesta and it wouldnt fit!!!

AS for a classic, I'm not thinking masssivly old, just something around the 1980's to 90's
Thanks for the replies so far!!

[300bhp/ton]

wiggum123 said:

Hey guys, I am fairly new to this site ( I have browsed around but never posted ) and I am after a bit of advice.
I have had to have a massivly boring car for the past 2 years due to my daily 60 mile commute to work, now I have a new job and can cycle to work.
I have decided to rid myself of my Mk5 TDi golf and get something more fun. I have a few requirements;
Must be fast
Must be fun
Must be a classic
Must be around £2k
Must be able to fit my bike in the boot

To give you a bit of background I have had a couple of golfs, a defender and a couple of focus's.
I have been looking at Golf Mk2's, scirocco's, Type-R's

Any advice on which to choose would be amazing!!

Hi and welcome.

Not I'd call any of them classics tbh, not even modern ones.

[Steve_F]

Volvo 850 T-5R.

Not much of a problem to get the bikes in the back!

[PH lurker]

wiggum123 said:

Wow, sorry I havnt replied earlier.
The BMW looks like a fair choice to be honest.
The £2k is a limit so anything under that is a bonus!! And yeh, the bike in the back is with the seats down, front wheel off ( I only mention it as I tried to fit my bike in my mates Fiesta and it wouldnt fit!!!

AS for a classic, I'm not thinking masssivly old, just something around the 1980's to 90's
Thanks for the replies so far!!

Personally I've had a good think but can't better the BMW or Peugeot I've posted, for your criteria, especially as you say a classic from the 80s or 90s.

[falkster]

Steve_F said:

Volvo 850 T-5R.

Not much of a problem to get the bikes in the back!

This!! Easily tunable to mega bhp!!

[Steve_F]

falkster said:

This!! Easily tunable to mega bhp!!

Yep, very easy to get close to 300bhp which will keep up with a lot that don't expect it when up and running.

Could have mine with plenty of change from £2k too ;-)