£1000 or less fun car?

[pilchard8]

Hopefully selling my focus st at the weekend to fund a toyota supra. The supra is most likely going to imported and purchased next year at the start spring

For the meantime i need a fun runabout for winter. Stuck in a max 1k budget within 20 miles and few came up.

93 Mk1 mx5 1.6 for £880 - this is my first choice, will also get me used to rwd as ive never driven 1 before

Ford puma - a few came up, rust issues put me off

Mgf 1.8 140bhp - heard good things about these, 1k

Any other choices? Seats or boot space do not matter.

Thanks

[vinnie01]

flimsy french fwd with 16valves perhaps?

[Mr Daytona]

The usual suspect would have to be an MX-5, but for a £1000 you're probably looking at a leggy W plate with rotten sills.

Quick look at Autotrader throws up a far newer 2003/2004 plate MG TF. May not have the handling prowess of the Mazda, but still a mid engined two seater.

Or for something a little more left field, an Alfa GTV/Fiat coupe ? Front wheel drive both, but some of the most distinctive styling you're likely to come across. Happy hunting.

[sim72]

Polo 6N2 GTi? Great fun, reliable as hell, and you'll probably be able to sell it for what you bought it for.

[pilchard8]

The mx5 looks decent but like you said underneath may be rotten.

I will keep a look out throughout the week but if my car sells i need one within a week for work so hopefully something will come up.

If not it will be a nissan micra/ford ka as there loads of them for sale...

[350zStee]

MG ZS 180

[Poopipe]

172 is definitely worth a look - faster and more fun than an the mx5 as well as being more economical and more comfortable
Significantly more dangerous on icy roads though.

Im asuming youre not that fussed about resale value so wouldnt be too concerned about rust on the mazda - worst case it fails mot and you sell it for 300quid

If the clio needs a belt any time soon youll immediately lose 3-500quid at sale time - they wont rust and most common failured are cheap to sort

[ikarl]

Mk2 mr2?

[e21Mark]

I'd keep looking for an MX5 if I were you. Especially if you've never driven a RWD car before. My pal has bought a pair of early cars recently and neither has rotten sills or cost more than £500! I sold my own for ££395 just to move it on quickly and that was solid everywhere. Yes, you may need to look a bit harder but the pay off is you'll be grinning like an idiot once you take a blast along some country lanes.

What's the first part of your post code and we can play hunt the 5?

[pilchard8]

Didnt even think of 172s, i suppose i could wait a couple of weeks for the a car but no later.

First part of postcode is s20 and nothing more than 20-30 mile away.

[0llie]

£1k should get you a fairly rot free Puma, ours was £430 and still looks good (just passed its 2nd MOT with no issues). My MGF st itself, but that's because I bought the worst one going , but it was good fun to run around in.

[amstrange1]

sim72 said:

Polo 6N2 GTi? Great fun, reliable as hell, and you'll probably be able to sell it for what you bought it for.

Chocolate gearboxes on Polo 6N and 6N2s... But then is the gearbox spitting the diff out and/or layshaft bearings collapsing as much of a certainty as crusty Mk1 MX-5 sills or a headgasket failure on an MGF?

I think the Clio 172 is a great shout if you can find a decent one in budget. Probably best just to have a shortlist of possibilities (most of the stuff mentioned in this thread?!) and buy the best one you find close by.

[TheLordJohn]

Mk2 MR2 - better than anything mention yet.
Get a nice Rev 3 N/A for a grand

[Cyder]

Guy in my office just bought a VGC mk1 mx5 for £950 and is rust free with MOT and tax.

I bought mine in November last year for £400 with no MOT or tax, went through MOT with no problem, only rust is on the top of the sill around the kickplate, but the winter job will be to sand that back and fill it so should fix the issue.
I spent £100 on some suspension second hand and did a few other jobs and the car is pretty good now.

£1000 will get you a half decent mx5 if you look hard enough.

[TroubledSoul]

Buy this week's shed of the week!

You can pick up a pre facelift MK3 MR2 for £1000 if you look around, but it won't be mint.