Reliable daily classic?
Discussion
Three words which shouldn't usually go together, reliable, daily and classic however here we are.
In the market for a daily within a 6k budget that'll suffice me as a daily with usually on Average 7k miles a year whilst I fix up and restore a 1979 ford escort
Looking between 1980-1999
Have got my eyes on the following:
Mk2 gti 8v
Starlet GT turbo
520i e28
Mk3/4 escort (2.0 zetec conversion)
Anyone got any recommendations that won't break the bank (that ain't an mx5 I've had my fair share)
Thanks
In the market for a daily within a 6k budget that'll suffice me as a daily with usually on Average 7k miles a year whilst I fix up and restore a 1979 ford escort
Looking between 1980-1999
Have got my eyes on the following:
Mk2 gti 8v
Starlet GT turbo
520i e28
Mk3/4 escort (2.0 zetec conversion)
Anyone got any recommendations that won't break the bank (that ain't an mx5 I've had my fair share)
Thanks
I ran an E30 318iS as a daily for a while a few years ago, but I bottled out after a while once the weather turned nasty and my commute involved a lot of stop-start traffic. Wasn’t for me and I’ll accept I’m a bit of a PH wuss, but the phantom noises got to me after a while. I was happy to swap it out for a nearly new Golf instead
If I had to do it again I think I’d be going for an E39 or maybe a very late W124, and do as much rust prevention as possible for the winter
If I had to do it again I think I’d be going for an E39 or maybe a very late W124, and do as much rust prevention as possible for the winter
Have a look at “I drive a classic Steph “ on U Tube. It’s interesting, but not specialised. The upshot is that the Morris Minor is a good bet. The VW Beetle is another, simply because there is huge backup. You might be lucky with a Toyota Starlet or indeed the much celebrated Micra K 11 but with the predictable stuff like Minors you are assured of spares.q
Early Alfa156? If you can find a non-rotten one. I did 27k miles in a 2001 diesel which is pretty much identical to the 1998 launch version. Clearly you’d get the V6 for 7k a year, Get a decent car for less than 2k (easy), spend 2k on suspension and an LSD, and you’ve got 2k left over for emergencies. The original non-side skirted cars remain lovely to look at.
Lester H said:
Have a look at “I drive a classic Steph “ on U Tube. It’s interesting, but not specialised. The upshot is that the Morris Minor is a good bet. The VW Beetle is another, simply because there is huge backup. You might be lucky with a Toyota Starlet or indeed the much celebrated Micra K 11 but with the predictable stuff like Minors you are assured of spares.q
If the predictable Minor is just too dull, there is always the Riley 1.5 which is basically a posh Minor, so apart from bits of interior trim , if the body is sound, this is just an assembly of BMC parts bin components, and so can probably be kept going. The Starlet is better quality, but becoming a bit obscure now.I'd suggest an Accord Type-R but I just don't have the heart to recommend one as a year-round daily! They have a tendency to rot badly when used on salty roads, plus they have a few common mechanical worries. Cracking car though when they're healthy, most are now approaching 200k (maybe part of the reason why my experience with them is patchy at best). A well maintained 100k example should give a good few years of service but it will require substantially more than just oil and filter changes. Will be well under budget.
Civic VTi? They come in various body styles from the EG6 and EG9 (92-95 hatch and saloon), EK4 (96-00 3dr hatch and 4dr saloon) EM1 (2dr coupe). These all come with the B16A2 engine which revs to 8300rpm and produces 160bhp. Independent suspension all round, nice interiors for their age. The interiors tend to wear really well and even in rough examples the interiors are usually pretty much mint. Rear arches are the areas to watch for rust. The coupes tend to resist the rot a bit better but they're getting on a bit now, to be fair it's a concern on any car from this period.
My EG6:
They also offered the VTi as a 5dr hatch or estate, totally different styling to the 2 and 3dr versions. These are known as the MB6 (5dr hatch) and MC2 (estate/Aerodeck). Mechanically they're pretty much the same as the other versions but have an extra 200cc from their B18C4 engine, produce 170bhp and have the added benefit of an LSD. Lots of the mechanical parts are interchangeable between different cars that use the B-series engines and boxes.
My Aerodeck VTi-S:
There aren't really any major/expensive common mechanical faults with any of these cars, the most common is failure of the main fuel relay or the components inside the distributor. These are all cheap to replace and can be done in minutes with very basic tools. They can be smokey and use a lot of oil if they've had an abusive life. Some are fine though, my Aerodeck has 8 previous owners and was ragged on LPG until I bought it, it still feels strong and doesn't smoke at all. The engines are really a masterpiece, especially when you consider the first B series VTECs came out at the end of the 80s. Very responsive, great noise and hugely addictive to take right around to 8.3krpm.
If you want to know more about them, fire away. Hondas are quite badly under my skin and I know my way around them fairly well.
Civic VTi? They come in various body styles from the EG6 and EG9 (92-95 hatch and saloon), EK4 (96-00 3dr hatch and 4dr saloon) EM1 (2dr coupe). These all come with the B16A2 engine which revs to 8300rpm and produces 160bhp. Independent suspension all round, nice interiors for their age. The interiors tend to wear really well and even in rough examples the interiors are usually pretty much mint. Rear arches are the areas to watch for rust. The coupes tend to resist the rot a bit better but they're getting on a bit now, to be fair it's a concern on any car from this period.
My EG6:
They also offered the VTi as a 5dr hatch or estate, totally different styling to the 2 and 3dr versions. These are known as the MB6 (5dr hatch) and MC2 (estate/Aerodeck). Mechanically they're pretty much the same as the other versions but have an extra 200cc from their B18C4 engine, produce 170bhp and have the added benefit of an LSD. Lots of the mechanical parts are interchangeable between different cars that use the B-series engines and boxes.
My Aerodeck VTi-S:
There aren't really any major/expensive common mechanical faults with any of these cars, the most common is failure of the main fuel relay or the components inside the distributor. These are all cheap to replace and can be done in minutes with very basic tools. They can be smokey and use a lot of oil if they've had an abusive life. Some are fine though, my Aerodeck has 8 previous owners and was ragged on LPG until I bought it, it still feels strong and doesn't smoke at all. The engines are really a masterpiece, especially when you consider the first B series VTECs came out at the end of the 80s. Very responsive, great noise and hugely addictive to take right around to 8.3krpm.
If you want to know more about them, fire away. Hondas are quite badly under my skin and I know my way around them fairly well.
Jaaack said:
My Aerodeck VTi-S:
There aren't really any major/expensive common mechanical faults with any of these cars, the most common is failure of the main fuel relay or the components inside the distributor. These are all cheap to replace and can be done in minutes with very basic tools. They can be smokey and use a lot of oil if they've had an abusive life. Some are fine though, my Aerodeck has 8 previous owners and was ragged on LPG until I bought it, it still feels strong and doesn't smoke at all. The engines are really a masterpiece, especially when you consider the first B series VTECs came out at the end of the 80s. Very responsive, great noise and hugely addictive to take right around to 8.3krpm.
If you want to know more about them, fire away. Hondas are quite badly under my skin and I know my way around them fairly well.
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