Cheap project car for a first attempt?

[Ruskie]

I am thinking about getting a second car to tinker with and teach myself as I go a little bit more about cars/engines. I am open to ideas, budget about £500-£750. I would like something mechanically simple to work on with cheapish parts. Would be building my tool kit up as a I go.

So what car? Not sure if I am being ambitious or looking through rose tinted glasses about my ability to do the work.

So far I really like the look of...

E30 BMW
944 Porsche (Bit more than would like to pay and probably a total dog)
Alfa Romeo (Various Models in budget)
MG GTB

Open to all suggestions.

[ewenm]

A few others:
MG Midget
Original Mini
Original Beetle

[slomax]

my brothers S40 is really easy to work on. we have done a fair amount of repairs and replacements to that, brakes, body panels, suspension. maybe you could get a T4?

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2010...

It will probably have about 120k-160k miles on it, but these volvo units go forever. T4's are hysterically fast too.

[Jeffmaniac]

Hi i am currently looking at doing the same thing but with a slightly larger budget of £1000-1500. I have been looking at e30 bmws and merc 190s as i feel that there are tinkerable but not horrific endless missions. Good luck!

[Ruskie]

Classic Mini would be fun...I am 6ft 4!!

[Mr Darcy]

A cheap scooby. I learnt alot from destroying I mean tinkering with my old one.

[Vidal Baboon]

MX5 has very simple mechanicals.

[Ruskie]

Mr Darcy said:

A cheap scooby. I learnt alot from destroying I mean tinkering with my old one.

Turbo power scares me to death! Never had a turbo car so I am quite ignorant about those type of engines.

[Justayellowbadge]

Spitfire.

[Mr Darcy]

Ruskie said:

Mr Darcy said:

A cheap scooby. I learnt alot from destroying I mean tinkering with my old one.

Turbo power scares me to death! Never had a turbo car so I am quite ignorant about those type of engines.

Nothing to be scared off but I know what you mean, strange tubes going off places, oil feeds, inter/charge coolers and the likes where all new to me when I started messing about with mine but there is plenty of info and build blogs on them to help you along plus a large community to get help from.

[Ruskie]

Email sent about a 320i E30 BMW...

[Ruskie]

Not sure about insuring a second car as I have never done it before.

Could I insure a second car on a classic, limited policy? Am I right in thinking I can't use my existing no claims?

[andy-xr]

Mk2 Fiesta is what I cut my teeth (and knuckles) on. Useable XR2's are a bit above that sort of money, smaller engined ones or Mk3's are well within budget.

[cramman]

I used to enjoy messing about with my old golf gti 8v. Nothing overly complicated but the age of the thing meant everything was pretty much rusted solid.

I'd look for something with less electronics to go wrong.

[garethj]

Ruskie said:

Not sure about insuring a second car as I have never done it before.

Could I insure a second car on a classic, limited policy? Am I right in thinking I can't use my existing no claims?

Get a classic car policy, they usually don't build up no-claims (and on a new policy you'd be starting with zero), but they are cheaper. My 1980s Ginetta G26 is £120 a year. It's also fibreglass which doesn't rust, galvanised chassis which doesn't rust, and Ford mechanicals which can be mended by anyone. And for all this, it's much cheaper than a contemporary RWD Ford.

[jonno990]

I say every year that I'll do something like this.I'm thinking mk1 106 rallye at the moment but that will probably change to something else and I still wont get round to doing it.

[MX7]

Vidal Baboon said:

MX5 has very simple mechanicals.

Indeed. I've seen them go for £300-500, with little work to get them through an MoT. spend a few hundred, and you won't really lose any money, or you could keep it.

[WildCards]

205 GTi

[LovelyTia]

andy-xr said:

Mk2 Fiesta is what I cut my teeth (and knuckles) on. Useable XR2's are a bit above that sort of money, smaller engined ones or Mk3's are well within budget.

+1
mk3 fiestas are the easiest to work on. Loads of information about them out there.
I'm currently cutting my teeth on my 1.6si.
Having never done a lot engine related, bar mini services, I have learnt how to fit an alternator, drive belt, pulleys, re wire parts, shocks and springs , wishbones and even done some bodywork.
My car cost me 350 and in parts its cost me the same again (I have replaced a lot of parts as it was a bit tatty)

[8400rpm]

Jeffmaniac said:

Hi i am currently looking at doing the same thing but with a slightly larger budget of £1000-1500. I have been looking at e30 bmws and merc 190s as i feel that there are tinkerable but not horrific endless missions. Good luck!

After trying myself with a 190E, I can confirm that they quickly become a money pit if you're not careful.

I cut my losses with mine and had it scrapped. Which is a shame as it was low mileage, but the arse of a relative that had it before me didn't understand what preventative maintenance was.

I gave up when I needed to spend £100+ on a 500mm length of coolant pipe with a bracket on it that went between the firewall and the expansion tank.