was my daily run around for 08 almost pristine condition cost peanuts to buy as everyone wants the manta not the cavs. now living with a manta nut.
ive been slowly rebuilding a spitfire and a gt6 wouldnt mind adding a triumph 2000 estate as a daily run around for biking. Sadly the fuel bill would kill me.
Chat Forum
[closed]
30+ year old car, which one?
-
Posted 2 years ago #
-
"Down side is it burns a lot of oil!"
does the crank case breather vent to the air box for the carbs or straight to atmosphere?
Posted 2 years ago # -
Little chance of even a base model mk1 Golf in a decent state for less than £2k now, I sold my doggy but very reliable GTI to a mate for £850 quid and he proceeded to spend £3k making it tidy and solid. My second one which is a base model seemed fantastic but was not all I had hoped. I think it is still possible to get a pretty genuine mk2 16v for less than a grand but that doesn't meet your spec.
FWIW and from my experience which isn't that broad most old cars if not fuel injected are likely to be pretty thirsty compared to modern cars. I ran a Capri 2.0s for 6 months as my first car I think was consistently around 15mpg albeit with hire car style driving. 8 years ago I got my 1980 / 81 Capri in pretty tidy condition for £250 with six months tax and test but I think they have dramatically increased in price, tempted?? Think of the terrible handling and bonnet bulge!
Posted 2 years ago # -
Driving an old car doesn't need to be expensive. My old 1975 Saab 99 was my daily driver for two years and, other than an oil and filter change every 6000 miles, it needed bugger all doing to it. Same with the wife's 96V4. All we did to both was fit electronic ignition, 'cos points are a pain. The 99 in particular is very easy to drive and feels and handles like a more modern car. The non-turbo version is extremely over-engineered and will go on forever (the turbo models are pretty tough too to be honest, but it helps if you can weld as they were all made from crap steel). I certainly had no qualms about jumping in it and driving a few hundred miles non-stop. Just treated it like any other car. Wish I'd kept it now...
Posted 2 years ago # -
That mk1 Cavvy is cool but please change those wheels - they're wrong wrong wrong.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Get one like mine!
CLASSIC CARS ARE NOT CHEAP
But they are as fun as hell and you grow very attached to them. It will open up a whole new world.
I highly recommend the MG, you can fix anything with a spanner, hell thats how BL put them together. You can always get parts and they are so much fun to drive!
Posted 2 years ago # -
TandemJeremy - Member
But my fave and a reasonably practical driving machine even on modern roads
I had one of those Rovers 40 years ago, and your post sent me off to eBay, and now I have a dilemma.How do I get it past the wife?
Posted 2 years ago # -
I used to put my 224 in the back of my Porsche 944, quite easily. the top of the rear seats folds down to give you a large flat boot area. Lots of fun too.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Fun?
Posted 2 years ago # -
Considering the strength and integrity of older cars, while windscreen pillars may have been slimmer, the steel was often thicker. Going back to the Minor, when mine got rear-ended, it was a Triumph Dolomite that hit it. The Dolly was completely smashed in at the front, both front wheels pointing in different directions. The Moggy, on the other hand, was still perfectly driveable, the only reason it was written off was because it had a hand-painted finish when I bought it, and I was saving for a respray. If that had been done, the insurance would have paid for a repair. I'm pretty sure that a Moggy is as strong if not stronger than a lot of newer cars, and is certainly as reliable as anything out there. The fact that you can build an entire new car from spares shows that, whereas a lot of lovely old cars, like Imps, Heralds, Citroën DS, etc, are a real struggle when more obscure spares are concerned. Travellers, on the other hand, while great for carrying stuff, are are entirely reliant on the integrity of the timber frame. Once that goes, the back end falls off, and new timber costs around £6-800, IIRC. I'd love another split-screen Moggy, I really miss that little car...
Posted 2 years ago # -
Go on!
You can use it for this once you've finished with it!
Posted 2 years ago # -
944/928 I like!
I'll have my motorbike with me soon, there are several bicycles, very good public transport and my current car. What I am theoretically looking at is a second car, a toy if you please. Jaguar XJS would be lovely, as would a Merc 123, Porsche or Spitfire.
Skidartist, have you seen prices of new(-ish) cars here in Ireland? BTW If I bring anything newer than 30 y.o. there'll be a hell of a tax to pay, e.g. Peugeot 406, S-reg 1.9dt - 560 Euro. No, I don't think so.Posted 2 years ago # -
Ford Fiesta mk1 Xr2 (as a toy)
Posted 2 years ago # -
I've always fancied a Citroen DS. (If you could go older, a TA would be even better)
Or a Bond Bug.Posted 2 years ago # -
DS are the coolest car ever imo
if you do get one for god sake don't drive it in the winter, tax it for 6 months and SORN it for the other 6 months, the sills are constructed from cheese
Posted 2 years ago # -
SM is a real beauty, shame about the price though.
Posted 2 years ago # -
A little over budget
Posted 2 years ago # -
If its a second car then sensibleness is less of an issue, when I had my MG it was my only car, it was perfectly reliable and practical in most senses (apart from being the coldest environment on earth for 8 months of the year) but the time spares took to arrive, even though they were really cheap, could make routine servicing and repairs an expensive burden sometimes.
I still don't see tax as being much of a burden, even at the current high levels its still an insignificantly small part of the cost of running a car, its just a lot to spring for in one go.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Here's a treat for you
Honda S600, 1965, currently for sale at AutoAdvan asking price £2250
Posted 2 years ago # -
Though not quite 30 years old yet, a worthy replacement for the DS. I give you the Citroen XM estate.
http://katalog-automobilov.sk/img/citroen-xm-break-2-1-td-1.jpg
These are awesome estate cars with huge interiors and a brilliant ride. I bought one for £600 and drove it to the south of France twice. Did nearly 30k miles in it. It proved pretty reliable until the clutch cable snapped!.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I, in my opinion have one of the best cars for a second vehicle.
A Renault 4
This ones an ex police car with the 1108cc engine and bigger carb, its really the equivalent of the Morris Minor al a Francais.
Posted 2 years ago # -
The blooming Irish law makes it prohibitively (how do you spell this after the 3rd beer?) expensive. 30 years minimum to be free from the stupid taxation they have here that supposedly protects the economy (or makes people drive Kia's).
Posted 2 years ago # -
Opel Manta A series....
Kev
Posted 2 years ago # -
This is from a company based in oxford who are specialists.
Posted 2 years ago # -
what a post Love the mk2 escort rs 2000. Love the citroen DS,s the imps and also the mantas!!
Top of my list is the Jenson Interceptor and retro Bmw's.
Posted 2 years ago # -
my passion is however the mk1 escort.Love the minis in one way although in others I don't.Love the Dolomites too.Fiats are good too. Lancia anyone??MK1 and Mk2 golfs are pretty good too.
Posted 2 years ago # -
This old beast has never let me down!
is pre 72 so free road tax and dead cheap to insure
Home From Home.
Posted 2 years ago # -
DS for a time were made in slough!
Posted 2 years ago # -
That 4 is great
and with Gordini wheels. I had a 4 f6 van which I despatched in for 15 months. The original Vanimal, used to have to change the points every month, could do it in 5 mins in the end. Amazing little van.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Aye Gordini wheels, one of the websites I frequent is building a 4 with a Gordini engine in it at the moment. Though as it will be all very discreet I think he's sticking with steel wheels to keep a sixties look to the car.
http://www.renault4.co.uk/renault-4-restoration.htm Mmmm tasty!!!
Posted 2 years ago # -
The Slough Ds were called ID I think, simplified hydraulic system, so no power steering.
They are much rarer these days, and quite sought after.
Posted 2 years ago # -
How come only one vote for a Land Rover ?
If you want something you can load up with bikes and kit then just get in and drive when you need it, and abandon in a field when you don't, it beats any of the exotic high maintenance cars mentioned so far.
Just look around at the 30 year old vehicles you see on the road.
Cars get pampered and kept in garages and only taken out on special occasions.
Land Rovers get thrashed around off road, overloaded and hooked up to heavy trailers and generally used like a working vehicle with no regard for their age.Posted 2 years ago # -
What's a real-life mpg of a landie? And what speed can it go at? Would you fancy driving one from London to, let's say, Rome?
Posted 2 years ago # -
I love Landy's, have spent years racing and competing in trials and off road competitions. We put Nissan Patrol running gear on them for strength and reliability. They are rubbish really but we love them, would never use one every day on the road, crap mpg, crap driving position and crap reliability, disco's are worse still. On the other side easy to fix and repair which is just as well, most of the back taken up with tools and spare parts. Great fun for an occasional blast on a weekend though.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Poor pic of my '78 B GT
As Alwin says - great fun, cheap spares and really easy to work on. I've had mine about 5 years and it has cost me around £1000 over the period but that includes a stage 1 tune ie. flowed/ported head, extractor manifold, big bore exhaust + K&N air filters + a suspension tweak/lower. Won't set the road on fire but sounds fantastic. Bumpers are coming off once the weather allows me in the garage without freezing my nuts off
Posted 2 years ago #
Topic Closed
This topic has been closed to new replies.
