[Closed] 30+ year old car, which one?

Stuff large - get a mini and a bike rack! Easy to fix and nice and cheap.

One of those big old diesel Mercs, I'd have thought.

That's why I said [b]either large or fun[/b].

Minis are deadly in crashes tho.. as are most old cars.

Datsun 180B !

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Had a few 70's Saab 99s - reliable and tough. Pick up a blinder for less than a grand (ones built before 1976 used much better steel than later ones and rust a lot less). The Combi (hatchback) version is cavernous and can swallow a bike or two

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Alternatively, a Saab 96V4 if you want something a bit quirkier, but equally tough and reliable. £2000 should just about get something half decent

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Don't know what they go for now, but always wanted an Escort mk2 RS2000

Mine although price is higher.. http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/ot-vw-1970-notchback-with-1760-enginesuper-solidaussie-import

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But i've been using her daily and it's great :-). Free tax, insurance for £100 a year, good on juice as long as you don't wind the carbs up to much 😆

If not pick up practical porn...sorry typo..Practical classics 😉

One warning! They are addictive.

My current pair. 🙂

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lol, Escort RS2000s are crazy money these days. Prices have gone completely mental.

lol, Escort RS2000s are crazy money these days. Prices have gone completely mental.

Bugger. Not looked for a few years. What sort of money is crazy money?

I always wanted a Fiat Mirafiori or a Fiat 127 or a Fiat 128:
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i do like the high top splittie

there was a nice one in the VW mags seemed to be at all the shows last year.

Need to spend some time and cash on our '69 bay before the summer comes in

How about one of these - made from 79 - 84

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Reliable, fun, genuine parts from the dealers are half original price. Go for it.

oooh that fiat is nice!

pjd - Thanks been restoring the Splitty for over a 1 and a half 🙂 Finished and MOT'd now. The Brown one from the mags is for sale £21k 😯

Also owned this in the past, very practical 🙂

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Mates Beetle in the back

I like the Golf, my Dad had one years ago. Wife wants to murder me for suggesting it but what the hell, she doesn't have the licence 😉

mine...
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though do very much like the old BMW 2000/2002

MGB. You can buy all the parts including the body. You could make it last forever.

Volvo amazon or merc 200 series for the practical last for ever classic

But my fave and a reasonably practical driving machine even on modern roads

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Mk1 or 2 "rally slag" Escort?

Mercedes Benz W123 estate.

CFH, if only 2 grand could give me this...
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Too many to mention.

Fiat 850 is my bizarre idea. Pretty.

Hairy, mine is a saloon, looks a lot like this (Same colour and rough age);
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A saloon, not an estate, but I love it. A lot. 8)

Can't blame you one bit.
More suggestions please!

Opel Manta 1800 B series ones.
BMW 635csi.
Ford Capri Mk1 3.1 Mk2 3.
Toyota Celica Mk1
Triumph GT6

One thing you need to think about is do you want a car which you can reliably drive every day or one which while it is lovely you will need to commit a lot of time and money on maintaining it.....

As a practical example from personal experience... Japanese motorcycles are great. But I ride a classic British bike (Triumph T120 Bonnie). Why? Because there simply is nothing else like it! The sound, the smells, the experience, the looks, the love, everything - just everything! But it's because I love it. It's not simply jump on and ride - I need to maintain it, look after it, respect it etc.

But I wouldn't change it for anything else.

And this is why...

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I wouldn't like to recommend a particular car, but have a look here in my galleries to whet your appetite. www.peterflynnclassiccars.com

PS: you need to be good with the spanners to keep any car of that age running

Don't know what they go for now, but always wanted an Escort mk2 RS2000

Used to own a couple many years ago,here's the second one I had,which was much modified mechanically.Nowadays people tend to keep them 'standard',if you can find one for sale that is!

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Wallows in nostalgia

EDIT:Just found a photo of my first RS2.

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Do you know, I've been talking about this tonight. As a District Nurse I've always wanted a Moris Minor/Traveller. Food for thought?

People will probably laff, but Morris Minor 1000's are terrific little cars. Virtually every spare part is readily available, including complete body shells, the engine is the classic A series, which has endless performance bits available, they can be fuel injected, run on unleaded, modded to take discs on the front...
I had a '53 split screen with a 1300 a series and g/box with a van rear axle, 5j x 13 wheels, Koni shocks and reclining bucket seats. Lovely car to drive, put a pair of Riley drum brakes on the front and it would practically stand on it's nose if you hit the pedal hard. Could get 50/gallon on steady motorway runs, and cost peanuts to insure. All you need to maintain one is some ramps, a socket set and a Haines manual. Sadly a drunk drove into the back of it one night and punted it thirty feet up the road onto the footpath past the neighbour's house. Left a note saying 'sorry if there's any damage, see you later' and buggered off to his job as a milkman. Not after the police caught up with him, though.

I gave my wife my 2001 golf for valentines day, cos I got a 1982 vw transporter. ok, its not quite 30 years old but its cheap insurance, practical, fun and bright orange!

Original Range Rover. (large)

Original Range Rover. (fun)

Found this http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C138882/

You must buy this! Please! (stop me buying it, I can't really afford it but I've a horrible feeling I'm about to go back into overdraft!)

Old W123 Mercs are bulletproof. I had a gold 230CE Pillarless coupe and it was the best car I've ever owned.

Reliant Scimitar, Opel Monza, Audi Coupe, Volvo Amazon, puegeot 504 wagon,

I thought the tax threshold was 25 years?

I love certain old cars.

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The only thing that worries me is crash worthiness. 😯

considering your price limit a Saab or Merc would seem to be good options.

I would love an old Escort but the prices are just too high for something that isn't built like a collander...

Maybe you can find a Beetle (sorry for that) or a Mini but again for 2k I think yóu would struggle

I have one that looks like this;

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but these are probably more practical

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The tax exempt limit used to come into effect when a car was 25 years old, but back in the 90's this was changed, and it now only applies to vehicles registered before 1st Jan 1973...

I *think* hairychested may be in Ireland so different rules will apply but yes, in the UK they have to be pre-'73 to be tax exempt. It was brought in to allow for 'continuous' taxation of old cars that people used to only tax for 6 months of the year and thus they didn't have to SORN if tax was free.

tbh, if it's only a couple of hundred in tax you're saving each year and that's the onyl reason for purchase I'd go for something newer - the extra maintenance and fuel costs on somethign that old tend to outweigh the tax!

I'm not a petrolhead - i don't get excited about cars, but that Citroen DS is just amazing! Guess they're fetching good money these days though 😕

I am in Ireland indeed, hence the 30 years age.
I like a few of the suggested cars but am considering a daily run so possibly a Golf, an Jap such as a Celica or Datsun, maybe a MB123 or an MG. I really like the looks of a Spitfire too.
Keep them coming. BTW Where is my boss's favourite SPD shoe - [url= ]Hora[/url]? He said the other days he likes cars 😉

Don't be mad, just over £2k will buy you a serious car, and far newer, and the tax is less than £200 anyway.

http://www.vcars.co.uk/used-cars/cardetails.php?t=autoexposure&u=141066

I've one like this 🙂

WhatWouldJesusRide - I have always wanted one of those 🙂 Are they still collectors items? There was a time in the late 80s when the price rocketed.

Practical Classics mag (I think) has a section where it gives a mini review of each make and model of old cars giving you a typical cost, performance, economy, but more importantly availability of mechanicals and bodywork.

MGs and Aircooled VWs have just about every nut and bolt available, remanufactured or improved, so some of the imconviences of older cars can be ironed out (and probably will have been by previous owners), with others though you might struggle to keep the car on the road routinely if you are constantly on the hunt for spares and service items.

The main issue with anything 30 years old, or even 10 years old.... have you looked at new cars recently? Go into say a Peugeot a show room and open all the doors on one of their cars, look at the thickness of the sills, and pillars, the big triangulated braces around the bases of the doors. New cars are tanks, heavy and rock solid, now look at all the pics that have been posted, with their lovely slender pillars and panoramic glass. That golf will weigh as much as any car it passes on the roads today. These days in an old car [i]you[/i] are the crumple zone.

I used to drive an old MG, and it is great fun, the savings in tax and insurance though are insignificant, if you are driving daily then although parts and servicing can be cheap, the wait to get stuff, usually by mail order, means you can be off the road for a week or more for work that would be an afternoon with something more contemporary. I don't own a car at the moment, but if I was to buy one self preservation would lead me to the newest car my money can buy, not the oldest.

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Almost the only attractive Porsche ever built

zedsdead - love that Bonnie! I'm considering selling my Hinckley triumph (ST1050) and getting an original one - probably a T140, or maybe a Trident.

That Ciroen DS!!!! Best looking car ever built?

[i]These days in an old car you are the crumple zone.[/i]

My sister-in-law had an accident in a Mk1 Golf and my cousins' wife one in an old Astra - both could barely walk, even 10 years later...

Brother since then has had a succession of large cars, currently a Legacy Estate and Cousin runs newish Disco's.

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Easy to work on, reliable as long as you maintain it, and like Trigger's broom all parts are easily replaceable.

Old Rover P6.

So far I'd say the Fiat 127/128 or up it to a 131. or maybe....

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My dad had one for years, great fun, easy to work on, and pretty nippy when modded. Now has one of these (imp based, so mechanically very similar), point for anyone that can name the make/model without cheating!

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Is it a Clan Crusader?

It's a Clan Crusader. Early 70's?

opel manta vauxhall cav mk1 hatch

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That is one of the biggest boots ever.
oh how i miss this car. i Will buy it back 🙂

parkesie - my first car was one of those in silver - same year.

rolled it off a road and down a bank within 6 months of passing my test in 1984. was lucky to get away with it really 🙁

Clan Crusader it is.... damn, you people are good!

I tend to think every odd-ball kit car from the 70's is a Clan Crusader to be honest 😳 (except the Bond Bug)

Ah, but it's not a kit car, they were "produced" and sold as a car from a factory in the north east, about 350 built in total.

but yes, it does look like every other 70's kit car 🙂

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Dolly?

yer i had an imp and a clan - both with electronic fuel injection!

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You will not get anything worth having for £2k that's 30 years old if the Irish market is anything like the UK market.

There are a few pre-requisites:
1) You want something that's been looked after - 90% of the time that will mean one of the hotter models in the range, or something fairly luxurious / staid (ie, a Merc or Volvo).
2) You want something that's bearable day to day. You're now narrowing it down most likely to cars that came with fuel injection, and were fairly large and classy.
3) You want something you can still get parts for, and can afford.

Most desirable oldish cars are way over £2k. You might get a Merc W123 in reasonable nick for that money, but tidy MK1 Golf GTIs are £5k+, MK1 & 2 Escorts regularly sell for £10k, and a tidy MK2 Golf GTI is about £2k these days. Same thing goes for any of the old BMWs, SAAB Turbos etc. Obviously, you can get a ruined example for under £2k, but ruined old cars always end up more expensive than just buying a good one in the first place.

Anyone contemplating an MG is clearly completely tonto. Unreliable, slow and leaky. And all the cachet of a beard and a beer belly.

Really, old cars are not a way of saving money. Servicing comes round every 6000 miles at best, and they need a lot of parts which often take a lot of finding.

The best bet in my view is to run something that still has solid manufacturer parts support and a reputation for reliability - Merc and VW both sell parts for a very long time after production ends (at least 15 years for VW, and Merc has a policy of reducing parts prices with age), but £2k won't stretch to a good W124 E class. There are plenty of < £2k VWs and Audis around though.

yer mk1 golf best bet

Skidartist.. I used to drive a 15 year old Passat which was tiring on long trips but reliable and cheap. Then yet another one of my old mates got killed in a car crash.. made me think again, and I splashed out on a newer car. Now I have a far more relaxing drive to and from work. And a lighter pocket.

not sure if anyones burst your bubble yet but here's my costs so far after having the same thoughs.

September - 1975 MG midget £3700 (i.e. top dollar, its as good as they get, regulalry gets admired and commented on)

October - £300 for rebuilding the brakes

November - fuel guage failed, still havenet sorted the problem

December - electrics have failed, car wont start

January - paranoia spreading about driving it on salty roads

Febuary - I've been on the busses for 3 months now and thinking of buying a toyota.

Still pay road tax as well, it's only free pre '73 ~IIRC 🙁

serviceing may come arround every 6000miles, but at £1.85 for a gallon of 20/50 I change mine every couple of motorway runs anyway. An entire service costs less than a tank of fuel (oil, filters, belts, points, condensers, plugs, the lot).

Down side is it burns a lot of oil! Bizzarely none of it in the cylinders, the spark plugs are clean as a whistle and the exhaust clears within a minute of starting the engine :s

Valve stem seals?

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.

"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?

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!

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... 😥

That mk1 Cavvy is cool but please change those wheels - they're wrong wrong wrong.

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Get one like mine!

[b]CLASSIC CARS ARE NOT CHEAP[/b]

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!

TandemJeremy - Member
But my fave and a reasonably practical driving machine even on modern roads

How do I get it past the wife?

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.

[b]Fun?[/b]

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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...