If you're going to get a second car then you may as well get something exciting and fun. How about these which should be inside your budget:
Fiat Coupe 20V Turbo - fabulous 5 cylinder engine, striking looks, fastest production FWD car at the time (possibly still is?), 0-100 14.5 secs, 155 top end, 28mpg, 4 proper seats and a decent size boot (much more reliable than people think - but do take some looking after though).
Honda Civic Type R - super practical, very very reliable, revtastic engine, (great B road weapon if you can look past the now slightly chavy image).
Peugeot 306 Gti/Rallye - not as fast as the two above but one of the best drivers cars around. Fast, fun, practical and cheap. Take one of these to the twisties and you'll be smiling for weeks.
Thread from the dead!
I'd sidestep or at least very carefully look over any high mileage VR6 Rado / MK3. The bores can go oval at high mileages.
The 2L 150bhp MK3 (ABF engine) is pretty good, lasts well and was supposedly designed with one of the VAG rally teams in mind (SEAT?), so will run to 170bhp with pretty minimal modification.
jools182 - Memberlooking for about £3500 for it
Darn, I wish I had that sort of money, I would love a clean a Mk1, good luck with the sale Jools.
Anyone got experience of the volkswagen golf syncro, what were they like to own?
ski - rare, not very fast, heavy. Not the best VW Golf on the road IMO.
You could always get a crazy "Country" - a jacked up slightly mad mk2 Golf!
OTOH the Syncro is a good basis for the sillier conversions you might consider - the Haldex diff from an R32 can be fitted, giving electronically controllable front/rear power splits.
A 1.8T Syncro would be a laugh, but for ultimate cornering speed, a quaife or Peloquin diff in a well set up FWD MK2 is better. The 4WD cars lose the rear wheel steering which was built into the FWD Golf's suspension.
oh one of my riding mates has a Country, actually he had 2! I like it a lot, but LHD only.
306 is a great chassis V cheap, but very french. Gets a bike in with both wheels off. The fiat coupe i ruled out as no way of getting a bike in it. But surprisingly capable. Ditto for the integra, have to rev the nuts off it though.
What about a Mondeo ST220, performance bargain and it does handle well.
I have a 1994 100 S4 avant which gets a bike in with the wheels on no problem at all. Vast and fast... although fantastically crap mpg.
ST220 is a good car but also tragically thirsty.
In case anyone's interested ... I bought A Gti 16V, Mk 3, 64K, FSH, 2 oewner, all paperwork, including the original factory installed Nokia phone (more like a brick). The guy who had it was an enthusiast and has had it rechipped - he claimed it's made a tad of low revs difference, but a sig mpg difference. I've done c. 500miles and avg 40mpg so pretty chuffed. Car's certainly not extra speedy by today's standards, but seems fun, feels quick, and hopefully will be great vfm
What chip? I've heard that a reprofiled throttle body and a chip can make a big difference to the MK3 ABF (that's the one you have).
Could be so crude as to ask what money too? I'm in the market for a new car soon 😆