Hi all,

So my 1998 Ford Focus Mk1 needs a whole lot of work doing to get it through its MOT, looking to be around £300 (that’s buying bits from a scrappie and doing some of the work myself) – more than the car is worth probably.

2 options – try and find a similar car for under £500, or “splash out” a bit and spend around £1000-1200.

I’m a student, hence the tight budgets. Needs to be reliable, have a decent amount of MOT left, not be a total grandad car, hold bikes and people well, but not be huge. I loved the size of my 3 door Focus – the reliability not so much.

Any thoughts on what I could replace it with? Easy option is find another Focus and hope it runs a bit better, but don’t want to limit myself.

Thanks,

Duane.

Toyota Corrolla
Honda Starlet
Honda Civic

Volvo V40 mark 1. Basically it’s a Mitsubishi Lancer underneath. Pity, my neighbour’s just sold his 53 plate 1.6 for next to nothing, it was a nice car too. Just don’t get the 1.8 GDi engine, it’ll be dead within a year.

Thanks.

V40 will be a bit big I think, I can see the appeal of an estate but really like the size of my Focus.

Can get a 2001 ish Honda Civic with under 100k miles on the clock for under £1k which is looking quite tempting at the moment, apart from the fact that they are pig ugly..

Any thoughts on Golfs?

Considered just getting yours through MOT?

What’s wrong with yours? What else have you fixed on it recently?

You may well be better off with the devil you know.

Seat Ibiza or if you need something a bit bigger, the Leon?

Nissan Almera? Might be a bit Grandad, but that’s the reason you can pick them up cheap; people don’t want them.

Something like this:
http://www4.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201307237959385/sort/default/usedcars/price-from/500/price-to/2000/model/leon/make/seat/onesearchad/used/onesearchad/nearlynew/onesearchad/new/radius/1500/quicksearch/true/postcode/pe68qb/page/4?logcode=p
or
http://www4.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201307257981617/sort/default/usedcars/price-from/500/price-to/2000/model/almera/make/nissan/onesearchad/used/onesearchad/nearlynew/onesearchad/new/postcode/pe68qb/radius/1500/page/2?logcode=p

Almera is also chain driven from memory so no cambelt to worry about.

I’m a student, not be a total grandad car

I thought driving whatever was cheap was part of being a student, my group of mates had a series of seriously uncool cars, including the chavalier, a nissan sunny, a rover 414 and a white diesel vectra that regularly got mistaken for a taxi-cab (not helped by the owner being a bit swarthy)

Same boat as you Duane.

My Mondeo needs £500 of parts (brakes, clutch and anything else).

I’ll do the work (except clutch).

Cheaper than buying another problem for £2000.

While you still save/have spare cash. You also know your car history.
Get the focus running and it’ll be sweet.
Always nice to have a nice motor but wears off after a couple of months.

Almera is also chain driven from memory so no cambelt to worry about.

Post ’98 Almeras have problems with the timing chains, from what I’ve read. I looked into them myself but it seemed a bit of a lottery.

Japanese cars tend to be great in my experience though. Older ones anyway.

Small cars sell for an absolute fortune at this budget in comparison to what you can get in a big car. You need to decide what’s important…

Thanks for the replies.

Focus needs new front hub, front tyres, rear wheel bearing, rear coil spring replaced, exhaust welded, and couple other small bits and bobs. There are also a couple issues that didn’t come up on the MOT which will need sorting soon – starting issues and occasional struggling under power.

I’ve had the car for almost 4 years, bought it for £2300, and every year I’ve had to spend hundred on it, easily spent more than the original cost fixing it, so I feel it’s time to call it quits and get something else.

Old Peugeot diesels. My 1995 205 cost me £400 two years ago and has done 30,000 with absolutle no problems (I commute Portsmouth to Plymouth every weekend). Apart from a small plate having to be welded in the boot last year the underside is also completely rust free.

I use an old Saab for Bike duties ( and everything else, but mrs has a “proper car I use as well).

But Is only worth the Scrap value £200 ish ?

A bit heavy on Petrol of course ( it’s the big Turbo version) but passes MOT’s for fun.

Duane…Have you done your Euro trip in the MX5 ? If you have I missed your thread on it 😉

righog, nope not yet, head off mid August!

Tempted by this..
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201305276971380/sort/locasc/usedcars/transmission/manual/maximum-mileage/up_to_100000_miles/price-to/2000/model/civic/make/honda/onesearchad/used/onesearchad/nearlynew/onesearchad/new/postcode/ll285ys/page/1/radius/100?logcode=p

Insurance is £300 cheaper than I’m currently paying which helps.. High-ish mileage is a downer though.

Nothing high about 96k miles.

Honda HRV cheap as chips, go on forever,big enough. Get one with SH and cambelts changed at 60 + 120k and you’ll have very few issues easily good for 200k+ . Plenty around with around 100k on clock for that money which is really nothing.