MrRegieRitmo Posted October 15, 2008 Share Posted October 15, 2008 With Audi being a popular recent topic in a negative sense, and we're talking new ones of course.....on the flip side, who here has experience with older ones, namely 80s Audis?I'm possibly looking at getting myself a piece of the classic Ingolstadt pie! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baz Posted October 15, 2008 Share Posted October 15, 2008 Have experience of Audi 80 Sport, and early Audi Coupe....Both very pleasant to drive! 8)Ooh, and an Audi 200 Quattro....Quite a car! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrRegieRitmo Posted October 15, 2008 Author Share Posted October 15, 2008 Well specifically it's an Audi GT Coupe (B2?) I'm thinking of. Worth persuing? I've always liked them, even hankered after one that was for sale locally as my first car before I could drive but I'd have never been able to afford to insure or run it & that was only a 1.8!I'm seeing it as an ideal replacement for my Alfa which needs at least £700 spent on it to put it right, if I want it all done properly that is. So I want to replace it with something that is still nice but cheaper (as I don't have nearly the same budget I had when I got the Alfa) but which will run & run without plaguing me with problems so I'm thinking it needs to be something German or Japanese!Edit: Wow Baz, you were still up when I was! Question is, had you not been to bed yet or had you just got up especially to check your favourite forum? I was guilty of still being up, unintentionally, but then that's often the case with me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r.welfare Posted October 15, 2008 Share Posted October 15, 2008 The B2 being the square, '81-'88 model Reg? Getting harder to find a decent one. Also, these are old cars now, so the "run and run" bit may be questionable. They still need TLC.Thought about a mid-90's Celica 1.8? Finding an unbarried one might be difficult, but that would be my choice of stylish, dependable coupe for less than a grand. Or the later Audi coupe (aero shape) is getting cheap, a 2.0 8v would hit the spot. I'd still go Japanese though for reliability. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Lobster Posted October 15, 2008 Share Posted October 15, 2008 I wouldn't expect any older Audi to just run and run, they are still getting on a bit now and whilst they can be very reliable, things still go wrong and they can be expensive to fix with the cost of parts etc.I'd agree with r.welf that if you want something that will cost no money to run then Japanese is the way forward. That said even a decent Celica might have led a reasonably hard life - thats the problem with buying used sporty cars - multiple owners all have driven it enthusiastically and by the time it gets down to banger level might well have a backlog of work thats never been done. If you can find an unmodified, few owner car then thats the way forward. Good luck!Whats the Alfa need btw? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r.welfare Posted October 15, 2008 Share Posted October 15, 2008 I am struggling to think of other, 90's Japanese coupes that would be suitable. The only other one that comes to mind is the Nissan 100NX which is a reliable beast, but - well - I'd say you'd have to pretty comfortable with your sexuality as a young bloke to drive one every day Mazda MX-6 is going to be juicy on fuel with the 2.5V6, MX-3 is a possibility but leaves me a bit cold. MX-5? Best time to buy one!Does it have to be a sporty coupe Reg? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spottedlaurel Posted October 15, 2008 Share Posted October 15, 2008 Sounds like the onset of a very early mid-life crisis!I’d kind of agree that an Audi coupe of that age might not be ideal for you – be great if you have a backup, but if nothing else I suspect parts availability might be getting tricky which could then sideline you for getting to work etc.I think you’d also have to be prepared to spend some proper money getting it serviced – keep away from those diecasts!What about one of those elegant Accord coupes? Or a Mazda 323F?Seriously, if you want to pile on the miles without worrying too much then it’s time to go Japanese. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Volksy Posted October 15, 2008 Share Posted October 15, 2008 I've had a few Early Audi coupes, great cars, although have a propensity to rot, Screen pillars and Inner wings especially. 5-pots although sounding lovely are quite thirsty, 4 pots are cheaper to run, as shared with most of the golf/80 range. Insurance was spectactulary high when I had mine, put it this way a Saab 9000 was half the price... You could possibly get one on 'classic' insurance depending on your age, proposed mileage etc.As a daily driver? No. Parts can be pricey if spurious ones are not available, they are expensive to run and insure, a good one is quite hard to find these days, and if you do - expensive to buy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baz Posted October 15, 2008 Share Posted October 15, 2008 Edit: Wow Baz, you were still up when I was! Question is, had you not been to bed yet or had you just got up especially to check your favourite forum? I was guilty of still being up, unintentionally, but then that's often the case with me!I imagine I'd been home form work about an hour by then....I like to stay up for a while, just to "wind-down" before going to bed! At the moment, I have a few Ebay auctions on the go, so I find I have half a dozen questions to answer every night/morning just at the moment! Think I got to bed at about 04:30 this morning! MX-5? Best time to buy one!And I couldn't recommend one any more highly....I'm no Wuvvum, but I've had between seventy and eighty cars now, and this is the one I'll be keeping! Wish I'd bought one in 1989....I could've saved so much money! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrRegieRitmo Posted October 15, 2008 Author Share Posted October 15, 2008 I can't link to eBay from work, best I can do is give you the item number of the one I was looking at....270285075384No it doesn't have to be a sporty car, although I'd miss the performance my Alfa gave me. My first thought when realising I'd be better off with something else was back to the late 90s Galants I still dig. Although I think they'd still be a bit more than I'd be able to spend unless the bank come back to me about increasing my overdraft (which I doubt). I've seen some decent looking ones around V, W, X reg for around £800 - £1000 which is a few hundred less then when I was looking in early 07 & it was between them or the Alfa 146 which was generally slightly cheaper, car for car, i.e. better spec Alfa 146 comparable in price to a lesser Galant. Or maybe that was comparing it to the higher performance V6 Galant. The Alfa offered more than the standard GLS Galant but couldn't compete with the 2.5 Galant except on price. Looking now, I could now get maybe 2 of the Galants for what I paid for the Alfa last year. That still might be too much though if the bank can't help me. My budget with the bank's help - upto >£1000, without - upto >£500. I'm getting the feeling I could end up with that R9 if it's upto the job as I just need some wheels! The cheaper tax, insurance & running costs sound very tempting. Just not sure about relying on a car that's 26yrs old, although the R14 was 27 yrs old when it became my daily driver. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spottedlaurel Posted October 15, 2008 Share Posted October 15, 2008 Reg, if things are getting to that stage I think you need to forget about specific trim levels etc. Keep an open mind and look for whatever has the right combination of price, history and condition. You should be able to ‘smell’ a good car from the listing/ad, hopefully it’s being sold by the owner who’s had it a while and is moving it in for some genuine reason and can then vouch for what’s been done to it. Recent service and cam belt change would be nice to see, and a healthy amount of MoT and hopefully some tax to avoid immediate expense.Clearly there’ll be certain cars you can exclude by virtue of economy, insurance or whatever, but keep the above criteria in mind and you can find yourself pleasantly surprised.The Bluebird was a classic case of that, I wasn’t even looking for a car but I knew it seemed ‘right’ and would be the kind of thing I couldn’t find when if I suddenly needed reliable transport. It’s way better than it deserves to be for under £300!In fact, why not consider a T72 Bluebird? Not that I’m selling mine, but I think you’ll find they make a great mile-muncher and their complete unsexiness makes them struggle to sell for much. £500 should get you a very clean, low miles example. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r.welfare Posted October 15, 2008 Share Posted October 15, 2008 Go with the lower figure - don't borrow money!If you've got £500 to spend and you want something reliable, then I think you need to be less picky about style, equipment etc. I know this makes me sound old but you want to focus on the car's history, number of owners, general condition etc rather than what it is. Just as SL says.To be honest, if you want to spend the minimum and get reliable motoring for not much wedge, a Mazda 323 is a good choice, either like Baz's new whip or Retrogeezer's older model. I bought an E-reg 1.3 for £160 with 4 months' MOT and tax, it was then fully serviced (which I did myself - oil, filters, plugs, brake pads and cambelt - for under £40 in parts) and given to someone with no mechanical sympathy for 3 months and a 150-mile-a-day commute and came through that with no problems. I then sold it on and it went through the next MOT needing just a tyre.Bluebird is a good choice too, and they are also very cheap to insure - Group 6 for a 1.8, when I was 21 it was the cheapest way for me to get into a "big" car with lots of toys. That Honda Concerto that Bo11ox found in the eBay thread would also be an absolute belting buy for £500...and there's a Mitsubishi Carisma on eBay near me for around £400 Buy It Now that would also fulfill your criteria quite well, even if it's the dullest car ever made...My two 405s cost £50 and £375 to buy respectively, but have still needed about £1000 each spending on them both (suspension, brakes, radiators, cambelts etc) to get them mechanically "bulletproof". But I need a car I can rely on as I can be driving up to Bradford (a 450-mile round trip) often with <24hrs notice, and I've done 25k in the saloon since I bought it so the cost-per-mile has actually been quite good. I reckon (dangerous statement alert!) that I should now hopefully have 3-5 years of minimal expense (just basic servicing and consumables like brakes and tyres) before I have to spend out again...You want to find something that has had someone like me owning it immediately before you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r.welfare Posted October 15, 2008 Share Posted October 15, 2008 http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1995-HONDA-CIVIC-VTEC-E-1-5I-WHITE_W0QQitemZ180298384831Not an exciting car, Reg, but will be reliable all day long; it's the right price; cheap tax; very economical; and on your manor... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pogweasel Posted October 15, 2008 Share Posted October 15, 2008 Come on Reg, don't listen to those old farts*. Be friovlous, get that audi you desire, preferably a five-banger that warbles like a scary thing and drinks like Ollie Reed. Imagine, tear-arsing about in your Ashes-to-ashes style steed!Stylish! Quality! Instant sex-appeal!**Oh, of course it will ruin you, make you angry, make you cry, make you wonder why you didn't listen to those nice sensible men in slippers and cardies*** who told you to buy a Mazda 323 1.5. It's better to regret the things you did do etc. Go for it, while you can, before The Man gets you and beats you down into just another faceless grey. * I am of course being silly and am greatly respectful of Messers S.Laurel & R.Welfare.** This is actually quite unlikely. 'Cool' old cars do not get you laid. Ever. *** Still being silly. I love you guys really! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spottedlaurel Posted October 15, 2008 Share Posted October 15, 2008 Yup, oddly I had much more luck with the ladies when I sold my lovely (but rusty and hiding lots of crap) Manta A and got a tatty old FWD Sunny.Actually, the Manta is a good analogy. I ran that as a daily for five months, but as 20-year old car bought for how it looked not its condition it clearly wasn’t up to it. A windscreen once went pop and it had to sit on the street with a sheet over the hole for three days while I waited for a replacement. When the same happened with the Sunny that followed it I had a cup of tea and some toast at the Little Chef it conveniently broke near, bought an issue of Popular Classics, a chap quickly turned up, replaced the ‘screen and I was on my way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pompei Posted October 15, 2008 Share Posted October 15, 2008 If you can get a Civic that's been cared for, then go for it - a VTi has a high performance engine in an old man saloon, and seem to have been overlooked by the barryboyz. You might get lucky with an old Teg or Prelude - just check this week's Ebay Tat thread, and that Concerto would be worth a punt seeing as it didn't sell - maybe send the seller a message? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r.welfare Posted October 15, 2008 Share Posted October 15, 2008 nice sensible men in slippers and cardies***Oh, did you turn 30 yet then or what? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian_pt Posted October 16, 2008 Share Posted October 16, 2008 3 words. "Classic" Saab 900. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pogweasel Posted October 17, 2008 Share Posted October 17, 2008 nice sensible men in slippers and cardies***Oh, did you turn 30 yet then or what? My regulation slippers & grey cardigan arrived in the post this morning, thanks. Now, about those Bluebirds...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owain-328i Posted October 17, 2008 Share Posted October 17, 2008 A Audi A4 1.9TDI will run and run. Available for well under 1k these days! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r.welfare Posted October 17, 2008 Share Posted October 17, 2008 Wouldn't touch an A4 TDI under a grand personally - the examples I've seen have been very tatty and lacking in recent maintenance, but S Wales examples may be better/cheaper! However an 80 TD/TDI is another good option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike D Posted October 17, 2008 Share Posted October 17, 2008 I'd echo the sentiments of quite a few and look to Japan. I had quite a succession of VW / Audi products, Beetles, MK1 & 2 Golfs, T25 Van, Audi 80 Sport, and to be honest they were all a bit crap. I don't see where the 'high quality' and 'supreme reliability' slogans come from. None of mine were shabby examples, but they all failed to deliver. The only car i've ever got stranded in was the Golf...My old 323F V6 that is on ebay at the minute was my converter to Japanese cars, I did 56K in 2 1/2 years in it, I changed the oil once, thrashed it mercilessly, and only had to put a set of discs and pads, tyres, and a starter motor on it. RELIABLE!I've got an MX6 as a daily at the mo, and it is great. Swift, effortless cruising, it handles very well, and it is actually pretty good on fuel. The lower of your figures should pick one up with T&T. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retrogeezer Posted October 17, 2008 Share Posted October 17, 2008 My old 323F V6 that is on ebay at the minute was my converter to Japanese cars, I did 56K in 2 1/2 years in it, I changed the oil once, thrashed it mercilessly, and only had to put a set of discs and pads, tyres, and a starter motor on it. RELIABLE!Cross that one off the possibles then! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike D Posted October 17, 2008 Share Posted October 17, 2008 My old 323F V6 that is on ebay at the minute was my converter to Japanese cars, I did 56K in 2 1/2 years in it, I changed the oil once, thrashed it mercilessly, and only had to put a set of discs and pads, tyres, and a starter motor on it. RELIABLE!Cross that one off the possibles then! Haha, Yeah, don't by that one! Gearbox input shaft bearing is goosed too, the ad fails to mention that as well! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrRegieRitmo Posted October 18, 2008 Author Share Posted October 18, 2008 My old 323F V6 that is on ebay at the minute was my converter to Japanese cars, I did 56K in 2 1/2 years in it, I changed the oil once, thrashed it mercilessly, and only had to put a set of discs and pads, tyres, and a starter motor on it. RELIABLE!Cross that one off the possibles then! Haha, Yeah, don't by that one! Gearbox input shaft bearing is goosed too, the ad fails to mention that as well!A great advert for eBay then! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrRegieRitmo Posted October 18, 2008 Author Share Posted October 18, 2008 I left the Audi you'll all be glad to hear, it jumped from £330 to £450 in the final few minutes & without knowing whether the bank will be helping me I wasn't about to blow all my holiday money on it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owain-328i Posted October 18, 2008 Share Posted October 18, 2008 Wouldn't touch an A4 TDI under a grand personally - the examples I've seen have been very tatty and lacking in recent maintenance, but S Wales examples may be better/cheaper! However an 80 TD/TDI is another good option.Oh ive not looked in any detail to be honest, just noticed a few knocking around on the bay etc for 'Inspection 2' money lol.Its a valid point though cheap Audis are asking for trouble, i belive the parts are dearer than BMW and Merc (i dont find BMW tooo bad in truth). However VW/Audi do make great diesels! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew e Posted October 18, 2008 Share Posted October 18, 2008 Have a Punt on the Tresser Quattro Reggie!http://www.brightwells.com/classiccars/ ... fault.aspx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pogweasel Posted October 18, 2008 Share Posted October 18, 2008 (i dont find BMW tooo bad in truth).You're not wrong there. Parts off the shelf from my local main dealer are often [much] cheaper than pattern / replica bits. It's the fitting where the sting comes in, as the labour rates are astronomical. I do have a specialist nearby, but I don't use them any more either, since last time I took my car there it came back minus it's wheel centre caps, and they were all 'so what'.... £15 a pop for each replacement did not make me happy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ayd Posted October 22, 2008 Share Posted October 22, 2008 really miss my 100 estate, was an excellent daily driver. So much so I'm on the look out for another. yes it was a touch thirsty but for comfort it was excellent...there's a couple floating round the area and as soon as I find one of them stationary it'll be getting a little note under the wiper. Pic for kicks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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