Export shite challenge

[hhhugues]

Greetings all.

 

I have already spent quality time here browsing topics, and occasionally posted irrelevant comments mostly whilst under the influence, but I have never formally introduced myself. Allow me to rectify that: Hugues here, born in France, adopted by Yorkshire. I believe we have an interest in common.

 

Although I have owned a few modern shite /shit contenders of my own (laguna 2, marea weekend, volvo 740), I am currently the owner of a perfectly reasonable, competent, economical, and altogether disappointingly trouble free mondeo estate tdci.

 

This is set to change however, as I embark on a mission: find a cheap runabout to export to my parents house in France, where i'm hoping to spend time frequently.

 

 

The criteria :

 

1) cheap

 

2) diesel / lpg

 

3) shite

 

4) MOT until june or so (longer is fine too)

 

5) left hooker preferred (but not essential)

 

6) automatic preferred if not left hooker (not essential, but my parents would use it too, and if they have to sit on the wrong side of the car, i'd rather they can focus on the steering)

 

7) has to be able to get to the Bordeaux region by the road

 

8 ) i have a thing for big cars (not essential)

 

9) i have a thing for "luxury" (not essential)

 

10) did i mention cheap ?

 

 

The budget:

 

A laughable one.

 

 

 

Go on, what would you have / look for ? Silly suggestions welcome, pictures even more so.

[messerschmitt owner]

I'd have a Citroen XM 2.1TD - Exclusive, obviously!

[hhhugues]

p.s: this fits the bill pretty well, but i expect the reserve is way out of reach:

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=251046672110&ssPageName=ADME:B:WNA:GB:1123

[hhhugues]

I'd have an XM 2.1TD - Exclusive, obviously!

 

right on ! now, to find one for next to nothing...

[ruffgeezer]

I've a xantia 1.9td estate, mot til Feb I think, it is a rhd manual, well looked after French tat £650, there is a thread with it in somewhere here.

[hhhugues]

that sounds ideal (minus the RHD manual bit), but i can't part with that amount of cash. I'm sure its very reasonably priced, but i'm looking at sub £400 tat really.

 

it IS a challenge after all !

 

cheers nonetheless...

[M'coli]

http://www.leboncoin.fr/voitures/offres ... occasions/ , for all your French tat-buying needs! You may as well buy something that's out there, Mr. Bo11ox is always posting stuff from there on the eBay tat thread. For example, here's a well-fit* body-kitted Triumph Acclaim only 60 miles from Calais...

[Cavcraft]

It's actually the law on here to offer frikking useless cars so I'll pitch in by offering an Aldi 80TDi estate with no MOT or tax that needs a fuel pump for £400.

[hhhugues]

Ouch !!

Yeah i know Le bon coin, i've sold a car for spares on there before, made a load more than the scrap value i would have got for it over here. Considering i'd just spent £400 on it and breaking it was out of the question, it was a welcome surprise.

The downside is, tat seems to be a lot more expensive over there, as are all 2d hand cars, recent or not. There's nowhere near as much devaluation. With the current change rate, even that splendid* triumph is a little salty, really. Hence i reckon i could get more for my dough here. But i'll keep an eye out for sure !

[hhhugues]

It's actually the law on here to offer frikking useless cars so I'll pitch in by offering an Aldi 80TDi estate with no MOT or tax that needs a fuel pump for £400.

 

that's actually much more like it but the lack of MOT rules it out ! how much does it need a fuel pump ?

[Cavcraft]

Erm, sort of a lot I suppose! Tbh if I can find a pump it's only the top half that needs replacing. MOT will be a formailty once I've lobbed some tyres on it and done the pump but then it's going to srat owing me even more money and I'll end up keeping it!

 

I reckon Le Bonking Coin is your best bet!

[hhhugues]

Fair enough ! i need something to drive away really as i have nowhere to store / repair a car here. In France, that's less of an issue. Plenty of space and dad to help. Maybe you're right regarding Le bon coin, especially since i'd need to put the car through "Les mines" to get it registered in France. Anyone done that before ? Expensive ?

[John F]

Fair enough ! i need something to drive away really as i have nowhere to store / repair a car here. In France, that's less of an issue. Plenty of space and dad to help. Maybe you're right regarding Le bon coin, especially since i'd need to put the car through "Les mines" to get it registered in France. Anyone done that before ? Expensive ?

 

Not as such, but when I lived in France there were a few insurers in the area (Haute Savoie) that were happy to insure cars on foreign registration (even without CT / TÃœV / MoT...!), so maybe that's an option?

[hhhugues]

I know my sister (who runs a uk reg golf estate over there) has done that, but i don't think it's something they're willing to do permanently ? Anyway, it would buy me time at least... so back onto the UK market.

 

That 605 td just went for almost £500. Looked pretty good, but out of my reach. Plus the ad was a bit shit.

[catsinthewelder]

If you can drop the diesel requirement theres plenty of cheap largeish auto tat out there

 

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MITSUBISHI-CA ... 2a17d55ec6

 

cheap petrol auto with short mot from a dealer £295

 

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2001-SAAB-9-3 ... 4d00c001a3

 

£99 no bids with a £400 buy it now grumbly gearbox bearing in 1st and reverse (but has winter mode on the auto to lock out 1st)

 

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mercedes-220T ... 3a73cada76

 

5 bids at £112.99 with a few issues but current t+t

 

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1988-TOYOTA-C ... 27c67954f7

 

46K currently £256

 

But surely you're willing to invest a little time in the perfect vehicle for foreign climes

 

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CHRYSLER-LE-B ... 3f16d7630a

 

2 bids at £255

[Cavcraft]

i'd need to put it through "some Les's minge" to get it registered in France. Anyone done that before ? Expensive ?

 

No, but I'd certainly like to try.

[hhhugues]

i'd need to put it through "some Les's minge" to get it registered in France. Anyone done that before ? Expensive ?

 

No, but I'd certainly like to try.

 

 

[hhhugues]

If you can drop the diesel requirement theres plenty of cheap largeish auto tat out there

 

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MITSUBISHI-CA ... 2a17d55ec6

 

cheap petrol auto with short mot from a dealer £295

 

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2001-SAAB-9-3 ... 4d00c001a3

 

£99 no bids with a £400 buy it now grumbly gearbox bearing in 1st and reverse (but has winter mode on the auto to lock out 1st)

 

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mercedes-220T ... 3a73cada76

 

5 bids at £112.99 with a few issues but current t+t

 

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1988-TOYOTA-C ... 27c67954f7

 

46K currently £256

 

But surely you're willing to invest a little time in the perfect vehicle for foreign climes

 

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CHRYSLER-LE-B ... 3f16d7630a

 

2 bids at £255

 

 

Cheers for those, love the Merc, but decent economy is one the 3 biggies along with low price and Mot, sadly, so that rules it out.

 

On that basis, the mitsubishi or corolla would probably be reasonable buys, but i kinda struggle to get excited about them - although the corolla is old enough to be a bit more exotic.

 

A Le Baron ? phwoooar !!

 

The other reason i really want a diesel is that it's much cheaper than petrol in france, so its worth it for that alone. Lpg seems to be worthwile too anywhere, really...

[hhhugues]

edit = i'm really warming to that corolla, it looks in great nick and i love the tape player ! i doubt it'll go for that cheap however.

 

the saab is "sexy" too, but i suspect these things are just as bad on fuel as the merc...

[hhhugues]

this has caught my eye, it ticks all the boxes:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/280871095354? ... 600wt_1270

 

however, these are the sellers words:

"These VW engines always smoke on start up, mainly because the cold start needs resetting, when clears 30 seconds or so it does not smoke"

 

Is he bullshitting or does it sound plausible ? beyond the poor grammar, should i be concerned ?

[hhhugues]

held off bidding in the end as the car is miles away and just fetching it would cost me a bunch. went for £310 in the end : /

 

search continues...

[vivalariva]

1) cheap 5) left hooker preferred (but not essential)

I had to smile when I read this

[hhhugues]

cant blame you

[eddyramrod]

the perfect vehicle for foreign climes

 

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CHRYSLER-LE-B ... 3f16d7630a

 

2 bids at £255

 

A Le Baron ? phwoooar !!

 

Absolutely! And they're not that thirsty, the 3.0V6 is by Mitsubishi. It's the same as the Shogun but with better aerodynamics. I had one of these and would again, tonight.

[oman5]

this has caught my eye, it ticks all the boxes:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/280871095354? ... 600wt_1270

 

however, these are the sellers words:

"These VW engines always smoke on start up, mainly because the cold start needs resetting, when clears 30 seconds or so it does not smoke"

 

Is he bullshitting or does it sound plausible ? beyond the poor grammar, should i be concerned ?

 

I know its a bit late but for future reference, YES they all do smoke on start up, but it really is only for a short time. normally it will be because the rear 2 glow plugs need replacing and these are all but inaccessible behind the injector pump, so it smokes untill those 2 cylinders are firing properly.

[Albert Ross]

Those glow plus ARE accessible.... if you want to bend an expensive 12mm Snap On spanner..... I did... Never used it since!

[hhhugues]

starting to regret not having made the effort, considering how cheap it went. the more i think about it, it was almost perfect...

 

le baron = too late ! just as well though, i kinda dig them, but it's not really "me"

 

the next contender would be this:

 

 

but i reckon its going to go for way too much.

[hhhugues]

Time to resurrect this as my mission is now complete.

 

Just to refresh memories, I wanted a cheap runabout to export to france, following a carefully thought out criteria:

 

So, The Criteria :

 

>>[[[ 1) cheap

 

2) diesel / lpg

 

3) shite

 

4) MOT until june or so (longer is fine too)

 

5) left hooker preferred (but not essential)

 

6) automatic preferred if not left hooker (not essential, but my parents would use it too, and if they have to sit on the wrong side of the car, i'd rather they can focus on the steering)

 

7) has to be able to get to the Bordeaux region by the road

 

8 ) i have a thing for big cars (not essential)

 

9) i have a thing for "luxury" (not essential)

 

10) did i mention cheap ?

 

 

The budget:

 

A laughable one.]]]

 

Many things were considered, following (sometimes loosely) said criteria: a diesel 605, some japanese salons, a diesel volvo estate, and even a petrol estate merc. Save for a couple points, they all fitted the bill about right, but in the end, this is what I got:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

...

 

 

 

...

 

 

 

 

 

Wait for it

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ta-da !!!

 

 

That's right, a RHD alfa 145 2.0 TS Cloverleaf (or Quatrofoglio Verde for the linguists). Manual of course.

 

So, mpg ? about 32 if you hold back on the throttle to the point of getting cramps in your ankle.

Practicality ? Errr....

That said, you can almost think of it as a sports estate.

 

The exhaust note is pretty raspy to say the least as the front section needs replacing, and there's some funny stuff going with the electrics (aftermarket alarm fitted = sometimes goes off for no reason or interferes with the lights), although that seems to have settled down. Also, if the bodywork is really tidy and rust free, the same can't quite be said underneath.

 

BUT, incredibly for a 15 years old Alfa, everything works, even the electric sunroof and mirrors. The tyres aren't too bad, the clutch was changed less than 10,000 ago, the gearbox is spot on, and the engine runs well and hasn't missed a beat on the drive down to France. The steering is tighter than anything I'd driven so far, and it's a hoot to drive. Not bad for under £300 !

[hhhugues]

Time to resurrect this as my mission is now complete.

 

Just to refresh memories, I wanted a cheap runabout to export to france, following a carefully thought out criteria:

 

So, The Criteria :

 

>>[[[ 1) cheap

 

2) diesel / lpg

 

3) shite

 

4) MOT until june or so (longer is fine too)

 

5) left hooker preferred (but not essential)

 

6) automatic preferred if not left hooker (not essential, but my parents would use it too, and if they have to sit on the wrong side of the car, i'd rather they can focus on the steering)

 

7) has to be able to get to the Bordeaux region by the road

 

8 ) i have a thing for big cars (not essential)

 

9) i have a thing for "luxury" (not essential)

 

10) did i mention cheap ?

 

 

The budget:

 

A laughable one.]]]

 

Many things were considered, following (sometimes loosely) said criteria: a diesel 605, some japanese salons, a diesel volvo estate, and even a petrol estate merc. Save for a couple points, they all fitted the bill about right, but in the end, this is what I got:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

...

 

 

 

...

 

 

 

 

 

Wait for it

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ta-da !!!

 

 

That's right, a RHD alfa 145 2.0 TS Cloverleaf (or Quatrofoglio Verde for the linguists). Manual of course.

 

So, mpg ? about 32 if you hold back on the throttle to the point of getting cramps in your ankle.

Practicality ? Errr....

That said, you can almost think of it as a sports estate.

 

The exhaust note is pretty raspy to say the least as the front section needs replacing, and there's some funny stuff going with the electrics (aftermarket alarm fitted = sometimes goes off for no reason or interferes with the lights), although that seems to have settled down. Also, if the bodywork is really tidy and rust free, the same can't quite be said underneath.

 

BUT, incredibly for a 15 years old Alfa, everything works, even the electric sunroof and mirrors. The tyres aren't too bad, the clutch was changed less than 10,000 ago, the gearbox is spot on, and the engine runs well and hasn't missed a beat on the drive down to France. The steering is tighter than anything I'd driven so far, and it's a hoot to drive. Not bad for under £300 !

[hhhugues]

p.s if anyone has a set of these that they want rid of, hit me up.

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=230788156120&fromMakeTrack=true#ht_500wt_1054

 

In fact just 3 would do, or even 2 if I buy this one ! Weirldy, one of them was left as a spare in the boot of the car. I suspect that it was one of the original set, and that wider alloys were fitted at some point. Much prefer these though...