Replacing Steve

[vulgalour]

Steve is my Ledbury Maestro. Reliable, trustworthy, a bit of a plodder. Comfortable enough, frugal enough on the dinosaur juice and not too bad on the insurance side of things. Trouble is, Steve just isn't doing it for me, he's 'just a car' and while he does have a name and I do refer to him in a gender specific kind of a way, Steve is just a tatty, reliable, doom blue Maestro. I'm planning to give him a service, get some welding done and tidy up some cosmetic bits and bobs before moving him on to someone new, or even back to Steve I bought him from.

 

Thing is, what I'm planning to replace Steve with isn't exactly the most sensible of choices, but I've narrowed it down to two cars I think I'd be happy with.

 

Car #1 - Mk2 VW Polo Saloon

 

I was fond (and still am, even though I've had to sell him) of Wilhelm, my little Polo hatchback. Capable, characterful, nippy and a little bit silly. The seats weren't the most comfortable in the world, but the frugality of running costs made up for that and he was only really for short hops rather than long haul stuff (which is the Princess' job). A saloon is my preference, I think they look far nicer, and the load carrying isn't an issue as I have a suitable Thule roofrack (thank you Freecycle).

 

Car #2 - Austin A40 Farina (any variant)

 

I really rate these, I had a brief affair with one early in my car fettling career and I've wanted one ever since. I imagine they're suitable for what I want, cheap to insure, not too bad on fuel and reasonable for mechanical parts. A Countryman is my preference purely for the practicality of it but I wouldn't be too fussy.

------------

My options, as I see them, are to either ditch Steve completely and focus on fixing the Princess with the money I would have been spending on Steve. The problem here is that I lose my personal transport and become completely reliant on busses and parents to get me places. Not something I really want to do, but probably the sensible option.

 

The Polo I can probably get for about the same cash I'd get for selling Steve once the cosmetic niggles are resolved in a similar condition. Insurance would be slightly less, as would fuel bills. Body parts are tricky, but mechanical stuff is relatively easy to obtain, and cheap too. Less practical than Steve, perhaps, but not bad as a pootler.

 

The A40 I'd probably have to spend money to obtain for a decent one, even using proceeds from Steve's sale, but it's the car I'd likely be happier with. As I understand it, all A40s run on 4 star so I've got to factor in the cost of that with my fuel, the slight increase in mpg, but the probable decrease in insurance cost. I'm not sure what they're like on maintenance and spares, but I'm guessing reasonable since they're a common enough Austin still.

 

What would you do?

[purplebargeken]

I hear you in relation to your feelings about the Maestro. Worthy car though it is, it doesn't seem to float your boat. It is important to me anyway to have a car that you bond with. You obviously have a yearning for the saloon Polo and it is a nice wee car. However, you have thrown a curve ball in the Austin.

 

If practicality is something that you need then the Austin is the choice car. Spares should be reasonable, there is a club for them and the countryman is useful. Saying that I wouldn't opt for one as I just can't warm to the styling. However it isn't me that is thinking of buying one. Car purchase is intensely personal IMHO, especially cars of a certain era. FFS I've got 2 Dafs, a Toledo and a Mobylette

 

is the Polo saloon something that would prove a little tedious after a while, similar to how you feel about the Maestro? The Austin is quirky and would find a place in your head/heart?

 

Fixing the Princess is also an option but this would leave you in the poop for quite a while in relation to being wholly dependent on other forms of transport. This in time would prove to be a complete testicle ache.

 

I think the A40 wins TBH but it is YOUR choice at the end of the day. Not much help eh? Sorry

 

Ken

[purplebargeken]

What about this?

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vw-polo-1-3-C ... 23264450ca

 

It just needs to be purple!

[Rocket88]

Until recently, a nice A40 could be had for about a grand, but prices are certainly on the up. Thay are a bit cramped, being fairly narrow, and I don't think they had rack and pinion [a la Minor] so they drive in a more "antique" fashion. Bits are cheap, and just chuck an additive in with unleaded.I would ask the previous owner what he's been using, if it's those pesky fuel pellets, walk away smartish, because if it hasn't already burnt a valve, it's about to!

[Micrashed]

If its personal every day transport I would probably say the Polo is the one to go for.

 

Though if it were me I would stick with the Maestro myself.

[Angrydicky]

I would ask the previous owner what he's been using, if it's those pesky fuel pellets, walk away smartish, because if it hasn't already burnt a valve, it's about to!

 

Hmm. I run all my cars on straight unleaded, never had a problem. As long as you're not thrashing it up and down motorways or round a racing track it should be ok for years on unleaded.

 

I do like Maestros, but I must admit I much prefer the early ones with the brown interiors and early dashes. They had loads of character, while the later ones just feel like a Nissan Bluebird inside (i.e grey and dull as fuck).

[Rusty Pelican]

Id go for the A40 , Easy to fix , parts are everywhere , going up in value , tax exempt and useful , my cousin has a 1961 one in red with a black roof , hammered daily and only needed a zorst this year as maintenance ,

Dont expect to get anywhere quickly mind .

[plasticvandan]

what you get in my view will depend on your budget,the price of a really good polo would get you a a crap a40..

if you cant afford a decent relatively rust free a40 it will cost you the same again in keeping it uptogether/on the road.

[DodgyBastard]

I'd go for the Polo but I'm biased having owned 5 of them including my current saloon. I'd go for a mk3 if you can find one, 70's looks from the rear and 90's fuel injected economy. I bought mine for £230, it's far from mint but it's in good useable condition though I've spend quite a bit on it to get it to it's current state including upgrading to a 1.4 engine, new clutch, timing belt, water pump, shocks, springs, alternator, exhaust centre & silencerI've probably spend up to £600 on it since buying it in April. I've done 20,000 miles without any real issues.

 

This is how mine currently sits though I'm going to raise it a little soon.

 

[trigger]

This was for sale up by my mates for ages, It was £1500 and was hardly mint.

 

1967 Austin A40 Farina Countryman in Clacton by Trigger's Retro Road Tests!, on Flickr

 

Like plasticvandan said, your looking at least £1000 for a A40 where you can pick up a Polo for much less...

[purplebargeken]

A40 tax exemptedness though. Swings and roundabouts.

[Cavcraft]

One has ancient technology, rusts like there's no tomorrow, is completely bland and requires you to send a telex to the next town to let them know you plan to stop in time because the brakes are fucking rubbish. And the other is an A40.

[plasticvandan]

i would imagine the £130 saved in tax will be soon swallowed up in rolls of welding wire..

[406V6]

If Steve is reliable and reasonable on the costs, stick with it, save up some money and spend it on fixing the Princess. I don't understand some car buffs - if a car is reliable and doing its job they get bored and want to get rid of it. Why take a big risk on another car which could be a moneypit and leave you stranded at the roadside ? A Polo is just a boring Spanish box anyway.

[purplebargeken]

Why take a big risk on another car which could be a moneypit and leave you stranded at the roadside ?

 

'Cos we're mostly all as mad as a box of ferrets and we like old shite bangers

[FredTransit]

If Steve is reliable and reasonable on the costs, stick with it, save up some money and spend it on fixing the Princess. I don't understand some car buffs - if a car is reliable and doing its job they get bored and want to get rid of it. Why take a big risk on another car which could be a moneypit and leave you stranded at the roadside ? A Polo is just a boring Spanish box anyway.

car masochism......

If it works and has reasonably priced running costs its boring. I dont understand it either....

[vulgalour]

Obviously, it's all just conjecture at this point, but Steve just isn't lighting any fires under me. I'm not particularly bored of Steve, he just doesn't have that certain something that the Princess does which is an equally reliable and sturdy old thing, though a little thirstier. I've no doubt Steve could get me where I want to go, whenever I want to go there, but as previously mentioned it's a bit... bland?

 

I've been watching A40 prices over the last year and I definitely need to spend at least £1000 to come in at the bottom of what's road worthy, but probably no more than £3000 for something reasonable in need of minor fettling. The Polo, on the other hand, can be got for £250 for a reasonable chugger and £1000 for a pristine example. Happily, I'm in no rush as I've got things to sort out on Steve before I could consider selling him - like more cleaning, some paint touch ups, a bit of welding, that sort of thing - so I've got the luxury of time to find the right car at the right price.

[eddyramrod]

A40 every time, trust me. I've had two. First one was in 1978, second I left behind in Cyprus. Do it, you'll have so much fun,and then you'll join the club forum and have even more! Unleaded? Get the head converted, it's near enough the same as a Mini and those are converted every day.

[barefoot]

Polo every time...

 

Everything he said about the A40 except you don't need to get the head done and it'll do more to the gallon.

And then there's VW action...

[Morgan84]

I would be cautious about using a classic in all weathers,and leaving it to survive the elements;getting spares is not as easy as it was say 20 years ago,and the road environment has become less friendly.

 

Simple luxurys like a heated back window,and good heater are things you might suddenly miss,and other things such as 2 speed wipers,and perhaps disc brakes. The VW is more tolerant of all year usage,and will have better heating and ventilation and will be a much nicer car when the weather turns nasty.The question is can you justify spending good money on a car,knowing it will slowly kill it,unless its really well pampered ?

 

The A40's will also possibly have years of bad repairs done to them,and be full of filler and god knows what else was laying around at the time;the flip side is they are a nice little motor,and will be more individual.

 

The Polo is almost disposable money at the moment in comparison,and you can kill off 3 or 4 half tidy Polo's for the money of one not so healthy A40,plus there isn't a part you will struggle to find for a Polo

[michael1703]

Suffer the meastro, keep as much money in your pocket without dicking about with changing insurance and fix the princess with it, job jobbed

[skattrd]

Suffer the meastro, keep as much money in your pocket without dicking about with changing insurance and fix the princess with it, job jobbed

Sorry, but I'm agreeing with the sensible/boring option.

 

If I was you I wouldn't think about changing your only working motor for an unknown quantity until the end of winter. Having something like an A40 as your only serviceable motor when you need it for work is a bit risky imo.

I think that you should stick with Steve until the Princess is on the road again.

[e287yba]

I'd say "better the devil you know", especially if the known devil is reliable, cheap and a known quantity while money is tight. Save what you can while driving Steve, rather than risk splashing more out on a car that is an unknown quantity and may or may not be a money pit in a way that Steve isn't...

 

Longer term, as two posters just upthread have said, keep going with Steve until the Princess is back on the road - I would add: because you'll have funds to fix up the Princess if they're not going on an unknown .

 

Sure, it's nice to have a car that isn't bland in your own view (and you have to drive it, after all); but you have a longer term goal here that no-one will ever disagree with .

[barefoot]

I'm just struggling to come to terms with the fact that everyone calls 'Steve' 'Steve', like they know him, like he's a person and not a manky 20 yr old piece of Leyland shit.

I blame Walt Disney and fucking Bambi.

[wackywacerwill]

A40 out shites the Polo any day of the week without a doubt. The question is, are you the kind of guy who is happy to run 2 clunkers with all the uncertain adventures that entails?

 

Speaking personally and knowing my limitations I have enough on my plate owning just the one *cherished car. The other vehicles in the fleet need to be of a more reliable variety to aid getting to my end destination and not having to worry about it too much. It's not that the classic cars have let me down, it's more that the current cortina (although a bit of a shitter) is special to me and I'm less than keen on leaving it in dodgy places, feel the need to wash it, don't want to thrash it too much and get pissed of when the kids spill fizzy pop and rub chocolate into the seats. Basically my life is too busy and chaotic to deal with this shit on a daily basis so we have other vehicles to do the daily business.

 

Our modern (her gifted Leon) is the newest by a long chalk at 10 years young. The other daily runners are a Honda Dominator and a trusty transit at 20ish years old. These 3 get fresh oil on a regular with the only other work being replacing what's fallen off or worn out (only if essential) or what gets condemned come mot time. Other service items may be applied such as filters/plugs but only really as a matter of feeling guilty due to the neglect.

 

I guess what I'm trying to say in a long winded way is that drive and forget vehicles are conducive to happy motoring. I fully agree you have to like them though, if that's a polo for you then so be it.

I'd buy a diesel AX if it was me. I like the quirkiness of a small french diesel and have tried to replace her Leon with one at various point since bro inlaw gave it to us to no avail. In truth I'm learning to love the Seat, the 16 valve 1.6 likes to be spanked and I like spanking it. It's shite credentials are pretty good too, footwells you can go paddling in, growing collection of dents and scratches, filthy inside and out and burning a fair bit of oil due to high miles and vigorous spanking. I wouldn't treat my *cherished vehicle this way.

[trigger]

I'm just struggling to come to terms with the fact that everyone calls 'Steve' 'Steve', like they know him, like he's a person and not a manky 20 yr old piece of Leyland shit.

I blame Walt Disney and fucking Bambi.

 

[Rocket88]

There's no reason why an A40 shouldn't be reliable, but for any kind of long journey, your ears will be bleeding at anything over 60 mph. Imagine driving a Mini, but weighing an extra 25% !

[254575]

Drop me a pm when you come to sell!

[plasticvandan]

based on my experiences trying to run a 73 Reliant Rebel van over the last year as my only transport,i would totally say get the polo.I was having to work on it on a weekly basis,and lying on the floor with a torch in your mouth after work in the dark gets pretty boring after a short while! unless you can keep a very healthy stock of consumables and all manner of spares for it then you WILL be off the road when something breaks or needs replacing as you have to source,buy and then wait for parts to turn up.

i didnt even have the rust issue to deal with (tho i still had to have a 2 foot section of chassis rail cut out and welded in) so god knows how i would have coped with a car that has all the usual stuff to break (electrics,brakes,suspension,mechanics) as well as a body that was constantly rusting around me.

i did add halogen lamps,electronic ignition,better seats,soundproofing,satnav socket etc but you still have singlespeed wipers,singlespeed gerald the hamster blowing through the air vents,static seatbelts,scraping ice off the inside of the screen every morning etc etc.

If you only work part time then an a40,in good nick,and a daily drivers car for several years,could be ok.otherwise forget it.ive learnt the hard way that rose tinted glasses cause stress and wallet rape.

If the Princess is your ultimate goal,keep the maestro.I suspect that you are just hankering for something because you havent been able to have your "fix" driving the wedge.

[coalnotdole]

i would totally say get the polo.

 

If the Princess is your ultimate goal,keep the maestro.

 

Surely thats telling him to do both Dan?

 

As this is autoshite my automatic reaction was to say you should definately get an A40 regardless of any of the drawbacks . But if it was me I'd be tempted to wait until after the princess has been fixed. In the meantime I'd keep Steve and just do the bare essentials. The polo is fine as budget transport but ultimately its fulfilling a similar role as Steve.

 

As a note on using a 40+ year old car daily. It will be fine so long as you stay on top of the little jobs, the more you use them them the more reliable they get. I carry a small selection of spares / tools and have access to spare vehicle if something goes spectacularly wrong. I'm self employed so its slightly different in that I don't really have to commute but do plenty of miles on my own time.

 

1972 GTE: On road for 2 years, 15,000 miles, AA Called 2x, Recovered Home 1x (needed a clutch previous time the fan belt was replaced)

1973 Rebel: On road 1 year, 4,500 Miles, AA Called 2x, Recovered home 2x, (Once for OMGHGF on an engine of unknown pedigree, the other was when the dymamo left its bearings on the M40 it still ran but I decided not to chance it on the long drive home.)

 

Yes there are drawbacks/ occasional breakdowns but you get those with any car.

 

PS Dan out of interest how much did you sell you van for?