First time car

[The Moog]

Been asked to source a first time car for my sil. Needs to be petrol, manual, pas and ideally 5 door. Got kids so any kneecap scores all help

 

She has got £500 but can go to a bit more for aweszome wheelz.

 

Would like to buy from AS if poss rather than evil bay

[Stanky]

I can offer a 1996 Nissan Almera GX 1392cc, P reg, got 6 months tax and 5 months MOT, 5 doors, manual, PAS, in resale blue within the budget if you're interested? Its located on the south coast (which admittedly is a bit of a mission for you, but she might be closer).

 

It has been utterly reliable in the 2 years I've owned it, its done 116k but is in daily use so expect that to rise. It has a chain-driven cam for OMGNEVERGONNABREAK action and I can attest its an absolute pleasure to work on for a FWD car as there's loads of space in the engine bay. As my fuelly widget attests it's delivered 45MPG over 30k miles so its pretty thrifty too.

 

PM me for more info, and exciting pictures taken in the rain in February this year.

 

Insurance is pretty cheap for me, as its desirability* was utterly destroyed when an Almera was featured as Victor Meldrew's car in One Foot in the Grave. Should be good as a first car, insurance-wise.

[320touring]

Been asked to source a first time car for my sil. Needs to be petrol, manual, pas and ideally 5 door. Got kids so any kneecap scores all help

 

She has got £500 but can go to a bit more for aweszome wheelz.

 

Would like to buy from AS if poss rather than evil bay

Personally I'd say buy the 210 quid octave a diesel for sale on here and tell her it's everything she was after.apart from petrol. Decent cars and it even had a recent cambelt..

[bub2006]

^^^ that is a valid point. And if i am not mistaken is the skoda old enough to have all the crap that knackers up modern diesels omitted from it?

[garethj]

Yes, the Skoda is pre-PD which have expensive injectors, that era of diesels is a sweet spot in terms of performance, economy and lack of fuckwittedness in the design.  It's still got ABS so there's a chance something expensive could go wrong.

[bub2006]

Even corsaviours pug has abs according to the dash light!

[The Moog]

Skoda is too big for her. Already thought of that

[Cavcraft]

If 5 doors means 3 doors and PAS means no power steering, then step this way!

[garethj]

The Skoda is built on the Golf floorpan, it's just a bit bigger in the arse.  Reminds me of a girl I used to know.

 

I think it also has plenty of NCAP stars, which a smaller car may not have.  Personally I cancel them out by driving like a twat, but some people care about these things.

[The Moog]

If 5 doors means 3 doors and PAS means no power steering, then step this way!

I did consider Cavcraft and briefly thought about the benefits of a bx. Then came to my senses.

 

She is quite taken with rainagains Stilo as it is a nice colour, so just getting her to get insurance quotes

[Six-cylinder]

Been asked to source a first time car for my sil. Needs to be petrol, manual, pas and ideally 5 door. Got kids so any kneecap scores all help

 

She has got £500 but can go to a bit more for aweszome wheelz.

 

Would like to buy from AS if poss rather than evil bay

 

The idea of owning such a sensible car never even occurred to me but if you are looking for high fuel consumption, high insurance and difficult to maintain come to me I am sure to have something I can spare!!!!

[dollywobbler]

Sirion? Is she good at welding?

[The Moog]

She is as good as me at it

 

Pm sent stanky

[Cavcraft]

The BX has been accounted for but there's always a nice little 3 door, non-pas Corsa or a nice little 3 door non-pas 106! 

[The Moog]

Surprise surprise everything i have offered isn't good enough or not right colour. Now she is going to look at £400 micras at a dealers which is only going to go well. Note to self don't get involved

[burraston2006]

Surprise surprise everything i have offered isn't good enough or not right colour.

If your paying tell her to be bloody grateful for what ever she gets!

[The Moog]

Not my money...otherwise she would be getting a stilo

[HH-R]

Older Hyundais before they became popular and people thought you were a cheapskate/a bit odd for buying one are GR9 value. I'm looking there next when I move on my shitty modern Panda which breaks on a daily basis. I'd have chopped it in for an Amica but they're a bit too slow. Wouldn't want to go any slower than a 1.2 FIRE already is.

[Parky]

5 door Yaris? Pretty reliable when not being recalled for exploding seat belts or Pokemon hidden in the spare tyre well or whatever shit Toyota have to deal with this week.

[Cavcraft]

Maestro van?

[Cavcraft]

Pictures of SIL?

[The Moog]

Not sure she would appreciate the awesomeness of the Maestro van. No pics i am afraid

[gordonbennet]

Hiding to nothing finding cars for someone else, you find them a little gem which they immediately don't like, then they go out and buy (unseen and advised against by you) a completely knackered lump of shit from some wide boy spiv, then because you got cajoled into finding them a car in the first place, its your fault somehow and they expect you to make a silk purse out of it.

[mercrocker]

^^^All this and same goes for recommending garages.   The only advice I give any non-enthusiast would-be purveyor of motoring white goods is to get a bus pass.   If they think you have  the slightest inkling for fettle-age they will be knocking on your door as soon as the cam belt snaps....

[The Moog]

Lesson learnt i think.

[Rusty_Rocket]

I totally agree with everything said above!!!! It doesn't matter whether the individual concerned is a life-long friend or family member, things will never work out and you'll end up being blamed for everything that subsequently goes wrong with the bloody thing over the next five years.

I've been burnt a few times and have finally started to be less helpful! 'A good deed never goes unpunished' 

[the judge]

Even if its not the car you suggested!!!! Feckin women!!!

[The Moog]

So much for keeping out of it. I ended up buying this for her

 

Saw it on gumtree and so went to look last night. Straight car, one arch is a bit snap crackle and pop but aside from that looks good. Tax n test till october all for £400.

 

Going to service it and drive it down on Friday. How hard are the cambelts to do on these? Is it worth chucking one on tomorrow?

[twosmoke300]

Piece of piss to do a cambelt.

[Spiny Norman]

Always liked that colour of Punto. They're good wee cars too, most folk will tell you they're shit but the one I had was fine and it was a damn sight nicer to drive than the older version.