Bangernomics, when to give it up and what to buy?

[Richard]

The funny thing is that sub-£500 shitters don't seem to throw big bills at you the way 7-9 year old cars do.

[Bamboocarman]

 

 

Modern, shmodern, I'm convinced that the more modern it is the more likely it is to go expensively wrong at some point and then you're over a barrel because it's still worth a lot of cash if you fork out for the repairs. And then you have to keep it because you just paid all that money to have it repaired, meanwhile keeping an eye on the instruments for another warning light of doom. On the other foot, if you run shite you always have the option of kicking it to the kerb if it costs too much to fix.

 

 

This is the exact truth of the matter; spot on advice.

[bub2006]

Our Vectra is on a 53 plate and we have owned it since April. Damn good on fuel and does what we need. Replaced all discs and pads,serviced it and new cambelt and water pump as I didn't know when they was done. Had an advisory on mot for flexi pipe ao repleced all the centre section which was looking worse for wear. Only thing I haven't done is last week it went in garage for a clutch and bearing. I wont part with it. It owes me about 1200 quid which I wont get for a 11 year old Vauxhall privately so may as well just run it into the ground. Better the devil you know.

[Bamboocarman]

When the Smart Roadster went dead, the only people local who could fix it were M-B Newcastle; when I was told the cost of fixing, cried myself to sleep that nite, the repairs cleaned out my account.  The car had cost too much to 'throw away', so I had no choice but to have it properly repaired. Should have bought an MR2, as common sense told me too. I did , about 5 years later and it turned out to be one of the best cars ever.

Buy a low to medium mileage late 90s / early 00s Japanese saloon for cheapness, reliability and fixability.

[hairnet]

did you bin on ebay for 01 accord yet

[Ian_Fearn]

My daily driver 2000 V6 Omega auto estate has been a reliable old boat. 2 years in, £900 to buy with 12 months T&T. Totally effortless to drive and MEGA comfy.  

 

Drinks a bit of petrol but in 2 years has cost very little and overall pence/mile is compartively low if you take depreciation into account. Climate control, lecky everything, heated seats, Bose stereo. Everything works but its no glamour queen. I do everything on it myself which ultimately keeps costs down.

 

I ran BXs for years but parts had started to become harder to find, repairs far more frequent and rust starting to become a problem.

 

 

 

 

NB. I hate Vauxhalls (and all diesels)

[Justin Case]

Yes, Japanese NA petrols are the best bet, but dont rule out other makes; buy on condition above evrything else. A history is a bonus at the age we are probably talking about, but you can lookfor evidence of careful ownership, decent tyres, all fluids clean and topped up, everything (or at least most things  ) working, etc.

 

 Nissan Almeras 03 or later (to avoid the rusty crossmember) tend to be a safe bet, especially with few owners.

[the judge]

Late 90's pisshat tdi pre pd engine. Cant go wrong. Late 40's omgmpg and as long as you keep water out of passenger footwell,just go on and on

[Bren]

No diesels.

 

Nothing french with an auto box.

 

Never drink in pubs that have flat roofs.

 

My three tips.

[Cavcraft]

Bangernomics, when to give it up and what to buy?

 

 

1) Citroen Xantia

 

2) Now.

[eddyramrod]

Bangernomics, when to give it up and what to buy?

 

 

1) Never

 

2) Volvo 740

EFA

[dollywobbler]

 

I ran BXs for years but parts had started to become harder to find, repairs far more frequent and rust starting to become a problem.

 

 

Same here. I've been driven out of the BX world as survivors are either now really nice, or utterly f*cked. So, nice ones are pricey (albeit only by BX standards really) and ropey ones aren't worth buying as they need almost a full resto to gain an MOT.  The XM is further along the timeline, a bit more modern, but I'm very aware that I've grabbed one while I can and that there could come a point very soon where it just doesn't work as a daily. With all of these older cars, it feels like there's a glory time of bangernomics before corrosion really catches up with them or part simply become unavailable. Even my 1998 Daihatsu was a pain in the arse even for simple things like brakes. 

 

Mind you, I'm sure a previous generation (still represented by Junkman and a few others on here in spirit if not age) would convince us that electronic ignition is the work of Satan and that it doesn't matter if a car rusts if you can easily repair it. I bet fitting new sills to my 2CV is a lot easier (and requires a lot less stripping) than to an XM.

[reanimation-films]

It's fair to say you're on the same page on this one!

Yes I'm already in a messy situation, ok the xantia itself owes me very little, new rear tyres last year, a new strut top in summer and water hosewhich was a £200 job, a few bits of pipes and stuff I fitted, a mini service by me cost of consumables and getting covered in black gunk again. A new battery I've not yet fitted at £65 which might help those cold mornings.

Then recent weeks, pump seals fitted £108, local garage to check and not fix £54, back to specialist for pump recon as still had issues £300 :'( and its still not perfect. Better but not perfect, now people waste more on brand new cars on finance and those 7-9 year old cars that are topical, so no biggie but still annoying and disappointing. All I can do now is run some injection cleaner through, have some Millers here, or buy in some Forte.

Speaking to mechanic specialist, next would be injectors but sinking another £300 isn't cool even of it might work.

 

Put up with it and look for the mintest 10yr plus dull car I can find.

[Junkman]

Mind you, I'm sure a previous generation (still represented by Junkman and a few others on here in spirit if not age) would convince us that electronic ignition is the work of Satan

 

I wouldn't go that far. It's merely shiny shit from China that doesn't work.

[reanimation-films]

not necessarily- had a 3dr 106 which because the seats fold and slide meant putting childseat in was just a matter of sitting on the back of front seat which means you are square on to seat/child

its much more awkward being side on thru a back door

 

TRY IT BEFORE YOU SAY NO OUTRIGHT

This is a good point does this mean the Clio isn't a bad idea then? I did like my sisters reminded me of my old Micra, big doors and fairly roomy inside and I think they are quite attractive. If its really done 16k what! Then be worth seeing if cam belt has been done for age of it.

 

The seat issue i agree that i should consider 3 doors my dad had a fiesta van BITD! seats though another discussion prob not for here is we were going to buy a rear facing seat again which are going to get more popular, poss brought in as law in the future.

[Ian_Fearn]

Same here. I've been driven out of the BX world as survivors are either now really nice, or utterly f*cked. So, nice ones are pricey (albeit only by BX standards really) and ropey ones aren't worth buying as they need almost a full resto to gain an MOT.  The XM is further along the timeline, a bit more modern, but I'm very aware that I've grabbed one while I can and that there could come a point very soon where it just doesn't work as a daily. With all of these older cars, it feels like there's a glory time of bangernomics before corrosion really catches up with them or part simply become unavailable. Even my 1998 Daihatsu was a pain in the arse even for simple things like brakes. 

 

Mind you, I'm sure a previous generation (still represented by Junkman and a few others on here in spirit if not age) would convince us that electronic ignition is the work of Satan and that it doesn't matter if a car rusts if you can easily repair it. I bet fitting new sills to my 2CV is a lot easier (and requires a lot less stripping) than to an XM.

 

Absolutely right Ian. I got on really well with our BX TZD Turbo and 16TXS auto. We had them for years both starting with 30k on the clock. The TZD went to southern Spain regularly. During this period I had a V6 XM too, the 12v version but getting stuff for that was a nightmare.

 

You can keep 2cv's going forever but you've got to be bloody tough to run one in the winter! I rented one in France 2 or 3 years ago, blazing sunshire, roof back etc. Enjoyable for a day but jesus, I was fooked at the end!

[reanimation-films]

Got to agree with phil_lihp about 7-9 year old stuff. I'm of the mindset t hat if a car owes me sub £500band something fairly big goes wrong, then either scrap it or sell spares or repairs and start again. If you get a ton to scrap, then the very most it can cost you is £400. That won't get you much in the way of repairs on a car that you feel compelled to fix because you've got a couple of grand in it.

There's loads of cheap chod around at the moment that you could own for a few hundred quid. Apparently, someone's selling a semi sporty 306 fairly cheaply, too. Wonder who that is?

Still got that XS huh? What did you replace it with, seems like a great thing to keep, why you selling? Does it need anything? Insurance is the enemy in this postcode though I did price up a Focus ST170 estate on insurance yesterday

[catsinthewelder]

Either give that Clio  or a similar one at a garage a long test drive to see if you get on with it.  I've liked every mk1 Clio I've driven but not the mk2.  The parents bought a  late, nearly new mk2 to replace their mk1 and both hated it too,  it was replaced by their old bigger car (55 plate Corrola) which is now the oldest car my dad has owned in my lifetime and probably the most reliable.

[reanimation-films]

Either give that Clio or a similar one at a garage a long test drive to see if you get on with it. I've liked every mk1 Clio I've driven but not the mk2. The parents bought a late, nearly new mk2 to replace their mk1 and both hated it too, it was replaced by their old bigger car (55 plate Corrola) which is now the oldest car my dad has owned in my lifetime and probably the most reliable.

Oh, I drove it once but I was being chased by brother in laws drunk mates!

Corolla are meant to be good a chap at work looked at em a few years ago and settled on a TD Yaris that he found out it was ex driving school but has been brilliant regardless, he even took it to Nurbugring!

[sporty-shite]

Bangernomics, when to give it up and what to buy?

 

 

1) 306 XSi

 

2) Now.

 

Fixed that for you!

[Ian_Fearn]

If it goes for sensible money its just the sort of thing i'd go for. I'm no VAG fan but its a 'proper' Audi before the tosser brigade started buying them. Good strong petrol engine and a low mileage. Keep it serviced and theres little reason it shouldn't last another 20 years!

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1992-AUDI-80-2-6-E-AUTO-GREEN-1-LADY-OWNER-60K-LONG-MOT-/261698523039?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item3cee728f9f

[Inspector Morose]

I wouldn't say a BX is a hard car to use as a daily hack. Mine is! Parts are pretty easy to come by still, you can still get parts for it from GSF and my local factors (Car Spares) can get anything else within a few days. Repairs are straight forward, pipes can be made and engines and gearboxes are shared with enough cars out there to keep me in supply for a while yet, albeit with gentle modification.

 

Rust is an issue but I suppose I'm blessed that I can weld things back together again but there's no complicated bits to form, just a few awkward access issues for things like the rear subframe mounts.

 

The thing that'll kill it will be trim and glass. I was taught in my early days of bus preservation to stockpile glass and unique fittings. This will start soon as they become harder to come by.

 

Lastly,don't be afraid to modify. So what if it isn't original? You're running it as a daily and cheap runner not entering it into a concourse show. Make it sound, make it safe but above all, make it work.

[reanimation-films]

Lotto car for the money that Audi and no jogging pants required.

[sporty-shite]

Still got that XS huh? What did you replace it with, seems like a great thing to keep, why you selling? Does it need anything? Insurance is the enemy in this postcode though I did price up a Focus ST170 estate on insurance yesterday

Yep, still got the XSi. Ridiculous amounts of people have "agreed" to buy it, then just disappeared. To be honest, I'm considering keeping it and maybe starting to use it again after Christmas. Only reason I wanted to get rid was that I got a cheap ZX turbo diesel for economy after I started at Uni, as I'm doing more miles, and have less money. However, I start an eight week placement at Royal Bolton Hospital in February, so will only do about 8 miles a day, so if it doesn't sell, I will think about reinstating it as my daily.

 

Oh, and ST170 estates. I parked next to one the other day, and it got me thinking. Good looking, understated thing. WOULD!

[Inspector Morose]

For a car to use and forget, I'd plump for a late 90s A4 1.8 non turbo manual. Fairly simple, safe for the kids, pretty rot free, quite economical and happy to plod up and down motorways as doing the jog to Lidl.

 

Just service it every now and again and forget.

[catsinthewelder]

I know where there's a low milage Petrol BX in need of a new home.

[sporty-shite]

As posted in the £200 thread. Look at this! It's a moderrn, FFS!! £250 BIN with a good lump of test.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2001-MAZDA-626-1-8-GXI-PETROL-5DR-HATCHBACK-5-MONTHS-MOT-/231414741264?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item35e164b910

 

[hairnet]

hairnet taxi available (got crash hat? )

[dollywobbler]

You can keep 2cv's going forever but you've got to be bloody tough to run one in the winter! I rented one in France 2 or 3 years ago, blazing sunshire, roof back etc. Enjoyable for a day but jesus, I was fooked at the end!

 

Really? I find mine no bother when its cold. Four years ago, when my BX's heater matrix froze (because it was minus 15) we undertook our Christmas roadtrip in the 2CV. It was no more hardship than anything else. I will say the lack of heated rear window is occasionally a pain, but it certainly gets toasty enough inside (with correct grille muff usage and bubble wrap packed under the front seat to keep the heat near the feet). 

 

It's better than a modern in some ways. I can press the washer button (manual) and if it won't move, I know it's still frozen. To test in the XM, I pull the lever, but if the fluid is frozen, the wipers start anyway and smear the muck all over the place. It also proves that manual steering is a major boon as I can feel it hitting black ice. You don't tend to feel it in a modern until you turn the wheel and nothing happens...

 

In fact, the only problem with all-year use is that my poor 2CV is now completely rotten. It now needs a 'not-very-bangernomics' full resto, or replacement...

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Same here. I've been driven out of the BX world as survivors are either now really nice, or utterly f*cked. So, nice ones are pricey As

 

As a serial BMW owner, I'm finding the that my days of blue and white are numbered. Imo the E36 was the last decent one that could be easily fixed and maintained, and that the E46 after it was a piece of shit built to a price, a rust bucket of stupid design and soft feel plastics. They're just rubbish.

So when my current E36 Touring is fucked and can't really be kept going, I've no idea what to buy. If I had to buy tomorrow, I'd be looking at petrol engined Peugeots such as the 307 or 406,  possibly a Laguna 11 Touring 1.8, Honda Accord etc. But not an E46. No way.