What's the best shite car you've been given for free?

[Stanky]

I was given a Rover SD3 1.6 (I say given, the keys were wrestled out of my (now) late grandfathers hands shortly after he drive it the wrong way round a roudabout on the A316) which was GR12 for a good 6 months til the MOT expired and I was quoted somewhat more than my annual income at the time for welding to make it anywhere near safe.

 

Still it was a massive shame as it only had about 42k on the clock and was actually quite a nice place to be. It had also managed to visit a substantial part of western Europe in its time on this mortal coil too.

[fred]

My stepdads Proton Persona t reg peppermint green with similar chod colour inside

He had to give up driving has he had Macular eye degeneration. No fucking kidding, been self tapping the bumpers back on for months gaffer tape holding the indicators in. dent in every single panel. Hated it.

Would it die? NO two fecking years of abuse, every day got in turned key off it went....

Then was offered a Fozzer which I still have, donated Proton to a Firestation to train on ! Got a free ride in a fire engine mind which was way more worthy !

[stripped fred]

So it seems free cars can be good cars and can give a certain sense of smug satisfaction you don't get when you have to hand over the hard earned. However, free cars are now in short supply unless you have a generous elderly relative or generous fellow shiter.

 

I also agree that spending more money doesn't always give peace of mind. I too will attempt to spend as little as possible on my next car. This also has the added benefit that it's not the end of the world if you have to scrap it as you'll probably get your money back. Result! Just need to try and not pour money into it in the hope of making it a good car which I usually do.

[fred]

Apart from a cossie ran MK4 Cortina - I have never spent more than a grand on a car

 

The Cossie was a ebay drunken bishop bid - which I won - which was quite the surprise two days later as I had forgot all about it

[cortinaboy]

I was given this a few years back, as the dealer it got traded into mislaid the keys and V5! 1600L, I used it as a field racer at a mates farm

 

I was given a mk1 fiesta off a builder once, but it turned out to be a bit of a rotter so this happened to it...

This was about 8 years ago, Id have tried to save it nowadays

 

Then I was asked to clear a lockup, and I could have the car that was inside, turned out to be this

2L Ghia Granada with 50000 miles on the clock. I ended up giving it away to someone else, easy come, easy go!

 

But I guess the best freebie I've ever been given is my Mk2 escort 2 door, granted it was nearly 10 years ago now but I've still got it!

 

[Lord Sterling]

So it seems free cars can be good cars and can give a certain sense of smug satisfaction you don't get when you have to hand over the hard earned.

I was about to reply earlier but for some reason didn't for some reason:

 

Free cars whilst sounding very nice can actually be a huge lump of legal burden and simply a world of pain. More often than not, someone who receives a free car, like I did, will not be ready financially or time-wise in order to receive the car. Then of course there is all the legal responsibilities, picking up the car, sorting out insurance, MOTs, tax, storage repairs etc... on top of dealing with time limits and general life. So free cars aren't really that free, all it does it take out the equation of havjng to barter/agree a price and pay.

 

Yet when you are actively seeking to buy a car, you will have the finance and can make the time of a car comes up for free.

 

It is nice to get a free car but then sooner or later reality will hit and you'd probably be more out of pocket than if you paid for a better example.

[trigger]

 

 

But I guess the best freebie I've ever been given is my Mk2 escort 2 door, granted it was nearly 10 years ago now but I've still got it!

I'm rapidly going off you!

[forddeliveryboy]

As a youngster was once given a pair of knackered 2cvs. Instead of ragging them round a field for cheap thrills, I recognised good design and bolted the good body onto the good chassis and sold it for £££s. Well, £1700, I think. I bought a BMW (£50) which was way more fun on mud and even caught fire for extra points on the way to the scrappie. The rest funded a 70s Alfa and a three-week tour of Italy. When you have money, spend it. All this investment bollox is just that.

[DodgyBastard]

 

Alfa sprint, still have it.

[John F]

I've just remembered that I was also given a Ford Orion 1.6 GL as well. The floorpan must bave been solid, judging by the way the footwells filled up with water when it rained.

 

The Sera's still in first place IMO, followed by the Merc. But that's only because there are no pictures of the freeby Mk 2 Escort.

[DodgyBastard]

 

Got this, sold it a while ago.

[HillmanImp]

 

Alfa sprint, still have it.

 

Whats happened with this? Have you got the V5 yet?

[bigstraight6]

I was given a 1994 Mundano 1.8 about 8 years ago, it had no MOT but only needed new wiper blades to pass and it really took some cleaning up as it had been parked under some trees for over 12 months and was covered in bird droppings. It cleaned up well and did excellent service for about 6 months when I sold it for £750..

[spike60]

Tough call between an Ascona A 1.9 SR with no floor and a cracked head and block, a Mini Clubman with the head in the boot I never collected and a Pug 205 1.9 Gti with a cracked block and B pillars. Nowt to jealous of here folks.

[cms206]

My mate Steve who sadly passed away last November gave me an M-reg Rover 414i Sprint after he lost his license a number of years ago. Sadly it got torched

 

Worst free car was a P-reg Hyundai Accent 1.3Si 'Coupe'.

[pandamonium]

Erm...

 

Horrible car...

[FakeConcern]

I've never been given a free car. Any offers?

[Albert Ross]

1984ish. Me and a mate were given a Holbay Hunter and a rear end damaged Rover P6 V8S... We made one car out of two, sold the Holbay engine for more than it cost us to lob the V8 into the turquoise Hunter, sold the interior out of the Rover, and roasted a newish XJ6 on our first "Sortie".. no pictures.. lost in a house move many moons ago.

[cortinaboy]

My freebie escort, it was complete but as you can see it's now stripped awaiting bodywork, but I've got to finish the sills on my girlfriends £100 fiesta before work re commences!

 

 

 

[trigger]

That's remarkably solid considering and I love the "OOO" number plate

[John F]

My freebie escort, it was complete but as you can see it's now stripped awaiting bodywork, but I've got to finish the sills on my girlfriends £100 fiesta before work re commences!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That is ACE.

 

OK, you're in the lead

[New POD]

I feel like a failure in that I've never had a 'free' car!

 

 

Have you ever given anyone a free car ? Karma ?

 

We (Wife and Me) have been given a Flying Zit (Suzuki SC100), a Cavalier mk3 with 29K on the clock, (Which I later offered to everyone in the family with 140K on the clock) and a Cavalier 1.8 CDi auto mk2, and Given away a 850 mini with 12 months MOT and a months tax.

 

Son was given a mk4 astra with 19K on the clock last year.  Other people in the family declined it first. Which confused me greatly.

 

Will Probably give daughter the BINI cooper in 3 years if she graduates university, and Buy a BINI S (generation 1)

[cms206]

I gave my mate a K-reg 205 to get him by when his 407 shat itself and he in turn paid me back for shafting me for three and a half grand and my half of a restored bus.

 

Karma can fuck off.

[Albert Ross]

I've given a Sierra Estate away to a chap whose Sierra hatch packed up a week before he was due to take his family on Holiday. His Wife was disabled, and they stood to lose the deposit and everything. He got it legal (It had 13 months test) and used it for 3 years. He has since died, but his eldest Son STILL talks about how I saved their Holidays..... TBH it was in the way and I needed space. He was doing ME the favour!

[Albert Ross]

In fact that Sierra was given to me... As was a Mk1 Astra, a few more Sierras, (about 20 in all) and a Rover P4 105R. Blimey.... my memory is crap.

[cortinaboy]

I just remembered I was also given an H reg Rover 416 GTI once, but the cambelt had snapped so sadly she got weighed in. I'd always wanted one and I was going to get it fixed, but a mk2 escort came up for £100 so I got that on the road instead

[kevbk2]

ive been given  cars for free an ax 1.1tge a vauxhall viva deluxe  a dolomite sprint and a mec c230 kompressor sport

[brownnova]

My Gran gave me her brown Vauxhall Nova SR as my first car - my only free car to date! I'd have it back in a shot! But as a student I traded it in for a VW Polo! They gave me £100. It would be worth at least 20 times that now

[cros]

I think I'm nudging ahead here as long ago I was also given an Allegro- it was a beautiful shade of lilac and had the coveted quartic steering wheel. Sadly I have no picture to back up my claim. I ran it for a few months and then sold it to a nurse for £30.

[sierraman]

G-reg Rover 214Sli with the usual ailment.