Bangernomics best bang per buck?

[320touring]

Only someone whos never driven one would say that, because you have about a second and a half before the world goes batshit crazy and starts moving pastyou at an extreme rate of knots and unlike a mildly lukewarm dizzler, the fun is only just starting at 5000rpm.

 

Best big autofor under 500 - Has to be GS300 as you get all the wafty leather and a great straight 6 engine but it probably all still works.

nup, I've driven several and have my opinion:) I just don't like the power delivery approach. I much prefer lumps with some torque lower down the range. Essentially I'd take a mk2 golf gti 8v over a 16v if that makes sense?

they also aint warp speed quick - its more the frenetic redline that makes for a most pleasing sense of speed. Good cars, well engineered but not for me!

 

gs300 is a decent shout though, as the LS 400 are rapidy climbing out of the £500-1000 bracket

[Honey Badger]

Aye reading that back it's a bit abrupt, maybe its the Honda fanboi in me feeling hurt, didnt mean it to come across confrontational but i seem to have a talent for coming across as a miserable git online!

 

 

 

Midrange saloon/estate - Mitsi Galant 2.5 V6 seems to go well and they appears to have almost bottomed out price wise as well, probably due to the hideous interiorfabrics most of them have

[beko1987]

Volvo s40 t4.

[vulgalour]

I know people bang on about them on the forum, but the R8 Rovers are absolutely top for the money.  Pay about £300 and get a car that is frugal, fun and comfortable in a variety of engine and gearboxes, body styles and colours.  They're cheaper than the equivalent Honda and with the K series just a bit more fun to pilot.

 

I was expecting mine to be a throw-away thing to tide me over until something more interesting came along but it's really surprised me at how good it is.  In fact, the only thing it hasn't been particularly good at is moving a 6' flat pack bookcase, but that's only because I don't have a roof rack for it.  Spent today lugging Renault doors and a variety of wheels and tyres about with it, then did a boring normal run to the shops and if I'd wanted to go on a spirited drive for fun I could have done that too, it takes it all in its stride.  Get a Tourer or hatchback and it's probably got the practicality side of things sorted that the saloon falls a bit short on.

 

Top cars, buy one while they're still cheap and plentiful.

[320touring]

Aye reading that back it's a bit abrupt, maybe its the Honda fanboi in me feeling hurt, didnt mean it to come across confrontational but i seem to have a talent for coming across as a miserable git online!

 

 

 

Midrange saloon/estate - Mitsi Galant 2.5 V6 seems to go well and they appears to have almost bottomed out price wise as well, probably due to the hideous interiorfabrics most of them have

we all like whit we like:)

 

galant is a leftfield one..

[320touring]

I know people bang on about them on the forum, but the R8 Rovers are absolutely top for the money. Pay about £300 and get a car that is frugal, fun and comfortable in a variety of engine and gearboxes, body styles and colours. They're cheaper than the equivalent Honda and with the K series just a bit more fun to pilot.

 

I was expecting mine to be a throw-away thing to tide me over until something more interesting came along but it's really surprised me at how good it is. In fact, the only thing it hasn't been particularly good at is moving a 6' flat pack bookcase, but that's only because I don't have a roof rack for it. Spent today lugging Renault doors and a variety of wheels and tyres about with it, then did a boring normal run to the shops and if I'd wanted to go on a spirited drive for fun I could have done that too, it takes it all in its stride. Get a Tourer or hatchback and it's probably got the practicality side of things sorted that the saloon falls a bit short on.

 

Top cars, buy one while they're still cheap and plentiful.

I dont mind the r8 tbh, as you say decent poke. Cant get past the 'grandads slippers' looks though.

 

the k series is a cracking wee engine let down by some sortable flaws - would like one in a kitcar one day maybe

[dave21478]

The topic has gone a bit "V8 POWAAAH", but a properly good bangernomics engine is the Vauxhall 2 litre 8v engine. Fitted to everything from an Astra to Frontera, its cheap, torquey, simple and reliable, non interference so timing belt failure isnt a worry and it gives decent economy.

[BorniteIdentity]

Simple formula really.

 

Petrol. Jap. Naturally Aspirated.   Pre 2005.

 

Pick your poison.

[scdan4]

I say this every time. But. Toyota Camry.

 

Very comfy. Much build quality. Such bargain.

 

 

"but does it have a great engine" you ask(ed)

 

Get the v6. 1mz-fe. It's more than a great engine. It's a great super smashing engine.

 

Lovely smooth progressive low down torque, with additional v6 sooper smoothness. None of this turbo "here it all is, and........ now it's gone"  bollocks, oh no. Hit 4K and WALL OF POWA

 

All wrapped up in the blandest styling ever for added stealth.

[stripped fred]

I say this every time. But. Toyota Camry.

 

Very comfy. Much build quality. Such bargain.

 

 

"but does it have a great engine" you ask(ed)

 

Get the v6. 1mz-fe. It's more than a great engine. It's a great super smashing engine.

 

Lovely smooth progressive low down torque, with additional v6 sooper smoothness. None of this turbo "here it all is, and........ now it's gone" bollocks, oh no. Hit 4K and WALL OF POWA

 

All wrapped up in the blandest styling ever for added stealth.

That engine is often used to turn an mr2 into a mini supercar.

 

http://www.woodsport.org/joomla/index.php/engine-conversions/7-toyota-mr2-mk2-engine-conversions-/9-toyota-mr2-mk2-engine-conversions

[Spottedlaurel]

Fitted the brief perfectly for me at bang-on £500:

 

1996 Lexus LS400 by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

 

It was able to do this on a trackday:

 

140+ MPH by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

 

I sold our Mazda 323F GT for well under £500 a few years ago. I know they're not exactly common nowadays, but one of those would be well worthy of consideration. Great engine, distinctive-looking car.

 

Otherwise what BorniteIdentity says. Loads of reliable and powerful engines fitted in sensible family cars from the ‘90s, most of them with decent rot-resistance too (but I’m going to exclude the facelift Primera P11, as I had one of them and it disgraced itself).

[Spottedlaurel]

I say this every time. But. Toyota Camry.

 

Very comfy. Much build quality. Such bargain.

 

 

"but does it have a great engine" you ask(ed)

 

Get the v6. 1mz-fe. It's more than a great engine. It's a great super smashing engine.

 

Lovely smooth progressive low down torque, with additional v6 sooper smoothness. None of this turbo "here it all is, and........ now it's gone"  bollocks, oh no. Hit 4K and WALL OF POWA

 

All wrapped up in the blandest styling ever for added stealth.

For fear of sounding predictable, I didn’t mention the C-word but I’d agree. I could’ve bought this one for under £500 and it was really rather brisk:

 

1998 Toyota Camry V6 by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

 

Great back lights on them too. I think the engine is different to that in the previous-gen model, which I found perfectly quick enough when I took my £200 example on another trackday:

 

Camry at speed! by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

 

The engine from that one now lives in the back of an MR2.

[oldcars]

Yip zs is 45 or 400 in old money. They v6 ones are reasonably rare most are 1.8's

The v6 ones look great. Big wings and flared arches.

[sierraman]

very sensible, but is it a great engine?

Yes.

[rantingYoof]

I'm disappointed in you, elsewhere this would have been a wall of Auto trader links by now!

 

Oh, okay. I guess I must live up to my reputation.

For me, an important criteria for a true Bangernomic purchase is that it must have at least 6 months of MOT left. That way, you can hammer it into the floor and then laugh at the MOT tester when they hand you a War and Peace style fail-sheet, drive to the scrappy, make a lot of your money back, and go out looking for the next purchase.

 

Considering this is Autoshite, I can be more liberal with what I post too...

 

Diesel Bangernomics

 

Take your pick with these. You should get an uncomplicated two-moving-parts-or-less derv for this sort of dosh, probably fixable with a cheese-string and some fart-putty.

 

Hate life much?

This car does not have tax left (LIAR), and is BROWN.

The worst engine capacity to horsepower ratio you'll ever see on this fine earth.

LOOK AT THE PLATE! IT'S AN IMPORT! IT MUST BE POWERF...no wait. The other thing.

Multi-purpose shite.

 

Barge Bangernomics

 

Anyone with the arsed to dismantle a car and sell for parts should be happy that the budget increases to £1000 for barge-like bangers.

 

Have some rust with a Merc attached (MOT 'til May and only 1k done since that last test)

The best cheap Jag to own.

Straight-six roar for under a bag-of-sand.

Forget what I said about cheap uncomplicated diesels. This....THIS.

Japanese blandness.

[320touring]

Yes.

good conviction!

[beko1987]

Why are all the cars you link to so expensive? My zx cost £300 and in no way do I consider it a banger, or drive it in a bangernomics fashion. If it needs (not too much) money spending, it gets it as it's (so far) a good car! I don't get this 'never service a car cos it costs under £500' mentality, if it's a good car it deserves mechanical sympathy

[320touring]

Why are all the cars you link to so expensive? My zx cost £300 and in no way do I consider it a banger, or drive it in a bangernomics fashion. If it needs (not too much) money spending, it gets it as it's (so far) a good car! I don't get this 'never service a car cos it costs under £500' mentality, if it's a good car it deserves mechanical sympathy

I see there being 3 branches of bangernomics:

1.The classic 'buy it, run it, fuck it' where the car lasts as long as it can before expiring

2.Maintain and small scale investment for continued reliability over a longer period

3.Buy a bargain and do it up -buying a shonky version of a nice model then bringing it back to a decent standard.

 

1 and 2 are straightforward..3 needs much market nous and a little bit of crazy..

 

as for the linked cars above, another facet of bangernomics is understanding your budget:- one mans £300 plus heating oil is another mans £1000 and I dont mind £200 a month for fuel to pimp about in an old exec barge

[HH-R]

Part of bangernomics is that you shouldn't care if it looks shabby/gets driven into in a car park etc. For that reason I couldn't run a Rover R8 or something into the ground.

 

Therefore mk4 Ashtray, VAG SHITE, etc. Reasonably tough and no sleep would be lost if it was WEIGHED IN.

[beko1987]

Ah I stayed away from the barges. Too much want, too little cash! My life is not yet progressed enough to upgrade to berge status!

[320touring]

Ah I stayed away from the barges. Too much want, too little cash! My life is not yet progressed enough to upgrade to berge status!

Au contraire chap, sub 5ton smoker and bish bash bosh job done. they break well to cover costs or just weigh it in. You almost got there with the XM

[Duke O Smiley]

 

Bear with me.

 

This dream machine cost me €250 in September 2014 with test and tax until Jan 2015. 1.3 4efe which is peppy enough, nice box too. Passed the test in Jan with two new (second hand) back shocks and two tires, ~€100 all in, and I drove it on for nine more months and 10k miles with zero trouble whatsoever. In that year it dragged a Lancia Y10 half way across the country (I only have myself to blame for those two shocks), took a Honda 50 in the back with the seats down, various TVs and other assorted crap.

 

One of the best cars I've ever had anyway

[Junkman]

That Japanesish tosh is great for 500 quid - until the moment you need a spare. Then the ¥¥¥bumrape and unobtainium games begin, while your retest deadline ticks away.

There is only one really good car for <500 quid and that's a Peugeot 405. Finding one may prove surprisingly difficult though, because Carlo and I have cornered the market.

[Duke O Smiley]

There is only one really good car for <500 quid and that's a Peugeot 405. Finding one may prove surprisingly difficult though, because Carlo and I have cornered the market.

Agreed.

 

 

 

I'd still be driving the saloon everyday if the tax wasn't so crippling. Its a turbo diesel with power steering, electric everything & a sunroof. A much nicer drive than this if you ask me;

 

 

(but this only cost me €250)

[Eddie Honda]

Duke, the Jag may have cost only Ã¢â€šÂ¬250, but is it not just a driveway ornament given that a one year of Motor Tax on it is only just over seven times the cost of the car?

[spike60]

that looks pretty damn good- are they quicker than the 230 kompressors?

I had a 320 Clk for a couple of years, I'm told smoother, faster and no different on fuel to the 4 pot 230k. High marks from me, a class act aside ffrom scabs and woolly steering.

[sloth]

my saab 9-5 is perfect bangernomics. cost 250 quid, a 100 quid remap done by myself, and its making 235bhp and 391nm of torque. parts are cheap at the scrappy too.

[sierraman]

I think the philosophy of not spending money on a sub £500 car is based on when you know it has something terminal like a fucked gearbox, that's too much a pain in the arse to swap so you literally run it into the ground.

[Junkman]

I'm not sure whether swapping a gearbox that costs 50 quid at the scrappy isn't justified on a 500 quid car.

It sure is for me, because I have to work for my money.

[Junkman]

I wouldn't trust 500 quid Mercedesesses as far as I can throw them. This kind of budget would relegate you to 90s or early 00s ware, which has a build quality like 1970s Hong Kong

toy robots, and makes 1980s Fiats appear rust resistant in comparison.

Saabs I cannot warm up to either. Part of me feels like I'm obliged to like them for some reason, another part of me thinks Saab owners are telling everyone who wants to listen that

no bolt was ever turned on their car, despite they are on the third engine and fifth gearbox. Add all Vauxhalls are shit to the equation for 00s Saabs.