What Banger to drive to southern Spain for £500?

[jaycey001]

Hello  - been a long time since I was last here, but I know this is the right place to be when wanting advice on buying some real shite! 

 

So my 200,000 mile Defender broke down in Spain this summer and I am now planning on driving out in December, with the missus and 2 kids, to get it on a lorry and back to the UK. I want to take a car out to leave there for when we are on holiday and also take a few bits of tat out for my mum (she has a house there). 

 

So I am after a car that i can eventually put on Spanish plates, will be reliable enough to transport me and my family and punchy enough to get us there in reasonable time, it also needs to be fairly small to fit on the drive and negotiate the steep narrow country roads.  AND most of all cost as little as possible.. I also need to be able to pick up LHD headlights for it eventually. 

 

I am thinking along the lines of an old Ford Fiesta or Pug 106 but have never owned a ford or a pug (i prefer much more unreliable british cars!) and was wondering what you guys would recommend or if there is anything I have overlooked? 

 

Does anyone have any suggestions on what to look out for on the the Fiesta (im most tempted by these due to size and sheer abundance) 

 

I look forward to your suggestions...

 

Cheers

J

[purplebargeken]

Mk3 golf

[AMC Rebel]

Seat Ibiza seems obvious choice for minimal hassle. Autotrader has a few around the £500 mark so it looks doable. I was thinking Marbella, but not sure there are any left and they seem to be getting a bit collectable. I assume second hand chod is more expensive in Spain?

[purplebargeken]

1996 1.6 CL. 5 door hatch. Comfy GTi interior. Belts done about 30 thou back. Tons of parts available for it including funny headlights for euroland. 

 

Hoping to have MOT next Weds/Thurs. 138 thou on the clock, New thermostat housing and thermostat. Drives nicely. Very clean engine bay.

[TRW]

If my mates kid doesn't want this Clio I have just bought him for £150 use that.

 

You can leave it there as it would look much better abandoned in Southern Spain than on my driveway.

 

Please.

[AMC Rebel]

Not an expert on fezzers but I guess a £500 one will be rusty like my £300 Puma. If if drives ok, it probably is ok. Niggly things lkke the heater control valve and the fan resistors can go, but parts are cheap enough.

[jaycey001]

I would LOVE a Seat Marbella but just cant get one for much under a grand, and rapidly rising! Yes cars are much more expensive in Spain and from what I have seen they doent seem to service them aswell as here so I think I would be better off buying a good un here and taking it over. 

I kind of forgot about the Ibiza, are SEAT generally ok? 

 

Thanks for the offers, but unless your in sunny Suffolk I wont be taking you up on them  

[Cavcraft]

{looks outside}

 

2001 Saxo 1.1 petrol with only 39,000 miles on the clock.

[Tamworthbay]

Mx5

[wuvvum]

Rover 25 diesel.  With aircon for added Spain-suitability.

[purplebargeken]

Golf is in North London.

[jaycey001]

Mx5

Already got a MK1 and it would be the absolute perfect car - nice and torquey for the hills and small enough... just need to find one with 4 seats  

[Parky]

Long old drive that, are you sure you wouldn't use something bigger like an old 7 series? Or if you want to beat the Mullers and the Reinhardts an Audi of some description?

[Tamworthbay]

Already got a MK1 and it would be the absolute perfect car - nice and torquey for the hills and small enough... just need to find one with 4 seats

 

just take two......

[wuvvum]

Or this.  Plenty of poke, dead reliable, Badermatic for even more ease of driving, aircon, and absurdly cheap - you'd probably get it for 150 quid.  OK it's not in Suffolk, but Poggleswade^TM isn't that far away.

 

[jaycey001]

Long old drive that, are you sure you wouldn't use something bigger like an old 7 series? Or if you want to beat the Mullers and the Reinhardts an Audi of some description?

It is a long long drive, but I managed it in a 95 landrover defender with no heating (actually the heater was stuck on full) in 3 days at 55mph all the way  and in August at 38 degrees!  So ANY CAR will be luxury compared to that  

[Parky]

Yeah, point taken. Crawling there while rolling a Brussel Sprout with your nose would be preferable!

[Psycho Charlie Knobcheese]

P11 Primera 2.0

[Dave_Q]

I nearly didn't read this thread as I thought it was about a banger rally - they're not exactly popular around here.

 

Clearly this is a case for the Official Autoshite Ebay Game

 

Search for all vehicles, auction only, <£500, within 25 miles, and bid on the one ending soonest. 

 

For me it brings up this: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ROVER-45-1-4-16v-IL-2002-NIGHTFIRE-RED-5-DOOR-HATCHBACK-90K-MOT-2017-/331948804498?hash=item4d49b0c992:g:qp8AAOSw6n5XvL4o

 

The game is never wrong.

[djimbob]

Just been to Tortosa and back with my mate to pick up his stuff from his x girlfriend's flat - 2,800 mile round trip in my kia Sedona - brilliant for the trip aside from lack of aircon, which made a huge difference in Southern France and Spain - almost unbearable!

 

The Spanish seem to drive all french, some Italian, and of course Seat's, not much else,  perhaps Nissan's due to the renault connection I guess.

 

i would buy something French and automatic personally, but each to their own, and working aircon is a must!!

[wuvvum]

For me it brings up this: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ROVER-45-1-4-16v-IL-2002-NIGHTFIRE-RED-5-DOOR-HATCHBACK-90K-MOT-2017-/331948804498?hash=item4d49b0c992:g:qp8AAOSw6n5XvL4o

 

The game is never wrong.

Aye, a Kettle climbing steep Spanish hills in 38 degree heat with four people on board is definitely* going to be a problem-free choice.

 

Bonus busshite in that advert though.

[jaycey001]

I nearly didn't read this thread as I thought it was about a banger rally - they're not exactly popular around here.

 

Clearly this is a case for the Official Autoshite Ebay Game

 

Search for all vehicles, auction only, <£500, within 25 miles, and bid on the one ending soonest. 

 

For me it brings up this: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ROVER-45-1-4-16v-IL-2002-NIGHTFIRE-RED-5-DOOR-HATCHBACK-90K-MOT-2017-/331948804498?hash=item4d49b0c992:g:qp8AAOSw6n5XvL4o

 

The game is never wrong.

Hmmm Good game - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ford-Focus-/122139659407?hash=item1c70174c8f:g:MN0AAOSwCGVX3sOl   Tempting!!

[jaycey001]

Just been to Tortosa and back with my mate to pick up his stuff from his x girlfriend's flat - 2,800 mile round trip in my kia Sedona - brilliant for the trip aside from lack of aircon, which made a huge difference in Southern France and Spain - almost unbearable!

 

The Spanish seem to drive all french, some Italian, and of course Seat's, not much else,  perhaps Nissan's due to the renault connection I guess.

 

i would buy something French and automatic personally, but each to their own, and working aircon is a must!!

 

I love automatics, used to have an auto Fright rover Sherpa of all things! I was once advised never to buy anything French, especially anything French AND automatic - But I have seen a pug 206 Auto for £250 and 44k on clock that I have been tempted by.... Was this advice right? 

[Ghosty]

Early Audi A4s are cheap, assuming your kids aren't too tall as the rear legroom is sub-par. 

[Doctormop]

Toyota Yaris or Honda Civic? either would get you there without any issues and probably cope with being laid up for long periods without going horrendously moody.

[djimbob]

I love automatics, used to have an auto Fright rover Sherpa of all things! I was once advised never to buy anything French, especially anything French AND automatic - But I have seen a pug 206 Auto for £250 and 44k on clock that I have been tempted by.... Was this advice right? 

 

Had a Pug 205 auto I bought from my cousin Strange Angel, and sold it to Castro's bro (sorry probably got that entirely wrong!), which was faultless aside from a sunroof drip - I love auto's myself, all I drive nowadays, and especially good for driving abroad long distances - if the gearbox is ok now, then chances are it will be fine for years  - I'd do it

[Pillock]

You're pretty much just asked everyone on the forum what car they have for sale

[djimbob]

Also, I did have a downer on Frog Chod for many years, and I'd go for japanese of Korean if it was a UK use car with occasional holiday, but seeing as the Spanish drive mostly french cars it seemed to me, then spares and skills would outweigh reliability - also french cars are brilliant on the juice and seem designed to do long distances in comfort at a budget price - total wins all round for me

[New POD]

Should I buy JohnK's MV6 (If he ever gets it MOT'd), I'll have a spare astra mk4 1.6 16V 54 reg with 53K on the clock going spare. It will be a little more than £500 (Possibly I'd want erm £750 - not really thought)

Head lamps are cheap for them.

It would be a reasonable motorway cruiser, to get down there, although I find the sports seats do not work for me on long journeys.

[Jerzy Woking]

Occassionally cheap Spanish registered cars pop up on ebay/Gumtree/preloved etc.maybe easier to buy one you can drive down there and know you won't have any real hassle with re registering.