My Oldest is 17 in March

[babydriver]

He wants to get his first piece of shite ready for the magic day, especially as he has found his post office book with 500 smakeroonies in it, I can't teach him in my shite as its an auto (wife made me get it as her car died, I wrote my manual off and she's only got an auto licence and we needed shite fast) so I was wondering what you fellow shiters would do for your sibling shiters, I fancy pre '72 cos he's skint and tax savings would be good for him and I wonder if I could get him on a classic policy???Have you seen the silly money Austin/Morris 1100s go for? and I (we) fancied one of them.

[wuvvum]

You might struggled to get him on a classic policy at 17. Most classic policies are designed for the more "typical" classic car driver, who tends to be over 25. BMC ADO16s are very cheap, yes, and they're also closer to a modern driving experience than most cars that age. I'm actually looking at one myself at the moment - a 1972 Austin 1300 in mustard beige - it's only £200 but it's only tested till April so might be a bit tight for when he passes his test...

[reallyloud]

I wanted and bought a classic for my first car, it worked out ok (just) but I'd consider getting him a shonky Corsa/fiesta/happy shopper to get the experience of driving. There is every chance if you find him a classic it might well end up getting damaged through inexperience. Not sure but insurance might be an issue too. The other option is to get him a potential up and coming classics (I loath using that word) like a 205 or Renner 5. 80's cars are dissappearing very quickly these days.

[MrRegieRitmo]

sibling or offspring? Mine was a £145 1985 Fiat Panda 45CL, 15yrs old at the time.....the car that is. I think it was only acceptable because metal grille Pandas had become a rare sight. Ordinarily a 15yr old car would not be rare enough or interesting enough to satisfy somebody like an Autoshiter who wants to stand out from the crowd. But anything late 80s or older should do the trick. From an insurance point of view it will have to be something puny.

Most classic policies are designed for the more "typical" classic car driver, who tends to be over 25.

That's a statement I have recently decided I can live with!

[Marty]

I would have suggested a Beetle or 2CV as a suitable entry into shite motoring with the maximum amount of fettleability - but a quick search on eBastardbay puts all but total and utter basket boxes well outside all but the richest autoshittist pocket My choice for cheap and cheery insurance friendly motoring with the maximum amount of spannerability....Mk 2 Fraud Fiasco (1.1 or 1.0 Popular)Mk2 Citroen BX 1.4 (RE spec or worse - must have plastic coated pipes post '92).Mk 2 Austin Metro (1.0 or 1.3 really as it makes very little odds with the insurance)Mk 2 VW Polo 1.0 or 1.3 - try and get a Formel E as they are super economicalRenenr 5Personally I would shy away from Nova / Corsas / Clio's / 206's owing to the Barrysboys appeal and subsequent insurance hikes that these cars seem to carry (same with Escort - try this, 1300 Scrote Mk3, £1150 TPO for a 17 year old apprentice plumber, 1400 Fiesta Mk 2 £740 TPF&T for same individual)

[wilko]

I would have suggested a Beetle or 2CV as a suitable entry into shite motoring with the maximum amount of fettleability - but a quick search on eBastardbay puts all but total and utter basket boxes well outside all but the richest autoshittist pocket

My brother just flogged on our old 1200 LHD Mexican import Beetle on for about 400 quid...

 

Puchased for £550 and used for 2 years before laying up for a bit of work, it was decent enough - last year due to numerous oil-pissing-on-drive incidents, I dismantled the engine, de-grunged & de-coked eveything, fitted new push-rod tube thingies and reassembled with new gaskets & seals - amazingly for an old Beetle, there was not one single oil leak after it went back together. He had purchased a few parts which went off in the boot when he sold it - new chrome bumpers, exhaust tips & a pair of front shocks.

 

Although it was bubbling a bit on one of the front wings, the structural metalwork, floorpan & all that heat exchanger tat was nice and grot-free, and it only needed the shocks fitting, a brake overall and tune-up for an MOT. He flogged it because his girlfreind hates it & our mum got all stroppy & demanded the garage back for the winter to protect her horrible 28k 1995 fiesta (gets driven once a week, still has the original tyres)

 

On the other hand, I choked on my cornflakes this morning when I opened my january edition of Practically Clapped-out and saw an austin 1100 up for FOUR GRAND! Ok it is probably one owner from new, historied and licked clean weekly - but jesus! four grand!

 

 

My suggestion would be a Renault 5 1.1 - I brought the ex one for about £200 with a full MOt a few years ago and promptly fell in love with it!

[Mr Lobster]

Another vote for a Renner 5. Easy to fix, generally inexpensive to buy and own and are fairly reliable.There is still a reasonable number around so finding a decent one isn't an issue and scrapyards have plenty so bits are easy to come by but they are starting to become a bit rarer as older tattier ones die off.Otherwise its the usual suspects - Fiesta, Polo, Citroen AX all of which are cheap to buy and run.If on a strange chance you wanted something a bit newer... how about Suzuki Alto? I bought my g/f one two years ago for £800 and its been a superb car, have hardly needed to spend anything on it (touches wood) and it does 45mpg!

[r.welfare]

Volvo 340 1.4. RWD DRIFT NOT AE86 DISABLED PARKING BADGE COLOSTOMY BAG ETC But seriously - plenty strong if he does come off the road at any point, simple to run and fix (OHV Renner lumps go on for 150k plus), cheaper tax as sub 1549cc, and insurance group 5 works out pretty cheap - or it did when I had one as a first car @ 19yrs of age back in 1996. I paid £500 for my first year's TPF&T insurance. You might be able to get a restricted mileage policy as well.

[pandamonium]

Sorry but I'd recommend a Panda. Get a 903cc 5speed one cos they're nippy as anything and sooooooo easy to work on.

[Guest]

Kia Pride with the whitewalls!

[reallyloud]

Thinking about safety as an issue - as a parent would do, then I would look at 80's and early 90's polos or golfs. Prices are still reasonable. I would also recommend a K10 Micra, but they fold up almost as easily as a metro.

[Mash]

Yeah, K10 Micra every time. There's still millions about and they go forever even if you don't change the oil

[simmo]

Another vote for a K10 Micra, brilliant little cars and still loads around.

[mk2_craig]

Peugeot 205 sounds a good bet, oldest ones now just about 25 years young, a beige GL on the A is defo shite.Depends how keen you are to get something out of the ordinary and how much time and effort you want to put in? I'd imagine a decent Talbot Horizon could be secured for much under five hun, assuming you have the patience to track one down. Scores obscurity points for being a manufacturer no longer in production. Or maybe a Yugo? Triumph Acclaim?

[Justin Case]

Another vote for the Polo. We've had a G reg one going round the family for 15 years now, including two learning to drive on it. Polos are solid, reliable, easy for spares and most of all any teenager would be happy to drive one without a paper bag over his/her head.

[Ratdat]

I think now I'd go for a K11 Micra over a K10 because they are getting really cheap and K10's are knocking on a bit now. They last well, drive great, are reliable and are probably a lot safer than a K10 in a crash. Easy to get bits for too as there's loads in scrappys now.I would wager that the money saved in road rent on a Pre '73 car would be beaten easily by just buying some more modern that's reliable and economical. That said I had an A35 as my first car and if nothing else it taught me how to drive a badly handling car with no brakes and a hell of a lot about wielding spanners. Old stuff can't be beaten for those things!

[chester drawers]

Depends how keen you are to get something out of the ordinary and how much time and effort you want to put in? I'd imagine a decent Talbot Horizon could be secured for much under five hun, assuming you have the patience to track one down.

Quite. SMMT data in Practical Classics suggests there's only 4 Chrysler badged Horizons left running in the UK

[babydriver]

Some great tips, I am biased Towards the Acclaim but the polo Is the best bet I think. Thanx Again.

[Baz]

I'm a great advocate of the Nissan Micra as a first car....I found two nice K10 Micras for young friends of my previous partner to use as their first cars....Both performed admirably, with no problems at all.My Stepson has just passed his test however, and he'll be getting the R9 once I've had a couple of little things sorted....Insurance is surprisingly cheap for him too.My only minor worry is that he passed his test in a brand new focus with A.B.S. and no doubt all manner of other modern gizmos, so I want him to take things very easy at first, as the R9 will feel very different!

[Mr_Bo11ox]

My first car at 17 was a lilac Allegro 1500 VP, it taught me a lot about welding, great first car apart from that though, even popular with women! (till they saw that i was driving it)

[MrRegieRitmo]

Depends how keen you are to get something out of the ordinary and how much time and effort you want to put in? I'd imagine a decent Talbot Horizon could be secured for much under five hun, assuming you have the patience to track one down.

Quite. SMMT data in Practical Classics suggests there's only 4 Chrysler badged Horizons left running in the UK

Yes the emphasis being on Chrysler / Simca Horizons not Talbot ones. I think all were Talbots after about 1981 & there's plenty of them still around, they're no rarer than anything not Golf / Escort / Astra flavour. If there were only 4 Horizons left full stop, then probably only a Tagora would beat it for 1980s obscurity!Perhaps more suitable than a Horizon, how about a Samba? Smaller, more manoeverable, less powerful but probably more nippy!

[Mash]

Don't know about you, but I thought this was bloody cheap and would have made a perfect first car:

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... :IT&ih=006

 

[Mat.T]

I'd recommend a k10 too, mine was my first car and put up with alot of abuse (including getting driven in to deep water twice ) I've still got it but it hasn’t turned a wheel since I got the 323. I like another preferably a really early datsun badged one with the seats with the integrated head rests.That blue k10 really did look good for the money.

[MrRegieRitmo]

My Stepson has just passed his test however, and he'll be getting the R9 once I've had a couple of little things sorted....Insurance is surprisingly cheap for him too.My only minor worry is that he passed his test in a brand new focus with A.B.S. and no doubt all manner of other modern gizmos, so I want him to take things very easy at first, as the R9 will feel very different!

Hope it doesn't get run into the ground! I'm sure you trust him though, else he wouldn't be getting it!

[mouseflakes]

My only minor worry is that he passed his test in a brand new focus with A.B.S. and no doubt all manner of other modern gizmos, so I want him to take things very easy at first, as the R9 will feel very different!

Congratulations to him for passing!From my experience, the older, less 'cosseting' cars might actually give a young driver a better feel for what the vehicle is doing and make them feel more in control. Was certainly the case when I was a learning. I couldn't get on with the 'moderns' that the instructors used.I was lucky to find one who was happy for me to use my mum's Mini van and everything went swimmingly from then on. I just felt more 'in touch' with the Mini, easier to find the biting point on the clutch, easier to hear when to change up etc. etc.You might find he prefers the older car as I did.