83C Posted June 18, 2018 Share Posted June 18, 2018 Something interesting.I have a spare insurance policy running, rather than cancel it I’m tempted to buy something for a bit of fun. Think B-road blaster rather than motorway mile muncher, or maybe something 4x4 that I can go green laning with. Budget - sub £850, the lower the better. Location fairly unimportant. At least a couple of months test would be good.I was looking at an E46 Compact 318Ti, but had no response off the owners.Before anyone says it, I know the Min would be an obvious answer but I really don’t have time to mess about with it.Cheers! Edited to reflect changing the goalposts! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
320touring Posted June 18, 2018 Share Posted June 18, 2018 A word of advice for your quest - Stay the fuck away from e46 318ti - crap cars with engines that suffer from myriad problems. An E36 318Ti, however, could be a nice thing:) Good luck:) The Reverend Bluejeans, 83C and Vince70 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John F Posted June 18, 2018 Share Posted June 18, 2018 Something interesting, B road blaster, German... Might be out of your price bracket though chaseracer, stonedagain, Twiggy and 7 others 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gadgetgricey Posted June 18, 2018 Share Posted June 18, 2018 If you can find one for the price (probably with starting issues)Mazda RX8 SiC 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sigmund Fraud Posted June 18, 2018 Share Posted June 18, 2018 Not much fun in that price range... You may be able to get a crispy MX5 or a scruffy MGF with a bit of test, but nothing that would go through another MoT easily. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Moog Posted June 18, 2018 Share Posted June 18, 2018 12 months MOT. Kendal Rave, 83C, Cavcraft and 4 others 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cavcraft Posted June 18, 2018 Share Posted June 18, 2018 /\That MX5 is a bargain. You'd get £450's worh of fun out of that in the first couple of months, never mind a year. Still, I suppose if someone really wanted a metallic green sports* car, the thinking* man's choice would be a Golf GTi. Sigmund Fraud, dome, Nyphur and 5 others 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garethj Posted June 18, 2018 Share Posted June 18, 2018 Still, I suppose if someone really wanted a metallic green sports* car, the thinking* man's choice would be a Golf GTi.Wow, if only there was somewhere that a person could go to buy such a marvellous vehicle, that would be a coincidence The Moog, Cavcraft, clayts450 and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supernaut Posted June 18, 2018 Share Posted June 18, 2018 Still, I suppose if someone really wanted a metallic green sports* car, the thinking* man's choice would be a Golf GTi. Aye, but not a MkIII, they're shit! catsinthewelder 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
83C Posted June 18, 2018 Author Share Posted June 18, 2018 12 months MOT. Kendal Picture1.pngFor £450 that’s an absolute barg. However, i’d need to budget another £450 for one to fit the other foot. Mk1 MX-5s weren’t built with fat six an’ arf footers in mind - this along with the RX-7 are two cars that I dearly wish I could fit into. Weirdly I fit fine in an MGF, hence the ticket in PBK’s roffle. As for E46 318Ti’s, I drove one a few years back and thought it a pretty good steer, but it was only 5 years old at the time. What issues do they suffer? Can’t be that much to go wrong on a little four pot lump? As for Mk3 Golf GTI, I’d actually consider it if it were very cheap. Is there one? I may have missed it on the forum if so... The Moog 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
83C Posted June 18, 2018 Author Share Posted June 18, 2018 Hang on, I’ve just spotted its Billy who mentioned Golf GTIs. Marches off in search of Cavcrafts Cacophony of Crap thread The Moog, Junkman, Cavcraft and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FakeConcern Posted June 18, 2018 Share Posted June 18, 2018 I will just say I had a Mk3 Golf GTI from 1997 to 2005 and loved it. After the diff exploded it had a diff & gearbox from a MK2 GTI with lower gears and it was much more fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
320touring Posted June 18, 2018 Share Posted June 18, 2018 Timing chains and head gaskets are a couple of the problem areas.. Give it a read up 83C 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cavcraft Posted June 18, 2018 Share Posted June 18, 2018 MX5s aren’t actually too bad if you’re fat and tall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
83C Posted June 18, 2018 Author Share Posted June 18, 2018 MX5s aren’t actually too bad if you’re fat and tall.The Mk1 I tried at an old workplace wasn’t - I had to move it across the car park with the door open in order to accommodate my right knee. That would be inconvenient on the open road. paulplom, somewhatfoolish and Junkman 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Moog Posted June 18, 2018 Share Posted June 18, 2018 Armrest removal sorts that issue If I had the money that mx5 would be sitting on my drive. They aren't going to get cheaper. Aston Martin and loserone 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gadgetgricey Posted June 18, 2018 Share Posted June 18, 2018 Thinking about it a Pooma probably fits the bill better Vince70 and 83C 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sporty-shite Posted June 18, 2018 Share Posted June 18, 2018 For the love of God, don't buy an E46 316ti. They're so shit it defies belief. Vince70 and cobblers 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tamworthbay Posted June 18, 2018 Share Posted June 18, 2018 Thinking about it a Pooma probably fits the bill betterI bang my head every time I get in and I’m only 5’11” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
83C Posted June 18, 2018 Author Share Posted June 18, 2018 I can fold myself into a Puma quite well actually. I thought all the cheap ones had rotted away by now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John F Posted June 18, 2018 Share Posted June 18, 2018 A Puma occurred to me ealier, there were a couple on ebay at a few hundred quid but they've got ages to run & no test. Some chancers are already after £shitloads for tidy (i.e. tarted up) ones, but I reckon they're still way too early for the OSF madness. Cavcraft 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cavcraft Posted June 18, 2018 Share Posted June 18, 2018 They're defo starting to creep up in value now. John F 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghosty Posted June 18, 2018 Share Posted June 18, 2018 450? Get a Rover R8 216/416. I prefer the auto, manuals are OK but need to be driven hard or are no fun.I know it sounds daft but they're an absolute hoot on B-roads (geared more for that than motorways where they're sort of buzzy), about 100bhp/ton, nice acceleration and handling, smooth, comfy, practical, easy to work on, cheap to run and maintain (though it's easy to get carried away), cheap as chips for now, and I think the time is coming that they'll start to appreciate. Super unassuming too, great fun for pissing off BMs and Audis, and a fraction of the price of an equivalent EF Civic or something.You can get them for £300 all day at the moment but those examples are fast ending up with enthusiasts. https://www.gumtree.com/p/rover/1992-rover-416-sli/1302592674 This would do the job quite nicely imo. davehedgehog31, Brodders and Lacquer Peel 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve79 Posted June 19, 2018 Share Posted June 19, 2018 For £450 that’s an absolute barg. However, i’d need to budget another £450 for one to fit the other foot. Mk1 MX-5s weren’t built with fat six an’ arf footers in mind - this along with the RX-7 are two cars that I dearly wish I could fit into. Weirdly I fit fine in an MGF, hence the ticket in PBK’s roffle. As for E46 318Ti’s, I drove one a few years back and thought it a pretty good steer, but it was only 5 years old at the time. What issues do they suffer? Can’t be that much to go wrong on a little four pot lump? As for Mk3 Golf GTI, I’d actually consider it if it were very cheap. Is there one? I may have missed it on the forum if so...Had a 52 plate 318ti which was actually a pretty nice drive, but smoked like a bustard. Main issues with these are the ccv needs replacing around every 80k as it gets blocked. Most haven't been changed because it seems that bmw built the engine around it. It requires a lot of disassembly just to get to it which I've had quotes of between £200-£350 to do the work. I think the autodata job time was around 6 hours. The other issue is that when looking at the front of the engine block you will probably see oil everywhere. This is cause by the O-rings failing on one or both of the vanos valves. They're pretty easy to replace with only 2x 10mm bolts and a multiplug holding these in. BMW charge £5.00 for the set. However, on mine one of the vanos valve had seized through lack of lubrication which led to sluggish performance at the lower rpm range and shite fuel economy. You have been warned! 83C 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
83C Posted June 19, 2018 Author Share Posted June 19, 2018 450? Get a Rover R8 216/416. I prefer the auto, manuals are OK but need to be driven hard or are no fun.I know it sounds daft but they're an absolute hoot on B-roads (geared more for that than motorways where they're sort of buzzy), about 100bhp/ton, nice acceleration and handling, smooth, comfy, practical, easy to work on, cheap to run and maintain (though it's easy to get carried away), cheap as chips for now, and I think the time is coming that they'll start to appreciate. Super unassuming too, great fun for pissing off BMs and Audis, and a fraction of the price of an equivalent EF Civic or something.You can get them for £300 all day at the moment but those examples are fast ending up with enthusiasts. https://www.gumtree.com/p/rover/1992-rover-416-sli/1302592674 This would do the job quite nicely imo.That’s an interesting suggestion. Wonder if I could find a 3-dr (not a tomcat) in budget? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghosty Posted June 19, 2018 Share Posted June 19, 2018 Nah, they're pretty uncommon these days - and mostly if not all 214s as well I think. More door is better for being unassuming though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
83C Posted June 19, 2018 Author Share Posted June 19, 2018 In a search on eBay for ‘Rover’ budget £450, no distance limit there is just one R8! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghosty Posted June 19, 2018 Share Posted June 19, 2018 In a search on eBay for ‘Rover’ budget £450, no distance limit there is just one R8!Keep an eye on Gumtree and C&C too. You get as many on there as eBay. There's almost always one for sale, you just have to be patient and not massively picky (except with galloping rot and possibly HGF).Maybe sign up to the owners club forum too (free) if you're seriously interested as a lot come up there, they have an eBay watch subforum too. 83C 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
They_all_do_that_sir Posted June 19, 2018 Share Posted June 19, 2018 In a search on eBay for ‘Rover’ budget £450, no distance limit there is just one R8!They are getting rare now which is sad. Sent from my F3211 using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
83C Posted June 19, 2018 Author Share Posted June 19, 2018 I’ll have a think about it, I had a 214SLi years ago which was a hoot. I suppose that’s the biggest thing against one is that i’ve already had a couple of R8s, which is why I’m not really looking at the 200/400/ZR/ZS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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