Last car you bought from the local paper. Tales of the print media.

[Rusty_Rocket]

SplitPin mentioning phoning the Autotrader to place an ad, reminds me of when someone would come round and take the picture for the ad.

Younger readers may find this weird, but Autotrader employed local agents whom they sent round to take a black and white smudge, help you write the ad. and take payment. I only used this service once , it was in 1992 for a black D reg Twin Plenum Vitesse. Advertised for £4K sold the day after publication, well worth the £17.

 

Yes!  The Autotrader lady!  Our one was called Lena (I think).  You arranged a time for her to come round, she took the one and only photo and noted down your desperate seller's patter.  Then a week later your crappy ad would appear in the local edition.

Seems absolutely hopeless now, but it worked and was the best we had...

[Spottedlaurel]

From the East Anglian Daily Times in 1991, complete with its ad:

 

1971 Opel Manta A 1.9 Rallye by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

 

The 1983 Sunny that followed it was from AutoTrader, as was this 180B (the blue one):

 

1978-79 Datsun 180B saloons c.1996 by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

 

Purchased after I'd gone all the way down to the south coast somewhere to see a 240K Skyline which turned out to be rubbish. In a fit of remorse I picked up a copy of the AutoTrader that covered Kent, saw the ad for the 180B, viewed it in the dark on the way home and agreed to buy it. Ended up being my daily driver and it's still around now, so can't have been too bad.

 

I do still have a look through the ad's in my mum's copy of the EADT when I visit, very limited choice but I suspect occasionally there'll be the odd gem from someone who doesn't trust/understand that interweb thing.

 

I also remember the AT person coming round to take a photo - fair enough in the 1980s/90s but it did seem an odd concept to persevere with when I could easily have emailed them a decent photo and the text for my ad.

[sierraman]

No, the Library Pic ones were where the car was so unpalatable they couldn’t bring themselves to photo it. I’ve a copy of a 1992 or thereabouts Autotrader, most of the cars in the sub thousand quid section were horseshit, good cars but fucked. £800 RS2000’s and Rover SD1 V8’s that were hanging, loads of regular stuff needing gearboxes or having just had a ‘replacement’ engine at 80k. Sierras were at a premium then, Mk5 Cortina and Mk2 Escorts were giveaway though, £300 tops.

[busmansholiday]

1978 and The Sheffield Star,and my Sunbeam Alpine/Rapier. £375 quid and somebody else also wanted the rusty heap. It was brown though.......

[scruff]

Early 2000s I picked up loads - well, 5 or 6 - Landies cheap out of the Friday Ad. Usually sub-£1000 Series 3s but did go halves with a mate and splashed £1100 on a V8 110 with a fucked chassis. Got our money back on the doors and gearbox alone. Happy, oily days.

[cobblers]

I was 17 in about 2002.

I had no car after the water pump went on my Mk3 fiesta Si and I couldn't get the crank pulley bolt out, so I sold it to my mate for about £300, then phoned up a bloke out of the ad-mag for a £400 Mk2 Fiesta 1.4s.

 

He offered to drive it over to Rotherham from Sheffield so I could have a look. Turned up and was 100% spitting image of Paul O'grady. As usual I spent about 45 seconds looking round it and bought it for £350. I figured it had MOT and it'd driven 10 miles to get here so it must have been fine, and it pretty much was

 

 

I drove it round for 3 weeks before noticing all the tyres were absolutely bald down to the cords. 

Instead of buying new tyres, I got some wheels off an orion for £20 with less knackered tyres and spend £150 on this:

 

[anonymous user]

As a pre-Internet car buyer, at one point most of my cars had been from local paper ads, the Exchange and Mart and then the Autotrader. Local paper was used for emergency, I need a car by tomorrow, cars. I'd buy the cheapest unsold one that ran and had an mot and preferably some tax. Examples of those being Austin Cambridge Estate, Citroen Dyane and a hydrolastic mini. Autotrader was more for things I wanted, like Volvos. Exchange and Mart threw up such oddities as my Lotus 7, a small ad in Motorsport my second Morgan.

Classic Car Mart has supplied quite a few over the years, but it is the Internet (mainly ebay) that is to blame for most of my random shonky stuff over the last few years. I am also guilty of spotting something on a forecourt and impulse buying, my Alfa 164 and Alfa Spider were examples of this, but not on the same day. I think the last one out of the local paper was one of the Volvo 240s. I have also bought a few off here.

[Richard]

No, the Library Pic ones were where the car was so unpalatable they couldn’t bring themselves to photo it. I’ve a copy of a 1992 or thereabouts Autotrader, most of the cars in the sub thousand quid section were horseshit, good cars but fucked. £800 RS2000’s and Rover SD1 V8’s that were hanging, loads of regular stuff needing gearboxes or having just had a ‘replacement’ engine at 80k. Sierras were at a premium then, Mk5 Cortina and Mk2 Escorts were giveaway though, £300 tops.

 

A car would have to be pretty bad to be too grim for a 1" black and white photo.

[anonymous user]

A car would have to be pretty bad to be too grim for a 1" black and white photo.

Which is why they used a library pic, trust me, I went to look at some of them, example being a Renault 5 Gordini, flawless in the library pic, floorless in reality (unfortunately this is not a joke, went all the way to Wootton Bassett from Barry, the seller was a dishonest arse)

[PiperCub]

The first was a Mini 1000 in 1982 when I was 16 - £85, a great first car

 

I initially thought my last was in 2001 (Mk1 Golf GTi - £1200) but just before posting this I recalled in 2005, my XR2i was a bargain £600 in an ad I chanced upon in the local free-sheet that used to come through the door.

 

I used to buy most stuff at auction though and sell it via the local paper as my dad worked there and I got ads in for virtually nothing when I was buying & selling as another way to make money! The yellow 'Free-Ads' paper used to be good but they started charging for vehicle ads and most people were by that time migrating to the interweb - mainly ebay at the time (around 2003 for me). 

 

Last time I looked at one of these free, 'Loot' type papers, there was little choice so haven't bothered since. 

 

The last car I sold in the paper-type media was my MG Midget in 2003 via the MGOC's mag.

[Sir Snipes]

I bought my first Opel Manta from an Auto Trader ad and I use to buy the rag just to browse the Bargains and American sections.

I remember seeing a Corolla GT Coupe in black - facelift, really clean and advertised for £2200 which was pretty strong money back then.

I remember seeing another black one and, what they nowadays call "Panda" (white/black) for £1500 in the back of Fast Car about the same time. They were probably rusty old shits but I loved the shape of them. That was when Cecotto edition E30 M3s were about £8k. Such a great time to be into cars but I just missed it - if I had been born 5 years earlier! Basically 20 years ago - where does the time go?

[lesapandre]

I bought my first Opel Manta from an Auto Trader ad and I use to buy the rag just to browse the Bargains and American sections.

I remember seeing a Corolla GT Coupe in black - facelift, really clean and advertised for £2200 which was pretty strong money back then.

I remember seeing another black one and, what they nowadays call "Panda" (white/black) for £1500 in the back of Fast Car about the same time. They were probably rusty old shits but I loved the shape of them. That was when Cecotto edition E30 M3s were about £8k. Such a great time to be into cars but I just missed it - if I had been born 5 years earlier! Basically 20 years ago - where does the time go?

Buy it...what was WH Smith for? I used to flick to those pages and look as well at the under £500 section. Happy days. I think Autotrader stopped having an index at the front to stop furtive flicking in WHS...

[sierraman]

There was a bargain section and a sort of ‘spares or reapers’ section that had no photos.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Was it white?

 

 

Yes.

 

The reg was a Norf London 'NK' such as HNK, RNK etc, S registered. It was originally very pale grey but had suffered an appalling respray. I had the wings off, rebuilt the A posts and crossmember under the rad, did the belts and moved it on. 

 

October 1995.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[HMC]

Would this be the one where you were wondering about having some pillar trim things or other remanufactured? I’ve got a good memory!

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

No, not me. I sold in in December 1995 to a guy called John Williams who set up a classic car business of sorts. I had lots of Alfasuds back then - that was an expensive one.....most were £25-300. They were just worthless. 

I did restore a 1979 T reg four door Sud earlier that year and struggled to find some new C pillar fabric trims.

 

 

 

 

[Felly Magic]

N236DYG, dealer advert in the local paper back in 1997, Skoda Felicia GLX 1.3, car was 18 months old, and a fucking lemon, turned out it had been a driving school car, and it did have 36k on it when I bought it! The faults I had with that car were unreal, in the first year I must have spent about 4 weeks driving courtesy cars, had faults with the exhaust & catalyst, brake calipers, suspension, clutch, sunroof, immobiliser.. eventually chopped it in with a dying head gasket in 2001 as I had enough of it. 

[bolognasal spray]

My last was also my first - a mkII escort, 4 door, cordoba beige, 1.3 - can't remember the reg but am guessing W. Iirc I paid £850 for it. The year was 1989 or very early '90.

 

It was fairly shit but got me around for about 5 - 6 years, had the sills skinned, then needed some floor welds towards the end, and I just scrapped it. Think I got £30 cos I could drive it in. This was at McGuinness's, Longport, Stoke. Used to love going in there and snooping around for bits and bats.

[Six-cylinder]

I not sure if this is a bit off subject because this is an early newspaper ad car purchase.

 

May 1982, Thames Valley Trader

 

It is the car I still have. 

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

No, not me. I sold in in December 1995 to a guy called John Williams who set up a classic car business of sorts. I had lots of Alfasuds back then - that was an expensive one.....most were £25-300. They were just worthless. 

I did restore a 1979 T reg four door Sud earlier that year and struggled to find some new C pillar fabric trims.

 

 

Screen Shot 2018-11-19 at 19.52.09.png

 

 

 

Thinking about it, I think I made some noises about getting these trims strips remade but couldn't find either the correct material or anyone to print them. It's all coming back to me. 

[Burnside]

I've owned 14 cars in total so far and have only brought my first two Cars out the local papers.

 

Back in 1999 and I had over a year to go till I turned 17 yet I brought my First Car. Reason being my Mum banned us from buying a Scooter when we turned 16.

 

So I stuck to my first love Cars and knew that a Uno Turbo or Nova SR was never going to happen. So set my sights on a Fiat Uno 45 / 60. After convincing my Mum & Dad that a Car I couldn't yet drive for another year was a must. We went and viewed a few Uno's advertised in the local papers but each one was dismissed for various reasons to my annoyance.

 

I think my Dad underestimated my desire to have a car and at this point I started looking at alternatives within my own price range.

 

Anyway one night my Dad brought home the weekly local paper that came out on a Thursday. I had look in the Cars For Sale section and there it was. A 1986 Talbot Samba Style. £200 T&T.

 

The funny thing was I was 99% sure I'd seen this car around on the estate where we lived. So I convinced my Mum that ringing it up was a great idea. So the next day unbeknown to my Dad I arranged a viewing. It turned out to be the same Samba and only one street away. I went and viewed it on my own on the Friday evening. The bloke selling it wasn't free but his Dad showed me around the car instead and let me start it up etc. I couldn't drive it of course and didn't but I don't think he knew how young I was and he left me to poke around it.

 

So after about 20 mins I said I'd have a think about it that evening and call his Son the next day to let him know either way. So I spent the Sat morning pricing up a tyre and the exhaust that would need replacing for the next Mot. Phoned him back Sat afternoon and offered him a £100 because of the costs of the parts etc and settled on £130!

 

Dropped the bomb to my Dad that night and there it was. I was the proud owner of a tatty 1986 C reg Talbot Samba Style.

 

My Second Car I brought out of the local paper was a 1989 G reg MK1 Fiat Uno 45S 3dr. No Mot or Tax for £95 in 2001.

 

Was For Sale at a local garage who took it in PX. It was a total shed in fairness with rotten doors. Bodged up nearside sill and rotten back arch. Missing nearside mirror and bent wheel rims. Even my brother who took me to view it told me it was a shed but who could resist, it was a Fiat Uno 3dr in Black just like I originally wanted.

 

So despite me still not passing my Driving test at this point and still owning the Samba as well a week later my Dad yet again brought home car no 2 !

 

I finally got round to sorting out my licence and passed my test in 2001 and then drove the Samba. Which I kept for over 5 years in total. Then after the Uno sitting for about 18 months on the driveway and having a lot of filler and some welding by a local garage it finally gained a Mot. So I then had 2 cars on the road at only 19 years old. Result!

 

Sorry for the long post but have some crap pics of both Cars.

 

Pictures both taken on Holiday in Newquay. 2003 for the Samba an 04 in the Uno which had gained Turbo alloys and some decent doors too.

 

 

 

[Burnside]

Couldn't resist sharing a picture of my Brothers First Car I found while looking for pictures of my Samba & Uno last night.

 

He brought this late 2000 out of the same paper I brought the Samba from. A 1989 Fiat Panda 750L.

 

Fantastic little Car to drive that my Brother even past his Driving Test in on the second attempt. Pictured here when he put it up for sale about 2003.

 

 

Check out my late neighbour old chod. Blue Cavalier parked behind the Panda was left there about 4 years with no Tax & Test befoe some dodgy lads turned up one evening and offered to buy it. Fresh battery the next day an it was off and away into the night.

[Faker]

I've bought from the 'ads for free' and 'buy and sell' publications. Also remember rushing to get the AutoTrader publication every week! Few purchases from it in years gone by. All online now..

[Bradders59]

Bought a 3.0 24v Senator from the local paer in 2000.One of the best cars Ive ever owned, although of course it rotted away eventually.

[fordperv]

Me and dad used to love buying from the bargain motoring section of the sentinel back in the late 90s early 2000s, the last car that was bought from the local chip paper was my mk1 sierra base.

 

I hadn't spotted it as I was at college i was 16 at the time and dad hid the paper when I finished, he knew I wanted a 3 door sierra (I had already tried to buy one I saw local but the owner didn't want to sell, I own that one now as well but that's another story) so he rung for it instantly when he saw it, it just happens the guy was away until the Sunday so dad could view it then, how he kept the excitement to himself and didn't let slip confuses me to this day.

 

Sunday came around and I made a brew gave dad his father's day gift and card, he told me dont shoot off out as we have to go and look at a car in a bit, i was intrigued but he wouldnt tell me what it was just telling me "you will see", we get there to a pub and waited by the garage the guy comes out to us opens the door and it was there staring back at me in its base model blue glory wearing dangly mirrors, it had a couple of dents but nothing major but it had its passengers side facing the wall, the guy told me there's a little problem with the passengers side, dad told me knock yourself out check it over, I went to the passengers side first, oh shit the quarter panel was caved in where the owner couldn't handle the 1.6 and hit a lamp post sliding it in the snow, regardless of that and the dents it was a pretty solid car, started it up and it ticked over too high (vv carb up the swanney) it had a scaffold pipe which had no hangers as an exhaust it hang a couple of inches above the floor with a big bore 4 at the end, the interior was eaten with mismatched seats, the vinyl doorcards were wrecked, fronts were ripped and the rears had 6x9 holes in, but I saw past all this as it was irrelevant, dad was beaming watching me looking around this car which if I didn't end up having would probably end up at mcguinnesses, a deal was done at £150 which probably was too much for it at the time he did chuck in a few brand new parts that wouldve cost that anyway, because I didn't have a license the owner followed us back home and took us back to the car picking up a can of fuel on the way, that was it we picked it up, dad ragged it along the A500 for a bit of fun on the way back it still had tax and m.o.t, the drive back highlighted the bushes were buggered as well, we pull up outside and the sound of it caused curtains to twitch from the neighbours, my mum heard the noise came out, her first words were "what the fuck have you bought him" which made us both laugh

 

We did all the mechanical work together turning it from the wreck to something to be proud of which I enjoyed and it got lots of attention, i had an accident in it avoiding a woman in a people carrier who pulled straight out on me, it was either hit a parked van or t bone the people carrier, i chose the van, I still have the car to this day, I sat it under a cover for a couple of years as I was short of cash and then decided to fire into it but then got held up getting it painted because I literally couldn't get a space at my mates bodyshop, it's currently in the body shop having a bare metal respray

 

I was 16 when I had it and I'm 34 now and it's scary where 18 years can go,

 

This is one of those cars I never intend on selling, the means too much to me its a big link to my dad

[Stevebrookman]

Last one was one my brother bought-here it is-advertised in The Autotrader 26th June 1997. How I wished we'd kept it.

 

 

Steve

[iainrcz]

I think I bought my raging beast 1500 diesel Saxo out of the local paper. Can't recall when, 2003 maybe.

[bolognasal spray]

Couldn't resist sharing a picture of my Brothers First Car I found while looking for pictures of my Samba & Uno last night.

 

He brought this late 2000 out of the same paper I brought the Samba from. A 1989 Fiat Panda 750L.

 

Fantastic little Car to drive that my Brother even past his Driving Test in on the second attempt. Pictured here when he put it up for sale about 2003.

 

20181120_155649.jpg

 

Check out my late neighbour old chod. Blue Cavalier parked behind the Panda was left there about 4 years with no Tax & Test befoe some dodgy lads turned up one evening and offered to buy it. Fresh battery the next day an it was off and away into the night.

 

It's weird. That photo looks like it was taken in 1972 on a Kodak Instamatic.

[chaseracer]

Per the 2CV thread, the Dyane came to me from Abingdon through the Thames Valley Autotrader in late 1990.  

 

Some years later, I needed* a 'large barge' to get to the south of France.  The Cannock Mercury smoll ads threw up a careworn Volvo 240GLT at £550, from which slightly optimistic punt a discount of 75 sheets was duly agreed.

[txe4]

Local paper: a couple of really horrible £500-ish diesel fiestas, all rust and filler. 

 

A bit later, this beauty:

 

 

Ticking ALL the stereotype boxes:

 

Pakistani vendor.

Very little English.

Actually in Bradford.

CD of Indian film music left in the stereo.

 

It really was mint, absolutely perfect. I did loads of miles in it with faultless reliability and 40mpg, until I reacted too slowly to getting a stone through the rad and ruined it.