No such thing as a cheap car

[vivapower]

is there such a thing as a cheap motor anymore??.

in the next few weeks (depending on the sales of the vivas) im gonna need a cheap saloon car with t&t something like a cavalier/ astra rover 214 that sort of shite and everything thats about seems expensive. so have the days of really cheap taxed and tested cars gone forever?.

[Cavcraft]

Not at all, I'm getting offered them almost daily. Right place, right time most likely but they are out there.

[lancashireclamper]

What would you class as cheap?

[vivapower]

looks like i'll have to look harder then.

we have a 05 plate vectra for the family but its to nice for me to use and abuse collecting car parts and going the scrapyard so i need a cheap saloon but it must have at least a decent mot even if there is not much tax.

plus i have an engine, gearbox and rear axle to pick up in 3 weeks in a 6 hour driveathon so i would love an estate

[vivapower]

What would you class as cheap?

around £200.

[Cavcraft]

You'd do a lot worse than the BX diesel estate I've been offered for £80 and it's not far from you. No test but shouldn't want much.

[lancashireclamper]

The only 'bargains' I've seen recently have been on those free advert boards in Asda Morrisons etc, saw an N reg Skoda Favorit, 12 months MOT 6 months tax for £225 a few weeks ago, does seem to be the exception rather than the rule though, high price of scrap maybe to blame

[warren t claim]

Ahem!!!!

[sporty-shite]

Ahem!!!!

Do you really only want 175 for that Pug?

 

It's probably just as well my drive's already full of tat "pending work" or I reckon I'd be all over that like a fat kid in a cake shop.

[vivapower]

You'd do a lot worse than the BX diesel estate I've been offered for £80 and it's not far from you. No test but shouldn't want much.

just googled that to see what it looks like and it looks proper shite I LOVE IT!! what do you think it needs for a test as i dont really have the facilities to do much work without driving it somewhere.

[warren t claim]

Ahem!!!!

Do you really only want 175 for that Pug?

 

It's probably just as well my drive's already full of tat "pending work" or I reckon I'd be all over that like a fat kid in a cake shop.

Only £175 to a shiter though. I'll bang it on gumtree for more if I don't get any takers on here. the extra money is for the aggro I'll doubtless recieve off the scum who'll buy it.

[Cavcraft]

You'd do a lot worse than the BX diesel estate I've been offered for £80 and it's not far from you. No test but shouldn't want much.

just googled that to see what it looks like and it looks proper shite I LOVE IT!! what do you think it needs for a test as i dont really have the facilities to do much work without driving it somewhere.

A cursory glance reveals fibreglassing/bodging up the rear quarter, a hell of a good clean up then chance your arm. I'd have thought the cost of the car and the MOT would be met if it was completely knackered if you took it over the bridge.

[gtd2000]

You'd probably pick up a decent Proton saloon for £250 fairly easily?

[retro80sboy]

id offer up your green viva for a swap for something with a good test and tax and see what happens.

 

saying that, saw a Metro on ebay go for just over 200 quid a couple of weeks back and a mk 2 Fiesta for 215, both taxed and tested.

 

sadly they were miles away from us.

[face]

[Espacetic]

I've been thinking the same, after scrappage and with the price of frag feed it seems hard to get a cheap runner.

Just picked up another Espace though, 1 owner from new and with tax and test for £100 delivered. It's restored my faith somewhat.

[Formula Autos]

You're going to have to find something very unfashionable in order for it to be in good shape at that price.

 

Saloons are a happy hunting ground, as if there's a choice (and there always is with mass produced cars at this price) people will always try to gravitate towards hatches or estates. If you just need something to park your arse in and get it from point A to point B, then a saloon is no problem, and actually likely to be a quieter (and thus more pleasant) form of motoring.

 

So how about going for something that's only ever in demand as an estate in later life? Such as a big Volvo (850 or 700/900, for instance). 200 notes might even buy you a well cared for example if you look hard enough, simply because it's not an estate, and most people won't even go and look at it. No doubt it'll be a bit 'juicy', but ....

 

If you're hard hearted about it, you can always bin it later and get more at the scrappy than for most other saloons.

[scooters]

"is there such a thing as super cheap motoring?"

 

well, there are cars out there that are super cheap to buy - the BX estate etc for £80 - you can get a Xantia for under £300 and Volvo 240s are reliable bullet proof cars for under £500....however, by using the word 'motoring' then surely you are talking about running costs as well and none of the 3 cars mentioned above are particualry cheap to run - both french ones requireing a level of technical competance and of course the fuel of a 240 and Volvo parts put the cost of the big tank up in day to day terms.

 

super cheap motoring IMHO comes in the form of a Morris Minor - a sound one will cost you around £1000 but the runing costs are sweeites - A class engine parts are numerous and cheap, insurance is tap all and if you get a pre '72 tax is free as well...

 

eve cheaper is a Daf 33 or 44 - sound examples of which can be picked up for under £500 and once you have mastered the driving technique and the mechanical diferences can be run on sweet fa cash

 

Decent Allegros can be picked up for under £300 and they also benefit from cheap and plentiful mechanicals - get one with sound body workand they can last for ever.

 

If your running budget is higher then there aer bargains a plenty - my BMW 535i returns around 25-30 mpg, cost me £600 to buy and I have clocked 12000 work miles in 4 months at 49p per mile -

 

I am quids in!

[AnthonyG]

A £300 Xantia with Mot till March is for sale in the thread titled 'odd situation'!

[Pete-M]

Personally, I see no point in selling a car for £200 that has tax'n'test. I just cash the tax in and send the thing over the bridge. Most stuff fetches close to that anyway.

 

Saves dealing with the wankers on ebay.

[warren t claim]

Personally, I see no point in selling a car for £200 that has tax'n'test. I just cash the tax in and send the thing over the bridge. Most stuff fetches close to that anyway.

 

Saves dealing with the wankers on ebay.

Not small ones!

 

I cover around 600 miles a week in my Mercedes, and did a similar mileage in the 205 and Micra that preceeded it. All you have to do is buy on condition rather that age and mileage and keep your options open as to what car you want. If you treat the car with some mechanical sympathy it will provide good service.

 

Whatever you buy remember it will need a cambelt and fluid change before you start putting it into service.

[Guest Leonard Hatred]

I think the scrap value is adding £100-200 to the price of most bangers. Curse you China!!!

[warren t claim]

I wish!

[Formula Autos]

The scrappage scheme has also reduced the pool of decent bangers, driving up the price (a bit) of those left. Damn you Gordon!

 

 

 

(well, it was probably Mandelson truth be told, but you know what I mean)

[MK5 Escort]

I was also thinking along the lines of Protons too. Mid-nineties Personas can be had for a few hundred quid these days, even with a bit of tax and MOT left. A lot of them will have more than likely had at least one old giffer owner...

 

Another one that comes to mind are 80's and early nineties Nissan Sunny's. Very reliable motors. Something like this could be ideal. I suspect early 90's models to be pretty rough for £200 though.

[fiatdaft]

The scrappage scheme has also reduced the pool of decent bangers, driving up the price (a bit) of those left. Damn you Gordon!

 

 

 

(well, it was probably Mandelson truth be told, but you know what I mean)

bollocks its the high scrap price thats to blame .

[Cavcraft]

The scrappage scheme has also reduced the pool of decent bangers, driving up the price (a bit) of those left. Damn you Gordon!

 

 

 

(well, it was probably Mandelson truth be told, but you know what I mean)

bollocks its the high scrap price thats to blame .

Agreed. Scrappage has been and gone so seller's can't really use it (successfully) as a lever to shove prices up.

[Pete-M]

Personally, I see no point in selling a car for £200 that has tax'n'test. I just cash the tax in and send the thing over the bridge. Most stuff fetches close to that anyway.

 

Saves dealing with the wankers on ebay.

Not small ones!

 

Whatever you buy remember it will need a cambelt and fluid change before you start putting it into service.

I'm not a fan of small non-quick cars, so I'd send 'em over the bridge anyway

 

It's the same with diesels. I don't like 'em, so if I end up with a cheap one it gets broken for bits and then sent over the bridge. The 406 is too good for that, but I'm tempted to frag it anyway as it'll keep another cheapskate off the roads

[mattblack]

 

Cost £275, spent about £75 on service items and a part-worn tyre so say £350.

 

In 12 months it's cost me an exhaust (£75) and a set of brake pads... I'd call that cheap motoring.

[Pete-M]

I ran an E30 325i touring auto for about 8 months that didn't cost much. £271 I think I paid for it, spent about £150 on it and sold it to a breaker for £440 at the end of it.

 

Much more fun than driving some 1.0 chunk of shit about.