Which car?

[ViolentPanda]

I know and I'd love to but I've no skills. I should be humping my way round the great DIY experts of Derbyshire to get my tuition on exchange but I'm too moral and not tasty enough. I'd love a VW Fastback too but the same problems apply. I'm just a geeky bird who knows what cars she likes but doesn't know how to service them.

Moggy engine is so simple, it'd probably only cost you the price of a Haynes manual, a pint of cider and a blowjob to any self-respecting DIYer to learn everything you need to know, no need to actually hump anyone!!

 

[Mogden]

Moggy engine is so simple, it'd probably only cost you the price of a Haynes manual, a pint of cider and a blowjob to any self-respecting DIYer to learn everything you need to know, no need to actually hump anyone!!

Moggy is going back on the list then. I'd like a Traveller really

 

[plurker]

Moggy engine is so simple, it'd probably only cost you the price of a Haynes manual, a pint of cider and a blowjob to any self-respecting DIYer to learn everything you need to know, no need to actually hump anyone!!

Anything of early-80s and befre is easy.
I taught myself basic servicing etc on an 82 Golf; exactly as above: £5 on a Haynes and spending time fiddling. Simple as to work on.

Thinking about a change myself; VW fastback/Saab 900 (early)/BMW318i all on the list...

 

[dessiato]

Anything of early-80s and befre is easy.
I taught myself basic servicing etc on an 82 Golf; exactly as above: £5 on a Haynes and spending time fiddling. Simple as to work on.

Thinking about a change myself; VW fastback/Saab 900 (early)/BMW318i all on the list...

If you get a 900 make sure it has a service history. Diagnostics are expensive on these, I was quoted £80 just for diagnostics, plus any repairs required. The convertible is a bargain in the UK, and a great car to run. However, they do have issues with the roof mechanism, you'd be better off getting a 93 which is essentially the same car but with a lot of the problems fixed.

As for the VW, they seem to be as reliable as the Beetle. So they aren't very quick, and have dodgy handling, and a heater that is slow to warm up, but they are a good looking car.

 

[plurker]

you'd be better off getting a 93 which is essentially the same car but with a lot of the problems fixed.

Thanks for all the info - the 93 is fugly though; the 900 has style (for clarity I'm looking at early 900, not the later ones ) Not after a ragtop - UK and convertibles make no sense.
It's a move away from VW for me, which feels wrong, but I need something larger than my Golf

 

[dessiato]

Thanks for all the info - the 93 is fugly though; the 900 has style Not after a ragtop - UK and convertibles make no sense.
It's a move away from VW for me, which feels wrong, but I need something larger than my Golf

My baby wasn't ugly:


Apart from that bruised front bumper that is. In this pic she'd taken me and my sister through France, Spain and Portugal. She ran perfectly with no problems. I'd have kept her had I not been coming to live here.

eta: Convertibles make a lot of sense in the UK. You can have the roof down any dry sunny day. If you need to turn on the heated seats and the heating to keep warm, and then enjoy the feeling of being alive.

 

[plurker]

Ok, no offence meant
but this is what I'm after - tho less yellow

 

[ViolentPanda]

Moggy is going back on the list then. I'd like a Traveller really

My dad and I restored a Traveller about 1978. It had belonged to an old fella who'd pretty much only ever done the minimal maintenance necessary to get it through the MOT. We replaced the woodwork, the floor and some of the panels, reconditioned the engine, transmission, axles and suspension, and had it resprayed chocolate brown. The work we did took us 3 weekends, that's all! I think the only thing we modified was the locking system for the rear gates (which were ridiculously easy to open if you had a palate knife).

 

[Mogden]

My dad and I restored a Traveller about 1978. It had belonged to an old fella who'd pretty much only ever done the minimal maintenance necessary to get it through the MOT. We replaced the woodwork, the floor and some of the panels, reconditioned the engine, transmission, axles and suspension, and had it resprayed chocolate brown. The work we did took us 3 weekends, that's all! I think the only thing we modified was the locking system for the rear gates (which were ridiculously easy to open if you had a palate knife).

Awwww any photos? I don't suppose there is. My Nan used to drive us about in a Moggie when we were nippers. My great nan, her mum, also had a Moggie in the shed, but hardly driven. By the time I remembered to ask the family she sold it on

*phones driving instructor*

 

[dessiato]

Ok, no offence meant
but this is what I'm after - tho less yellow

The older 900. Definitely get it checked out then. The later one was considered a better car by my SAAB mechanic friends, but they say the 93 was the best.

And get yellow. Statistically it is the colour least likely to be involved in an accident. (Something that is dear to my heart) Yellow SAAB drivers still have that old fashioned waving and headlight flashing camaraderie you seldom see with any cars these days.

 

[ViolentPanda]

Anything of early-80s and befre is easy.
I taught myself basic servicing etc on an 82 Golf; exactly as above: £5 on a Haynes and spending time fiddling. Simple as to work on.

Thinking about a change myself; VW fastback/Saab 900 (early)/BMW318i all on the list...

The VW flat four is a pleasure to work on. I'm not really a modern Saab fan, although a mate had a 96 V4 which was great fun to drive and to fettle.

 

[marty21]

Well given this had opened up a bit has anyone driven a Nissan Figaro? I'm still terrifying myself with the idea of learning to drive and I do so love them. I'm not after speed so much as a little A to Ber. Much as I'd love a Morris Minor, they're not exactly reliable so it's a Figaro top of my list.

I do love the Figaros, they look lovely - never driven one - would consider one for the next car though

 

[Mogden]

I do love the Figaros, they look lovely - never driven one - would consider one for the next car though

They're all automatics which puts me off a bit but I suppose if I pass in a manual I can go back to one in the future.

 

[marty21]

They're all automatics which puts me off a bit but I suppose if I pass in a manual I can go back to one in the future.

never driven an automatic - I've only owned 3 cars though and hired one and they were all manual - best to get the manual test than you get a bigger choice of motors

 

[Chz]

We looked at a Juke and I was really surprised at how small the boot was. I really like the Qashqai and would love one for my next car. The boot was a good size for camping stuff and my dogs but it's not ugly like a lot of estates and people carriers. I think I need an automatic next time too because of my dodgy knee.

The Juke is a Note, jacked up and with considerably less boot space due to the styling of it. It looks larger than a Note, but is in fact smaller on the inside. It's a reverse-TARDIS.

 

[Looby]

Plus it's really fucking ugly. [emoji6]

 

[weepiper]

Has anyone got anything bad to say about a Ford Focus Zetec 1.6 estate? Because there's a 2004 one with 98k miles on Autotrader 2 miles from me for £800 with a full year's MOT, FSH, just had new pads/discs/rear tyres/cambelt and I'm wondering if I should buy it seeing as my car probably needs about £5-600 spent on it to get it through its MOT which is due at the end of the month.

 

[mauvais]

What's wrong with the Focus? i.e. who would do all that work, which must be £400 at the very least, and then sell it for £800?

 

[weepiper]

What's wrong with the Focus? i.e. who would do all that work, which must be £400 at the very least, and then sell it for £800?

says he needs a van

Good running, reliable car, regularly serviced with new MOT. Cambelt, front calipers,discs and pads, rear wheel cylinders and brake shoes all recently replaced. I am a keen kayaker and travel extensively to events, hence mainly motorway mileage. Roof bars included. Too much gear now so moving up to a van, hence reason for sale. Usual Zetec spec. including alloy wheels plus metallic paint. New rear tyres., SILVER, 3 owners, Next MOT due 08/02/2016, Full service history, CD player, Height adjustable driver's seat, Folding rear seats, Spare wheel (Full), Power steering, Roof rails, Central locking. £800

 

[mauvais]

Eh, fair enough I guess. Probably can't go too wrong with that - just don't assume the MOT has much meaning.

 

[Red Cat]

Looks like I may be able to get a 2008 CMax for £2600 or thereabouts, whereas a 2005 Honda Fr-v is going to be more, or perhaps I could get it down to the same, but it's 3 years older, and I'm going to have to go out of Brum to get that.

I haven't driven the Honda yet as the only used one I've found at my budget here in Brum was at a dodgy feeling dealers, but we did sit inside and it was lovely! The CMax which I drove after felt small in comparison but was a nice enough drive.

 

[dessiato]

Has anyone got anything bad to say about a Ford Focus Zetec 1.6 estate? Because there's a 2004 one with 98k miles on Autotrader 2 miles from me for £800 with a full year's MOT, FSH, just had new pads/discs/rear tyres/cambelt and I'm wondering if I should buy it seeing as my car probably needs about £5-600 spent on it to get it through its MOT which is due at the end of the month.

Sounds like a bargain. I'd certainly look at it, but make sure you check out the paperwork and that the alleged work has actually been done.

 

[Red Cat]

Ford Focus Estate's get quite good reviews I think. I thought about one until I got distracted by other things. I may look again on autotrader though as I drove past one just an hour ago and thought they look nice! Don't think there are loads about though.

 

[Sigmund Fraud]

Has anyone got anything bad to say about a Ford Focus Zetec 1.6 estate? Because there's a 2004 one with 98k miles on Autotrader 2 miles from me for £800 with a full year's MOT, FSH, just had new pads/discs/rear tyres/cambelt and I'm wondering if I should buy it seeing as my car probably needs about £5-600 spent on it to get it through its MOT which is due at the end of the month.

If you have younger kids ISOFIX was an option on Fords until the mid '00s(one of the dumbest moves ever, welding two hooks behind the seats is the difference between someone buying your car and ruling it out)...wheras most other family hatches had it as standard from 2000.

 

[DownwardDog]

Moggy is going back on the list then. I'd like a Traveller really

They all rust away in real time before your eyes. Unless you are welder or like giving money to welders it's hard to recommend one.

Don't worry about modern car electronics. Everything you'll ever to need to know (error codes, etc.) is now on the Internet so even the middle class can now diagnose a faulty coil pack with ease.

 

[Roadkill]

Moggy is going back on the list then. I'd like a Traveller really

Minors are great cars, but would you really want to use one every day? I mean, they do about 70 flat out, they've no modern creature comforts or safety devices, and with the best will in the world they're a minimum of 40 years old and will therefore need more care and attention than a modern car. They do rust - although not as badly as a lot of other cars of that era - the traveller's wooden frames are an expensive fix if they rot, and although the mechanical bits are incredibly simple by modern standards there's still enough to go wrong. OTOH parts are cheap and readily available, and anyone with a minimum of mechanical aptitude can fix one.

I'd love a Minor - preferably a late-model two-door saloon in blue, like this one, but it wouldn't be for everyday use. Well, not unless I were to stick the bigger Midget engine and a five-speed 'box in it, both of which are easily done.

 

[dessiato]

Minors are great cars, but would you really want to use one every day? I mean, they do about 70 flat out, they've no modern creature comforts or safety devices, and with the best will in the world they're a minimum of 40 years old and will therefore need more care and attention than a modern car. They do rust - although not as badly as a lot of other cars of that era - the wooden frames are an expensive fix if they rot, and although the mechanical bits are incredibly simple by modern standards there's still enough to go wrong. OTOH parts are cheap and readily available, and anyone with a minimum of mechanical aptitude can fix one.

I'd love a Minor - preferably a late-model two-door saloon in blue, like this one, but it wouldn't be for everyday use. Well, not unless I were to stick the bigger Midget engine and a five-speed 'box in it, both of which are easily done.

Don't forget to upgrade the brakes.

 

[Roadkill]

Don't forget to upgrade the brakes.

This is a good point. One thing that struck me the first time I drove a Moggy was how bad the brakes were by modern standards. AFAIK you can get disk-brake conversions fairly cheaply, though.

*edit* Just remembered this:



Ol' Tiff Needell demonstrating the Minor's handling.

 

[DownwardDog]

Yeh, not sure I can do that when I'm buying a car that's just been serviced.

'Just been serviced' means absolutely nothing in the car game. At least half the time dealers will blatantly lie about what's been done in a service. Phantom fluid changes, etc.

 

[hash tag]

Problem with Moggies these days is that the older they become, the rarer they become and the greater prices they fetch.
They would certainly make a very interesting project. Anyone remember Nic Mann's Minor, complete with turbo charged Rover V8
with added nitrous oxide for that little bit extra?
Not Nick's minor, but a cool job all the same