June 2007
ok a bit of background info.. im 22, in n.ireland and "enjoy" cars. never really been into the chavvy thing just sort of do my own thing with my cars, just a case of what works i guess. i originally hail from sunny south florida so for the early half of my life id been around hot rods, muscle cars, making random gadgets to fire watermellons 300ft down the road, etc.. so im really of the "hot rod" mentality when it comes to cars.
unfortunately my age, budget and the types of car about today in the second hand market mean i cant do that yet.. previously ive owned about 10 cars since i was 18 and passed my test. all bought for under 1k with the exception of one (3.9k). anyway.. for one reason of another i dont keep them long. more recently its been due to unforseen circumstances rather than loss of interest. a 1990 Honda Civic hatch 1.6i-16, great, cheap and sound running. broke into and attempted theft so sold rather than repair, next an auto (blah) 1991(E36) bmw 325i se. again good and cheap but terminally damaged by a malfunctioning pop up bollard in a carpark.
my question is (bearing in mind the actual year it is and whats on the market these days and not going back in time) what cars would suit an avid car enthusiast with common sense and good taste (i hope i have..)?
i haven't really got any preferences on model or make just that i would like my insurance to be no higher than what it is correctly on the defunked 325i. as i am a tall fella i would like a car that my knees and chin do not make contact in and would prefer RWD(not limited to). im keen on a ford sierra, or rather another one, particularly a 2.0 DOHC 8v as i have experience doing major engine work on one so the "been there, done that" rule applies. also keen on another BMW or a Merc of some sort. something that can be respectable 99.9% of the time but in the right "nobody's about at this time" circumstances will put a smile on your face one way or another.
I've about 1k to spend.
got rid of the second post for you ! - PU Read more
Having a few problems with this car now. 52 plate with 115k on clock.
Basically, when accelerating i get a loud hiss from under the car. can't see any split hoses though? Looked at hoses around intercooler and near turbo and fail to see any splits/holes? any other ideas?
Its been running like this now for about 20k.
The next problem has started today. Changed the oil (which may not have anything to do with the problem) but now i have a problem when accelerating at motorway speeds. For example, when i hit 2800RPM in fifth i get a feeling that power fails and then returns. All fine and good but now it will happily pull till 2800RPM and then it feels like i have my foot on the brake. Other times it lets me accelerate to over 100mph (on a private test road) but them when i get past 100 the power is lost again.
I notice if i press the accelerator very lightly i can sometimes tease the car to accelerate. This problem nearly left me humiliated as power level dropped and i actually ended going slower than the car in the slow lane (how embarrassing!). Problem most noticeable when going up hill....
Any help appreciated.
Subject elaborated upon - PU Read more
I was looking at the Lotus Carlton, which does 0-60 in 5.2s, and which as a modified Vauxhall I assume would be a relatively affordable ownership proposition.
However, reading this site, www.lotus-carlton.fsnet.co.uk/Main.htm it sounds like very expensive to maintain, with overpriced parts in short supply.
So what is the most affordable fast (say sub 6 seconds 0-60) car, in terms of owning and also buying (the aforementioned would set you back £20k+). Read more
seeing as there are a lot of Jap turbos being mentioned, I might as well stick my oar in.
My Mr2 turbo does the 0-60 sprint somewhere between 5 and 6 seconds.
The old now, so cheap (sub £5k), but avoid the early ones and try and find a 1994+ model, which have revised rear lights, spoiler, bodykit, an lsd, but importantly fueling, cams, and turbo revisions to get 245bhp stock up from 225bhp.
But, as mentioned turbos = trouble when the car is getting on a bit (or the car has been modded).
The MR2 forum I frequent is plagued by "my car isn't boosting properly" threads.
Downsides are: nowhere near as big as a Lotus Carlton, or even a 200sx. It's noisy and the short wheelbase means if the rear does loose it, you have to be quick. The handling isn't really up to the power, but is good enough.
Upsides are: specialist part providers are realtively cheap (for power) and shared engine with GT4 (another possibility for you if you want better handling and a bit more space). Specialist insurers can get good prices if you're over 25. Oh and did I mention speed? My humble 1994 can still leave the likes of a new Golf GTi well behind.
What type of body type are you going for? as I think this will help narrow your choice down.
What type of driving do you do? e.g. for track day you'd get much better expereicen buying a low powered but good handling car (eg MR2 mk1) than charging round in something with 240bhp.
hth
Ian
Well stuck miles from home having missed my connection I found myself 288 miles from home. No rail connection and a bus system that would have challenged Mr Spock. Bought a local Trader to pass the time over a cuppa in a very old fashioned cafe and noticed a 1992 Vauxhall Astra taxed and MOTd for £100. Getting late I rang the number and a nice lady told me they were moving house and needed a sale hence low price. She collected me me from the caf and brought me back to the house. Very faded but sound Astra 1400 saloon withe 112000 miles. 3 months tax and 5 months MOT. How much did I have in cash with me? £53. Thats fine and we fill in the paperwork. Quick call to insurance and we are on our way for 288 miles. Not a murmur. Good sound from stereo and sits at 70 with ease. Its sitting on my drive next to a car that probably loses £53 every day for the three years I'll have it. Are wemad as a nation to spend £30k + on way of getting from a to b ? My BMW goes in the trader next week and I have good deposit for a house in the Algarve. Can't wait to see the expression of my work mates when the boss turns up in a £53 car!! Read more
There are so many good, cheap second hand cars out there, I would never buy new or nearly new. I've found that you can get a perfectly reliable, nippy, fairly good looking car for under £500 and that will do me. None of this astronomical depreciation nonsense thank you very much.
I recently got a car for £385 that drives like new at a tiny fraction of the cost someone once paid for it.
Hi there
Can some one help please, my freelander 1.8 16 valve 1999 after about 10 miles into a journey starts to lose power (probably cuts out ) but if I quickly put it in neutral and rev it hard it goes well for afews more miles until it happens again
does anyone knows what could the problem be? Read more
You can have three cars in your garage, but they must be the three cars you would least like to be seen dead in.
Yugo 45A
Austin Princess
Lada Riva
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Read more
Ah! I get the reference to Grove Lane and boys therefrom now - the 2CV Centre!!!! If I was to buy three 2CVs for my 'nightmare garage' I promise I'll buy them from there!!!!
Swmbo has just renewed her insurance, and of course there was the usual warning that you must inform them of any changes in your circumstances.
She informed them that she has now retired from her profession and only works part time in a less stressful job, consequently she estimates she will only do 10,000 miles a year instead of 15,000 and she no longer requires business use which was required for using her car to travel during working. hours.
She was expecting a reduction in her premium but was told these changes did not make any difference at all. When she questioned this she was told it was because the underwriter had changed, that was total rubbish because this was all done over the phone in one call. So now what will happen if she goes over the 10,000, she may as well have left it at 15,000. I suppose if she later informed them she was going to drive more than 10,000 they would probably then increase her premium!!. Read more
That's the big advantage of web quotes - if you have time you can play all day.
I was trying all sorts of different scenarios on the Post Office site (ended up being by far the cheapest for me) and I noticed that different insurers were used when I changed details. Most surprising for me was that 3rd Party Fire and Theft came out as £20 quid more expensive than fully comp. Protected NCD was £1.20 more. Mileage discounts seemed to be at the 12000 mile marks i.e. 0-12000, 12000-24000. Alarm yes/no made no difference. Garaged overnight was worth £15 off. Adding commuting to SD&P made no difference. Adding 'mature' brother would have cost £10.
As always there is no single answer as to who/what is cheapest - If I did the same next month it would probably be totally different. I dare say if the grouping of the car and postcode was different then the garaged discount could be much larger.
Martin
Can any one please help me my bonnet wont open on my Peugeot 306 when I pull the little lever it does not release the bonnet many thanks
Tidied up for easier searching later - PU Read more
Assuming the cable is still connected. That is its not broken, just stretched or come loose.
Have 1 person pushing and pulling bonnet (lifting it or closing it) as 1 person pulls the lever. If this doesnt work see if you can grip the cable at the lever end and use pliers to pull it harder and further than normal.
Once the bonnet is open ensure you readjust the cable so it works next time or you will be equally stuck again.
If the cable has broken then different procedure needed. Let us know?
SWMBO has had a couple of 1 litre Micras which have been pretty good.
We are now looking for a small car that is suitable for regular motorway driving.
Is the 1.4 engine any good?
Does it have a cam chain?
Thanks for any advice/info Read more
I have a 1.4 Sport plus.
Yes, it has a chain driven cam and is much more lively than the 1 litre.
It is fine on the motorway and is well worth getting if you can find one, rather than the smaller engine.
Does anyone know if the valve stem seals on a 2002 E39 530i can be replaced without removal of the cylinder head, as my son`s car is now at 80k and using oil at 1600 miles per pint ??? Read more
Aprilla knows his onions !
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if it was a slipping clutch, i am sure that the engine would rev freely with no gain in speed. This does not happen with mine so fairly confident its not the clutch.