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Any ideas what VED-exempt car would be cheapest?
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To buy? or to own as an everyday transport ?
If you're just looking to buy, then there should be a variety of almost running cars for a £200 or so.
If you're looking for everyday transport, then I'd recommend an 850 mini - you can still get everything for them - including bodyshells etc. You may be able to put a 1300 A series in and keep the pre-73 category.
Not sure that it would be cheaper than, say, a Panda though.
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Anything that's scrap - will only cost £50. Bit of an open ended question really....
Things that are popular (eg MGB's) are a bit expensive to buy, but parts support is excellent. Rarer things will tend to be cheaper, but more difficult to keep on the road due to difficulties in getting parts.
What do you actually want to do / drive???
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Impossible to answer this question as it is.
If you just want a banger don't go back as far as this.
If you want to own and run an old car but don't know much about the process I suggest you read up as much as you can before going any further.
Don't forget that owning an old car is as much about love as anything - practicality doesn't come into it much and old machinery can - and believe me it does! - break down while it's standing still.
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There's a huge difference between cheap to buy, and cheap to run. A pre-73 car may have a free tax disc, but you could lose all that and more on increased fuel and maintenance costs.
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I know of at least one person who thought they'd save money by buying an old VED exempt car.
They soon learnt otherwise.
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If you are happy using spanners and happy tinkering, or paying someone to tinker suggestions from me:
Beetle or Mk 1 Ford Escort
I did see an original C reg (1965ish) Alfa Romeo Giulia yesterday.
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See RS 2000 thread for further information, very nice retro Ford website linked from there includes a tasty Ford Granada MK2.
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What I would do is get a car older than 1973 which was still made years later, and swap the identity over to the later one, which isn't illegal if done correctly (ie on paperwork upgrading the older one with parts from the new one).
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As to be a Mini then - although I know where there is a very original 1972 XJ12
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Plenty of usable morris minor saloons out there for under £1000. The bits are silly cheap and you can fix just about everything with a very basic toolkit and a manual. Despite what the doom and gloom merchants say, these can be reliable and cheap local transport as long as you do a little cheap and easy preventative maintenance. I've run one for years, the standing costs are negligable, reasonable fuel economy and fun to drive. Just buy the best bodywork you can afford and rustproof it every year or so.
Other options: Triumph Herald saloon, Triumph 2000 (but thirstier!) and lots of others. Ford Escorts are now fetching silly money, original condition earlyish minis too.
To run an old car, you do need to be interested in it, you can't treat it like a modern one. But if you do, it can provide cheap and fun motoring. Ebay and the classic car press are good places to look. Once you see one you fancy, contact the owner's club (there's bound to be a website whatever the car is) and ask what to look for, they'll be only too happy to help.
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You need something so undesirable that nobody else is going to want to drive it, so you may get a good one for not much cash. Old minis and escorts in good knick go for good money, the best marinas, allegros, maxis, austin 1800s can be had for peanuts.
Hillman avengers and other Rootes vehicles too. Old volvos also.
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The Minor is one of the better cars in this category, and while not the cheapest to buy, probably could be cheap to run. But you'll need to get a good one to start with, and then be prepared to get your hands dirty. There were a few people who had dropped in the Marina 1300 lump, ISTR.
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Cheapest to buy or run?
And Why?
As many have said before its virtually impossible to find a pre-73 car that would be as reliable as even a 10 year old modern car for the same money.....
If you are wanting to run such a car then go to WHS and buy "Practical Classics" which give a summary of prices and parts availablity for most practical classic cars from the 50s onwards...
Most people who buy cars of that age do so because they want to "preserve" an old car for posterity rather than for cheap running....
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Having run lots of old cars, no way would I drive one regularly.
One bad crash and you are dead.
And 30 year old steel box sections have lots of unseen internal corrosion. Been there, welded it, don't want to go there again.
Death traps on wheels.
Most seat belt mountings would collapse in a crash, MOT test or not.
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I am just catching up on this web site after a few days away. Buying a car just to avoid VED is probably one of the worse reasons for buying it. A few years ago someone I know sold his non VED exempt classic and brought the earlier model. At the time is was - it's a purer version of the model, will save me a fortune, etc. A few months later he regretted selling the original as the older one was both far slower and considerably thirstier, and the braking left something to be desired. Obviously it could be upgraded but at what cost? Buying any car needs careful thought.
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I will add: I drove many of the cars mentioned above when they were under 10 years old.
Some like the Triumph 2.5PI were good. Some like the Mini were great to drive but uncomfortable unreliable rusttraps .
And the Morris Minor was out of date when it was being sold in 1959.
The Herald had one good feature: a small turning circle.
In today's traffic conditions they are underbraked, undercooled, horrible to park, the electrics are not up to snuff, they are noisy uncomfortable and burn fuel.
For 500 miles in summer great. Otherwise a real pia.
Edited by madf on 27/04/2008 at 11:10
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If I was going to invest in a pre-73 car, id prob go for a Volvo 120 or the PV before it as atleast they give a nod to safety and survival rates are high due to good build/engineering.
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