Beater for £2K

[Jamie Summers]

Guys,

My girlfriend is about to move in with me so I was thinking it would be a good idea to get a second car. It will be used for trashing around London etc, mainly so I don't have to use the Porker for short journeys (and if I'm entirely honest I get nervous letting her drive the Porker anyway !!!!)

Any ideas for a car that will be cheap to run / insure, will be reliable and with a bit of poke for c. £2K. I'm thinking of something like a MKII golf GTI ???? Any clever ideas anyone ????


Migration info. Legacy thread was 12410

 

[Vic]

Hard to beat a 205GTI (1.6 or 1.9) for loads of smiles!

Fairly reliable too (just make sure cambelt has been done) although cabin does tend to rattle/squeek & generally fall apart.

You could also get a good E30 Beemer for that, or Morris Minor's are also great fun (if you can find a good one).


Migration info. Legacy thread was 12411

 

[Jamie Summers]

I've had (and crashed) a couple of 205s and whilst they're great fun, I was looking for something a bit more sturdy as it will mainly be 'er indoors driving it !

Had a bit of a trawl on Autotrader and it appears that just over £2K will buy me a high-ish miles 95-96 Mk3 2.0 16v GTI. Whilst probably not as much fun as a Mk2 (similar money), they do have all the mod cons (PAS, ABS, airbags etc). Probably the one to go for. Anyone out there got / had one of these ? I recently drove my sister's MK4 1.8T GTI, and whilst it was instantly quite thrashable (in a way that a 911 never could be !!) it was a bit gutless really.

Jamie


Migration info. Legacy thread was 12414

 

[Michael Tyndall]

I have a MKII 16v Golf - lots of fun, reliable and still in one piece (as opposed to the 205). The only catch is that the 16v is Insurance cat 16, which means it is not that cheap to insure. If you pick up the last of the MKII (G & H reg) they all have PAS, electric windows.

Migration info. Legacy thread was 12416

 

[James Ball]

My brother had a Mk3 Golf GTI. Everything I read about it suggested it was slow, heavy and boring but I liked it. Had enough oomph for most situations and looked kind of classy in black. Plenty of space and pretty cheap to run. Sounds like a winner.

Migration info. Legacy thread was 12420

 

[Dunc]

I've had a few golf GTIs, 8V and 16V, and would say that a late mk2 16V is hard to beat. Oak green is the colour to go for! I always had regrets after selling mine as they are great cars.

The mk3 16V is not a bad drive either but you're probably less likely to find one of them for 2k. Best laugh mk3 is the VR6 with its sweet but front heavy V6.

As Michael has said, late mk2s have a reasonable spec.

Dunc


Migration info. Legacy thread was 12421

 

[gregsy]

Porsche 924S? quick, reliable and a backup track day thrash.

Migration info. Legacy thread was 12423

 

[Jamie Summers]

I was wondering about a 924 or a 944, but I thought that my chances of finding a decent reliable one for scrap money were less than going for something else made by the VAG group but with a VW badge :wink:
. A golf, although dull just seems a bit more of a practical load lugger.

Keep the ideas coming, I'm yet to be fully convinced, especially as I had a look for Insurance on a '95 MK3 GTI. I want to insure it in the girlfriend's name as she has never had Insurance and should start to build up a NCD. Anyway for 5000 miles on third party fire and theft for a £2K car the premium was about £850 !!!!!!! (more than my 911 !). Even for me with 6yrs NCD it was still over £500 !

Jamie


Migration info. Legacy thread was 12426

 

[Hendo]

Late Mk 2's definitely. I had a couple and they're pretty good on the shake rattle and squeak front and pretty poky with it

Migration info. Legacy thread was 12429

 

[poon]

Go for a Mk2 Golf or even a Mk1 Gti, best Golf by miles, small nippy, excellent handling, over 10 years old = classic car Insurance.

I've had 2 Mk1's and I would still like to buy another,

Lowered with top adj Koni's
16' BBS xspokes
Mk2 brakes allround
Strut braces
Mk3 2l block, bigger cams chipped etc
Mk2 dash conv
ditch the rear seats
track car fun

I'm dreaming again!

Migration info. Legacy thread was 12452

 

[James Ball]

I had a MkI Scirocco - basically a MkI Golf GTI in a "coupe" body. Black with brown leather. Very 70's and very cool. Pretty nippy too. Great car. Loved it. Wish I hadn't sold it.

Not keen on the MkII Sciroccos though - lost the plot styling-wise.


Migration info. Legacy thread was 12453

 

[bosch]

Jamie,

i agree with all about the mk 1 or 2 gti, but just to throw something else into the mix how about an Alfa Romeo? You could pick up a late 145 or 146 (3 door or 5 door) for that sort of money and they're alot of fun to drive - good handling and revvy engines (slightly overlight steering but its got reasoanble feel). You have to pick carefully to avoid the dodgy electrics, but a 1997 1.8 ts or a ti would be great fun and not too heavy on the Insurance. From memory (we just got rid of our 146), the 1.6 ts has 120 bhp, the 1.8ts 140 bhp and the ti and cloverleaf 150+bhp. Worth a look I reckon.

Migration info. Legacy thread was 12471

 

[Jamie Summers]

Bosch,

Thanks, I'm sure Alfa's don't really deserve the slightly dodgy reputation that they have for reliability etc, but to be honest I was looking for something a bit more solid (Porsche-esque !) than a couple of flattened out pasta tins stapled together :wink:
.

Might have to re-think anyway as the Insurance looks like it would be pretty hefty for a GTI - might have to compromise on a TDI ?

Jamie


Migration info. Legacy thread was 12472

 

[Waz2]

How about a nice dark-metallic blue Rover 218 SLD? '95 M 100k and going for the bargain price of £700.

Regards poke.... if you poke it it'll move but thats about all.... its reliable and very cheap to insure and run - what more could you ask for!

(I never thought i'd try selling a Rover on a Porsche forum!)

Waz


Migration info. Legacy thread was 12475

 

[CT993]

Jamie - I was in your position a few years ago. Ended up buying a Series 2 Landrover. It was battered to hell, I never cleaned it but it was THE best "car" for London driving. Nobody ever cut you up for fear that you would just drive into them and not even notice the dent and you could leave it anywhere unlocked coz nobody thought it was worth pinching. You can pick one up for about £800. Not fast I know but if you're just motoring around in traffic what's the point?

Migration info. Legacy thread was 12476