car ideas

thinking of selling my BMW before the MOT comes up or maybe just after as i think i can get the old girl through easily. anyway i been thinking of a new car to replace the BM and one of the reasons i've hanged onto the BM (apart from oweing on finance) is that i can't think of what i'd like to replace it. so i thought i'd ask for a few ideas. and now i am pretty much ready to clear the last of the finance i've been car thinking again. i'd love to have something V8 but this would cost a bit to a)insure and b)keep fuel'd up! unless it was LPG of course, i've always wanted to own at least 1 V8 in my lifetime and think it's probably best to get it outta the system now before the anal tax makes it a bit harder. i'm no way loading myself with finance again! like i did the BM but is it possible to get something already LPG'd for around £3k? insurance could burst my bubble mind, i want something with that nice V8 burble but i know some V8's are pretty silent on the burble noise, mainly things like old BM's and Merc's tend to not be to loud :(

the other thing i'm thinking is do i do the V8 lpg thing or do i go boring, i've even been thinking sod it i'll get anything with a 1.6 out of works sale, i was tempted by a civic 1.6 sport this week. i mean yeah this is probably the cheapest option, i just want a car i can love like my old MR2 turbo, i like my BM but i wouldn't miss it as much as my MR2 turbo.

i dunno guys opinions?

Reply to
Vamp
Loading thread data ...

Crazy but, what about an MR2 Turbo? They're cheap as chips now, even tidy ones. I'd imagine a big V8 already on LPG that's not a Range Rover will be rather aged and leggy. Now this might not be a problem, but then, the LPG system could be anything, installed by anyone and might have a host of issues - remember the one Elder bought? Also there might be the mega expensive parts wearing out problem. What about some kinda hot hatch? Renault/VW/SEAT/Peugeot/Vauxhall etc etc all have options in the cheap hot hatch thing, and all have cheap parts and servicing. Just something to consider. A minter than mint Mk2 Golf 16v plus a load of cash left, a higher mileage Mk1 172 - the only one that doesn't look like the 1.2s heh, maybe a Mk2 Corsa 1.8 SRi - ok not that much outright power but my mate had one, it had full leather and heated seats etc, and a nice torquey engine in a chassis that's not as bad as you'd expect, loads and loads of grip. An earlier Ibiza GTi Cupra thing, the 2.0 16v ones that sometimes are bright yellow or lime green with white wheels hehe :-) And there is many, many more :-)

Reply to
DanB

It's definitely possible to get a converted car for 3 grand. Unfortunately, most of them are 4x4s, with the exception of a few big old Mercs, BMs and Lexiiiiiiiii.

Better of saying what specific car you want, or a shortlist, then take the LPG idea from there.

As you know, I'm an LPG fan, but there's every chance that my next car won't actually be one. You always have to plan your journeys and know where you can get gas from. This is no problem locally, bur longer jouneys require planning.

This weeks favourite for me to combine grunt with reasonable econimy is something with a V6 Diesel. That probably means an Audi A6.

Or this - which ain't a V8. Or 3 grand either come to mention it. I've drifted way off topic here....

But hey, we're all different.

Reply to
Bob Sherunckle

Mk2 Golfs did come with air-con. Well, some of them. Just ask PeteM about my s**te old 1.8 carb one that I didn't even realise had air-con......

Granted, not many of them did, but if you found a good one with it, then that'd be a bloody good buy.

Reply to
AstraVanMann

That's true - the ideal thing is something with a tank big enough to give

*at least* the range of the diesel model. But unless it's a Rangie or a big van then that's just not going to happen....

I reckon a 98-facelift LS400 on LPG could be a bloody good bet, but there's always the £50k car, £50k running costs thing, no matter how much you tell yourself not much is likely to go wrong. Something like a Seat Leon/Ibiza could be a geniunely fun car to drive.

Or even an old chape A6 2.5TDI-140 (5-pot). Cheaper, less common, more of a "classic" shape, and the satisfaction of knowing you haven't got something that's based on the same platform as virtually other VAG car of its size in that decade. And they're better on fuel by a fair margin (though I've never driven a V6 TDI A6, nor had one in regular use, so couldn't accurately comment on them, but when I bought mine and my mate drove it home, he was doing "about 120-130 most of the way, apexing the motorway bends", and the trip computer showed 38.7mpg for that trip). Plus the engines are mappable to about 170 or so bhp.

Reply to
AstraVanMann

I do like those.

Can I have an Avant auto with Quattro ? And are they galvanised ?

Reply to
Bob Sherunckle

Think so, though the 6-speed manuals are more common. Though the 140bhp TDI Quattro Avants are rare as rocking horse shit. I went and looked at one once, and a mate of the owner actually gave him some rocking horse shit (well, it said it on the packet) to congratulate him on buying it.

Yup.

But I can't imagine they're that cheap, even these days, relative to the age of the car and all that. For that reason you'll never catch SteveH even contemplating one. Great cars though.

Reply to
AstraVanMann

Bad form, yadayadayada, but:

formatting link
[search_autotrader_co_uk] I'm sure many on here may well say "HFM?", but IMHO that's probably in

*much* better nick, and on the whole a much better buy than a lot of the similar age models up for half that money with 3 times the mileage. Shame it's not a quattro, but for someone willing to spend the extra in return for something in genuinely bloody good condition, then I'd say that'd be well worth a punt. I mean, I'd wager that that's probably in pretty much exactly the same sort of condition that similar models at 3 years old with 60k would have been that would have been asking £10-15k at the time.
Reply to
AstraVanMann

That is a little bit on the HFM side...

It might be worth Vamp checking out Volvo S60s. One of my friends picked up a 55-plate S60 D5 SE 185 with 65k on the clock in mint condition last week for =A35.5k. Hard to argue at that sort of price for what you're getting.

Reply to
Andy Tucker

I got mine working sweet, then the cheap Halfords dizzy cap ate itself. And before I worked it out it got broken into. And I lost interest.

Yeah it was cobbled together but it worked properly. There was a part missing that once I bought it, it worked almost straight away. It actually worked better/smoother/more economically on lpg than it did on petrol.

Reply to
Elder

This is what is available with v8 and LPG

formatting link

Reply to
Elder

Don't forget though, with bigger cars, and 4x4/trucks, the room for tanks is much better with better mounting options.

A V6 Pajero petrol/V8 Range Rover/V8 Landcruiser/straight6 or V8 Grand Cherokee can often have a couple of hundred litres of torpedo tanks strapped underneith especially if you plan to never go off road. While they do sup more, not more than you can fit in the tanks compared to standard petrol.

Reply to
Elder

MkIII Golf?

Reply to
SteveH

Take it to Toyota not Lexus. Pay Toyota price not Lexus (still not cheap). Get mechanics trained at the same level Get the same parts. Get the same technical data from the computer. Job jobbed. But do keep up with it. If you leave the little cheap jobs, you end up=20 with a big pile of cheap jobs that bust you.

--=20 Carl Robson Get cashback on your purchases Topcashback

formatting link
formatting link

Reply to
Elder

OK, that is a weakness in Autotrader, I had V8 as a key word. But it ignores it after being stuck through Smallr.

Reply to
Elder

yeah that did worry me, i did quite like the idea of an LS400 but don't like the idea of something going wrong. it's the whole it shouldn't but if it did thing really

Reply to
Vamp

That is a little bit on the HFM side...

It might be worth Vamp checking out Volvo S60s. One of my friends picked up a 55-plate S60 D5 SE 185 with 65k on the clock in mint condition last week for £5.5k. Hard to argue at that sort of price for what you're getting.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

tempting i loved my dad's S60 when he had one as a company car!

Reply to
Vamp

That is a little bit on the HFM side...

It might be worth Vamp checking out Volvo S60s. One of my friends picked up a 55-plate S60 D5 SE 185 with 65k on the clock in mint condition last week for £5.5k. Hard to argue at that sort of price for what you're getting.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

already replied once to this but just been looking through auto trader, prices seem ok and they do seem to go on forever. think the best thing for me to do is keep saving for now get the BM through it's next MOT and maybe pick up an S60 through work when one comes up as our leasing dept gets a few now and again. my dad's one was lovely, smooth ride whisper quiet and didn't feel to bothered if it started getting thrown around, would like an auto but i'll see what comes up at work. the audi is also on my list as i quite like the shape of the 2.5 A6's think diesel might be the way i'll go, good power and good on fuel, plus big diesels like the volvo 2.4 sound pretty sweet although some might view me saying that as swearing lol

i'll also keep some of dan's hot hatches in mind too, we get the odd seat leon cupra diesels at work too as they have a few of them out on lease.

thanks for the suggestions guys keep them coming if anyone has any more ideas. not going to rush out and buy like i did with the BM has to be the right car for the right money. damn listen to me sounding all sensible!

Reply to
Vamp

Remember, I ran and abused by =A3600 no history import with absolutley no= =20 care except topping up the leaky coolant and transmission fluid for a=20 year and it still lived fine. Should really have changed the oil. But=20 couldn't be arsed. It still looked OK after 15k miles and it was running=20 mineral not synthetic. That car was a flog to death one. If I was going=20 to pay more I would pamper it.

--=20 Carl Robson Get cashback on your purchases Topcashback

formatting link
formatting link

Reply to
Elder

thats easy enough to solve, just get under it with a 1/2" drill :-)

james

Reply to
jamesd1974

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.