G reg 4x4 has gone, leaving me with the D reg and the Capri.
As the Capri is dead, we'll forget about that for now.
As we all know, it's typical that whenever you go looking for a car, there's nothing good about. As soon as you actually buy one, loads of bargains come crawling out of the woodwork. This is my attempt to try and entice them out.
Tomorrow I may be the owner of a twin turbo Sierra 4x4 Estate. On the other hand, knowing my luck, I'll go up there with the cash just in time to see it being driven up the street by someone that's beaten me to it.
So, if that happens, or something else of that nature should occur, I'm in the market for something cheap (upto £600, must have t&t), quick and reliable that handles.
The shortlist
Golf GTi Mk2, preferably LHD. Sierra 4x4 Estate (but nothing with LPG from mid wales) Saab 900 Turbo (sorry Carl, I'm only spending £600..) Alfa 75 3.0 ( so I'm flexible regarding reliability..) Alfa 164 3.0 Granada 24v Senator 24v Saab 9000 Turbo (must have leather and AC) Volvo 760 Turbo (I'm a bit of a Volvo perv on the sly) Range Rover (so I'm flexible about quick if it's good off road) Rover SD1 V8. Citroen Xantia VSX 2.0 Mercedes V8 BMW E30 325i (must be standard and unmolested)
Things I'm trying to avoid.
Anything white, anything that's been owned by a succession of boy racers, almost anything that's been modified (Turbo Sierras don't count), anything that's held together with gaffer tape and hairy string, anything with a compulsory medallian, anything Japanese, Rovers.
That means the Golf 1.6 Slushomatic Cabrio is out of the question, then.
Especially as it hasn't run for 12 months.
I've been seriously thinking of getting shot, as I'm looking at buying a place in France so will be on the look out for a cheap 2CV / Dyane / Renault 4 over there.
Possibly my Rover 216 GTi Twin Cam, but only because I've spotted a cheap
600Ti
It has a 130bhp Honda lump as seen in the Mk2 CRX, has been known to redline in top (140 on the clock), has 15" AEZ alloys with a slightly wider offset than standard, (so it handles much more like a go-kart), half leather, electric roof and has tax and MOT til March 2005.
Oh, and last owners had it over 11 years, had it serviced on the dot, every year, without fail, 119k from new now.
What's the score on this then - spec, price, colour, location... the usual stuff. Email me if you'd rather not incur the wrath of the netkops for posting details in here, if want, might know someone into this.
Car is in Warrington Cheshire. burgundy velour seats and carpets with rare burgundy dash. no aircon. bit scruffy looking outside. fairly tidy inside. Runs spot on, only time failed start was when a slammed door knocked one=20 of the electric connectors off the firewall, after I had been fiddling=20 with stuff, and hadn't rteconnected it solidly enough. found in the dark=20 by touchthrough the speaker mount hole.
MOT until March, tax until Jan 05. Has a leaky oil cooler I think (scrappy replacement whole unit is small,=20 with two hoses bolts onto a connection between the filter and the block,=20 and the cooler is bolted under the passenger headlight), and that has=20 blown oil onto the passenger lower wishbone bushes and engine mount,=20 causes a little wobbly steering, occasional pops out of lower gears at=20 low revs (but no crunches or hard shifts, so not synchros) when turning=20 corners, and made it generally messy underneath too, but stopped any=20 rust.
The gear popping and the bush/mount are the only mechanical faults I=20 know of and reckon are related.
has just passed 135k miles, oil changed every 3k for the last 22k (and=20 regularly serviced before that). Has cheap cone filter fitted, but=20 original air box and pipes go with with it. Has a bailey dump valve=20 (recirc) fitted after the original one had been capped off and disabled=20 by the previous owners mechanic, when it started to leak
Original turbo is still good, no smoke at all. Makes full boost from the=20 T3, and with the extra TIM guage I've fitted his 0.8bar, and settles=20 arround the red/orange on the factory gauge as it should.
Has had new discs at front, new Calipers at front, and pads allround in=20 the last year. New tyres last year, rears like new, fronts with about=20
1.5mm above the wear markers. Avon ZV1's (V rated) uprated over the=20 standard H ratings. New Gaz adjustables all round, could maybe do with=20 springs (the standard Sachs Saab sports springs are only about =A325) but= =20 rides fine. New Ball joints fitted in January and new Wheel bearings and=20 a trackrod end fitted last year.
Camchain changed while the tensioner was being updated last year.
Had a little bit of welding out of site after some of the rips caused by=20 the bodge mechanic "Specialists" started to corrode (common on 900's).
The overboost fuel cutoff leaks so it has been disabled so you can tweak=20 the APC to your hearts content. Still has the APC solenoid and knock=20 sensor so it will control boost safely. It's a bloody good car, would make an excellent winter hack, or light=20 resto (more external cosmetic than mechanical).
Has a rear decor panel fitted (rare accessory), replacement electric=20 arial and currently, a 300watt inverter under the rear seat, I'll=20 probably leave that in, and the sunroof wind deflector is also fitted.=20 Electric windows, mirrors and sunroof all work as they are supposed to.=20 Cruise control doesn't but I think it is the switch cluster (scrappy=20 again), as the rest of the system is intact and vac operation directly=20 raises and lowers the revs as it should.
Reckon it has cost me =A31700 in the last year and a half. Is advertised on loot and Saabcentral.com at =A31200 (or near offers)=20 because of all the work and reciepts I've got. If it gets close I'll=20 chuck in the Blaupunkt CD player.
or I'll seriously consider silly offers, as I don't have space for it,=20 but I keep the CD player for the Celica.
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