top 10 motors for under £1k

405 Mi16. Or a 1.9/2.0 8v.

In news: snipped-for-privacy@individual.net, DanTXD decided to enlighten our sheltered souls with a rant as follows

Because it's a *real* car...

... oh, you wouldn't understand... :-P

"Hook, line, sinker, rod and copy of angling times sir" ;)

Probably not :)

My Saab was =A3325. Passed 2 MOTs with no more than a couple of hundred=20 spent in running repairs (tyres, brake pads, discs and refurb calipers).

Total cost including buying it, but not including tax, insurance and=20 petrol was =A31700. I sold it for =A3900. So it cost me =A3800 for 2 years motoring plus fuel, tax, insurance. And a= =20 lot I spent was on things like farting arround with the CarPC, and=20 buying spare trim to butcher instead of the original stuff.

Mine wasn't a minter, but it was far from crap. Could have spent a lot=20 more on it, but didn't. Shamefully, I've spent more on the Celica=20 through choice than I would have needed to bring the Saab back to near=20 mint including getting the few body patches sorted.

PeteM can confirm what mine was like, he drove it, nearly bought it, but=20 got the TT Sierra estate instead.

--=20 "Sorry Sir, the meatballs are Orf" The poster formerly known as Skodapilot.

Yep, mate picked up an Mi16 with a wonky AIC and AFM, plus slightly=20 leaky valve stems for =A3250 in autotrader. Passed next MOT ok, but had a= =20 habit of stalling. =A370 at a Peugoet breakers sorted that out.Loverly=20 motor as well.

--=20 "Sorry Sir, the meatballs are Orf" The poster formerly known as Skodapilot.

Fair enough. Shop around for ages and you might find another at that price. When I looked they were very thin on the ground and generally rusting in 42 places. I prefer to buy stuff that's not rusting or is rusting in one big place so I can have it hacked out and painted for less ;). There's a lot of "future classic" hype around them at the minute IMO.

Mine was 20 years old. So near as dammit a genuine classic. had the original flat nose front of the 79 model, so was the genuine classic article. Not the later face lift variety.

You tend to find with Saab 900's, the turbos have had a better body condition life (apart from stone chips), but engines are sound, but the transmissions are close to shagged with any mileage on them.

But the injection/Carb models have been someone's idea of a big old slow load lugger, the engines are great, the transmissions are fine because of less strain on them, but the bodies have been let go as they don't care about the looks. Seen small one man band subcontractor builders use them as vans before.

How can you say that, you've owned, and still own old Alfas.

None of which have cost a lot to keep on the road, a lot to buy or have lost a lot of money on selling.

Only one of them died.

I've just picked up a '89 T16S for 600 quid, 165K miles, full tax&test, no rust, runs sweet. Just needs a new wheel bearing and CV!

I've found decent saabs and Golfs for 500 quid or so. With the saabs any rust you find is usually cosmetic. Usually by the umpteenth owner they've been neglected and need some mechanical fettling, but the body will usually be OK except on the earliest examples...

Now I wouldn't touch a 205 at that price -- bits just drop off...and the

325's I looked were pretty rough with variations of rusty sills/arches/windscreen pillers.

I know exactley what you mean.

That was what mine was like. I bought for =A3325. It needed new discs, pads and calipers at the front (I fitted them). I was advised by Malbrad, that the timeing chain tensioner was of an=20 obsolete and unreliable type, but he didn't have any.

I later got an udated used tensioner, new chain (fed through) and rocker=20 gasket done for under =A3300.

I had new GAZ shocks fitted, and Avon ZV3 tyres, and a Bailey recirc=20 dump valve, becuase the previous owners mechanic had removed the=20 original bosch one and capped it off after it started leaking.

Since I got it, it seemed to leak oil from somewhere, and jump out of=20

1st, 2nd and sometimes 3rd, normally when turning. No matter what oil I=20 used it still leaked the same.

The day before I sold it, having arranged for a potential buyer to come=20 see it, to maybe end the Ebay auction early, I noticed that the outside=20 of the oil cooler was covered in oil, as well as the trans casing. Thats=20 when I worked it out. Either the cooler was split, or the hose into it=20 was, and it only lost oil when driven, never when stationary. So, the=20 wind blowing through the cooler was blowing the oil over the=20 engine/trans and both wishbones on the passenger side. I think=20 eventually, the oil had turned the engine mount, which it shared with a=20 wishbone, to mush, which allowed the engine to twist when accelerating=20 or slowing round corners, which in turn moved the box, and allowed the=20 engine to jump out of gear (not the more normal box wear), as it tended=20 to happen when making slow manouvres or needing to accelerate quickly=20 rather than general driving speeds.

Interior was bordello burgundy velour with burgundy vinyl dash top (told=20 it was pretty rare). Bodily, the pre-face lift thin wheel arch trims were cracked broken or=20 split. One wheel arch had a small close the rusted through patch of=20 about an inch, the hatch hinges where a little scabby, and the door=20 bottom and boot floor seams had first signs of scabbing where the paint=20 had gone. But other than that, it was totally solid. One repair patch to=20 the front wing and plenty of time with a wire brush and dinitrol would=20 have sorted the rest.

I jsut fancied a change, but now I wish I had put the time to oneside=20 side, and spent what I have spent on the Celica (buying and modding) on=20 putting the Saab right and tuning it.

--=20 Carl Robson "Sorry Sir the meatballs are orf" (The poster formerly known as Skodapilot)

I rest my case.

I wouldnt touch a 205 over that price!! You can easily pick up a tidy 205 GTi for under a grand. 309 GTis are even cheaper. Same with a 325i. I know plenty of people who have done it!

There's no denying it's possible, but you have to look long and hard to find decent examples of any of the cars on the list for under a grand.

It's like my Passat - I paid £2k for an R-plate 1.8T, and it's still the cheapest 1.8T I've found anywhere.

Odds are that any Pug 205GTI, 325i or Golf GTI bought for under £1k will be scruffy or expire soon after purchase.

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Not really. I loved the Saab, I think the Celica is the nuts, but even=20 though it has more power, it feels slower because everything is tamed by=20 the 4wd, and the smaller turbo making peak power higher up the rev range=20 too. No lag, boom.

I'm playing with the Celica in ways I couldn't with the Saab though. The=20 tune up parts take a bit of hunting, but they are there. Something that=20 wasn't generally the case with the Saab. Maybe 2 manufacturers, 3=20 tuners, and only ex-franchise and current dealer mechanics. With the=20 Celica, most mechanics have worked succesfully on something jap, and the=20 more common parts are straight off the shelf, even tuning stuff.

I know have shit hot brakes thanks to DBA discs, and especialy those=20 brake pads. And they were the bargain of the year, costing just $100 for=20 the fronts and rears.

It's going to stay looking standard apart from maybe wheels and tyres,=20 everything is going to be undercover. MBC, and Decat pipe to lower the=20 spool up point, keep max boost from tailing off higher up, and raise max=20 boost: Cost, if I play my cards right, about =A3120+ fitting if I don't do= =20 it myself.

Also think the exhaust is blowing somewhere. Can't find where but=20 definatly noisier, but less power. Saving money on that too, Toyota=20 standard system, over =A3500, no pattern parts available, but an exhaust=20 place on ebay is doing a Mongoose system for =A3265 (not a buy now but=20 most go for that) or if you don't want the bid risk, =A3300 from their own= =20 website in full stainless, that's =A3150 cheaper than Mongoose themselves= =20 sell them for, and even =A330 cheaper than Blueflame who make for Mongoose= =20 put them out direct at.

--=20 Carl Robson "Sorry Sir the meatballs are orf" (The poster formerly known as Skodapilot)

In news: snipped-for-privacy@news.individual.net, Sleeker GT Phwoar decided to enlighten our sheltered souls with a rant as follows

Carls Turbo 16v was a nice motor.

Even with the mad TT Estate on offer, Carls Saab was still tempting.

I'm on a mission this week to buy something for myself.

The Merc, although it's fskin brilliant, is needing tax next week, so I'm having my traditional mooch before deciding what to do. Might even re-tax the Merc if nothing shows up... it's that good.

Alternatively, anyone wanna buy the Merc? 600 squid and it's yours :-)

I was only talking about the Pug and BMW

That's where you are very wrong! A mate brought a nice condition 325i for £600 about 6 months ago. And it still hasnt missed a beat. All he's done is put standard suspension on it because it had been lowered, and also stuck an LSD in. I know plenty of people that have done the same with 205s

Hey, I remember that ! It's still going then ?

Let me guess. The rest rusted into a small pile of red flakes.

Fraser