mike16v

I have seen the threads recently for a new car around £5k, and for £7k-8k and have taken some notes from them.

However, being an akward fella , I am looking in the £3k-4k bracket....

I have some ideas [Golf VR6/Corrado 16v/Audi Coupe 2.6/BMW 3 series] but was wondering what else folk would be thinking of at this price...

Has to be something reliable as I don't want to buy a car to save money and then spend money keeping in on the road. It will mainly be weekend use as I walk to work so can be a bit of fun. And it must take 2 sets of golf clubs. At the end of the day, it should be something that will sell when I have paid for my wedding and got moved into my new place etc etc

So, fire on with the ideas!!

Cheers
Mike

brybusa

My BMW 535 sport!...

Fast(ish)(I think BMW claim 0-60 in 7.3 ,146MPH top speed, refined and great to drive.

http://forum.bmw5.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=3578

..and im also selling it at the mo within your budget!

Jonathan Davies

That's a very tidy old bimmer.

Maybe a Saab? Either a classic 900 turbo - a very nice one at £3k - or maybe a 9-3? Not the sportiest of cars but very useable and quite good value.

200sx? Bit more frisky, but nice cars too.

Petem95

Impreza Turbo?

mike16v

Impreza Turbo - for that money????

Jap2Scrap

That's feckin gorgeous! Wish someone would buy my Saxo and I'd bite yer arm off!

Andy M3

That looks out of this world. What a genuninly mint car ! - How much !?!?

brybusa

It is....and it would confidently take 5 people on a European trip as it stands.

You could put a "54" plate on it and fool most of the motoring public...rare manual as well....sadly the bike or the car had to go(house purchase) and the bike won

davegtt

Ford Cougar V6 24V, full loaded, very good cruiser. drive at 30mph in 5th gear and it will go if u put your foot down. Not the average ford that comes out of the factory???

brybusa

4k ONO...(and no I havent just said that b'cos of this post!, if you look in the forum from the link ive used , its advertised in there for 4K)

Its been used only for summer shows for the last 5 years.....(700-800 miles a year)..I didnt need a car when I saw it but it is in exceptional condition so I had to have it.

Heck its still even got the engine break in instructions "sticker" on the windscreen, BMW first aid kit , full toolkit,torch etc

Andy M3

There you go mike. Look no further, put a match to the saxo and buy the beemer. You know you want to, or i do anyway. And Bry, i take it the bike is a Hyabusa. Not a big bike fan, but i know exactly what that is, and you made the right choice, if that helps.......

Andy

talizman

iTrader: (1)

Very nice car brybusa....

What power/torque does the 535 make?

mad-dad

you could also buy this very soon. nowhere near as clean as the bimmer but its got approx. 250 odd bhp, maybe a bit more.leather interior, 116k, fsh owned it for a year since 106k and about to do the fourth oil change since i've had it.

Brendan Hughes

Bimmer will look good at the 19th hole, too

mynickers

Is that a joke post?

200 SX all the way on that budget!!! If it were me, I would also look at Mk2 MR2 Turbo import rev3 onwards, (and make sure it's not over modd'd, tracable history and comes with traction control for rainy round abouts)! There is a good importer linked to the owners club that import tidy ones. Believe it or not, I got a cheaper insurance quote for MR2 than 200sx!!

There are quite a few hatchs around for that money, as long as they've been looked after they shouldn't be too bad for reliablity, if Carlsberg made hot hatches, it would probably be called 205 Mi6...

Jonathan Davies

MR2s are not for golfers. Unless you've got folding clubs perhaps...

mynickers

Golf is a **** sport, give it up!!!!!!!!!!!!

MR2 turbo is mini supercar in disguise, take up motor racing!

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

I second the Saab thing having just got a very tidy 9-3 for 4 grand, 72,000 miles with Full Saab history, 2001 Y reg, 4 new tyres, just serviced, its the Light Pressure turbo but its surprisingly quick, 0-60 in 8 dead, very torquey, if you go a bit older you could have an Aero model (225 bhp) with all the toys, mines a bit basic, i.e. no air con (never use it myself, only do 5000 a year) and plastic disks on the wheels. With a 500 quid chip upgrade you get 225 bhp, in fact as standard it feels a lot more muscular that the 150 bhp Passats and Golf's I have driven. Very well built and a bit different. The boot is huuuge and would swallow several sets of bats if you really must play Golf.

To be honest I would avoid out and out sports cars at that money, I have been bitten a few times ( and I reckon I know my stuff) , you can be lucky but generally anything mega sporty at that price has had a hard life, my Fiat Coupe (7 grand) being a case in point, guzzled oil, boost was erratic, for ***** sake dont buy 4 grands worth of crumbling aged Fiat turbo, the Nissan would be a better bet and good fun but I looked at a few that were blue smoking and a couple had overspray all over the place (thats rwd + turbo = disaster) , the picture above looks good, espec with those wheels.

My theory now is that if I want a real performance car, I will wait until I can afford a new/very nearly new to avoid other peoples abuse and neglect.

That old BMW looks mint but dont they only do about 18 to the gallon ?

As for the VR6, there have been a few posts on here saying its difficult to find a good one and one guy has ended up pulling his engine apart, I drove one on my quest for a new car (at about four grand) and was a bit unipressed, I think you would be a bit underwhelmed compared to your old MK3 16 valve.

Dont buy a Rover of any description (except perhaps the ZT, but those are more than four grand)

mike16v

ahhhhhh, a man that remember my old Golf GTI 16v!

200SX does look the best of the above - def space for the bats which the MR2 would not have. Sadly, despit the condition, I don't think the BM is for me.... not quite what I had in mind. Would be a lot of fun though!!

The hunt continues!

brybusa

Well, being a biker I had had to have make sure that she was running sweet so I had serviced by a BMW indy in January,then had it (proffesionaly)re-mapped on the promise of a bit more BHP, more torque and driveability

I then had the car checked on a rolling road.(G Force motorsport in Aylesbury, some of you boys and girls may well have been there)

Shes kicking out 214BHP,(211 as standard) approx 170BHP at the wheels, however the re-map promises more torque and has certainly made the car more driveable

Im not sure what the torque is(not on the graph) but shes grunty enough.

Apart from said re-map its completley standard, I still have the original chip so that could be popped back into the ECU if required.

apart from the odd glind down to the Ace Cafe on German night(no laughing at the back...) I hardly use the car and its only used at the weekends(I live 5mins from work)

Regards fuel consumption, itill drop to around 19MPG ...at a steady 100MPH

Normal crusing will return high twenties and at a steady 60MPH itll give high 30's

Its a manual so I think that helps

It also handles bloody well for its size.

I defy anyone not to have a look/drive and not be impressed!

FlightMan

I play of a handicap of 4, so consider myself a golfer!
I have a MR2 turbo.
I can carry 2 sets of gold clubs, bags, waterproofs and shoes in the boot.

Oh, and none of it folds.

I take it you dont play golf, and haven't got an MR2?
Or if you are, and have, the boot is in the back mate!

Jonathan Davies

I do play golf but haven't got an MR2... I'll take your word for it of course but I'm astonished.

Mk2 MR2, yes? And two decent full sized stand bags? Fair play... it just looks unlikely... I can only get three proper bags into the boot of my jag.

Jap2Scrap

There's bags of room in the rear boot of a Mk2 MR2. I carried around 2 spare full exhaust systems in mine for weeks. Still had room for an after eight mint if I should've wished.

Bajie

My Saab GM900 for sale

Jonathan Davies

I'm pleased to hear all this, cos i've always liked the mk2 MR2 but thought I could never live with one. Planning a change this year so it's good information. I was clearly well hasty with my earlier comment on that score... the shame.

Edit: ooh nice 900! Bit scared by the miles, but people do say they go on forever. Like the black/black though...

Bajie

They go on forever though mate.
Only selling as I have just bought a Skyline R32.
Its sensibly modded and you can probably fit your golf cart in the boot too

Jonathan Davies

You don't want to px an XJR then, by the sound of it!

Bajie

Sadly, no

davegtt

why would I joke about the Cougar? Not had a problem with mine, performance wise its not bad 7.3 to 60. plenty of torque in it, its very much like a rep car, very comfortable to drive. boot is HUGE fully kitted out with leather, heated seats, heated front window screen. very nice all round motor. looks sleek. not like the average ford (escort, focus or fiesta) I hate fords but for the money the cougar seems to be a bargain. not many about either so selling it on shouldnt be too much trouble.