First Car Suggestions? Daewoo FTW. Nothing else Matiz. Oh, and ExigeExcel's Almera.
- Thread starter Danny
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ExigeEvan
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Update on the Almera.
So about 4 weeks back I took it in after Famine diagnosed the failing CV joint. I told them what I suspected it was, they said they'd have a look at it. I phone them up later (this garage never phones you) and they said they couldn't find anything wrong on a test drive ("if it's not clicking on full lock it's not the CV joint" and "drove it down to Glais (about 2 miles) and couldn't hear anything wrong"). I took him to the car, put the steering to full lock to reveal the CV joint seals and pointed out how one was considerably greasier than the other. He chatted to his boss, told me it was an old car, leaks like that will occur, nothings broke so nothing needs to be fixed.
But, he noticed the Power Steering was leaking, so he cleaned up the gunge, sorted the hosing, put some additive in the fluid to minimise any damage that may have been caused to the pump. I pointed out the P/S has had a leak since I bought it 3 years ago, but it only takes a £7 bottle of fluid to refill it throughout the year. Either way, £40 was the damage. Paint me unimpressed.
Noise still persisted.
Anyway MOT was due this week. So book it in, ring them in the afternoon. Surprise, surprise failed MOT on failing CV seal and headlights (somehow out of alignment
). I reminded the manager I'd pointed this out a few weeks before and talked to the guy who worked the car. He said the seal had deteriorated since he'd seen it last. Cost is £40 to get it rectified, hardly worth the argument.
But otherwise, car is through the MOT without great cost, which is always nice on an 11yr old car
So about 4 weeks back I took it in after Famine diagnosed the failing CV joint. I told them what I suspected it was, they said they'd have a look at it. I phone them up later (this garage never phones you) and they said they couldn't find anything wrong on a test drive ("if it's not clicking on full lock it's not the CV joint" and "drove it down to Glais (about 2 miles) and couldn't hear anything wrong"). I took him to the car, put the steering to full lock to reveal the CV joint seals and pointed out how one was considerably greasier than the other. He chatted to his boss, told me it was an old car, leaks like that will occur, nothings broke so nothing needs to be fixed.
But, he noticed the Power Steering was leaking, so he cleaned up the gunge, sorted the hosing, put some additive in the fluid to minimise any damage that may have been caused to the pump. I pointed out the P/S has had a leak since I bought it 3 years ago, but it only takes a £7 bottle of fluid to refill it throughout the year. Either way, £40 was the damage. Paint me unimpressed.
Noise still persisted.
Anyway MOT was due this week. So book it in, ring them in the afternoon. Surprise, surprise failed MOT on failing CV seal and headlights (somehow out of alignment
). I reminded the manager I'd pointed this out a few weeks before and talked to the guy who worked the car. He said the seal had deteriorated since he'd seen it last. Cost is £40 to get it rectified, hardly worth the argument.But otherwise, car is through the MOT without great cost, which is always nice on an 11yr old car
- 24,122
- Scarfolk
- Grim10
- Are you kidding?
Surprise, surprise failed MOT on failing CV seal and headlights (somehow out of alignment
Slightly dislodged headlamp bulb? Oh Evan, you could have fixed that yourself! It's not difficult, like, say, changing tyres.
But otherwise, fairly impressive for an 11 year old! You must be so proud!
ExigeEvan
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They're the sort of garage (small, local, know you after a couple visits) that will just fix things without even asking. So the headlights were done straight away and apparently without charge. Also it was both headlights.
Thinking about it, I did use the pitch adjuster a couple of times when I was carrying a full compliment of mates at night. Perhaps the motor is squiffing the focus.
Thinking about it, I did use the pitch adjuster a couple of times when I was carrying a full compliment of mates at night. Perhaps the motor is squiffing the focus.
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WTF!! Howww did you do that?!
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- Drayton Bassett, North Warwickshire
- Duffers999
- Clark Duffy
I've found insurance does drop pretty rapidly if you are a good driver (read: don't crash or get speeding tickets)
I started driving 3 years ago at 18 paying £2800 insurance a year (1 lump sum) on a 1.1 Clio II, now it's £1300 a year (lump sum again) for a 2.5litre BMW.
I hope mine drops to something close to what yours did in a year when I'm your age Evan, or at least into three figures.
I started driving 3 years ago at 18 paying £2800 insurance a year (1 lump sum) on a 1.1 Clio II, now it's £1300 a year (lump sum again) for a 2.5litre BMW.
I hope mine drops to something close to what yours did in a year when I'm your age Evan, or at least into three figures.
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My first year of driving, back in 2003, cost £1,400 in insurance for my 1.3 Ford Fiesta. The next year, that slashed to £700. The year after that, less than £500.
Really pays to keep your nose clean for a young driver. Best I ever paid for the Fiesta was about £250, and my MX-5 wasn't that much more. Best I've ever paid was £89/yr for my Beetle
Really pays to keep your nose clean for a young driver. Best I ever paid for the Fiesta was about £250, and my MX-5 wasn't that much more. Best I've ever paid was £89/yr for my Beetle
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ExigeEvan
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I'm considering getting an MX-5 as a road-legal track car in the not-too-distant future. Is insurance more difficult on a Eunos?My first year of driving, back in 2003, cost £1,400 in insurance for my 1.3 Ford Fiesta. The next year, that slashed to £700. The year after that, less than £500.
Really pays to keep your nose clean for a young driver. Best I ever paid for the Fiesta was about £250, and my MX-5 wasn't that much more. Best I've ever paid was £89/yr for my Beetle
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- Duffers999
- Clark Duffy
Why an MX5 for a track car? Why not something like this?
ExigeEvan
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It's even older.
That particular one has silly modifications.
It's future eligibility for the MaX5Racing series is doubtful.
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- Duffers999
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I didn't mean that particular one, but I meant an E30 318, plenty of championships that can be eligble for aswell. It's only slightly older than a Gen 1 MX5, and just as reliable and same availability of spares.
And I reckon it'll handle better than an MX5.
And I reckon it'll handle better than an MX5.
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Not really. When I was looking at MX-5s the imports and UK cars were more or less the same. I don't think insurance companies really care any more.
We get it, you like E30s
Ehhhhh... a minimum of 100kg heavier and the steering ratio of the Mary Celeste unless you swap the steering rack for one from a Z3. Possibly a slightly less wobbly chassis but I reckon the MX5 is better out of the box.
And decent MX5s are about a billion times easier to find than E30s. I'd actually feel bad about gutting an E30 to go racing with these days as there are so few good ones left knocking about. Those which aren't already race cars are driven to destruction by chavs, and the remaining few, like yours, cost a fair few pennies. You can get a perfectly good and mechanically sound MX5 for less than a grand. Most sub-1k E30s are now undesirable ones like 316 automatics or thoroughly mullered 325s running on half their cylinders.
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- rb26x
What about a fun car with airbags and ABS? My dad will not let me get an FC or Z31 because of no airbags, although I may be able to convince him about ABS. The car i have now doesn't have it. I've been checking into S14s lately. It needs to be RWD, and I heavily prefer a lightweight or mid weighted car. Power isn't all that important. Also, I tried with MX5s, and he said too small. So bigger than that.
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To be honest, if I wanted a decent track car with plenty of spares backup, cheap to buy and with wide race series availability I'd be after a Chicken Paxo VTR/VTS. They pretty much dominate tin-top club racing (well strictly Pug 106 GTIs and Rallyes do, but they're more expensive and we don't need any more people ruining Rallyes, thanks!) and parts for them grow on trees.
But if RWD is a necessity then the affordable choices beyond MX5s and E30s are limited. And of the two, the MX5 is the easiest to find in the sort of condition that you'd be happy to drive on a track.
Other option of course is the E36, which is heavier but less susceptible to scene tax than the E30 and therefore cheaper for one of equivalent quality.
But if RWD is a necessity then the affordable choices beyond MX5s and E30s are limited. And of the two, the MX5 is the easiest to find in the sort of condition that you'd be happy to drive on a track.
Other option of course is the E36, which is heavier but less susceptible to scene tax than the E30 and therefore cheaper for one of equivalent quality.
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- rb26x
homeforsummer
There is an MX5 up the street for sale, second gen. I prefer first gen, but this one is absolutely beautiful and I don't think I'd want to pay a lot more for something I'll throw around anyway. I'd also like to add that I'd like to drift it. Club racing is an interest, yes. But I'd prefer drift.
ExigeEvan
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Sorry to be short with the alternatives, but I'm really not looking for alternative ideas.
While the hot-hatch suggestions are fun for mixing on track with 300 hp Z4 silohette racers and former BTCC Mondeos and Sierras they really aren't competitive even against a Fiesta ST unless you want to plough money into a 20 yr old car. Which I don't.
My friend is now moving in Max5 (he's already bought his Eunos w/ LSD £700) and him and his father are willing to offer me support. Also, there's not too many entry-level race-series that come down to Pembrey, and that's a big reason too.
My friend already races an old Vauxhall Nova that he used to clear his rookie plates in the Welsh Sports and Saloon Car Cup. He was an established and successful karter before that but never got the funding (that he was promised) to go further.
While the hot-hatch suggestions are fun for mixing on track with 300 hp Z4 silohette racers and former BTCC Mondeos and Sierras they really aren't competitive even against a Fiesta ST unless you want to plough money into a 20 yr old car. Which I don't.
My friend is now moving in Max5 (he's already bought his Eunos w/ LSD £700) and him and his father are willing to offer me support. Also, there's not too many entry-level race-series that come down to Pembrey, and that's a big reason too.
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No probs, the MX5 would still be my choice regardless.
It's a good series. Looks a lot of fun. I drove one of the MaX5 cars a few years back when I was still at uni, and it's the car that got me into MX5s in the first place. My only suggestion would be to go for one with power steering, as it makes controlling the inevitable slides so much easier. Manual rack cars are surprisingly heavy to steer once on the spec wheels, and the rack itself is slower to make up for the lack of power assistance.
Sorry, was aiming that more at Evan/Duffers than your comment, hence the mention of the U.S.-unavailable Citroen.
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