Passed my test now onto finding a car. help much wanted:)

[Venari]

Golf Mk1, Peugeot 205 XS or Rallye - neither as GTis.

Classic Mini is obvious choice. Bought with a 'reasonable amount' of money (say £1,500) and maintained properly, none of the above cars will lose value.

Famine is both right and wrong. Get a Saxo if you must, you'll be just as boring as everyone else - 1.1s are cheap to insure, but in two years, it'll be worth nothing.

I tried to insure a Fiat X1/9 as my first car in 1991 - a £1,500 example would have cost me £3,500. In today's money, that's about £10k.

Try a few things, get some specs for old cars you do like and ask insurers.

However, don't let us tell you what's stylish or fashionable. Or cheap. You'll do just fine.

(For reference, my first car was a Chevette 1.3GLS - in 1991 - which very quickly moved to a Nova SR.... but by the time I was 18 I had a second car - a 1973 Lancia Fulvia 1,3S - still got it. It ran rings around the Nova and everyone at school thought it was the sexiest thing in the carpark - kids and teachers alike. The Nova cost me about £350 to insure, TPFT, and the Fulvia was on a classic policy, 3,000miles limit, but it cost only another £190.)

How about these:

A proper Mini - bits available all over. Groovy.
'82 Golf The Formel E was 1.1. The interiors are very utilitarian, but you can't argue with that classic shape. Also - four door is useful for taking out three mates at a time. Nice set of Golf GTi alloys, sir? Spanking.
Mark 1 Fiesta! This one looks ace. Lousy tyres means it will scare the willies out of you before it even comes close to killing you. However, I know that properly piloted, a 1.1 can be made to go indecently fast. *cough* Guv'nor.
Moggy Minor... Rear drive, this one has modern rubber and looks as if it's had a few tweaks. This looks fabulous to me - they're a doddle to maintain, they're stylish (girlies who aren't chavalicious love 'em) and everyone will want to talk to you about it in petrol stations & carparks. Minty.

Also - any car made before... uh... when is it? 1974? Free road tax.


Edit: In fact, you may have to fight me for the Moggy. It looks too awesome to miss... I'll eventually have to put a V8 in it, but that's just me. ([Mask]Somebody stop me![/Mask])

 

[Clark]

How much did the Fulvia cost to buy then?

 

[GT'S BiG FaN]

Toyota corolla , any model

 

[Christian_C]

I'd advise a first generation MX-5 uhmm, until I found my insurance is £1500 more than I expected still, if you have about 5k, you could go down that route like I have done (I passed my test 2 weeks ago on friday) I'll post pictures of my car if you would like proof , it's fun to drive but the insurance is a bit of a killer I'm afraid .

Depends though, my initial admiral quote was £2000, when they were rang up and informed it was an imported car from Japan they decided that warranted an insurance cost of £3500 (it is fully comp. though)

Another tip is to insure anyone you can in your house on the car, it almost certainly brings the premium down for you

The MK1 MX-5 is a good car though, It's RWD, 1.6L, 2 seats, roof down in the summer and plus, I have the knowledge I don't need to prove I can toast my friends cars

 

[Clark]

Rambling On

How many times did you take the test, Tiddy?

 

[Christian_C]

twice duffers, not quite the point though is it?

 

[Jondot]

If you prefer the looks of a hatchback, there's not a lot I can help you with. You're going to end up with something shiny but utterly terrible, underpowered...

Well no let's be fair, that doesn't necessarily mean that...

I also had a bried look at fiesta's but Im not very keen on them if I am going to be honest.

Oh.

Never mind, carry on...

 

[Famine]

I'd advise a first generation MX-5

Rael in a pedalo! If kids at school are going to call him a "gypo" for having a better, faster, cooler car from a prestige marque instead of a me-too, wheezy econobox, imagine what they'd call him for owning an MX-5!


Quick reminder. Though this is waaaay out of your league in terms of insurance, it cost me £1,077, plus £300 for replacement brake lines, discs (Mintex), pads (Mintex) and handbrake shoes (Mintex) and £150 for four tyres:

It eats Clio 172s (plus I can fit one in the boot). If I get called a "gypo" by a 17 year old numbnuts who'd spent his £1,500 on buying this:

You know, I think I'd be able to live with it. I could tow that faster than it could ever go under it own steam... Plus I get 30mpg, a straight six and more he-done-gone-sideyways than you can shake a stick at.


There are so many benefits to not joining the herd in their stamped-out shopping trolleys. Being called names for having a far better car is not a downside.

 

[Grayfox]

Ever thought of a Morris Marina?

I would not recommend that to someone i hate.
The toyota corolla would be best as it will be cheap to service and cheap to insure

 

[Muzaffar]

Get a Proton.

Its cheap, and its really fun to drive! Heck, its a hatchback and it comes from my country!

 

[TECHNIKRS4]

I had the same amount of money to start off with with my first car. (19)
brought this in October 2010 paid £1450 and paid the insurance in one lump (don't ask it hurts)
1991 318iS.

 

[Christian_C]

Rael in a pedalo! If kids at school are going to call him a "gypo" for having a better, faster, cooler car from a prestige marque instead of a me-too, wheezy econobox, imagine what they'd call him for owning an MX-5!

You make a good point, except when you think that most of those people who would call him a "gypo" are those that will go out and buy the eggbox's you talk of and ruin them with 'chav' parts.

 

[Famine]

As I said, I wouldn't be paying any attention to anyone who thinks a cooler, faster, better car is a bad thing. But apparently it's important to lpb-nissan-gt-r...

 

[Christian_C]

As I said, I wouldn't be paying any attention to anyone who thinks a cooler, faster, better car is a bad thing. But apparently it's important to lpb-nissan-gt-r...

I understand where he's coming from but no one's said anything to me about my car that's been bad so, depends who your friends are I guess.

 

[Clark]

I think MX5's are for people who sound like woofs but with a 'p'.

 

[Roo]

The car needs to look nice and not crap becuase I dont want to look like a fool, to all the rich kids in my year.

E)people would call me a gypo for not having a reasonable car(newish hatchback)

Are you buying a car for a)you or b)the kids in college? If the answer is b), then you should be asking them what you should be driving, not us.

I know it won't make a difference, but I'm going to post is anyway. At the age of 20 I bought a 1993 Volvo 940. Rear wheel drive, turbocharged 2 litre engine. Went sideways in the wet if provoked... and it cost me less to insure than my friend's Golf.

Ever thought of a Morris Marina?

I would not recommend that to someone i hate.

I know a 19 year old with one of those. Popular doesn't even begin to describe him, although the ability to laugh at himself and not give a monkeys about what anyone else thinks of his car helps.

 

[lpb-nissan-gt-r]

Well I like I said
A)I would rather drive a hatchback then something old even if your guys suggestions are 'cooler'
B)its my dads money he is not going to let me go spend it on something stupid like a 3 series beemer he said small engine, hatchback
C)and I get a lot of crap just because of my name sometimes it is better to blend in then stand out.
D)I am not going to rice my car out like above Corsa

 

[Famine]

Well I like I said
A)I would rather drive a hatchback then something old even if your guys suggestions are 'cooler'

That's your prerogative, but why? One assumes you have as much experience of non-hatchbacks as hatchbacks to compare the two, to arrive at the conclusion that you'd rather drive a hatchback?

B)its my dads money he is not going to let me go spend it on something stupid like a 3 series beemer he said small engine, hatchback

What's stupid about a 3-series?

An E21 316 has a small engine. It's also a small car - 4.4m long, 1.6m wide, 1.4m tall and not cracking a flat tonne. A Corsa D is 40cm shorter, 10cm wider, 10cm taller and 10% heavier...

C)and I get a lot of crap just because of my name sometimes it is better to blend in then stand out.

Yeah, the knobheads aren't going to stop being knobheads because you bought the same crappy car as them. Hey, they might even make fun of you for copying them... It's what knobheads do - make fun of anyone for any reason.

If you're going to try to impress anyone with your choice of car, make it your dad (who'll you'll continue to know for some time after you've stopped knowing the knobheads) or girls (who... well, you work it out). Buying the same silver Corsa as Daz and Kev and Steve and Baz won't impress anyone, least of all yourself - you'll just be throwing your dad's money away on a futile attempt not to be made fun of and getting chuff all out of it.

Listen to the old people who've been where you are now. Occasionally, we know some stuff...

 

[lpb-nissan-gt-r]

I am not doubting you guys, Im sure they are good ideas But like I said a sensible hatchback is what I need, when I have a decent job/no school then I will have some wild cars but for now It will have to be a sensible hatchback(my dad said it has to be a small engine 1.0 litre to 1.3 litre or I can save up and get whatever I want) and Im sorry but I would rather save the time and just get a car now if I am going to be honest.

 

[Peterram430]

Famine, just so you don't feel your words of wisdom were completely wasted...
I'm in a similar position to lpb GTR guy (passed by test almost a year ago, have been driving parent's car since but will be looking for one of my own within the next few months), I was previously pretty much decided on a Ford Ka or similar, but you've inspired me to consider looking at classics more seriously. Thanks to high fuel prices etc. I was planning to use the car as little as possible anyway so the poorer day to day usability of a classic shouldn't be so much of a problem. I can understand how the OP feels about his peers opinions, based on the reactions from my friend who I showed the X1/9 you linked to such a car would not go down well and I'd get abuse, but then again I'd get abuse for driving a Ka anyway
The only real problem is I'm going to university next year and will probably be living 70ish miles from my family so would have to get something frugal enough to do reasonably long journeys every few weekends.
There's a lovely MGB GT on ebay....

 

[Clark]

Famine that post was win just because of Kev, Daz, Steve and Baz 👍

 

[Rotary Junkie]

Well I like I said
A)I would rather drive a hatchback then something old even if your guys suggestions are 'cooler'

Why? Now, I'm American, the concept of a hatchback is completely alien to me, but I don't get why you'd want one. I drive a 4-door sedan every day and rarely use even the trunk (easier to throw stuff in the back seat anyway); I understand the appeal if you need to be able to hold a lot of stuff, but a Chavsakaparty would completely defeat the purpose being that it's too tiny to do anything that would require you to have a hatchback.

B)its my dads money he is not going to let me go spend it on something stupid like a 3 series beemer he said small engine, hatchback

Yell at him about the hatchback part. And the "small engine" part.

Neither of which are necessary for an efficient, cheap to insure vehicle.

C)and I get a lot of crap just because of my name sometimes it is better to blend in then stand out.

🤬 them. Like Famine said, the knobheads will always be knobheads. Roll up in something better than what they have, get picked on for "not paying for your own car". Something worse? Get picked on for driving a "piece of crap". You can't win.

D)I am not going to rice my car out like above Corsa

Doesn't matter much. There's nothing attractive about a Chavsakaparty, particularly not a base model. Also, you're in Essex. You will.

I'll offer something here... Look at 1.4L Civics and the like; certain body styles will 99% be cheaper to insure than a Chavsakaparty, be no worse on fuel, and be better at everything else.

 

[Moglet]

I just tested insurance for myself on a 1.0 Corsa vs. a number of other cars and the Corsa was miles cheaper in every single circumstance.....

Does it change for younger drivers?

 

[Clark]

I seem to only be able to get quotes for my car at 5K at the cheapest. Despite the fact I insured it fully comp for 2900 last year. (Both fully comp and no other named drivers)

 

[Moglet]

I just got quoted £460 fully comp for a 1981 1.6 Capri! Cheaper than any Corsa, Saxo, Polo etc.

 

[Famine]

I just tested insurance for myself on a 1.0 Corsa vs. a number of other cars and the Corsa was miles cheaper in every single circumstance.....

Does it change for younger drivers?

It depends.

However, the most likely group of people to have a big, expensive accident is young men in small hatchbacks. If you're a young man in not-a-small-hatchback, you're less risk. If you're not-a-young-man (or a young not-a-man) in a small hatchback, you're less risk.

If you can find a specialist classics insurer willing to take you on at 18 for your only car, you'll get a quote waaaaaaaaay cheaper for a stonking classic compared to a 1.0 Corsa - I did mainstream quotes and the E21 316 for a person of lpb-nissan-gt-r's age, living at the postcode his school is in (don't ask), doing 8,000 miles a year, parking it on a driveway at home overnight with a voluntary £500 excess cost almost exactly the same as a 2007 Corsa SXi 1.4 (£530pcm compared to £560pcm - a little pricey, but obscenely so for a grand's worth of Corsa). From a mainstream insurer.

Like-for-like, there's not going to be much difference - the insurers will do you, and do you dry, and expect you to be grateful - but there's only one sensible answer to "£1,500 + £500pcm for a 1.4 Corsa or an E21 3-series?"


There's also the question of running costs. Go pre-2001 and you can get any hefty engine taxed for £205 a year. Go pre-1998 and your car may qualify for classic insurance (I think - some companies class 13 year old cars as classics). Go pre-1993 and you don't need a stringent post-cat emissions test at MoT time (cats are £200 a pop if you're lucky). Go pre-1973 and you pay no road tax at all.


One thing to note when shopping for classics - watch old Top Gear episodes. Anything they buy in their £1,500 challenges? Avoid.

I just got quoted £460 fully comp for a 1981 1.6 Capri! Cheaper than any Corsa, Saxo, Polo etc.

There's a Capri left in the country? I thought they'd been hunted to extinction.

 

[Moglet]

Thanks for the help Famine, I suppose it helps that I'm 25 so my insurance won't be a huge issue like it will for the OP. It also helps that I prefer classics to modern cars anyway. My old Metro had no ABS, power steering or...well, anything really. It was the best car I've ever had. My only worry about driving a classic is the reliability, but as you said, generally if something is well looked after it shouldn't be an issue.

 

[TECHNIKRS4]

It depends.

However, the most likely group of people to have a big, expensive accident is young men in small hatchbacks. If you're a young man in not-a-small-hatchback, you're less risk. If you're not-a-young-man (or a young not-a-man) in a small hatchback, you're less risk.

If you can find a specialist classics insurer willing to take you on at 18 for your only car, you'll get a quote waaaaaaaaay cheaper for a stonking classic compared to a 1.0 Corsa - I did mainstream quotes and the E21 316 for a person of lpb-nissan-gt-r's age, living at the postcode his school is in (don't ask), doing 8,000 miles a year, parking it on a driveway at home overnight with a voluntary £500 excess cost almost exactly the same as a 2007 Corsa SXi 1.4 (£530pcm compared to £560pcm - a little pricey, but obscenely so for a grand's worth of Corsa). From a mainstream insurer.

Like-for-like, there's not going to be much difference - the insurers will do you, and do you dry, and expect you to be grateful - but there's only one sensible answer to "£1,500 + £500pcm for a 1.4 Corsa or an E21 3-series?"


There's also the question of running costs. Go pre-2001 and you can get any hefty engine taxed for £205 a year. Go pre-1998 and your car may qualify for classic insurance (I think - some companies class 13 year old cars as classics). Go pre-1993 and you don't need a stringent post-cat emissions test at MoT time (cats are £200 a pop if you're lucky). Go pre-1973 and you pay no road tax at all.


One thing to note when shopping for classics - watch old Top Gear episodes. Anything they buy in their £1,500 challenges? Avoid.





There's a Capri left in the country? I thought they'd been hunted to extinction.

Is that part true even for cars that had them fit anyway?
If so im taking mine off the BMW for a extra 2BHP 👍

 

[Famine]

The catalytic convertor is not an MOT test item. Your car simply has to pass the emissions test appropriate to the age of the engine in the car - with or without the cat.

 

[Leonidae@MFT]

Which it will most likely do if the engine is in good shape.