Am I ready for my first Classic?

georgeous

Hi guys,

You may remember I started a thread about getting a classic for everyday driving - then I had to move to New York for work, and now 8 months later I have to move back to the UK (in about a month) for work yet again (... and in 6 - 12 months I may have to go back to New York!).

So, my situation is I'm 25 years old, not overly excited by the thought of driving a Golf / Punto / whatever, and think entry-level classic is the way to go for me! My budget is up to 5-6k sterling, and this would be for my one-and-only car (i.e. main car for insurance etc.) so the engine size would probably need to be small-ish and reliable. My daily commute would only be 3-5 miles if that changes matters.

Any suggestions? Am I dreaming with my budget? Would I be getting myself into more hassle than I can afford?

Any advice is appreciated, thanks guys!

G

macplaxton

I'd finish moving around first.

Just get some stop-gap bangers in the meantime.

surly joe

For 6k sterling you could get a decent lancia fulvia 1300.I have one and drive it every day.
I'm sure people will come along now and talk about rust and electrical stuff but a well looked after one is a joy to drive.

Anan1

surly joe wrote: »

For 6k sterling you could get a decent lancia fulvia 1300.I have one and drive it every day.
I'm sure people will come along now and talk about rust and electrical stuff but a well looked after one is a joy to drive.

Fabulous cars, IMO - my first ever car was a S1 1.3 Sport.

alfaromeo84

Fulivia's are lovely cars, i've been looking for about 2yrs, they so rarely come up for sale. I know Horans have a white one, but not my colour. There were 2 in Terenure, neither for sale. Both absolutely lovely.

bmoregan

My $0.02...

What type of car would you go for ? If I recall my mid-20's I'd have wanted something that at least looked decent even if it only had a 1.3 Lt engine.

If it's your main car think practicality; not in terms of "central locking and 4 doors". Nope - buy a really nice example of a car that was common at the time. Preferably with enough interest that there's an owners club in the UK or specialist parts suppliers. If Escorts and Rovers are a bit too run-of-the-mill then how about a Mark I Golf ? ( but DONT get the 1.1 Lt... I was overtaken by a moped going up a hill in a 1.1 Lt Golf ! With a potential girlfriend in the passanger seat looking at me !).

Or Pug 205 maybe ?

What era are you thinking ? If you're not getting classic Insurance and you dont want a big lump you could venture into the '90s which are all a bit "new" for me...

Sorry, but unless you've already got experience with a welding torch and a slodering-iron.. anything Italian from the 70's / 80's will let you down unless you get a really, really, really good one. I guess anything Leyland falls into the same category. However, I cant think of anything (easily insurable)Japanese that I'd have wanted. Honda CR-X maybe (but I think that was 1.6 Lt) ?

Bitten & Hisses

Mk2 Golf GTI is what you want. You'd get a decent one for €3K and concours for around €5K

georgeous

Thanks for the replies guys, great to learn from all the experience here.

Macplaxton - I think you're somewhat right, but I just have issues with buying a car to just sell it in a few months (if I have to go back to NY) for 1-2k less! I'd prefer to buy a car and if I have to move, be able to store it at my parents place in Ireland and know it's there waiting for me. It just seems like a better investment.

The Lancia Fulvia looks like a nice car - was it popular in it's day? (ease of parts etc?). I'll look into it further as I'm not too informed.

Here's what I've been thinking so far...

Golf GTi (Mk1 + 2) - would be cool, but no attracted by the interior, and not sure how 'me' it is.

Pug 205 - Not a fan - I used to like them in my early teens, which is probably why I don't like them now. I'd imagine they're pretty reliable however.

Celica (RA25/28/29) - would love one, Mustang styling but Japanese build. Difficult to find in good condition though (one on eBay in UK at the moment if anyone's looking) so it'd be a restoration job and I don't have time or the experience yet. Anyone ever had one? Bmoregan - Japanese are a pain to insure?

Datsun 240Z (or 260Z 2+2) - I think it's my dream, but similar to the Celica situation - very few are in great condition and they get expensive quick when they are in great condition. And again, may be a pain to insure from what Bmoregan said.

BMW 3 series (late 70's) - like these quite a lot, but don't know much about them.

I suppose in a way I want something that most people wouldn't recognise, maybe the Lancia would be the way to go. Any other advice would be awesome, thanks for your input so far guys.

G

SligoBrewer

May I suggest that 6k could buy a very well looked after Mini?

Even a clubby estate from England could be bought at that price.

macplaxton

georgeous wrote: »

Macplaxton - I think you're somewhat right, but I just have issues with buying a car to just sell it in a few months (if I have to go back to NY) for 1-2k less! I'd prefer to buy a car and if I have to move, be able to store it at my parents place in Ireland and know it's there waiting for me. It just seems like a better investment.

Use taxis then. A car sitting doing hee-haw is the worst thing for it, and it can't be relied upon to be ready to drive when you come back....

georgeous

My childhood dream of an original mini stopped the minute I hit 6 ft 3" at 13 years of age!

macplaxton wrote: »

Use taxis then. A car sitting doing hee-haw is the worst thing for it, and it can't be relied upon to be ready to drive when you come back....

Not with my record with taxi driver encounters, thanks!

I wouldn't expect to arrive back and 'Ta-da!', the car is working perfectly, but just to know it can be revived easily is good - that is, if classics can be revived easily??? What are common problems when stored for lengths of time (months to years)?

SligoBrewer

georgeous wrote: »

My childhood dream of an original mini stopped the minute I hit 6 ft 3" at 13 years of age!

I'm > 6ft

georgeous

SligoBrewer wrote: »

I'm > 6ft

Sunroof?

macplaxton

Ok, scrub the taxis!

georgeous wrote: »

What are common problems when stored for lengths of time (months to years)?

Brakes seizing up for starters and tyres going out of round for seconds.

georgeous

macplaxton wrote: »

Ok, scrub the taxis!

It's for the best, believe me!

So what are the typical steps that people make when they are putting a car into storage for a while to prevent problems down the line?

georgeous

Would a P1800 do well as a daily runner? Anyone use one daily?

macplaxton

Absolutely, no problem.

Irvin Gordon must have averaged some daily mileage in the last 43 years!

unkel

macplaxton wrote: »

Absolutely, no problem.

Irvin Gordon must have averaged some daily mileage in the last 43 years!

+1

He's a legend. Now retired, he still manages to do 100k miles per year :eek:

Max001

What about an early 80's 3 series BMW?
Never owned one myself, but if you could
find a low mileage model, one retired owner
etc, it might be a reliable bet and still have
some individuality. I'd imagine the mechanicals
would be pretty bomb proof and prices must be
at rock bottom about now

macplaxton

^^^^ He means an E21 BMW

Which is quite a nice idea even to a non-BMW person.