Fun Hot Hatch - Suggestions

[ancoats]

Right, after a thread I started earlier about classic insurance I've come to the conclusion that I'm going to have to wait 'til summer (& turning 21) before I can get anything.

I orginally wanted a big tank - Land Rover with a V8 engine, big Mercedes or similar. However, insurance says no.

SO - I'd like something small, nippy & fun to drive!

£2k budget. What I like - Fiat Uno Turbo, Renalt 5 GT Turbo, Peugeot 205 1.9 GTI, Mini.

Pros & cons - they're all potential rust buckets!

Any other suggestions?

[Samage]

Toyota Starlet. Japanese quality, and, if you buy an early enough one, RWD fun. However, finding a good one that old may be tricky.

[ancoats]

I'm not keen on the looks TBH.

Plus Japanese cars don't really do anything for me - the Toyota included.

[garethj]

If you can find a non-rusty one, an Alfasud is a real hoot. You don't need a 1.7 litre engine, the 1.5 is fine. Most rusted away 20 years ago, so any that are left now should be ok.

Out of the box ideas? Citroen Visa GTi (maybe ebay.fr ?)


Peugeot 309 GTi can be good value and handle well.

Peugeot 106 Rallye is ace, but finding one that hasn't had the life thrashed out of it may be difficult

Peugeot 104ZS could be a hoot

I've got a lust for the Fiat 127 Sport

It's almost a hatchback (as much as a Hillman Imp anyway) but I had loads of fun with a Suzuki Whizzkid. A very fine way to thrash around B roads

[Stiff]

ancoats said:

What I like - Fiat Uno Turbo, Renalt 5 GT Turbo, Peugeot 205 1.9 GTI,...

All very nippy little motors. R5 GT Turbo's well known for being very unreliable, even more so when tuned. I'd go for the 205 GTi but you may find the 1.9's fetching strong money for a decent one. Also insurance won't be cheap by any means. Wish I'd kept mine, real pocket rockets straight out of the box ;D

[ancoats]

A Sud would be my first choice TBH, but I really doubt I'd be able to find a decent one.

106 - not sure if it's a classic?

The 205 (or possibly 309) looks favourite at the minute, but there's some more to look at now.

For £2k I should be able to find a really nice example, especially of a 309 as they don't fetch partcularly good money. Insurance is around £600 on a classic policy when I reach 21 (not bad considering I'm paying over £800 on a 1.6 C2 at the min!). Hopefully that'll come down some as I can see running two cars being expensive.

[arthurbrown]

205 is a guaranteed hoot.

How's about an Alfa 33?

I'd quite fancy one of the spicy versions of those.. unusual, quick, good handling etc. Plus £2k would buy the best of the best (if you can actually find one that hasn't fizzled away!!)

[Robinxr4i]

Volvo 480 Turbo - Slag off by many but not half as bad as you think, you can get a mint one for about £800 from some old lady or gent whos had it main dealer serviced . Send the ECU off to richard on the 480 europe forum and for £80 he will chip it, lets the car run 14psi of boost and lots of torque steer! Plus the Renault engine is tough as old boots, trust me and compared to most turbo'd hatchs the insurance is not too bad due to there non-boy racer image.

If insurance is a worry a Citroen AX gt will be a good cheap hatch!

[stinkwheel]

Visa gti's are great, cheaper to insure than a pug, faster and handle better. only trouble is finding one, i think the DVLA only have a double figure number on their records.

[reanimation]

Do you need an hatch? chances are yes if you move house and junk around as much as me! ;D

[ancoats]

reanimation said:

Do you need an hatch? chances are yes if you move house and junk around as much as me! ;D

Are you here all week?

I looked at the 33 4 x 4, but couldn't find one for sale!

Volvo is a good suggestion, I'll take a look.

Visa - very unusual! I like the idea, but again - finding one could be difficult.

Some good ideas so far.

[akku]

I keep being told that the R5 GTT is not unreiable unless some Barry has been at it with an adjustable boost regulator and no supporting mods...

I never liked the R5 I drove but it wasn't a GTT.

Minis are cool
Imps are cool
205 is cool. Get one of those JCB yellow ones with the denim interior FTW!
Polo Mk2/Mk3 - the 1.3 isn't so "hot" but it is insurable.

[reanimation]

Yep I am!

Just wondered if you'd swap a hatch for an engine in the back and some RWD.

Basically seems if ya under 21 owt will be expensive to insure specially if it has a fast badge, reputation or power. Try AX GT, Nova sport if ya can find one, or a nice 1.3 Golf mk1 if ya can find one w/o scene tax. insurance beaters sort of thing. and get what you want later... HTH

[archieboy]

Toyota corolla gti, got the excellent 4age engine, very reliable and £1000 would find you a good one.

[ancoats]

205 1.9 GTI is fine to insure, as is 5 GTT, 33 1.7 Cloverleaf etc.

So I assume most things like that will be OK.

I don't want some poverty spec car - I have a 1.6 small modern car - performance wise it's fine. It's just with all the electrics it's not as fun as an older car.

So I'm looking more at the GTT/ GTI side of things. I wouldn't bother with something slow.

[Bioshock]

Not the usual choice,but how about a ZX.
Either the Volcane or for cheaper insurance,the Turbo diesel.
You can pick up either for next to nothing and put the rest towards the insurance!

[suffolkpaul]

there is a 33 4x4 on either autotraer or ebay t the moment as i remembe rseeing one over the weekend.

thought about a clio 16v ?
you can get an Alfa 145 cloverleaf for way less than £2k. 150bhp and a fantastic noise. however - save on the insureance an dextra servicing costs (no balance shafts) and get a 1.8 145 twin spark. still 130 bhp and a real go cart. the 1.6 tS is still 120bhp so will save a little more on the insruance there too.

[ancoats]

145 isn't a classic though, is it?

There was an excellent nick 33 4x4 for sale a while ago on ebay - there's one on there now but it's a bit rough.

ZX TD - LMFAO. I'm not having a diesel!

Like I said before - I want something resonably quick. It's a 2nd car purely for fun. I wouldn't waste my money on a low model, under-powered car. As I'd get no enjoyment out of it.

[Ministrone]

SUD
SUD
SUD
SUD
SUD
SUD

[garethj]

ancoats said:

Like I said before - I want something resonably quick. It's a 2nd car purely for fun. I wouldn't waste my money on a low model, under-powered car. As I'd get no enjoyment out of it.

I'm calling your bluff on that one

If the car has fun handling, the power doesn't matter so much.

Sometimes you're left thinking "I wish this had more power" but that's always the case once you get used to it.

Plus it's easier to hammer the car along B roads at 50mph getting your thrills than at 80mph.

I'm no stranger to 0-60 in 4 seconds but I can honestly say I've had fun in a 40hp Renault 8, a 45hp Suzuki Whizzkid and a 85hp Alfasud Sprint