Fun retro hatchbacks?

[chvrlie]

I'm looking for something for the winter. Wouldn't mind something a little fun, something around the £1000 mark.
What's the most fun you've had in a cheap retro hatchback?

[rsmithy626]

Here's a decent looking MK2 Golf for £900 with 8 months MOT

www.gumtree.com/p/volkswagen/volkswagon-mk2-golf-cl-1.6l-black-1988-rare-cheap-insurance-new-drivers/1109468310

[SmokeEm]

Has to be a Pug 309gti - Had some of the most fun you can legally have in one of them. Proper quick and handle well too. Hard to come across these days but quite cheap when they do appear.

[Anthony]

Nov 30, 2015 13:42:43 GMT SmokeEm said:

Has to be a Pug 309gti - Had some of the most fun you can legally have in one of them. Proper quick and handle well too. Hard to come across these days but quite cheap when they do appear.

Not so much any more sadly - whilst they were historically cheap, 309 GTi's have mirrored the price rises of 205's and you'll be lucky to find a reasonable example for less than a grand.

Shame, because as you say, they're very good cars and I miss the ones I've owned

You'd probably have more luck with 205 GTi's simply due to available numbers - there's masses of optimistically priced stuff out there but you can still pick up slightly leggy 1.6 GTi's reasonably cheaply if you're patient.

[EmDee]

Nov 30, 2015 0:29:17 GMT chvrlie said:

I'm looking for something for the winter. Wouldn't mind something a little fun, something around the £1000 mark.
What's the most fun you've had in a cheap retro hatchback?

Whilst catastrophically slow due to the 4 speed, the golf in your avatar is a good one

A few bits that came off my car have made their way on to it, like the chrome cam cover for example. I know the previous owner Dom.

Anyway, my Polo is the most fun I've had in a retro hatchback, and it was cheap before I chucked money at it, so have a pic.





or two...

[wodge]

Citroen AX had a 1.1 carbed povo spec. I bought it for £220 purely for a temporary long commute and did 22,000 miles in six months in it. Awesome fun, it was 4 speed no rev counter I can only imagine the revs at 90 plus but it took it. Was sold for a £20 loss. Guessing 106/Saxo are 90% the same but a bit heavier.

[jasonj]

Not really retro I guess but my £1000 would be spent on a Peugeot 306 GTi-6. Such an underrated car. Best all round car I've ever owned and still got one after 13 years of ownership.

[nomad]

^ I'd vote for baby pug/citroen
106? Saxo? Ax? (as it's the same motor but smaller lighter body ) - all can handle great and are a hoot to chuck around corners

Or a cheapie GT type (Nissan S13 200SX if you can find one with a bit of life left before the drift boys see it?), you'll get stung for insurance & petrol but the turbo kick is worth it

[composimmonite]

I would say forget performance and go for handling. After all what is the point of amazing 0-60 time or high top speed if you intend road driving ! On the other hand a car that handles brilliantly can be fun at legal speed limits on twisty roads. That means you could go for a base model of a car that is a fraction of the price of a GTi model and still have loads of money left to uprate suspension, tyres etc.

[Mystery Machine]

Most fun small hatchback I've ever had:



Not the fastest thing, but smiles per £ are about as good as they get. Economical too. And pretty practical. Also pretty reliable.

In fact, now I want another one!!

[guz]

me and the missus run 1L/4 speed mk2f polos, they cost £240/pair,
hers had a new engine cos it was cheaper than doing the h/g at £25
but that's the only big job i've had in over 2 years of running 'em

[highvoltage]

Ford Puma would be a good shout.The 1.7 is quick and revs freely plus you have great handling and the best FWD gearshift i've ever experienced.Great drivers car and still underrated.
Won't be long before the Ford scene tax gets applied to these,but you can still get nice one for a grand.

[joem83]

Peugeot 205 XS or GTI.

If you can find one, a 106 GTI - haven't driven one but they are supposed to be great little motors.

[markbognor]

I have a lot of fun with a cheap small (but in fairness not particularly retro) hatchback. With your £1000 budget there would be plenty left over for cool wheels and a set of Corsa B coilovers.

[tragic]

Fun for the money?
Renault Clio 182 Cup is almost unbeatable. Stupidly good fun in the twistys, comfy motorway cruisers, and they'll embarrass a lot of exotics. Sold mine ('05 plate Full Fat, 82k, full MOT) a couple of months back for £895. That car made me giggle every time I drove it, which as a daily driver is a good thing, right? They're a proper Jekyl & Hyde car, drive like a nun round town at 30mph or drive like your hair's on fire and get out grinning like an idiot! Parts cost peanuts, they're reliable and they're right on the brink of shooting up in value. Just make sure the cambelt and dephaser pulley have been done.
I replaced mine with another RR favourite, a W210 AMG E55 which is absolutely epic, but not as much fun as the Clio in a real world environment.
For sub £1000 fun I know where my money would go!

[swampy442]

If you could up the budget, an AE82 Toyota Corolla is an absolute blast. I loved mine.

[skinnylew]

I have to say a sporty Ax but they are getting hard to find these days for that budget!
Controversial non retro choice - Ford SportKa - I bought the wife one and it's an absolute hoot to drive quickly, sooooo many people underestimate it and think they can undertake, cut you up, jumps you at lights etc but the thing accelerates pretty darn rapidly and shows up so many people it hilarious. Just avoid the motorway as that's proper boom revvy hard work.

[mikeymk]

Biscuit tins are the way forward, you can chuck them about and give them a good hiding without driving at unsociable speeds. There's nothing quite like rallying a 1.1 featherweight just trying to keep up with a Prius, they're funny as hell.

The best have already been mentioned - pre-'95 Polo, Citroen AX/Saxo/Visa, Peugeot 205/106/104, Fiat Cinquecento/Seicento/127/Yugo. pre-'89 Fiesta, Nova, and anything of the sort.

Avoid anything newer than early 1990s as they put on tons of weight in a short time - a 1.0 Lupo is as heavy as a 3dr 1.3 Ford Sierra, is more refined, and naturally this kills the desired spirit.

You don't need a sports model, as long as you don't go for the smallest engines. A Fiesta 1.4L has the same engine as a Fiesta 1.4S, Polo 1.3CL same engine as a Coupe-S, you might get SPi instead of MPi (base 106 1.4 over an XSi for example) but you can always have a tinker..

[retroade]

If you can live without the car being too practical but still small then this is what you want. Loved mine. Few around still for under a grand. Fun factor 10 and the roof comes off!

Look for UK cars, avoid autos (the manual box is superb) and they rust on the rear quarters form the inside so check carefully - I replaced mine (£500). Service more important than mileage but both the single and twin cam VTECs bulletproof - mine was nearly on 180k and tight as a drum.

[BT]

I originally came in to suggest the 106 Gti, or possibly even the rally's (if they're still available cheaply). Saxo VTS is also just as fun.

Old 1.6 ESI eg civic? D16 1.6 16V SOHC rather than the B16 DOHC. Think with age they look pretty cool as well.

Corsa? I sold a E16SE powered one with Spax coilovers, updated ARBs and a few other bits for £500 and that was insane fun for the money.

My local yard had a VR6 Mk3 for £500 recently, they're wicked.