What does "Affordable" mean to you?

[HoTWire]

One of the things in the "what content would you like to see more of" type poll we're running at the moment mentioned affordable retro cars. What sort of price ranges do you think of as affordable? I've always worked to about £1500 and there is stuff out there like that still for sure. However this can be pretty limiting and can result in the more modern end of out hobby being over represented. Equally whilst I'd love for everyone on here to have tens of thousands of quid to spend on their cars, we all know it isn't going to happen.

Obviously it depends on what your aiming to do, I don't think anyone is expecting to be able to build something to run at Goodwood Revival for £1500, equally I don't think anyone is considering a £15k Maserati as a budget car (even though in some classic circles it would be).

Again this won't stop us sharing pictures of amazing stuff we find at events that cost the earth, but it does help give us a bit of a range when we talk about budget stuff and keeping those older affordable classics on the road.

[slackerTHEpinstriper]

I've gone for 500-1500

As I take into account the cost of mods within that bracket.
I've never paid more than 600 for a car but then I've never had more than that to spend.

[VW]

Again, for me affordable is up to £1500, and I have little interest in owning anything post early 80's.

I'm screwed. My fun car buying days are severely limited.

[mondeogrd]

The reason i joined here was there seemed to be quite a few cars at the older end of where my interest lies and its a wee bit different to the one make forums. The issue i have is that i don't think my 99 Mondeo Ghia X is right for here where my direction is standard barring lowered springs and a spoiler. My 3 daily Focus are no more than 5 years newer and i might be replacing one to play about with it, inspired by what i see on here! I think it would be ripe for an affordable posting!
All the very best,
Geoff.

[welshpug]

I think it varies a lot, myself and a few friends have been lucky to be into 80's french things for long enough that we got them before prices went bonkers, the daily drivers we all have are 90's and early 2000's tat that is in the same point of decline/white goods situation.

not that we are in it for the increasing values, they're just fun cars!

[sarkie83]

what you can afford to loose...

[rattlecan]

I think it honestly depends on what your disposable income is.
I am now a nicely 'settled' over 50, if you will, no mortgage etc etc, so to me 10k + is an affordable motor, but a few yrs ago that would have only been say 2k

[arsonist]

For me, I'm only 'in to' retro cars because I inherited one and thought it would be cool to take on a new hobby. However recently I've seen cars for the 500-1500 range that I've thought...'ohhh, I could realistically afford that right now.' But of course I don't because A: no more room and B: also no more room. But 500-1500 feels the right ball park for me.

[s1105117]

Affordable to me atm is free! But upto 1500 really. I do love rdes that were more common or appear so, k10mixra as much as morris minors amd allegros as much as metros and 205s. However Equally i do like seeing major expensive top of the price, rare amazing etc builds and mods. Those are wow-factor things and insperational/aspirational. To me RR offers a Healthy mix between affordable and aspirational. And both are awesome. Now if anyone has a spare 50k so i can buy a cosqorth ford...

[rude]

It's a tough question to answer for me. The vehicles are at an age where they are usually being sold for a reason, and not a good one.
What's more affordable, a 1k car that needs 2k's worth of bits thrown at it or a 2k car that needs 1k thrown at it?
Therefore a 3k car would be theoretically more affordable as you save time, but I'm sure that 3k car would eat it's fair share of cash.
I guess my answer is that no old car is affordable, certainly not in the retro age bracket.
I evaluate owning an old car to that of having children, the more money and time you throw at it, the quieter it is and don't expect any thanks along the way.
You take what you can get, be it 500 quid or 15 grand..

[rude]

I might add that 'affordable' can also translate into upkeep and parts availability v's prices of those parts. Retro rides would be flooded with MG's before you know it! (I speak in jest, I like MG's to look at)

[v8ian]

What is Affordable? To me its what you want to spend and the size of your bankroll, I have friends who have sunk 100k+ into a single hotrod, quite scarey really considering you could buy a small house for that money, Me, I buy a car that I want to modify, normally ones that are not in vogue, and spend when time and money allow, always looking for a bargain, unfortunately, the cars I like, are from the 50s/60s/70s and parts and spares are getting harder to find as the source is finite, and not only that, the prices are starting to get to the ridiculous, and people who have those vehicles concerned hoard spares, which in turn make finding the parts even harder..... and more expensive

[SmokeEm]

For me, affordable is the amount that I would be prepared to lose over 1 year. A very simple method really. I buy cars with a years MOT usually, and if I still have it after a year, I won't cry if it is beyond repair. My motoring costs me under a 1/3rd of what leasing a mundano would...

[MkX]

I've bought cars in every bracket, (and then some).

Cheapest - free family 'hand me down'. Next a banger of an Orion which cost me £10.00.

I think 'affordable' is also quite individualised, if you got to hear of an old fellah selling a scruffy Escort Mexico for £5K or a tatty E-Type for £10K I think most of us would borrow the £5K or £10K if we didn't have it?

[carledo]

I've ticked both 0-500 and 5-1500

I currently have 1 retro and one borderline retro on the road and one of each more in the pipeline.

My 92 Cavalier 2.0 auto cost me £155 in 2004 and needs only a fuel line changing before being MOTd it has barely cost anything but normal running expenses since I bought it, but hardly gets used these days so will probably be for sale once tested.

My 95 Cavalier 2.0 16v auto cost me £400 in 2006 and is my daily driver. I doubt it has cost me more than £500 in bits in the 11 years I have run it.

My 73 Toledo/Carlton Hybrid cost me £200 in 2008, took 3 years to build and finally owes me somewhere around £2.5k. Since it was "finished" maintainence costs have been minimal. This is my "fun" car atm.

My 78 Dolomite Sprint Auto/Omega 2.2 Auto Hybrid cost £375 in 2012 and is a work in progress, it currently owes me about £2k with probably another £1-1.5k to spend before its roadworthy. When it's finished the other Cav will go too.

This seems to demonstrate that you CAN still get older cars for sensible money (if they don't have a blue oval on them) and so long as you are prepared to put in some elbow grease, they can be decent and reliable long term cars. Moreover, though I am not in it for profit, ALL my cars are now worth more than they cost me, a happy accident!

Steve

[THE_Liam]

There's a difference between affordable and what you want to spend to be honest as well. I'm in my late 20's in a decent paying job, I could happily afford something for 10 grand plus, but at this point in my life, newly married and with a mortgage I wouldn't enjoy spending that on a car, I'd feel like I couldn't enjoy it.

I ticked 0-500 and 500-1500, but even that's car dependant, I wouldn't have spent 1500 on my 740 but if it was a mk2 Golf GTI I'd have paid it happily!

[nomad]

"Affordable" for me changes regularly depending on circumstances - this month it might be £200 next month maybe £5,000+

I've found I can have most fun with motors from scrap value (<£100) to "presentable" under £2,000. If they go bang or get bumped in a carpark I can laugh it off or throw them away and get something else.
I've had cars in the £5,000 - £6,000 range but I'm not so relaxed with on-street parking & "spirited" driving.

[bortaf]

Tough one TBH, as my life is at the mo under £100 is affordable lol a few years back it would have been 2G for the right car but if i'm honest the cars i connect with the most are the cheap shitters, i LOVE my 106D, i like the mondeo, pug was £80 and some welding, mondeo £1000 already on the road and nowt really to do, i think i respect the tryers more than the actuall good cars, if that makes any sense ?

[sarkie83]

May 16, 2017 15:01:33 GMT bortaf said:

Tough one TBH, as my life is at the mo under £100 is affordable lol a few years back it would have been 2G for the right car but if i'm honest the cars i connect with the most are the cheap shitters, i LOVE my 106D, i like the mondeo, pug was £80 and some welding, mondeo £1000 already on the road and nowt really to do, i think i respect the tryers more than the actuall good cars, if that makes any sense ?

Cortina's are toys for the rich now! U seen duffy's work of perfection is on eBay atm?

[optimusprime]

For me at the moment affordable means "" Free "" ....
However what ever the purchase price i'd need to factor in Insurance costs,parts availability and costs thereof,
No point in getting that bargain motor for £100 if parts are non existent and insurance costs are prohibitive ...