b3nson
Part of things
Posts: 886
Club RR Member Number: 22
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Without wanting to jinx anything, it looks like I may have sold my Integra. This leaves me with one of my favourite scenarios, what car to buy next! I'm reducing my budget and need something a bit less hardcore and bit more practical - ideally something I can use to take my wife and young daughter out at weekends. I also want it to be fun however! So far I've been looking at - Honda Accord Type R - like a practical Integra, but maybe too much of the same thing but just not as good? However does give me huge Super Touring nostalgia and I do love a revvy Honda BMW E36 328i Coupe - I've recently bought an E90 Alpina as a daily, first BMW I've owned and it's really got me interested in older ones. Really like these but most in my price range seem to be rotten or 'drift' spec. BMW E39 540i - V8 power for not alot of money, effortlessly practical. However manuals seem hard to come by (I could live with an auto...) and worried about V8 based running costs should something go wrong. Also, mostly rotten. Also not sure how fun it'd be on a good B-road, certainly less so than the first 2 options. Tell me what I've missed! Obviously I'm a big 90's fan when it comes to cars, but pretty open minded.
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Last Edit: Apr 9, 2019 21:10:03 GMT by b3nson
'99 Fiat Coupe 20V Turbo '08 Panda 100HP
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Accord type r are going up in value at the moment, £3k will only just be scraping the barrel. An Aero Saab can be had and are rapid once mapped and a big downpipe.
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Not really a B road blaster, but a Saab 9-3/900 or Volvo C70 convertible could be a fun family runabout for in the weekends (if the sun shines)
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Click picture for more
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ChasR
RR Helper
motivation
Posts: 10,189
Club RR Member Number: 170
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Next car - what to buy for £3kChasR
@chasr
Club Retro Rides Member 170
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I owned a 323i Manual Coupe, and I'll be honest, it was a dissapointment for me. I much prefer the E46 Chassis. It's less dull, more engaging and it 'flows' better. Sure, the E36 is lighter and the architecture is similar but it's a boring chassis IMHO without seriously spending alot of time to get it right. Mine had the following and TBH it didn't do much for me. The gearbox was wibblepoo as well despite the purists bleating on about them and that was with a fresh LUK clutch too. I wished it was an auto TBH! Konis all round on lowered springs, new top mounts, PowerFlex Black Series RTABs, Powerflex Lollypop bushes, 17" wheels swapped to stock 15" wheels, E30 front arms. My mate's E36 328i was a much nicer driver. The M3 is another leap on top of that . I'm currently driving an E61 535d and sure, it's a bit of a pudding, but that's more excitable! I'd consider an E46 330i Coupe or Clubsport. You may struggle to finding the latter in your budget however ; good examples now seem to be £5,000 but you never know. Anyway, you get the idea there . GTVs are a good shout, but rust, suspension woes (Poly bushes can sort that), and pricey cambelts are what I'd look out for. E39s are a nice drive and IMHO are one to watch. For years, good examples have held their cash, and possibly even gone up a little, at least with the 530ds and moreso with the 540is. It was at the time called BMW's finest hour as well. I guess the scare stories of the E6x series probably haven't helped to E6xs either in terms of good ones not being amazingly cheap. I'd say a 530d and a 528i/535i are available for that money, but I think you'd struggle now to get a 540i for that much without lunar mileage; not that it is a bad thing if it is the right car. Plus a V8 soundtrack is a cool thing! ATR is a great shout, and a cult classic for sure! As for others in your criteria off the top of my head? Some are pretty leftfield choices, and in many ways, the Alpina sort of satisfies your goals, but I do get having more than one practical car. Pug 306 GTi-6 Clio 172 albeit I know you've done that before Triumph 2000/2500 Alfa 156 V6 or GTV/GT (or even the 2.4JTD) Land Rover Discovery TD5 ; very leftfield I know! Owners do seem to love them mind you! Ford Mondeo ST220 or ST200 in MkII flavour BMW 130i; Probably quite tight for the budget! Audi TT 225 ; Maybe a little small and IMHO a little tight on the budget despite the 'good' examples for sale MG ZTT 190
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Accord type r are going up in value at the moment, £3k will only just be scraping the barrel. Indeed. I had a budget of 4k, two years ago and couldn't find the right car. Well, I did find a cracker but it was well over my budget. But, they're such a great car, I'll be back on the hunt maybe next year with a more suitable bank roll.
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Still learning...still spending...still breaking things!
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b3nson
Part of things
Posts: 886
Club RR Member Number: 22
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MkX Alfa GTV is a very good shout (I also love the Fiat Coupe as well) but I think both may be a tad small still in rear passenger department xbl ettorebugatti Saabs are one of the few manufacturers that have never really done it for me to be honest, I don't know why as I know they're meant to be very good! Not so keen on the Volvo C70, although that has reminded me I do love the 850r, not sure if they're still in budget though - I'll check that out. ..
ChasR I do know there's alot of the love for the E46, but to be honest I'm not keen on their looks unless their in M3 spec. The E39 V8 is very tempting purely because it has to be the cheapest way into V8 ownership. Indeed the 540i would be pushing the budget a little, I think the 535 would be more realistic, I suppose I'd need to drive one and see if I could live with the power difference (or always be wishing I'd spent more and got a 540) I did also reconsider a Clio 172, but it would have to be a Cup to make it a little more special and again they start rising out of budget. It's also funny you suggested the Triumph, as I was also looking into them! I don't think they'd tick the fun box enough for me though (that being exactly the reason I moved on from the Dolly Sprint)
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'99 Fiat Coupe 20V Turbo '08 Panda 100HP
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b3nson
Part of things
Posts: 886
Club RR Member Number: 22
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Accord type r are going up in value at the moment, £3k will only just be scraping the barrel. Indeed. I had a budget of 4k, two years ago and couldn't find the right car. Well, I did find a cracker but it was well over my budget. But, they're such a great car, I'll be back on the hunt maybe next year with a more suitable bank roll. I'd like to think I'm fairly realistic with my expectations for a £3000 ATR, although I suppose I might be disappointed once I looked at a few cars as I'm sure there's alot of naff ones out there
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'99 Fiat Coupe 20V Turbo '08 Panda 100HP
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Indeed. I had a budget of 4k, two years ago and couldn't find the right car. Well, I did find a cracker but it was well over my budget. But, they're such a great car, I'll be back on the hunt maybe next year with a more suitable bank roll. I'd like to think I'm fairly realistic with my expectations for a £3000 ATR, although I suppose I might be disappointed once I looked at a few cars as I'm sure there's alot of naff ones out there I had a look at six or seven - covered England, Scotland, Wales & Ireland over a six month period. I did come across 'honest' cars and owners but most were lacking in maintenance, had hidden rust (bulkheads) and bad paint. But, look hard enough and you'll get a fair car for your budget I reckon, it will no doubt need spending on. Still, don't let the likes of me put you off as they are a brilliant car and practical into the bargain. Wouldn't give an E36 2.8 a look in if it was choice between the two - and I like BM's. Good hunting.
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Last Edit: Apr 9, 2019 21:21:22 GMT by Woofwoof
Still learning...still spending...still breaking things!
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Legacy Twin Turbo
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Specialist Bodyshop & Fabrication Classic, Retro, Prestige & Custom Small Repairs to Concours Restorations Mechanical Work Vintage to Modern
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From a Gumtree advert: ''Long arm induction kit, After market exhaust,Dyno printout from previous owner at 252bhp so I assume more has been done. ''
This is sadly the sort of rubbish you can come across when looking for something like an ATR.
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Last Edit: Apr 9, 2019 22:04:39 GMT by Woofwoof
Still learning...still spending...still breaking things!
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With 3k, i would be looking at a CL500 Merc of 2000 or earlier. Effortless grunt with uber reliability and they won't decrease in value any more.
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96 E320 W210 Wafter - on 18" split Mono's - Sold :-( 10 Kia Ceed Sportwagon - Our new daily 03 Import Forester STi - Sold 98 W140 CL500 AMG - Brutal weekend bruiser! Sold :-( 99 E240 S210 Barge - Now sold 02 Accord 2.0SE - wife's old daily - gone in PX 88 P100 2.9efi Custom - Sold
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b3nson
Part of things
Posts: 886
Club RR Member Number: 22
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With 3k, i would be looking at a CL500 Merc of 2000 or earlier. Effortless grunt with uber reliability and they won't decrease in value any more. Wow they’re are alot of car for the money! Love the styling of these as well with the pillarless design. They give me an impression of being a money pit, but you say they’re actually very reliable?
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'99 Fiat Coupe 20V Turbo '08 Panda 100HP
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With 3k, i would be looking at a CL500 Merc of 2000 or earlier. Effortless grunt with uber reliability and they won't decrease in value any more. Wow they’re are alot of car for the money! Love the styling of these as well with the pillarless design. They give me an impression of being a money pit, but you say they’re actually very reliable?
buy one with a good history and you'll be laughing. Engine is bulletproof and as long as gearbox is well maintained you will have zero issues. A sh*t load of car for packet money IMO. Plenty to choose from too. The only thing that went wrong on mine was a seat belt butler stopped working due to the wiring getting snagged under the electric seats. Even the headrests are electric along with the steering wheel, rear view mirror etc etc. Gorgeous cars for weekend work.
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96 E320 W210 Wafter - on 18" split Mono's - Sold :-( 10 Kia Ceed Sportwagon - Our new daily 03 Import Forester STi - Sold 98 W140 CL500 AMG - Brutal weekend bruiser! Sold :-( 99 E240 S210 Barge - Now sold 02 Accord 2.0SE - wife's old daily - gone in PX 88 P100 2.9efi Custom - Sold
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With 3k, i would be looking at a CL500 Merc of 2000 or earlier. Effortless grunt with uber reliability and they won't decrease in value any more. Wow they’re are alot of car for the money! Love the styling of these as well with the pillarless design. They give me an impression of being a money pit, but you say they’re actually very reliable? I've got one, which will be for sale within the next few weeks. It'll be more than £3k though as it's a top, top example and it's a 2002. A cheap one can certainly be a money pit, but a good one hopefully shouldn't be. To give you an idea, our one has invoices in the file for over £10k in total just on the suspension from MB main dealer and a well-known MB specialist. Basically, the whole ABC system has been overhauled. If you were faced with doing that, then it's a serious money-pit. Also a major service from MB is well into the thousands, for all fluids and filters including ABC and 16 spark plugs! Drop me a message if you're interested in these, even if not ours, I'll happily advise based on our experience of these and you're welcome to try ours out whether you'd be interested in it or not.
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Specialist Bodyshop & Fabrication Classic, Retro, Prestige & Custom Small Repairs to Concours Restorations Mechanical Work Vintage to Modern
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Apr 10, 2019 11:21:27 GMT
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With 3k, i would be looking at a CL500 Merc of 2000 or earlier. Effortless grunt with uber reliability and they won't decrease in value any more. Wow they’re are alot of car for the money! Love the styling of these as well with the pillarless design. They give me an impression of being a money pit, but you say they’re actually very reliable?
Oh and I say pre 2000 because not only do you get cheaper tax at £235 a year, but I had my 98 one on classic car insurance too - £130 a year for me & Wife! (A Plan Thatcham)
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96 E320 W210 Wafter - on 18" split Mono's - Sold :-( 10 Kia Ceed Sportwagon - Our new daily 03 Import Forester STi - Sold 98 W140 CL500 AMG - Brutal weekend bruiser! Sold :-( 99 E240 S210 Barge - Now sold 02 Accord 2.0SE - wife's old daily - gone in PX 88 P100 2.9efi Custom - Sold
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Jez
Part of things
Posts: 517
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Apr 10, 2019 15:23:57 GMT
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You have similar criteria to mine when it comes to buying a daily! Practical for the family but not dull. Often on my radar:
Skoda Octavia vRS - I don't know how I've not had one yet because it seems a clear winner to me. Fast, good handling (mk2 or 3) and so much space inside. I did have a cooking Octavia once so I can vouch for handling and space.
Seat Leon Cupra or Cupra R - similar to above only not as well made, and not quite as spacious.
Mondeo with 2.5T Volvo engine? Bit new maybe. Or an older ST220?
Lexus GS300 - If you would trade sporty for wafty.
W124 Mercedes - Again not sporty but very practical and reliable. I had a 300TE which made a perfect family wagon.
BMW E46 - Which is actually what I had last time and currently. Seems to do everything. Fast, great handling, reliable, not the most spacious but just enough, and that noise!
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1990 VW Golf GTI G60 2014 Skoda Octavia RS
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Apr 10, 2019 15:56:21 GMT
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I'll wade in, I got a 2007 Mondeo ST TDCi a few months back, it does the family work but with the slight drop I've given it on springs and shocks it's a proper fun car for a derv. And also cheap as chips. They have their problems but buy a cared for one, you should be fine. However if I had 3k, I'd be all over a v8 E39, my bro recently sold his 535i for 2k, ok the body was starting to get shabby and for a v8 it wasnt that powerful, but it made a lovely noise, handled well for a big bus and was a very nice place to sit.
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