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I was giving some consideration to my current circumstances, I need to commute less and that looks to be a fairly common change for a lot of people going in to the future. I've already moved away from my Volvo C30 as a daily driver to using my 996, I realised this isn't the sort of position everyone might find themselves in. Thinking back though I used to daily drive a '72 VW bay window van, and my wife drove a '66 Beetle daily. Both of these were fairly unsuitable for the given task, enough that I think it put my wife off dailying something interesting for life. Combined with this thinking was how people might get started in the world of older cars, or how they might be able to justify a more interesting second car to go alongside the "family" car. So what do you reckon make for reliable, comfortable cars to be used on a daily, or almost daily basis. Now before people get all hardcore with "I used to drive a convertible TR7, it broke down every day, twice when it snowed and I loved it" type things, I'm thinking soft introduction to retro stuff, so happy to go up to 2001, but would prefer something pre-95. Reliable, serviceable and hopefully comfortable. Picture a car that if it was your only car wouldn't make people say "you drive a WHAT!?", but would make people say "hey this is surprisingly comfy and capable". I'm not setting a price limit. This is my offering www.ebay.co.uk/itm/274775992293Admittedly this particular one has some fairly high miles, but as a car I think they are maturing nicely, plenty of inspiration out there for modifications if that is your thing. Should be comfy and reliable enough. Maybe not super engaging to drive with the auto box, but manuals are out there, as well as the 6 cylinder ones. Also the wagon is extra practical, seen someone shove an entire sofa in the back of one at IKEA. What would you offer up to someone as a classic or retro daily driver?
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Perhaps one of these. I’ve had 3 of them, all in 2.9 guise, a couple of 12v & a 24v cosworth. Both options would be a great choice
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If you can find one that's not rusty, I'd go for a Mk3 Golf. Very solid, pleasant enough to drive and uncomplicated enough for things to not constantly break down. I loved my GTi below, even if it was "only" an 8-valve engine.
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This 318i was my daily car for nearly 8 years... Comfy, sat well on the motorway, aircon worked, cheap... Never let me down in 60,000 miles including 3000+ mile trips to the German Alps/Italy/Austria every summer. I sold it about two months ago for an E90 325i but only because I really wanted a six pot and the E36 was starting to need suspension bushes and things to keep it as good as I'd have liked. E36s are still cheap enough and there's still time to find a really good one before they're all gone. Plenty of parts out there, easy to maintain. Highly recommended.
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Del
South East
Posts: 1,448
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Perhaps one of these. I’ve had 3 of them, all in 2.9 guise, a couple of 12v & a 24v cosworth. Both options would be a great choice. Ran my 2.0 as an only car for about three years.
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I reckon I’d go with the escort estate that @mercdan is selling in the classifieds. Cheap to buy as a beginner classic, low miles, plenty of spares available- I’d guess - being a Ford and cheap spares too. Plenty of garages would be happy to work on it. Oh and it’s nice and big to load up for holidays, etc.
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adam73bgt
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 4,862
Club RR Member Number: 58
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Of the cars I've owned, the one that would most fit the bill would be the E34 era BMW 5 Series My 520i touring and my mates 525i Sport at RRG16 You get the slightly older styling of the late 80s BMWs, but mostly without the drift tax that affects a lot of the 3 Series models. Tons of engine choices from the 518i 4 pot, older prefacelift M20/M30 straight 6s and newer M50 straight 6s, to the diesels and V8s. I think the generally agreed sweet spot for them is the later M50 engined 525i, a nice mix of enough power and enough economy to be practical. Very comfortable, handle pretty well, huge boot in touring form. Issues are mainly rust in the sills and arches, engine cooling parts and sensors can fail (the crank position sensor on mine did need changing) What is also handy particularly on the later cars, is that a lot of the wiring for higher spec options is left on the lower cars as well. So I was able to retrofit auto dim mirrors, AC, cruise control to my lower spec 520i Also if you want more power from the M50, there are stroker and turbo bits available.. My 520i SE touring was about £1800 back in 2016, prices seem to be on the rise. This 525i SE on ebay for £5750 looks very clean and has a very comprehensive advert written so could be a good buy www.ebay.co.uk/itm/284253412729?hash=item422ed2dd79:g:I38AAOSwbuFgPV6L
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^^^^yep escort great fun and cheap for a Ford But my opinion it’s got to be a W202 merc Or a W210 like my latest daily
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Last Edit: May 7, 2021 19:25:28 GMT by Mercdan68
Fraud owners club member 1999 Jaguar s type 1993 ford escort
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I'd go for a puma, find a good one and look after it, they drive fantastically and can only appreciate in value.
Oh and I have driven my TR7 v8 convertible every day including in the snow for a couple of years, lovely and warm and it never let me down!
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I'd go for a puma, find a good one and look after it, they drive fantastically and can only appreciate in value. Oh and I have driven my TR7 v8 convertible every day including in the snow for a couple of years, lovely and warm and it never let me down! Mum had a 1.7 puma as a company car many years ago, was a right laugh. You just never see them anymore
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I think the generally agreed sweet spot for them is the later M50 engined 525i, a nice mix of enough power and enough economy to be practical. Very comfortable, handle pretty well, huge boot in touring form. Issues are mainly rust in the sills and arches, engine cooling parts and sensors can fail (the crank position sensor on mine did need changing) What is also handy particularly on the later cars, is that a lot of the wiring for higher spec options is left on the lower cars as well. So I was able to retrofit auto dim mirrors, AC, cruise control to my lower spec 520i Having had a 525 estate for 9 years I'd argue with most of that: the boot has a high floor, low roof, sloping pillars, oddly shaped opening, massive wheelarches and the seats don't fold flat. It's hopeless if you want to use it as a large estate. M50 engine was disappointingly gutless and it struggled to make 25mpg on a run. Some of that was down to the close ratio, direct drive top manual gearbox; it would have driven better if they'd split the difference between 2&3 and gone back to a four speed. Automatics seriously dull the performance and are made of chocolate. Fake elephant-skin dashboard and trim that would have made a 70s minicab driver angry, or leather that could have been vinyl. Then there's the comically curse word double sunroof, for the 23.5 minutes that it actually works properly. Buy a Granada and get a proper car
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adam73bgt
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 4,862
Club RR Member Number: 58
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I think the generally agreed sweet spot for them is the later M50 engined 525i, a nice mix of enough power and enough economy to be practical. Very comfortable, handle pretty well, huge boot in touring form. Issues are mainly rust in the sills and arches, engine cooling parts and sensors can fail (the crank position sensor on mine did need changing) What is also handy particularly on the later cars, is that a lot of the wiring for higher spec options is left on the lower cars as well. So I was able to retrofit auto dim mirrors, AC, cruise control to my lower spec 520i Having had a 525 estate for 9 years I'd argue with most of that: the boot has a high floor, low roof, sloping pillars, oddly shaped opening, massive wheelarches and the seats don't fold flat. It's hopeless if you want to use it as a large estate. M50 engine was disappointingly gutless and it struggled to make 25mpg on a run. Some of that was down to the close ratio, direct drive top manual gearbox; it would have driven better if they'd split the difference between 2&3 and gone back to a four speed. Automatics seriously dull the performance and are made of chocolate. Fake elephant-skin dashboard and trim that would have made a 70s minicab driver angry, or leather that could have been vinyl. Then there's the comically plop double sunroof, for the 23.5 minutes that it actually works properly. Buy a Granada and get a proper car Yes so hopeless I helped a couple friends move house with mine Don't really see how thats an odd shaped boot opening unless you're comparing to a transit van? Interesting points that I've never really heard as complaints on them before, and certainly not gripes I'd had with mine (aside from being gutless but mine was a 2.0) It can't have been that bad if you kept it for 9 years though...
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Last Edit: May 7, 2021 20:07:23 GMT by adam73bgt
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misteralz
Posted a lot
I may drive a Volkswagen, but I'm scene tax exempt!
Posts: 2,326
Member is Online
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306 XSi because it curse word all over the equivalent aged Golf in every respect. 1st generation Audi TT because even though it was unveiled 25 years ago it still looks fresh and they're amazingly robust. We've got two 2002 models, admittedly in different countries... Classic Rangie because even now they still ooze both class and classlessness. There's nowhere they look out of place. Mine was much more reliable than everyone says they are, although the bungee cord holding the top tailgate closed was annoying. Would happily daily any of those. There will be more. Great thread idea.
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I do daily drive an Audi A8 (‘99 2.8 2WD). Previously a ‘96 4.2 4WD. Also, for many years a ‘96 A6 2.5TDI. I’ve put over 220k on that. It was the newest car I’ve ever owned when I first bought it in 2003.......
None of these is in any way roughing it, though the A8s like a drink and the A6 is becoming unwelcome in cities being a dirty diesel.
I could daily my ‘72 GT6 or my ‘67 Vitesse, though the latter is getting closer to roughing it if it’s not a nice sunny day! I have dailied the Vitesse in the past. I’m too soft these days, though it’s mostly the fear of having to deal with the maintenance consequences of winter salt. I did daily a 1200 Herald for several years in the late 80s when it was already over 20 years old. 1500 Spitfire running gear helped with some of that - I did 30k in it one year - which meant a fair amount of time mending it along the way.
My point....? Mostly it’s not the car that’s the limitation, it’s you and what you expect from it.
As we say on this house when choosing the wheels for day, comfort, or style? And typically, if we are going on holiday by road, be it Italy or Derbyshire, we take the Vitesse....... The GT6 boot is too small, her TT is too bloody uncomfortable and the big Audis would be boring....
Nick
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1967 Triumph Vitesse convertible (old friend) 1996 Audi A6 2.5 TDI Avant (still durability testing) 1972 GT6 Mk3 (Restored after loong rest & getting the hang of being a car again)
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Saabs are great cars 9-3 or 9-5 I had my 9-3 2.2 diesel for 11 years it was like driving in your favourite armchairl
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Last Edit: May 7, 2021 21:58:31 GMT by bugtastic
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Not quite what you asked, but similar in that I wanted a change from a financed work van. My criteria; it had to be good for 15k a year. it has to, on occasion drive 100miles, do a job then drive back be reliable (though I’m happy to work on it, I don’t want it to fail) needs to be fairly efficient Wanted something retro, so as you said wanted something pre-2000 Interesting The driving aspect limited older vans, an HA van would be cool, but a four speed box and the noise levels etc would be hard work on a motorway for 100 miles. The field for commercial vehicles is slimmer than cars, and the expectation is less.... old diesel Astra’s probably aren’t a great drive, but when the alternative is a transit, the vans are like race cars. So, completely different usage, and a different vehicle, so no use whatsoever, except unless you want a van don’t get a 90s diesel Astra. But the starting point is very similar to where I was just over a year ago. And so far it’s fulfilled it’s brief brilliantly (even though it’s almost all been changed) I guess something 90s will fit best, but to compare with a 996 it needs to have something that makes it pop for you, so needs to be really interesting unless it handles like a Porsche I guess I’m trying to say what vitesseefi said above much better.
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Rob M
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,915
Club RR Member Number: 41
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I've seen a few of these for sale of late. Most were low mileage and in very good condition and not ridiculously priced. Old enough, in my eyes, to be 'Retro' comfortable, economical, nippy, nimble, easy enough to look after and easily up to daily use. Infact anything from the 80s like Cavaliers and Sierras will be more than up to the task.
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Some great options on here.
Ultimately it will come down to finding a decent survivor, with 5 years of truly “trouble free motoring” ahead.
To me “Trouble Free motoring” wold be not needing welding etc.
Servicing, maintenance, wear and tear does not fall into the definition above.
And they do exist.
My S10 could offer that....... but there will be maintenance to do.
I just offered Sally the Escort estate @mercdan68 has advertised, I buy, she drives, but she has an issue with the colour and wheels. Women.
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dragon
Part of things
Posts: 148
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My upgrade and the OH was a Mk3 Golf. We now have a 1.4 manual rescued from a garage after 3 years and a 1.8 petrol auto estate with low miles and getting to be a rare sight nowadays. Does what it says on the tin for us. Our previous vehicles were Mk2 Golf's for over 10 years. Easy to maintain and good parts availability. Oh and not a GTI in sight either.
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tofufi
South West
Posts: 1,452
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Every car was built to be reliable when it was new. I've got a few cars to choose from, but most get used all year round. (Or did, pre covid). Don't want to jinx it, but I've not needed a tow truck since 2006. My newest car ever owned is now 31 years old. Anything from the 80s or 90s will still be reliable if maintained. But if using everyday, get something with decent parts availability. Edit: ironically I have a beetle and a VW bay window. I find them fine as everyday vehicles until it gets cold! Something a similar age but water cooled is a much better bet with regard to heating and demisting systems. Even if being used daily, cars will always fare better kept undercover when not out and about.
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Last Edit: May 8, 2021 8:34:22 GMT by tofufi
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