2nd hand motors.... or third or fourth hand....

[Nick]

For a wee while I've been looking around with a very lazy weather eye at some proper old bangers. (No trig, not THAT sort of old banger...)

I'm getting the urge to get myself a knackered old car and make an attempt at doing it up. I can't weld so rotten floors etc would hvae to be done elsewhere (which costs more) but I am fairly mechanically minded and not too fazed by some of the more complex diagrams in a Haynes manual.

My criteria for a 'repair' type buy is that it needs to not have to much frame or sub-frame rot, body work and I can do and it must be a runner and easy-ish to work on.

Any suggestions?

Oh yeah... I'm not after a five minute fixer here, don't mind if it takes a year to do or more!

[IainB]

Deckard,
Are you looking at a 'classic' or something a bit more modern?

Edit - if your thinking about classics - may I suggest someones un-finished project, that way the bodywork could well have been done - leaving the actual putting together, engine rebuild etc etc.

Classics - Capri (maybe a nice 3.0 / 2.8), Escort MK1 / Mk2, Spitfire, MG
More upto date - 205 GTi, 'sporty' Sierra, something Japanese

Really all depends what you want it for afterwards

[dkmech]

Jag XJS if you got the space for one, coz they seem hooooge. Or you could get a Suzuki SJ for 100 quid, fix it for another 200 and take it offroading.

Btw - i have no experience in this so don't pay too much attention, although the SJ idea is not just mine.

[XTR]

get a VW camper Van.......... we all know that good chefs use them

[Nick]

lol, forgot to metion... initial car cost has to be as LOW as possible! I like the idea of a VW camper, but arent the engines complete sods to work on?

I'm not fussed either way as to classic or modern, but its gotta be cheap to buy!

As to waht I'll do with it... dunno, I might keep it or just get my fun from fixing it up and then sell it on.

[hotpurple]

The problem with Jap motors is that inevitably the mechanical bits outlast the bodywork, which is exactly the wrong way round for you. VW campers use a very similar (same?) engine as the beetle. The main problem with them is the fact that they don't have an oil filter as standard, and they kill engines pretty quickly as a result. That said, I don't think they should be too difficult to work on as they are air cooled so there is less bits to work on.

Chris

[IainB]

lol, forgot to metion... initial car cost has to be as LOW as possible!

Deckard - have a look at MK auctions (wednesday and friday evenings from 6.30 @ the dog track).
Have seen some lovely projects go through there - just never had the money.

What sort of mechanical skills have you got? - might be easier to get your hands dirty on a 'simple' engine OHC/OHV than a multi valve engine.

[hotpurple]

Yeah, the last engine I rebuilt was a Mk1 MR2 4AGE engine. Not particularly easy, especially the bit where we had to get it out of the (16yr old) car. I think every single nut was siezed up.

Chris

[headbrace]

I'm in the midst of doing a similar thing with my car. I would suggest having a look through a Practical Classics /Retro Cars magazine. Then, if you like the look of individual cars, then you can look through owners clubs etc.

[Nick]

Eaz, that's cool, didn't know MK even had auctions... I reckon you're right. I dont want to be going after something too complex. I wanna give the engine an overhaul etc but not end up waiting for a garage to various bits for me, so a FI engine is out, tbh.

Those auctions come cheap?

Hot, didn't realise that the VW doesn't have a filter! :O I just assumed that the engines were buggers to work on cos they were tucked under the bum of the van though....

Headbrace, what you doing up then?

[Moby-Dick]

Nick - hows about resotring my old vitesse ?

It needs a general tidy up , new glass and a couple of bits of pipe which were stolen.

its yours for £50 notes
you coudl be the owner of a 240bhp Rover 820 Turbo

[Rave]

From what I heard it's not too hard to remove and replace VW engines, just jack the van right up, trolley jack under the engine, a person on either side and you're good to go.

I'm quite keen on getting into a bit of car restoration myself, although my experiences stripping down my old moped should really have been enough to put me off! I'm keen to learn welding; actually using an arc/mig welder is pretty easy, the difficulty is in preparing the panels and surfaces etc. The guy who wrote the Locost book reckons that you can learn to weld properly in a weekend, and I'm inclined to believe him.

Rich :¬)

[IainB]

Eaz, that's cool, didn't know MK even had auctions... I reckon you're right. I dont want to be going after something too complex. I wanna give the engine an overhaul etc but not end up waiting for a garage to various bits for me, so a FI engine is out, tbh.

Those auctions come cheap?

I have seen some right bargains go through - a few years ago I used it as a cheap source of motoring, get an auction car with 12 month ticket (and sometimes tax ) thrash it around for 3 / 6 / 9 / 12 months - then throw it back down there, getting back a tidy amount of money.

Havent been there for a while, used to go every Weds and Friday, classics dont usually go for that much, and a 'simple' car to work on would be cheap as chips (as long as you dont get carried away) - last time I went the wife gave me a beasting for not buying a rather nice BMW - auction price £700, forcourt price (garage round here bought it) £3750

Failing that im sure the Zak'meister must get some interesting PX's in?

[Nick]

Moby, you serious?

If so, I kinda fancy it... whats the engine like though, might be too comlpicated for me if it needs a strip down. Bodywork (provided its not serious welding etc) I can handle, same with interiors etc.

Got 50 notes burning a hole right here and now!

[Moby-Dick]

yep - you'll need to arrange transport for it etc , but at the moment its sitting on a frineds driveway.


It needs ( at a guess )

new tyres
new air filer and pipework
new intercooler pipework
new dump valve
new glass ( pretty cheap from a scrappy afaik.
Ideally I think the shocks could do with replacing /upgrading ( a full suspension upgrade inc springs and shocks will set you back about £375 notes from motobuild )

as its been standing a while the battery will need checking etc , but you'd get a bit of a beast of a car out of it

Its an L reg rover 820 vitesse with some nice little tweaks

[Jiff Lemon]

Best bit of advice is to buy something with ok'ish bodywork.

Mechanical stuff is cheap and plentyful. Bodywork (once you get beyond the spit and polish stage) isn't. Sure, some panels are bolt on replacements but matching paint (especially old paint) is nothing short of nightmarish.

Edit: Or buy Moby's Bus!!