Thinking about a Calibra for some cheap motoring. Looking at about £500 for a 1995, 2.0l 100k+
Opinions, mpg, good idea / bad idea?
Binary - surely you can tell me this is a good plan right? :)
Calibras what?
I dont think it is car to go for if you are after cheap motoring.
You would be better of with a cheap Pug Diesel or dare I say it a Rover 200/400 Diesel.
Sorry yeah badly phrased - current car is worth about £3K - want to get a cheaper car and put some cash in the savings. Actually kinda looking forward to having something with a bit of grunt down the motorway :)
Are they costly to run?
Quote from: CeathreamhnanCalibras what?
Was asking for opinions on them.
id say they are good for an average car, dont expect much on handling, itll under-steer if pushed, make sure the body is a late galvanised one if you get one as its going to rot like mad if its not and of course with the galvi body youll get the 135hp ecotec motor, better than some cars, if i got another id have to have another turbo. its a nice looking car but nothing special to drive, fairly practical as cars go. not sure on the mpg it wont be great be certainly not as bad as a v8 or turbod mota
Dont do it man, there are far better cars out there
Quote from: CeathreamhnanCalibras what?
Vauxhall Calibra
Youve all missed the point, or rather the apostrophe.
I got it ;)
Rivkid, if youre looking for economical motorway grunt there must be stacks of good economical turbo diesels out there. Vauxhalls are all scabby cars IMO. I wouldnt even buy an Astra.
they are ok for the market, mass produced econoboxes. id not pass on a monaro tho
Quote from: Clockd 0NeVauxhalls are all scabby cars IMO. I wouldnt even buy an Astra.
Even brand new Insignias are scabby. I know, I have one parked outside. The DT engine however, apart from the lag, is OK.
Yeah not finding much love for Vauxhall :)
Well looking at other options then Im considering Mondeos, Corollas, Meganes and also some Rovers (420 would be sweet!)
Got an offer of £2800 for the Punto - might take it. Its slightly less than I wanted but not exactly a sellers market and itd be a quick easy sale TBF.
if you just want something cheap.... get yourself on ebay and grab a bargain or the auto trader under 1k section...
get a bargain for a couple of hundred quid - something with a decent length of mot on it.... then when the mot runs out scrap it (youll get a hundred quid for it scrap) and get something new...
with a £200 car if anything big goes wrong with it.... scrap it and get another.... works out cheaper than maintaining a decent car anyway ;)
Quote from: knightyif you just want something cheap.... get yourself on ebay and grab a bargain or the auto trader under 1k section...
get a bargain for a couple of hundred quid - something with a decent length of mot on it.... then when the mot runs out scrap it (youll get a hundred quid for it scrap) and get something new...
with a £200 car if anything big goes wrong with it.... scrap it and get another.... works out cheaper than maintaining a decent car anyway ;)
Yeah thats the plan - was looking at up to about £400 (ish). Just not sure what to get?
http://retrorides.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=FSW&action=display&thread=68189
http://retrorides.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=FSW&action=display&thread=67958
http://www.volkstorque.co.uk/vt/vehicles-sale/55336-mk2-golf-1-3-helios-blue.html
I liked my astra sport. It was reasonably economical, and reliable. You cant say they are all scabby when you have classics like these:
(http://www.meinekarre.de/cars/opel_manta-a_ErikDraven.jpg)
(http://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk/photos-nantwich/25.jpg)
you can hardly compare those to the german saloons they do now
worth a look
http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C114596/
also any rover 600 with a diesel or honda engine (2.0, 2.3 or 2.7) would be worth a look.
i also know of a 1995 Merc C220 elegance that the guy only wants £400 for, but the saying goes "there is nothing more expensive than a cheap mercedes" :0hnoes:
Quote from: DEViANCEworth a look
http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C114596/
also any rover 600 with a diesel or honda engine (2.0, 2.3 or 2.7) would be worth a look.
i also know of a 1995 Merc C220 elegance that the guy only wants £400 for, but the saying goes "there is nothing more expensive than a cheap mercedes" :0hnoes:
there is nothing truer than this. I spent £600 on an old 230E a few years back. Was a really comfortable drive, until the gearbox seal decided to die horribly. Cost to repair was over £1000! sold it spares and repairs to the garage guy for £400, and I only had 6 weeks out of it :(
Engine work that will cost over £1,000 is just stupid garage prices. Do the work your self and get to know some people for cheap parts. Done a full engine conversion recently including converting from Carb to Injection for £350.
Also done my Golfs gearbox, clutch, engine mount and driveshafts for £130
If I could get my old Civic back for what I payed for it that was a bargin! £300, P Reg, Honda Civic, VTech 1.5, 60k on the clocks. Had it for a run about for about a year and a half and only bought new pads, tyres for it, an mot and tax. :)
Or you just pay the garage to do it.
I couldnt change the head gasket on a Cinquecento, was tempted to torch it.
£350 for the repair work was a bargain after I snapped two sockets, sliced my hand open etc.
Quote from: Poison_UKEngine work that will cost over £1,000 is just stupid garage prices. Do the work your self and get to know some people for cheap parts. Done a full engine conversion recently including converting from Carb to Injection for £350.
Also done my Golfs gearbox, clutch, engine mount and driveshafts for £130
If I could get my old Civic back for what I payed for it that was a bargin! £300, P Reg, Honda Civic, VTech 1.5, 60k on the clocks. Had it for a run about for about a year and a half and only bought new pads, tyres for it, an mot and tax. :)
Normally I do all my own mechanical work (Except pulling a gearbox to pieces). However in the case of this I didnt have the choice. The entire drivetrain needed dropping including the engine to seperate them, clean up the parts and replace the bits that needed it. I dont have a ramp myself, and the one I do have access to I can only use for 1 day at the most, and that is usually a Sunday.
As for the Civic, I only got rid of mine when the clock rolled round to 160k miles, and it was still going strong. The only things I had done in over 2 years were service and tyres.