[Closed] 30+ year old car, which one?

Stuff large - get a mini and a bike rack! Easy to fix and nice and cheap.

One of those big old diesel Mercs, I'd have thought.

That's why I said [b]either large or fun[/b].

Minis are deadly in crashes tho.. as are most old cars.

Datsun 180B !

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Had a few 70's Saab 99s - reliable and tough. Pick up a blinder for less than a grand (ones built before 1976 used much better steel than later ones and rust a lot less). The Combi (hatchback) version is cavernous and can swallow a bike or two

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Alternatively, a Saab 96V4 if you want something a bit quirkier, but equally tough and reliable. £2000 should just about get something half decent

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Don't know what they go for now, but always wanted an Escort mk2 RS2000

Mine although price is higher.. http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/ot-vw-1970-notchback-with-1760-enginesuper-solidaussie-import

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But i've been using her daily and it's great :-). Free tax, insurance for £100 a year, good on juice as long as you don't wind the carbs up to much 😆

If not pick up practical porn...sorry typo..Practical classics 😉

One warning! They are addictive.

My current pair. 🙂

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lol, Escort RS2000s are crazy money these days. Prices have gone completely mental.

lol, Escort RS2000s are crazy money these days. Prices have gone completely mental.

Bugger. Not looked for a few years. What sort of money is crazy money?

I always wanted a Fiat Mirafiori or a Fiat 127 or a Fiat 128:
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i do like the high top splittie

there was a nice one in the VW mags seemed to be at all the shows last year.

Need to spend some time and cash on our '69 bay before the summer comes in

How about one of these - made from 79 - 84

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Reliable, fun, genuine parts from the dealers are half original price. Go for it.

oooh that fiat is nice!

pjd - Thanks been restoring the Splitty for over a 1 and a half 🙂 Finished and MOT'd now. The Brown one from the mags is for sale £21k 😯

Also owned this in the past, very practical 🙂

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Mates Beetle in the back

I like the Golf, my Dad had one years ago. Wife wants to murder me for suggesting it but what the hell, she doesn't have the licence 😉

mine...
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though do very much like the old BMW 2000/2002

MGB. You can buy all the parts including the body. You could make it last forever.

Volvo amazon or merc 200 series for the practical last for ever classic

But my fave and a reasonably practical driving machine even on modern roads

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Mk1 or 2 "rally slag" Escort?

Mercedes Benz W123 estate.

CFH, if only 2 grand could give me this...
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Too many to mention.

Fiat 850 is my bizarre idea. Pretty.

Hairy, mine is a saloon, looks a lot like this (Same colour and rough age);
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A saloon, not an estate, but I love it. A lot. 8)

Can't blame you one bit.
More suggestions please!

Opel Manta 1800 B series ones.
BMW 635csi.
Ford Capri Mk1 3.1 Mk2 3.
Toyota Celica Mk1
Triumph GT6

One thing you need to think about is do you want a car which you can reliably drive every day or one which while it is lovely you will need to commit a lot of time and money on maintaining it.....

As a practical example from personal experience... Japanese motorcycles are great. But I ride a classic British bike (Triumph T120 Bonnie). Why? Because there simply is nothing else like it! The sound, the smells, the experience, the looks, the love, everything - just everything! But it's because I love it. It's not simply jump on and ride - I need to maintain it, look after it, respect it etc.

But I wouldn't change it for anything else.

And this is why...

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I wouldn't like to recommend a particular car, but have a look here in my galleries to whet your appetite. www.peterflynnclassiccars.com

PS: you need to be good with the spanners to keep any car of that age running

Don't know what they go for now, but always wanted an Escort mk2 RS2000

Used to own a couple many years ago,here's the second one I had,which was much modified mechanically.Nowadays people tend to keep them 'standard',if you can find one for sale that is!

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Wallows in nostalgia

EDIT:Just found a photo of my first RS2.

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Do you know, I've been talking about this tonight. As a District Nurse I've always wanted a Moris Minor/Traveller. Food for thought?

People will probably laff, but Morris Minor 1000's are terrific little cars. Virtually every spare part is readily available, including complete body shells, the engine is the classic A series, which has endless performance bits available, they can be fuel injected, run on unleaded, modded to take discs on the front...
I had a '53 split screen with a 1300 a series and g/box with a van rear axle, 5j x 13 wheels, Koni shocks and reclining bucket seats. Lovely car to drive, put a pair of Riley drum brakes on the front and it would practically stand on it's nose if you hit the pedal hard. Could get 50/gallon on steady motorway runs, and cost peanuts to insure. All you need to maintain one is some ramps, a socket set and a Haines manual. Sadly a drunk drove into the back of it one night and punted it thirty feet up the road onto the footpath past the neighbour's house. Left a note saying 'sorry if there's any damage, see you later' and buggered off to his job as a milkman. Not after the police caught up with him, though.

I gave my wife my 2001 golf for valentines day, cos I got a 1982 vw transporter. ok, its not quite 30 years old but its cheap insurance, practical, fun and bright orange!

Original Range Rover. (large)

Original Range Rover. (fun)

Found this http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C138882/

You must buy this! Please! (stop me buying it, I can't really afford it but I've a horrible feeling I'm about to go back into overdraft!)

Old W123 Mercs are bulletproof. I had a gold 230CE Pillarless coupe and it was the best car I've ever owned.

Reliant Scimitar, Opel Monza, Audi Coupe, Volvo Amazon, puegeot 504 wagon,

I thought the tax threshold was 25 years?

I love certain old cars.

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The only thing that worries me is crash worthiness. 😯

considering your price limit a Saab or Merc would seem to be good options.

I would love an old Escort but the prices are just too high for something that isn't built like a collander...

Maybe you can find a Beetle (sorry for that) or a Mini but again for 2k I think yóu would struggle

I have one that looks like this;

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but these are probably more practical

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The tax exempt limit used to come into effect when a car was 25 years old, but back in the 90's this was changed, and it now only applies to vehicles registered before 1st Jan 1973...

I *think* hairychested may be in Ireland so different rules will apply but yes, in the UK they have to be pre-'73 to be tax exempt. It was brought in to allow for 'continuous' taxation of old cars that people used to only tax for 6 months of the year and thus they didn't have to SORN if tax was free.

tbh, if it's only a couple of hundred in tax you're saving each year and that's the onyl reason for purchase I'd go for something newer - the extra maintenance and fuel costs on somethign that old tend to outweigh the tax!

I'm not a petrolhead - i don't get excited about cars, but that Citroen DS is just amazing! Guess they're fetching good money these days though 😕

I am in Ireland indeed, hence the 30 years age.
I like a few of the suggested cars but am considering a daily run so possibly a Golf, an Jap such as a Celica or Datsun, maybe a MB123 or an MG. I really like the looks of a Spitfire too.
Keep them coming. BTW Where is my boss's favourite SPD shoe - [url= ]Hora[/url]? He said the other days he likes cars 😉