Your Bangernomics successes

ShandyAndy_2

worried_jim wrote: »

Andy- you will find a variety of cars talked about at length on this thread. Japanese cars are a very good place to start. Dull model ranges mean cheap prices, if you are looking for suggestions try-
Nissan Primera/Almera
Toyota Carina/ corrola
Honda Accord/civic
Mitsubishi Carisma
Mazda 626- these can be dirt cheap.
It must be under £1000 and have as much MOT as possible. Think that for £500 I can get a year out of it and £150 scrap at the end, then just buy another if it isn't economical to get through the next MOT. Good luck!

Best way Jim, M.O.T on astra is up in august if it wants more than £500 spending I will scrap otherwise will run another year! Good system that Jim!

as regards Mazda,being in the trade I know the parts are colossal prices so always avoided. Old volvos are good bangernomics but again parts dear! 240/940 volvos bulletproof if you can put up with 20-25 mpg

andygb

scotsman4th wrote: »

Possibly, but was thinking 154 Alfa to be honest

You do mean a 156? A bit like this perhaps?

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201240487199032/sort/default/usedcars/price-from/500/transmission/manual/fuel-type/petrol/price-to/1000/engine-size-cars/1-7l_to_1-9l/body-type/saloon/model/156/make/alfa_romeo/onesearchad/used/onesearchad/nearlynew/onesearchad/new/postcode/me21dp/radius/1501/page/1?logcode=p


The interior resembles a "pimp's parlour", but quite goes with the silver paint. I always preferred the 1.8 petrol engine, because it could sound like an F3 car (it revved higher than the 2.0).

andygb

worried_jim wrote: »

Andy- you will find a variety of cars talked about at length on this thread. Japanese cars are a very good place to start. Dull model ranges mean cheap prices, if you are looking for suggestions try-
Nissan Primera/Almera
Toyota Carina/ corrola
Honda Accord/civic
Mitsubishi Carisma
Mazda 626- these can be dirt cheap.
It must be under £1000 and have as much MOT as possible. Think that for £500 I can get a year out of it and £150 scrap at the end, then just buy another if it isn't economical to get through the next MOT. Good luck!

Good shout for the Toyotas/Mitsubishi Jim, but I wouldn't touch the Mazdas because they are very pricy to fix and some bad rust issues (remember that from decades back:eek:) are beginning to appear on seven year old cars.

Rolandtheroadie

andygb wrote: »

You do mean a 156? A bit like this perhaps?

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201240487199032/sort/default/usedcars/price-from/500/transmission/manual/fuel-type/petrol/price-to/1000/engine-size-cars/1-7l_to_1-9l/body-type/saloon/model/156/make/alfa_romeo/onesearchad/used/onesearchad/nearlynew/onesearchad/new/postcode/me21dp/radius/1501/page/1?logcode=p


The interior resembles a "pimp's parlour", but quite goes with the silver paint. I always preferred the 1.8 petrol engine, because it could sound like an F3 car (it revved higher than the 2.0).

Must be, when I was looking at Alfas it was the JTD so I could run it on Bio.
What put me off was a workmate worked in an Alfa dealership and thought they were rubbish although as a mechanic, he'd probably only have been seeing the broken ones.

worried_jim

I've had meatballs for breakfast, kitted the lounge with Ikea products, dyed my hair (whats left) blonde and I am currently wearing designer spectacles and a black roll neck jumper.....

I've only gone and bought a Saab 9-3 SE turbo!







I am currently in Saab heaven. OMG is it fast- goes like a stabbed rat.

The bad stuff- just cost me £90 to fill it up, ouch! The aerial is a bit bent and needs replacing, the key fobs don't work and it is proper filthy inside. I've ordered some Gliptone leather cleaner as I have been told it is the mutts nuts and I have just bought some interior cleaner.

Managed to get £171.50 at the scrap yard this morning for the Rover (including an old lunge radiator that I has stuffed into the boot).

Paid £495 for the car with a full years MOT. Very happy this morning- just wished it would stop raining so I can get cleaning. Will get some more pictures uploaded later on.

Wongsky

worried_jim wrote: »

I've had meatballs for breakfast, kitted the lounge with Ikea products, dyed my hair (whats left) blonde and I am currently wearing designer spectacles and a black roll neck jumper.....

I've only gone and bought a Saab 9-3 SE turbo!







I am currently in Saab heaven. OMG is it fast- goes like a stabbed rat.

The bad stuff- just cost me £90 to fill it up, ouch! The aerial is a bit bent and needs replacing, the key fobs don't work and it is proper filthy inside. I've ordered some Gliptone leather cleaner as I have been told it is the mutts nuts and I have just bought some interior cleaner.

Managed to get £171.50 at the scrap yard this morning for the Rover (including an old lunge radiator that I has stuffed into the boot).

Paid £495 for the car with a full years MOT. Very happy this morning- just wished it would stop raining so I can get cleaning. Will get some more pictures uploaded later on.

Manual or auto?

Think the autos of that era used Aisin Warner 'boxes (quite possibly the AW50-42*) if so, they can be long lasting and responsive.

worried_jim

Auto, and very nice to drive. I have had an auto civic and Supra in the past and loved them both, although I know nothing about Saab boxes so pleased to hear that you think they are good. I have just checked the gearbox oil level and it looks perfect to me.

Wongsky

worried_jim wrote: »

Auto, and very nice to drive. I have had an auto civic and Supra in the past and loved them both, although I know nothing about Saab boxes so pleased to hear that you think they are good. I have just checked the gearbox oil level and it looks perfect to me.

I think Saab of that time used the Aisin Warner 50-24LE transmission.

I've had the same in about 3 Volvos I've owned (S70, V70 and 850).

Ran an S70 with that gearbox in, from 80k miles, to 275k miles. Changed the ATF 2 or 3 times using the transmission cooler line technique.

4 speed? Does it have a sport button and / or a winter button?

worried_jim

Wongsky wrote: »

4 speed? Does it have a sport button and / or a winter button?

It has both.

Wongsky

worried_jim wrote: »

It has both.

I'd wager 50p, then, that it's a AW50-42LE.

They turn out to be pretty robust and generally pretty reliable.

The S70 that I had / drove for the longest, was my first auto that I'd owned, and I have to say it was a great experience of owning an auto - responsive, didn't hunt, reliable as hell, and easy to do things like ATF changes (well using the cooler line thing, anyways).

I got rid of my S70 with 275k miles on the clock - but the engine and transmission were faultless - I believe they could have easily run another 100 or 200k miles. I did regularly change the oil, though, and I tended to change the ATF at 50k intervals.

Always thought of getting a Saab - especially from that era.

Keep the updates coming in the thread, I'll be interested to see how it works out.