Help needed for first time car buyer

nimbo

Hi,

I am taking my test on 1st November and as I am going to pass (positive thinking here) and soon after that I would like to buy a car. The car will be second hand (unless I happen to win the lottery)...

I am 29 and a woman
Will be a Mature student
Have one years no claims (from before passing test that is over 5 years old now)... Does this even count????

I'm a bit of a novice and was hoping that I might be able to get a bit of advice. I looked into insurance for a small polo 1.0 engine about 20 years old... (it was being sold on face book)...

I have been advised that I should spend less than £500 on my first car as I am going to kill the gears (and can't afford much more TBH)... I know it's going to be a clunker...

How do I find a car and know it's safe? Can I take it to a garage and get someone to look it over for a small ish fee?

What other checks do I need to have done?

The insurance quotes I have were for around £1200 the best quote and also best cover fully comp - 3rd party only made an £80 difference...

Please help. I know I could wait but am on the second year of a social work degree, and in the third year I will need it for placement, and want to be a bit more confident at driving before I have to be let loose. I also know the first year will be the worst insurance wise so may as well get it over with.

My mother has said she will be a named driver if this means my insurance will be cheaper. Would it be?

If I get fully comp insurance does this mean I could say drive my mothers car 3rd party? Or is that not how it works?

nimbo

Sorry it is so long, and thanks for nay advice.

Also sorry of there are stupid questions.

xx

atrixblue.-MFR-.

that NCB you had before is gone you cant use it.

with cars the age your looking at i wouldnt be too bothered about FSH.

with cars this money your looking for receipts for work carried out, welding, servicing, timing belts etc.

as many MOT certifecates as possible including current one.

that everything works ok one it.

old cars do develope faults either electrical or mechanical so if the clocks has no illumination when the lights are on odds on the bulbs in the dash are gone, thats not to say the car isnt looked after its just that these bulbs can be difficult to get to and you could brake something in the process so somepeople just leave them alone.

look in the engine bay, if a old battery was leaking it will corrade the battery tray if its all rusted out then you could be considdering this on next MOT as an expense.

side sills, get on the flood look at the sills, if rotten and holes appearing then move on, they will need replacing soon enough.

like most older cars odds on it been in somesort of prang, so expect dings, or a previous cat D or cat C write off if you want to do a HPI check.

test the clutch most are cable clutches but the bite should be normal not all the way to the top of the pedals travel to engage.

make sure the seatbelts are in good working order not frayed or ripped and they click in good and hold.

snailmail

I have been in a similar situation to you, i'm a 31 year old woman, just passed my test and was looking for a car that i could manage the upkeep of. i was lucky that my parents helped me out with the car, but i still asked here and tried to find one i knew i could afford to run.

i went with one that has a 1litre engine which means i only pay £30 per year tax, i'm told it's good on petrol, though i don't have anything to base it on. i also really shopped around for my insurance. aviva were the cheapest fully comp, at about £800, i gave them a ring as i was unsure of some things and by talking to them i got it down to £550. they took into account how long i'd have my provisional; which is a very long time lol! so if you find a decent quote on line ring them as well, it can't hurt!

i also took the plus pass test with my driving instructor, which cost me £42 (someone here said their instructor was charging over £200! so if they try and charge that say no!) this can lower your insurance by around £100 in some places. you just have to wait for your form to come back for your number to quote to insurance companies, but its worth a thought to get cheaper insurance.

hope this helps, and good luck!

nimbo

atrixblue.-MFR-. wrote: »

with cars the age your looking at i wouldnt be too bothered about FSH.


like most older cars odds on it been in somesort of prang, so expect dings, or a previous cat D or cat C write off if you want to do a HPI check.
.

What id FSH please?

And with Cat C and D write off is that just a bump and the insurance said they rather give the owner £xx rather than have it fixed? Or did it mean there was something unsafe that was fixed?

Thanks. :0)

nimbo

snailmail wrote: »

I have been in a similar situation to you, i'm a 31 year old woman, just passed my test and was looking for a car that i could manage the upkeep of. i was lucky that my parents helped me out with the car, but i still asked here and tried to find one i knew i could afford to run.

i went with one that has a 1litre engine which means i only pay £30 per year tax, i'm told it's good on petrol, though i don't have anything to base it on. i also really shopped around for my insurance. aviva were the cheapest fully comp, at about £800, i gave them a ring as i was unsure of some things and by talking to them i got it down to £550. they took into account how long i'd have my provisional; which is a very long time lol! so if you find a decent quote on line ring them as well, it can't hurt!

i also took the plus pass test with my driving instructor, which cost me £42 (someone here said their instructor was charging over £200! so if they try and charge that say no!) this can lower your insurance by around £100 in some places. you just have to wait for your form to come back for your number to quote to insurance companies, but its worth a thought to get cheaper insurance.

hope this helps, and good luck!

you got it down to £550? that's awesome - the old no claims is with them so I can prove that I have been driving for a while... I've had my provisional for ages too, so that may help...

What do you do? I know what your job description is can make a difference...

Thanks this is actually really great to hear...

Is your car a clunker or is it kind of nice (sorry not trying to be offensive just couldn't think of a nice way of putting it) - I'm thinking that maybe if I got a 'kind of nice' car they may think that I'll be more careful???

wallbash

What id FSH please?

Full Service History .

atrixblue.-MFR-.

cat D is damage that was deemed uneconmical by the uinsurance company to repair but does not need a vehicle identity check or VIC after repairs have been carried out privately.

CAT c is minor-moderate damage uneconomical to repair will require a vic test once repairs are carried out privately.

Tobster86

The advice that you're going to 'kill the gears' is a bit far fetched; car sympathy isn't greatly academic, but I believe the best pieces of advice for getting a good lifespan out of a car are these:
-Get it properly serviced at least one a year, i.e. an oil change at the minimum, by a garage that you can trust.
-Don't rev it hard for at least two minutes after starting it from cold.

nimbo

It's my brother who says I'll kill the car... (He's concerned i'll get all attached and then be gutted when it ends up knackered)

I think he kind of means I'll end up reversing into a random pole or wall... The kind of thing I won't claim for... As well as generally killing the engine by being a crap driver... hahaha.

s_b

an mot is £35 a tyre is £25 and a wiper blade is a £5 so if you consider all this you will realise that a £500 car can only be a deathtrap and you really need to up your ante
i suggest a reasonable car with at least 7 months mot needed you would need to spend £800
think old but bullet proof cars like fiesta corsa
look at the seller as much as the car kick the tyres look at the tread have a little drive make sure major things all work
dont get sidetracked by needing cd players 4 doors a boot for your golf clubs etc
the basic car is more important
one final thing i mention fiesta and corsa for a reason ,if you buy correctly then the engines parts are old school and as such within reason cheap and easy to fix
someone will be along in a minute to suggest some wild base lump of mediocre rubbish because their aunt nellie had one during the war and it ran on chicken poo remember aunt nellie was senile and was actually locked up in their attic as they plundered her savings accounts this is why her car was reliable,it never went anywhere:D