Classic cars for everyday use
- Thread starter Griff
- Start date
Whilst considering possible options for a cheap, usable classic car I did seriously look at the BMC 1100/1300
and most famously...
The rust has claimed a lot of them, but you can still find solid ones for less than a grand and they're reckoned to be surprisingly modern and nice to drive. The 1300GT version is apparently a good laugh.
And to think BMC saw fit to replace it with the Allegro...
and most famously...
The rust has claimed a lot of them, but you can still find solid ones for less than a grand and they're reckoned to be surprisingly modern and nice to drive. The 1300GT version is apparently a good laugh.
And to think BMC saw fit to replace it with the Allegro...
Griff
Feeding the foxes
Roadkill said:
Not sure I could live with one of those. Used to see some nice MG 1300s at shows in my youth though.
Which brings me to the lovely MG Magnette:
Lovely old school leather and walnut interior and 'art-deco' style dials.
Lovely.
I've seen a bloke driving an old Riley RME around Saffron Walden and the neighbouring villiages every day for the past few weeks, that looks nice.
I think this counts as a classic these days. I've noticed over the last few years, however, how few of them you see. Rust, MoTs and no more 4-star seem to have claimed most of them.
I drove one of these for a few months. Mum bought a scruffy 1300 version as a runabout a few years ago, which my brother and I thrashed the crap out of until it went to the great car park in the sky thanks to rust around a suspension mounting and a dodgy carburettor.
I liked it: even though it had nearly 100k on the clock it felt very solid, and it went and handled well. Cheap as chips to run too.
Lisarocket
In bed with me dinner
Griff said:Which brings me to the lovely MG Magnette:
Lovely old school leather and walnut interior and 'art-deco' style dials.
Lovely.
That Magnette is lovely. My ideal MG would be a MGA Roadster.
Had the bad news i was expecting today. My MG is not worth throwing money at. I'm chasing rust on the underside and i can't get away with just fitting door skins. I'm getting the brakes done, but then i have to shift it before the MOT runs out in January and there doesn't seem any hope of replacing it with a better one either. The prices have shot up in recent years...
I am having a very
day
GarfieldLeChat
fucking awesome but wrong
no your rightMrs Magpie said:
it runs summit like this
1890's to 1900 veteran cars
1901 to 1918 edwardian/brass cars
1919 ish to 1930 vintage cars
1931 to 1940 prewar classics
1941 to 1979 postwar classics
1980 to 1990 classic moderns
1991 to present current moderns..
basically this is the current '7 ages of man' for cars...
GarfieldLeChat
fucking awesome but wrong
that and it was really only a rebody minor...citydreams said:My first car was the Morris Marina. Supposed to replace the Minor it had the turning circle of a tank. Classic car for being the epitome of British car manufacturing
Griff
Feeding the foxes
Lisarocket said:
I'd actually say the opposite. MGB Roadsters have come down a lot from say 10-12 years ago, or should I say they've levelled out a bit. time was when you couldn't touch a Roadster for less than £5000, now you can easily find good useable chrome bumper cars for that sort of dosh.
Yours is a rubber-bumper GT though
p ) isn't it, how about just cutting yer losses and getting another, like this little beauty for less than £1500http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/100694.htm
Lisarocket
In bed with me dinner
Griff said:I'd actually say the opposite. MGB Roadsters have come down a lot from say 10-12 years ago, or should I say they've levelled out a bit. time was when you couldn't touch a Roadster for less than £5000, now you can easily find good useable chrome bumper cars for that sort of dosh.
Yours is a rubber-bumper GT though
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/100694.htm
I meant that rubber bumper ones have gone up in price since i bought mine.
I have to cut my losses. It needs about 2 grands work...
If i get another one It'll be a chrome bumper model
I'm still really
thoughmanta ray
I did however have a "Y" plate Opel manta ray for a couple of years. It may not qualify as classic, but If you can imagine a more solidly put together Capri and a huge potential to keep on running, irrespective of how much neglect you could heap on it..fantastic car!
I did however have a "Y" plate Opel manta ray for a couple of years. It may not qualify as classic, but If you can imagine a more solidly put together Capri and a huge potential to keep on running, irrespective of how much neglect you could heap on it..fantastic car!
GarfieldLeChat
fucking awesome but wrong
Lisarocket said:I meant that rubber bumper ones have gone up in price since i bought mine.
I have to cut my losses. It needs about 2 grands work...
If i get another one It'll be a chrome bumper model
I'm still really
I have been looking a morris minors for much of the last couple of months the modern is too exepensive to repair when it goes it's too fast eat's too much fuel and fucking awrful for carring pc's and servers in, it was only meant to be a stop gap after being rear ended ... so i have been looking at bmc's finest ...
the problem with most of the cars from that stable is one that's universal rust... I have worked out it's probably better to spend the cash on one that's truely sorted than get a cheaper one that then needs another £1000 spent on it...
Griff
Feeding the foxes
Here's a great one if you can be arsed to go to France to pick one up. The Peugeot 504 Coupe, a lovely stylish coupe with all the mechancical ruggedness of the good old 504 saloon. Africa's finest taxi.
Shame they never sold them in this country.
Getting body panels could be a bit tricky though.
Lisarocket
In bed with me dinner
Griff said:Bummer.
I'm absolutely gutted Griff
GarfieldLeChat
fucking awesome but wrong
can you not get you local comm collage to do it up for cheap.. it mightent be the best job in the wordl but it will be cheap and to mot standards just not ness the best tidest welding or the quickest job...Lisarocket said:I'm absolutely gutted Griff
dirtysanta
Original Casual
cybertect said:This is my 1990 Scirocco Scala, the only car I own
]
Choice
They still look great.
Griff said:Bought a 304 Coupe when I was 18, it broke down all the way home. took it back a week later and luckily got my money back.
Harsh, great car to have at 18. Must have been a wrong un, mother-in-law had one that was universally appreciated.
g force
Affects Shatner's Basoon
Grif
My uncle has three of them...two of them are Turbo's - one white, one silver His friend in germany owns one of the fabled black 2002 Turbo's 
I think there's 4 known to exist!!
Tii is a good little car - pretty reliable, although I understand the alternator on the Tii model (shared with the 1502) is a little troublesome. Biggst problem is rust - you have to get the thing up on proper car inspection ramp because rust creeps behind the orginal sound proofing on the floor pans, especially above the chassis rails.
Rear suspension also suspect to the same problem which is why many look like they're 'begging'.
My uncle has three of them...two of them are Turbo's - one white, one silver
His friend in germany owns one of the fabled black 2002 Turbo's I think there's 4 known to exist!!
Tii is a good little car - pretty reliable, although I understand the alternator on the Tii model (shared with the 1502) is a little troublesome. Biggst problem is rust - you have to get the thing up on proper car inspection ramp because rust creeps behind the orginal sound proofing on the floor pans, especially above the chassis rails.
Rear suspension also suspect to the same problem which is why many look like they're 'begging'.
dirtysanta
Original Casual
g force said:Grif
My uncle has three of them...two of them are Turbo's - one white, one silver
Tii is a good little car - pretty reliable, although I understand the alternator on the Tii model (shared with the 1502) is a little troublesome. Biggst problem is rust - you have to get the thing up on proper car inspection ramp because rust creeps behind the orginal sound proofing on the floor pans, especially above the chassis rails.
Rear suspension also suspect to the same problem which is why many look like they're 'begging'.
I love these. never been in one. Although my dads mate said he did. Apparantly the turbos have got a vicious little kick almost doubing the torque curve.
dirtysanta
Original Casual
Not the best pic. They always looked better a hard top in red. Anyway. Jag pillarless Coupe.
still pretty lush
still pretty lush
