Classic car reccomendation for the wife.

[ecurie]

I forgot to include a picture :<br>
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[Jon Tilson]

A Gold Gti is a typo...<br>
<br>
I meant a VW Golf GTi. The scirroco or corrado are also quite nice.<br>
Manta's are good apart from the cast iron cylider head and possible valve seat recession problems. Algtj swears by them...<br>
I expect its possible to have hardened valve seats put in.<br>
<br>
Datsuns are hard to keep from going rusty like all Japanese cars of the period...and parts supply must be questionable with such a small following classic car wise.<br>
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Jonners<br>
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[Leeds Sprint]

What do you reckon to some sort of air cooled VW?<br>
<br>
I had 2 beetles as a teenager, although they were really just bangers.<br>
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Can you get a decent Beetle here in the Uk for £1500?<br>
<br>
Chris

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[Sprint36]

Beetle spare parts support probably beats that of the MGB and there are loads of tuning bits available too. Not sure what sort of car you would get for your money and of course they rust like mad so you have to be careful. Prices seem to be low at the moment as everyone wants campers these days. You could get a type 3 fastback which would be a bit more practical, but that would negate some of what I said about parts availability.<br>
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David

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[dollysteve]

Don`t think you`ll get a decent Beetle for £1500, to be hones I don`t think there is such a thing as a decent beetle, period.<br>
Hateful pile of crap, horrible gear change, horrible organ style pedals, slow, noisy and uncomfortable, oh, and hardly practical.<br>
I agree with Martins sentiments on the MGB too, alsohave to agree with the BMW. I have a LHD 2002 touring, fantastic car, fantastic engine but beware, not cheap to fix, having said that alot of the parts can be bought brand spanking new from any BMW dealer. Practical definatley, £1500 should buy you a usable one. Mine was £500 and needed work, dare I say it, not as much work as any of my Dollies though.

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[davepoth]

What about a Triumph Acclaim?<br>
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-runs away-<br>
<br>
Seriously though, good reliable car, clutchless gearchange on some models, quite peppy, can be had for not much money too.<br>
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[David6214]

How about an austin 1300 - they're dead easy to work on, the parts supply is easy as they share so much engine wise with a mini. easy to drive and you could pick up a tidy one for the money you suggest.<br>
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A lotus sunbeam would buy you the hatchback, but not economy, a 1600s might be better for that, but again parts might be your problem.<br>
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VW Beetles don't have any kind of useful boot to speak of, so I'd pass on them (and for all the other reasons listed above) I loved mine till it decided that going a long the road on its roof was better (saved on tyre wear though) - hideous in the wet, demisters are off the heat exchangers and they don't last well.<br>
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heres my scary vote.....A vauxhall chevette HS2300. fast pokey, credible (unlike most other shove its) good handling.<br>
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We did the chucking in our modern car for the same reasons. My wife drives a mini cooper and I drive the 1500HL. its been fine - but it is summer. The 1500 goes on an on though.<br>
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In cas eyou have forgotten where I started - I'd suggest the Austin 1300 (or an 1100 if you preferred).<br>
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<p>1981 1500 HL -daily driver<br>
1980 Inca Sprint - high days and holidays (and any other excuse) <br>
1978 Inca Sprint Engine back in - timing perfect (had to phone a friend !) exhaust next then wire up the overdrive and its on the bay<br>
1978 Yellow 1850 auto sprint-notvery-alike - nasty shunt - undecided<br>
1973 Mimosa Sprint - sold, awaiting collection end of september </p><i></i>

[2F45T4U]

isn't algtj selling his 1300 fwd?<br>
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[alun n]

GT6...perhaps out of price range for a good one...

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[davepoth]

David6214's suggestion of the Austin 1300 is a good call. The Vanden Plas version comes with leather, picnic tables in the seat backs, and a 4 speed automatic, and you chould be able to find a nice one for the money. It's a bit more civilised than a mini, but apparently about as fun to drive.

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[2F45T4U]

what about a Riley Elf/Wolsey Hornet? Like a mini but not so common <!--EZCODE EMOTICON START :b --><img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/tongue.gif ALT=":b"><!--EZCODE EMOTICON END-->

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[Jon Tilson]

the good old ADO16 1100/1300...<br>
Wonderful cars to drive and ride in...utterly awful to own long term, or at least mine was....which is why the only ones left are Vanden Plas that have sat in garages and been pampered. One of those is not a bad prospect but be VERY careful with the cills, inner wing trumpets and sub frame mountings. Everywhere a dolomite rusts, these do worse...<br>
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And of course how on earth could I forget a Rover P6 2000. The best ride quality this side of a series 3 Jag, reasonable performance and economy and very well built and long lived cars. A V8 is even nicer but a good one will be too dear and i suspect too thirsty.<br>
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Yes thats it.....a 2000TC would be a good alternative to a dolly 1850...but they are quite big for the interior space on offer.<br>
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Also we seem to have mostly forgotten Rootes Arrow range. The Humber sceptre is nice but like the avengers I just dont like the leaky engines (oil and water both) and weak gearboxes. Maybe my Rootes experience has been unlucky but I have to profoundly disagree with Martin on the Avenger. I dont know if he sat in a wood and picket special but every avenger I know, even the tiger, has an interior that would disgrace a garden shed.<br>
(I love this kind of thread...brings out the best in all of us!) Okay maybe I was a bit hard on HB's and HC vivas but the HA is possibly the ugliest small car ever and I havent seen an HB (pretty thing but fragile in old age) in years and the HC was a bit big for the poor old cast iron 1256 lump, which did fine in the chevette. Afflicted by crap ac delco electrics and stromberg carbs too.<br>
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Hmm now the Ford Capri....<br>
Well again the interior build quality is so poor compared with the Triumphs Rovers Jags and MG's I liked when I was young but the mechanicals bar the pinto camshaft are good and the bodies are about par for the course ford wise...Again finding one good enough to be worth buying wont be easy, especially up north. Creidtable effort by Henry though, as was the Mark 2 1600E Cortina.<br>
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In defence of the MGB I would agree with many of Martins comments but you cant knock the excellent rack and pinion steering, wonderful gearbox and as to asthmatic...well mine revs alright. But then I am the worlds best SU tuner...ha...<br>
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Keep coming back to an ohv dolomite somehow...<br>
<br>
Jonners

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[Sprint36]

<!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>Keep coming back to an ohv dolomite somehow...<hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--><br>
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Are you feeling OK Jonners? Did I really just hear you say something positive about OHV Dolomites?<br>
<br>
David

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[Jon Tilson]

I did didn't I...<br>
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on the basis that its different from an 1850...<br>
and not a bad little town car either...<br>
<br>
Jonners<br>
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[alun n]

...there is a bloke who lives on the road to Aberdovey who has a ruck of these in his yard...

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