Which classic for a beginner??
Discussion
As the title suggests I'm looking into getting my first classic car.
My main intention is to learn how to do stuff and no doubt many a mistake will be made so it must be relatively straight forward to work on but (probably most importantly) must be cheap (around £500 ish) in case I make a complete balls up and have to start again.
So far my thinking has lead to:
Triumph dolomite
MGB
Mini
Moggy
Any suggestions welcome.
My main intention is to learn how to do stuff and no doubt many a mistake will be made so it must be relatively straight forward to work on but (probably most importantly) must be cheap (around £500 ish) in case I make a complete balls up and have to start again.
So far my thinking has lead to:
Triumph dolomite
MGB
Mini
Moggy
Any suggestions welcome.
The Dolomite is my choice. There's nothing fundamentally scary about the engineering, and they are much more modern feeling (i.e. servo'd disc brakes, double wishbone front suspension, plush interior) than the other cars on your list (I've never been in a Minor, but I think it's a fairly safe bet to say they feel quite "old" to drive)
Series 2 or 3 Land Rover. Lots of character, mostly easy to work on, good parts availability and you can use it to carry stuff. Cheap, savable ones are still around if you look hard enough, but prices have gone up a fair bit over the last couple of years, especially for earlier vehicles.
davepoth said:
The Dolomite is my choice. There's nothing fundamentally scary about the engineering, and they are much more modern feeling (i.e. servo'd disc brakes, double wishbone front suspension, plush interior) than the other cars on your list (I've never been in a Minor, but I think it's a fairly safe bet to say they feel quite "old" to drive)
Thats what I was going to suggest, my 19 year old son has one. Great little car easy to work on, only £750 to insure (1850cc) and all the kids at college love it 
A moggy would be a good choice, the other half has had one for 12 years, always easy to get parts for easy to fix. not that much bigger than a mini. a mini would be a good choice if they wern't so expensive to buy. a triumph herald or vitesse has a very good supply of parts, cheap to buy and fix. dolomites have a few issues with parts supply compared to the other so may cost more to fix.
Spitfire? (I say this as an MG B owner!)
Got to be a soft top to really enjoy an old car and get the sensation of speed at 30mph! Spitfires are easy to work on, have an overdrive gearbox and there's still plenty of them out there.
MG Bs equally in plentiful supply and prices remain steady at £5000 for a very good one, some decent ones available from about £2500 upwards, especially in less popular rubber bumper style. Loads on the MG forum here about buying one.
My first 'classic' was a mini and they are very easy to work on, if a bit cramped. I also have an MG 1300 (similar, but slightly less cramped). Got memories of having my hand trapped down the back of the engine block trying to reconnect the speedo cable on the mini.
Mechanics are easy to learn - dealing with rust is another issue!
Got to be a soft top to really enjoy an old car and get the sensation of speed at 30mph! Spitfires are easy to work on, have an overdrive gearbox and there's still plenty of them out there.
MG Bs equally in plentiful supply and prices remain steady at £5000 for a very good one, some decent ones available from about £2500 upwards, especially in less popular rubber bumper style. Loads on the MG forum here about buying one.
My first 'classic' was a mini and they are very easy to work on, if a bit cramped. I also have an MG 1300 (similar, but slightly less cramped). Got memories of having my hand trapped down the back of the engine block trying to reconnect the speedo cable on the mini.
Mechanics are easy to learn - dealing with rust is another issue!
230TE said:
Series 2 or 3 Land Rover. Lots of character, mostly easy to work on, good parts availability and you can use it to carry stuff. Cheap, savable ones are still around if you look hard enough, but prices have gone up a fair bit over the last couple of years, especially for earlier vehicles.
This. A series 3 is perfectly usable as an every day vehicle and they're even quite fun to drive in an agricultural sort of way. The scope for mods is endless and a v8 will give a decent-ish turn of speed.Parts availability is superb, it's even possible to build one ground-up using brand new parts.
Moggy - for reasons already given
2CV - sort of French Moggy, good spares and support, easy to work on
Mini - my forst car, fab fun, but a bit cramped, rusts a bit too easily (although that goes for many of these!)
70s Ford - Cortina, Escort, Capri
In fact pretty much anything pre-1980?!
2CV - sort of French Moggy, good spares and support, easy to work on
Mini - my forst car, fab fun, but a bit cramped, rusts a bit too easily (although that goes for many of these!)
70s Ford - Cortina, Escort, Capri
In fact pretty much anything pre-1980?!
Late 1980s wedge shaped Ginetta. All the easy-to-fixness of a Cortina with none of the rust worries if you get one with a galvanised chassis. Mine was rock solid, cost less than your budget and was insured on a classic car policy for £120 per year.
G26 and G30 are the 4 seaters and the G28 and G31 are the 2+2. Go for one with popup headlights because they're better looking than the upright lights, although they'll accomodate a V6 whereas the popup lights cars will 'only' fit a 4 cylinder.
They also handle much better than they ought to considering the humble underpinnings
G26 and G30 are the 4 seaters and the G28 and G31 are the 2+2. Go for one with popup headlights because they're better looking than the upright lights, although they'll accomodate a V6 whereas the popup lights cars will 'only' fit a 4 cylinder.
They also handle much better than they ought to considering the humble underpinnings
I'd recommend something from the Herald family (Herlad/Vitesse/Spitfire/GT6).
Mechanically simple, like most things from the 60's/70's and with the full flipping front/removable gearbox tunnel the best possible access to the engine bay and gearbox.
Once you've gotten your hand dirty and have developed a feel for when a spanners on properly having been able to see it's on properly you are set-up to move to cars where you can't see the nut your loosening with your arm trapped between the wheelarch and exhaust manifiold
Mechanically simple, like most things from the 60's/70's and with the full flipping front/removable gearbox tunnel the best possible access to the engine bay and gearbox.
Once you've gotten your hand dirty and have developed a feel for when a spanners on properly having been able to see it's on properly you are set-up to move to cars where you can't see the nut your loosening with your arm trapped between the wheelarch and exhaust manifiold
//j17 said:
Once you've gotten your hand dirty and have developed a feel for when a spanners on properly having been able to see it's on properly you are set-up to move to cars where you can't see the nut your loosening with your arm trapped between the wheelarch and exhaust manifiold
... and as your back gradually locks solid, and from red-raw knuckles your blood mixes with age-old engine oil, a cold rain starts to fall from the leaden sky. You stare across your unkempt garden, and wonder at the life you might have led... Word of advice - don't get a classic.
Yertis said:
//j17 said:
Once you've gotten your hand dirty and have developed a feel for when a spanners on properly having been able to see it's on properly you are set-up to move to cars where you can't see the nut your loosening with your arm trapped between the wheelarch and exhaust manifiold
... and as your back gradually locks solid, and from red-raw knuckles your blood mixes with age-old engine oil, a cold rain starts to fall from the leaden sky. You stare across your unkempt garden, and wonder at the life you might have led... Word of advice - don't get a classic.
I know that feeling well.My first choice would be the Dolomite. An earlier, non Sprint would be interesting.
But don't disregard a Viva. The boxy old HA is the prettiest IMHO. Quite a few around at the mo and by far the cheapest of the cars you've mentioned. How about an IMP? Picture it with a set of Dunlop D1 wheels and a Webasto roof!
But don't disregard a Viva. The boxy old HA is the prettiest IMHO. Quite a few around at the mo and by far the cheapest of the cars you've mentioned. How about an IMP? Picture it with a set of Dunlop D1 wheels and a Webasto roof!
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