Car to learn spannering
Discussion
Apols if this has been done to death.
What car would you buy to learn spannering? I have the following thoughts:
1) should be cheap, say no more than a few grand
2) should be fun standard
3) should have cheap parts and simple mechanicals.
4) should be easy enough to find help online
5) should have upgrade-bits available
6) should not be a complete death-trap
I keep coming back to mx5s, what else fits the bill? Are any of my criteria off the mark? Have I missed something?
What car would you buy to learn spannering? I have the following thoughts:
1) should be cheap, say no more than a few grand
2) should be fun standard
3) should have cheap parts and simple mechanicals.
4) should be easy enough to find help online
5) should have upgrade-bits available
6) should not be a complete death-trap
I keep coming back to mx5s, what else fits the bill? Are any of my criteria off the mark? Have I missed something?
This thread may be of interest!
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
There's a lot of sense in buying a classic though - low/no depreciation and free license being two good reasons!
I would suggest checking out spares' prices before getting something too "exotic" - some can be horrifically expensive - and others not available (even from eBay). A friend has a Starion and had two others before this one. The two provided spares for the newer one - and anything he sold from them probably paid for the "new" one!
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
There's a lot of sense in buying a classic though - low/no depreciation and free license being two good reasons!
I would suggest checking out spares' prices before getting something too "exotic" - some can be horrifically expensive - and others not available (even from eBay). A friend has a Starion and had two others before this one. The two provided spares for the newer one - and anything he sold from them probably paid for the "new" one!
Why not a series land rover?
Every last bit can be stripped down to its component parts using not much more than a set of spanners and a hammer, parts are dirt dirt cheap, the last one I rebuilt, water pump was £8, a door bottom was £21. There are thousands of people all over the internet with knowledge of how to rebuild one, never to fast enough to do any damage. Plus they can be bought as basket cases for a couple of hundred, running rebuild project about a thousand and if done well can sell for a lot more. Can be upgraded to gain everything from a newer engine to fully rebuilt on a galvanised coil sprung chassis and there is not a lot more fun than an old land rover wether it is messing around on a pay and play site or a jaunt to the seaside in the sun with the roof and doors off and the windscreen folded down!
Every last bit can be stripped down to its component parts using not much more than a set of spanners and a hammer, parts are dirt dirt cheap, the last one I rebuilt, water pump was £8, a door bottom was £21. There are thousands of people all over the internet with knowledge of how to rebuild one, never to fast enough to do any damage. Plus they can be bought as basket cases for a couple of hundred, running rebuild project about a thousand and if done well can sell for a lot more. Can be upgraded to gain everything from a newer engine to fully rebuilt on a galvanised coil sprung chassis and there is not a lot more fun than an old land rover wether it is messing around on a pay and play site or a jaunt to the seaside in the sun with the roof and doors off and the windscreen folded down!
Edited by Cfnteabag on Saturday 15th March 21:21
Cfnteabag said:
Why not a series land rover?
See page three of the thread in my link above - I have an S3 that was supposed to be a daily driver and it has been standing on my lawn since November until I find time to do some welding and other MOT-related repairs.Most (not all) old Land Rovers have had - or need - welding on the chassis. Many of those that don't need welding have had a galvanised chassis fitted!
Yes, parts are available and many are cheap (and some of those are low quality). However, parts are available for MGBs, Spitfire/Heralds etc too and these are a lot cheaper to run and - debatably - more enjoyable to drive.
Buy some thing simple i.e. escort2/3 even a 1 1300buy some decent tools and spend the rest of your life taking it to peices and rebuilding it its that easy ! I did 40+ years on the tools on things such as RR ,land rovers, kit cars race and rally cars and I'm still learning !! but I did some things out of it , abad back an even worse temper and 2 hands full of busted knuckles so it's a great life really ,o yes im 60% deaf too
Yes while I agreed there are other options, but any British car from before the 90's will suffer the same rust problem as the issue was the poor steel used in car manufacture.
The thing with the land rover world, and most probably the whole of the classic British car world is that here is normal someone close who can help, especially with welding or there is the option of mobile welders, especially if you have stripped it down yourself so it is a case of turning up and welding
The thing with the land rover world, and most probably the whole of the classic British car world is that here is normal someone close who can help, especially with welding or there is the option of mobile welders, especially if you have stripped it down yourself so it is a case of turning up and welding
One suggestion - beware of eBay! Not only for the car, but some of the spares can be expensive (or cheap tat!). I noticed someone selling insulated crimp wiring terminals as "Land Rover crimp terminals" for about three or four times the price that I would normally pay - and about twice the price that Halfords charge!
Yes, there can be bargains - I've bought plenty of good used items for my tractors and Land Rover for little money. It's the old thing - know what you want, what you are looking at and how much it is really worth! You'll often find sellers that done know any of these things!
Yes, there can be bargains - I've bought plenty of good used items for my tractors and Land Rover for little money. It's the old thing - know what you want, what you are looking at and how much it is really worth! You'll often find sellers that done know any of these things!
Mx5. Cheap, basic and easy to work on. Engine is longitudinal so a Cambelt is within easy access.
I've had a disco, a defender and this as toys. The mx5 is easier to work on that the landy in my opinion. The 200tdi was easy enough but things just seem to be in the wrong place so access is awkward!!
I've had a disco, a defender and this as toys. The mx5 is easier to work on that the landy in my opinion. The 200tdi was easy enough but things just seem to be in the wrong place so access is awkward!!
Collectingbrass said:
I think you could do worse than an E36 6 pot BMW. They're readily available, there is lots of guidance on line, spares are readily available and plenty of mods around without looking like you've covered it in glue and driven through Halfords 
Agree with this, I am on my second & have done MANY mods etc myself.There is one big thing with these cars, every bolt comes off, every bolt goes back on.
I have never come across a sheared bolt/had to find an inventive way to remove a broken stud/had to drill out & re-thread anything.
To me this would make the learning spanners bit a lot easier if I were to learn it all over again.
andyiley said:
Agree with this, I am on my second & have done MANY mods etc myself.
There is one big thing with these cars, every bolt comes off, every bolt goes back on.
I have never come across a sheared bolt/had to find an inventive way to remove a broken stud/had to drill out & re-thread anything.
To me this would make the learning spanners bit a lot easier if I were to learn it all over again.
Where's the fun if you don't learn about spanner rash?There is one big thing with these cars, every bolt comes off, every bolt goes back on.
I have never come across a sheared bolt/had to find an inventive way to remove a broken stud/had to drill out & re-thread anything.
To me this would make the learning spanners bit a lot easier if I were to learn it all over again.
eltax91 said:
Mx5. Cheap, basic and easy to work on. Engine is longitudinal so a Cambelt is within easy access.
I've had a disco, a defender and this as toys. The mx5 is easier to work on that the landy in my opinion. The 200tdi was easy enough but things just seem to be in the wrong place so access is awkward!!
This the only awkward job is removing the alternator, inlet manifold and starter motor everything else is so simple to work on, you only need a 10,12,14,17mm socket to do anything on the car along with a set of screw drivers a lever bar and a big fI've had a disco, a defender and this as toys. The mx5 is easier to work on that the landy in my opinion. The 200tdi was easy enough but things just seem to be in the wrong place so access is awkward!!
k off hammer, oh and a load of can of plug gas or similar etc to free up all the seized bolts. Oh and it's rust like a old car so can learn how to weld.Saab 900 turbo
Relatively simple, not too bad on the rust front, just check the transmission tunnels prior to buying, fun drive, cheap bits and an appreciating classic
I personally learnt on old mini's and cortina's.
Buy something simple and you'll learn loads.
If you want to learn on something with out the hassle of rust issues then a scimitar, or similar fibreglass car might be worth considering too. I had a scimitar se6a, really basic and might be good to learn and make your mistakes on that... Although I couldn't have used that car daily.
Relatively simple, not too bad on the rust front, just check the transmission tunnels prior to buying, fun drive, cheap bits and an appreciating classic
I personally learnt on old mini's and cortina's.
Buy something simple and you'll learn loads.
If you want to learn on something with out the hassle of rust issues then a scimitar, or similar fibreglass car might be worth considering too. I had a scimitar se6a, really basic and might be good to learn and make your mistakes on that... Although I couldn't have used that car daily.
I bought a mk1 mr2 for exactly this. MR layout was interesting and would convert will to FF cars in the future, also sexy as can be and rust like he'll so learning welding isn't really optional. Bought mine for £300 be delivered. Now I'm working on a volvo 850, heaps of space and built like a tank so it's more about servicing then rebuilding brakes and stuff :-)
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