Bargain basement fun
Discussion
Hi All,
I’m looking at what the best of the below by category for sub £2k money;
Hatchback:
Mini Cooper s (r53), Abarth 500 or Panda 100hp
Coupe:
Audi TT mk1 180/225, Fiat Coupe or Alfa GT twinspark
Cabrio;
BMW Z4 2.0/2.2 or Mercedes SLK MK1.
I’m ignoring RS Clio 182, as I have one that’s cherished and want another cheaper fun car that I can daily.
Many thanks,
D
I’m looking at what the best of the below by category for sub £2k money;
Hatchback:
Mini Cooper s (r53), Abarth 500 or Panda 100hp
Coupe:
Audi TT mk1 180/225, Fiat Coupe or Alfa GT twinspark
Cabrio;
BMW Z4 2.0/2.2 or Mercedes SLK MK1.
I’m ignoring RS Clio 182, as I have one that’s cherished and want another cheaper fun car that I can daily.
Many thanks,
D
From my shopping a while back, I'd drop the coupe part of that list (and soft top TTs, too).
The Z4 looks like the pick of them to me (for someone else - I'm tall and don't fit in them at all well!); the SLKs I looked at were very tired indeed.
Mk2 MX-5s can be a good buy, but have a good look at the front chassis legs.
MGFs could be a good buy too.
I didn't look at hatches at all; ended up in an E46 320 vert which was all about dropping the roof and generally well screwed together quality, but little about actual driving fun beyond that. Saab and Audi verts also available in the price range but the BM was a different league; other examples may vary.
Watch out for the high band VED in this price range/age/performance - needs to be taken into account for your overall purchase budget and factored into trouble selling on, too.
The Z4 looks like the pick of them to me (for someone else - I'm tall and don't fit in them at all well!); the SLKs I looked at were very tired indeed.
Mk2 MX-5s can be a good buy, but have a good look at the front chassis legs.
MGFs could be a good buy too.
I didn't look at hatches at all; ended up in an E46 320 vert which was all about dropping the roof and generally well screwed together quality, but little about actual driving fun beyond that. Saab and Audi verts also available in the price range but the BM was a different league; other examples may vary.
Watch out for the high band VED in this price range/age/performance - needs to be taken into account for your overall purchase budget and factored into trouble selling on, too.
Either Mk1 or Mk2 SLK is only worth looking at if it's a six pot, the four pots are seriously crap particularly as an auto and the steering in the Mk1 is like something from an ocean liner. I got shot of a really tidy 2003 SLK320 auto with less than 100k on the clock earlier in the year and was ecstatic to finally get £2,200 for it, it was a lovely cruiser and made a great noise but the dim witted 5 speed auto and SLOOOOOOOW steering spoiled the fun.
I think the (six cylinder) mk2 SLK is a much underrated and under appreciated car, and the odd SLK280 and SLK350 manual turns up, particularly earlier cars. People ask stupid money for all SLKs and they hang around forever but I know at trade they are toxic and a 100k mile tidy 54 plate SLK350 will be lucky to top a grand at BCA, so find one with a private seller that's had the ad up for a while and bid them square in the nuts.
If you want more povvo the R56 Mini is great fun, but avoid 17" wheels because the ride is beyond awful, it feels like you've hit a brick every time you touch a cats eye.. The earlier 1.4 Mini One is better than the later 1.6 Mini One but you can get a cheap remap to turn your 1.6 mini One into a Cooper and still get cheaper tax and insurance
I pick up loads of Minis and then punt them on for £2k when I'm bored of them, you should get a nice pre LCI cooper on post LCI one for around that mark.
Z4 also a good shout, the small and mid sized engined ones aren't very in demand at all.
Early scruffy Mk3 MX5s should be doable too, but be VERY wary of rust. By far and away the most fun of any of your suggestions though, my mate has one with no rust and a set of meister R coilovers and ARBs on it and it's absolutely superb.
I think the (six cylinder) mk2 SLK is a much underrated and under appreciated car, and the odd SLK280 and SLK350 manual turns up, particularly earlier cars. People ask stupid money for all SLKs and they hang around forever but I know at trade they are toxic and a 100k mile tidy 54 plate SLK350 will be lucky to top a grand at BCA, so find one with a private seller that's had the ad up for a while and bid them square in the nuts.
If you want more povvo the R56 Mini is great fun, but avoid 17" wheels because the ride is beyond awful, it feels like you've hit a brick every time you touch a cats eye.. The earlier 1.4 Mini One is better than the later 1.6 Mini One but you can get a cheap remap to turn your 1.6 mini One into a Cooper and still get cheaper tax and insurance
I pick up loads of Minis and then punt them on for £2k when I'm bored of them, you should get a nice pre LCI cooper on post LCI one for around that mark.
Z4 also a good shout, the small and mid sized engined ones aren't very in demand at all.
Early scruffy Mk3 MX5s should be doable too, but be VERY wary of rust. By far and away the most fun of any of your suggestions though, my mate has one with no rust and a set of meister R coilovers and ARBs on it and it's absolutely superb.
I think ZX10's suggestion of a Swift is the best shout thus far.
At least it has a chance of not needed the equivalent of the purchase price spending on it to get it in usable shape and should have reasonable running costs (not sure you could say the same about a 20+ year old Mini, TT or leggy Alfa).
At least it has a chance of not needed the equivalent of the purchase price spending on it to get it in usable shape and should have reasonable running costs (not sure you could say the same about a 20+ year old Mini, TT or leggy Alfa).
Thanks all, the Suzuki and MR2 are ones I’d not considered so will do a bit of digging into those as well.
Z4 I’ll have a look at the six pot version, will discount the GT and TT.
On the Abarth side I know 2 people who have picked them up at £2k or just below now but with high mileage 160k and 149k and in need of some TLC.
Z4 I’ll have a look at the six pot version, will discount the GT and TT.
On the Abarth side I know 2 people who have picked them up at £2k or just below now but with high mileage 160k and 149k and in need of some TLC.
Meant to add, this is a challenge I’ve been set from my wife, I can have a second fun car but only from selling stuff on eBay (suspect she didn’t expect me to stick at it or make good progress! 😂)
Existing toy is a 182 Trophy which has been nursed back to health, happy to take on mechanical and electrical projects ….just nothing too rusty! Do anything else in that price bracket you think of please feel free to suggest it!
Existing toy is a 182 Trophy which has been nursed back to health, happy to take on mechanical and electrical projects ….just nothing too rusty! Do anything else in that price bracket you think of please feel free to suggest it!
Slow progress said:
.just nothing too rusty!
Which is why I didn't suggest an MX5 
but saying that, if you can get, say, a Mk2 (NB) MX5, especially a VVT Sport (a 1.8 with 140 or more bhp, basically) for around £2k that doesn't have rust, that would definitely be worth considering. But you'd have to get them on a ramp and have a good poke about, or have evidence of preventative maintenance really. I'd also take a non crusty 1.6 Mk1 (the 115 bhp version, not the 90).Slow progress said:
Had a mk2.5 MX5 before and it was fun, but it was horrific in reliability terms. ABS pump failure, 3 clutches and 2 fly wheels…..it was 3yrs old and only had 40k miles on the clock. So would have to be something different!
Sounds like you were really unlucky there to be fair. I've had 3 MX5s and they were all reliable. My main issue was the second one (a Mk1) which was more polyfiller than metal The MR2 looks an interesting prospect post 2002 years.
So that means I’ll start having a look around;
BMW Z4
Toyota MR2
Mini Cooper S
Abarth 500
Panda 100hp
I’ve decided against the MX5 (rust), MGF(head gasket) and Swift (too similar to the n.a Clio), but left the Panda in as I’ve driven one recently and it’s a very different feel to the Clio.
Could you get a fair vw golf mk5 GTI for £2k or too ropey at that price?
So that means I’ll start having a look around;
BMW Z4
Toyota MR2
Mini Cooper S
Abarth 500
Panda 100hp
I’ve decided against the MX5 (rust), MGF(head gasket) and Swift (too similar to the n.a Clio), but left the Panda in as I’ve driven one recently and it’s a very different feel to the Clio.
Could you get a fair vw golf mk5 GTI for £2k or too ropey at that price?
GeniusOfLove said:
Either Mk1 or Mk2 SLK is only worth looking at if it's a six pot, the four pots are seriously crap particularly as an auto and the steering in the Mk1 is like something from an ocean liner.
My recollection is that Evo rated the Mk2 SLK in manual 4-cyl form as an expectedly good sportscar. The 6-cyl engines have the balancer shaft issue which is why no-one wants to touch them in the trade.Still, I wouldn't be buying one for bargain basement fun. With a bigger budget I think they can be a great choice (albeit not my thing personally).
For the OP - I would aim for a MR2 as that's a big contrast to your Clio. If you buy another small hatch, you might just wish you were in the Clio every time.
Slow progress said:
Thanks all, the Suzuki and MR2 are ones I’d not considered so will do a bit of digging into those as well.
Z4 I’ll have a look at the six pot version, will discount the GT and TT.
On the Abarth side I know 2 people who have picked them up at £2k or just below now but with high mileage 160k and 149k and in need of some TLC.
Surprised on the abarth so I had a look and this one is £2995. Seems a lot of car for under 3kZ4 I’ll have a look at the six pot version, will discount the GT and TT.
On the Abarth side I know 2 people who have picked them up at £2k or just below now but with high mileage 160k and 149k and in need of some TLC.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202309011...
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