Need a new motor...
Discussion
I will be relocating back to the UK in a few months time.
So we will be carless and starting afresh and would be interested in suggestions.
My criteria is...
I don't really like modern cars, my wifes car has switches and dials on the steering wheel, that do all manner of stuff. I drive around with the rear windscreen wiper going ALL the time, I cannot for the life of me work out where the button is to turn it off.
It is reliable though, but expensive to insure and tax. There are faults with air bags that keep happening and it is just irritating.
I hate and dread driving the car.
My last car was a 1972 mini. I loved it, I kept it on the road for years and it was my daily driver, plenty of room for me, the dog and the wife. When I had to go to the post office, there was enough room for the bags and the dog. The heater worked in the Winter, I rolled down the windows in the Summer, It only had a few butons, horn, lights, indicators, heater.
Visibility was fantastic in the car, no blind spots.
The biggest and only disappointment was the engine, the 998cc engine was just not cut out for long journeys. 40mph around town was fine. but 70 on the dual carriageway was pushing it, you could feel the car complaining, it was happy at 40 though.
Also on the motorways I would feel intimidated by the size of the other vehicles, people would try and push the little car out of the way!
I like windows that I wind up and down, not pressing a little electric button that fails or falls down into the abyss of the door. On the mini I could whip the door card off and fix the window myself, replace the broken part myself because it is mechanical and easy to fix.
So I don't need air bags, power steering, electrical doodads, gps, millions of buttons, a television screen to look at when I am going backwards, that's what windows and mirrors are for.
I do need more power than a classic mini.
I need the car to be simple, like me.
I don't mind if it is old like me.
I want to leave the complicated parts of the maintenance to the professionals. I don't mind changing oil and topping up the coolant, changing brake pads. but changing the belts/chains and adjusting valves will be down to the mechanics.
Cars I was looking at...
Landrover Defender 90, an older one, proper shape, NOT a new one.
Suzuki Jimny
Toyota Hilux.
I will be starting my own business upon return to the UK so the car would be a taxable expense hence the commercial vehicle options. It will also be my daily driver. I will need to go to trade shows and what not, Possibly carrying boxes, it also will be our only car for the first year.
Any other suggestions for vehicles? Or opinions for the ones I have chosen.
So we will be carless and starting afresh and would be interested in suggestions.
My criteria is...
I don't really like modern cars, my wifes car has switches and dials on the steering wheel, that do all manner of stuff. I drive around with the rear windscreen wiper going ALL the time, I cannot for the life of me work out where the button is to turn it off.
It is reliable though, but expensive to insure and tax. There are faults with air bags that keep happening and it is just irritating.
I hate and dread driving the car.
My last car was a 1972 mini. I loved it, I kept it on the road for years and it was my daily driver, plenty of room for me, the dog and the wife. When I had to go to the post office, there was enough room for the bags and the dog. The heater worked in the Winter, I rolled down the windows in the Summer, It only had a few butons, horn, lights, indicators, heater.
Visibility was fantastic in the car, no blind spots.
The biggest and only disappointment was the engine, the 998cc engine was just not cut out for long journeys. 40mph around town was fine. but 70 on the dual carriageway was pushing it, you could feel the car complaining, it was happy at 40 though.
Also on the motorways I would feel intimidated by the size of the other vehicles, people would try and push the little car out of the way!
I like windows that I wind up and down, not pressing a little electric button that fails or falls down into the abyss of the door. On the mini I could whip the door card off and fix the window myself, replace the broken part myself because it is mechanical and easy to fix.
So I don't need air bags, power steering, electrical doodads, gps, millions of buttons, a television screen to look at when I am going backwards, that's what windows and mirrors are for.
I do need more power than a classic mini.
I need the car to be simple, like me.
I don't mind if it is old like me.
I want to leave the complicated parts of the maintenance to the professionals. I don't mind changing oil and topping up the coolant, changing brake pads. but changing the belts/chains and adjusting valves will be down to the mechanics.
Cars I was looking at...
Landrover Defender 90, an older one, proper shape, NOT a new one.
Suzuki Jimny
Toyota Hilux.
I will be starting my own business upon return to the UK so the car would be a taxable expense hence the commercial vehicle options. It will also be my daily driver. I will need to go to trade shows and what not, Possibly carrying boxes, it also will be our only car for the first year.
Any other suggestions for vehicles? Or opinions for the ones I have chosen.
Defender 90 sounds ideal.
They’re awful to drive as a daily, and have no modern driving aids. Big, cumbersome, and all have a charming dimpled patina as every exterior panel is flat. On the interior all the panels are all slight off so no panels line up. The windows steam up nicely on colder days as the heater lacks any significant power and you’ll drive around with blankets over your legs to maintain some warmth in your body during winter. I could go on!
I bought a restored TD5 SW 90 last year on a galv chassis for under your budget and if you wish for a true 1970 car experience, it has it in bucketloads.
(I bloody love it!!!!)
They’re awful to drive as a daily, and have no modern driving aids. Big, cumbersome, and all have a charming dimpled patina as every exterior panel is flat. On the interior all the panels are all slight off so no panels line up. The windows steam up nicely on colder days as the heater lacks any significant power and you’ll drive around with blankets over your legs to maintain some warmth in your body during winter. I could go on!
I bought a restored TD5 SW 90 last year on a galv chassis for under your budget and if you wish for a true 1970 car experience, it has it in bucketloads.
(I bloody love it!!!!)
As Pritch has said, a Defender would most certainly tick the boxes you're asking for but it is a god awful drive in objective terms.
Reliability on them is fantastic, so long as we're talking about being able to rely on it having water inside of the vehicle, oil left on your driveway and juicy extra costs each time it goes for a service/MOT.
I loved my 2008 Defender 110 and I'm really glad I owned it, however I think I would've sold it almost instantly if it was my daily driver. Even as a 3rd car it was very rarely the car I chose to use, exceptions being when heading to anything with offroad parking (County shows, balloon fiesta, being adventurous in Wales etc), picking up the christmas tree, tip runs and occasional trips down to a local beach that you can drive on (Followed by a frenzied cleaning of the chassis in hopes that I can abait the rust from having dared to go near the sea).
Personally, for what you have described I'd be going for the most mechanically bulletproof Toyota Hilux that I could find and likely spending far less than the £20k budget. This also comes with the bonus of being significantly less likely to be stripped of its doors, bonnet and full interior when you leave it in a public car park (As happened to numerous people at Glastonbury and multiple Park & Rides near to me).
Reliability on them is fantastic, so long as we're talking about being able to rely on it having water inside of the vehicle, oil left on your driveway and juicy extra costs each time it goes for a service/MOT.
I loved my 2008 Defender 110 and I'm really glad I owned it, however I think I would've sold it almost instantly if it was my daily driver. Even as a 3rd car it was very rarely the car I chose to use, exceptions being when heading to anything with offroad parking (County shows, balloon fiesta, being adventurous in Wales etc), picking up the christmas tree, tip runs and occasional trips down to a local beach that you can drive on (Followed by a frenzied cleaning of the chassis in hopes that I can abait the rust from having dared to go near the sea).
Personally, for what you have described I'd be going for the most mechanically bulletproof Toyota Hilux that I could find and likely spending far less than the £20k budget. This also comes with the bonus of being significantly less likely to be stripped of its doors, bonnet and full interior when you leave it in a public car park (As happened to numerous people at Glastonbury and multiple Park & Rides near to me).
ttest thing ever too. 
thepritch said:
Defender 90 sounds ideal.
They’re awful to drive as a daily, and have no modern driving aids. Big, cumbersome, and all have a charming dimpled patina as every exterior panel is flat. On the interior all the panels are all slight off so no panels line up. The windows steam up nicely on colder days as the heater lacks any significant power and you’ll drive around with blankets over your legs to maintain some warmth in your body during winter. I could go on!
I bought a restored TD5 SW 90 last year on a galv chassis for under your budget and if you wish for a true 1970 car experience, it has it in bucketloads.
(I bloody love it!!!!)
I'm sold on that!They’re awful to drive as a daily, and have no modern driving aids. Big, cumbersome, and all have a charming dimpled patina as every exterior panel is flat. On the interior all the panels are all slight off so no panels line up. The windows steam up nicely on colder days as the heater lacks any significant power and you’ll drive around with blankets over your legs to maintain some warmth in your body during winter. I could go on!
I bought a restored TD5 SW 90 last year on a galv chassis for under your budget and if you wish for a true 1970 car experience, it has it in bucketloads.
(I bloody love it!!!!)
I'll be looking a defender 90.
Thanks a lot guys
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