First Car/Project

[Car Mad Craig]

hiya people,
I'm 14 and I'm doing a Motor Vehicle course at college and for months I was winging at my dad to get me a small car to work on whilst I was there. Then on christmas day guess what arrived ....
.... a small car like Id asked for !!
My dad brought me a 1994 Volkswagen Polo 1043cc Single Point Fuel Injection Model.
Then my dad said that I could either keep the car or get it taxed and MOT'd then sell it and get something else.
See this is where my problem comes because although i like the Polo and i when I'm learning to drive I will probably strip all the interior out to mak it as lightweight as possible and possibly go to some track days when I have me license.
But
I also like the look of the old model Mitsubishi Colt and I know that they can also be good lightweight cars.
So what should I do keep the Polo or get it roadworthy and get a Colt ??
Also remember I'm only 14 so i won't have endless ammounts of money because I havent got a job yet. Also I have been talking to my dad a lot lately about possibly starting wheeler dealing with cars but on a slightly smaller scale so that I can get some money saved up for my first car and the dreaded cost of insurance
So please help people !!
thanks

[ChristianZS]

Car Mad Craig said:

hiya people,
I'm 14 and I'm doing a Motor Vehicle course at college and for months I was winging at my dad to get me a small car to work on whilst I was there. Then on christmas day guess what arrived ....
.... a small car like Id asked for !!
My dad brought me a 1994 Volkswagen Polo 1043cc Single Point Fuel Injection Model.
Then my dad said that I could either keep the car or get it taxed and MOT'd then sell it and get something else.
See this is where my problem comes because although i like the Polo and i when I'm learning to drive I will probably strip all the interior out to mak it as lightweight as possible and possibly go to some track days when I have me license.
But
I also like the look of the old model Mitsubishi Colt and I know that they can also be good lightweight cars.
So what should I do keep the Polo or get it roadworthy and get a Colt ??
Also remember I'm only 14 so i won't have endless ammounts of money because I havent got a job yet. Also I have been talking to my dad a lot lately about possibly starting wheeler dealing with cars but on a slightly smaller scale so that I can get some money saved up for my first car and the dreaded cost of insurance
So please help people !!
thanks

Not wanting to put much of a downer on things, But is it really worth it stripping a Polo 1l for "Track-Days"?

How about getting it fixed, Mot'd and taxed and see how much you can get for it? If you can manage doing that on a few cars and making a decent profit on each you could end up with something rather special within a few years of doing it!

[OlberJ]

Indeed, 3 years of cutting your teeth and trading up and you'll have yourself something which handles brilliant, stops even better and you can lighten enough to make it nippy.

Fix and trade up till you've got enough for something else.

[martinmac]

Good learning experience. fix it up and sell it on.

[Car Mad Craig]

ok then people i will take your advice but what are your views on the Mitsubishi Colt ??
And if you think i should follow your advice and get something special then what sort of cars do you think i should be looking at ??
I just want a small 3 door hatchback that i can strip and have some track day fun in but still use on the road as well.
thanks

[Baffled Spoon]

Car Mad Craig said:

I just want a small 3 door hatchback that i can strip and have some track day fun in but still use on the road as well.
thanks

106 rallye/ gti

[ChristianZS]

Baffled Spoon said:

Car Mad Craig said:

I just want a small 3 door hatchback that i can strip and have some track day fun in but still use on the road as well.
thanks

106 rallye/ gti

Saxo VTR/VTS is also a cheap option.

[Car Mad Craig]

hi
thanks for all of the cars you have named but it needs to be something that wont cost me an arm and a leg in insurance when it comes to it.
I mean dont get me wrong if i decide to carry on dealing in cars then i might have enough to buy any of those cars but can we have something a bit more sensible as well please.
Also my dad probably wont let me have any of those as he used to be a boyracer and he said i have to start of with something crap so maybe after ive got 1 years no claims then i will consider those but i have to say i prefer the vtr out of all the cars mentioned !!
thanks
keep the ideas coming

[martinmac]

THB I think you have just identified your market. People looking for their first car will be after smaller engines so if you can get them at the right price and tidy them up you should make a few quid.

Sounds like you are getting good parental advice too. I learned the hard way with old escorts etc.

[OlberJ]

Peugeot of some sorts i'd be aiming for. 205 preferably.

You can cut about cheaply in an XS, strip it out and put good suspension and bigger brakes on it (the key to going fast!) and then, when u can afford it swap in a 106 GTi/VTS engine or 8V rallye engine (think the XS has TU engine mounts).

Rather than pushing yourself to buy a so called "sport" model and trading up with different cars, start out with a good base and modify (oooh nasty word) it with the correct bits when your funds and insurance allow.

A Well sorted 205 is one hell of a track weapon.

[Darkslider]

I'd sort it out and get yourself into autotesting, pct or something you can do at your age which doesn't require a license. It's all well and good working on cars but you've gotta drive the thing, and autotesting will give you a thorough grounding in car control for when you start learning on the road

[ChristianZS]

Still on the Pug route..

If you look on Parkers.co.uk at the insurance groups of the 106 1.6's you can see that the XSI and the Rallye have Insurance group 11, whilst the XS,XT, and the XL have IG 6. The only downside is that the latter have 90BHP instead of 105 like the XSI.

[Car Mad Craig]

Darkslider said:

I'd sort it out and get yourself into autotesting, pct or something you can do at your age which doesn't require a license. It's all well and good working on cars but you've gotta drive the thing, and autotesting will give you a thorough grounding in car control for when you start learning on the road

What are autotesting and pct ??

[ChristianZS]

Car Mad Craig said:

Darkslider said:

I'd sort it out and get yourself into autotesting, pct or something you can do at your age which doesn't require a license. It's all well and good working on cars but you've gotta drive the thing, and autotesting will give you a thorough grounding in car control for when you start learning on the road

What are autotesting and pct ??

http://www.msa-autotest.org.uk/

[Car Mad Craig]

ok that looks all wel and good but ive just read the regulations and you have to be over 16 to take part and the problem there is that im only 14 and my birthday is in june so ive got a couple of years wait before i can do that
it looks a very good idea for when ive turned 16 though. Although i have heard of people my age competing in racing competition so does anybody know anything about those ??
I think if i did do a racing series or autotesting i think i would have to buy and sell small cars in the time between races so that i would have enough money to compete and look after the car.
Great idea but isnt there anything for people my age (14)
thanks

[ChristianZS]

Car Mad Craig said:

ok that looks all wel and good but ive just read the regulations and you have to be over 16 to take part and the problem there is that im only 14 and my birthday is in june so ive got a couple of years wait before i can do that
it looks a very good idea for when ive turned 16 though. Although i have heard of people my age competing in racing competition so does anybody know anything about those ??
I think if i did do a racing series or autotesting i think i would have to buy and sell small cars in the time between races so that i would have enough money to compete and look after the car.
Great idea but isnt there anything for people my age (14)
thanks

http://www.u17cc.org/

[Car Mad Craig]

cheers for that mate and thanks for the advice about the peugeot. that simply teaches people my age how to drive but it is very expensive when basically i can do exactly the same with my dad in his car on my nearby showground but for a smaller charge.
I was talking more of things like autotesting for people my age or maybe things like oval racing ??
i dont know i would like to do autotesting but im not old enough so what else is out there similar but for people my age ??
im still also taking answers for a track day hatchback and what i should do with the polo so if you have an idea let me know !!

[Car Mad Craig]

thanks for all your help people but i have finally decided what im going to do.
i was talking to my dad and he said that i could start buying cars and fixing them up as long as i didnt have any more than 2 at a time. So i decided that in our current recession people would be looking for smaller more economical cars so i have decided that this is what i will deal in. As i am buying the cars i will (hopefully) be making a profit which will be going in a bank account with a high interest rate and after i have enough saved from the profit i am going to be looking for some '80's retro cool:
a mk1 fiesta !!
i have chosen this car because when i have the money for it i am hoping to convert it to 4 wheels drive instead of front to get rid of the dreaded torque steer and then when i have a few years ncb i will be swapping the old crossflow engine for a zetec turbo and then as i get more money the modifications to suspension and interior can be made to make it light and handle well.
Also if any of you are wondering where i get my knowledge and i ideas from i am a cosworth enthusiast so i read fast ford so i have seen some nice fiestas in there and that sort of set the ball rolling.
thanks for all your help and suggestions and i am still taking advice about the mk1 fiesta .
and i there is anything else you want to suggest try me !!

[Darkslider]

Sounds like you've got a plan there mate. Keep at it and in 20 years you might be running your own supermarket or dealership

[Car Mad Craig]

lol sounds good to me !!
ive already told me dad that when im older and have enough money i want to have my own performance company that will modify any charistic of any car. Then when the company is doing well and has penty of money i want to build a demo car to take drifting in the d1gp with me as the driver !!