cheap 325/318iS or Non E30 runabout?

[SCOTT325SE]

Before you all go shooting off at me giving me a bollocking for talking non e30s, theres a possibility but it will involve a compromise.... allow me to explain!...

I am selling my SE because I need to fund the Sport refurb that I am doing. The only problem is that I will not have a drivable car then!
My options will then include...

1)Buying a cheap but rough 325, running it till the tax and test runs out, then breaking it and selling the bits on. This will, however kill another E30, which I dont take pride in doing and keep me on a 23mpg combined figure!

2)Buy a cheap but rough 318iS if I can find one. Again, run it till the tax and test runs out and breaking it for spares. Like I mentioned, it will kill another E30 BUT it will improve my mpg figure a fair bit!

3)Buy a non e30 runabout with 318iS-325 performance. If I go NON-E30 though, it will HAVE TO have better MPG. That is a pre-requesit for a non e30. My family have always owned Vauxhalls and so have i in the past. They have never let us down, so I am contemplating either -

a)a Cav 2.0 16valve (my dads) but this will mean i wont have a dedicated car of my own to drive. This does a combined 40mpg, so it would slash my fuel bill LOADS! would also save me Ԛ£250 on insurance.

b)a Vectra 2.0 16valve for well under a grand (Ԛ£500-700) The fuel figures would be similar to my dads valver and performance would match a 318iS. Insurance is also LOTS cheaper (saves me Ԛ£250 again compared to the e30 325)

c)Buy a calibra which all my mates would love. This would mean that i would get guaranteed help cleaning her and polishing her which would minimalise maintenace and fuel would also be plenty better than the 325 i have now. Insurance is also about Ԛ£150 less.

As i said, dont have a go, just constructive comments please.
Remember, this is all to help finish my sport!

[billgatese30]

you can buy my clio if you want, it gets 50 MPG and then you can kill it in any way you see fit when you are done

[Geeman]

Trouble is, with a non-E30, you can;t break it and sell the bits to make your money back... you'll have the hassle of then selling that on...

Cheap 318iS's are about, just keep your eyes peeled.

What happened to the E36 idea?

G.

[6potWil6pot]

Just buy a small rubbish supermini and drive it around for 6 months or whatever! You'll save loads of Ԛ£ on running costs aslong as u pick an ok one! I suffered a G reg Fiat Uno while saving for my 318iS, it'll REALLY make you appreciate that Sport your restoring

[Kedge]

I'd say go for one of the Vauxhalls, they're not that bad a car and dirt cheap to run, and if the savings are all going on the sport i can only see it as a good thing.

Real shame it's not a realistic option to keep the SE.

[SCOTT325SE]

Chris, all depends how much u want for it! run me some pics to rideordiebuzz@aol.com

Giles, i see your point on the breaking non e30, but my dads cav is on its last legs (bottom end is dying slowly), so i can always sell it on to him when ive finished the sport. Non e30 cav or vectra is dirt cheap to fix too, so running the thing wouldnt cost me jack sh1t!!! The bonus with a vauxhall is that i wouldnt worry about getting in it and ragging the sh1t out of it from cold. I never take my 325 over 3k revs till she's off the blue marker and then only 3.5k revs till she's well into the first quarter of the temp guage, so having a rag-mobile, i mean, vauxhall would save me time in the mornings too!

I saw ONE cheap iS in the local AdTrader (freeads) but that was sold. Thing is mate, that if i sell my 325, i will need a car immediately...vaux's are everywhere and easy to get hold of -i cant be doing with waiting around for a cheap iS to come up you see.

The E36 ideas went out the window with BMWs prices for bumper rub strips and trim pieces. I think im my local stealers best friend now!

[SCOTT325SE]

Wil, id suffer a clio or somethign again to get the sport sorted, and i know i'll appriciate the sport anyway!

Kedge, thanks for seeing my point on this. Im gutted i cant keep both e30s tho yea!

[6potWil6pot]

Usin ur Dads car sounds like the cheapest option Scott if thats what counts!

[SCOTT325SE]

Yes mate i agree, but sometimes hes a few hundred miles away from me, working away, so its the least reliable option too unfortunately!

[billgatese30]

scott, YGM bud

[6potWil6pot]

Hmm maybe a M40 E30 Scott? Theyre ok for fuel and theres usually a few going for v cheap!

[Richy325iTouring]

scot get yourself a cheap cav sri 130
cheap to run and they can be raged to death.
run it till tax and ticket runs out and i know you have no probs selling the lump on once the car died.

My old sri went for ever was the burnout king at cruise hijackers and that was with shagged cv joints
poped one at a cruise quick fone call and 30 mins l8r it was changed and i was at it again lol.

the cav be the easyest to sell on and im bound to be able to sorce a cheap one for you.

[SCOTT325SE]

wil, m40? dont think so mate - similar performance to 318is/325??? erm, nope...not unless i bolt on a turbo. lol.

Richy, my dads cav is a 130, just not an SRi.

[Richy325iTouring]

use that then
they will go forever as long as they have oil

[SCOTT325SE]

thats the thing mate... my dad had the engine rebuilt in italy coz the oil pump failed whilst autobahning at 100+. If he had realised it wouldnt have been a problem, but he had sterio on loud and drove 80 miles with oil feed only working 20%. They rebuilt top end but not bottom end too.

TBH, i dont want to use my dads car as it wont always be available.

[Richy325iTouring]

plenty of cheap ones about
even the valvers are about for cheap money nowadays, but they cant take the abuse the old 8 valve can take

[SCOTT325SE]

dads is a valver and its the only one i'd go for tbh. the 8valve are a bit slower and the 16s are better on fuel.

I prefer the vectra look to the cav tho.... yet im drawn to the calibra coz its a coupe.

[billgatese30]

calibras will porbably command more than the cav or vectra though. could be more insurance too

[Jhonno]

the valvers can take the abuse - its the same bottom end!!

Just watch the headgaskets!!

Tbh Scott - you cant go wrong with a Vaux for cheap honest motoring! Blag yourself a Trade Club account at your local dealer (like i have) and its even cheaper - 25l of Semi synth oil for less than a nite out! Ԛ£20ish iirc!! Brake pads Ԛ£10.. etc

A cav td (dont laugh) with the izuzu lump is a superb choice (i've run one!!) Turn up the fuelin and the boost (1hr job) and it'll be quick enough for some proper torque steer yet still return 40mpg+ I had a couple of 2.0 family hatches off the lights in it! It was lovely for the sort of thing you want, it did have leather etc tho.. Make sure its not the Vaux lump tho as that is dog shit lol

[Davenotouring]

Calibra is Cav underneath, and the Cav is cheaper! It might look better but parts are more expensive for the Cal.

I'd go for an early non-cat Mk3 SRi with 130bhp. The later cat cars around late J reg had 115bhp.

The Mk2 Cav SRi 130bhp is a beast, but quite rare!

The later SRi 16v between K and L reg, with the red-top engine, pre-ecotec is a great car!

Early Sri 8v is best bet though, very strong, quick and cheap.

[E30Adam]

Why don't you buy a cheap diesel, fuel will last forever so will save you valuable pennies for your sport and the good thing is they usually hold a good price!

[Simon]

Scott..you're mad, why not just sell the se and buy a cheap runaround! Who gives a flying fcuk what you look like in the car, because you will be having the last laugh when it comes to running costs!
I just picked up another Pug 309 91 J plate, from e-bay today, 2 owners from new, 97k, FSH, 1.4 cheap tax parts are cheap, easy to work on....Ԛ£100! Cheap and cheerful.

[Russ]

1. I'm pretty sure you've already had an iS.....

2. Get a mk2 Golf. Not a GTi, just a 1.3 3 door. Cheap as chips and cracking cars!

[Geeman]

My 1.3 J plate Golf Ryder 4 speed was fantastic! Okay, so it was slammed 75mm and was completely standard apart from GTi front spoiler... but it was still a stylish CHEAP machine...

[Karan]

jus get a cheap 325 shitter!

or a mk2 golf! the 1.6 are pretty good- even have 5 speed!

Karan

[Kedge]

Or get a Mk1 Golf, can get them really cheap in good condition, cheap parts, look cool, decent economy.

Sorry my senses are being warpped at the moment and i'm considering getting another Mk1 play with on the side.

[SCOTT325SE]

Chris, youd be supprised mate. can get a calibra for Ԛ£500-800 - the same price bracket that im looking at for a cav or vectra. Insurance is Ԛ£100 more...as i mentioned in my first post.

Jhonno, I know the valvers take serious abuse mate - my dad's done 80k in his valver and hes only ever changed the oil twice! He never does anything else to it! Ive never known him even hoover it without me having to pass comment on how shocking the car is looking. He literally gets in and rags the thing to death....the stupid car keeps coming back for more tho! Ive got a card for a trade warehouse sort of like GSF but non brand parts. Get brake pads for like Ԛ£5 and discs for Ԛ£6.50 each.

Dave, i agree mate - the calibra shares almost all its running gear with a Cav and most of the stuff like air vents are the same too (much like the z3 shares somethign with every series bmw) Im looking at K-M plate calibras or one R plate vectra in particular. I just figure that i can jump in and drive where i want without having to be concerned about warming the car up like i always do with the BMW. Currently, my fave Calibra is a redtop engined one. and that comes in at Ԛ£800.

Adam, im not going diesel coz i couldnt wait for the thing to pick up speed. Im after something with 318iS speed straight out of the box. My mate has a Omega estate 2.5 v6 thats fairly rapid, so the v6 engine is another possibility.

Simon, I care about what car im driving mate. i LIKE certain cars and i wont drive one that i dont like. I totally get your point on the 309 and yes i agree that its perfectly usable and good car, but i wouldnt drive one because i dont like them. Im not a badge snob or anything (although i do like my BMW Audis and Aston martins) but id drive vauxhalls too. No rice for me tho ta.

Russ, yes mate i had an iS before that i bought off some geezer with a ricemobile. that iS was very nice but i needed to sell it coz i needed the money. The only mk2 i'd buy would be a GTi because of what ive said a thousand times on here already - MINIMUM OF 318iS PERFORMANCE!

If i can find a cheap enuf 325 to replace mine for 4-6 months, id buy it. Any1 know of anything.....CHHHHEEEEEEAAAAAP!!!!

[SCOTT325SE]

kedge, if i bought a MK 1 id be dead by the following day mate. my parents are ok with bmw and vauxhall - i gotta make sure i dont get earache for buying something new, as its their driveway. lol

[Simon]

Simon, I care about what car im driving mate. i LIKE certain cars and i wont drive one that i dont like. I totally get your point on the 309 and yes i agree that its perfectly usable and good car, but i wouldnt drive one because i dont like them. Im not a badge snob or anything (although i do like my BMW Audis and Aston martins) but id drive vauxhalls too. No rice for me tho ta.

Me too mate, that's why I've got an E30 M3 and the touring, but I want something cheap to run around in and it makes total sense to me..at the end of the day I know what I've got at home waiting to be driven, so I get the last laugh.....

A mate of mine drives a 3 wheeler even, now I'm not saying go and buy one but he may get the p1ss taken out of him, but he has the last laugh, as the insurance costs him less than Ԛ£100, petrol lasts months, and tax is non cheap as chips...oh and they only cost about Ԛ£10 to buy in the first place.

[billgatese30]

i know someone that ran round in a mini, and a reliant 3wheeler because he got both of them given for free both with a years mot, he taxed them and ragged the arse off them both untill his mgb gt was finished.

[SCOTT325SE]

Totally agree with ya Si about the "i know what i have at home" thing...only thing is...mine aint finished yet, so i need to have something that i can put up with while the sport is being done.

To me, it comes down to
1)can i afford to buy it
2)can i afford to run it
3)is it gonna break down
4)do i like it

if the 4 answers are yes, then i mite have a look at em. im open to suggestions of course....although, like you, i wouldnt buy a 3wheeler!

[6potWil6pot]

Shame you dont fancy the VeeDubyahs Scott! As quite a few of the zone testify to their cheap brilliance, my Dad had a 1.4 mk2 Golf and it lasted about 7 yrs and never failed once, i would have had it if i passed my driving test a bit sooner!
Mind u lots of the poverty spec Golfs, altho reliable didnt even have things like power steering! The Old Man whinged about that for years on end!

[Simon]

Another here to vouch for the Golf, though they lost their appeal by the time they got to the Mk III, my dad's got a MK II 16v and he's had it for 13 years now it's on 186k, and it's never missed a beat.

[DAN]

As mentioned before, i'd buy something diesel, cant understand why you would want to sell the SE, and buy something thats going to cost you a bit less on fuel just for the cosmetics of a car.

buy a fcuked old mondeo diesel or something.

[SCOTT325SE]

Ive actually owned a mk 2 gti, so ner-ner. lol. I like them but i wouldnt have one. Pretty to look at but i dont really like the way they drive really.

Dan, im selling the SE and buying something CHEAPER so i can put the extra money to my sport project. It only has to cost me less on fuel if its non BMW E30.....as stated in the first post i made.