craig1010cc
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 2,993
Club RR Member Number: 35
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Jul 18, 2011 11:00:05 GMT
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Lots off good and useful comments  Must admit I am leaning towards a 318is or Ti as my favored option at the min, closely followed by a VVC 'tro or the Mk3 fezza (that pic makes it V hard not to choose ) I've had 2 'rocco's in past, great fun cars, but fancy something I haven't previously owned. Did consider a MK3 Golf 8v GTi, but not really doing it for me. The Passat is a TDi, so it could be made quicker for not a lot of money, but it is the power delivery and the noise (and lack of the right sort of noise) that is pushing me to move one. It isn't bad round the twisty stuff to be fair. |
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tomti
Part of things
Posts: 937
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Jul 18, 2011 17:25:12 GMT
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Go for the compact over the coupe as I believe the compacts are 2 or 300kg lighter than the coupe
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Jul 18, 2011 17:26:56 GMT
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Jaguar S-Type 3.0 automatic. You know it makes sense |
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Corsa Apology Champion 2014.
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craig1010cc
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 2,993
Club RR Member Number: 35
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Jul 18, 2011 18:40:09 GMT
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Looking at the specs, a compact is about 100kg lighter than the coupe. What are they like when miles get high and what is the crack with the ingnition barrels?
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Jul 18, 2011 18:59:45 GMT
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what is the crack with the ingnition barrels? they're easy enough to replace i believe, but they will probably go if they havent been done, about £70 i think for the bits. Looking at your criteria, i cant help but think youve already mentioned one of the best options out there, albeit in the bit before you start actually listing the options, and that is the puma. I would seriously consider getting one of these if i was in a simillar situation to you, not altogether that fast (on a par with most of the other things youve listed though), but they handle really well and are a lot of fun to drive...... otherwise i would be looking at the metro with the 1.8, but i think you might struggle to find a metro that hasnt started to rot really badly. Unfortunately when rover redid the metro for the k series, they didnt actually solve the rot problem of the earlier cars, they just moved it about 5 feet back..... one of mine even developed a hole in the rear of the roof ffs!!!! |
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Current fleet:
'58 A35 (half mine)
'67 11 window splitscreen vw (half mine)
'77 mini 1000 (not quite 1000 any more!!)
'86 Armstrong MT500
'89 XR4X4
'94 Corrado VR6
Some sort of sevenesque kit car (no age yet!!)
'01 Mondeo estate 2.0 (engine eventually destined for kit car!) - scrapped, engine only left!
'98 E300 estate, rusty but seemingly reliable, fast-ish tat hauler. eventual engine donor
A35 van, or whats left of it after it lived in a field for many years
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10mpg
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 4,253
Club RR Member Number: 204
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Jul 18, 2011 19:14:14 GMT
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My 318is was going strong (and doing those mpg) with over 300k on the clock drove beutifully...
the compact is defiantly lighter than the coupe (the coupe is actually heavier than the saloon) BUT the 'is' coupe has far superior suspension especially at the back proper IRS over a beam axle iirc for the compact it also has the full Mtech treatment with bigger bilsteins all round different geometry ect ect...
Plus the boot is much bigger in the coupe and if you look you can find one like mine with the seats that fold down making it almost as practical as a hatch, plus i reckon they look much nicer, but that's just a matter of taste...
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The Internet, like all tools, if used improperly, can make a complete bo**cks of even the simplest jobs...
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Jul 18, 2011 19:29:27 GMT
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otherwise I would be looking at the metro with the 1.8, but I think you might struggle to find a metro that hasnt started to rot really badly. Unfortunately when rover redid the metro for the k series, they didnt actually solve the rot problem of the earlier cars, they just moved it about 5 feet back..... one of mine even developed a hole in the rear of the roof ffs!!!! Apart from rear archs my 18000 mile Ascot is rock solid, and well within budget ;-) |
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craig1010cc
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 2,993
Club RR Member Number: 35
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Jul 18, 2011 19:33:04 GMT
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Well, if the passat sells I may take a trip up your way to see it  I have considered a Puma, but they can rot as bad as a metro (that said, I think there are examples of most of the list I put up that are shockingly rotten ), and they don't quite click for me. Perhaps because I have been looking at them as engine donors recently |
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Jul 18, 2011 19:41:17 GMT
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them 318ti's are really under rated cars. my mates got one. its virtually as quick up to 3rd gear in the real world as my 325. handles quite nicely. drives really well. plus things like coilovers etc are cheap. Be different. good on fuel too I have a 316ti in for breaking at the minute, and it kept up with my dad's 525 all the way to *ahem*mph. Really surprised me - I thought it had had an engine swap, but no. Did 15 miles like that on half a gallon of juice and there's still some in it, so that's at least 35mpg, flat out. |
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RobinJI
Posted a lot
"Driven by the irony that only being shackled to the road could ever I be free"
Posts: 2,995
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Jul 18, 2011 20:12:39 GMT
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Yeah, 10mpg's right about the suspension, the Compact uses the E30 rear set-up with semi-trailing arms, while the coupe/saloon/estate uses a much nicer multi-link set-up. How much difference this actually makes in real life I don't know, but it does mean the compact will get the usual e30 camber/toe issues when lowered much.
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Jul 18, 2011 20:34:03 GMT
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My old 318is had 200k on the clock and ran like it had 2 miles on it.
The compact is alot more practical than the coupe thanks to the hatch back, the coupe is prettier though.
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dog296
Part of things
Posts: 302
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Jul 18, 2011 20:43:29 GMT
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Reliant kitten with a Zetec |
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Jul 18, 2011 20:47:27 GMT
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MX5  |
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craig1010cc
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 2,993
Club RR Member Number: 35
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Jul 18, 2011 21:15:26 GMT
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I'd love another MX5 Bruce, just wish I could get more than 30MPG out of them  Plus I think its good to try new cars out |
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Must admit I am leaning towards a 318is or Ti as my favored option at the min, closely followed by a VVC 'tro or the Mk3 fezza (that pic makes it V hard not to choose 
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Plus I think its good to try new cars out