I still want a barge - What should I do OcUK?

[Joshy]

A few weekends ago I put into motion the wheel of part restoring my 205 GTI. It was a spur of the moment decision as for months before I had been planning on selling it and replacing it with a Barge for months previously, but we had two sunny weekends in a Row and in the "Summer" weather I started remembering why I like these cars. After a particularly enjoyable drive from Halfords I finally decided that I had a good, solid car that only needed a "few" small touches to make great, so I got to work, stripping out the leather interior of my old 205 and start pulling apart the engine. The head is soon to be sent off for a professional rebuild for something around the £350 mark, and I've still have the big brakes (£200), Suspension (Easily upwards of £400), LSD Gearbox (Hoping to get one used for around £400), stereo stuff (£200) and general tidying up (£100) to do. And then eventually the plan next year would be to have an Independent throttle body setup thrown onto it (£1500 )

Now This might seem like loads to spend on a 21 year old car, but it is all of the work is going to be done gradually relatively slowly and given the fact that the end result will be my idea of the Perfect "Hot Hatch", I'm willing to pay it.

The problem is, I still want a barge . There is an undeniable appeal of having a big, comfortable saloon/estate car to cruise about in and that's why I loved my old E30. It didn't matter that It was old, slow, wanted to kill me at every corner and smelled like dog because it was comfortable. I used to drive it just for the sake of driving it, and that's something that I miss because the GTI just requires far too much "effort" to drive, even to the shops and back.

Looking at the classifieds, I can still get an E34 525i/530i V8/535i (my preferred barge) for absoultely peanuts. Having had a few in the family before, I'm confident that I can afford to Fix/Run one, I can afford insurance and I do really want one, but the issue now is the the 205 - Now that I've convinced myself to keep it I find myself not wanting to sell it and therefore bailing out on yet another failed project.

Equally I could always store it in the Lock up and work on it slowly, but I ask myself - What's the point? When it is finished I'm going to be unable to afford to insure two cars at the same time at my age, so I'll never use it. Of course I could look into the possibility of the purposed barge becoming a tow car, but I don't want the GTI to become a dedicated track car.

The other option would be to run an e34 during the "winter" months where driving a 80s Hatchbacks annoys the hell out of me (Oct - Mayish), then switch over my insurance to the GTI and run it for the few months of the year that I'll really enjoy it (May - Sept), but I cannot help but think two cars for someone who does 5000 miles a year may be a bit... pointless?

Thoughts guys?

 

[ryanpetit]

Maybe you could get a hatch that does the best of both worlds to serve you all year round.....like a 306 gti6?

Not quite a raw as the 205 but still a hoot to drive

 

[Maz]

I just bought an 96 Jaguar Sovereign 4.0 and its just such a lovely car to drive!

 

[[TW]Fox]

Last time I checked a good E34 was not Peanuts these days, especially the 535i Sport which is rapidly become some sort of classic in E34 circles.

 

[brightside_]

Looked into classic insurance with a limited mileage for the GTi? Might work might not as i don't know how old you are, and some companies insist you being over 21, also with a large amount of mods on could be a problem as again, age. Could make it a fair bit cheaper to insure the 205 though (and then only tax it for 6 months over the summer)

 

[Joshy]

Maybe you could get a hatch that does the best of both worlds to serve you all year round.....like a 306 gti6?

Not quite a raw as the 205 but still a hoot to drive

Someone suggested this to me in the past, but Hatchbacks aren't really my thing which makes my fondness for my GTI all the more special. If the GTI were to go it certainly wouldn't be replaced by another Hatch, that's a certain.

I just bought an 96 Jaguar Sovereign 4.0 and its just such a lovely car to drive!

Ohh. How much did she set you back? Not really considered Jags since I looked into the logistics of running a V12 XJS as my First car after a ridiculously cheap insurance quote .

Last time I checked a good E34 was not Peanuts these days, especially the 535i Sport which is rapidly become some sort of classic in E34 circles.

Maybe you're confusing them with E28s which have shot up in value over the last couple of months? Luckily It seems that E34s are still worthless as ever (You'd struggle to spend more than £1500 on one)

Looked into classic insurance with a limited mileage for the GTi? Might work might not as i don't know how old you are, and some companies insist you being over 21, also with a large amount of mods on could be a problem as again, age. Could make it a fair bit cheaper to insure the 205 though (and then only tax it for 6 months over the summer)

At my delicate young age most classic insurers do not want to know me, let alone with the modifications it is currently running (and the ones that I'm planning). I'm on a Classic policy now, and that is still well into 4 figures for the year!

 

[Biohazard]

if you are doing the head what are you doing to the bottom end?

 

[[TW]Fox]

Maybe you're confusing them with E28s which have shot up in value over the last couple of months? Luckily It seems that E34s are still worthless as ever (You'd struggle to spend more than £1500 on one)

Seems for a good one that isnt tatty, doesnt show its age and isn't full of issues, £1500-£2000 is more like it.

 

[thepeteh]

You cant have the entire cake and gobble it all down, maybe you even want to BUY the entire bloomin bakery! From the sound of things I think it would be wise to run one motor only. Barges are great and all, but do you actually do a lot of milage that you need a big comfy motor? You have a long driving career ahead of you maybe take it easy and try different things over time.
And personally I do this spending all the money on your 205 may be a little silly, PLUS you will probably change your mind before you 'complete' your project so you shouldnt start it if your not going to see it through.
Maybe a compramise would be a good option for you? But on the other hand I dont think theres such a thing as the right car for you.

 

[Moeks]

Have a read of this Bargain Barges article that Piston Heads just published.

 

[Sone]

i fancied another e34 for a month or 2 when i sold my e39 before moving to canada. Saw a few 530i and 535i (Straight 6 not v8) for about 500quid. All were complete sheds.

 

[ajstan]

Could you not buy an old mk2 mondeo or something and keep your 205? very cheap and decent cruiser andd won't be such an 'effort' to drive...

 

[Aero]

What about something like an st24? Can be had for very reasonable money these days and insurance probably wouldn't be to bad either

 

[Joshy]

if you are doing the head what are you doing to the bottom end?

It was already done when I bought it. Unfortunately some Muppet didn't time it up properly, bending a few valves in the process . I suspected this was the case when I bought it, but I got it for a very good price, so even with the Head rebuild I'd still be in the black (Just!). No misfiring, and it certainly didn't seem down on power, but the tapping annoyed the absolute hell out of me.

Seems for a good one that isnt tatty, doesnt show its age and isn't full of issues, £1500-£2000 is more like it.

Hmm, very few seem to be priced for that sort of money though? The majority of ones for sale are available well under £1,000 (Although After the experience of trying to keep a £500 530i V8 on the road, I'd tread VERY carefully). The few that are in that price just seem over priced - A 172K Automatic 525i for £2,000? Okay, it is a sport and is in Avis Blue, but still...

You cant have the entire cake and gobble it all down, maybe you even want to BUY the entire bloomin bakery! From the sound of things I think it would be wise to run one motor only. Barges are great and all, but do you actually do a lot of milage that you need a big comfy motor? You have a long driving career ahead of you maybe take it easy and try different things over time.
And personally I do this spending all the money on your 205 may be a little silly, PLUS you will probably change your mind before you 'complete' your project so you shouldnt start it if your not going to see it through.
Maybe a compramise would be a good option for you? But on the other hand I dont think theres such a thing as the right car for you.

Like I said previously, I do very low miles, but I do love driving. The novelty of the "freedom" that comes with a driving license still has not worn away, but I found myself very rarely driving the 205 because it was just too uncomfortable for the roads that I drive on. Some of the modifications I plan for it (Suspension and Interior) will make it more bearable but I'm never going to want to tour Europe in the thing .

The most fun I've ever had behind the wheel (Bar Track days) was driving my mother's old 530i. My Music on the radio, seat tilted slightly back, left arm on the armrest and the muted drone of 8 Cylinders slowly working away under that long forward opening bonnet, So enjoyable... I'd have kept on driving forever if I could... But the temperature gauge was rapidly raising .

The only time the 205 really felt "right" on the Track, and I'll very rarely do a track day (3 times a year?). The 530i, or even my old 316 felt "right" on the road, and that is a feeling that I miss...

My ideal "compromise" car? It'd probably be an Old MK3 Toyota Supra. I absoultely love everything about those cars (I've had two previously, but both were failed projects). Comfortable and Quick. The problem is at the age they are at know and the little issues I've come to learn, I wouldn't be prepared to run on as a daily unless it had some pretty extensive resto work done to it .

 

[MarkDavis]

LS400

As for the 205 being 'the perfect hot hatch', in 1985 sure. But a 182, 197, and any number of other cars would eat it for dinner in nowadays. The 205 is just too ancient.

 

[gbradders123]

for a barge my favorite to own and use has got to be my old merc w126, for long distacne cruising beats an e34 (525i is all i have to compare it with mind) had a 300se when i was a student, non stops trips across europe, think i was 8 hrs calais to meribel in her! The fuzz put paid to beating that coming back!

i would love a sec but they seem to a bit to expensive atm.

now you have got me wanting one again! think i better go and look around for one one! something to run aloung side the e30!

 

[Begbie]

Wildcard - Vauxhall Omega?

Come in 3.0 V6, about 190bhp. Fairly quick, RWD, very comfy. Cheap to buy and on parts.

Possibly the only decent car Vauxhall done in that era.

 

[Joshy]

As for the 205 being 'the perfect hot hatch', in 1985 sure. But a 182, 197, and any number of other cars would eat it for dinner in nowadays. The 205 is just too ancient.

Ahh, but with a 16V engine on ITBS running nearly 200BHP, wide track 309 suspension, a LSD Gearbox and big brakes I think my will/would hold it's own again the mentioned Clios, with that added "retro" touch thrown in .

Wildcard - Vauxhall Omega?

Come in 3.0 V6, about 190bhp. Fairly quick, RWD, very comfy. Cheap to buy and on parts.

Possibly the only decent car done in that era.

Actually an Omega is also pretty high up on the shortlist, but I think I'd be slightly more comfortable with a BMW for the simple reason that I know BMWs far better than I know Vauxhalls.

I have to say I'm really warming up to this Summer and Winter car idea. The Lockup is going to get paid for regardless, so it is not like having the 205 stored in there is going to cost me anything extra. I cannot drive two cars at once, so I'm not going to see an increase on running costs yearly (other than £100 quid on 6 months of tax), so this is seeming ideal!

 

[iaind]

Do you want to be fixing/tinkering with your winter car/barge? Or would you rather something that doesnt need tinkering so you can spend the winter months working on the 205?

 

[mjt]

Scorpio V6 is worth a look, surely..
Although I'd be sorely tempted to look at some old mercs. Perhaps not a W126, but a W124 would do nicely.