Good weekend car?

Crizzy · 26 Jan 2020 at 11:02

Nasher said:
Pff, I'm dailying an old Elise S2 at the moment which is 90% the same as the VX220. They aren't uncomfortable in standard spec, the stock Bilstein coilovers provide a smoother ride than the hot hatches I've owned and the seats are memory foam!. The heater is amazing (as on most soft tops), AC works too. It also sticks to the road better than most things even in the wet and cold

Doing it right then :cool:

the Elise is one of my all time favourite cars.

How close can I get to an Elise on a budget, Mk3 MR2 with 2zz engine perhaps? Smart Brabus Roadster (shame about that gearbox though!)

tom_nieto · 26 Jan 2020 at 11:32

Few old Boxsters around for that sort of cash... not sure if they're too much of a risk at this money, but would be a lot of car for the cash if you got a good one which needed a bit of a cosmetic touch up.

Or this one which appears to have been garaged and looks pretty nice:

https://www.pistonheads.com/classif...he-boxster-s--------------------2000/10335629

DarrenM343 · 26 Jan 2020 at 11:40

If you can get a Z4 3.0 Si around that price that would be worth considering (275bhp). I thought the engine & sound was superb in a 3.0 Si Coupe I had. Arguably had better road use characteristics than the ///M. Would have been even better if BMW hadn't fitted the runflats to the non-M's. Tramlining was pretty bad.

Crizzy · 26 Jan 2020 at 12:01

There sure is a lot of love for the Z4 here, ok message received! Thanks :cool:

Nasher · 26 Jan 2020 at 12:23

tom_nieto said:
Few old Boxsters around for that sort of cash... not sure if they're too much of a risk at this money, but would be a lot of car for the cash if you got a good one which needed a bit of a cosmetic touch up.

Or this one which appears to have been garaged and looks pretty nice:

https://www.pistonheads.com/classif...he-boxster-s--------------------2000/10335629

Yea I looked at Boxters (and Caymans) before buying the Elise. Problem is all of the Porsche from that generation run the risk of bore scoring, which can strike at any time :/

Cars which have sat in a garage un-used for months/years are often LESS healthy though, so you need to be careful. They will look shiny, but might need loads of work mechanically. Cars like to be used or things go bad and seize up, seals dry up, etc.

AiiR · 26 Jan 2020 at 20:37

Crizzy said:
There sure is a lot of love for the Z4 here, ok message received! Thanks

They are great cars for the money, and very reliable. A colleague of mine bought a 2.2 with over 100k miles for £1500 and it's not skipped a beat in 2 years. Granted, the 4 pot engine doesn't sound the best so definitely get a 3.0 straight 6. But the general reliability is very good.

Get yourself into the Z4 forum for mod ideas and such.

Hades · 26 Jan 2020 at 21:05

A friend had a Z3 when they were still being produced. I really didn't like it. But I do love the Z4. It's a far better car.

Crizzy · 26 Jan 2020 at 21:25

AiiR said:
Get yourself into the Z4 forum for mod ideas and such.

Thanks I might just take you up on that, not quite ready to buy just yet but will spend some time getting to know what to look for and what mods are available

Uncle_Gravy · 26 Jan 2020 at 21:29

Z4 3.0i, but i'm biased.

Pigeon · 26 Jan 2020 at 22:33

Can you get an S2000 for £5k these days or have the values been there and gone back up? I get the Z4 love but if it was a weekend not to be relied on car and I could have a Boxster I would!

Nasher · 27 Jan 2020 at 08:05

Last time I looked good s2000s were about 12k+

BUDFORCE · 27 Jan 2020 at 09:23

I'd love an S2000.

Thing is they are getting old now, even a very loved one would a, set you back some decent cash, and still might throw up a random age related problem, that may be hard to diagnose.

I remember reading, in here I think, a guy with an electrical issue that in my opinion/experience, was quite fortunate to find and fix.

tom_nieto · 27 Jan 2020 at 10:45

Nasher said:
Yea I looked at Boxters (and Caymans) before buying the Elise. Problem is all of the Porsche from that generation run the risk of bore scoring, which can strike at any time :/

Cars which have sat in a garage un-used for months/years are often LESS healthy though, so you need to be careful. They will look shiny, but might need loads of work mechanically. Cars like to be used or things go bad and seize up, seals dry up, etc.

At this sort of mileage, bore score would have declared itself long ago. The older, lower capacity engines are far less prone to it anyway. A pre inspection would be worth it with one of these, especially a bore scope. The biggest concern would be IMS bearing, but again at this mileage it would have gone long ago.

Limited use is a difficult one as it might have been driven properly and only in the dry with an excellent maintenance history. It also might basically be a barn find so would have to be assessed carefully.

I think I’d still have a 986 3.2 over a Z4... although the 3.0 is a sweet engine.

A good S2000 is indeed north of £10k. Fantastic machines though!

FlapR · 27 Jan 2020 at 11:06

There's a few really nice S2000's on autotrader at the moment, all between 10-15k though.

weathmatth · 27 Jan 2020 at 11:29

172/182 cup?

Psycho Sonny · 27 Jan 2020 at 14:12

AiiR said:
They are great cars for the money, and very reliable. A colleague of mine bought a 2.2 with over 100k miles for £1500 and it's not skipped a beat in 2 years. Granted, the 4 pot engine doesn't sound the best so definitely get a 3.0 straight 6. But the general reliability is very good.

Get yourself into the Z4 forum for mod ideas and such.

the only weak points were the steering - which can be remedied now. if you feel sticky steering take it to an indy and get him to slacken the steering by 6mm. should fix it otherwise it's £1500 for a repair by fitting a used one or £3500 to fit a new one

and the roof motor. get it relocated into the boot for £80 on the forums.

other mentionable fixes are

VANOS - rebuild, isn't necessary but the cars timing works a lot better
DISA valve - take it apart and if it's still working rebuild it using metal instead of plastic. if it's knackered replace and rebuild the replacement. this is an easy job. even for people with zero skills. i did mine myself.
clean the throttle control thingmajig - not done mine probably should this summer.
rear brake light - fix this yourself every mechanic overtightens the screws causing them to crack. do it yourself and don't fully tighten the screws just enough to secure it and they should last forever.
rear springs - tend to snap/crack will need replacing every 4 years or so. depends on usage though.

the sound and speed for the money is unmatched IMO. steering is now loose on mine due to the fix but it just adds to the experience as its fun turning it more for the smaller movement.

Doobedoo · 27 Jan 2020 at 16:43

Get yourself one of these bad boys.

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/223869205017

Nasher · 27 Jan 2020 at 16:48

Looks a bit of a shed, but it will still see off most modern hot hatches. Really tough engines too

Doobedoo · 27 Jan 2020 at 16:56

duplicate post

Doobedoo · 27 Jan 2020 at 17:00

Does it? What’s wrong with the engines lol?

Not sure if your that familiar with them but engines are usually pretty good.

This motor can run for more than 250,000 miles (400,000 kilometers). The timing chain can serve for nearly 150,000 miles (200,000-250,000 kilometers). As this motor has hydraulic lifters, there is no need to regulate valves.

https://engineswork.com/engines/nis....html#SR20DET_Engine_Problems_and_Reliability

It fits the description of a weekend car, it’s quick, very light for what it is and has bags of character which most modern cars lack.