My foray into the world of cars, plus a life story! (Need bit O'Help)

[LeperousDust]

So, I’m 19 passed my test a year and a half ago but never really got into the whole car thing. Probably mostly due to lack of money. I've been on my mum's insurance for the start this has suited me because, I’m not bothered it's a crap Almera 1.4 GX or whatever, and I didn't drive much (mum doesn’t either). I pay for 90% of everything for it since even though I don't use it much, I use it far more than my mum. But recently I’ve been using it more and more, and thinking about getting my own car, because it would be more practical.

In a month I move far far away from home so I will definitely be needing my own car. Unfortunately I’m quite an obsessive person I’d say. So I know once I buy a car I WILL get into them so-to-speak. I'm very hands on, willing to learn and/or upgrade. I've been pouring myself over cars for what seems like months now. Yet I still have no idea what I want, or what would be good.

If anyone could give me a few pointers I’d be very grateful. I think I’m after a 4+ year plan really though. I'll explain that now, last year I did what all young drivers are stereotyped for. Crashed, technically wrote the car off (I was at fault too). Worst type too, rear ended someone who hit someone else. Anyways I didn't claim at all, that’s why I say technically. I bought the offside wing, bonnet, front valance, radiator and airbag etc... Refitted them all myself with a lot of help from the internet and my clever searching around, it had only just been Mooted (bummer). Passed again flying colours, job done. Now apparently because we/me didn't claim my mum doesn't loose her full NCB, good for her. Now it's my turn for insurance though, so basically I’m pretty much fooked I think, which is why I mentioned 4 year plan. I think I’m going to try and get something nice and sensible (read slow) so it's cheap enough to insure, but gets me from A-B. After a few years NCB of my own (providing I’m good ) I can "upgrade" and get a half decent car.

So main question is, for a few hundred, under 1k what can I get that’s OK but cheap to insure, maybe some kind of case car that can get me into looking after a car of my own properly? Obviously age or mileage isn't going to be an issue as long as it runs and will run for a few years and isn't going to cost too much to tape together

Any help muchly appreciated!

 

[whitecrook]

You need to give some specifications......


You can get just about any car you like, for any price you like depending on various things, mostly age, mileage, condition, and rareity.


What do you like/dislike about the almera. Why not get another?
Do you want small (fiesta) medium (focus) large (rover75 etc).

 

[LeperousDust]

You need to give some specifications......


You can get just about any car you like, for any price you like depending on various things, mostly age, mileage, condition, and rareity.


What do you like/dislike about the almera. Why not get another?
Do you want small (fiesta) medium (focus) large (rover75 etc).

Thanks for the reply, i suppose you are right. I'd say almera is medium-ish sized i dont think i'd want anything much smaller than it, so medium or large is fine by me. I want something tidy, high mileage isn't a problem to me, nor age. Just need a cheap base car i suppose. Nout wrong with the almera really, but then again it's only done 40k in its 10+ year life. But it is developing a serious idling problem which i do need to get sorted but not really sure where to start thats another story. Another 'mera would be fine by me. Although i checked a few quotes and i was getting 1.5k a year (with my mum as a named driver) i can't remember but that might have even been without declaring my little bump (haha). Btw do i have do declare that if they ask have i claimed? Because i have never claimed?

As you may guess i have no clue about cars really, but i've gotta start somewhere. I would like it to be fairly responsive. As responsive as a 1.4 gets, maybe 1.6 but i don't know how that would affect insurance.

 

[whitecrook]

Well for your budget, (did you say 1000 or less?) You'll probably be looking for a mondeo / 406 / 306 (estate?) / <insert other medium/large common car here>

The reason being mainly that they are 10 a penny, good examples aren't /that/ hard to find, cheap parts, easyish to work on.

I'd go for 1.8 litre petrol at least but that's me. I don't think I'd like to drive these kind of cars with less than that. Mondeo's in your price reange probably have rubbish diesels, but the french diesels are pretty tough. Don't get a diesel with no turbo. Trim level doesn't matter.(at this price)

0.02

 

[LeperousDust]

Aren't insurers going to read 1.8 though and just monitarily rape me? Would a smaller car cost less to insure? Maybe 3/206?

Cheers for the help btw, i knew someone would tell me mondeo

/Clueless

 

[Slackworth]

It's not just about engine size.

It's likely you won't have any of your own no claims and your age will go against you. I paid £1400 with Pass Plus on my 1.8 Astra SRi and I was a year younger than you when I got that. It was £2500 without PP though.

The Audi is costing me £1700 at 19 with 1yrs NCB.

 

[Alu_ATC]

Almera's arn't all that bad. Okay, they are one of THE most bland cars in the world and 2 stars on ncap aint great, but otherwise I'd be suggesting a Mk2 Golf or something, which is almost a step down in a way (although a lot more fun and better looking imo).

The Nissan engine is pretty bullet proof (as long as well serviced) and the bodies rust no way near as badly 80's to early 90's Nissans. They are reliable, comfortable, return okish (read: not great) fuel economy and ride fairly well.

My brother had a 1998 S Reg Almera until almost a month ago now when he wrote it off. Sounds like a similar shunt to you, although a shade under £3000 worth of damage. Car was subsiquently written off and he's now looking for another car. Looked at Reno Megane's today for about £1000 - £1200 and 2 were utter junk. The last was good, but not so sure about reliability, and the rust is FAR worse than I'd seen on the Almera.

I think a 1997 - 1998 Honda Civic saloon is a better alternative, although a bit pricey. My brother isn't too bothered either way!

 

[LeperousDust]

Hmmm, i never did do the pass plus, i don't have the oppurtunity now though do i? I've done all the driving it invloves, so as long as i don't include habbits into my driving i can't see why i couldn't do that, if it was still available though?

Almera's arn't all that bad. Okay, they are one of THE most bland cars in the world and 2 stars on ncap aint great.

Jesus mine stood up fairly well, yeah mine was over 2k worth of damage Really regret that whole experience... But maybe it was the lack of a decentcrumple zone that saved the chassis, engine and everything but the rad!

 

[Slackworth]

Hmmm, i never did do the pass plus, i don't have the oppurtunity now though do i? I've done all the driving it invloves, so as long as i don't include habbits into my driving i can't see why i couldn't do that, if it was still available though?

Too late to do PP. Doesn't stop you having a 1.6+, it just means you may pay a little more.

 

[LeperousDust]

Too late to do PP. Doesn't stop you having a 1.6+, it just means you may pay a little more.

That's what i thought, dammit.
Any good?

Tbh actually i was looking at less than 1k really though, thats too close, between 500 and 900 would probably suit me better.

 

[Mickey_D]

Try to see if there are any Toyota's around. Tercel and Corolla to be more precise. The Tercels came with a bulletproof 3AC engine at 1.5L. FWD Corollas I'm not too familiar with the engines, but the pre-1985 RWD's had an absolutely bulletproof 4A-C engine at 1.6L in them.

[EDIT] Looking further, I see that the FWD's almost exclusively used the 4A engine in different variants, so they're just as hard to kill.....

Being a Toyota (I've had multiple Toy's myself, still drive one now, and had multiple experiences with friends/relatives owning them, too) you're looking at it only just being broken in at 200,000 miles. If the car has survived to that point, it's going to go forever. Any of the weaker models will have died long before that. So it's actually beneficial in a Toyota to get one with higher mileage as you KNOW the thing will mechanically outlast the chassis. My old '79 pickup had 705,000 miles on it and had never had a bolt out of the engine with the exception of the alternator.

And just because it's a bland Toyota doesn't mean it's bland to drive. Especially if you can slide past your insurance agent that you actually are driving the FX-16 variant!!!


[EDIT #2]Just saw the Civic you posted, also another good choice. I lump Honda in with Toyota for reliability.

 

[ZG002]

You will more than likely pay through the teeth for most jap stuff.. try a quote on that civic for instance.

The only problem i see is you want the car for 4 years but are only willing to pay £1000. within them 4 years a cheaper car is probs going to have a few problems come up that could end up costing you more than the cars worth. a mondeo thats been looked after would be great but im not sure on insurance for you..

If i was you.. try get some kind of short list ( i know this is what ya doing lol) and get quotes on those cars.. see which cars the insurance companys like and which they dont. a simple 1.5 civic still costs me £2k to insure :/ lol.

other than that..

goes against what i was saying.. but insurance on them has always been cheap for me.. how about the almeras bigger bro. the primera? it will feel familiar and they are quite solid cars. can pick them up for under 1k easy enough and they are speced ok so may keep you happier for longer

 

[Alu_ATC]

Jesus mine stood up fairly well, yeah mine was over 2k worth of damage Really regret that whole experience... But maybe it was the lack of a decentcrumple zone that saved the chassis, engine and everything but the rad!

Yep, the engine was still working in my brothers Almera when it was taken to the salvage yard, still ran despite having half radiator forced into it. Damage was bad on the car, but I would be worried to see what a 30mph or 40mph crash looks like outside of the ncap test centre.

The Honda Civic is a bit of an improvment with an extra star, but not great. Insurance does seem to be more expensive on a jap car, about £300 more for my 19yr old brother, but then again, he'd need to spend that money fixing up most french cars anyway .

 

[[TW]Fox]

Toyota Tercel? You gotta be kidding - absolute garbage, I doubt there are even any left in this country now that have not fallen to bits becuase they are so old.

My Dad bought a cheap Tercel about 10-12 years ago as a cheap fishing wagon, worst car he ever bought. We ended up scrapping it as the entire thing was just rusting away into nothing.

I can think of nil reason in this country to buy a Tercel.

 

[Mickey_D]

Fox, you folks must have gotten an entirely different car to the one I'm driving right now. That's about all I can say to counter your statement.

Mine's 20 years old, got just shy of 200,000 miles on it, and I'm only the second owner. And I can honestly tell you right now that the woman who owned it before me only ever changed tyres, oil, and brakes. There was absolutely NOTHING else done to this car. EVER. 200,000 miles and it's on its original clutch, water pump, alternator, timing chain, distributor, and carb. I know this for a fact because over here any replacement parts will not have the Japanese writing on them, and all of the above (with the exception of the timing chain of course, but the valve cover has never been off of it) still have the original Japanese stickers on them.

And my car is NOT the exception to the rule. I'm a member of the Tercel 4WD forums, which are not exclusive to just the 4WD model, and everyone on there has either already or is coming up on thier 200,000 mile anniversary. And the only reason anyone there changes out a major component is for upgrade reasons, not because the car broke down.......

As I say, I'm only going on my experience. I mean, the car couldn't have lasted an 11 year production run and sold in fairly good numbers if it hadn't been a pretty good car. It was only discontinued to make way for the Echo.

 

[LeperousDust]

Hmm, the best thing i've picked up from this thread so far is just stick with a little Almera, or upgrade (possible?) to a Primera? I think either way the insurance want 1.2-1.7k no matter what i get

How would people suggest checking insurance, i can't go through all the sites individually takes way too long, and the admiral site doesn't seem to work for me, which i was hoping would be cheap. It's my understanding that confused/money supermarket aren't totally coreect with their pricing?

How about a 206, they seem to be going very cheap from what i've looked at, i could pay a little over the odds maybe and get something possibly 95/96 with a lower than average mileage? Bad/Good idea?

...but I would be worried to see what a 30mph or 40mph crash looks like outside of the ncap test centre.

True mine was 20-30mph crash i think, tbh by the time we contacted i didn't think i'd be going fast enough for the airbag to be deployed it really wasn't needed!

Mickey, it might be something to do with your weather, hot/cold compared to our generally just wet weather?

Cheers guys

 

[JRS]

Fox, you folks must have gotten an entirely different car to the one I'm driving right now.

In Europe and Japan, the Tercel was introduced in 1980; however, only the sedan was known as the "Tercel," while the hatchbacks were known as the Corolla II.

Both models normally came with a turbocharged 1.5 L diesel engine, although European Tercels were available with several different engines.

The Corolla II was a completely different model from the Corolla, although the latest European Corolla has a hatchback version which is based upon the Japanese Corolla II. Some people referred to this European model as the Corolla II, calling the sedan version the Corolla.

Definitely not the same engines as yours, as Europe got a few more options.

 

[ZG002]

Use one that searches a lot of companys.. just to get a rough price even try a 2ltr primera mate it was cheaper for me on a 2ltr primera or mondeo than it was on a 1.5 civic.

even the silly one on autotrader would do i supose.

Best bet is to go out and find local car sale places and try find some of these cars have a look around them and try get a lil test drive or at least a sit inside. not saying buy from there as private you will get a better deal. But it will give you more of an idea as you dont fully know what these cars are like not having been "into cars"

 

[pinkaardvark]

We must have more salt in the air or something because all the tercels over here rotted away to nothing a long time ago. But I agree on the Toyota front, my brothers first car a 12v 1.3 85 corrolla and my first an 89 12v 1.3 corrolla were both bullet proof and needed bog all doing for 100's of thousands of miles. I bought mine at 50k and gave it away at 170k and it had never seen a garage except for MOT and consumables, and when I gave it away there was no rust on it and it had a full MOT(swapped it for a bottle of JD lol coz I knew the car was worthless).

 

[LeperousDust]

So randomly browsing AutoTrader i find a "1997R ROVER 416 1.6i SLI HATCH 5DR" best thing is it's literally a few miles away 70k on the clock, for £600 . Insurance >3k? Why/How? I dont get this at all ...