Suggestions for a high mile cheapo

[SirTainleyBarking]

As a final note: There is always the option of a late model Montego 2.0 TD Estate or Maestro 2.0 D /TD.

A few appear on ebay from time to time, and if the body is in good order, the mechanicals are bullet proof.

http://www.maestro.org.uk

If the series Landrover boys don't get them first for an engine swap. That said, run it until the rot fails the MOT, then flog it onto one of the aforementioned LR geezers for what you paid for it

[darrencambs]

I was going to suggest an Alfa 156 until I read the bit about "odds-on to get me there"!

Seriously though, I've covered 30,000 miles in my 2001 1.6 and have only been trailered home once (touching wood at the moment!).

I bought it unseen a couple of years ago on eBay for below £1k and it's probably not lost much in that time. It's economical enough, enjoyable to drive and hasn't demanded too much in the way of spannering time. The only issues I've had is a broken cam-belt, so I'd recommend anyone buying one makes a point of changing the belt as soon as they buy the car, and don't rely on the sellers claim that it's been done. Originally Alfa set a 72,000 mile interval for belt changes, but that was revised to 36,000 after a a high number of breakages. Unfortunately there are quite a number of people still going on the original 72k, hence you'll find plenty of non-runners on ebay.

For £800 you should be able to find a decent 1.6 or 1.8.

[Maaarrghk]

Sir TB.

Sorry to hi-jack the thread, but could you enlighten me about the Montego/Meastro TDI into series Land Rover thing? I thought that the current trend was for the Land Rover 200TDi as the engine mounts are in thesame place.

[Jodyone]

Thank you so much for all the responses. Unfortunately, you've covered the gamut of available vehicles, leaving me no better off (joking). Tractorman- I'm currently quite strong on the Passat diesel. I've got a question mark over VW reliability though- is that unfair..? A few friends with transporters and golfs, and constant expensive repairs, are making me wary. Still, there seem to be a few Passats around sub 1K that they top the list currently. Is 50+mpg for real?!

TerryG- I hear you about early Focus's. I know they're good, but you weirdly don't see them for sale often... were they all crushed?! (If so, why?)

It was the Honda connection that drew me to Rovers, but I may be out of date there. My strong preference in the past has been for japanese cars, for reliability, and Rover seemed a cheap way in. Rob- that one looks great (given context) and is just the sort of thing+price I was thinking of, despite the dubious wheels.

Otherwise, I'd love a cheap Merc, Saab, Alfa, or grand French oddity, but economy must be the absolute priority, which I know is like Mum coming in and spoiling everything, but there you go. I have to get to work and for a lot less than it's currently costing me in a 2 tonne Champagne bullet. Keep any ideas coming though, wonky or not!

[suffolkpete]

Otherwise, I'd love a cheap Merc, Saab, Alfa, or grand French oddity, but economy must be the absolute priority,

How about a Citroen BX? The turbo diesels can do cosmic mileages if properly looked after and a lot of the panels are plastic. Or even a CX diesel if you can find a good one. I can hear the voices now saying "but what about that suspension?" , usually people who haven't owned one but Citroen have been fitting it since 1955, it is generally reliable, the ride is second to none and there is a lot of support available.

[rich.]

is danny hopkins? selling his renault??

[tractorman]

Jodyone, certainly the 96 ish TDi Passats could do 50+ MPG (I heard of one that was supposed to do about 60!), though VW went for power rather than economy with the more recent diesels - my Mk2 Golf diesel did 56 and the current Mk4 does 52 (but will get to 60 a lot more quickly!). As for reliability, I suspect VWs are overrated - by VW and some owners! I've had them for 20 years, but reckon that most other makers caught up about ten or fifteen years ago. The Passat only cost real money when the injector pump started causing problems (and an aftermarket "VW" alarm played up). Otherwise, apart from the usual exhaust, battery and tyres etc, I had no real expensive problems - a wheel bearing and a couple of springs ARB and a suspension bush were about all that I changed! The Mk4 Golf seems to be less reliable - new wheel bearing, clutch, door lock and ARB bushes. It sounds little, but it hasn't 100K on the clock yet (the Passat had 200K when I sold it) and I've only done about 30K in the four and a half years I've owned it. Don't ignore Skodas/Seats made after VW took them over - a number of friends have Octavias and prefer them to the Golf equivalents. Finding one at a sensible price can be difficult though!

I suspect the trick is finding one that's cared for and avoid a post 97/8 Passat with noisy front suspension (they need full wheel alignment checking once you've changed a lot of parts - the alignment check cost me £150 about fifteen years ago!). Trying to find and replace the individual worn part yourself seems to be a waste of time: I actually went to see a 2002 Passat when I bought the Golf. The garage had changed a lot of the suspension and said it still squeaked, but I should be able to find the fault easily!! I looked for a different car before he finished what he was saying! There's also the usual problem with DMF (Dual Mass Flywheel), but I suspect a lot of that is Internet Doom Merchants - the current Golf's clutch was slipping two years ago and the local garage just changed the plate (and pressure plate?). They reckon there's a lot of hysteria associated with DMFs and, unless they are faulty, don't bother to change them - and don't have many (if any) complaints!

A few friends have had BX's and thought they were great cars - but at least one had problems with the front chassis/subframe rotting out. As said, they can do mega miles, but you have to like the suspension/handling: I know some people get car sick driving them! Two friends who had BXs have, after other cars, bought Xara Picassos and rate them highly - but don't find them exciting to drive (they are supposed to do 50+ MPG too). One of the friends swapped an early Focus Diesel for the Picasso - it was unreliable and costing silly money to keep on the road!

I'd agree with the Astra's reputation for economy - a friend reckoned he got 60+ MPG on a run in one (a 1.7D I think), he is well known for having a concrete right foot! I'm sure the Montegos' diesel engines are economical - but my experience of Montegos wasn't that great (and led me to VW in the first place) and finding a rust free and reliable one might be difficult! I'm trying to remember when I last saw one - they must be rare now!

[TerryG]

There are curreltly 578 MK1 Ford Focus listed on autotrader of every spec you can imagine from the 1.4cl 5door (avoid it like the plague) up to the ST170 (which is a nice car but the gearbox is a weak point).
I have the 2.0 ghia which has a zetec engine but if you go for one made after 2001 you get a Duratec which has a cam chain rather than a belt so no worries about it snapping if you go over the service interval. (I have just changed mine for the 2nd time at 118,000, ford claim they are good for 100,000 miles but i do it at around 60)
I always feel that the 1.6 is a bit sluggish but that is probably because i am used to the 2 litre. They are a nice car and if you go for a zetec or a ghia you get a/c and electric windows as standard. They definitely have the best ride of anything that was avaliable in it's class at the time. It is definitely nicer to drive than a MK4 golf, mainly because the golf is so heavy.
There are many fewer MK1 Focus out there as the car is more than 10 years old so people when they scrape it scrap it. Small repairs and servicing seem to be optional to most people with older cars so they end up getting a replacement rather than a £400 bill. I see lots of perfectly good cars in breakers yards, there is one local to me with more than 100 of them partially disasembled. I bought 2 sets of alloys from them for £100 as mine are a bit curbed and these had good tyres so i could run them all down and make one good set from 3 then sell the spares.

[tractorman]

I don't want to get into a fight with Terry, but I suspect the handling is better on a Mk1 Focus than a Mk4 Golf - I suspect that the Golf is designed for comfort more than handling and a 40Kg weight difference isn't an awful lot more for the Golf to carry around. Certainly, a friend who has had both Mk1 and Mk2 Focuses prefers the ride comfort of the Mk2 - but the handling of the Mk1! He still had the Mk1 when I bought the Golf and commented on the Golf's smooth ride - and he hates VWs!

As it is, I wouldn't (didn't) recommend a Golf - they are as expensive as a Passat and not as comfortable when driving long distances (IMHO). The snag with the Passat is increased insurance (and it's bigger so I lost garage space when I had one!) and, while 96/7 TDi, the economy is as good as a Golf's, I read somewhere that the more recent ones do about 40-45MPG.

As said elsewhere, the small Pug diesels are economical - my sister (retired District Nurse) rated her 205 diesel most highly (until my nephew wrote it off), but now has a petrol 206 as the "hit" on her tax was much less. She bought it when its lease ended, which was more or less the time she retired. I must admit that, as a back seat passenger, I didn't find it at all comfortable!

[Maaarrghk]

I remember borrowing an R-reg passat estate with the 1.9TDi. Quite impressive.

But something French you say?

Mate of mine swears by his Renault Safrane. Not a big seller in the UK, but mega popular in France.

First he had a 2.0 petrol, then got hold of a mint 2.5 (Volvo 5-cyl) for £600 off a chap he met in a filling station.

For parts I always went to Eurocarparts.com (based in Leeds) and got fairly good deals on most stuff.

Bet you wish you'd never started this thread now