dgmx5
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- Messages
- 1,142
Despite my growing up in Leicestershire in close proximity to Mallory Park, my father was never into cars or spannering of any description, and I spent my formative years with my head in books.
To my great regret, I did not spend my spare time tinkering with vehicles of any description.
I did not even get to own my first car until I was 24 as I lived a meagre life on a PhD grant in Nottingham.
When I later bought an NA MX-5 in 1999 I did do some small tasks, and I changed over the hood to an NB glass window roof making it a genuinely useable daily in winter with a heated window element (there was an Italian one make series of the NB '5 and they had 24 softtops which were duly collected by the MX5OC in a transporter and brought to the UK. I spent an afternoon in a multi-storey car park in Camberley under guidance swapping over my plastic window roof to the later version.
I fitted bushes and uprated RARB on a 200SX.
I changed discs and pads on my Leon Cupra R and some other small bits.
But as you can see, a whole load of stuff I have never done particularly concerning the engine.
Sadly I don't have even off road parking let alone the dream garages some on here have.
So I would like to get a cheap, useable car that would be suitable for me to do some spannering and learning on. Something that if I messed up would cost me little if I had to scrap it.
So, I am looking for:
a. something mechanically simple, probably with limited electronics;
b. easy to work on and with space under the bonnet to do so. In this respect the MK1 MX-5 had a surprising amount of empty space;
c. preferably 4 door hatch or estate so it would justify its existence as being useful alongside the 4200 and a Z4 which are many things, but not really useful;
d. cheap in as classic PH-shed money (i.e. £1,000 rather than the £1,500 limit SOTW now allows) but I suppose £2,500 might be doable;
e. cheap VED. Modern cars are too tighly packaged, so I guess I will be looking pre-2005 and would consider classics;
f. access to body panels to allow replacement rather than respray of any dings, rust etc (this is not a necessary requirement);
g. has that undefinable quality of 'character'.
To give you an idea of what might hit the spot, the following have been considered but probably ruled out:
a. obvious choice a few years ago might be a return to an NA MX-5 but these are no longer cheap and we already have a roadster (Z4) so duplication of what we have. NB 5s are cheaper but prone to rusted sills and I don't want to get involved with welding or bodywork if it can avoided;
b. classic Mini - again no longer cheap and very impractical though loads of character;
c. R53 MINI - tightly packaged engine bay and impractical;
d. SAAB V4 95 or 96 - the only car my parents owned during my lifetime that I perceived to be cool (they did have an Escort and Mini before I was born) but outside budget.
To my great regret, I did not spend my spare time tinkering with vehicles of any description.
I did not even get to own my first car until I was 24 as I lived a meagre life on a PhD grant in Nottingham.
When I later bought an NA MX-5 in 1999 I did do some small tasks, and I changed over the hood to an NB glass window roof making it a genuinely useable daily in winter with a heated window element (there was an Italian one make series of the NB '5 and they had 24 softtops which were duly collected by the MX5OC in a transporter and brought to the UK. I spent an afternoon in a multi-storey car park in Camberley under guidance swapping over my plastic window roof to the later version.
I fitted bushes and uprated RARB on a 200SX.
I changed discs and pads on my Leon Cupra R and some other small bits.
But as you can see, a whole load of stuff I have never done particularly concerning the engine.
Sadly I don't have even off road parking let alone the dream garages some on here have.
So I would like to get a cheap, useable car that would be suitable for me to do some spannering and learning on. Something that if I messed up would cost me little if I had to scrap it.
So, I am looking for:
a. something mechanically simple, probably with limited electronics;
b. easy to work on and with space under the bonnet to do so. In this respect the MK1 MX-5 had a surprising amount of empty space;
c. preferably 4 door hatch or estate so it would justify its existence as being useful alongside the 4200 and a Z4 which are many things, but not really useful;
d. cheap in as classic PH-shed money (i.e. £1,000 rather than the £1,500 limit SOTW now allows) but I suppose £2,500 might be doable;
e. cheap VED. Modern cars are too tighly packaged, so I guess I will be looking pre-2005 and would consider classics;
f. access to body panels to allow replacement rather than respray of any dings, rust etc (this is not a necessary requirement);
g. has that undefinable quality of 'character'.
To give you an idea of what might hit the spot, the following have been considered but probably ruled out:
a. obvious choice a few years ago might be a return to an NA MX-5 but these are no longer cheap and we already have a roadster (Z4) so duplication of what we have. NB 5s are cheaper but prone to rusted sills and I don't want to get involved with welding or bodywork if it can avoided;
b. classic Mini - again no longer cheap and very impractical though loads of character;
c. R53 MINI - tightly packaged engine bay and impractical;
d. SAAB V4 95 or 96 - the only car my parents owned during my lifetime that I perceived to be cool (they did have an Escort and Mini before I was born) but outside budget.
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