Four figures for one that's going to last without major surgery, sure
- 500 gets one that runs, but with tinworm - three in this month's
Citroen Car Club mag.

Would a Vauxhall be any more solid?

Perhaps not, but the bits might be a darned sight easier to locate!

In article , Jon Tilson
writes
Not that I want to talk down prices cos I own lots but it is possible to get
a decent 1850 Dollomite for that money...
One on ebay in Kent...

Unless things have changed in the last couple of years, the 2500S is
generally similarly priced to a Dolomite 1850, and much better value.
Not that Dolomites are bad cars - I've owned three - but I'd definitely
go with the 2000 range for preference.

That said, my 2500S is up for grabs (sincere apologies to Ken who came
to look at it when I was being unbelievably incompetent), but it's a
major restoration project.
--
Rob Pearce
Club Triumph Spitfire and GT6 consultant

The above views and opinions are mine, and do not necessarily reflect Club
Triumph policy.

On Wed, 06 Aug 2003 22:46:30 +0100, Ian Dalziel
wrote:

Four figures for one that's going to last without major surgery, sure
- 500 gets one that runs, but with tinworm - three in this month's
Citroen Car Club mag.

I ought to join that (when I have some money) My XM has just died
(fatally, this time) and I'm on the lookout for an estate. A V6 XM
would be nice, or a CX. I wouldn't have another 4 pot XM though.

Would a Vauxhall be any more solid?

No, but my Alfa 164 V6 only cost £600 for one in pretty good nick
(barring the usual Alfaness of crap upholstery and tacky switchgear).
I believe I paid too much too !

On Wed, 6 Aug 2003 18:43:35 +0100, (SteveH)
wrote:

Find yourself a nice 75, you won't regret it.

A 75 V6 is a nice car (i.e. I want another one !), but I'd regard a
twinspark as distinctly boring. The V6 is also cheaper to maintain,
more reliable, and no heavier on fuel.

Andy Dingley wrote:

On Wed, 6 Aug 2003 18:43:35 +0100, (SteveH)
wrote:

Find yourself a nice 75, you won't regret it.

A 75 V6 is a nice car (i.e. I want another one !), but I'd regard a
twinspark as distinctly boring. The V6 is also cheaper to maintain,
more reliable, and no heavier on fuel.

That's opposite to the information I've been given.....

V6s are generally reliable, but the cambelts are a bit of a PITA to keep
on top of, and head gaskets aren't as strong as on the twin-spark.

The V6 is also a lot heavier, which upsets the balance of the car
slightly (the TS are more or less perfect 50/50 weight distribution).

2.5V6 isn't worth looking at at all (negligible power advantage over the
TS) - even the V6 isn't _that_ much quicker - about 30bhp more power,
but 200kgs more weight.

I love my TS - 150bhp from an 8-valve 2lt is quite respectable -
especially as the VVT system gives you heaps of low-down torque. Nice
burbling exhaust system helps, too.
--
Steve H
http://www.italiancar.co.uk - Honda VFR800
VW Golf GL Cabrio - Alfa 75 TS - Alfa 33 16v (dead) - Alfa 33 1.7ie
BoTAFOT #87 - BoTAFOF #18 - MRO # - UKRMSBC #7 - Apostle #2 - YTC #

In article m,
says...
How about a Scimitar? You should be able to get a pretty good one of those
for £500. Well, good by the standards of Scimitars, that is.

You're kidding aren't you? You're most likely to get one with a goosed
engine or cracks int he front wheelarches meaning the strengthening
plates have rotted.


--
________________________
Conor Turton

ICQ:31909763
________________________

In article , Conor
wrote:

How about a Scimitar? You should be able to get a pretty good one of those
for £500. Well, good by the standards of Scimitars, that is.

You're kidding aren't you? You're most likely to get one with a goosed
engine or cracks int he front wheelarches meaning the strengthening
plates have rotted.

Just dealing with one of those at the moment. Real bitch of a job
particularly as I have just run out of acetone to clean the area. I am
replacing the load spreading plates with stainless as the offside one sits
directly below the expansion chamber.

Glassfibre repairs aren't that difficult though and a rough Scimitar might
be a good self training exercise.

--
AJL Electronics (G6FGO) : Satellite and TV aerial systems
http://www.classicmicrocars.co.uk : http://www.ajlelectronics.co.uk

Theres an '84 Nissan Sylvia 1.8 Turbo for sale from a dealer as a part ex to
clear in my local rag (Cambs), 7 months on the ticket £250.00 :-)

Ok so it's stretching "classic" a bit beyond the limit of elasticity, but
they are getting on a bit and do the getting a move on pretty well.

Try that link there, who knows ??

http://findit.co.uk/cars/classic/parts/726055.htm




"Pete M" pete.murray@blueMOONYOUSAWMESTANDINGALOOOOONEyond er.co.uk wrote
in message ...
I'm in the process of flogging my old, faithful Golf GTi because I'm in
the
mood for something a bit older.
I have a few problems..
I'll only have about £500 to spend, and I'd like something taxed and
tested
I'd like something fairly quick and preferably rear wheel drive
but I'd like it to be fairly reliable and comfy as it'll be my only car

I've owned and enjoyed the following and would like to get my grubby mitts
on something similar, but don't think I'll be able to find a nice example
of
any for the money..

Mercedes 280TE
Jag SIII 4.2
Granada 2.8i Ghia X
Granada 3.0 Ghia / GXL
Vauxhall Royale / Monza / Senator 3.0
Capri 3.0
Rover SD1 V8
Rover P6 V8 (but the vapourisation problems are a bugger)
Triumph 2500S
BMW 528i
Alfa 75
Sierra XR4x4 or 4x4 Ghia Estate

Am I in cloud cuckoo land? I've bought tidy examples of all of these
(apart
from the Vauxhall or Triumph) in the past for £500 or less, but I suspect
the prices have risen on all of them.

Even a Cortina 2000E 2.0 S or Ghia would be nice (I'm a dab hand at void
bushes)

Suggestions welcome.

Pete M

Phil Howard wrote in message
...
Granada 2.8i Ghia X

There are a few old-boy-owned nice ones about; the local free-ad rag is
normally the place


I owned a Mk2 Granada for a while (though mine was a 2.3 not the 2.8 you are
considering). They don't suffer from tinworm too badly, and are a nice drive
in the fine weather, but somewhat tail happy in the wet.

Most of the problems I had with mine were when I first owned it, sorting out
things the previous owner had done wrong, and after that it was well behaved
and reliable. I once did a Bath-York-Bath round trip in a day, without aches
and pains the next day, so it would be a practical commuter vehicle.

The Ghia X was not your typical repmobile, but they are not particularly
collectable either, so you might pick up a decent one for 500 notes.

Jim