Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

I was sitting outside a lovely Essex pub the other day with Tim Wilkes having a pint for lunchtime, we were having one of our normal interesting conversations which don't always centre on Elans but sometimes drift onto other cars, The quiet lane outside the pub produced a few cars passing by for us to look at including a Porsche GT2 that burbled nicely on the ovverun, then we spotted a "Yellow Peril" low slung sportscar coming towards the pub and realised that it was a late model MGF, the car pulled into the car park and the occupants became fellow customers.

This got me into Anorak mode and I mentioned to Tim in my best nasal adenoidal voice that the MGF was Britains best selling sportscar for two or three memorable years, certainly outstripping sales of the Mazda MX5. MG Motor UK were still selling new MGF's until recently and there's a 2013 registered car for sale on Autotrader for a bargain ?13495 with just 50 delivery miles on the clock or a 2011 model with just over 500 miles for under ?10,000.

To get to the point of this thread; later in the afternoon I spotted an MGF in a supermarket car park advertised for sale at ?795, it stated 70,000 miles, full years MOT, 6 months road tax and looked really straight and shiny ugly shade of pearlescent russet bronze or something, and it got me thinking that there must be lots of unfashionable but really interesting cars out there in a sort of limbo just waiting to become cherished or more likely become scrap before perhaps turning into tomorrows classics.

In the UK cars of a certain age normally between 8 and 15 years old are really dirt cheap and there are some incredible bargains to be had.

The challenge therefore is to search Autotrader.co.uk or Ebay.co.uk or any other form of car advertising in your country, roughly 1100 euros or $1500 US / Aussie dollars and find the most interesting car possible for less than ?1000; the car must be roadworthy with a valid MOT and in a condition where you would not be ashamed to park it on the driveway outside your house.

Here's a couple to get the ball rolling:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MGF-1-8i-CONVERTIBLE-WITH-ONLY-60K-FROM-NEW-DRIVES-WELL-/261234465315?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item3cd2c99a23

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1999-FIAT-COUPE-2-0-20V-PETROL-REBUILT-ENGINE-S-S-EXHAUST-K-N-LOWERED-18-ALLOYS/271204676435?rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222002%26algo%3DSIC.FIT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D74%26meid%3D8981407784945449804%26pid%3D100005%26prg%3D1048%26rk%3D2%26sd%3D130942736136%26

Happy hunting, I look forward to the results!

Well, I'll kick off then!

A 1979 Ferrari 308 GTB in red for ?30: http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C354138

That's what the ad says.

Good thread Alan. I then went away and found these:

2001 Honda Accord Coupe 3.0 litre V6 for ?995 - http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C403605

1996 Golf GTi for ?550 - http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C385854

1986 Porsche 924S for ?995 - http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C395929

1989 Saab 900i Convertible for ?695 - http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C396247

Tim

There must be something odd about an advert for a Ferrari at ?30.

Disgruntled divorcee selling off ex's beloved car?


Hmmmm, on a different page on their website it is shown as ?30,000

http://www.rardleymotors.com/docs2/cars ... model_year

A friend of mine bought a mid engined MG, probably an MGF, a year or so ago at under ?700. Spent about ?150 doing up a few obvious problems, but now has a fine sportscar all for under ?1000.

In former times he had an MGB until it more or less fell to bits.

One of my old mates was mad keen on Jags, and being a poor student didn't stop him A big old Mk 9 used to carry 5 or 6 of us in some comfort, and that was had for ?12. When the MoT ran out, it was replaced by a Mk 2 for ?25, and that lasted for 18 months. Then came an E Type, bought for a very cheap ?200, but sadly that died on the M4, taking out many of sections of Armco in the process, as he tried to follow me around a long corner in my Elan. I had recently bought that for ?400,and it was pretty tired, so you can only imagine what the E Type was like.

So with so many early memories of friend's cheap Jags, and having a few of my own, my vote for the under ?1000 car would have to be a Jag, and here is a nice example....

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Jaguar-XJ6-So ... 27d4809dab

There are many more to be had, including the good old V12 cars. What could possibly go wrong?

Mark

A car for a ?1000 is a bit extravagant.
?500 is all you need to compete. (Admittedly there are some dodgy choices)

http://www.castaldini.co.uk/monkeyrun/

Clive

Good topic. Reminds me of some of the Top Gear challenges and the various 'interesting' discoveries they made once they started driving their new acquisitions.

For ?1000 my money would be spent on an Alfa Romeo.
Having owned several Alfas I speak with authority that you don't have to spend a lot of money on a car. A ?1000 Alfa will give you exactly the same problems and reliability issues of a brand new one.

Clive

My MGF cost me ?500 2 years ago and has only cost me a couple of hundred over the last 4000 or so miles, It goes like a train, uses next to no fuel, and copes well with pot holes and speed bumps, (they finaly got the hydrogas to work properly, before they ditched it for springs with the TF) unlike the Elise ,boxter and vx220 (examples of which I have owened in the past )
Used mainly in winter when our roads are covered in salt, which would kill my classics the heater on full and the hood down, this is true sports car motoring for nothing !