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General => General discussion => Topic started by: DanSN1 on 28 February 2012, 22:09

Title: first car
Post by: DanSN1 on 28 February 2012, 22:09
hello, i'm buying my first car soon and need help deciding.

originally i wanted a mk2 gti, but then the insurance was insane, and so i tried the much slower mk3 gti, but still hefty, so now i'm not sure what to get, i had a couple ideas, first being a vw caddy pickup, if i can find any that are rust free and not loads of money (sub 1k) but i just can't, even the original beetle would be pretty cool, i've seen this  ; http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/260965867562?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649#ht_500wt_1282 - is that a good route to go down? or am i better off just getting a 1.4/1.5 civic hatch?

staying under 1k, don't really mind something with a bit of work, as essentially it will be a small project for a year and a bit.

love slammed dubs, smooth etc
Title: Re: first car
Post by: kahunajb on 28 February 2012, 22:16
Why not get a 1 litre polo then upgrade after a year or so when insurance is more reasonable. That way you can keep it vw and still slam it.  :smiley: :smiley:
Title: Re: first car
Post by: DanSN1 on 28 February 2012, 22:18
i just don't really like the looks of any of the polo's at all if i'm honest, any one elses opinions or more ideas?
Title: Re: first car
Post by: kahunajb on 28 February 2012, 22:23
You are going to get absolutely raped by insurance companies being a new driver if it was me I would find out what is the cheapest car to insure in your budget (within reason) and just put up with that for a year until insurance becomes more affordable.
Title: Re: first car
Post by: DanSN1 on 28 February 2012, 22:27
there's got to be some form of golf, i've seen people on here at 17 insured with a 1.4 mk3

choices

mk1 caddy
civic 1.4/1.5/1.6
mk3 golf 1.4/1.6
mk2 golf 1.4
original beetle
Title: Re: first car
Post by: murraymint on 28 February 2012, 22:53
Stay away from civics! My mate had a 1.4 civic. He is a new driver and his insurance is or should I say was before he wrote it off was £3k plus. 1ltr polo I'd say, still make pools looks cool. Youll get raped on insurance on anything thts more powerful then a hair dryer
Title: Re: first car
Post by: DanSN1 on 28 February 2012, 23:06
hmmmm, i love the look of mk3 golf's. think i will try and find one low on insurance! seriously how many kids are writing off cars these prices are ridiculous!
Title: Re: first car
Post by: Danthecanvw on 28 February 2012, 23:19
like the others id say get a little 1 ltr until you build up some no claims. my brother law who has been driving for 3 years and is 29 was getting quotes for over £1500 for a mk3 8v. insurance companies just rob you blind unfortunatley  :evil:
 :evil:
what i did but this was over 10yr ago now, i bought a 75 bug and got my dad to put me on his insurance could be worth a try asking your parents.

good luck anyway  :smiley:
Title: Re: first car
Post by: luke on 28 February 2012, 23:46
what about a mk3 se? looks of a gti but not the engine?
Title: Re: first car
Post by: Sam on 28 February 2012, 23:50
Lupo?
Title: Re: first car
Post by: travisreeve on 28 February 2012, 23:54
You say mk1 caddy..

Fool, theres your answer  :grin:
Title: Re: first car
Post by: SoundillusioN on 29 February 2012, 09:27
You say mk1 caddy..

Fool, theres your answer  :grin:

This or how about

(http://s14.postimage.org/qvosatgb5/mk1_polo.jpg)

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MK1-1980-VOLKSWAGEN-POLO-GLS-GREEN-VW-RAT-CAR-CLASSIC-MK1-/110833503310?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item19ce310c4e#ht_500wt_1109

I want one of these but have enough to do.  MK1 polo. 1ltr... nice little project on ATS Cups....  Currently at £600

Title: Re: first car
Post by: The Mighty Elvi on 29 February 2012, 11:38
MK2 1.3 FTW. T'was my first car (still have it)



http://pistonheads.com/sales/3662477.htm


Or....Bargain.

http://pistonheads.com/sales/3619794.htm

http://pistonheads.com/sales/3677817.htm

Title: Re: first car
Post by: SoundillusioN on 29 February 2012, 11:41
MK2 1.3 FTW. T'was my first car (still have it)



http://pistonheads.com/sales/3662477.htm


Or....Bargain.

http://pistonheads.com/sales/3619794.htm

http://pistonheads.com/sales/3677817.htm

That last one is great, nice and cheap, easy riding auto.  :cool:

Edit:

Probably not much fun as a first car though.

Depending on insurance I would go for the first one.  Engine might be too big though.  :undecided:
Title: Re: first car
Post by: Ninja on 29 February 2012, 11:57
MK3 1.4
MK3 SE
MK2 1.3
MK2 1.6 driver
MK4 1.4S
Polo Facelift 1.4 (2000 plate)
Title: Re: first car
Post by: Mikehamid on 29 February 2012, 17:31
If you want a golf then a MK3 1.4 is your best bet. Otherwise a Mk4 SDI might be cheap enough at insurance group 4. Mind for your budget I would be careful with one of those. Also try Polos and Skodas with the SDI engine if that's not to your fancy.
Title: Re: first car
Post by: Seanl on 29 February 2012, 17:56
Didnt you start a thread a few months ago entitled the exact same thing!?  :undecided:
Title: Re: first car
Post by: DanSN1 on 29 February 2012, 17:57
cheers guys, some good looking stuff in here! caddy's are so hard to find in that budget though.

Title: Re: first car
Post by: DanSN1 on 29 February 2012, 17:57
Didnt you start a thread a few months ago entitled the exact same thing!?  :undecided:

unfortunately so, i've now got the cash and insurance has become much more realistic so gti is off the cards
Title: Re: first car
Post by: Ninja on 01 March 2012, 15:06
Didnt you start a thread a few months ago entitled the exact same thing!?  :undecided:

unfortunately so, i've now got the cash and insurance has become much more realistic so gti is off the cards

My missus was in the same boat as you recently. Why not go for a brand new Polo? We got a Polo TSI with Free insurance for £280 PM. It's dependant upon age I belive, though - so you may not be able to get free insurance - but they do offer something called, I think, Polo 2 insurance which is discounted heaviley.
Title: Re: first car
Post by: CM690 on 01 March 2012, 15:37
I have a mk3 1.4 been driving two years now. At the age of 18 it was £2040 for the year and my second year at 19 was £1100, up for renewal in september but I'm looking to upgrade :smiley:

I couldn't get a cheaper quote on the mk3 the first year than £2k so I would go with what everyone else has said an get a 1 litre polo or a lupo maybe if you can find one cheap :wink: A 1.4 mk3 is so heavy anyway it's not gonna be much quicker if at all than a 1 litre polo to be fair :rolleyes:

Sometimes though, going for the smallest engine isn't always best it depends on a lot of things! Sometimes it can be cheaper to insure a 1.6 because there hasn't been so many written off etc
Title: Re: first car
Post by: Milby on 04 March 2012, 19:55
my 1.4 golf is £2400 a year and its not drastically slow can easily cruise at high speed :) 
Title: Re: first car
Post by: Cory on 04 March 2012, 20:15
1.3 mk2 and a set of spanners would tick all the boxes  :cool:
Title: Re: first car
Post by: Podge92 on 05 March 2012, 00:36
im between 1900 and 2500 for my mk3 golf, was contemplating selling it till i seen that the rest of my friends all have corsas, saxos, 106's and 7 of them SEVEN have clios!

so i thought the 200 a month insurance for the simple fact im the only person below 25 that has one in my area made me want to keep it, i wouldnt change it for the world

moral of the story get a golf mk3 1.4!
Title: Re: first car
Post by: DubFan on 05 March 2012, 01:13
My first car was a Mk2 Golf 1.8 GL. With 90bhp, 5 doors and a brown interior it was £1200 a year to insure and that was 15 years ago!

I've had a 1.0 Polo (Mk2 breadvan) and it was a fun little thing round town, light and manouverable. On the motorway it struggled slightly, but I took it all over the place and was fine. And it certainly didn't matter if I put a slight dent in it. I bought it as a cheap run around of ebay for £150, ran it till the MOT ran out.

I've also had a Mk3 Golf 1.8 CL (K reg) and a Mk4 Polo 1.4 (N reg). I would probably say that the Mk4 Polo was more fun to drive, smaller engine but lighter car.

So I would recommend you consider the Polo options:

Mk3 Estate/Breadvan style
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1992-VOLKSWAGEN-POLO-GENESIS-BLUE-bread-van-/160751479849?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item256d88ec29 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1992-VOLKSWAGEN-POLO-GENESIS-BLUE-bread-van-/160751479849?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item256d88ec29)

Mk3 Coupe
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1993-VOLKSWAGEN-POLO-COUPE-GENESIS-BLUE-/320860655980?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item4ab4c9116c (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1993-VOLKSWAGEN-POLO-COUPE-GENESIS-BLUE-/320860655980?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item4ab4c9116c)

Mk2 Saloon
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VW-MK2-POLO-SALOON-RARE-NO-RESERVE-/330694848108?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item4cfef2ee6c (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VW-MK2-POLO-SALOON-RARE-NO-RESERVE-/330694848108?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item4cfef2ee6c)

Mk4 Hatchback
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1996-VOLKSWAGEN-POLO-SE-GREEN-BLACK-/150770379833?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item231a9d6c39 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1996-VOLKSWAGEN-POLO-SE-GREEN-BLACK-/150770379833?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item231a9d6c39)

And if you can afford it the Mk4 1.4 16v - very nippy with 100bhp:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/vw-polo-1-4-16v-/320857464448?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item4ab4985e80 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/vw-polo-1-4-16v-/320857464448?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item4ab4985e80)

If you really want a Golf, how about:

Mk3 Golf Driver - this one looks nice:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1994-VOLKSWAGEN-GOLF-DRIVER-GREEN-FSH-Cambelt-Changed-last-service-/260955060340?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item3cc2223874 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1994-VOLKSWAGEN-GOLF-DRIVER-GREEN-FSH-Cambelt-Changed-last-service-/260955060340?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item3cc2223874)

Mk2 Golf Driver 1.6 - low mileage:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1990-VOLKSWAGEN-MK2-GOLF-DRIVER-1-6-FACTORY-ORIGINAL-AND-LOW-MILEAGE-/260971371838?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item3cc31b1d3e (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1990-VOLKSWAGEN-MK2-GOLF-DRIVER-1-6-FACTORY-ORIGINAL-AND-LOW-MILEAGE-/260971371838?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item3cc31b1d3e)

Title: Re: first car
Post by: SoundillusioN on 05 March 2012, 09:21
^^ some good links...


I can vouch for a mk2 Bread Van... Had a little blue one, was very reliable and quite a laugh to own.
Title: Re: first car
Post by: DanSN1 on 05 March 2012, 17:29
cheers guys that polo saloon looks sweet! what about (i think it's the mk3 jetta) but the one with the same front end as a mk3 golf, i can't seem to find them anywhere in the uk but they are cool cars.
Title: Re: first car
Post by: Cory on 05 March 2012, 20:23
bid on the polo saloon! im half tempted . . .
Title: Re: first car
Post by: CM690 on 06 March 2012, 20:11
cheers guys that polo saloon looks sweet! what about (i think it's the mk3 jetta) but the one with the same front end as a mk3 golf, i can't seem to find them anywhere in the uk but they are cool cars.

I think what you're referring to is a Vento with a Golf mk3 front end :smiley:
Title: Re: first car
Post by: SoundillusioN on 07 March 2012, 09:34
Polo saloon, good, cheap first car if you can find one.

(http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r79/Womboy/P9110055.jpg)

Doesn't take much to make them look half decent. (ignore the illegal numberplate of course.)

(http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs196.snc4/38142_415082134495_775269495_4424751_7828072_n.jpg)
Title: Re: first car
Post by: DanSN1 on 07 March 2012, 16:20
cheers guys that polo saloon looks sweet! what about (i think it's the mk3 jetta) but the one with the same front end as a mk3 golf, i can't seem to find them anywhere in the uk but they are cool cars.

I think what you're referring to is a Vento with a Golf mk3 front end :smiley:

correct, thankyou, do you know what the smallest engine size they do them in is? can't find many :(
Title: Re: first car
Post by: DanSN1 on 07 March 2012, 16:20
yeah that does look nice, just missed that one on ebay but oh well
Title: Re: first car
Post by: SoundillusioN on 07 March 2012, 16:37
Try looking HERE (http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/list.asp?s=378&p=&d=0&min=&max=&y1=&y2=&txt=&px=&xsl=list&pagesize=15&filter=TP&o=q&pc=)
Title: Re: first car
Post by: DanSN1 on 07 March 2012, 16:51
cheers, again! they're all too bigger engines, unless i can find a mk1, why do they keep up threads when the car is sold?  :huh:
Title: Re: first car
Post by: SoundillusioN on 07 March 2012, 16:56
cheers, again! they're all too bigger engines, unless i can find a mk1, why do they keep up threads when the car is sold?  :huh:

Not 100% sure.... Possibly instead you wondering where a car has gone that you recently found, you can see it's sold rather than wondering where it went..


Anyway, what's the biggest engine you're after?

I sent that link so you can keep on eye on it as you never know there may be more on it next time you check.

Title: Re: first car
Post by: DanSN1 on 07 March 2012, 16:59
hmmm fair point, yeah i'll keep an eye on it, this is my first car, and although i'll be doing a passpluss i want to keep it 1.6 and under, insurance is just ridiculous
Title: Re: first car
Post by: SoundillusioN on 07 March 2012, 17:13
hmmm fair point, yeah i'll keep an eye on it, this is my first car, and although i'll be doing a passpluss i want to keep it 1.6 and under, insurance is just ridiculous

   
F reg volkswagon coupe polo s 1.3 for £635  :cool:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/F-reg-volkswagon-coupe-polo-s-/280832214587?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item4162e7863b#ht_2415wt_1092
Title: Re: first car
Post by: DanSN1 on 07 March 2012, 19:10
cool car, but it's red so i'm afraid there's no chance! struggling to find a cheap mk3 1.4.
Title: Re: first car
Post by: SoundillusioN on 07 March 2012, 20:50
cool car, but it's red so i'm afraid there's no chance! struggling to find a cheap mk3 1.4.

Satin black can job would sort that out.  :wink:

Thought us fancy something with a bit of poke over a barge with a canal boat motor in it.
Title: Re: first car
Post by: DanSN1 on 08 March 2012, 19:45
got my eye on a mk1 caddy. seem to be the best solution and are seriously cool! your right about it though the mk3's are sluggish unless in vr6 format!
Title: Re: first car
Post by: DanSN1 on 09 March 2012, 18:38
yeah you guys were right, i'm now on the look out for mk2 polo saloons, mk2 golf drivers and mk1 caddy's. let me know if any of those cheap come up, cheers for all the help!
Title: Re: first car
Post by: SoundillusioN on 10 March 2012, 15:13
yeah you guys were right, i'm now on the look out for mk2 polo saloons, mk2 golf drivers and mk1 caddy's. let me know if any of those cheap come up, cheers for all the help!

Good choice, when you're on a tight budget I find that a sensible retro(ish) motor can be a good move. Not sure what your spanner skills are like but small engined VW's are a piece of cake to work on, especially if you compare them to something more modern that's cheap.  Too many electronics that can go wrong and are hard and often expensive to fix.  If you're not that confident with working on cars, older simple VW's are good vehicles to learn some decent skills on. .

Also, running costs of a more modern car can be more expensive due to being heavier but that's not always true, depends on the engine.

And, lets not forget, something small with a small engine will be far more fun than something that struggles to pull it's own weight. My first decent run around was a 1.3 MK1 golf.  I think it's safe to say I had as much fun driving that as a young driver as I do now as an experienced driver in something more powerful.

 

Title: Re: first car
Post by: bob23 on 13 March 2012, 00:16
get a 1.3 mk2, cheap to insure for your first year, then either swap the engine or just get a gti when you have got a years no claims. pass plus isn't worth a damn thing, I did it and it made no difference to my insurance, you'll often find that bigger engines are cheaper to insure, my 2.3 rover was £700/£800 my 1.3 fiesta was £1100 my 1.1 fiesta had I insured it would have been £2400, so whatever you go for check all engine sizes for that car and fully comp is normally cheaper as well. also putting an older driver on the policy can bring the price down a lot, even more if you tell them they are the main driver, (which of course you should never do as you wouldn't be insured if you were caught, but it saves me over £500)