Thanks both.
@Exonian, one of the things I'm considering is when to do a cosmetic restoration, though what puts me off is precisely what you allude to- once you do that it becomes a show car and you become reluctant to use it properly.
What has slightly surprised me is how usable this car is. I was expecting to have to treat it gently, but I can drive this car pretty hard without worrying that things will go wrong- it feels strong and reliable.
I think to get one in this condition, though, it has to have had an easy life. It's 32 years old, but has effectively only had about 12 years use- the owner had been doing less than 100 miles a year for the last 17 or 18 years.
Interesting thoughts on tyres. I was definitely forum brainwashed into getting PS4s. I have PS3s on the pug and PS4s on the golf- I think I'll stick to these as I have no reason to try anything else.
@dubber36, when I first bought the pug I was a bit precious about it, to the extent that I wouldn't;t take it out in the rain. I soon changed my thoughts. It's such great fun to drive, I get far more pleasure using it than I would from preserving it. It's also a driving experience unlike anything any modern car can give.
As I see it, if I do 3k miles a year I could easily get 10 years enjoyable use out of it without major expense.
Anything can be repaired and restored, so you may as well use it and enjoy it.
