First cars… on Wall of Mouths

First cars…

Started by CS (Colin S) in Chit-Chat

Well it’s my 18th this week and the dad is thinking about buying me a car.
Anyone got any suggestions for a cheap, cheerful, reasonably reliable car?

Yes, I have been on niautotrader website…

Any help / previous experience with cars would be helpful :)

Posted on Sun, 14 June 2009 at 19:27

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g (Does everything start with destruction?) wrote:

If he gets you a model you dont want dont get in a strop and throw it away and post a big rant on here about it. :p

Posted on Sun, 14 June 2009 at 19:33

Taunty Dan wrote:

Well your first car should be anything BUT reliable, its all part of the fun. You have to have these stories to tell later on in life. :D

What you wanna do is work out a budget, find cars in that budget, and then see which is the cheapest to insure, cos at your age thats the biggie. Summat in the cheap tax band as well, and i wouldn’t go above a 1000cc. Its all about keeping costs down.

Posted on Sun, 14 June 2009 at 19:55

realityfuck (Jar lath) wrote:

I’m getting my 1st car next week. A 10 year old 1.1 Citroen Saxo.

Posted on Sun, 14 June 2009 at 20:00

caffeinebomb (Caffeine Bomb) wrote:

My first car was an H reg Vauxhall Nova - it lasted 3 weeks before on the second attempt someone nicked it, joyrode it and burnt it out in Gipton. Bastards.

Next I had a Renault 5 for 6 months, it failed its MOT on brakes, suspension, rust, emissions and steering, so I traded it for a Vauxhall Astra, which I put of fuckload of dents in and overheated ridiculously, including famously forgetting to put to cap back on the cooling system and promptly evaporated all the coolant.

Then I bought a Seat Ibiza on finance, which was ace but when I got a job closer to home, I gave it back and bought a 10 year old Rover 25.

The Rover was OK despite innumerable problems, but I eventually broke 1st gear and had to sell it for parts, which is when I bought the Rock Volvo, which is a 15 year old Volvo 480 with pop-up headlights and an AC/DC sticker on the back. This car is brilliant, but the insurance is pretty steep so I wouldn’t recommend it for a ftb!

Ford Ka is a great option if you ask me - you can pick one up cheap as chips, they’re fun to drive, economical, nippy and still look pretty cool too if you ask me. Also, I had a mate who wrote 3 off in 6 months, each with 3 pals in at the time, and nobody got any injuries any time, so fairly safe too.

Posted on Sun, 14 June 2009 at 20:37

Dermot wrote:

My first car is the one I still own - a white Ford Fiesta (2000). Got it when I passed my test in September 2007. I’m trying to wait until it’s ten years old (May next year) so it’ll be worth 2 grand if I buy a new one.

It’s good for nipping round town. It’s broken down on me twice though - both times were about 10 days apart in April 2008, and both times involved 3 hour waits on the side of a motorway chain smoking cigarettes and reading a Stephen King book. As Taunty says though, they’re character building experiences!

Posted on Sun, 14 June 2009 at 22:30

Simon (Simon) wrote:

My first car was a Red Austin Metro with more rust than paint but lasted the whole time i had it.

Posted on Sun, 14 June 2009 at 23:35

Gav wrote:

I had a white M reg Ford Escort - was brilliant. I did however neglect to ever top it up with oil, hence the cooking of the engine just outside Stevenage at about 5:30 one dark November morning… Had the AA tow it all the way back oop north :rolleyes:

Posted on Mon, 15 June 2009 at 06:57

KJC Dublin (Karl) wrote:

My first car was a 94 VW Polo previously owned by a pensioner - did the trick!

If it is still alive it is now driving in Bosnia somewhere…

Posted on Mon, 15 June 2009 at 07:39

mrs h wrote:

Have I missed something? Did you pass your driving test? If so, congratulations :)

Posted on Mon, 15 June 2009 at 07:41

#10

Alan wrote:

Mine was a 1997 Ford Fiesta which I got in 2000 and had it 6 years. Hardly ever checked the oil and water but it never really let me down, apart from one time when a valve went but didn’t cost much to replace, to be fair. Ford’s are pretty good for a first-timer, I think.

Posted on Mon, 15 June 2009 at 08:14

#11

CS (Colin S) wrote:

mrs h wrote:
Have I missed something? Did you pass your driving test? If so, congratulations :)

No, not as yet. I should be going in for my test very soon though - I seem to be an excellent driver!
I just have to iron out one or 2 little problems, for example, getting away from traffic lights quickly - I just take too long coming off the clutch! Apart from that though I’m grand - control of the car is fine, manouvers are excellent, awareness is great, etc.

Anyone had any experience with Renault Clio’s?

Posted on Mon, 15 June 2009 at 09:43 in reply to an earlier post

#12

vagabond wrote:

my first was a 1993 opel astra (that would be a vauxhall astra in england basically)
my parents bought it in 1996 i think and gave it to me when i made my license in 1999. it had it until last year when it broke down twice and then i sold it off for 1000 euro … from what i’ve heard the new owner ruined the car about 3 months later …
anyway, i got myself a 2003 astra and i love it.

Posted on Mon, 15 June 2009 at 09:53

#13

caffeinebomb (Caffeine Bomb) wrote:

CS wrote:
No, not as yet. I should be going in for my test very soon though - I seem to be an excellent driver!
I just have to iron out one or 2 little problems, for example, getting away from traffic lights quickly - I just take too long coming off the clutch! Apart from that though I’m grand - control of the car is fine, manouvers are excellent, awareness is great, etc.

Anyone had any experience with Renault Clio’s?

Renaults are like girls from Hull.

Cheap, Nasty and Dirty.

Avoid

Posted on Mon, 15 June 2009 at 11:15 in reply to an earlier post

#14

not that kind of guy (Richard) wrote:

my first car was an ancient blue escort. i can’t actually remember the reg but it had a manual choke on it and literally fell to bits after about 6 months. (i only passed my test about 3 years ago, first time mind).

now i have an ancient red ford fiesta which has done me well for the last 2 and a bit years. it is an L reg. it does not have a cigarette lighter socket so i have to charge my sat nav at home and pray it doesn’t run out if i go anywhere far away. which inevitably it does.

i know nothing about cars though sorry. as long as they move and don’t die, that is enough for me. if i am ever asked about someone elses car i tend to get as far as the colour and that is about it.

Posted on Mon, 15 June 2009 at 16:45

#15

mrs h wrote:

CS wrote:
I seem to be an excellent driver!

So was Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man ;)

Posted on Mon, 15 June 2009 at 20:47 in reply to an earlier post

#16

Gav wrote:

^^^ laughing my ass off ^^^

Posted on Mon, 15 June 2009 at 20:52

#17

Tubthumper (Scott) wrote:

My first car was a ‘94 Clio. Fine enough for a first car, had it for a year before upgrading to a ‘00 Peugeot 306, and two years later, upgraded to a ‘06 Fiesta ZS which I have now had for nearly 4 months.

Posted on Mon, 15 June 2009 at 21:08

#18

Citizen Erased (confused again) wrote:

Am also in the Fiesta club…

My first car was a 1.4 J reg green Fiesta, which had previously had one very careful lady owner, my mother. Within 6 months I made it do a 720 degree spin into a barrier, and was quite relieved to not write it or myself off. Eventually it got passed onto another lady owner (my girlfriend), who wasn’t quite so careful with it in that she left it to rust in peace. Eventually the fire brigade took it away to practice cutting dummies out of it.

My next car was black

My next after that car was green

My current car is black

I may get a green one next year…

Fiestas are great first cars. wouldn’t want another one though.

Posted on Wed, 17 June 2009 at 08:44

#19

glen wrote:

ive got a 106 diesel 1.6, saves me a fortune on fuel - its got no acceleration whatsoever but i did manage to get 100mph out of it : )

As for a first car get a 1.1, 1.3 or something cos anything above and insurance will cripple you, just get a runabout car, nothing fancy (if you crash it or write it off it wont be as bad) anything that looks clean will do, as long as its reliable

at this point in time i would advise you to get something over 10 years old, keep it for a year and then do that new scrap trade in thing, and get a brand spankin new car out of it

Posted on Wed, 17 June 2009 at 09:54

#20

CS (Colin S) wrote:

Yeh, I’ve been looking at 1996/1998 cars - although I keep getting the feeling that my dad has bought me a car for my birthday!
I’ll be saving if he hasn’t and will hope to get a runabout car by the end of summer!

Posted on Wed, 17 June 2009 at 10:11

#21

chr1s (I can't remember my own name) wrote:

VW Golf’s make great first cars too. German engine reliability and they are solid. Cheap for parts and repairs too

My first car was an old C reg VW Jetta!!! It was a manky burgundy colour and it had some damage on 1 side, but a bargain at £200. Had it for 6 months then the mot ran out and it needed about £400 of work done to get it through, so i scrapped it and spent £1000 on a G reg Honda Concerto. What a car. To this day, it’s still the best car i ever owned. :)

Posted on Wed, 17 June 2009 at 11:23

#22

Gav wrote:

Happy Birthday Col!

Posted on Wed, 17 June 2009 at 11:26

#23

Tubthumper (Scott) wrote:

That’s my Fiesta… :D

Posted on Wed, 17 June 2009 at 11:49

#24

Tubthumper (Scott) wrote:

Hmm…that didn’t work…let’s try again.

Posted on Wed, 17 June 2009 at 11:50

#25

CS (Colin S) wrote:

Fucking hell that’s nice!

Posted on Wed, 17 June 2009 at 14:13

#26

Dennis (Dudley Less) wrote:

Get breakdown cover.

Seriously - I have had a few second hand cars over the years and you’re bound to have a problem at some point. Not being a harbinger of doom, just being realistic - an older car is more likely to break down. Don’t get stranded in the middle of nowhere! It’s a great relief to know you can dial a number and some guy will turn up and tow you home!

Posted on Wed, 17 June 2009 at 14:42