Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I'm looking at getting my hands on a used car, just a cheapy up to about 5 grand that will spend a fair bit of time not being driven, as in not every day driving to work and back, but a bit in the evenings and weekends and the odd drive in the country.

I started looking at some standards, camry or corolla being the main ones as they were efficient, easy and reliable. However more recently I've been looking at European cars.. Went a test drove a '96 A4 Audi today, and I do rather like the solidness, and luxury bits associated with such a vehicle. Now this is where I know a lot of people are going to say "but European cars are too expensive to maintain", but hey, plenty of people around the world drive them.. I understand that they cost a little more, but I have a friend who has an old 850 volvo and he swears by it after having it for a few years. He could afford pretty much any car in the world, but loves his second hand 16 year old volvo and finds it comparable to many other cars for maintenance costs.

When you compare what you can get in the way of a corolla for 3-5 grand and then a Volvo or an Audi, boy there's little comparison in handling, driving pleasure and performance...

Anyone have any experience with European cars of the 90's?

I hit an 94 Volvo in a Truck once.... Bloody Brick it was.....

I have plenty of experience with European cars. :p

I have a '94 Vauxhall Cavalier. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vauxhall_Cavalier It is a reliable little blighter. Making it through it's yearly MOT tests with nothing more major than a blown break light bulb of a faulty windscreen washer pump. Although I once got a hole in my exhaust pipe.

The Cavs have been knocking about Blighty for ages and are easily maintained. I don't have a bad word to say about it. I once said that I would never own a car whilst I lived in London. But when a friend said that he was selling this one I thought, why not? Well it's a decision I haven't come to regret. Certainly living in London I wouldn't go for anything more expensive. Insurance costs are extortionate.

Ihad a 53 Vauxhall it was a ripper to it had a 350 chev engine in it
it done the 1/4 mile in 10.3seconds
and i won an audi a few years back dam nice to drive swaped it for a 4x4

mate if anything goes wrong it will cost you an arm and a leg to get it fixed. Still with something less exotic IMHO.... that said, I can see where you are coming from. check out the vehicles that they sell on graysonline sometimes... always a good spread of older luxury euro stuff on there.

don't get a PEugeot!!
I made the mistake of allowing the Mrs to buy a 206GTi because it looked "cute"
then the dreaded "anti pollution fault" came up and was unfixable. google it and you will see what a nightmare it is.
Luckily it got written off by a soccermum in a Prado. Woman couldn't believe I was smiling and almost thanking her for crashing into it.

If only you asked a month earlier. My mum just sold her 94 BMW 318i with only 90K kms. Literally driven to church on sundays.

You may have to directly order parts from overseas etc. One difference is that a lot of the cheaper aftermarket stuff isn't available here (brake pads, suspension parts, etc.) for the Euro stuff. In countries where there is a higher volume of euro cars, there tend to be more cheap parts available.

My experience is with Alfa Romeos - the older ones are trouble and keep you way too busy, the newer ones are about as reliable as anything else. A 166 would be very nice, should be quite cheap these days.

Steer clear of old Euro cars, 10 years is the limit unless you can find a genuine low K job.

Thats the reason why there are so many nice looking but old Mecedes, Audi, bmw etc for sale,cheap, because major rebuilds are unreasonable and mostly (esp Mecedes) need special tooling to do this, requiring you to take it to a specialised repairer.

Alfa's have an abysmal record.

Research online, Redbook is a very good place to start.

Sorry EB, I only buy Japanese when it's my money on the line, last one was an 8 year old Mitsubishi with 315,000 miles on it. I once had an '80 Dodge Omni that actually had an Audi engine in it and it was the worst car I've ever owned. Went through multiple water pumps, alternators, the block was cracked at the mount, etc. etc. I'd rather have a boring Japanese car that works than the drama of a car that doesn't.

+1 Japanese
Start with low kms - under 150,000-170,000 i would think
+1 http://redbook.com.au/
- research - dont buy immisiately when you find one you want - ring up the servicer and ask about the car and what the next service will cost. Many people drop a car just before a major service.
Cold start it, listen for bearings knocking on start up, look at all the buying tips on drive.com.au and others. They have heaps of second hand car reviews and buying tips: http://news.drive.com.au/drive/buying-t ... -e3u9.html
Get one with a regular service history.
Get one with a roadworthy included in the price.

I had a Triumph Dolomite Sprint - most loved ever - but $$$ and i had a monthly pay plan arrangement with my mechanic coz it was there so ofter.

In 2006 I got a subaru with 160k on the clock for 3k. Engine still going strong at 180k - had to spend $700 on the clutch.

Enjoy!

For a good cheapo hard to beat a corolla

heaps of parts in wreckers etc, a 90's one wont have a computer (good) and you can get it serviced anywhere or do it yourself.

I've owned a older Saab and a German made Mercury Capri - both cost me a fortune in repairs. I've also owned two Nissans and a Honda and they were easy on the wallet.

The Euro cars were the most fun to drive (when they were working)

I've got a modified turbo Forester. Love it!

Oh well I did it....

A 1995 Audi, 2.6L V6 with 180,000km on the clock, with all logbook recorded servicing done from new and all receipts. So now we just see how it goes for reliability and maintenance costs.. I have gone through all the receipt for previous work and services done on the vehicle and it doesn't seem that expensive, the average service with parts and labour oil/filter etc has been $200-$250, cheaper than many new cars.

Looked at a couple of european cars that were not well maintained, but once I saw this one I just couldn't resist.





I've been quite surprised at some of the features that come as standard on these. All body panels are galvanized inside and out, so no signs or rust anywhere, exhaust systems are stainless steel.. Even the door catches are chrome..



The all leather interior is beautiful... with all door trims, dash etc in perfect condition..





A boot that looks like nothing has ever been put in it which is strange considering it's 15 years old.. And yes, that's a professionally installed CD stacker.



Simple interior, this was one of the more basic models without trip computer, climate control, diff locking etc, but it has electric windows, cruise control, sunroof, air-conditioning etc..





Price?????? $3500 The guy listed it on the 20th August and I was the only person to phone him...

The drive is really quite fantastic. After a couple of weeks of reading reviews of different cars, I am starting to understand what people meant by the "driving experience", I certainly haven't had it in any other vehicles before. And it's not just the driving, there's just something about the smallest simplest aspects thats hard to put your finger on.. Something as simple as opening and closing the doors, they feel so certain and precise, so well engineered and tight...

I'd better stop, I'm starting to sound like Jeremy Clarkson..

I'll see how things go in the long term with costs and potential problems, but for $3500 in the condition it's in, I think it's hard to go wrong.. When a camry of about the same age was going to cost about the same amount, I'm glad I didn;t buy one of the Camry's I first looked at a couple of weeks back.