Cheap high mileage reliable runners

[poxon 5,913]

Best banger I had was a n reg 1000cc vw polo I bought my girlfriend as a first car give £120 for it because I didn’t fancy putting her in one of my decent motors after a year I bought her a nice car but we kept the polo for 7yrs as a back up vehicle the thing was bulletproof never serviced it ragged the crap out of it used it an abused the thing just kept going and keep going through the mots I used it as a dog wagon great car proper poverty spec vehicle the last mot I took it to it failed on a small patch of welding I sold it for 250 

[Greyman 31,239]

My current motor was a freebie mot failure Suzuki swift had a break in the wiring loom cost me £75 to put it right and been driving it for the last 5 years dogs in the back collect logs in it all winter had over 250 000 on it but clock reset itself a few years back and only shows 23 000 now love the proper old japs Hondas and Suzukis no French parts and just don’t break down 

[Daniel cain 48,347]

Got a 2003 Rav d4d..payed £1200 for it,got  full leather, everything worked on it...never spent a penny on it for 5 years bar fuel and servicing kit,jump in it,and drive anywhere you wanted, bombproof TBF...... until I let some joker change the clutch,and a few other bits discs, brake calipers few bushes...didn't bolt the gearbox up tidy...truck was ticking over on the MOT ramp...then went bang, complete new engine,gearbox and turbo

Not to worry,my brother sourced me  a  complete truck,low mileage ,2 days later for £300,just been brought into the yard....£250 to swap out the engines etc...and she was running like a dream again......clutch went 2 weeks back....now I'm thinking,do I replace? Or cut my losses? Look for something else? Some vehicles are mint,but then it comes a time,you start throwing money at them....do you keep them? Or hope you don't buy a lemon to replace them?

[dodger 3,587]

8 minutes ago, Daniel cain said:

Got a 2003 Rav d4d..payed £1200 for it,got  full leather, everything worked on it...never spent a penny on it for 5 years bar fuel and servicing kit,jump in it,and drive anywhere you wanted, bombproof TBF...... until I let some joker change the clutch,and a few other bits discs, brake calipers few bushes...didn't bolt the gearbox up tidy...truck was ticking over on the MOT ramp...then went bang, complete new engine,gearbox and turbo

Not to worry,my brother sourced me  a  complete truck,low mileage ,2 days later for £300,just been brought into the yard....£250 to swap out the engines etc...and she was running like a dream again......clutch went 2 weeks back....now I'm thinking,do I replace? Or cut my losses? Look for something else? Some vehicles are mint,but then it comes a time,you start throwing money at them....do you keep them? Or hope you don't buy a lemon to replace them?

You've done your best there and that was lucky sourcing the other truck for parts seems you have good people to help you out which is half the battle ain't it, a clutch tho labour still be about 800 for that truck will it?

[dodger 3,587]

32 minutes ago, Greyman said:

My current motor was a freebie mot failure Suzuki swift had a break in the wiring loom cost me £75 to put it right and been driving it for the last 5 years dogs in the back collect logs in it all winter had over 250 000 on it but clock reset itself a few years back and only shows 23 000 now love the proper old japs Hondas and Suzukis no French parts and just don’t break down 

Yeh this one is a jap I think they are the best especially the older basic ones like I say paid 350 for it and only got this as the one I had before was so good and I paid 400 for that which was supposed to be a stop gap but turned out to be the most reliable car I'd ever had never needed nothing just tires n did alot of milage go anywhere confidently in it I only replaced as it wasn't ulez

That's amazing to have that milage on that little engine and best of all free lol you must have changed the belts n clutch in that time?

Edited April 21 by dodger

[dodger 3,587]

50 minutes ago, poxon said:

Best banger I had was a n reg 1000cc vw polo I bought my girlfriend as a first car give £120 for it because I didn’t fancy putting her in one of my decent motors after a year I bought her a nice car but we kept the polo for 7yrs as a back up vehicle the thing was bulletproof never serviced it ragged the crap out of it used it an abused the thing just kept going and keep going through the mots I used it as a dog wagon great car proper poverty spec vehicle the last mot I took it to it failed on a small patch of welding I sold it for 250 

You got lucky there 120 quid for 7 years of motoring and 100 quid profit in the end do they call you delboy round your way

[dodger 3,587]

I think if your really lucky aswell and can be patient and if if it's not a stop gap and you'de want to have to have a budge car for a while hang in there and look for one that's also had a recent belt n clutch change you can find them as even with expensive cars you can spend a few grand and there due a major service were as you can sometimes get something for 500 600 quid if your careful that has had everything done.

[Daniel cain 48,347]

14 minutes ago, dodger said:

You've done your best there and that was lucky sourcing the other truck for parts seems you have good people to help you out which is half the battle ain't it, a clutch tho labour still be about 800 for that truck will it?

There's a brand-new clutch in my old engine,clean the oil off it,£100/£150 for the labour to fit it

Had an oil leak on the crankseal of my Octavia Vrs wagon last yr..that was around £750 for a new clutch and bits , labour from memory

[dodger 3,587]

10 minutes ago, Daniel cain said:

There's a brand-new clutch in my old engine,clean the oil off it,£100/£150 for the labour to fit it

Had an oil leak on the crankseal of my Octavia Vrs wagon last yr..that was around £750 for a new clutch and bits , labour from memory

Thing is once it's done n with the engine could last you years n you know the truck, could get something else for more money with different issues as you know 

[poxon 5,913]

20 minutes ago, dodger said:

You got lucky there 120 quid for 7 years of motoring and 100 quid profit in the end do they call you delboy round your way

Cheap small engine cars round my way are none existent now due to the scrapage scheme they used to have running I just got lucky probably wouldn’t find a car that cheap again. Used to always keep my eyes peeled for a bargain car when I was a mechanic apprentice buy em fix em sell them on with 12months ticket. 

[dodger 3,587]

This is after they finish the nc500 n what they decide to do with the cars 

[mitre 238]

Has the moto is you get what you paid for the cheapest way ends up the expensive if it's cheap what's up with it as people will think it's going cheap because it's duff you pay money out then it should be ok as long you got the paperwork stating it's ok as they will be always be fly by knights about that sell you just rubbish and they don't care there plenty of them places in alum rock and other parts of Birmingham with dodgy crap cars my youngest brother fell for a fella saying it will only cost ya £80 for breakpads it needed more then that and a parking fee on top as this fella parked paid no parking ticket in the car park and then later off loads it to my youngest that car was a total nightmare guess who he brought it off MUSLIMS don't buy from them 

[poxon 5,913]

Another good car I had back in the day that I got for a bargain price was a nova Sri I give £150 for it the lad that owned it had paid £1400 for it a couple of months prior it had a scorpion Alarm and immobiliser fitted and mobilised its self he was quoted £1000 for a auto electrician to remove the immobiliser so I asked what he wanted he said scrap value so give him £150 I didn’t need the car but it was a mint one got it recovered to my girlfriends parents gaff me and her old man removed the alarm and immobiliser within 15mins I was on the road in it the following day rapid little car kept it as a work vehicle for a couple of years till I was side swiped by a Volvo at speed and put in a ditch I’d love this car back 

[dodger 3,587]

12 minutes ago, poxon said:

Another good car I had back in the day that I got for a bargain price was a nova Sri I give £150 for it the lad that owned it had paid £1400 for it a couple of months prior it had a scorpion Alarm and immobiliser fitted and mobilised its self he was quoted £1000 for a auto electrician to remove the immobiliser so I asked what he wanted he said scrap value so give him £150 I didn’t need the car but it was a mint one got it recovered to my girlfriends parents gaff me and her old man removed the alarm and immobiliser within 15mins I was on the road in it the following day rapid little car kept it as a work vehicle for a couple of years till I was side swiped by a Volvo at speed and put in a ditch I’d love this car back 

meant for mitre

Edited April 21 by dodger

[dodger 3,587]

4 minutes ago, poxon said:

Another good car I had back in the day that I got for a bargain price was a nova Sri I give £150 for it the lad that owned it had paid £1400 for it a couple of months prior it had a scorpion Alarm and immobiliser fitted and mobilised its self he was quoted £1000 for a auto electrician to remove the immobiliser so I asked what he wanted he said scrap value so give him £150 I didn’t need the car but it was a mint one got it recovered to my girlfriends parents gaff me and her old man removed the alarm and immobiliser within 15mins I was on the road in it the following day rapid little car kept it as a work vehicle for a couple of years till I was side swiped by a Volvo at speed and put in a ditch I’d love this car back 

Sounds like a good one that Shame about the accident but at least you wasn't badly hurt.

I had a nova aswell but mine was a death trap according to a mechanic at the time another one down to my dad his logic was if it's got MOT it'll be right.

Then Volvos you mention we're good motors eh go forever if treated well