so, im back from uni for easter on friday...

I really want a car this summer which im going to buy, but the dilemma is which kind. I have recently found a really good insurance company that will insure me on the likes of Golf Vr6 Volvo S40 T4 and after a quick quote... an Escort RS Turbo. Seeing as i will only be having the car for summer as we cant take cars to uni, it needs to be one that wont let me down or be costly to fix whilst i have it. The quote for a S40 T4 was £1,000. Which is the quickest car i have got a quote for so far. the F-reg RS Turbo which i got a quote for, was £1,400. Now, i will be getting a pro rata refund for my insurance when i cancel it in september so its not too much of a worry but i dont really want to be spending alot on the car in case it goes wrong. Now id love to get an RS Turbo for the summer or something alike but dont really know what to look for and i dont know how much one is worth. i have seen one in the local paper for £2000. it reads.

ESCORT RS T F-reg, Red, MoT, ZVH engine and more, owned last 4 years, service history, garaged, space needed

Im really in a pickle! any help/advice would be appreciated

 

any ideas!

 

If you want reliability and cheap to run without major headache costs of repairing it, then either the Volvo or Golf in my book - the RS Turbo is MINIMUM 16 years old and WILL cause you problems - especially if you buy a shitter

 

tbh it doesnt sound like you can afford a rst! they are always far more trouble than anticipated. as said above - stick to reliable cars!

 

cheers guys!!

 

right.... after slightly ignoring your advice i went to have a look at the RST (he lives in the same village as me)

heres the low down. the shell has done 108,242 miles. its a F-reg. It has covered 42 miles since last MOT as it sits in his garage as second car and its done about 70 miles since engine rebuild.It had an engine rebuild a year and a half ago and now has a mk5 1.8 16v bottom end on it thats done 50,000 and a recon 1.6 head with double layered head gasket on low compression i think he said. Its got a Pipercross with baileys dump valve.ABS (dont know if thats standard or not). The battery tray and area underneath fuse box has been cut out replaced and painted. other rot is on inside of boot (get a 2nd hand boot?) there is a crack on the front bumper but he has new bumper ready for painting which has cut out in middle for greater air intake. 4` scorpion straight through with koni adjustables and 90 spec recaro interior. no tax. MOT till end of august. visible filler is behind back right hand wheel underneath the bumper where it fixes against bodywork. hes selling because he has no time for it anymore. driver window motor needs replacing. basically few niggles to be sorted. its up for £2k but he said hes willing to negotiate. i was going to get it on a ramp and get it looked over tommorow. any more thoughts guys?

 

personally i wouldn't, sounds a bit of a dog. £2k should buy you a reasonably tidy rst of some description. Should deffo be able to get a tidy xr2t for that money or a volvo t5 - not a fan of the t4 myself.

where are you? - i've seen a red zvh advertised around here for ages, wonder if its the same one!?

 

mk5 1.8 bottom end?

i thought most zetec's were mondy versions?

TBH mate if i was you i'd give the loan company the money back! Theres nothing worse than paying a student loan off!

 

I would ask him why it has not done any miles?

40 since last MOT and 70 since rebuild..
sounds dodgy to me

 

he said its because hes had it as his 2nd car for the 4 years hes had it and doesnt get a chance to use it. not totally sure its 70miles, but something low, alot of the history could verify it though.

 

as above, me personally would buy a fairly stock s2 turbo.

2k will get you a tidy one. If you start looking at heavily modded cars then yes, they will break and cost a bomb to fix. Something with small mods, exhaust, chip, lowered nice alloys will be a far better bet.

PLUS and most important, buy a dog and it will not sell!!! buy a nice straight ok condition car and it will be easier to get gone when you need to.

Stick to something that isn't running power beyond it's comfort zone.

Matt

 

i would prefer a totally stock RST but its a job to find one locally here and i know i will have to travel to find one.

The car isnt running more than standard power. It just has a 1.8 bottom end on it, he says he did it because its a stronger base to work on when he was planning to tune the engine. his last engines kept blowing up, hence the reason he went for the 1.8 block.

 

well he probably rags the fuck out of his car if they keep breaking.

offer him £1500-£1650 then use the rest of your money to tidy it up

 

Don't get something likely to break if you are saying...

''i dont really want to be spending alot on the car in case it goes wrong''

Especially if it's only done 70 miles since the rebuild? Wtf....if you'd just paid to rebuild/rebuilt your engine wouldn't you want to drive it...at least every so often?!

It's screaming ''winter project''...and you're screaming ''summer car''....

 

its screaming chavvy shitbox too

 

well would it be likely to break? im not exactly going to start turning the boost up on it and changing the management, i would keep it as it is and not rag the fuck out of it 24.7

i wouldnt say its a winter project. i just need to find and fit a new boot and get the front bumper sprayed and fitted. Other bits like leccy window motors can be done at the weekend. im home for easter for 4 weeks and wouldnt be insuring it until i come back from exams at uni. a low offer would be the only route if at all i think, providing everything is sound underneath. why he would want to drive it since the rebuild i dont know, makes you think hes scared somethings going to go. test drove ok and il be getting a mechanic on it tommorow....