Newbie looking for a daily driver

[Greg.w]

Hey folks!

I'm Greg from central Scotland and just now I drive a mk1 focus rs.

I'm looking at getting a second car to take the miles off the rs(gets 22 mpg on a run and about 7 when booting it lol)and after many many insurance quotes(as I'm only 20) I've came to the conclusion that a 2000/2001 Clio sport 172 is perfect. Fast, simple(no turbo I mean) and handle great.

Ive got about £1k to spend but can't insure it till may so I've got from now till then to read up on them and find one. In time it'll probably be stripped and caged for a little bit of track action. I know £1k isnt a lot and pickings will be slim but do you think it's feasible?

Also what sort of mpg do people get on a run?

Look forward to reading all about them

Cheers

 

[plymcl172]

if you dont mind me asking how the hell did you get insured on an RS then ? your 20 ?

 

[TheEvilGiraffe]

Welcome !

You after a Ph1 172 ?

Mine was good for 40 easily, and 45-50 on a run depending how careful I was :rasp:

However, with only a grand, you're going to end up with a dog, bearing in mind these are now heading for 12 years old now. It'll probably want belts doing too which is £500+. Have you tried quotes to see how high your insurance is going to be ? That might be another grand.. why are you looking now if you're only able to drive it in May ?

Silly question, but you're keeping the FRS .. What's the point ? Get rid and get a mint Clio, or just quit worrying about the MPGs of the FRS. Spending £2k (insurance, tax, purchase and unforseen costs like belts) to save a few miles on the other car seems daft to me.

:evil:

 

[Greg.w]

Right first of yes I'm after a phase 1 172.

Next I'm a mechy engineer so can do basically all mechanical jobs myself.

Insurance is fine it's £1100 to insure both cars. As for how do I get insurance? Well I honestly don't know lol. It baffled me but bearing in mind I did buy the car when I was 18 lmao and Insurance was fine then aswell with only 1 years ncb.

As for sell the rs and buy a mint clip simple answer is never. My rs is running 350-360 bhp and faster than 95% of cars on the road lol. Also if you dont know rs' well they are worth loads more if they are low milage. Mine is 10 years old this year and still under 50k miles. Mpg doesn't really worry me it's keeping the rs mint. But mpg is good to have from a 2nd car.

Also I'm looking now so I can read up on whatever car I choose and keep an eye out for a bargain. So if one comes up in a few months I can buy it and store it till may. While in my possession I can also tart it up until may.

 

[Greg.w]

Just re read the post and 45-50 mpg on a run??? really? Is this the norm?

Websites like parkers etc say 35 mpg, and I've learned from past experience that parkers over estimate things by a little bit. Obviously wrong on this one though

 

[TheEvilGiraffe]

Ph1 has longer gearing than the ph2, no electronic aids and cable throttle. Mine had mild breathing mods (ITG, matched inlets, decat and exhaust) and would easily see high MPGs on a run. I don't think it ever went below 30 even when I was doing 2 miles each way to work on a dual carriageway.

I didn't realise your car was so heavily modified, fair enough ! That changes things haha !!

Good luck with the hunt.

 

[Greg.w]

Ah I see that's good to know then.

Yes it's had a fair amount spent on it and I do all the work myself so I dread to think what fitting costs ontop would be lol.

So is it do able for about £1000-£1200?

 

[TheEvilGiraffe]

You can find cars for that price, but in most people's experience they are dogs and you'll pay twice that on servicing etc unless you're ridiculously lucky !

I think I'd be looking at £1.5>£2k minimum if I were to buy a Ph1 again today.

 

[Greg.w]

What about cat c or d's that have been repaired?

 

[TheEvilGiraffe]

Don't see many these days, most get broken.

Car's worth <£1000 as a C/D, but wheels are £200+, interior is £200+ .. you get the idea.

I personally wouldn't want one that had been smashed unless I knew what happened and who did the repairs etc.

 

[Greg.w]

I understand mate.

Are they relatively cheap to repair? Ie a cracked bumper etc are replacements cheap?

Tbh for my price range I'd expect I get 1 in a few months with 100k on it with belts done. A dark blue one sold on eBay last night for £1200. All that was wrong was it had a scratch on the rear quarter iirc.

Are they generally rust free?

 

[TheEvilGiraffe]

All that's wrong that you can see from the ad... Common faults are shocks, gearboxes, timing belt failures (if not done properly).. £1200 becomes much larger if that all goes boobies up ! :quiet:

Generally yes in my experience, but they're 10+ years old now. Depends how well they've been looked after. Mud in the wheel arches gets most cars. Front wings are plastic BTW.

Bumpers are a couple of hundred quid, if you can find them for sale from a breaking thread on here, or a yard.

Sign up and get involved.

Where are you from anywho ?

:evil:

 

[Greg.w]

Falkirk in central Scotland mate. That's another reason for a second car, to keep the rs tucked away when Scotland gets 3 foot of snow haha