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[dave the builder]

I think Terry is looking for cheap,reliable transport for his kids,
...
your avatar depicts a FWD car     

Which, ironically, Tunnie uses for ... transporting his kids

[edit] Although I think the difference is that Terry's are nearly as old as Tunnie is, let alone Tunnie's kids!

Terry's choice , he looks after the cars for his family , as do I 

Speaking of - I went looking for Astra H's on eBay and 'trader.. it looks like more like £2k for a 1.7 diesel, manual, estate with less than 100k on it. Shame or I could have been tempted for the return to bangernomics (that said, I would prefer RWD, too).

I agree the astra estate I found was a real bargain, astra h 1.7 tractor juice edition estates are very rare, usually have 150k on because they are very good on fuel (bro is getting 50mpg+   average Tamworth/Birmingham commute)
Terry wants something smaller than an omega and probably a hatchback would do    and in petrol there are loads ,and also some diesels

"Bangernomics" requires shopping around ,research ,time ,and probably fixing a few issues (the reason the car is for sale)

Also, 12 months mot is nice , but, many things are not covered by an MOT inspection, like clutch, headgasket starting to fail ,etc etc

 

[tunnie]

Astra and Vectra FWD though and boring.

I think Terry is looking for cheap,reliable transport for his kids,
That is not rotten,needs welding for the next MOT trackday race car 
he's good with the spanners, allergic to welding bills 
so, I don't think he will find much cheap  RWD fun to be had that won't require being shot with the welding gun 
your avatar depicts a FWD car     

The Zafira Tourer is the wife's, not mine. Driving it has shown me I could not live with FWD as my commuter 

Still maintain Astra/Vectra are boring and horrible choices for bangernomics, far more interesting bangers out there for a couple of grand, with 6 pots and RWD.

[tunnie]

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201810221727162?fuel-type=Petrol&model=5%20SERIES&make=BMW&advertising-location=at_cars&year-to=2006&radius=1500&postcode=tw89de&price-to=2000&sort=price-asc&onesearchad=Used&onesearchad=Nearly%20New&onesearchad=New&minimum-badge-engine-size=3.0&transmission=Automatic&page=1

4.4 V8 with RWD for grand, that's my kinda banger.

[dave the builder]

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201810221727162?fuel-type=Petrol&model=5%20SERIES&make=BMW&advertising-location=at_cars&year-to=2006&radius=1500&postcode=tw89de&price-to=2000&sort=price-asc&onesearchad=Used&onesearchad=Nearly%20New&onesearchad=New&minimum-badge-engine-size=3.0&transmission=Automatic&page=1

4.4 V8 with RWD for grand, that's my kinda banger.

Few things.....
 bangernomics = driving an older car (banger) economically 
  @23 MPG +road tax and insurance , it won't be very economical 

check the MOT history    4 years ago it failed because of rust , and again 3 years ago , I doubt the rust situation has improved with time  and it has 180k+ on it so will need parts and spannering probably 

Terry may as well have the Omega welded up if he wants that sort of RWD
 "economy" 

[tunnie]

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201810221727162?fuel-type=Petrol&model=5%20SERIES&make=BMW&advertising-location=at_cars&year-to=2006&radius=1500&postcode=tw89de&price-to=2000&sort=price-asc&onesearchad=Used&onesearchad=Nearly%20New&onesearchad=New&minimum-badge-engine-size=3.0&transmission=Automatic&page=1

4.4 V8 with RWD for grand, that's my kinda banger.

Few things.....
 bangernomics = driving an older car (banger) economically 

Humm not my definition of a banger, it does not need to be good on fuel.

A banger should have lots of cylinders and be a bit of fun, run it for a while until it implodes or explodes.

Besides, 23mpg, I barely get that out of the 3.2. 

[Doctor Gollum]

No DMF issues on the 1.8 Vectra C... ran three as taxis... total sum of issues was limited to a couple of pairs of springs, 3 radiators (all at 100k) and that was it over about 300k miles between them. all had oil and filter every 10k, and plugs, air/pollen/fuel filters every 20k and coolant every 40k.

6 speed manual box doesn't agree with the 150 cdti in the Astra chassis if the car is driven hard. the box is a slimmed down version of the Vectra one to fit the chassis, and doesn't like abuse.

EY55TLN MoT history will give you an idea of what a well looked after Vectra 1.8 can do. Still see it running around locally. It was still licenced as a PHV until 2017, hence gap in Mot history. I bought it July 2010 with 16k on it and released the V5 once the finance was done in 2015.

FV55LXH equally managed well over 200k, bought in 2009 with 34k.

NL58OJR was the third, used by one person from 2010-15, I used to service it, but he was responsible for the tyres etc, but inspite of his best efforts, did 174k miles. bought in 2010 with 38k on it.

All were Network Q.

[dave the builder]

Besides, 23mpg, I barely get that out of the 3.2. 

If it's any consilation, my 2.6 does not much better 

Driving a V6 omega is not good "bangernomics" . it's financial stupidity if you do any mileage  (unless you have a petrol tree in your garden that's in fruit 24/7/365) , I drive a V6 omega because I like the brand,and need the boot space and have been driving carltons for 18 years, which are thin on the ground 

Lots of very useful information Doctor G    thank you

[Nick W]

Still maintain Astra/Vectra are boring and horrible choices for bangernomics, far more interesting bangers out there for a couple of grand, with 6 pots and RWD.

6 cylinder RWD cars are the horrible choices for bangernomics. That requires a car that is cheap to buy and needs nothing done to or spent on it for some time. And £2k is a costly banger. Most cheap RWD are that way because they're actually expensive to own, and the previous owners opted out of paying for the jobs that make them long term possibilities. Just like cheap Omegas have been for several years now.


Astras, Vectras, Focus are good for this because there are lots of them about, parts are easy and cheap and they're OK as cars. Except for the Focus, but I'm in a small minority thinking that


I no longer give a toss about owning a RWD everyday car. Which is just as well, because I don't like most of them!

[Doctor Gollum]

Plenty of sensibly priced 1.8 Vectra around, buy facelift and look after it and the car might only owe you a couple of hundred a year. Similar size to the Omega so no loss of comfort that you would get from smaller Focus/Astra sized cars.

Economy is better than the Omega, typically 32 mpg, so all in all, it's a win

[TheBoy]

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201810221727162?fuel-type=Petrol&model=5%20SERIES&make=BMW&advertising-location=at_cars&year-to=2006&radius=1500&postcode=tw89de&price-to=2000&sort=price-asc&onesearchad=Used&onesearchad=Nearly%20New&onesearchad=New&minimum-badge-engine-size=3.0&transmission=Automatic&page=1

4.4 V8 with RWD for grand, that's my kinda banger.

You will spend your entire life trying to find where all the fluids are escaping from.  Actually, as you say you don't have time to maintain cars (and that 4.4 lump needs lovin'), you'll be paying someone a fortune keeping that going.

[TheBoy]

1.8 Vectra C all day long

Back when they were worth something, I seemed to spend half my life down at a certain garage diagnosing shagged ECMs on them.

Nowadays, they're just scrapped. And rightly so, god awful pieces of shit.

[Kevin Wood]

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201810221727162?fuel-type=Petrol&model=5%20SERIES&make=BMW&advertising-location=at_cars&year-to=2006&radius=1500&postcode=tw89de&price-to=2000&sort=price-asc&onesearchad=Used&onesearchad=Nearly%20New&onesearchad=New&minimum-badge-engine-size=3.0&transmission=Automatic&page=1

4.4 V8 with RWD for grand, that's my kinda banger.

You will spend your entire life trying to find where all the fluids are escaping from.  Actually, as you say you don't have time to maintain cars (and that 4.4 lump needs lovin'), you'll be paying someone a fortune keeping that going.

Yes, at least with the Omega it's only the rust you've got to worry about and it's not a mechanical basket case on top.

[tunnie]

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201810221727162?fuel-type=Petrol&model=5%20SERIES&make=BMW&advertising-location=at_cars&year-to=2006&radius=1500&postcode=tw89de&price-to=2000&sort=price-asc&onesearchad=Used&onesearchad=Nearly%20New&onesearchad=New&minimum-badge-engine-size=3.0&transmission=Automatic&page=1

4.4 V8 with RWD for grand, that's my kinda banger.

You will spend your entire life trying to find where all the fluids are escaping from.  Actually, as you say you don't have time to maintain cars (and that 4.4 lump needs lovin'), you'll be paying someone a fortune keeping that going.

I’d rather spend time tinkering with that, while getting to enjoy a V8.

Where is the fun in tinkering to keep an Astra, no fun for the work.

[TheBoy]

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201810221727162?fuel-type=Petrol&model=5%20SERIES&make=BMW&advertising-location=at_cars&year-to=2006&radius=1500&postcode=tw89de&price-to=2000&sort=price-asc&onesearchad=Used&onesearchad=Nearly%20New&onesearchad=New&minimum-badge-engine-size=3.0&transmission=Automatic&page=1

4.4 V8 with RWD for grand, that's my kinda banger.

You will spend your entire life trying to find where all the fluids are escaping from.  Actually, as you say you don't have time to maintain cars (and that 4.4 lump needs lovin'), you'll be paying someone a fortune keeping that going.

I’d rather spend time tinkering with that, while getting to enjoy a V8.

Where is the fun in tinkering to keep an Astra, no fun for the work.

A neighbour has a highly tuned Astra-H VXR, I suspect that's a lot of fun. If it hadn't put too much through the gearbox so it whines like a bastard

[tunnie]

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201810221727162?fuel-type=Petrol&model=5%20SERIES&make=BMW&advertising-location=at_cars&year-to=2006&radius=1500&postcode=tw89de&price-to=2000&sort=price-asc&onesearchad=Used&onesearchad=Nearly%20New&onesearchad=New&minimum-badge-engine-size=3.0&transmission=Automatic&page=1

4.4 V8 with RWD for grand, that's my kinda banger.

You will spend your entire life trying to find where all the fluids are escaping from.  Actually, as you say you don't have time to maintain cars (and that 4.4 lump needs lovin'), you'll be paying someone a fortune keeping that going.

I’d rather spend time tinkering with that, while getting to enjoy a V8.

Where is the fun in tinkering to keep an Astra, no fun for the work.

A neighbour has a highly tuned Astra-H VXR, I suspect that's a lot of fun. If it hadn't put too much through the gearbox so it whines like a bastard

FWD though, you boot it in RWD and the back end wiggles about, can steer through it. It’s fun.

Boot it in FWD and it just rattles your dash to bits, with zero steering ability, I find it quite unpleasant to drive a FWD quickly.