Went to view a car this morning.

[F Body]

Senior F Body Kid will be learning to drive soon so I've been looking for a good cheap Capri. Simple & cheap to service and will teach her the basics of car maintenance

One owner 65k miles but not as immaculate as described















Still 11 months MOT and was fairly solid underneath, still negotiating on price so it's still a possibility

[Gator]

cool they are a bit tail happy aint they

[EDGE]

Bit dodgy for a first car surely. Old brakes, suspension and steering will not an easy car to drive make !!!

What was it up for, a few guys on the mustang club have been looking for these

[Fieldy]

I wouldn't give my child that for a 1st motor now-a-days personally.... But, it would still rock if i was the kid getting it as a first motor....

[Gator]

actually i think something like that is a good idea for a 1st motor, it needs a little more driving than modern cars and will concentrate the mind on the road you drive it, it doesnt drive you the faster you go the more noise the engine makes it will rattle and make you wonder if its going to fall apart (it is a ford). a new cars can feel too comfy and remove the driver from the outside world they lul you into a very false sense of security

a granada might be cool

[ianjpage]

now thats definately an interesting choice as a first car!!

[Motorama]

I'd be interested to know what sort of insurance quotes you get on that for a 17 year old

Just paid an arm and a leg to insure a 1.0 Seat Arosa for my daughter

[Roadkill]

Quoting: EDGE

Bit dodgy for a first car surely

Surely an old Fiesta or Corsa something would be better ?

[Andy]

According to the book, its a group 6/7 so its not massively expensive, but i imagine with pass plus and maybe several named drivers you could get that for just shy of a grand for a girl. Think it would be a different story for a boy.

Oh, and the bit about it possibly falling to bits because its a Ford, i represent that comment!

Would be an awesome car to do up.

[Roadkill]

Seems like an utter waste when, let's face it, with a new driver it's likely to get battered-to-f*ck within the first six months.

[F Body]

Quoting: Motorama

I'd be interested to know what sort of insurance quote

If the car is over 25 years old it's classic insurance
Looking around the £700 mark

Quoting: Roadkill

Seems like an utter waste when, let's face it, with a new driver it's likely to get battered-to-f*ck within the first six months.

Exactly why I want a "cheap" good but not pristine example

[F Body]

It's a sign I tell you

Pistonheads Shed of the Week is a Capri


http://www.pistonheads.com/news/default.asp?storyId=19875\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">http://www.pistonheads.com/news/default.asp?storyId=19875

Mind you £900 is way more than I plan to spend

[daveyboy]

i think its a great first car.

they can go wrong but they are easy to fix, bits are cheap and later on transplanting engines etc is easy in a capri.
from what i remember laser trim is awfull to the eye so i personally would have the seats out of a 2.0 s.

classic insurance and they are not that thirsty. cool choice imho.

[Roadkill]

Particular car choice aside, Senior F Body Kid has never struck me as a Petrol head or car enthusiast in the slightest.

Is this Capri just likely to be a short-term novelty for her and a long-term project for you, Martyn ?

[Jamieg285]

Quoting: Roadkill

Is this Capri just likely to be a short-term novelty for her and a long-term project for you, Martyn ?

If that was the case, it would be an early 70's 2nd Gen  

[F Body]

Quoting: Roadkill

Is this Capri just likely to be a short-term novelty for he

It depends if she wants to drive anywhere, of course she has to pass her test before that

Quoting: Jamieg285

If that was the case, it would be an early 70's 2nd Gen

Somehow I think a LHD automatic yank tank doesn't quite fit the bill

[HardRockCamaro]

Capri's are cool.  

I can see the trick behind getting her a classic as £700 insurance is a bargain. compared to the 3 grand plus people I know around here are paying to insure newish Fiestas.

Would an Escort of the same age be a better choice though?  Less tail happy, predictable FWD etc?

My only concern with a classic as a first car is the safety, basically there is none...

[EDGE]

thats what i was trying to get at...

the brakes, suspension and steering will all be old technology, and although they can be driven just fine, an inexperienced driver may well over cook it... and yes, a 1600 is plenty powerful enough to get you in serious trouble.....

plus there's no impact protection, airbags etc... not something I'd put a 17 year old in out of choice.

Cant you find an escort of similar like andy suggested?

Something fwd, preferably that HASN'T got a reputation for going sideways.....  I know I wouldn't put a 17 year old in a third gen camaro for that exact reason

[F Body]

Quoting: EDGE

plus there's no impact protection, airbags etc... not something I'd put a 17 year old in out of choice.

Well her request is for a BMW 130i

Apart from the obvious monetary issues, I'd shoot anyone I knew who bought a " Turd " ( aka 1 Series )

[Titsy]

Quoting: F Body

Well her request is for a BMW 130i

No concept of money then...

[F Body]

Quoting: Titsy

No concept of money then...

More to do with the fact that she drove one last year and really liked it

Keeps asking when she can drive the Zee........................


when hell freezes over

If I had the money for a new car and insurance of course i'd buy her one, but we are talking shoe string budget and as RK pointed out, it'll probably get wrecked in the first year anyway

[EDGE]

Quoting: F Body

Well her request is for a BMW 130i  

well.. my current request is for £4,000,000 if that's of any coincidence...  better start teaching her that we cant always have what we want right away!

blimey... when i passed my test i had to share my mums renault 19 diesel, went like a one legged lethargic sloth with ADD and was as noisy as a dozen midgets with hammers locked in a filing cupboard being pushed down an endless flight of iron steps...

I think i bent that renault 3 times.... wrote off a 3 series, hit a wall, and that sign post in enfield has STILL not been put back upright after over 10 years !!!

After driving that for a year I bought myself a 9 month old Ford Focus.  It was 99 and the car had only been out for a year, t'was the dogs danglies back then... took a LOT of hard work to buy that car....

[Motorama]

I dont mind Capris, i had a few when i was in my teens including a 3.0S with a full on 3100 motor and close ratio box. I was a bit of a street racer back in the day

One of my mate's 18 year son has just purchased his second MK3 Capri but i know he gets hit hard on insurance and I'm pretty sure classic car insurance wont touch anyone under 25.

[Gator]

Quoting: Motorama

I'm pretty sure classic car insurance wont touch anyone under 25.

no you wont get it for an under 25 and classic car insurance is outside of the no claims system so even if you could get it your always at square one

[philoldsmobile]

i had  1600 capri, a 1978 model to be exact.

easy to drive, much lighter steering than an un assisted fiesta or corsa, never had any problems with mine, and the 1600 is not tail happy at all.

the only thing that may be an issue is the long nose, but its not that hard to get used to. i'd say a great choice!