Just come across a little gem of a car

Its NOT a Scoobie - its an old XR3i Cabriolet - yes I know!!!!! anyway I cant resist when I spot something special!!

I want info on it really and a price indication (I KNOW its what I am prepared to pay - but a hint at what YOU would pay ) given the following info:-

1. 1984 on the 'A' plate

2. 72,000 miles genuine

3. 1 owner since new and garaged winters

4. Seems straight and genuine

5. Service History - Merc garage!!??

6. Black

7. New hood 1997

8. Pirana alarm/immobiliser

So? how about it - what would YOU pay me for it (most of you wouldnt want it anyway - but its just for a bit of fun over summer)!!

Also, has anyone any experience of Classic Car insurance - would this qualify? - how would YOu insure it??

Pete

ps. What about that alarm?? the owner states that it is NOT CAT1 OR 2 !!!! I think it NEEDS at least a CAT2 to get insurance these days what do you reckon?

[This message has been edited by pslewis (edited 27 April 2001).]

 

Pete you will be lucky to get it insured under Classic as these type of cars sell for around £500 or less!

I will pay you £50 so I can burn it and smile! Im not kidding either!

 

Well I can say that the owner wants a damn sight more than £500 !!!!!!!

Thats only a set of tyres for gods sake!!

Find me one immaculate, 1 owner, low miles for £500 and if I buy it I will pay YOU £100 commission Harj!!!! - or all the pies for a week

Pete

[This message has been edited by pslewis (edited 27 April 2001).]

 

Pete have a look at the Autotrader and im sure you will find some lovely Dustbins

My bro had a similar car to what your looking at, im sure even someone like yourself could understand a simple CVH Engine LOL

 

I really like the XR3i cab, as a second car only for the summer.

Guess they are not slow either , which would be added fun.

i have no idea what they are worth, but i would not want to pay more than £ 1000.

As you say pete something like this when you already have a good car is all down to what you are willing to pay not just what its worth.

 

harj - I was taking cars apart and putting them back together when you were still sh1tting your nappy my man!! ok, they never ran again but thats NOT the point

Melpaul2002 - thanks for that - a sparkle of sense!!

I have a few thou kicking arond in my wallet - what the hell else do you do with it??

I have just rung my insurance - and it NEEDS to have a CAT1 or CAT2 alarm, what price a CAT2 alarm with certificate? anyone?

Pete

 

but £500 is nearly a whole set of tyres !! no way I'd pay that much.

 

Cat 2 is an immobiliser (about £100 fitted ?) cat one would be alarm and immobiliser

 

£100?? thats not bad at all - anyone else got any thoughts??

Would the insurance lads like to offer a way that I can get on the road in this thing?

Pete

the CAT statement only applies to thatcham approved alarms/immobilisers does it not? so if the Piranha is not approved then its not a CAT rated alarm? - does thatcham have a helpline or website??


[This message has been edited by pslewis (edited 27 April 2001).]

 

Pete,

Classic Car insurance shouldn't be too hard to get. I run an 88 Fiat X1/9 on classic insurance, £112 fully comp with agreed value of £3K, breakdown cover and declared exhaust and filter mods.

Give Carole Nash Classic Car Insurance a try on 0800 298 5566.

ps I would recon on paying up to about £2K for an immaculate early escort cab. Forget it's age, you buy this type of car based on it's condition. You should see how much some owners advertise X1/9's for

Cheers,

Mark

 

pete
my teaboy had an xr3 cabriolet( until he wrote it off )
he was looking at selling it before the smash, and was expecting 2k in the summer time, 1.5k in the winter. very seasonal these things apparently. personally speaking, i never drove it, but it was unreliable as hell.always breaking down, problems starting it, etc etc. no matter how much he spent, it never got any better.
total dog of a car, honestly.

 

Thanks RSPilot - brilliant info!! do you suffer if you claim on your classic policy?? I understand you dont gain any NCD on Classic?? what about a CAT2 immobiliser?

Spudgun - yeah but they are simple to fix??

Thanks for the sensible posts!!

Pete

 

Recon the car is worth around £ 700.00 mint.

Clasic insurance - unlikely i think - car 17 years old and unlikely to be classed as a classic - usually 20+ years in my experience.

Have a look in Classic & Sportscar - see if it shows up at all in the price guide - there are a lot of Classic car insurers advertising there - worth a call but i recon not classed as such.

 

Thanks Paul

Pete

My daughter wants to do some work on the computer now - so I will have to go

Back later!!

 

Tut,Tut,Tut..............

Golf GTi anyone ?

PUULEEEEZE, Do you have nothing else to do with your money ?

I would not only watch it burn, I would bring some Burgers n Sausages. !!!

 

pete, it depends if you want to spend your time fixing it. for a couple of grand more, how about a cheap eunos? reliable, look nice ( yeah, hairdressers etc), but nevertheless a good car. you will pay 2k for a decent one(xr cab). most people who have escort cabs where i live are nova boys. do u want blue neons glowing under your car?
if u take a trip out in it, say to the countryside , and the bugger dont start, you will be lumbered. if u buy it, will you put your pslewis window stcker in it? and you MUST buy a baseball cap. and yes, as u know, u will enjoy the benefit of 720bhp as no doubt it will have a fake dustbin style exhaust backbox from halfords

[This message has been edited by spudgun (edited 27 April 2001).]

 

Offer £500 but be prepared to sort out the engine.
I think the 84, unless it has had a new head, will run on 4* and will be sludged up by now anyway. Think about a new engine, preferably a stage 3 mod.
Further help can be found from the

 

Going back a while (3years ish) I had an 'IT assistant' who had an 'immaculate' XR3i Cabriolet, 1985. At the time it had covered a genuine 65k, and he bought it in the summer for £1500. He blew the head gasket in about 4 weeks, then the gearbox, then put a cheap RS turbo engine in it and lowered it. Going round a slow corner the wheel bearing snapped and the car ended up mid hedge!

I would say that something went wrong with the car about once every week or two! I would buy one, however cheap/good it was. Try the hairdressers favourite, 205CTi, I know someone who has owned one for 9 years and apart from one ECU problem, it has been perfect.

My mate with the Escort XR3 never did sell it. He got a new job with a company car, and still has his car rotting in a disfunctional state in the garage!

Jon

 

Well, yes I could get a Golf Convert. but they look **** IMHO - well built though.

Audi Saab and BMW would be silly money when I only want to play about with it

Rover may be a poss.??? but too new for Classic car policies

The money isnt an issue really - I will pay whatever it takes to get the best (as a play thing)- and the owner maintains that this one is? what the hell is that about sludged up engine? that would only apply on a badly serviced one surely??

Pete

 

Pete,

Sorry for not getting back earlier.

I changed to Carole Nash insurance this year as the last company I was with has stopped doing cherished cars. It's only my second year on this type of insurance but as far as I can tell I can't get any NCB on this policy. As far as claiming, I think it affects any insurance you have running although you wouldn't lose any NCB on other policies running at the time. They just take into account that you've bent a motor during the previous year then use the NCB reduction as normal.

Ref CAT 2 immobiliser, they're not bother for my X1/9 but expect the cab is a bit more nickable.

How much is the car btw ? (not that it really matters though )

Have you been given any classic quotes yet?

Cheers,

Mark

 

Thanks Mark - rang Carole Nash and they were very helpful, a 1.6i Cabriolet of 1984/A vintage IS insurable under a classic car policy at £144 for 2000miles, spouse and I.

The owners want £1200 for the car, which seems very high but I suppose if it IS immaculate it is a cheap way to have fun for the summer?

It does need a CAT2 fitting at a cost of, say £150 and it needs a service - with a new cambelt fitting - the one on it is 8 years old!!! so the total would be around the £1500 mark, which might be a bit heavy for a 17 year old Escort???????

Thanks again

Pete

 

Pete,

If you get it and want an alarm fitting drop craigamungos an e-mail on craigfinney@ntlworld.com

Discounted rates for scoobynet members.

Cheers
Lee

 

Thanks Lee - cant remember if craigmungos is one of my fans????????

I can just see everyone on here jumping out the bushes at craigs plot and beating seven bells of cr4p out of me

Pete

 

Pete,

Sounds like you're trying to talk yourself out of buying the car . A CAT 2 immobiliser should cost no more than £100 fitted and cam belts on CVH engines are a doddle to change and very cheap. You're looking at another £200 maximum for your full service and immobiliser.

If the car is a minter, it sounds a fair price to me but would always look to haggle off a couple hundred pounds.

Cheers,

Mark

 

Rover did a Metro cabrio... they are cheap

 

Pete,
Open both driver and passenger doors, get in and get a friend to sit in the passenger seat.
Now check if you can close the doors

 

Why anyone would want to drive an XR3i Cabriolet in whatever state or for whatever amount is beyond me!

I tell you what Pete, you give me the £500 and i'll be your Chauffeur for the summer. I'll rig a hairdrier into my MY01 WRX so that you can blow cold air into your face, coupled with a mirror that re-directs the sun into your gob, that should just about take care of the convertable aspect.

Then, as you dont like the looks of the WRX, i'll put a bag on your head so
a) No one can see you
b) I dont have to listen to you !!!

Seems a deal to me - and you dont get wet when it rains!!!


Jza

 

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<HR>Originally posted by Jza:
<B>Why anyone would want to drive an XR3i Cabriolet in whatever state or for whatever amount is beyond me!

I tell you what Pete, you give me the £500 and i'll be your Chauffeur for the summer. I'll rig a hairdrier into my MY01 WRX so that you can blow cold air into your face, coupled with a mirror that re-directs the sun into your gob, that should just about take care of the convertable aspect.

Then, as you dont like the looks of the WRX, i'll put a bag on your head so
a) No one can see you
b) I dont have to listen to you !!!

Seems a deal to me - and you dont get wet when it rains!!!


Jza[/quote]

Very good - you come particularly cheap!

ALANB - I used to live in Maidenhead - where abouts are you there? e-mail me if you want?

Pete

 

Pete, buy a Jensen Healey.

I have one, (not selling mine though so no axe to grind) 1974 roadster. Quite rare. Nice sporty interior, nice looks (long bonnet and bonnet bulge!) and best of all, 2.0 16v DOHC 145bhp Lotus 901 powerplant. If you shop around and move quickly, you could get a decent one for £3k

Heres a site with some pics:

 

Just for interests sake, does anyone know what harj is driving at the moment?