Car modding - starter help?

Dooom

Right, I'm getting into the whole modding thing (and before we go any further, let me clarify that it's not going to be a sh*t engine underneath a nice body, I'd be doing the whole thing. Think Fast & Furious ) and was wondering if anyone could recommend me a half-decent car to start on? I'm browsing through the buy and sell in the under €1000/€1000-€2000 section (that's around my budget). I was thinking of a Nissan Primera, Mazda 323 or something along those lines? I know tax and everything would be a b*tch (on that note, anyone have any idea of tax insurance? The car'd be around 1.3-1.6), but I'm not even old enough to drive yet so I won't hugely worry about it.

Any info/advice on the subject is greatly appreciated.

mike65

When you are old enough to drive you will discover just how expensive running any car is, never mind getting involved in heavy-weight modding.

If you want to get an idea of how much your insurance will cost go here and think again!

Mike.

JohnCleary

As mike said, before modding your car, first reach the legal age to obtain a license. Then wait 2 years saving every fscking penny you earn, just to pay for the car, buy the car, realise how much insurance is, then wait aanother 3 years saving for insurance because it'll cost more than open heart surgery.

After all that is done, you can drive your standard car, browsing through magazines every-day and realise how expensive modding your car actually is!

Thats what I done... It was worth it

dcGT

I can appriciate your enthusiasm Spike, I was the same. The problem is, there's no running away from the necessity to start off in a Micra or similar. Unless you've recently won the Lotto, insurance companies simply won't let you drive anything bigger than a washing machine. (This sort of explains that number of Micras around with tacky mods on them) It's always a good idea to build up a few year's no claims on a washing machine before going for a bigger car too.
Failing that, you could always try to move to the USA where owning a nice car is a little more tangible
As for motor tax, here are the annual rates....

http://www.oasis.gov.ie/transport/motoring/motor_tax_rates.html

DC.

Sleipnir

A modded Primera. I can think of nothing more laughable.
it's a farmer's car!!!!!!

Seth Brundle

Spike wrote:

let me clarify that it's not going to be a sh*t engine underneath a nice body,
<snip>
I was thinking of a Nissan Primera, Mazda 323 or something along those lines?

no its going to be a **** engine under a **** body!

ubu

I'm presuming that your going out on your own policy here:
17, provisional licence, mazda 323/ primera, insurance companies probably wont even quote you and if they do it'l be over 5000 , 3 times the amount your willing to spent on the car +391 tax your up to ~7000 already and then if your do that and start to mod they car, seen as your saying its gonna be a 'fast and furious' job your talkin another few grand?? a decent set of wheels will cost about 1k alone, oh and dont forget to start saving for the 5000 premium for next years insurance aswell, not to mention petrol, general maintaince of the car and replacment parts if anything goes wrong
its a nice idea alright, but somewhat unrealistic unless you're sitting on 15k already there isnt much hope for you to afford to do this
dont mean to come across so dismissive of your plans but as dcGt said, its not really possible for anyone under 21 to run much more than a washing machine on their own, the insurance companies just dont want young fella's driving round in anything that could be mistaken for more than a golf buggy and they'll punish anyone who does
good luck with it tho

Dooom

Hmm. Right well I'll do a bit more research on the subject/s and think more on it. Thanks for all the depressing yet realistic facts!

Farls

I think we can all appreciate spikes eagerness, i was the very same at that age. And i bought a 1.6litre 323F and wrote it off after about 2 months.

that all happened about 4/5 years ago.

What you need to start off spike is experience, get named on your parents car drive it for a few months, gain valuable experience and get your full licence asap.

Then think about your own car, personally i think if your going to heavily mod a car you should buy something fairly new at the end of the day its money your never going to get back so have something that will last a while.

Sort of car you should be looking for i think is a megane coupe, rover 200 something in the late 90's that doesn't take much to do off and has the little bit of bite.

Best of luck anyway

Farlz

Makaveli

Buy a wreck, write to MTV and get them to Pimp Yo Ride!
X to tha Z Xzibit styleeee.

dahamsta

Spike wrote:

Think Fast & Furious

Do we have to? Can I think of the Dukes of Hazzard instead?

Yee-haw!

adam

K2

mmmmhhh Daisy, don't suppose you have any pics of her, she was always better looking than the general