Top Gear guide to Buying a Banger

Oh can't can't hold everything ladies and gentlemen I'm awfully sorry to interrupt this program but we've just had a letter from a viewer it's a mr. Norman vole some Gravesend dear Top Gear that Bentley is not a people's car not at 140,000 pounds lot what are you lot on if I hear another Top Gear presenters say this car is only a hundred thousand pounds I will set my beard alight what I want to see is cars for around a thousand pounds but you lot wouldn't know cheap car if you fell over it with your BMWs and your Kevin Kline trousers you're just a crowd of Oh miss two vowels well I'm sorry you feel this way um this is very serious this is the BBC we're a public broadcaster so all I can say miss Duvall's is we we accept your challenge first job was to hit the classified ads grab everything free papers local papers the lot because bargain cars pop up in the most unlikely places second job is to hit the phone as early and as hard as you can when you're responding to ads always say I've run about the car rather than the Fiesta that way if it's a trader pretend to be a private cell you'll catch them out because he'll say it which one and always ask direct questions don't just say is the car in good condition because you'll always get a yes better to say are there any holes tears or burns in the upholstery and he scratches rust dents on the body does the engine smoke is the service history fully stamped up etcetera etc that way you'll get clear honest answers and few wasted journeys but look we've just found our first prospect it's cheap it's low mileage and it's at a dealer a 1982 Talbot Sunbeam one-point-three and don't laugh it's not even running so what's the story behind this step this was owned by an old lady it lived only round the corner from the garage she's had it from new it's done a genuine 19,000 miles ah hole I'm here to tell you this little gem feels as tight as a trampoline lovely sweet little engine crisp little box now the thing about this is it may not be the most stylish car in the world it may have as much cred as a misfiring moped but what you are buying is a 20,000 mile motor car you could run this car for two three years without any major bills and all for less than six hundred quid how cheap you want them and even more glamour an F reg Volvo 340 in varicose vein blue I've owned the car from brand-new it's always been very reliable I've had it serviced every six months as a Volvo dealer in fact I'm quite sorry to be parting with it it's been a joy to have and what's the mileage sixty five thousand and a full Volvo service history yes while Susan's gone to get the registration document in the MOT let me just show you what a cracking little car this is it's all about provenance we're talking to the person who bought it new who has driven it the last nine years and serviced it religiously at a Volvo garage every time it's got Volvo mats in it it's got the dealer plates on the back window the dealer sticker it's absolutely mint it really is lovely virgin engine compartment never been stuffed they honestly don't come much better than this but don't just inspect cars under strip lights because they can make them very shiny go outside where I could see that it had never even had so much as a lick of paint just look at that flank not even a parking dent and an interior that could only be described as pristine which something is genuine unmolested and as original as this you have to be quick cars this good do not hang around and don't forget those little cards in news agents and post office windows that are rich source of budget bangers look what I found 1961 Morris Oxford 1 retire in a very good condition low mileage 1500 quid I like the one retired owner and the low mileage 1500 it's a bit over our budget but if you don't look you don't buy well - my buttons ladies and gentlemen seat covers from new 16,000 700 miles the smell of the 60s Finn's lashings of chrome and a spare wheel that's never even been on and there's a furlong of original documentation in here we've got all the old mo T's a service book stamped up to 12,000 miles and even the original sales invoice from 1961 887 pounds 13 shillings and 10 pence but we're too late she's already been sold for the asking price of 1,500 quid and I am gutted and part of your armory has to be the auto trader centre because they've got lots and lots of regional editions and it's stuffed with cars there is even a bargain buys section for motors under a thousand quid with this get it on the day of publication and get it as early as you can otherwise all the cheap cars go but look what we've got here 1984 triumph acclaim 22,000 miles 900 quid I'm off Only Fools dismiss cars because they're not cool right Enya motors like triumph acclaims Adam sensibly by sensible types who cherish their chariots looks like a little mentor yes I know it's hearing-aid beige but have you seen this body absolutely no dings marks blisters scratches dents and it's an acclaim MacArthur save british leyland it's a honda underneath so endlessly reliable the mileage 22,500 only supported by a full and continuous service history be still my beating heart this one I just have to drive watch the mirror for a vapor trail of oil burning blue smoke listening for any NOx rattles or banging keep an eye on all the gauges and warning lights and make sure it doesn't change lanes when you brake drives like a dream son but I know what you're thinking Bay's triumphs or claims of the people who wear suede shoes and cavalry twill trousers what you have to remember at this level is you cannot be fussy you are buying value and quality with 22,000 miles this car will run for four five years and cost you next to nothing and that is what matters but if that's too much of an antique for you how at this 90 G 1400 quid and it's a Volkswagen so it'll last forever a 76 thousand mile one point 3 CL polo with a fresh interior that had worn it's miles well there were more owners than I would have liked and signs of a few paintwork repairs but you could go a lot further and fare a lot worse remember the Golden Rule mileage is all because cars with service histories and genuine mileages are the bangers to buy so if you're on a reduced budget don't win JIT me because as I hope we've able demonstrated there's a cornucopia of low mileage original surprisingly cheap cars out there they take some finding but as long as you're ingenious quick and cute you too can join that happy Bend to measure out the cost of their motoring in hundreds not thousands remember

Channel: rovamota

Views: 352,428

Rating: 4.8541951 out of 5

Keywords: Triumph Acclaim, Morris Oxford, VW Polo, Volvo 340

Id: CUVmNCdf4tI

Length: 8min 1sec (481 seconds)

Published: Sun Jan 11 2009