Realistically how little can I get away with spending

J

Jesstickle

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So, I have managed to work out a way to scrape up the money to buy a trailer but I also have to find the money for a tow vehicle.

Basically this is probably going to involve me saving as hard as I can, so what do you think I can get away with spending without buying a total dog? And what is going to be my best bet in terms of something that is cheap, can tow a decent amount and is reliable? I was thinking a Trooper, a Landcruiser or something of that ilk.

Any happy stories of absolute bargain work horses out there?
 
Get yourself a nice Pick-up truck. Better value for money than a 'family' 4x4. If you have family get a twin-cab, if not, then take your pick.

I have a Ford Ranger, and wouldn't go back to a 'regular' 4x4 now. It's great to tow and soooooooooooooo useful to put stuff in the back! I have a hard top for my back-end which I leave on all year round. My yard owner is a tidier person than me and she leaves hers 'naked'. Both very useful :)
 
We bought a second hand izuzu trooper about 6 years ago for £800.

Have it serviced every year, runs like a beauty! Happily tows our ifor and is super for driving on the fields etc.
 
gg1986 said:
We bought a second hand izuzu trooper about 6 years ago for £800.

Have it serviced every year, runs like a beauty! Happily tows our ifor and is super for driving on the fields etc.
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This is exactly the kind of story I want to hear! How did you know you were picking a good 'un? I'm not much cop with cars. OH's best mate is a mechanical engineer, guess I should bribe him to come look with me. I'd ask my father who is very good with cars but I can't really stand the man.

JackyandRosie, will look at pickups too. Was just saying to one of the girls at the yard I'd ideally like a double cab as then I can take loads of junk and not have to worry about being tidy!
 
If you are after cheery stories, I bought a Landy Discovery off e-bay for £720, drove it for 18 months (K reg), it cost me just new tyres to get through MOT, it towed, carried feed/hay/junk/dogs etc and I got £3k for it in the scrappage scheme :D
 
I'm useless with cars too (the only 'knowledge' i have of them is whether theyre pretty or not!) So i got my OH to have a look, we were willing if necessary to do some work on it, but it wasnt needed- perfect little runner.

I will actually cry when we need to replace it, i love it so much! And its got a hard life- all of mine are of the cobby variety- not very lightweight!!
 
Discovery! Mines an R reg auto.

I brought mine for £1500, pretty much mint condition inside, 60,000 new tyres and the stils had just been done. 10 months mot and tax.

It's been fab, havnt had any issues with it braking down, and too bad on fuel.

Unfortunately I managed to hit a doge the other week and my car insurance have cat c'd written it off. However the garage have been phoning me contanly trying to buy it off me!

Tescos have valued it at £3150 :cool:.so over double what I paid fir it.
The big plus is that I know a guy that works for land rover and he is going to do the work (only body work) for £500, using spares. So that leaves me up by £2100 (after excress and buying it back from tescos) that's more than I brought it for.

And a bigger plus is that the scrap value is £2000, so if you go thourgh the right cannels you will never lose money on it.
 
My towing vehicle cost £700, and had over 200'000 miles on the clock when it retired to the farm for light duties. It was a 1973 Series 3 LandRover, and cost absolutely nothing apart from routine servicing in 10years. It failed one MOT because the rear lights stopped working - I took it outside,gave it a good talking to, then opened the back door, slammed it really hard, and it went back in and sailed through. It wasn;t the fastest thing, but towed beautifully, and was great fun to play with in mud/snow.floods and other nasties!

It was called Patience - because you needed endless patience to start it, but once it had had its solenoid smacked with a hammer, it ran like a dream. I cried when I gave it up, and until I bought my current herd of MG's, have never loved a car the same way
 
Well this is all very positive sounding. Now I just need to find some money and then try and find a car which isn't a heap. I don't have much luck with cars so I'm sure it won't work out when I try it mind :(
 
we have a Discovery M reg, in really decent nick but quite high mileage but we bought it for £500 off my mums other half and he is a mechanic so any little problems he can sort out :). All I have to do now is pass my test which is on wed :O and that's costing nearly as much as the Discovery :(
 
JessHakner said:
we have a Discovery M reg, in really decent nick but quite high mileage but we bought it for £500 off my mums other half and he is a mechanic so any little problems he can sort out :). All I have to do now is pass my test which is on wed :O and that's costing nearly as much as the Discovery :(
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Good luck! Part of the reason I have no money to buy a car is because I spent all my money on passing mine. Failed the damn thing first time so it was over £800 by the end :eek: I'm sure you'll do much better than me though :)

I wish I knew someone I could buy from because I'm going to have to take total pot luck with a stranger.
 
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