Where are all the early models ?

Further to my previous message about rust and rot I find virtually no early models for sale !
My planned budget is such I can afford a decent / recent vehicle but am surprised that very little before 2000 for sale.
A mate reckons they are worth more being broken for parts so that is what's happening to dealer p/x etc and they are going straight to dismantlers who will pay more than selling to customers.

Also what year did the bodies improve (galvanised ?). Will these later bodies fit onto an earlier chassis ?

Thanks.

Paul H

people are keeping them as they are the ones with cheaper tax 125 instead of 200 like mine

body's are interchangeable.....there might be slight differences ie some have air con but nothing major

I don't think there was many early ones sold and they are pretty popular too. (I have no ideas on numbers though).
Take into account they are cheap to insure and a bit fun I think they are very popular with younger drivers so they tend to be snapped up pretty quick.

Also a hell of a lot of them seem to get written off! High COG, RWD, and none road orientated tyres can make them a bit too easy to get out of shape if you try too hard!

A lot of the cheap ones will have been snapped up over winter for cheap runarounds i'd imagine and as said they're cheaper tax too.

They weren't introduced here 'till late 1998, so there isn't much before 2000.

A late 2000/feb2001 hardtop is what you want: twincam engine, low tax.

Loads have been tipped on their sides by now though.

Is the 17th Oct 2000 late enough to get the twincam and low insurance?

Does this also mean cam chain as well?

Regards

Emplan

adamjimny wrote: people are keeping them as they are the ones with cheaper tax 125 instead of 200 like mine

Hehe, £125 a year tax rocks
Hard top, 1999, cheap tax, cheap insurance..... 122k on the clock and still running well - at least mine has 1 things your jelous of Adam..... its usually me thats jelous!
Bought her in the middle of winter tho, £1300 - now there much cheaper if you can find one....

2000 on a W bought for £900 18months ago. 58k mile full history
Chopped it up.
Sold the bumpers, sidesteps, chrome grill and chrome headlight surround, softtop and tyres for £450.

Spent £1500 on it to date.

Mine's a 2000 model hardtop, possibly as late as October and it has the twin cam engine. They appear to not blow head gaskets as often.

You've done well Brian!

Keep an eye on ebay. If you are mechanicaly experienced and can move it you could pick one up with a blown head gasket and for the price of a gasket set, new set of bolts, a skim and the fluids you'd have it back up and running cheaply.

I looked at some right crap ones at that end of the market though, but prices have dropped since I bought so there are now nice ones for not alot of dosh! Autotrader and Ebay!

Kirkynut

bertbuckie wrote:

adamjimny wrote: people are keeping them as they are the ones with cheaper tax 125 instead of 200 like mine

Hehe, £125 a year tax rocks
Hard top, 1999, cheap tax, cheap insurance..... 122k on the clock and still running well - at least mine has 1 things your jelous of Adam..... its usually me thats jelous!

well mine 02 reg 1250 nov 09 32k on clock no rust and two owners from new but now im disabled tax is payed for by government not me wheeeyyyy no jealousy here but others may be

adamjimny wrote:

well mine 02 reg 1250 nov 09 32k on clock no rust and two owners from new but now im disabled tax is payed for by government not me wheeeyyyy no jealousy here but others may be

...... git! lol

hahahaha but the older cheaper tax ones are the ones to get