Advice Needed

[lfcfan]

I was contemplating selling my '00 Fiat Punto for say €7500(would I get that with 30,000 on the clock?) and buying a '93 Toyota Celica for €6500 and using the extra cash to pay off most of my insurance(I got quoted €1800). Any advice. Am I mad or would it be worth it? Thanks!

[WhipLash]

A Punto for a Celica...hmm, there's just no contest, is there? I'd imagine that you'd be grinning from ear to ear every time you go for a spin! It certainly sounds like a good idea to me, especially if its not a family car that you're after ;)

The only thing you have to think of is the increased running costs:

Insurance - seems like you have this one covered, but I'd double check the price of that before committing - perhaps get it in writing. Make sure that you have the exact details of the car for the quote too like the engine size etc

Road Tax - Its going to cost you more.

Direct running costs - less economical on petrol, more on servicing?, bigger tyres and hence more expensive to replace

Resale - a 1.2 (or whatever) Punto may sell better then a larger engined Celica. If its a Jap import then you'll get little back off it, except for another import. Parts may also be a problem (whats Toyota Irelands stance on servicing/parts etc?). Although for €6,500 this point doesn't really apply. If you get a few years out of her it'll be money well spent IMHO.

I suppose the biggest piece of advice would be to have a mechanic give her a total inspection before committing yourself.

Not sure on the price for the Punto - I suppose check Buy and Sell and Car Buyers Guide. There's also a free classifieds service here on eForecourt. (http://www.eforecourt.com/classifieds)

Do let us know if you buy the Celica! :cool:

[lfcfan]

my parents used to have a '78 Celica when I was a young fella and I fell in love with it. Ever since, I've dreamed of owning a Celica. A dealer friend of the family though doesn't recommend trading in a '00 Punto for a '93 Celica. Supposedly they aren't very reliable and there's the whole issue of the NCT. If I let my heart rule I'd do it in a flash but I guess the auld Brain is gonna kick in soon and tell me to kop on.

Cost wise, I've got the insurance quote for 30 days so that's sorted. The Road tax would be a problem as it's over €300 more a year than the Punto. Running costs would be more too obviously...(****, me brain is kicking in earlier than I thought).

Damn, I guess I'll have to keep dreaming!

[BrianS]

Logic seems to be prevailing there.

However, I did invest in a '93 Pajero and took quite a risk in doing that. The Tax was up at the end of Dec (OUCH!!) and the NCT is due in July. When I bought it, it was sitting up in the Ashbourne auctions waiting for someone to put a bid on it.
One other guy was bidding half-heartedly so in the end, I got it -and at about 1500 Euro cheaper than at a dealer.
The risk was that I didn't have a mechanic look at it. I just turned up to see how the auction worked and kind of got sucked into the excitement!!! That said, I did give it a good going over (and under) myself. It was spotless and smooth-running & my own mechanic is very impressed with it anyway. (loves it in fact)

Logic? Don't have time for that luxury!!

Now where's my straight-jacket.......

[WhipLash]

That’s always the problem isn’t it – follow the heart or follow the head?

The celica sounds like a good idea to me. If you can afford the additional expenses (without simply scraping by), then it could be worth it. Obviously a well-kept and reliable model would be required to keep the costs down to an expected amount.

Ah well, we all need our dreams. Where would we be without them?

[lfcfan]

does anyone know anything about the Celica in terms of reliability? My Punto is a dream as far as reliability goes so I'd hate to go from that to a car that gives me trouble. As much as I would love a Celica, I have to be careful.