I love a good old root about on ebay, and friday ad, local rags etc to see what you can get for £300 or under with tax and test, even though i have a car, i still find it fascinating to see what was once seven grand plus+ of car going for peanuts, from a historical point of view, as (anorak time here...) i collect old tv adverts and i have a fair few for all cars sold in the UK from Chrysler in 1978, to local ford dealers pushing special edition mark 5 escorts in the early 90's, (one day i will you tube them! )

Anyway, i want to ask: where have all the little cheapies gone?, those pocket money bangers with a bit of tax and test for £250 or so?, these were fairly plentiful once, but now seem to have vanished?

Ebay is full of cars that have no t&t for £200 these days, although the odd minor bargain turns up. Has scrappage got them all?

I recently picked up a old F plate Renault 19 1.7 which looks like it's been looked after with a months tax/2 months mot for £150 as a cheapo runabout (whilst i decide whether or not to sell my trusty old pug 405, as i'm having a bit of "fiscal turbulence" as Del Boy might say...)

What's the best car you've brought for under £300?, any stories welcome!

In February 2007 I bought a 1995 84k Rover 620ti for £250 with 10 months MoT and a couple of months tax on it and it was in really nice condition inside and out. It was bought as a non runner; needed a new rotor arm!

200BHP, 0-60 in 7 secs, 145mph. This is exactly how it looked when I got it...






Ran it for a month and sold it for £650!

Kev.

You lucky, lucky man. That was a bargain, in fact, given the location of the photos, it's so clean it looks like a brochure shot!, always nice to see a 600, one of the best, if not the best car Rover did in the 90's...

Also, i'm looking for yet another car...I did buy the Renault, but got a odd phone call yesterday from the dealer saying "come and collect your deposit mate, my dad sold the car before you brought it..." so after this administrative oversight, i got my deposit back and am looking again.

Not all bad news though, after deliberating whether to sell the 405, i put it on ebay yesterday as a classified ad, sold it for £425 within two hours, not bad for a 1994 car, i brought it for £350 and had to valet it and replace the rear brake shoes etc but i don't think i lost too much.

Had a bit more of a look at some of the dealers in the part of Norfolk where my fiance lives, and the cheap car is still around on the forecourt if you look carefully...I've seen a very tatty mundane-o with a flat for £295 with T&T

A P reg Rover 400, a bit tatty, but lovely metallic turqouise for £350, a tatty felicia with full mot/1 months tax up for £395, but i could "have it for £300 to clear", and at the same dealer, little surprise of the day, a almost immaculate 1987 Micra 1.0 (too gutless for me lol!) for £295.

I've got my eyes on a near-immaculate Proton 1.5 mpi on Auto Trader, up for £325 with good T&T, still trying to get hold of the vendor, if it's ok, then offer £250 and take it from there...

Got the Proton for £275, eventful drive home in heavy rain with cheapo remoulds, which was a bit hairy, but it's home. It is in very good nick apart from tiny rot spots on arches etc, but is T&T'd until next March so i can't complain too much i guess, and i got a nice Blaupunkt stereo inside so not all bad as a runaround until i can afford a good Mondeo or Vectra...