In news:35vfmbF4fejb3U1@individual.net,
Sam <Sam_Nather@hotmail.com> decided to enlighten our sheltered souls with a
rant as follows

My Merc is on 165000 miles with no problems...

I'd say a well serviced Punto should last about 140k without any major
problems,
10 yr old Fiesta slightly less, unless it's a 16v
Volvo 440 I'd avoid just because they're horrible.

Get a big old barge, it'll be cheaper and last longer.

Generally as long as they're looked after plus another twenty thousand miles
or so. :)

If an engine has been treated with respect (especially when cold) and had at
least the oil changed at the manufacturers recommended interval it has a
decent stab at being able to cover big mileages, even the likes of a small
engine in a small car.

Conversely, change the oil "at every MOT even if it doesn't need it," extend
beyond 5,000 rpm whilst leaving the end of your street in the winter when
the oil is still below freezing point, then warm the engine up using the
limiter up to third gear, yeah that'll not help matters.  When warm it's
another story...

Ignoring bodywork, no, absolutely not.

A bouncy ride, decent engines but older ones can have noisy tappets that
make the Endura-E seem like a silky V6 (about ?25 per tappet to fix, as I
understand), lots of interior space, most don't corrode at all (a few have
big problems), cheap insurance on the smaller engine varieties, the GT Turbo
has a "difficult" and turbulent chassis but it's quick.  There's a review of
the Punto, and some other cars, on my website.

If you're planning on doing your own maintenance to the car then perhaps
getting something that's easy to fix, parts are easy and cheap to get hold
of, and if you break it you won't have to pay too much for a garage to fix
it.  This typically means sticking to Ford and Vauxhall, but I'm not
discounting the other makes of course.

As far as engine longevity goes, many websites reckon that older small
capacity (i.e. 1.3 and under) Ford engines just don't last long without
needing a rebuild.  Most Fiestas die because of bodywork corrision or
crashes rather than needing a replacement engine.  Regular oil changes keep
them running - 170,000 miles, the last 50,000 with it sounding like a
tractor, but it keeps on running...

get a GOOD old volvo. can't go wrong. for nearly ten years i've owned
just two cars. an '81 242 for the first five, and an '84 240 wagon for
the next. bought the first for $950.00 ten years ago, and when i sold
it five years later it was still running strong. the car was so
dependable/reliable that the only repair i remember doing on it over
the years is a fuel pump, water pump, and driveshaft center bearing.
and the clutch cable broke once. a little semi- regular maintnance and
that car was happy! i'm driving the wagon now and it's pretty much the
same deal. bought this one for $3000.00 five years ago and i swear to
you the only actual repair that has been performed is for a fuel pump.
this and semi regular service. and the standard oil changes and tranny
service, which i do as recommended. both these cars had over 190,000
miles on them when i bought them, and the wagon now has 262,000 trouble
free miles on it. again though, these are cars that were very well
maintained over the years before i purchased them. that is key. along
with an honest and accuate seller. of course i don't expect you might
be interested in cars quite as aged as this, but a newer 740 or 940 may
do you just as much justice.

The Volvo will beat the Fiesta by several miles, if you're talking squarish
headlamp models of Fiesta. The fiesta will be rusty around the filler cap,
and the engine will sound like a bag of nails in a 30 year old tumble drier.
If it's a 95 on model, with the oval headlamps *AND* the 1.25 litre engine,
it's a good 'un. If it's got the 1299 or any other CC in it, it'll sound
like the aforementioned nails / drier scenario.

My choice for shite old banger would be an Audi 80. Won't rust if it's not
been crashed and repaired badly, and the engine's should be pretty good.
Failing that, a MK3 Golf should be pretty solid despite it's lardiness. I'd
recommend a MK2, but you only get injection on the GTi, and carbs are a bit
of a pain in the backside. If fuel's no object, I'd go for an old 6cyl
bimmer or jag. Should do stellar mileages. Or one of the old E class Mercs.
Mate has an ancient 260E and you still can't be sure the engine's running on
tickover.