Car Around Rs.2laks For Campus Student?

[Kule]

Hi friends, I'm totally new for this discussion forum. But I'm a fan of this site for ages. This is what I want to know, I'm a campus student & I'm working too. Every day I have to travel nearly 30kms. So I'm looking for a car around 2laks. what will suit me best? (No need of A/C, P/S ect:)

[Supra_Natural]

Hi friends, I'm totally new for this discussion forum. But I'm a fan of this site for ages. This is what I want to know, I'm a campus student & I'm working too. Every day I have to travel nearly 30kms. So I'm looking for a car around 2laks. what will suit me best? (No need of A/C, P/S ect:)

Hey man, good to have you on board...

The Sri lankan car market is a pretty crazy place thanks to our beloved governments tax system, so a 200k budget is not going to get very many new-ish cars im afraid. However if you dont mind something thats on the old side, plenty of cars you can find. For example: Nissan/Datsun B210 and B310, Toyota Corolla KE20 and KE30, the first generation Mitsubishi Lancer (Known to us as the "Tube light", "L Light" etc). Very early mazdas can also be found.

Apart from that lot there are the european options like the ford escort and cortina and various others, Peugeots, Renaults, Austins, Morrises and such. Of the euros the only cars that can be considered realistically as daily runners are the two fords.

All of the cars above have pretty simple mechanicals and mst garage baases should be able to fix them (The older the guy is, the better). Parts will be harder to find than for newer cars obviously but panchikawatte should be able to sort out most things. In the case of Ford there is a dealer who brings down parts, Gampaha Motors. I dont know whether there is a dedicated parts place for the older japanese cars, but it shouldnt be too difficult to find.

Get hold of the classified ads in the sinhala weekend papers, those have a massive selection of cars in the lower price ranges.. Also, the cars that are for sale out of colombo are often lower in price so it might be worthwhile to travel outside.

Read up a bit and see what suits you, when you decide on a model (or a couple of different ones) post them up here and we can give you an idea of which one would be the best pick.

Good Luck and Good Hunting!

Cheers

Edited March 11, 2010 by Supra_Natural

[pradfred]

I was also looking at a similar budget a few months ago.

Saw

Old Honda Civic - the original round shape 2 door.

Subaru - 600 cc - car - small but four doors and good on fuel

Old Toyota Corollas and Datsuns - good reliable cars and most have even got the original AC working !

A bit different

Mitsubishi Celeste -etc

There are good cars out there - loved by owners - keep looking find a nice one n enjoy

Welcome to the club man.

Cheers

[charitha19]

the mitsubishi celeste is a nice one dude.. why dont u look around in AL classfieds, and also hitads. i saw some last week,

[charitha19]

there is a ford cortina mkIII dont know how the condition is but u can go and see with a good mechanic.

http://www.autolanka.com/ad.asp?ID=22499

even this u never know; http://www.autolanka.com/ad.asp?ID=13674

Edited March 12, 2010 by charitha19

[Sumiya]

Hi Kule

You may go for good running conditions

B110

B210

B310

KE20

Ke30

Ke50

Lancer 1400 Wagon

Lancer Flat Light

But those will not be very best conditions, still may be in good running conditions

i think ,Out of those B210 is the best in fuel consumption and also bit sporty car

i got one it does above 16Km per ltr, do you may need max of 250 per day to travel

Thanks

Regards

sumith

[rez]

Dude...

I call it for a VW 1300 the best for you..need to pocket out a bit more, but can get a cool damn pretty bug for around 2.5 lks.

What else you are in campus, girls will adore and guys will envy for the classic!! no need of becoming shame...you can proudly boast you are a VW classic fan bitten buy the bug !!! Can park it anywhere you need, even beside a Benz with your heart !!! minimum cost of maintain..no need of Car services, just fill the petrol ( which would work for about 10 km per liter in city ) and once in a while engine oil and break oil....only thing find a good reliable mechanic.

go for it buddy...I have seen many good bugs on for sale recently...even for 2.8 lks a damn good cool machine !!!

If Manoj sees this..he too will fill more !!!

cheers / rez

Hi Kule

You may go for good running conditions

B110

B210

B310

KE20

Ke30

Ke50

Lancer 1400 Wagon

Lancer Flat Light

But those will not be very best conditions, still may be in good running conditions

i think ,Out of those B210 is the best in fuel consumption and also bit sporty car

i got one it does above 16Km per ltr, do you may need max of 250 per day to travel

Thanks

Regards

sumith

[Supra_Natural]

Dude...

I call it for a VW 1300 the best for you..need to pocket out a bit more, but can get a cool damn pretty bug for around 2.5 lks.

What else you are in campus, girls will adore and guys will envy for the classic!! no need of becoming shame...you can proudly boast you are a VW classic fan bitten buy the bug !!! Can park it anywhere you need, even beside a Benz with your heart !!! minimum cost of maintain..no need of Car services, just fill the petrol ( which would work for about 10 km per liter in city ) and once in a while engine oil and break oil....only thing find a good reliable mechanic.

go for it buddy...I have seen many good bugs on for sale recently...even for 2.8 lks a damn good cool machine !!!

If Manoj sees this..he too will fill more !!!

cheers / rez

As a bug owner myself I wholeheartedly agree! but speaking from experience if you want a proper trouble free runner that you can buy immediately and put to work without any expense then you need to spend at least 250-275k Anything with a lower pricetag is definitely hiding something... Also with VW bugs, the later the model, the better it is as a daily runner so ideally you want one of the cars that were made after 1968, with the 12v electrical system and such. A decent example of that model is roughly 250-275k.... Since our friend said his budget was 200k I didnt suggest the Bug.

Kule, if you can increase the budget slightly to around 250-275k you can get a solid VW that will be a lot more interesting than the previous choices. (With the honorable exception of the fords )

[tharindu6]

Hi friends, I'm totally new for this discussion forum. But I'm a fan of this site for ages. This is what I want to know, I'm a campus student & I'm working too. Every day I have to travel nearly 30kms. So I'm looking for a car around 2laks. what will suit me best? (No need of A/C, P/S ect:)

One of my dad's friends has a VW GOLF.. think its around 2.5lks. but unfortunatly its diesel converted one

[pradfred]

hey yeah man, the VWs are a good solid choice and you can become a member of the VW owners club ( A super one ) and also the Classic Car club

Girls love the Cute looks........added advantage.

There is a VW Golf Original diesel on the road from Pelwatte to Thalawatugoda junction - blue - not sure of price ....

Beetle is a good choice but as Supra says the later model the better .

DId you see that super MINT renault Fuego on Autolanka ? I wanted to buy that but wifey will hit da roof......

cheers and keep us posted.......

[fuzzo]

my friend has a g11 diahatsu charade turbo (petrol) it's not the best looking but fun to drive. he wants around 250k if i'm not mistaken.

[MasterDon]

IMO the best low budget vehicle option is the vw...it's truly a universally accepted car (along with the mini,2cv,fiat 500 and the LR series I-III),you wont be judged for social status in it...cos even billionaires can be seen driving one.

but as supra said for two laks you'll get a sub standard beetle bug,you'll end up spending approximately another 100k getting it up to scratch.

might I suggest a fiat 500/600...a pristine example can be had for around 225k...and parts are readily available through outlets such as milano motors...the fuel efficiency is also superb...and most of all the 500(abarth) is micheal schuemacher's favorite car!!!

give it a thought.

Edited March 18, 2010 by MasterDon

[SeanD]

I am assuming you would not want to spend a lot of money on repairs or on running costs, so I would not be to go for something that's too old just cos the price is right. As someone else mentioned above, your best bet is to look for a Japanese vehicle or a VW Beetle out of colombo (further the better actually). I saw some Peugeots advertised on sale out of Colombo a little above your budget, but given my experience with 3 old Peugeots of the same era among various friends and family members, I would not touch them with a 10 foot pole (sorry Peugeot fans).

Ps - Save a little more and put a performance exhaust on the Beetle I've seen a few and it just FITS.

[Kavvz]

Ps - Save a little more and put a performance exhaust on the Beetle I've seen a few and it just FITS.

*shudder. No oh please no. The beetle has such a lovely exhaust murmur, why would you want to mess with it? Seriously, you've got to be joking - right?

[Ripper]

*shudder. No oh please no. The beetle has such a lovely exhaust murmur, why would you want to mess with it? Seriously, you've got to be joking - right?

double ditto that

[rangerover]

Ps - Save a little more and put a performance exhaust on the Beetle I've seen a few and it just FITS.

oh hell no!!

[Supra_Natural]

*shudder. No oh please no. The beetle has such a lovely exhaust murmur, why would you want to mess with it? Seriously, you've got to be joking - right?

that lovely exhaust murmur. endearing though it indeed is, is nonetheless a result of exhaling through probably one of the tiniest diameter exhaust systems fitted to any volume production car. While i realize its a given to think "Fart can" whenever someone mentions performance exhaust these days, the bug is truly one of those cars that gets a pretty big benefit from the fitment of a proper Performance exhaust. And trust me on this, a properly made item sounds pretty damn good!

[rameez]

Sean,,,

Can you please explain why the peugoet cars were not that good, from what I have heard they are quite durable...was it the parts or fuel consumption.In srilanka i think subasinghe motors has spares

[SeanD]

that lovely exhaust murmur. endearing though it indeed is, is nonetheless a result of exhaling through probably one of the tiniest diameter exhaust systems fitted to any volume production car. While i realize its a given to think "Fart can" whenever someone mentions performance exhaust these days, the bug is truly one of those cars that gets a pretty big benefit from the fitment of a proper Performance exhaust. And trust me on this, a properly made item sounds pretty damn good!

This is the sort I was referring to, as the ones I've seen were in the States, put in by people who knew what they were doing, and they just, as I said earlier, "fit." And I'm one who hates those stupid noise barrels on cars that don't come with performance systems by default, so that's saying something. I haven't seen this yet in SL, although there may be some. I HAVE seen a couple of Beetles in SL with BAD "beat barrels" come to think of it

Rameez: The models my relatives had were the 505 (two different ones), and a 305 (these were all owned by different people). This is all prior to 1995, I have no idea what happened to these cars after they were sold. In my lifetime, I remember all 3 cars spending more time in the garage than out. The 505s in particular, seemed to have pretty much everything that can go wrong with them go wrong with them. One of them was permanently parked on top of a huge pile of gunny bags as it seemed to have oil and coolant leaks that nobody could fix. The 505s had the habit of just stopping in the middle of the road at the most critical moments - wasn't helped that it was driven by an elderly person who couldn't really get down and push that monster of a car by himself. They were all driven with care though.

Parts was not the problem - I think parts were freely available, and even original parts at the time were not too pricey I think. The Lankan Peugeot dealers at the time didn't seem to do a good job (I believe it's the same company still but perhaps they have cleaned up their act) and eventually they were taken to a "Peugeot Baas" who seemed to make at least the 305 do a little better. Eventually all of them were sold one by one, perhaps the new owners had better luck.

I have to say though, that when they did decide to run, I still remember an extremely smooth and almost joyous ride that I haven't felt since then except in a BMW. The 505's especially felt extremely silky. As none of the cars had a functioning AC, (more problems there that were not worth fixing) I always rode them with the windows down and they had a satisfying grunt. And while at the time the cars felt old due to the rapidly changing nature of cars at the time (more so than today), at the time I guess some of them were not even 10 years old. For cars in that age group I felt the problems were unacceptable.

But if you're looking to get one I wouldn't just take my word for it, as maybe these peopled were cursed with 3 troublemakers I know the 504 is supposed to be a very reliable car, and I certainly see more of those running around even these days. I can't remember the last time I saw a 505 or a 305.

Edited March 20, 2010 by SeanD

[pradfred]

Looks like the Campus student has stopped reading the Thread

Hope he got what he wanted......................

[charitha19]

yeah.. we all jumped on the 2 lak car band wagon. and he has dissapeared. or maybe mid terms are coming up..

[harshansenadhir]

This is the sort I was referring to, as the ones I've seen were in the States, put in by people who knew what they were doing, and they just, as I said earlier, "fit." And I'm one who hates those stupid noise barrels on cars that don't come with performance systems by default, so that's saying something. I haven't seen this yet in SL, although there may be some. I HAVE seen a couple of Beetles in SL with BAD "beat barrels" come to think of it

Rameez: The models my relatives had were the 505 (two different ones), and a 305 (these were all owned by different people). This is all prior to 1995, I have no idea what happened to these cars after they were sold. In my lifetime, I remember all 3 cars spending more time in the garage than out. The 505s in particular, seemed to have pretty much everything that can go wrong with them go wrong with them. One of them was permanently parked on top of a huge pile of gunny bags as it seemed to have oil and coolant leaks that nobody could fix. The 505s had the habit of just stopping in the middle of the road at the most critical moments - wasn't helped that it was driven by an elderly person who couldn't really get down and push that monster of a car by himself. They were all driven with care though.

Parts was not the problem - I think parts were freely available, and even original parts at the time were not too pricey I think. The Lankan Peugeot dealers at the time didn't seem to do a good job (I believe it's the same company still but perhaps they have cleaned up their act) and eventually they were taken to a "Peugeot Baas" who seemed to make at least the 305 do a little better. Eventually all of them were sold one by one, perhaps the new owners had better luck.

I have to say though, that when they did decide to run, I still remember an extremely smooth and almost joyous ride that I haven't felt since then except in a BMW. The 505's especially felt extremely silky. As none of the cars had a functioning AC, (more problems there that were not worth fixing) I always rode them with the windows down and they had a satisfying grunt. And while at the time the cars felt old due to the rapidly changing nature of cars at the time (more so than today), at the time I guess some of them were not even 10 years old. For cars in that age group I felt the problems were unacceptable.

But if you're looking to get one I wouldn't just take my word for it, as maybe these peopled were cursed with 3 troublemakers I know the 504 is supposed to be a very reliable car, and I certainly see more of those running around even these days. I can't remember the last time I saw a 505 or a 305.

Good write up.. felt sorry about your relatives, perhaps they got bad examples and havent had right people and right parts ? 504 would be a good option to this guy and I got infected with peugeot virus when i was an undergrad student and that was the only vehicle fitted my budget. I spent almost all money on buying it so literaly it ran for another one and a half year!! without even a service coz I couldn't afford . That's when I decided to keep it and buy more of the same coz it had proven a point, reliability.

505 does share the same platform to the latest 504s and so does the reliability, at least engine,drivetrain and suspension let alone electrics. Certain bells and whistles like vaccum operated A/C blower gates were giving issues, so most of them had those mechanisms removed well before it's life span.

[GTAm]

My Choices,

Early Fiat Uno 60 - Has to be one of the best buys.

Will a Lancer Box fit into this price bracket? I'd opt for this over the L/Tube light ones which have somewhat claustrophobic interiors.

Fiat 128/Upali

[rameez]

GTAm do you think there are spares for the FIAT in srilanka .....easily.The campus chap wanted a car which was easily maintainable..........I am also interested in the FIAT but it has kept me at bay because of the mechanics and spares in srilanka.

[Kule]

Looks like the Campus student has stopped reading the Thread

Hope he got what he wanted......................

[/qu

Oh no guys, So sorry for my silence. I'm bit busy these days. Thank you very much for all your comments & suggestions on my post. Honestly now I'm thinking of a VW......