THE BEST PROJECT CAR FOR UNDER £3000 

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A car podcast in a car while towing a car to get a car from the nurgburgring is the absolut maximum level of car content. You can’t go any further then this. The top level have bean reached my guys!😂😂😂

The more important question is, just how many frikking packets of M&Ms did Rory and Taylor eat !!!!

podcast in a car is an elite setup 🔥

MK3 MR2 will forever be an underrated car. Hands down one of the best chassis for a track build for the money.

I'm with Josh on FWD. I own an extremely low milage (20k) 2.0L ts Alfa 147 and I couldn't be happier. Road tax is high(ish) but insurance is low and is incredible to drive and in my opinion very easy to work on. You can pick up plenty of 147's sub 1k and with low milage. Parts are cheap (apart from the variator), they are light (especially if you plan on stripping it anyway), and have great handling (front double wishbone). If you want an NA engine or a turbo you can get both, and both are pretty bomb proof as long as you don't go crazy. There is also plenty of twin spark race events to join in on as well as a 147 cup. Each to their own but I thought I'd share my opinon just incase someone was already looking at them and wondering if they're shit. They're not.

E85 Z4, blend out there under £3k. I recently managed to get a 2.5 SI for £800, lots of basic work needed to make nice and a new windscreen for an MOT.

I am amazed how that red car behind you couldn't overtake you all that time?😂

1st gen Audi TT. The 1.8T 20v is fast, reliable & indestructable. Fairly OK gasmileage for the HP, great build quality for its era (No rust), Golf platform so parts are cheap, common as dirt so cheap to buy, they handle quite sporty with some other anti-roll bars and coilovers, timeless design, great specs and youtubes is loaded with videos and how to's of everything. I challenge ANYONE to find a better alternative.

Soft top I'd say mk1 TT 1.8t. Yes they have electrical gremlins and the rubber pipes are hateful but they still look great now, tuning options are almost limitless and there are plenty of them about Hatchy track-car, C2 VTS - light from the off and can be lightened even further and a better option than the Clios imo. Parts are cheap as anything and as long as you can avoid rust, I think they're a fun drive

I couldn't imagine having a project car without being able to weld. I prefer welding than buying parts like ecu/bcu/air bag controllers etc or things that need coding (i'm used to older cars, normally with dizzies and carbs lol). I do not mind buying suspension and brakes and stuff like that though. I feel being able to weld opens up the project car world sooo much. Plus, that feeling when you are laying under the car which is on axle stands; you've done all the welding repairs and have just finished the raptor coat and your spray arm falls to the deck, gun in hand - and you admire your work - it is amazing. Then, refitting the cleaned and painted parts, new pipes, bushes and seals - thats the stuff I enjoy. "A grinder and paint - makes me the welder I ain't" - it doesn't take long to get good enough that the grinder use is massively reduced.

Thanks I was looking for a Z3 now you have stuck the price up 100% cheers boys

Its hard for me to recommend any cars for british currency since i am living in the Estonia, but i think one option you forgot to mention is (almost) any 1.8t VAG cars like golfs 4 or A4s. You can have it either 5 or 6 speed manuals, front or all wheel drive, they have spooly boi which goes sututu, they have enourmous aftermarket support and theres soo much of them and it is easy to tune them for extra power. BUT a lot of them a rusty nowadays(lets not forget, these cars are 20+ yrs old). Being a bit honest, i am biased towards these cars, since i own myself mk4 gti, but still, they are really really good as a first PROJECT car

Love it guys, and by coincidence, when Taylor bought the Z3 for your challenge, I picked up the cheapest Z3 1.9litre in the North East and I'm doing a RU-vid series fixing up and track day it! It's an experience learning but it's such a great fun car even if it's not mega fast, it's fun to drive, I love it!

Personally, I just got a BMW e34 520i from 1993 for 2200e. It's in a very good state, minimal rust, only one hole size of a coin, the suspension was bad, done that for 1000e, fixed some oil leaks and fixed heating and air conditioning. It's an incredible feeling driving it. I consider this car a strong option for a project car( especially if you would like a classic BMW with low taxes) It's not as popular as an E30 but is bigger and bigger is better 😅

Personally i think the r53 MCS is one of the best starter project cars. Theres a ton of aftermarket support, easy to make power, very fun and fast and they're fairly cheap. You can easily find a decent example under 2500

I’m loving the CARCAST over the podcast always, please keep them coming.

Ford Focus ST170. 6speed manual, naturally aspirated 2.0L, 170bhp, 7300rpm redline, superb FWD handling, good seats, excellent owners community

At 19 I bought my first E46 320i 2.2L 6-cylinder and it only cost £1,100 to insure (legitimately) - what a car at 19! Peers all drove 1.2L Corsa C.

Probably going to get the rust issues sorted on our mk2 MX5. Paid £2k for it eight years ago so I think we can regard it as starting from zero. Great little car. If it does for another eight years I'll be in my 70s and will probably need a hoist to get in and out of it! Ideally I'd like a Sunbeam Tiger but the £3k days for one of those have long gone!

Going to Italy and buying a classic Panda 4×4 for like £1800 is starting to look very tempting to me.

MK1 Leon Cupra 1.8T had 3 of them, u can get a nice standard example for just under £3K Great little Car 💯

I recently lost my first car to a accident on a roundabout which wasnt my fault i was completely devastated lady in a big SUV just joined into my amazing ford fiesta im currently looking for a new car so thank you for this video!

I bought a 2004 SLK350 for £3k as a project car, fixed the problematic roof for £600 and a breather problem for £20, nothing else has gone wrong with it. Not so much a project car really, now it's a nice little vert to run around in the sunshine.

Im 19 i bought my 986 2.7 Boxster this time last year when i was 18 and it is so cheap to insure £1,300 the whole reason i had got it was beacue my old 2005 1.6 audi A3 insurane had gone through the roof, considering i live in south london that price is very good, i have had an incredible time with it couldnt recommend enough

Mk4 golf! Any engine. Will be less than 2k and any money you put in it will be a crackin upgrade and unbelievably fun! Petrol or diesel. 1.4-3.2 litre. Strip it n you'll be SKIPPING and getting 40+ mpg! Can not beat a mk4. Drives like a boat but a "classic" from day one! One of my first car loves!

You've got two project cars already that have been top of my insane desirability list for 20 years. The glorious Alfa 164 and the sublime Fiat Coupe. My heart bleeds 😂

Love my 2.8 Z3! Also have a 996 C4 and in a lot of ways the Z3 is more of a laugh to drive as where the 996 grips and grips, the back end of the Z3 is so loose it’s sideways before you know it! Got a hard top for it and means you can actually drive it through winter, plus I think it looks cooler with the hard top on.

the V6 mx5 and supercharged z4 should do a challenge together, im assuming the power is very close

Love the pod/carcast lads Another car I feel is underated is the MK1 Audi Quattro Either the 180bhp or 225 Not terrible to insure and a ton of fun if you want to take them on track but a perfectly good dialy Be warned though no cup holders 😂 you have to go aftermarket

Depends on what kind of cars you are looking for. For an off roader, I don’t think you can beat the Disco 1 or 2. Definitely interesting vehicles that are still simple to work on, granted there isn’t any major failure such as head gasket or slipped cylinder liner due to overheating.

Audi TT mk1 BAM engined 225 - loads out there to pick from, easily tuneable to 260bhp, easy to work on and gazillions of tuning parts

I've been moaning and muttering to myself all day that you haven't released this week's podcast yet....then realised I'm a day early. 😂

Being a car guy in Denmark is horrid when it comes to price, hearing that a Porsche Boxter 2.7 can be found for 1,900£-4000£ blows my mind, knowing that if I'd buy that here, the cheapest one on our car trading sites would be ---- 27,000£ (33,000$) (31,000€) Base price on new petrol/diesel cars, gets slapped in the face with around 300% tax here. For perspective, on cars of this year - low, medium and highest tier (I've rounded off the numbers for eaze of reading) (NEW) 2023, Toyota Yaris GR-Sport - 1.5L 125HP version, with a 6-Speed manual non hybrid -- 35,000£ -- (43,000$) -- (40,000€) (USED - 18,000 Km) 2023, BMW 330e - 2,0 M-Sport sedan -- 55,000£ -- (67,000$) -- (63,000€) (NEW) 2023, Porsche 911 GT3 (992), ticked every box I would want on the config for one -- 642,000£ -- (780,000$) -- (737,000€) Yay 😭👍

FN2 civic Type R - reliable, great to drive if a bit heavy and that engine is a peach.

I have always wanted to do a Subaru Impreza Wagon build. I have always loved the look of them.

Imma translate this for Aussies: What is the best project car for under $40,000?

Great video but please look at the results of road and track tests of the Accelera tyres you promote. Once track test showed an average of 10 (TEN) seconds a lap slower than the top brands..

Personally, i would have to say bmw e46 330d. They have decent reliability, good fuel economy, 5 seats, a good sized boot and an engine with lots of power upgrade options. I brought one for 2k which was already modded to 300hp. The bodywork wasnt the best, however it can quite easily be sorted due to the abundance of parts avaliable.

So, watching this from Sweden is just silly 😅 Every car mentioned, even in the comments, except maybe 318i/320i E46 is at least double the money over here. The roadsters especially as they're rarely driven in the winter. Cheapest Boxster 2,7 I can find is a US import (2012) with 82000 miles (Might also be 132500 miles as that's what US uses) for £8300, it would however cost me only £146/year to insure and £160 to tax.

Anything with a 1.8t or 1.9pd depending on if you want petrol or diesel, both engines been used in a heap of cars mostly currently under 3k and very easily tunable. Sure it's probably what a lot of people are doing but that's because they're good and accessible

Mx5 NC 2.0 Sport mods, meister r coilovers, take the tyre to 215 17, nankang ar1 corner weight it, decent pads and fluid and a bucket seat, that will set you on your way

Guess we'll just ignore the ZS180 which is pretty much a Civic EJ/EK platform with a V6 for well under £3k

A Subaru Forester XT would be a good first project car. Subaru WRX and STI suspension geometry everything basically bolts up and slowly it can be made imto an STI and it is a sleeper. Stock motor with a tune can push comfortable 270whp. And there are lots clean under 3000£ I wish i could bring into Europe Greece

I’m a electro plater, if the car is taken apart too individual sections you should zinc coat it it’ll last 15+ years before the rust kicks in again and that’s on the short end will probably be a lot longer. I’ve done loads of cars and have examples on what it could look like.

Had a Z3 for 2.5 years, sold it August 2022, if you get a Z3 it’s EASY to spend thousands catching up on deferred maintenance, mine was a 1.9 which cost £925 and it needed saving from a line of many careless owners, all in I spent £3k on it and sold it for £1800, new sills and paint, seat bushes, window runners, polybush front stabiliser bushes, induction hose, these are all things to instantly check on any Z3 because they probably need doing, even then just before I sold it the rear window separated from the roof and we had to bodge it (dropped the price by £100 also as a mate was buying it)

Picked up a classic mini with mot and running for 3000. Literally the best project car regardless of price. 100bhp in a 550kg car, easy to work on and probably the best car ever made

A good first project car can also be a volo from the 90s and onwards, great 5cylinder, cheap parts, great community and also safe and cheap to insure. the only downside is quite expensive roadtax in the netherlands, but idk how that is for other country's

I would recommend a Ford Sierra MK2 with 2.0 l engine, rear wheel drive, easy to work on, but rust is a topic.

i think you should do some build series

a 2 door mk1 focus is a good option. good handling, good engine, cheap, good parts for them, great mods. overall a good choice.

Toyota Celica gen 7 great 1st project car cheap easy to work on don't have big rust problems

I daily drive a MK2.5 and the rust is minimal. Just needs protecting & looking after.

Mk3 mr2! Cracking car, Toyota reliability, good engine swap options and Handles like a dream. I love mine, Would really recommend one.

Depending on your goals, and with the disclaimer that the car market in New Zealand is quite different... I'd go Swift Sport manual. Chuck some springs and new shocks into it, a larger rear swaybar, some decent rubber, and go do some low stress motorsport events. Or just blast backroads.

DID THIS CHANNEL BECOME A BMW SHOW?!?! ... just kidding, good topic, I love when Rory isn't behind the camera. He's such good part of the crew, let him be on the show more often.

I remember doing insurance quotes before when I was younger and had only been driving less 4 years(talking early 2000s) and while the insurance was still high, a twin turbo UK supra mk4, a 2.5 boxster and a ferrari F355 were all £2k plus less than a civic Type R and a UK spec impreza wrx or sti. Think 2.5k was the highest insurance and that was the ferrari. It is ridiculous how different some cars are to insure. I've never really had a modified car so wouldn't have the insurance, but anyone buying a project car to mod should look at those as they should offer better pricing

Lexus is200 would be the perfect first project. Loads of mods available, cheap parts. And they don't suffer too bad from rust . The is300 would be better but hard to find for less than 3k

There are only two cars that should be considered for, fun, insurance and self servicing - Toyota Yaris T Sport ph1 or a Suzuki Swift Sport ZC31. Both stripped out with buckets, sticky rubber and good brakes are fun on track!

I picked up a mk5 golf GTI for sub 3k with 113k on clock. But i had to sink about 1k into it for cambelt/full service and a few small bits. I have seen them go for allot less with higher miles though. I miss the days where you could go out and buy a 205 gti for a few 100 quid lol. (my second car was 205 gti paid £400 for it, i got another for £100 and some pathing slabs i was not using. This was back in 2005-2010). I would say stay away from anything 4wd as insurance is always high, any little small car is fun even if its 1L.

Anything Saab, super cheap to buy easy to modify and they look fantastic when they are slammed.

Id get an original Ford Puma loved the little coupe especially the 1.7

Taylor raises a fantastic point with the 2.7 Boxster. I ran some quotes and they are cheaper than a Seat Ibiza FR to insure for an 18 year old. Madness.

St 150 fiesta is a good shout for a young guy. Clio 172 or 182 would be faster and a bit better handling but the fiesta would be reliable so not spending money on fixing everything.

Car RU-vidr: "The MX-5 just isn't a good affordable project car anymore." Me: "Yeah I wonder whose fault that is..."

Can you get a Suzuki Cappuccino for under £3k? Either way, you guys should try and get one.

Gents. Seeking your expert advice. I've owned my 1994 MX-5 1.6 SE for 22 years. It was my first 'nice' car and now holds massive sentimental value. When I can afford it, I really want to get a full restoration done. Who in the UK is best set up to do this, and what should I budget? Looks nice on the outside, but likely rusted from within. 🤔

Definitely think an Audi TT mk1 225hp. Just picked one up less than 3k and they are quick and handle so well. The 1.8T is very tuneable as well

My next project car (after my legend and my kembara) will be an e46 jz swap. Can't wait to get started on that 😁👍

As someone who has bought an E46 330D coupe and is now spending a ridiculous amount on treating its rusty underbelly, I second the notion that they’re not a good first time project car 😂 awesome thing to own, pain in butt to keep 🤷‍♂️

Boxsters are cheap on insurance because owners typically look after them and are careful, so statistically (insurers favourite word) they're less of a risk. Who would you trust more - a 19yr old in a rust bucket mx5 or a 19yr old in a coddled and cosseted porsche boxster?

Personally, I'd say a mk6 Ford Fiesta ST around 2k for a good one there cheap to reapir as well. Dont rust much, and as there an older boy racer car, you can get after-market parts for them fairly easily. There is also a nice drive and fairly conftable. This is coming from a 30 year old that 6ft 5 and 23 stones, and if i fit, there's no excuse.😅

I’ve got a Mini R53 which is my daily and also my project car and Taylor’s Mini is my inspiration!!!

If you want a project car, with some practicality, an E46 touring 3.0 is the way to go. Cheap, easy to work on, loads of parts and most importantly they handle surprisingly well.

9:00 I have 1 years no claims at 18. To insure a 1.5 07 swift without a box is 1.6k. a Porsche boxster is 1.3k

I bought myself a golf 4 cabrio 1.9 tdi for 500 euro, bit of rust on the front wings but great in every aspect, loads of parts new and 2nd hand, easy to work on, insurance isn’t to expensive. Yes you have to live with the golf stereotype but im trying to change that. Anyway great car.

I know the pain of owning a mk2.5 mx5. Fantastic car, but the rust is soul destroying.

I want to attest to the very, extremely, surprisingly low cost of ownership of a Porsche Boxster 2.7. It is the cheapest one they made. It's not got a lot of power for a sports car or compared to what you'd think it should or might have (e.g. compared to the Audi TT), but they are extremely reliable. Parts do cost, but it's not crazy. A lot of Audi/VW parts will fit *even* when the "computer" says they won't. Only the engine is bespoke being a B6. But with no turbos, there is space around the engine to work on things.

That red car tailgating them the whole video!!

2:58 Just ask Taylor he know how to hide rust as he dose it all the time.

I don't know about UK market but CLKs w208/W209 are amazing. Supercharged engines (especially m111 2.0 2.3) are easly modified for more hp, turbo conversions are pretty easy and common. Also i personally love looks. 3.2 (m112) or 5.0 (m113) engines are amazing too. Def worth to take a look.

Taylor is spot on, my Boxster 987 was cheaper to insure than my Fiesta ST!

Mk3 MR2. From handling mods to 2zz swap, lots of project car fun

2 that come to mind for me are a 1 series coupe or a 190e. Yo get the full potential put of them you would probaly want to do engine swaps on them, but you can pic them both up with mot for less than 3k

There is currently a z3 2.8 manual with no mot! And 84k miles on ebay for just under 3k in Thornborough, its a black 1997

Personally I think a ep3 civic is perfect comfy cheap to insure parts are cheap and mods are cheap and sound good with a proper exhaust not Halfords or wish system

I went French had so much fun in them ph1 172 was best of the bunch for me had it 8 years now paid £700 ye the belts were due but it’s been great & added an r26 about 2 years ago for £3700 best bang for the buck imo some of the French choices. Still some nice ones for sale on the forums

Z3-M-Coupé!!! The clownshoe is an absolut blast, so is the MX-5 NC, absolutely underrated. And Boxster S!!! The car that saved Porsche from bankruptcy - PS1-Players know well. This was so great to watch, thank you all.

This came at the perfect time for me. Looking at moving on from my first car which is a 1.6l Civic EP2. Want something a bit fun that I can tinker with. Now gonna have a look at Z3's. Cheers boys.

MG TF? Owned one for just over a year and was surprised how good it was. Used it for Autosolo’s.

I needed your show guys 15 years ago when I was young and wild and free 😅

If it’s a project car you’re looking for. Like Josh said you kind of left out all the fwd options. What about an ep3? It would be a bit ropey for £3k but it would be a project. Or a mk5 golf gti! Or an r53 cooper s! Possibly a ropey 106 gti?

Every 1.8t, for uk bois, EVERY small car with tdi engine. Also cars like the MGs zr / renault megane coupe 2.0 old tyle (not the chunky fella) below 10 sec to a 100 km. The odd cars like those are also very cheap to get but can be harder to find.

Alex those tyres you keep raving on about were absolutely crap on Phil going around the Nurburgring!!! 😂

You can get 407 Coupé under 3k. There was a 3.0 V6. Its a lot of car for this money. But there are almost no aftermarket parts for it so you have to get creative.

Got my mx5 nc 2.0 prht for £2500 with very small bit of rust which was sorted day 1

Couldn’t help but notice the little glance in the mirror 3:07, mainly because I too glanced out the window to see if anything was coming 😂

The boys casually forgetting that Toyota MR2's/MRS exists 🤣 I'd also recommend Lexus IS300 MK1 or IS250 MK2 Manual! They're comfortable even with coilovers, heated & cooled seats, diffs interchange between IS300 & IS250 & BRZ/GT86. Plenty of aftermarket support because they're just Toyotas underneath.

I think Taylor and Rory need some MORE m&m's. 😁

fiesta st, focus if you can afford one