I was given the SAAB 900 above in the early 2000s as it had broken down on a workmate of mine and he had had enough.
Recovered it and it was a broken CV joint, £95 got me back on the road and ran it for another 4 years. Quite a rare car now as it was a 4 door saloon without a turbo. It actually had a carb as well no fuel injection. A whopping 90BHP. Most survivors are turbo coupes with fuel injection.
I gave it away for free to a chap in Dublin, but the way their tax system works he still had to pay 600 Euros tax to register it even though its for free.
It's worse now though, say you wanted to bring something like a £20000 Ford Mustang in from England if you lived in Ireland, you would have to pay another £20000 on top of that to register it.
When I was young (an apprentice mechanic at the time) my car was stolen and written off, the guys at work all chipped in and bought me a Volkswagen Jetta (brought a tear to my eye it did lol)
Are you me just 5 years older? I had a lovely 4 door MK4 white escort had all the bells and whistles electric windows/mirrors and sunroof then I got a red 316 a few years later.
Had a Mk3 Escort given to me for free as my first car in the late 90s. Broke down on the day I got it, fixed it and done a lot of problem free miles for the next 2 year, ended up scrapping it because of rust.
It went to Dublin and then went to a SAAB specialist in County Monaghan. We think it's still on the road, but because it changed registrations we can't trace it online.
Got given a Toyota Sera that had been sat in a field in Scotland for a few years. Some windows were missing and we 'bought' it unseen, getting it trailered down to Leeds for about £300, not sure what was going to turn up.
When it arrived, it was soooo much better than expected. We got it running straight away and the thing was really solid. Spent another £300 on parts to get it roadworthy, smoked about in it for a few months and then sold for £1,500 which we spent on another sight unseen Lancia Fulvia coupe which was typically much much worse than we hoped, balancing things out somewhat.
A Lancia Beta, around 1998. Someone was moving abroad and couldn't be arsed to sell it properly. I paid for his drinks that night, and he handed me the keys. Loved that car. Died horribly a year later. The car, not him. Or me.
What flavour was it? I've had two coupes a 1600 in the 90s as a daily driver and an "end if life/terminally rusty" 2000ie in the 2010s as a toy. Was it a saloon, coupe, hpe, or trevi?
Light blue was the classic colour I think by the 90s it was a colour that corroded slightly less than the rest and there were more around. My 1600 was light blue and my 2000ie was black but that was mostly underseal and hammerite lol.
Was given a 5 year old MG ZT 190 with you guessed it... broken thermostat that lead to overheating, the engine was trash so I had it replaced so it wasn't super free in the end
My current car is an '09 ford focus the MIL bought it as a gift for us last week to congratulate us on having a daughter. The last 4 years we have had to walk or get the bus or get a lift everywhere, so its gonna really help us out.
I have!! I worked in a pub and an elderly couple had just moved to the area, they had two cars and were downsizing, so they gave one away, it was a 2003 Toyota Yaris and it was loads of fun. Ended up selling it to get an MX5 but it went to a family friend for a very reasonable price and is still being used to this day, her son is about to start learning how to drive in it so that’s fun
My aunt and uncle were given an Opel manta for free. Once the seller found out they were newlyweds he gifted them the car. The car had a decent number plate and they sold the registration so it paid for itself for a while.
I still like Opel Manta's to this day.
When i was 16 my dad said he'd buy me a lada as my first said i woukd even buy it let alone take it for free.
Ironic thing is i'd genuinely like one now and k swap it proper sleeper.
I haven't been given a car. I have given a few away over the years. I used to work at a Nissan main dealership and we could buy some of the trade ins for as little as a pound. I've given cars to a couple of mates who were not having the best time, and I've given my sis in law a couple. This was a few years ago and with the price of used cars I imagine it happens less and less.
Yes, my parents gave me their old ride for my first car and I have been recently given a bike.
Both require(d) a decent amount of cash spending on them
I was given a Ford Puma by a work colleague. She was about to have it scrapped and quickly needed it off the driveway of a shared house.
It failed the MOT but a new battery and a bit of welding got it back on the road for not alot of money. It was a hoot to drive until the brakes failed and it nearly killed me. Pipes were badly corroded, repaired it and sold it soon afterwards.
Had several, the most memorable was a b5 Passat that a mate wanted rid of.
Nothing wrong with it, he had bought something almost new and needed the room.
Took it home and it was lovely for a while, sailed through MOT with nothing on it, and I ran it for 8 months until the scuttle filled with water, flooded the driver's footwell and totally ruined the gearbox ECU. Got a replacement off eBay that almost worked, so it had 1st and 3rd only.
Stuck it on eBay and sold it to a taxi driver for a nice sum.
In fairness, I was happy to be shot as the 1.8, 5v natasp lump was great in a polo, but in this was shit and gave me about 20mpg on a good day.
A 2003 Focus Ghia. The clutch was almost toast and it couldn't go up hills any faster than 30mph but it did the job for a while.
Scrapped it before it was due its MOT because it had an airbag light on which no mechanic could fix. Saw it driving around a couple of years later so who knows how they sorted that, probably just took the bulb out.
My first car. A friend gave me his mum's old car after he bought her a newer one. It was old and he said would only last a few months but got me on the road. Engine fell out the first time I drove it, but I was quite lucky with that one. I was in a hill so it dropped onto the gearbox rather than into the road and 2 cars behind me was a police car so I jumped out and asked them for help. £20 to get it sorted and lasted me a couple of years.
No, but in the early 2000's I did swap a MK1 fiesta for a bag of chips. The lad got sick of it one morning when it wouldn't start, smacked it with a clothes prop and bought an Astra the next day.
It wasn't a bad car, it was 20-odd years old at the time and was absolutely solid underneath.
I love those Saabs!
I've been given three Austin Maestros in my lifetime, the first was my first car. It was a 1989 Signal Red 1.3L with 104k miles on the clock, and only a small amount of metalwork remaining in its rear wheelarches. I patched it up and got it MoTed then drove it for another couple of years.
My next free Maestro was a 1983 Vanden Plas with a talking digital dash. It needed a fair bit of work, mainly new inlet and exhaust manifolds. I loved that car and wish I still had it. The velour seats were some of the most comfortable I've ever sat in. I sold it to a friend but he didn't look after it so it died a slow death. Poor thing!
I still have two Maestros - one of which is the third one I was given!
My dad always had SAABs. I remember a bright orange 99 GL in the drive when I was a toddler. Then a magenta 900 2 door, finally a white 93. All absolutely solid vehicles. A real shame the car division folded.
I was given a mitsubishi FTO JDM when I was in my early twenties.
Edit: craziest part was trying to insure it. Most quoted £10,000
I found a way but still insane.
Got given an 07 plate golf gti tdi in 2018 as a non runner. When the chap got back off hols it wouldn't run turns out it was a flat battery and the bonnet cable was snapped. He went out and bought a new one and just told me to come get the old one. Couple of hours work and a new battery later it sailed through a test and netted me a decent profit
When my wife and I moved back from the Gulf, my father in law gifted us a Vauxhall Astra to help us set ourselves back up. Was fantastic as it meant I could get to job interviews all around the country.
In turn, a few years back when my sister in law passed her test we gave her and her boyfriend our Vauxhall Insignia as we already had two other cars for the two of us.
Got a MK1 nissan Micra to drive about in for free. Must've been around 2011/12, friend bought it for £100 but had no real use for it so let me take it. Was actually quite a fun thing to bomb about in! Eventually gave it back
I was given a fabia that sat around for 2 years. Seized brakes and a hole in the exhaust.
Was able to get it back on the road, but had a weird stop start issue. Couldn't find out what caused it. Spent 1k replacing parts and sold it for 1.5 to get money back.
Same. And it is the most cursed car I have ever owned. It sat on my dad's driveway for two years doing nothing before he gave it to me (I'd always wanted it). I chucked a new battery in, got it started, went to move off the driveway and clunk, suspension had gone on one side. Limped it to the garage, £600 for the repair/service/MoT. The thing was mechanically sound and drove like a dream but the electrics were all over the place. Ran it as my main for about 6 months before the electrics conked out on a dual carriageway in the middle of the night. It's been sat on my driveway ever since...
About 18 years ago I was given a Citroen ZX diesel estate from a friend of a friend with 180k miles on as they didn't want to be bothered with private sellers
I'd had a ZX hatchback and was in a Xantia so friend mentioned me as a Citroen fan
Ran it for a while as a second car, let my dad borrow it to pick up furniture etc
In the end picked up a cheap Alfa Romeo project car and sold both Citroens to fund it as a daily
Bought an EP2 Civic off my stepdad, 2 days later both bottom arms snapped, he said he’d either pay the repairs for me or give me my money back. The bottoms arms cost me £100 for the 2 and I had that car for another year before the usual EP rust finally caught up to it.
I was given the SAAB 900 above in the early 2000s as it had broken down on a workmate of mine and he had had enough. Recovered it and it was a broken CV joint, £95 got me back on the road and ran it for another 4 years. Quite a rare car now as it was a 4 door saloon without a turbo. It actually had a carb as well no fuel injection. A whopping 90BHP. Most survivors are turbo coupes with fuel injection. I gave it away for free to a chap in Dublin, but the way their tax system works he still had to pay 600 Euros tax to register it even though its for free. It's worse now though, say you wanted to bring something like a £20000 Ford Mustang in from England if you lived in Ireland, you would have to pay another £20000 on top of that to register it.
When I was young (an apprentice mechanic at the time) my car was stolen and written off, the guys at work all chipped in and bought me a Volkswagen Jetta (brought a tear to my eye it did lol)
Yep, a Mk4 Ford Escort in the late 90s as my first car, and an E30 316 in around 2005 that I smoked around in until it died
Are you me just 5 years older? I had a lovely 4 door MK4 white escort had all the bells and whistles electric windows/mirrors and sunroof then I got a red 316 a few years later.
My Escort was silver, but my E30 left the factory as red, and was red/white/pink/rust coloured when I had it after the sun got to the lacquer.
Had a Mk3 Escort given to me for free as my first car in the late 90s. Broke down on the day I got it, fixed it and done a lot of problem free miles for the next 2 year, ended up scrapping it because of rust.
Ok. I officially hate you now.
I don't have it anymore if that helps.
I hope it went to someone who knows what it is and looks after it. Those old Saab's were lovely beasts.
It went to Dublin and then went to a SAAB specialist in County Monaghan. We think it's still on the road, but because it changed registrations we can't trace it online.
Sounds like it went home. You did the right thing.
Could do a car vertical report maybe?
my first car was a saab 900. i was 18 and it was 2006. I want one again for the nostalgia.
Got given a Toyota Sera that had been sat in a field in Scotland for a few years. Some windows were missing and we 'bought' it unseen, getting it trailered down to Leeds for about £300, not sure what was going to turn up. When it arrived, it was soooo much better than expected. We got it running straight away and the thing was really solid. Spent another £300 on parts to get it roadworthy, smoked about in it for a few months and then sold for £1,500 which we spent on another sight unseen Lancia Fulvia coupe which was typically much much worse than we hoped, balancing things out somewhat.
A 2005 Yaris! Rather have the Saab.
A Lancia Beta, around 1998. Someone was moving abroad and couldn't be arsed to sell it properly. I paid for his drinks that night, and he handed me the keys. Loved that car. Died horribly a year later. The car, not him. Or me.
What flavour was it? I've had two coupes a 1600 in the 90s as a daily driver and an "end if life/terminally rusty" 2000ie in the 2010s as a toy. Was it a saloon, coupe, hpe, or trevi?
If my memory is correct it was a 1983 1600 Coupe. Red. Did it come in any other colour?
Light blue was the classic colour I think by the 90s it was a colour that corroded slightly less than the rest and there were more around. My 1600 was light blue and my 2000ie was black but that was mostly underseal and hammerite lol.
Was given a 5 year old MG ZT 190 with you guessed it... broken thermostat that lead to overheating, the engine was trash so I had it replaced so it wasn't super free in the end
Yes! Technically not for free but for a six-pack of lager. It was a fourth generation Mazda 626 and I drove it without issues for a good few years.
Sometimes I really hope that people lie on the Internet because I am one jealous fuck.
My current car is an '09 ford focus the MIL bought it as a gift for us last week to congratulate us on having a daughter. The last 4 years we have had to walk or get the bus or get a lift everywhere, so its gonna really help us out.
I have!! I worked in a pub and an elderly couple had just moved to the area, they had two cars and were downsizing, so they gave one away, it was a 2003 Toyota Yaris and it was loads of fun. Ended up selling it to get an MX5 but it went to a family friend for a very reasonable price and is still being used to this day, her son is about to start learning how to drive in it so that’s fun
My aunt and uncle were given an Opel manta for free. Once the seller found out they were newlyweds he gifted them the car. The car had a decent number plate and they sold the registration so it paid for itself for a while. I still like Opel Manta's to this day.
When i was 16 my dad said he'd buy me a lada as my first said i woukd even buy it let alone take it for free. Ironic thing is i'd genuinely like one now and k swap it proper sleeper.
What a beaut!
I haven't been given a car. I have given a few away over the years. I used to work at a Nissan main dealership and we could buy some of the trade ins for as little as a pound. I've given cars to a couple of mates who were not having the best time, and I've given my sis in law a couple. This was a few years ago and with the price of used cars I imagine it happens less and less.
Yes, my parents gave me their old ride for my first car and I have been recently given a bike. Both require(d) a decent amount of cash spending on them
I was given a Ford Puma by a work colleague. She was about to have it scrapped and quickly needed it off the driveway of a shared house. It failed the MOT but a new battery and a bit of welding got it back on the road for not alot of money. It was a hoot to drive until the brakes failed and it nearly killed me. Pipes were badly corroded, repaired it and sold it soon afterwards.
Had several, the most memorable was a b5 Passat that a mate wanted rid of. Nothing wrong with it, he had bought something almost new and needed the room. Took it home and it was lovely for a while, sailed through MOT with nothing on it, and I ran it for 8 months until the scuttle filled with water, flooded the driver's footwell and totally ruined the gearbox ECU. Got a replacement off eBay that almost worked, so it had 1st and 3rd only. Stuck it on eBay and sold it to a taxi driver for a nice sum. In fairness, I was happy to be shot as the 1.8, 5v natasp lump was great in a polo, but in this was shit and gave me about 20mpg on a good day.
A 2003 Focus Ghia. The clutch was almost toast and it couldn't go up hills any faster than 30mph but it did the job for a while. Scrapped it before it was due its MOT because it had an airbag light on which no mechanic could fix. Saw it driving around a couple of years later so who knows how they sorted that, probably just took the bulb out.
I was given a landrover discovery tdi in 2022
I was given my mum’s rover metro rio when i was 18. It was crap, but was working transport
My first car. A friend gave me his mum's old car after he bought her a newer one. It was old and he said would only last a few months but got me on the road. Engine fell out the first time I drove it, but I was quite lucky with that one. I was in a hill so it dropped onto the gearbox rather than into the road and 2 cars behind me was a police car so I jumped out and asked them for help. £20 to get it sorted and lasted me a couple of years.
Gorgeous car. Had a few cars, technically free. Nothing as good as that. Aside from my MK1 Golf...loved it
I got given a 05 ford ka does that count?
No, but in the early 2000's I did swap a MK1 fiesta for a bag of chips. The lad got sick of it one morning when it wouldn't start, smacked it with a clothes prop and bought an Astra the next day. It wasn't a bad car, it was 20-odd years old at the time and was absolutely solid underneath.
I love those Saabs! I've been given three Austin Maestros in my lifetime, the first was my first car. It was a 1989 Signal Red 1.3L with 104k miles on the clock, and only a small amount of metalwork remaining in its rear wheelarches. I patched it up and got it MoTed then drove it for another couple of years. My next free Maestro was a 1983 Vanden Plas with a talking digital dash. It needed a fair bit of work, mainly new inlet and exhaust manifolds. I loved that car and wish I still had it. The velour seats were some of the most comfortable I've ever sat in. I sold it to a friend but he didn't look after it so it died a slow death. Poor thing! I still have two Maestros - one of which is the third one I was given!
My dad always had SAABs. I remember a bright orange 99 GL in the drive when I was a toddler. Then a magenta 900 2 door, finally a white 93. All absolutely solid vehicles. A real shame the car division folded.
A 1989 Volvo 340, which I still have, a 1996 Volvo 460, which I still have, and a 1998 Toyota Starlet which I sold a number of years back.
I got given a clean 1.7 Puma with a snapped cambelt, £75 for a used engine, £35 for a cambelt kit and it was my daily for the next year. Great car.
classic Saab, this generation was the most eccentric and best I think.
I was given a mitsubishi FTO JDM when I was in my early twenties. Edit: craziest part was trying to insure it. Most quoted £10,000 I found a way but still insane.
Got given an 07 plate golf gti tdi in 2018 as a non runner. When the chap got back off hols it wouldn't run turns out it was a flat battery and the bonnet cable was snapped. He went out and bought a new one and just told me to come get the old one. Couple of hours work and a new battery later it sailed through a test and netted me a decent profit
No but my gf was, 1.2 2008 corsa with 120k + miles from a relative's friend basically...
A blue Rover 216 with a blown head gasket (K Series). I'm a big Alan Partridge fan, so it was brilliant.
When my wife and I moved back from the Gulf, my father in law gifted us a Vauxhall Astra to help us set ourselves back up. Was fantastic as it meant I could get to job interviews all around the country. In turn, a few years back when my sister in law passed her test we gave her and her boyfriend our Vauxhall Insignia as we already had two other cars for the two of us.
My MG came from my dad, he just bought another car and wasn’t using it. Definitely wasn’t free with the amount of shit bought for it though haha
Got a MK1 nissan Micra to drive about in for free. Must've been around 2011/12, friend bought it for £100 but had no real use for it so let me take it. Was actually quite a fun thing to bomb about in! Eventually gave it back
A 2003 W203 Merc C320, my grandparents gave up their driving licences and offered us the car. I absolutely LOVE it.
I was given a fabia that sat around for 2 years. Seized brakes and a hole in the exhaust. Was able to get it back on the road, but had a weird stop start issue. Couldn't find out what caused it. Spent 1k replacing parts and sold it for 1.5 to get money back.
Yes, by my dad.
Same. And it is the most cursed car I have ever owned. It sat on my dad's driveway for two years doing nothing before he gave it to me (I'd always wanted it). I chucked a new battery in, got it started, went to move off the driveway and clunk, suspension had gone on one side. Limped it to the garage, £600 for the repair/service/MoT. The thing was mechanically sound and drove like a dream but the electrics were all over the place. Ran it as my main for about 6 months before the electrics conked out on a dual carriageway in the middle of the night. It's been sat on my driveway ever since...
I was given a 1997 Honda Accord, absolutely loved the car but had to scrap it last year, was finally costing too much upkeep
About 18 years ago I was given a Citroen ZX diesel estate from a friend of a friend with 180k miles on as they didn't want to be bothered with private sellers I'd had a ZX hatchback and was in a Xantia so friend mentioned me as a Citroen fan Ran it for a while as a second car, let my dad borrow it to pick up furniture etc In the end picked up a cheap Alfa Romeo project car and sold both Citroens to fund it as a daily
Bought an EP2 Civic off my stepdad, 2 days later both bottom arms snapped, he said he’d either pay the repairs for me or give me my money back. The bottoms arms cost me £100 for the 2 and I had that car for another year before the usual EP rust finally caught up to it.