What to get for a second car?

Your opinions based on experience please......

I'm thinking of getting a second car. My trip to work is only about 4 miles and the work car park is always getting cars damaged in it, the dogs keep getting my current car dirty and when the wife goes back to work after the baby (care assistant for the elderly) all of her clients live down pot hole infested, dark country lanes and it's only a matter of time before my beloved car has unbearable damage as well as my journey being very stop-start so not too good for the engine.

Basically, I'm looking to spend a maximum of 500 quid. I DO NOT want a french car because they are expensive bags of rubbish, (don't argue, I have plenty of evidence and bad experiences to back that up!) I don't want any gimmicks or luxury like leccy windows or air con, just a cheap but reliable and easy to repair motor! I will be using it for short trips and taking the dogs out so I will need an estate or even a van. I did see a nice e36 320i touring for 100 quid on ebay! no reserve and it was an n reg in good condition! only thing is I won't have the money to splash for a couple of months.

I would consider an e30 touring, as long as it was mechanically sound, not bothered about looks. I might be barking up the wrong tree thinking of a beemer for under £500 that runs am I?

I'd like genuine opinions on ANY car you would consider a no gimmick, cheap, reliable and easy to repair car. Estate, van or hatchback (as long as seats fold for dogs) Any one had a workhorse like this that they think is up to my criteria? my thoughts are along the lines of Vauxhall astravan/estate or corsa van/combi or Ford escort estate/van etc... diesel will probably be better for cheap insurance and the fact I work in a mainly diesel orientated garage so better for repairs.

Any advice greatly recieved.

Cheers

Mike

You can have my vectra estate next month, easily for that money, T redg, 183,000 miles,and it has working front leccy windows, and working aircon, and a dog guard lol.

Its just getting too long in the tooth for me, but 4 miles a day, it'll do that easily enough, I'm still blatting around the country in it until I get the rover ready !

I'm sure I will have, as I wont advertise it until the rover is running around happily, I'm planning to tax that on the 1st of next month.

I'll also have to take the plate off the vectra, but I can always do that afterwards if its you, as dvla take a few weeks, actually if I have time I'll start the ball rolling with that this week.

mickstreet wrote: If it falls through with Nigel then get yourself down to the auctions. Before my BM I got a C180 as a runaround for a few months. Paid about a grand for it and it was a fantastic motor! There were loads of 4/5 year old cars going through for under a grand, basically part ex's that dealers take in and don't want the hassle of selling on. First time I'd bought at auction and it wasn't at all intimidating. Give it a go!

Good idea Mick, I'll have to wait and see what my bonus payout is, then we'll see!

Cheers

Mike