adder1969 (AT) yahoo (DOT) co.uk wrote:

If you can get the Diamond (3.0 24V Q-car estate) you won't even want to
stop at the tip. You'll just want to drive all day. Until you run out of
money for playing at sub-20mpg...

<adder1969 (AT) yahoo (DOT) co.uk> wrote:
Seconded. This, by the way, is my specialist subject. Sort of.

If you're not doing many miles get a 2.6 Straight 6 or a 3.0 24v Diamond
Estate if you're lucky enough to find one and it's a goodun. Don't
bother with the later 2 litre one's as they're quite underpowered
compared with the earlier ones, and even when de-catted, IMHO, don't
feel as pokey (possibly due to the different compression ratio).

For a cheap workhorse you want an early 2 litre Estate - the 20SE engine
not the C20NE one (the C stands for Cat, NE/SE denote compression
ratios). Google for info and you'll probably find out, but I think it's
something like 1990 that the catted engines were introduced (it was
before the 1991 facelift I'm fairly sure). *If* you can find a
relatively rust free one with a good running 20SE engine then go for it.
Superb mpg, reasonable power, bulletproof mechanicals and fantastic
loadspace.

--
"For want of the price of tea and a slice, the old man died."

AstraVanMan wrote:
Mine's a '90 facelifted non-cat 2.0 and the pulling power (of loads not
of women) is really quite good.

The problem with a lot of these though is that they try to return
themselves to the ground in the form of rust. I find that the engine
oil leak does some good for the front end but not for the back :-)

Suspension bushes can be a problem - not expensive but can be fiddly to
fit.

<adder1969 (AT) yahoo (DOT) co.uk> wrote:
I've had a few Carltons - one of them (pre-cat 2 litre, F reg) had an
oil leak - it got to using shit loads, and eventually I got around to
replacing the oil pressure switch (or sender, if you will) and it
completely cured it. As far as rust went, once you know where to look,
it's quite simple to tell a goodun - mine failed on sills and the PITA
welding required on the rear chassis rails - and obviously rear arches
are worth looking out for. If they're solid, then it should be fine -
that's how I could easily verify my last Carlton was a good one, and it
pretty much sailed through 2 MOT tests in the time I had it.

Not ever needed to do any, bar drop links, which were piss.

--
"They said to me 'You could be anyone you wanted to be', but I was
realistic and only ever aimed to be me, which I already was. So I gave
up trying."