£3000 doesn't buy you very much, at all.
I've had bangers for 25 years, our current workhorse (06 Touran, bought with 90k on the clock) cost a smidgeon over £3k and is the most expensive car i've ever bought. 1.5 years in, so far so good, including 2 fully loaded family camping trips to the south of france and back. Comfortable, safe, cruise control set to motorway speed limit, economical, dirty-diesel.
A few random observations:-
- Most bangers, expect up to £1k/year in maintenance - clutches, broken coil springs, random electrical gremlins, hoses, cv boots. Though you might be lucky.
- Electrical stuff (airbag sensors etc) can be tricky/uneconomical to fix, and may be the eventual reason a car has to be scrapped
- Really old vehicles can rack up labour expenses for seemingly simple jobs - it once cost me half a days labour at the local garage to replace a £5 bushing, due to a seized bolt!
