There are bad cars out there
- you just have to make sure when you pick a car up its in as good condition as you can find.
Spending 2k on a rough car versus 4k for a mint example costs you 2k extra
- but you'll end up saving in the long run as the car, if mint, will have been well looked after.
For balance, my old Rev2 Turbo had done 35,000 miles when I bought it in
'98, and sold it earlier this year with 154,000 miles, and I have to say it was utterly reliable, even tuned to 280-300bhp.
I did plenty of trackdays in it
(boost turned down) and in one year 30k miles
- throughout it never left me stranded at the side of the road needing a tow.
I did service the car myself, use fully synth oil and always keep it in top condition so I could enjoy driving it to the full.
In that time, the only engine work it had done was a new turbo and at the same time top-end refresh including a thicker HG.
I replaced the suspension in 2000 with more Bilstein units, and later replaced the suspension bushes around 120k miles.
These are all to be expected for the mileage.
Brakes, tyres, bearings were all consumables that you've got to expect doing that kind of mileage.
If you've replaced parts that have failed on your car with 2nd hand parts from breakers, they'll have been cheap as they'd be towards the end of their life
- so them needing replacing again isn't really that much of a surprise
- its the price you pay.
For example, I've just picked up a 2nd hand alternator for my trackday Mk1.
A Reconditioned
(as new) alternator was going to be
£130ish, the same one rewound/rebuilt one from a local motor electrician about
£80, and one from a scrappy off a car they're breaking was
£37 delivered to my door.
I'll bought the
£37 part, knowing that there's not too much life left in the part, but it should do for a year or two, which is all I need.
id rather laugh about it than cry, but ive spent 
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