Theoretical Buying Advice

[rwb]

very good point welly

I guess where I'm coming from is that a banger isn't much tattier, and certainly no slower, than my present 406 (which in my mind is still a £5k car).

As for a 2.2 HDi: in a 406 I haven't seen anything much tidier than doggy's, but if you're going down the HDi route then how about a 170 in a C5 or 407. (My choice would be 407 )

To paraphrase the original question: how much do you have to spend before you're just throwing good money after bad?
Given that £2.5k is well into 407 territory, I think that doing everything on Welly's list is probably infeasible.

[Bailes1992]

If I had my time again, I would have bought a 1.9TD executive and used it as a donor to rebuild my first 1.9TD 406.
It would have cost me a fair whack but I'd be saving a fortune in diesel costs right now.

[gumby6371]

I guess it depends what you want from your car and what you use it for.

Like I said I mostly have the kids in the car so rarely push it meaning power isn't a major issue for me. It pulls like a train fully loaded over the welsh mountains and will cruise at 70 all day long, respectable away from junctions when the need arises as well.
Fuel economy is better than a lot of cars on the road and using veg I'd say I spend 15p a mile so wouldn't save a massive amount in a modern frugal motor.
Engine rebuild not required due to very low mileage for it's age.
Refurbing the suspension with new links, bushes, shocks and springs could be done for under £600 turning the spanners myself
Discs and pads £150 at the most, maybe a bit more for handbrake cables.
Interior is in good nick but a donor exec would be nice.
A family friend runs a small haulier business and has a workshop with spray equipment so a full respray could be done for a few hundred quite easily. If I do find a donor car locally with good panels the plan is to spray the bits that can be unbolted so it can be done at my leisure and take my time doing a decent job.
In the engine bay, mounts and clutch kit should be enough but I'd do the belts while I was at it.

Including a donor car that lot would be less than £2000 then get a bit back weighing the donor car in.

fingers crossed 5 or 6 years motoring with regular servicing and I'd be a happy bunny.

Obviously the plan has flaws like not having £2000 spare and something else always bites you in the ass but other than that it's cheap motoring.

[Welly]

Something you might want to look into is any possible Rust. There's been one or two owners finding a few hidden horrors lurking inside the cills and whatnot. It wouldn't be good to refurbish all the mechanical stuff to find the car is slowly perishing away