For home DIY you’re looking at something small, preferably with carbs or single point injection, and a dizzy rather than electronic ignition to keep any electrical repairs to a minimum.. Avoid french cars like the plague as they have a nasty habit of using bizarre fittings and strange methods of doing things (try servicing an R19 16V – nightmare!) Avoid anything with electric gizmo’s everywhere. I’d plumb for something like a late MK3 fiesta with the 8 valve engine, or maybe a Punto, again with an 8 valve engine. My friend has a Punto 55 and I’ve done the brakes and exhaust (£22 back box, £27 centre section, tyres £26 each, front discs and pads £32!!!) as well as a bit of bodywork tidying (not bad for a P reg car with 90k that she paid £300 for!) and it’s a joy to work on, loads of space in the engine bay, everything is manual (windows, mirrors etc) and I managed to do a full service including changing the cambelt in two hours on my driveway.

OK it’s hardly a speed machine, and it’s pretty basic, but for DIY maintanence, basic is the way to go. As for reliability, it hasn’t actually let her down once and it’s just nudged 100k.