Car appreciation... the aesthetics, the engineering, etc

As it is only a punto I would be at the "throw it away and get another" stage too.
And yes, steering is really heavy if a car isn't actually rolling.
I don't know how much a new battery is, but that, plus a recon alternator, or. One from a scrappy should leave you with change from £150

Ebay prices for a new battery seemed to be about £50-80.

It's getting to the point where Ithink if Ifix this it's only going to be a few weeks/months untill something else breaks.

Why aren't cars simple like bikes?