Cars... the discussion continues

[Tesla]

Yup - I hate screen that you HAVE to look at in cars

 

My car if 6 years old (Honda Civic - i.e. very cool ) and all the controls can be felt - but I still miss having positive mechanical sliders for heater controls rather than a knob that you turn but you still need to look at the read out to see what temp you have set!

 

Unfortunately my satnav is a touch screen but I have never seen one that isn't

 

No different to when touch screen phones came out, Snake just wasn't the same, you have to feel the buttons!

[nikaso]

Saw this on Pistonheads and thought the car fans amongst you would appreciate, the Ultimate Sleeper......

 

 

The car is a white 1989 W124 E250 D.

 

It has an OM606 3.0 engine (from a W210 E Class)

6 speed box from a W211 E270 cdi

Sachs racing clutch and custom flywheel

7.5 manual superstroker injection pump from dieselmeken

Borgwarner S300 turbo running 3 bar

3 inch turbo back stainless exhaust

Big radiator and intercooler from an E300 W124

 

 

 

So this car appears 100% bone stock from the outside. Unless you twig the exhaust of course.

Under the bonnet is a bit more revealing..

It is worth mentioning that this engine is bone stock. Unopened. Its been running this power for a year, uses no oil, and has lost no compression. Pretty amazing really!

 

The car made 562hp and 587 ft lb. That is wheel figures from a hub dyno. Crank figure was 680bhp. It has an 8,000rpm redline, but feels best when changing at around 6 to 6.5.

 

And yes, it will still do 37mpg if you stay off boost.

[Duranis]

In fact, when it comes to cars I'm the exact opposite of all other gadgets. I want less technology, not more. Give me a volume up and down, radio station select/aux select, and a knob for the heating.

 

Yep same here. I want a car that is built around good engineering, not technology. Probably a reason I tend to buy Shed's for the most part. I want something that is solid and can be fixed, by me, without fancy tools.

 

I drive the Mother in law's car occasionally and it is really annoying. Don't have your seatbelt on, I'm going to beep at you constantly even if you are just backing off the drive to swap cars. Handbake is just a button and when the electrics for that fail your handbreak is going to be locked on and the replacement part has to be programmed to match your vin number. Running low on petrol, let me make a super loud buzzing noise at your unexpectedly when you are driving. Oh no the PCB for the dash has failed, enjoy not being able to see engine temp, speed, revs or how much petrol you have. Want to keep your engine running at night but have the lights off because you are parked, nope I'm just gonna put them on automatically for you.

 

Every car I have owned I could pull out 90% of the electronics and it would still run just fine. Apart from my current car (which is a semi-automatic) I have always had 100% control over it as well. I don't want my car telling me how to drive or doing things for me.

 

Edit: @nikaso That is exactly the kid of car I like

Edited February 5, 2016 by Duranis

[synaesthesia]

Meh @ that merc. I still prefer proper old beasts like the Lotus Carlton.

Looked like your grandads car. Drove like Senna's car.

[3s-gtech]

Agreed. My TT is not a new car, but it is pretty complex. I have had quite a few issues with electronic sensors breaking, complicated PCV pipework failing, boost leaks, the DV control valve, etc. It has a multitude of other potential issues such as the Haldex system, DMF, digital display in the dashboard, stability control sensors...

 

It's currently working, but it has not been a cheap journey.

 

I also have a Ford Puma that is dead simple and goes like a train.

[nikaso]

Meh @ that merc. I still prefer proper old beasts like the Lotus Carlton.

Looked like your grandads car. Drove like Senna's car.

 

I'd disagree, the Lotus Carlton always looked special, the Merc is a Q-Car, looks bone stock pretty much but makes about 300 more horses than the Carlton so in a straight line would probably stomp all over it.

[GuyJD]

I do love a good sleeper car, I've had pretty cars that looked fast but the most fun I had was in my R32 Skyline, if you didn't know what a Skyline was you'd just look at it and think it some old S**tbox Nissan but with 300 horses under the bonnet it was great fun for trolling the BMW and Audi brigade

[just_david]

For a real sleeper it needs to be an estate

Think Volvo T5R's

[Oaktech]

Meh @ that merc. I still prefer proper old beasts like the Lotus Carlton.

Looked like your grandads car. Drove like Senna's car.

 

A friend of mine had a Skoda Estelle street sleeper with a 500 brake Porsche engine, bilstein adjustable coilovers and a stage 3 brembo brake pack. It was running stock wheels but with toyo proxes tyres. If you gave it large off the lights the dashboard twisted visibly!

[twin--turbo]

For a real sleeper it needs to be an estate

Think Volvo T5R's

 

Done that...

 

Personally I have had 6/8 Cylinder engines for a large portion of my driving life. Mostly RWD or 4x4.

 

The FWD Volvo was quick but you could not use it as eaisly as the RWD cars.

 

TT

[just_david]

I do miss the power delivery of the mx5 and the evo.

No tyre squeal, just instant accelleration

[arwen]

So I'm thinking of trading in my 56 plate 1.2 clio for a 61 plate Ford Focus 1.6 ecoboost Titanium. I think I'm getting a good deal for the focus (just under £8k, 13000 miles) but does anyone had any pointers for anything I should look for specifically on the focus? Might be going PCP for it (3 years) as it means I can still save for a house deposit. First time considering PCP however, I've always went down the hire purchase route. Any tips?

[foofighterjim]

Might be going PCP for it (3 years) as it means I can still save for a house deposit. First time considering PCP however, I've always went down the hire purchase route. Any tips?

 

If you are thinking of applying for a mortgage during the time it will take to pay off it may prove a false economy. Having a monthly debit like this would significantly reduce the amount of money the banks will lend. I was in this situation 10 years ago and I could borrow more by paying off the car with my savings, even though this reduced the deposit I had. I was then able to save more aggressively without that monthly outgoing from my account and quickly built up the deposit again. Don't forget that with PCP you still need to pay or finance the cost of the car at the end of the period.

 

Really not worth it IMO. What do you want more; new car or a house?

[3s-gtech]

As above. Currently looking at buying a house soon - the car's outgoings will make things so much tighter. A car isn't really that much of an asset, where a house is. Keep running your Clio!

[just_david]

I'd say leave off anything like pcp if your saving for a deposit.

You'll be paying off the lump sum or getting the next finance agreement right when you'd want to be getting a mortgage

[arwen]

Thanks for the input. Realistically I reckon I won't have a decent deposit for 5 years or so possibly less if I do PCP for 2.5 or 3 years. I have factored in the final payment. I like the fact I will know how much I will get for my car when the PCP ends. HP works out around £600 more expensive than PCP over the same period if I decided to refinance the final payment from doing PCP. (I thought this strange, so I done the maths again and again to make sure)

I don't really have the option of keeping the Clio going. It needs around £600 to keep it on the road this year (major service, timing belt, mot) and I suspect there are a few other things wrong with it that will fail the MOT/fail in the next 6 months. The car is worth about £600-£1000 if sold privately. So I've decided it not financially viable to keep repairing it, plus I've had it 6 and a half years. Kinda fancy a change now.

[twin--turbo]

If its only worth 600, just have a basic oil and filters service. Doing a full major service is a waste of money.

 

Realisticly, a basic service and cambelt should be under 200. Other mot items probably cheep too, will probably solider on for many years. And save you a packet!

 

TT

[arwen]

I've yet to find a garage that will do a timing belt on a Clio for less than £400. The parts are cheap, but to change it you need to remove the whole engine cause of the stupid layout. So most of the price is labour, and unless you have an engine hoist at home (I don't) then it needs to be done in a garage. It's been getting a basic oil service only for the past 2-3 years, and starting to sound rather rough. The garages around here that can do the timing belt have all said they would do a full service at a reduced price along with the timing belt, since it's such a long job anyway.

[just_david]

If you were thinking of pcp did you have a deposit?

Maybee use just that to buy a car and avoid financing?

 

If i was going to pcp a car I'd do it on something newer than a 61, or at least something that still has manufacturer warranty. Might not have the bells and whistles, but could help keep the costs down while trying to get that deposit.

At the end of the day you know the issues on your current car, a new car could have different issues, so if your going to get stuck with it, and go the finance route, make sure its new enough to be worth it.

[Joanne]

@arwen what I did last summer was use my car as a deposit - granted it had a bit more value than yours, but it saves you the hassle of trying to sell it. I've got my mini on a 4 year lease, but I'll be able to hand it back sooner if I want. Husband got his Passat 2 years back on a 4 year contract, but plans on handing it back this summer.

 

Personally I prefer paying out of the nose for a new car, because I know I don't have to worry about it going wrong. I can't be bothered with the hassle of trying to change the oil myself in a car. Fiddling about under the engine, finding something to put the old oil in, disposing of the old oil correctly. Right blag!

 

I found a car I liked. Sat down with a list of things I wanted with it and negotiated. There were loads of different options. I went for the cheapest, naturally!

[Oaktech]

I understand the perceived lack of hassle, but my head will never be able to justify paying for something over and over again and possibly never owning it.

 

I spend a few hundred on a car - less than some people's monthly payments, run it until it catastrophically fails an MOT or requires serious work, and then get another one. I'm out of pocket way less than all my friends who are PCP or leasing, the car is mine, it doesn't matter if I dent it, frankly the more miles I do in it the batter, and if I get a couple of years out of it before I sell or scrap it, then great.

 

I can easily save up the couple of hundred it costs to replace it in a matter of months and there are no shortage of interesting cars around for £400-£1000. Especially if you like big estate cars.

[Joanne]

and I don't understand why people would want to continue to pile money into an old banger!!

 

I like new things, I can afford it, so why not. Don't drink, smoke or gamble. Cars are my thing!

[just_david]

cars are my thing too, but watching one drop 20% of its value in the drive off the forecourt is just agony.

 

I could afford a new JCW or a new Focus ST if I wanted, but I can't justify never owning it or the loss of value.

 

Then again, I've always been averse to fiance, don't even like paying my car insurance monthly if I can avoid it ^^

[Oaktech]

and I don't understand why people would want to continue to pile money into an old banger!!

 

I like new things, I can afford it, so why not. Don't drink, smoke or gamble. Cars are my thing!

 

Its each to their own, no disresepect either way.

 

I don't pour money into them, I might make a few repairs, but nothing much, I always have an eye on what I spend if anything. My last 2 Citroens have literally cost me service items only and I've sold them for at least what I paid for them. The Audi I have currently cost me £600, I bought a new window mech for £18 and a new door lock for £25, I've also spent £100 on brakes, but you'd have to do that on any car eventually. I've put a couple of hours of time into fixing those items and replacing a split rear washer hose. I'm waiting to see how it fairs at MOT in July and then if it looks OK I might get the LCD screen in the dash fixed because it has a couple of pixel lines out.

 

I had a peugeot 405 that I ran for 4 years which cost me £400 to buy but actually nothing more, I didn't spend a penny on it bar fuel, tax and insurance!

 

I guess I just know how to pick 'em!

[Patrick]

Do you get stung with tax on your older cars?