Cars... the discussion continues

[m25man]

Recently replaced my 2009 Cdi Smart for 2 for a brand new petrol one.

People always took the P out of my smartie, but there's a lot to be said for 70mpg and no Congestion charge.

Ok 0-60 in around 3 days was scary sometimes [emoji33] and every London Pothole felt like the Grand Canyon.

 

Whilst the new one has the Dual Clutch auto, is quick off the mark especially in semi auto but it struggles to deliver a 50mpg average especially when driving like Jenson Buttons Grandad!

 

The wheelbase is a whole 100mm wider and has the internal space of a decent saloon car but the boot space of a large carrier bag!

The turning circle is amazing it really does "Turn on a sixpence" and I can still park it in the bicycle stand at work!

I'm a SmartManiac no doubt but I still have to keep a Mercedes on the driveway to go to B&Q in once in a while...

Edited February 12, 2016 by m25man

[3s-gtech]

I never suffered from fade in my minis, and i had lots, the trick was using the gears more.

I did have one with a leaky radiator, used to overheat and seize the engine. I'd have to top up with water and wait for the piston to shrink back to a normal size before carrying on.

I was a mobile mini mechanic for a while. Traveled about the county in my Clubman estate with my Snap-on tool box in the back. It was interesting one night when i got pulled by the police trying to explain why there was a load of mini bits in the back of my car (quicker to throw a blanket over them than take them out).

 

Ah the joys of Mini ownership! The Clubman holds a soft spot for me - I had a battered Clubman when I was 12 to learn in (basically handbrake turn it between hay bales). Not an estate, but was in a state!

 

Recently drove a very tidy 35,000 miles 1988 City. Was a joy - none of the issue that plagued my old cars. Bouncy ride as it should be, but great little runner. Worth a small fortune!

 

As for mileage, my main daily has just hit 222k. Has needed a clutch/DMF, thermostat, steering rack and just had four new discs an tyres. Still not an expensive car to run (beauty of a Ford).

[twin--turbo]

With the higher mileage cars, do you do any work yourself?

The main thing that puts me off high milers is if that something goes wrong, I'm out a car and the money to fix it.

any worn parts I'd have to pay to be fixed rather than do myself.

 

I can do almost anything, but do very little myself. But not a lot ever needs doing.

 

The money I save more than covers the cost of any eventuality many times over.

 

I have done 4 jobs on my £300 focus ( 131K ) replacing a rear hub, replacing a front calliper, replacing a window winder, cam cover gasket. My garage probably would have charged 2hrs labour so about £70 + parts supplied by me ~£70 .

 

I enjoyed delving in again!

 

 

I reckon if you can fix a PC, you can fix a server, if you can fix a server, you can fix a VMware cluster, if you can fix a vmware cluster you can fix a Lynx MK8 helicopter and cars are much simpler than one of them... There is little complicated and there are a mass of model/manufacturer forums with many helpful people. Fault Code Readers are dirt cheap for diagnostics.

 

TT

[Andrew_C]

Ho 'king ho. Wait til the ecu goes belly up. Got mine in for analysis, IF they can fix it, it'll be £350 for a pissy little computer.

[twin--turbo]

Ho 'king ho. Wait til the ecu goes belly up. Got mine in for analysis, IF they can fix it, it'll be £350 for a pissy little computer.

 

Never had an ECU fail they are in general very very reliable. Failures if they do occur are generally down to moisture ingress or electrical spiking due to failed alternators (also generally quite rare).

 

I was told by someone, can't recall who now, that the large majority of ECUs they get sent for repair bench test fine 1st time round.

 

And £350 is 1.2 months PCP on a new 1.0 Focus...

 

TT

[Andrew_C]

I'm sort of aware of the "works fine here" issues. The wiring to t the injectors and glow plugs have been checked twice, but it continues to throw 3 errors. All related.

 

Any one want a lowish milage 10 year old Saaab? Or am I not selling it well?

[twin--turbo]

Do you know if the wiring has been checked just for continuity with a Digital meter or with a load attached. Often wiring or mor commonly earth faults may only be found when drawing a real current.

 

TT

[southhamster]

Noddy wants his car back!

 

Our neighbour's friend's car. Makes me want to find a Big Ears costume and drive around in it...

[sted]

Noddy wants his car back!

[ATTACH=CONFIG]35127[/ATTACH]

 

Our neighbour's friend's car. Makes me want to find a Big Ears costume and drive around in it...

my sister had one of those as a wedding car

[twin--turbo]

I was once parked in a car park in the lake district, I looked in my mirror at the road...

 

A Figaro went past, and another, and another , and another, ..... Must have been 20-30 all in convy!!

 

I think I would rather have an S-Cargo.

 

TT

[Davit2005]

With the higher mileage cars, do you do any work yourself?

The main thing that puts me off high milers is if that something goes wrong, I'm out a car and the money to fix it.

any worn parts I'd have to pay to be fixed rather than do myself.

 

I didn't used to do anything myself, not even a general service. That changed when I bought an old Range Rover and realised how expensive servicing was and ended doing the servicing/repairs myself: servicing, brake lines, carbs, suspension, brakes, fuel tank, welding etc. etc.

 

The amount of times I have spent under the car in winter getting absolutely frozen or soaked.... .

 

Now looking forward to someone else doing the work.

[Oaktech]

With the higher mileage cars, do you do any work yourself?

The main thing that puts me off high milers is if that something goes wrong, I'm out a car and the money to fix it.

any worn parts I'd have to pay to be fixed rather than do myself.

 

I do most things, but I don't do much.

 

The last 3 cars, I've put a full set of brakes on them and a set of headlights each (about £50 a unit from ebay) because the plastic had crazed in the sun.

 

I had a clutch put in my Xsara because it went, I got a garage to do that and it cost £230, but that could happen to almost any car - my BIL had to have a clutch put in his 14 plate Golf!

 

My C5 needed a change of the hydraulic suspension oil, but that was pretty easy thanks to the haynes manual. I had to put a pair of exchange rear brake calipers on it because they crumbled when I replaced the rear brakes because whoever did the brakes last did not put the anti corrosion shim between the caliper and the mounting and aluminium on steel caused a bad thing to happen. That was the single most expensive thing I've ever done to a car, nearly £300, but that was the last thing I spent on it in 3 years!

 

The Audi I've got currently has been the one I've done most individual things to, but it's all been very minor things - 2 new window mechanisms (£30), 2 new electronic door locks (£35), unblocking the rear screen wash (£0), refitting the boot lid trim (£0), tightening the auxiliary belt (£Knuckle on right index finger), replacing a temp sender (£12) and 4 interior lamps (£2.50).

[twin--turbo]

Upgraded to half leater sports seats from an ST170 at the weekend. £70 for the set , bit of an extravagance but I can remove and resell when i am done.. 500 miles covered in the last 5 days :-)

[sted]

Upgraded to half leater sports seats from an ST170 at the weekend. £70 for the set , bit of an extravagance but I can remove and resell when i am done.. 500 miles covered in the last 5 days :-)

 

decent seats if looked after debating replacing the front seats in my fiesta for ones from a non sport spec I think the bolsters are hurting my left shoulder/arm

[Danp]

Ended up putting a deposit on a Passat TDi Sport Estate, due to collect it on Friday but I am going to wait until next Tuesday so I tax it for a whole month. Bought a caravan as well. And a private number plate. Knew I should have stayed in school during half term....

[Andrew_C]

I got me a Civic Type S - GT. Only 138 ponies, so some way off the 200hp Type R.

[mikeprice]

I got me a Civic Type S - GT. Only 138 ponies, so some way off the 200hp Type R.

 

Nice - I have a 2010 1.8 Si -great car - but doesn't like supermarket petrol

 

just had it serviced and it moves like a rocket now - just been to Cornwall and back - so comfy that I felt fine after 5 hours in driving

[Andrew_C]

Anyone want a broken Saab? Spares or repair. Hampshire.

[Earthling]

Can anyone recommend me a decent but not exorbitantly priced Fault Code reader for BMW's, please?

[ben_mayo]

I currently own a 1.0 Ford Focus Ecoboost. I went with finance as it seemed the best decision for me as at 9K for the car I pay 180 a month and although its over 4 years I own the car at the end with no "lump sum" to pay like most finance packages.

 

I love the car getting 125BHP from a 1.0 engine is surprising especially to other cars who think its slow until it shoots off with the turbo kicking in at low RPM.

 

Yes its not "rocket quick" on the motorway but I don't do many motorway miles and when I do the car has an overtake range where it'll give me more torque for a limited period of time.

 

All in all, it's going to last me the 4 years (may get a safe chip upgrade to 153BHP) but that's fine for me until I am more comfortable financially.

 

My dream car is either an RS3 or a C63, they may seem unrealistic but I'm a car guy so having a "goal" in mind that may seem out there is only going to push me harder to achieve it.

 

For people who are considering finance, it's not all that bad given you do your research. If you can afford it, then do it. Life is too short not to do what you want.

 

My last car was a 56 1.2 clio which meant an unfortunate end with an OAP. Being a tech guy the amount of technology it has in my new one still amazes me still, I love old cars for the looks but for a daily driver I like being able to have the technology to keep me safe.

 

If it was a weekend car though an old R32 or EVO8-9 would be great thrill.

[3s-gtech]

Be very wary of modifying a car on finance, check your terms and conditions and of course remember to declare the mod on your insurance!

[ben_mayo]

Be very wary of modifying a car on finance, check your terms and conditions and of course remember to declare the mod on your insurance!

 

Yeah I know this, isn't a major modification just more a software unlock as Ford tends to water down their ECU to stay within their Economy figures with MPG and other Economy driving technology it uses. I'll obviously do digging to see whether or not it allows me to do this but its not going to be for a couple of years anyway. Going to try and pay it off earlier to save from the interest rates.

[kennysarmy]

Help!!

 

I've only had my current car 16 months and still have another 20 months of payments left on the loan I took out to part fund it, yet I can't stop looking at alternatives already.

 

Constantly on the AutoTrader app on my phone looking at what I could get next!

 

Currently driving a 13 plate 1.8 Honda Civic ES (18,000 miles) - which is really nice, but a bit thirsty.

 

Been looking at the 1.6 diesel Honda CR-V, 1.4 petrol Seat Leon's, Golf GTD's, the list goes on!

[3s-gtech]

If you can afford something else outright, go for it. Don't go chopping about with cars on loans and finance though - stick to just paying it off. They can be a massive, pointless black hole of cash, unless you're getting something that really excites you or you desperately need a new car (e.g. you have a two seater and you inadvertently breed). A 1.4 Leon is not a good reason for this!

[DalekSec]

Cars I want : Around 5k mark, cars I can afford... around the 2k mark.............. I promised my brother my car for 1k when he passes his test as I want a new one but with me saving for a deposit and various other expenditures I find it hard to save up!