Your Bangernomics successes

[Deleted User]

benjus wrote: »

I've been running a 1998 Toyota Starlet for about 4 years now. Over that time I've had to replace a few things (battery, tyres, brake pads, exhaust mid section, rear wheel bearings). The coolant temperature sensor was playing up for a while recently giving an EML and occasional rough running, but a new sensor for £50 fixed that. On average I'd say I've spent about £200 per year on maintenance plus about the same again on service and MOT.

Can't grumble at that. Most of that is remedial maintenance that new cars would need anyway.

xHannahx

Our Toledo had its Mot last week. Only failure was on emissions. A new catalytic converter solved that problem. £148 all in and we have 12 months ticket.
We must have had it a year now as bought with 12 months MOT. It's needed in that time a full service from a local trader in the next village, 2 new rear tyres and a catalytic converter. the front tyres are the only advisory on MOT.
Rather happy with our first bangernomics venture so far.

We've always had finance before on new cars- the last being a Citroen HDI which guaranteed a break down at least twice a month in addition to over £200 a month in finance payments.

worried_jim

Got the Astra booked for the MOT on Monday. Using a place that just does MOT's only for £36.

I had to fit a new headlight bulb yesterday, went to Eurocarparts, gave him the Reg and model and took two bulbs so I have a spare for £3.60. Got home, replaced bulb- didn't fit, too big. I didn't want to drive across town again so I begrudgingly went to Halfrauds round the corner and promptly got ripped off for £9.99 for one bulb. At least it fits.

Since getting the car I have now had the thermostat replaced (so it now works) and a new roll bar and bushed fitted (£50 mates rates).

I hope the MOT on Monday goes smoothly! Off for an Italian tune up first thing Monday morning.

Have just added another fill up to the excellent Fuelly.com and so far since owning the astra I have averaged 28.9mpg, interestingly the first bangernomics car I started this thread with, the Rover 600 2.0 averaged 27.1mpg doing exactly the same journeys.

Edit- I have now seen my first Toyota Prius for under £1k on autotrader-

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201502201107779?sort=default&search-target=usedcars&radius=40&onesearchad=used%2Cnearlynew%2Cnew&page=1&fuel-type=hybrid&postcode=bn424sn&channel=cars&logcode=p

jimjames

My next Bangernomics venture begins! Ford Puma with 67k miles and FSH, brand new Michelin tyres all round and in pretty good condition for £500. Surprised how the market has dropped out for them, some not even selling on Ebay at £300, guess the rust is the killer with these cars now.

[Deleted User]

jimjames wrote: »

My next Bangernomics venture begins! Ford Puma with 67k miles and FSH, brand new Michelin tyres all round and in pretty good condition for £500. Surprised how the market has dropped out for them, some not even selling on Ebay at £300, guess the rust is the killer with these cars now.

They were basically just a Fiesta with a bit more styling. I still like them though but not practical for my needs of being a mobile skip.

worried_jim

Happy days! Astra just passed its MOT with just one advisory about the headlights being scratched. Cant remember a previous test where I didn't need to get anything fixed.

bigjl

worried_jim wrote: »

Got the Astra booked for the MOT on Monday. Using a place that just does MOT's only for £36.

I had to fit a new headlight bulb yesterday, went to Eurocarparts, gave him the Reg and model and took two bulbs so I have a spare for £3.60. Got home, replaced bulb- didn't fit, too big. I didn't want to drive across town again so I begrudgingly went to Halfrauds round the corner and promptly got ripped off for £9.99 for one bulb. At least it fits.

Since getting the car I have now had the thermostat replaced (so it now works) and a new roll bar and bushed fitted (£50 mates rates).

I hope the MOT on Monday goes smoothly! Off for an Italian tune up first thing Monday morning.

Have just added another fill up to the excellent Fuelly.com and so far since owning the astra I have averaged 28.9mpg, interestingly the first bangernomics car I started this thread with, the Rover 600 2.0 averaged 27.1mpg doing exactly the same journeys.

Edit- I have now seen my first Toyota Prius for under £1k on autotrader-

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201502201107779?sort=default&search-target=usedcars&radius=40&onesearchad=used%2Cnearlynew%2Cnew&page=1&fuel-type=hybrid&postcode=bn424sn&channel=cars&logcode=p

That Prius is a Jap Import.

They had issues with battery pack failure.

Still a cheap little car.

xHannahx

bigjl wrote: »

That Prius is a Jap Import.

They had issues with battery pack failure.

Still a cheap little car.

Replacement battery packs are very expensive for the Prius. A bloke near us has an older one in this shape parked on his drive and hasn't used it for about 2 years due to the sky high battery pack replacement prices.
Talking to him the battery pack is almost as expensive as buying a brand new Prius!

Farzackerly

xHannahx wrote: »

Replacement battery packs are very expensive for the Prius. A bloke near us has an older one in this shape parked on his drive and hasn't used it for about 2 years due to the sky high battery pack replacement prices.
Talking to him the battery pack is almost as expensive as buying a brand new Prius!

Prius ownership would turn bangernomics on its head - you'd have to amortise the battery cost over the years you expect to keep the car. So, even if you paid little for the vehicle, the cost of a replacement battery would demand you got a decade out of it, to be anywhere near bangernomics figures. Off the top of my head figures, but I'm in the ballpark. Anyway, who in their right mind would shell out thousands for a battery for an old snotter? Sure, there are used batteries around, and you might get a couple of years out of one, but I'd only take one on if I was prepared to get down and dirty with stripping and rebuilding the cell structure within it - and really, I cba doing that, it's bad enough farting around with lithium cells on bicycle battery packs.

Paradigm

My W reg Saab passed it's MOT yesterday with two advisories


I bought it around 7 years ago for about £2700 (not bangernomics) but since then it's only broken down once when the serpentine belt snapped.


In all that time I've never needed to spend more than £100 to get it through it's MOT, last year was a CV boot (£60), this year nothing at all!


It does have some niggly faults that really aren't worth spending time or money on fixing but over the 7 years & 80000 miles I've had it it's cost peanuts..... if we take fuel out of the equation :eek:
Not bad for a 15 year old car that's probably worth around 4-500 quid.