Would / Have you ever.....

rev_henry

TrickyWicky wrote: »

Yes I've done it! Three times actually. They were / are all the same make and model and despite not being worth much it was a car I really wanted just for the hell of it.

The downside? I wanted it so much I couldn't let it go. I'm now out of work and have two of them sorn'd. One is on our parking space and the other is on someone elses who just moved in (though they say they're ok with it being there).

Buy it, enjoy it while you can but don't rag it / ruin it. Always be prepared to let it go or at least have somewhere to stash it so you can keep it sorn with a backup plan for transport should that happen.

The other thing I would recommend is that you do your homework on the car. It's easy to want one so much that you'll take the first one that comes up but you must resist. Find out about the cars weakpoints, the parts that fail the most, the cost of repairing them etc and then you have the questions to ask when you find one you like (if the fault list doesn't put you off and make you get something else!).

A few years ago I almost came home with one of these:


Stunning motor, every gadget you could want, a reasonable 0-60 time and above all I just thought it looked the dogs oh and it had a 3.6L V6 engine. I had the cash, I had the enthusiasm but also the wisdom. When I did my research I found the waterpumps were prone to failing very quickly and the thought of lifting out a V6, changing 2 cambelts, a waterpump etc every year made me shudder so i stuck with my current car(s) which I'm still more than happy with.

Nah you want the 6.2 Supercharged V8.

OP, do your homework and go for it.

Johnmcl7

I hate how sensible I am even though I don't need to be and wonder if I'll regret not having one silly car during my time, I'm just into my 30's, single and covering very few miles which is ideal for a daft car but still went with a practical estate (mainly for the dog).

The other issue is when you can use the performance, my current car is an Octavia VRS with the 170bhp TDI engine and I have to watch the speedo so carefully when putting the foot down as it very quickly gets to speeds that will get me in trouble. This was far worse with the motorbike which felt it was barely idling at 70mph and when out in a friend's M3 I was staggered at how fast it was actually going as it didn't 'feel' that fast at all.

John

colino

Please. please have an extended drive/borrow one of these. Another of their parents attempts at bland, bland and bland.

Lum

It's not money saving by any means if you will enjoy it, then do it.

Did it myself, got a twin turbo Subaru Legacy B4 RSK, great fun to drive.

These days I have a longer commute so I use the company diesel Mondeo Econetic to commute and have a Nissan Cefiro SE-4 weekend car instead, which I sometimes commute in just for the hell of it.

My GF went for a slightly different option. She has an even longer commute than me, and has a 250bhp Nissan 200SX with an LPG conversion.. it's slightly cheaper in fuel than the Mondeo.

Scotty1.7

Well been sat down for the past few days after work doing a more detailed budget and after a few quotes, costings of initial outlay on maintenance etc, It seems like a this is very do able.

So I'm going to put more savings in the pot on see what I come up with - debt first though

TrickyWicky

rev_henry wrote: »

Nah you want the 6.2 Supercharged V8.

Heh, I would of loved one but the Black Cadillac I showed was a stunner when I saw it. Every single gadget you could want and more plus it just had the look I liked. At 3.6L it would be a bit steep for petrol but as long as its below the 4L for a range rover I could have just about justified it lol.

Still I stuck with my current car and I'm still more than happy with that.

Johnmcl7 wrote: »

The other issue is when you can use the performance, my current car is an Octavia VRS with the 170bhp TDI engine and I have to watch the speedo so carefully when putting the foot down as it very quickly gets to speeds that will get me in trouble.
...
and when out in a friend's M3 I was staggered at how fast it was actually going as it didn't 'feel' that fast at all.

My car isn't capable of 140 but 140 in theory. It is one of those cars that can accelerate pertty quick and still feel like its crawling. I let my neighbour test drive it one day and had to ask him to take his foot of the throttle at 58MPH through our housing estate. He nearly **** a brick when he reaslised he was almost at 60 in a built up residential area and said that not even his skoda felt like it was moving that slowly at that speed.

Yes I'm damn careful and no I've not got any points :A

gilbert_and_sullivan

Its possible to have a good performance car and run it for the cost of a boring cloned eurobox.

Make sure its regd before March 06 for VED purposes, and make sure its a petrol but not Direct Injection, then get it LPG converted and maintain it impeccably for a long service life.

Life can be good if you think outside the box.

fivetide

I did it. Get a Sportwagon and it is very practical.

I was one of those that mapped it and tweaked it. Took the centre cat out and changed the standard peashooter for a stainless one (not a stupid loud one though). Upgraded the intercooler and had it mapped with switchable boost for 225bhp or near 300bhp at the push of a button.

serviced on the button all the time and by the book. Yes you need super unleaded. At £35 he's not going far in it and these cars do need driving a bit. Remember short runs can be worse than hard ones.

I'd look on SIDC for one and check the owners history. Lots owned by older people but mind out for ones owned as toys. They won't have a lot of miles on but if the car is only ever used for fun then they'll be hard miles.

Enjoy it. I could get 30mpg even with the tweaks on a run and it still passed the MOT emissions even with the main cat deleted (they have two others)

tim9966

Yes I did it whilst I was in my mid 20's. I bought an Escort RS Cosworth. Costs loads to buy and run, wasn't at all practical, and sold it a year later for nearly what I paid for it, but it was great fun and I'm glad I did have one for a bit, and bought it when I did before I owned a house, and while petrol cost under £1 a litre.

Just looked on Auto trader and wishing I'd kept it as the price for them has shot up.