Runabout Opinions? (NLC)

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Fluoxetine
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Re: Runabout Opinions? (NLC)

Post by Fluoxetine » Wed Aug 27, 2008 12:35 pm

campbell wrote:MINI cooper Ross.

One in Classifieds here at the mo I believe.

Or a tidy wee Polo 1.4 with leccy sunroof etc courtesy of JJ!

Failing that, the Swift or a Fabia vRS would be in my shortlist easily. Drove a couple of Fabias and they were seriously impressive and you will barely notice the running costs. All the more to leave in the bank for the next Elise or the Porsche Project.
Did spot Peter C's MINI...Seems a decent price given the spec, and looks good in the pics...

Only issues are that it's double the mileage / 2 years older than the other cars I'm considering, and therefore out of warranty...(Not really an issue, as AA parts & labour would do)

I guess the main sticking point is that I'd have to sell the Alfa privately, rather than trading it in to a garage, before I could consider the Cooper...And that could take a while... :(

Cheers,

Ross.
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Rich H
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Re: Runabout Opinions? (NLC)

Post by Rich H » Wed Aug 27, 2008 1:48 pm

Dominic wrote:
Rich H wrote:Semi seriously how about a Porker 924:-
Rich
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/661858.htm

Only needs a little tidying :thumbsup
You would make most of your £375 back on those wheels alone :thumbsup

Corranga: Why brave? Its a VW/Audi parts bin special, bits are cheap and they are built like tanks. If it runs it an be easily and cheaply made to run for ages. Just check hot and cold starts OK and everything else is tweakable or cheap :mrgreen:

One of the guys picked up a free 924 a couple of months ago with a fuel leak. 2 bits of fuel hose and 4 jubilee clips later he MOT'd it and sold it on.
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Rag_It
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Re: Runabout Opinions? (NLC)

Post by Rag_It » Wed Aug 27, 2008 2:21 pm

I have just had this sent to me, my uncles friend is selling it. Very tidy VW, basic spec, 1.4 on a 2003 car with 84k. It is a couple of hundred quid behind book, but book means little at the moment. Insurance group 4!!!

However, i would have thought a perfect little run around for someone on here!

http://search.autotrader.co.uk/es-uk/ww ... x_mileage=

Cheers,

Dave
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jj
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Re: Runabout Opinions? (NLC)

Post by jj » Wed Aug 27, 2008 2:24 pm

I`ve got a Polo 1.4 to shift Dave, so leave your Dad's Brothers mates friends Golf out of here :lol:
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greyrigg
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Re: Runabout Opinions? (NLC)

Post by greyrigg » Wed Aug 27, 2008 3:07 pm

Keeping what you've got is usually the cheapest option, depreciation pays for a lot of fuel.

Malcolm
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Fluoxetine
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Re: Runabout Opinions? (NLC)

Post by Fluoxetine » Wed Aug 27, 2008 5:16 pm

greyrigg wrote:Keeping what you've got is usually the cheapest option, depreciation pays for a lot of fuel.

Malcolm
You're right...But I really fancy a change, and don't need the practicality of an estate at the moment...Something small, and cheap to run ticks the boxes - Even if it probably works out waaaay more expensive in the long run... :wink:

Anyway, stuck the Alfa up on PH (as well as here)

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/680682.htm

We'll see - Get home from work next week, so will start actively looking at my options then... :)

Cheers,

Ross.
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campbell
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Re: Runabout Opinions? (NLC)

Post by campbell » Wed Aug 27, 2008 8:09 pm

jj wrote:I`ve got a Polo 1.4 to shift Dave, so leave your Dad's Brothers mates friends Golf out of here :lol:
Testimonial - and a very tidy, clean, well looked after Polo 1.4 is too, having been shown around it and driven it :thumbsup
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thinfourth
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Re: Runabout Opinions? (NLC)

Post by thinfourth » Wed Aug 27, 2008 9:09 pm

Rich H wrote: One of the guys picked up a free 924 a couple of months ago with a fuel leak. 2 bits of fuel hose and 4 jubilee clips later he MOT'd it and sold it on.
Could you stop going on about 924s i might end up with yet another pile of rust with wheels
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Rich H
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Re: Runabout Opinions? (NLC)

Post by Rich H » Thu Aug 28, 2008 8:49 am

thinfourth wrote:Could you stop going on about 924s i might end up with yet another pile of rust with wheels
No rust, they are galvanized :thumbsup
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caleebra
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Re: Runabout Opinions? (NLC)

Post by caleebra » Thu Aug 28, 2008 9:28 am

Lazydonkey wrote:
Dominic wrote:Either option looks pretty good.

I would go for the jap, with a view to getting a better built car.
In saying all that Caleebra on here (pm him) has a swift and seems to like it
Mine is just a 3-door 1.3GL :oops: It's a feisty wee thing when you wind it up (91bhp 16V DOHC Raaaaawr :twisted: ) and the handling is surprisingly good. Really good equipment spec as standard (adds weight though :( ), decent room inside and is solidly built for the most part. Downsides are: cheapy interior plastics (Jap special) and the steerings a bit too light.
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Fluoxetine
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Re: Runabout Opinions? (NLC)

Post by Fluoxetine » Thu Aug 28, 2008 3:02 pm

Actually quite difficult to find a Swift Sport under £8k...Seem to hold their money pretty well...

Found a website selling a brand spanking new '58' plate Panda 100HP from £7.7k ordered to your spec... :thumbsup

http://www.fiatsupasaver.com/ItemDetail.aspx?mID=27

Cheap motoring... :)
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j2 lot
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Re: Runabout Opinions? (NLC)

Post by j2 lot » Thu Aug 28, 2008 5:17 pm

OK someone care to enlighten me (pardon the pun) what are the 'follow me home' headlights referred to in the spec?
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Fluoxetine
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Re: Runabout Opinions? (NLC)

Post by Fluoxetine » Thu Aug 28, 2008 6:14 pm

j2 lot wrote:
OK someone care to enlighten me (pardon the pun) what are the 'follow me home' headlights referred to in the spec?
Simple - The headlights stay on for a few minutes after you've exited / locked to the car, to enable you to find your way up a dark drive / path to your door...(they don't do this as default...I think you have to pull the indicator stalk back once to activate, before you lock the car... :) )
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Re: Runabout Opinions? (NLC)

Post by H8OAG » Thu Aug 28, 2008 6:30 pm

Found a website selling a brand spanking new '58' plate Panda 100HP from £7.7k ordered to your spec...
Seems a cracking deal....have heard that website being mentioned on Autocar.

There are some motors out there depreciating that figure every couple of months... :(

Go for it.......If your Local Arnold C can't match it
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Fluoxetine
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Re: Runabout Opinions? (NLC)

Post by Fluoxetine » Wed Sep 03, 2008 11:49 am

shooomer wrote:I'd go for a Seat
http://www.seatgirls.rj41.ch/
I worry about you sometimes...You must have a special search engine for the lewd... :lol:

Anyway, *big* thanks to Peter & Kevin last night for letting me have a drive of their Panda 100HP's - Very, very much appreciated! :thumbsup

What a fun little car - I'd describe the performance as 'nippy', rather than 'fast', but once up to speed, it was easy to maintain down twisty wet roads due to the enormous amount of grip these cars have...I think once you'd got used to the handling capabilities, you'd give an Elise a very hard time on a streaming wet road, and the Elise driver would need to be fairly committed to stay ahead...They really are that good...(The standard fit Goodyear Eagle F1's no doubt help too...Good wet tyre...)

Interesting to compare the differences between the two 'identical' cars - Peter's brakes were over servoed in a major way, comapred to Kevin's car - Although I'm sure this is something you'd just get used to in time...

Only slight downside to the car was the crashy ride - They're very stiffly sprung, and potholes / significant bumps are felt in a big way...Although having owned an Elise with Nitrons jammed on 'full hard', I'm sure I could live with it... :wink:

In all they seem a serious bargain, with a new one costing £8k... :)

Looking at a Mini next, but it's going to be a tough decision to make... :?

Cheers,

Ross.

P.S. Someone buy my Alfa... :mrgreen:
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