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Why do you change cars?

I’ve never been into cars. The nearest I got was a three-wheeler Berkeley with a 328cc(?) two-stroke engine I had when I was sixteen. It was best after dark around the rt angle lanes of Stodmarsh in Kent. You could use it as a racetrack because anything coming the other way would have lights too. It was a three wheeler with the one wheel at the back that screamed in a very satisfactory way to this, then, teenager :)

I would have liked a Lotus7 of course; it was around at the same time I think
 
-alan- said:
@Puggie - I had looked seriously at an Insight in that wonderful mucus green colour the did, some years back. Could have bought it for buttons at the time - but didn't, as I was coming under pressure for never buying 'ordinary sensible cars'. It's still kicking around the area here. Genuinely sorry I missed out on the experience now.
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Officially Citrus yellow, or 'snot pearl' depending who you ask... They are a quite unique car and designed/built very single mindedly to be the best commuter they can be. Small 2 seater, surprisingly sporty driving position, weigh sod all (840kg) so quite chucky (maintaining momentum for fuel economy is the official excuse) and bonkers MPG when they are on form. Starting to have issues, but they attract geeks so the online community is sorting most of the issues they have. mine has bits of civic in the cooling system, the battery pack if now BMW hybrid from a 5 series, the bushes are being replaced shortly with VW golf items on the back, front needs measuring up yet. And if you get really bored a K20 civic type R engine fits... or K24 from the accord and a turbo...... or LHT in the states will do you a full 550bhp 4wd conversion :) Prices are on the rise, I turned down a ropey one years ago for £850, most a 3-4k+ now even rough ones with issues.
 
martin clark said:
The Mx-5 is, remains a wonderful all-round answer for many sim such questions. I could settle for one, might yet in future years. Try the roadster version?
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The roadster / targa versions in the ND range look odd. I think a 2+2 would offer better utility, e.g. can throw my gym bag or jacket in the back seat, and ferry the occasional small person. Hence my interest in the GR86.
 
stevec67 said:
I run my cars until they are buggered. The last few -
Jaguar S type - rust, no MoT.
Jaguar X type - dead gearbox.
Mazda mX5 - rust.
Mondeo - was still running when sold, died after 6 months. Shame.
Saab - like the Mondeo, generally worn out but lasted a year after sale.
Vectra - burning oil, leaking fluids, dead clutch. Horrid car.
Astra - was still sound when sold. Died next MoT, probably for not much, it was basically OK.

don't ever, ever buy a car off me unless it is so stupidly cheap that you doubt it still has 4 wheels.
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Top asset sweating!
 
Hook said:
Hope so! Your posts are almost always quite interesting, and I would miss being able to read them. :)

TBH, despite being 10 years younger than you, I too have reached an age where potential infirmity and mortality have become important planning considerations.
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Thank you! Like Yossarian in Catch 22, I intend to live forever, or die in the attempt...
 
immortal.jpg
 
Found out yesterday that my '96 Saab 9000 needs a new gearbox.
Guestimate of £1000-2000 or maybe more. Will do research and may end up with a Ford Focus as I use a car rarely.
Not having a car has crossed my mind as I can use the boss's, when she's not off baby sitting or similar
 
mikemusic said:
Found out yesterday that my '96 Saab 9000 needs a new gearbox.
Guestimate of £1000-2000 or maybe more. Will do research and may end up with a Ford Focus as I use a car rarely.
Not having a car has crossed my mind as I can use the boss's, when she's not off baby sitting or similar
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Oh no, that’s a shame. Love Saab Turbos. Still, 25 years isn’t too bad. I doubt many of the shiny new cars today will manage that (except Land Cruisers etc).
 
Just worked out that we've owned approximately 39 vehicles since I started driving 37 years ago. What's perhaps scarier is I've just realised I still have 11 of them!
 
Seeker_UK said:
Is that price for a rebuild or a new gearbox?
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Don't know if this is a Saab weakness, but I remember an old colleague in Dulux Australia bringing back a Saab 99 (non-turbo) from a secondment in England in the 1980s. Lovely car, but then something went wrong with the fuel injection system, and it had to be expensively fixed. Then the garage guy said, "Oh, by the way, how's your gearbox?" "WHY????" asked my colleague. "Oh, it's just that a reasonable percentage of them die about this mileage." On asking how much replacement would cost, the dealer mentioned a sum vaguely reminiscent of the distance between galaxies. Suddenly he decided that it was time for a change - he didn't get much of a trade-in deal -. the Australian motor trade had heard about Saab gearboxes.

On the other hand, a colleague has run a 9-3 for approaching 20 years, and I don't remember her ever having gearbox problems.
 
My 9000 Aero developed a fault with reverse - it took several goes to get it into gear. The Saab specialist bought it off me and fixed it in their workshop - apparently it was a common fault with the manual box.
 
Seeker_UK said:
My 9000 Aero developed a fault with reverse - it took several goes to get it into gear. The Saab specialist bought it off me and fixed it in their workshop - apparently it was a common fault with the manual box.
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There’s an architect in Edinburgh who put a turntable in the front garden of his Georgian terraced town house to avoid reversing out.
 
MUTTY1 said:
I’ve never been into cars. The nearest I got was a three-wheeler Berkeley with a 328cc(?) two-stroke engine I had when I was sixteen. It was best after dark around the rt angle lanes of Stodmarsh in Kent. You could use it as a racetrack because anything coming the other way would have lights too. It was a three wheeler with the one wheel at the back that screamed in a very satisfactory way to this, then, teenager :)

I would have liked a Lotus7 of course; it was around at the same time I think
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Great little car. Mine had a Mini engine and box fitted but after dismantling it for a rebuild which I never got round to I gave what was left of it to the Berkeley Owners Club.
 
Lawyer down the road from me had a 4-wheel Berkeley with a monstrously loud and smoky 2-stroke motorcycle engine.
 
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