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The Car Thread


MadManMike

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Hippy - I wouldn't bother with a diesel for that journey. Diesels are great for epic journeys where they can burn off all the shite they build up.

I'd go with a petrol myself. Avoid the 1.4 Leon, my friend used to have one and they are not a nice drive, very underpowered for the size of the car. Haven't driven the 1.6, but if I was getting a Leon again I'd go for the 1.8t Cupra.

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Hippy - I wouldn't bother with a diesel for that journey. Diesels are great for epic journeys where they can burn off all the shite they build up.

I'd go with a petrol myself. Avoid the 1.4 Leon, my friend used to have one and they are not a nice drive, very underpowered for the size of the car. Haven't driven the 1.6, but if I was getting a Leon again I'd go for the 1.8t Cupra.

the problem is that it will be my first car, and as much as I would love a 1.8T Golf/Leon/A3, and with some spare up it would be possible insurance wise as well, I am not sure if I want to jump into the powerful car bandwagon that early, without knowing how much would a normal car hurts me.

okay, so 1.6 L is the minimum I would go for at displacement then

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A 1.4 would be OK in other cars, I just found it a bit weak in the Leon.

1.4 Fabia / Polo would probably be a good first car?

I am looking for something bigger, as at the moment I drive a Corsa C, and I find it just big enough, for example if I sit in the car noone can sit behind me (Im 6 foot something) and the bike can only travel in parts, wheels and forks off...

Ford Focus 1.6/1.8 Zetec seems to be around good price around 100K-120K

I should buy it end of this month or end of the year would be better, as I can work more days at the brake, so I could get a better car maybe :)

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My 2nd set of new coilovers have just turned up, for the correct car this time. I think I may just take some cheeky time out of the office tomorrow to get them fitted, because the likelihood of me having a weekend this side of 2015 is very slim. Bring it on...

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Just finished watching through all those mini episodes.

The obvious cheesiness aside, the level of fabrication and craftsmanship is insane.

Genuinely suprised me they found a prop to fit, first thing I thought when they mentioned 4wd in the first episode was that a custom item would be a necessity

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I am looking for something bigger, as at the moment I drive a Corsa C, and I find it just big enough, for example if I sit in the car noone can sit behind me (Im 6 foot something) and the bike can only travel in parts, wheels and forks off...

Ford Focus 1.6/1.8 Zetec seems to be around good price around 100K-120K

I should buy it end of this month or end of the year would be better, as I can work more days at the brake, so I could get a better car maybe :)

I think you're massively overthinking which car to go for. Which is not a bad thing, I wish I did it instead of impulse buying friends cars.

For a first car- don't worry too much about what you get. I mean Sam Kidney got a nissan micra and he's picky but seems real happy with it.

Ford focus will be fine, seat leon will be fine, vw polo will be fine... My next car personally I want it to be a merc diesel estate or a seat leon. Maybe even an Audi A3.

Dunno if that helps but an opinion is an opinion, drop me a message on facebook if you want dude.

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I think you're massively overthinking which car to go for.

For a first car- don't worry too much about what you get. I mean Sam Kidney got a nissan micra and he's picky but seems real happy with it.

Yeah you're right, he should definitely buy something without worrying about what it is, then regret wasting money on it in 6 months time.

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I think you're massively overthinking which car to go for. Which is not a bad thing, I wish I did it instead of impulse buying friends cars.

Dunno if that helps but an opinion is an opinion, drop me a message on facebook if you want dude.

I do overthink everything, it is in my nature. if I make an expensive choice, I want to get the best I can. So even with small problems (eg which shitbox should I buy, that going to cost me loads money?) takes me ages lol

I do not have facebook as of now, but I am planning to make one, for competition purposes, and for an official portal

Yeah you're right, he should definitely buy something without worrying about what it is, then regret wasting money on it in 6 months time.

:(

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I don't think you should worry too much about the brand or model, all cars have 'common faults', but a good example of a 'poor' car will be better than a f**ked example of a 'better' car (if that makes sense). Buy on service history and reliability, that's all you want from a first car - for it to be reliable and not cost you time / money fixing it all the time. That sort of outlay will waayy outstrip it being 5mpg worse on fuel, a bit more for insurance / tax or whatever.

Also agree that 15 miles a day you want a petrol.

Edit:

And a short vid from last night, testing out my new home-made anti roll bars. Chuffing slippery conditions, the dark / floodlights and 14 (!) different types of tarmac made the track fairly 'interesting'...

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I find this all incredibly odd.

Some of the absolute best cars I have ever purchased have been £500 or less.

Audi Coupe. Mechanically faultless.

B3 Passat TDI. Mechanically faultless. Visually challenged.

SAAB 99. Mechanically faultless.

Volkswagen Polo. Mechanically faultless.

Mk1 Ford Fiesta. Mechanically faultless.

I don't understand how people buy absolute shitters, surely if you don't have the know how to buy a used car and condition check it adequately you pay for an independent used car inspection then you buy something with a warranty.

Yeah yeah yeah, everything I have is better than everyone else's. Yeah yeah yeah.

I've had 45+ cars, and I have NEVER had a car break down on me and be unfixable.

I've NEVER had a car cost me more than £350 (clutch on the S3 which was factored in and known at purchase) in being broken.

And I am an absolute badger.

The whole thing just pisses me off, because with a logical mind and just the sightest mechanical know how it is so easy to be certain of a cars soundness.

And if you aren't, pay somebody that is to do it for you.

I think the problem is convenience and laziness. People see a car, they like it, they assume, they buy based on instinct and presumption. Then it bites them in the ass.

Not aimed at anyone, before anybody takes offence.

Edited by Pashley26
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You may have just been lucky though, and it also depends on what you are willing to live with (i.e potentially numerous non working parts). There are some gems out there but there are also some cars that look totally genuine but have had a rough past, this may not always be apparent at first. Sub £1000 cars are a minefield and regardless of mechanical knowledge you cannot always predict how reliable they are or will be in the future.

Oh and you did miss that you only kept most of those cars for a nano second :P

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You can't always tell something is a shitter though, to be fair.

The turbo on my old Leon for instance, there was no clue that it was about to pack up - it just went bang whilst cruising along.

I did buy that car with a few problems in mind, it just ended up being worse than I thought it was - ie, fix something, whilst fixing it, find out that something else hidden away was knackered.

A look around a car can't tell you what's wrong with it unless you start taking it apart. Example, my current car, I'm replacing all of the brakes because I want better ones, it's only now that I've taken them all apart that I've noticed that the rear calipers are seized. When driving it or looking at it, you can't really tell (Unless you knew how the brakes felt before they seized, but if you're just buying the car, you wouldn't know that).

Obviously give the car a good look over before you buy it, but you can't possibly find every fault.

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Genuinely suprised me they found a prop to fit, first thing I thought when they mentioned 4wd in the first episode was that a custom item would be a necessity

Thats why its dubbed the miracle prop. I guess a prop has some tolerance anyway.

I've had 45+ cars, and I have NEVER had a car break down on me and be unfixable.

List or it didn't happen.

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I find this all incredibly odd.

Some of the absolute best cars I have ever purchased have been £500 or less.

I've NEVER had a car cost me more than £350 (clutch on the S3 which was factored in and known at purchase) in being broken.

And I am an absolute badger.

This. Aside from my silver Golf and my current Audi, I've never paid more than £600 for a car, and none of them have caused me any real problems. Popped a gearbox and a headgasket, neither of which cost me more than £200 to fix.

Oh and you did miss that you only kept most of those cars for a nano second :P

This also though tbf...

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A look around a car can't tell you what's wrong with it unless you start taking it apart.

No but it can give you a general idea of if it's been looked after imo, if I go view a car and it's scratched all over, blemishes in the paintwork and just generally untidy you know they owner hasn't given it that much love or attention and that most likely reflects the thing as a whole. I know it's not always the case and i'm not talking about the car being detailed to an inch of its life.

Wasn't your Seat pretty beat up outside?

My question, is £35 a good price to get my new tyres put on my wheels (old tyres removed) and balanced?

Edited by dann2707
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No but it can give you a general idea of if it's been looked after imo, if I go view a car and it's scratched all over, blemishes in the paintwork and just generally untidy you know they owner hasn't given it that much love or attention and that most likely reflects the thing as a whole. I know it's not always the case and i'm not talking about the car being detailed to an inch of its life.

Apart from all of my cars, which are maintained regularly, yet never touch the bodywork :P

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