A car you instantly regretted buying
Discussion
306 HDI
Had fond memories of earlier 306 DTurbo hire/pool cars that used to take a good thrashing and hang on gamely. The later cars were very poor in comparison, no faster (maybe even a bit slower), DMF problems, broken springs (2) and shonky aircon didn't help the feeling I'd bought the wrong car.
Had fond memories of earlier 306 DTurbo hire/pool cars that used to take a good thrashing and hang on gamely. The later cars were very poor in comparison, no faster (maybe even a bit slower), DMF problems, broken springs (2) and shonky aircon didn't help the feeling I'd bought the wrong car.
Alfa 33 Permanent 4. When I heard it was an ex lease car and the RAC report turned up filler on half the panels, I should have walked away. But they were rare, I was determined to own one and I stupidly thought, "what could go wrong?". 2 hours later, stranded on the M1 at 10pm on my way back from London to Edinburgh having bought it, that question was answered...
Not exactly me but when the Fiat Mirafiori came out, I was living on the Isle of Man.
Our company secretary ordered several and, as my car was due to be replaced, I asked him to get me one.
He ordered me a Supamirafiori and told me that it was on the ferry. I just had to go down to the ferry and collect it. He said I wouldn't miss it.
He was bloody right too - it was Pink, well lacquer red was the name of that shade of pink.
It was awful, uncomfortable and the only one on the Island.
Our company secretary ordered several and, as my car was due to be replaced, I asked him to get me one.
He ordered me a Supamirafiori and told me that it was on the ferry. I just had to go down to the ferry and collect it. He said I wouldn't miss it.
He was bloody right too - it was Pink, well lacquer red was the name of that shade of pink.
It was awful, uncomfortable and the only one on the Island.
SAAB V4 96. Bought for £250 (I know, that was warning enough!). Drove it for 24 hours and the clutch started to fail. Didn't have the cash for a new one so limped to the nearest scrap yard only to find it was closed so just left it there with the keys in and walked home. Wonder what happened to it?
Mk2 Fiesta XR2
Yeeeeeaaaars ago, after a decent string of 80s hot-hatches & coupes, my Peugeot 309 GTi gave up the ghost. I needed cheap wheels very quickly, so went down to Vince's stolen caravan, pet-destruction and s
t car emporium where I bought the aforementioned XR2 off the forecourt for £300 while he wrote out a fresh MoT certificate on the spot.
Before I'd even got home it was readily apparent that not many of the original 96bhp were still present. The CVH engine sounded like AC/DC doing opera, only harsher. It ran comedically rich, with a brown smoke trail punctuated with shotgun blasts on the overrun thanks to the many air leaks in the exhaust manifold. Handling was best described as 'clown car'. I had actually test-driven the car, but only for a few hundred yards, as the mechanic/bouncer sent to accompany me seemed keen to get out of the car again at all cost. After a few days I decided to service it, but gave up when I opened the airbox to find that it didn't have an air filter. At all.
The cambelt snapped a few weeks later. Thank fk.
Yeeeeeaaaars ago, after a decent string of 80s hot-hatches & coupes, my Peugeot 309 GTi gave up the ghost. I needed cheap wheels very quickly, so went down to Vince's stolen caravan, pet-destruction and s
t car emporium where I bought the aforementioned XR2 off the forecourt for £300 while he wrote out a fresh MoT certificate on the spot.Before I'd even got home it was readily apparent that not many of the original 96bhp were still present. The CVH engine sounded like AC/DC doing opera, only harsher. It ran comedically rich, with a brown smoke trail punctuated with shotgun blasts on the overrun thanks to the many air leaks in the exhaust manifold. Handling was best described as 'clown car'. I had actually test-driven the car, but only for a few hundred yards, as the mechanic/bouncer sent to accompany me seemed keen to get out of the car again at all cost. After a few days I decided to service it, but gave up when I opened the airbox to find that it didn't have an air filter. At all.
The cambelt snapped a few weeks later. Thank f
k.Discovery 2 TD5
In my haste I wanted a big car to tow my track day car, I bought the first one I saw out of excitement. The interior smelled of wet dog, it didn't want to go faster than 60mph, it was st slow, it took over £100 to fill up, and it kept breaking down when oil leaked into the electrics. Hateful thing. Sold it at a massive loss just to get rid of it. Never again.
In my haste I wanted a big car to tow my track day car, I bought the first one I saw out of excitement. The interior smelled of wet dog, it didn't want to go faster than 60mph, it was s
t slow, it took over £100 to fill up, and it kept breaking down when oil leaked into the electrics. Hateful thing. Sold it at a massive loss just to get rid of it. Never again. C class merc, nothing wrong with it mechanically, aside from the overly intrusive power steering that changed weight almost always at just the wrong moment, it was the blandest heap I've ever driven. Aside from the lack of character and the aforementioned steering, the seats, while comfortable enough, had zero support when driving and it did seem to attract the moron while out and about at times.
Mx5 mk2.5
Short test drive was OK. Ownership drive turned out to be horrible. Lowered on eBay coilovers and is so skittish. pulls to one side . Spiggot bearing turned out to be shot, got the clutch and spiggot done and think the input shaft is gone on the gearbox. Scrapped every speed bump. Wouldn't open petrol cap at petrol station. Rear caliper binding which after a 12 hour nightshift spun on a tight turn in the works carpark at slow speed, sports edition meaning big brekes and calipers are 5x the price. Rust. Plus a few other things.
It's parked up in work I cannot bare to even look at it. Saving grace was the garage who did the clutch let me have a go in a standard and working mk1 and it was great.
Short test drive was OK. Ownership drive turned out to be horrible. Lowered on eBay coilovers and is so skittish. pulls to one side . Spiggot bearing turned out to be shot, got the clutch and spiggot done and think the input shaft is gone on the gearbox. Scrapped every speed bump. Wouldn't open petrol cap at petrol station. Rear caliper binding which after a 12 hour nightshift spun on a tight turn in the works carpark at slow speed, sports edition meaning big brekes and calipers are 5x the price. Rust. Plus a few other things.
It's parked up in work I cannot bare to even look at it. Saving grace was the garage who did the clutch let me have a go in a standard and working mk1 and it was great.
Edited by bazza white on Thursday 25th June 22:19
but appreciate the fact it has a Mondeo engine probably doesn't help its cause much. Porsche 996 Turbo S. Collected it and knew within 100 miles it was a mistake. Super fast and super smooth, but otherwise fairly bland. Fast as st off a shovel but once the novelty of going very quickly, very easily wore off, there was no real drama and not much else to enjoy. No doubt the perfect car for some folk but not for me.
t off a shovel but once the novelty of going very quickly, very easily wore off, there was no real drama and not much else to enjoy. No doubt the perfect car for some folk but not for me.That would have to be between two cars! both not the best buys.
the Alfa 147. Part exchanged my Astra for this thing which in its self wasn't the best, the Astra was auto and I'd had just about enough. any way cut along story short, the Alfa overheated on the motorway on the drive home, the ball joints where shot and so were the brake pads!
I had to ring the seller and beg for my astra back (as if!!) Once I had limped the Alfa back to the seller's house it cost me 50 quid to convince him to cross my name off the v5, give the keys to the Astra back and return my 300 quid! it was a complete waste of an evening. I owned the Alfa for 45 mins.
The Mk 3 Golf. This one cost me 500 quid if I remember. another one of those "Im selling the expensive to run turbo car and buying a st box" moments! Ran OK for 3 days then it started burning oil and running on three pistons! tried a few things, but, no it was terminal 
bought a second hand engine on ebay for 180 quid, drove the 85 miles there, loaded the engine in the van, drove home and spent the next two days completing an engine swap. got to that exciting turn the key moment and guess what? the fking engine was seized solid and would not budge! I just left it on the drive and bought another Impreza! happy days 
the Alfa 147. Part exchanged my Astra for this thing which in its self wasn't the best, the Astra was auto and I'd had just about enough. any way cut along story short, the Alfa overheated on the motorway on the drive home, the ball joints where shot and so were the brake pads!
I had to ring the seller and beg for my astra back (as if!!) Once I had limped the Alfa back to the seller's house it cost me 50 quid to convince him to cross my name off the v5, give the keys to the Astra back and return my 300 quid! it was a complete waste of an evening. I owned the Alfa for 45 mins.
The Mk 3 Golf. This one cost me 500 quid if I remember. another one of those "Im selling the expensive to run turbo car and buying a s
t box" moments! Ran OK for 3 days then it started burning oil and running on three pistons! tried a few things, but, no it was terminal bought a second hand engine on ebay for 180 quid, drove the 85 miles there, loaded the engine in the van, drove home and spent the next two days completing an engine swap. got to that exciting turn the key moment and guess what? the f
king engine was seized solid and would not budge! I just left it on the drive and bought another Impreza! happy days Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff