Cars where the heart says 'yes' but the head says 'hell no'

[vtecyo]

KarlMac said:

blearyeyedboy said:

Easternlight said:

Muzzer79 said:

Ste1987 said:

RX8 for me. Love how they look and how cheap they are, but the reliability issues? Awww hell nawww!

Good shout

If they'd built an RX8 with a remotely sensible engine, I'd buy one in a heartbeat.

You bad people... you've made me google engine swaps for RX8's all afternoon.

I'm glad other people share my interpretation of 'remotely sensible '

SR20 DET is another popular one. The Kyouto drift lot had one with an insane RX7 engine in it, although that probably doesn't answer the reliability issues!

Good should on the Mercedes CL600 too. That and the CL500 are such mega VFM until something goes bang. Your wallet, probably.

Edited by vtecyo on Wednesday 6th July 10:40

[Davel]

I have had many cars and can say that my heart has always made the choice for me.

My head was never even consulted and probably never will be.

[urquattroGus]

I bought a Maserati 3200 Asetto Corsa and no regrets!

[SturdyHSV]

A few years ago I wanted to get an Alfa 75 V6, ideally with the evoluzione bodykit. I didn't want to spend too much on it (~£3,000) as I wanted to be able to sell the GTV V6 for whatever I paid for the 75.

One came up that looked interesting, right colour (black) right bodykit, and appeared to have an interesting history, as apparently there were receipts with it for the fancy brakes that had been delivered to the Gumball headquarters in London.

So we went to have a look at it. Arrived outside a nice looking house, called the seller, turns out it's actually up the dirt 'road' next to this house.

We head up this road to what feels like a scene from Snatch. Amongst other rotting lumps in the overgrown grass is this Alfa, looking spectacularly sorry for itself. The 'owner' comes over, generally points out he doesn't want to negotiate, and then offers to start her up. A battery is connected (not included in the sale), and alas it turns out the driver's door lock doesn't work (funny that) and so in he gets through the broken lock on the passenger side. He's not sure if it has any fuel in it so hopes aren't high.

The busso fires right up and settles to what can only just be called an idle. It continues to idle, struggling on for life, feeling for all the world like a puppy at a dog shelter trying desperately to win your heart and show that it'd be a great pet. The idle keeps dropping lower and lower, the car shuddering as it must be ticking over at about 400rpm by now, but still it lives.

Eventually, the battery is disconnected and the heart stops beating.

It's too far gone for me, the bodywork needs a lot of tidying up (cable ties were involved...) there's the problems with the door locks, ruined interior, it's probably stolen, honestly my head had started the long drive home when we drove passed our first caravan.

But my heart desperately wanted to save it. Even if just to get it away from this dump. The busso had refused to die, it obviously wanted saving, and if that history was real, that's a cool story if nothing else right?

Alas, I'm a yellow bellied jessy and I've still got the GTV. I hope somebody has saved that car though

[Timbergiant]

DeLorean, I've had the money and space to keep one but just the thought of the amount of fiddling or work needing to be done always stopped me, now the prices are easily double what they were when I started to fancy one and they are all much older

[FIREBIRDC9]

Might be due to all the Stereotypes i have heard about them but,

Anything with an Alfa Romeo Badge?


They look fantastic , but hear stories of Rust and Unreliability often enough and you start to believe them :L

[Vitorio]

FIREBIRDC9 said:

Might be due to all the Stereotypes i have heard about them but,

Anything with an Alfa Romeo Badge?


They look fantastic , but hear stories of Rust and Unreliability often enough and you start to believe them :L

Most of that is just echo chamber parroting though

If you do your research and pick with care, you can avoid the bad ones and know how to keep on top of maintenance, itll be no worse then any other brand.

If you go in half cocked and buy someone else's troubles because you didnt do your research, the badge doesnt matter, any car can be a disaster.

[spookly]

Mr Teddy Bear said:

Liquid Tuna said:

I'd love one of these. Cheap enough to buy, but I hear they're not even slightly reliable.

Don't touch one of those things with a barge pole; unless you have VERY deep pockets, find it funny to be locked out by the vehicles security system, don't mind the thing refusing to start because there is interference with the fob signal. I could go on and on. Just noooooooooooo. Oh and own your own oil well.

I had a V8 4.6 Vogue. Averaged about 13mpg. In the last week I had it just doing school runs it was 8mpg.

If you don't mind fixing things yourself on a near weekly basis then they're great.

[Vitorio]

spookly said:

Mr Teddy Bear said:

Liquid Tuna said:

I'd love one of these. Cheap enough to buy, but I hear they're not even slightly reliable.

Don't touch one of those things with a barge pole; unless you have VERY deep pockets, find it funny to be locked out by the vehicles security system, don't mind the thing refusing to start because there is interference with the fob signal. I could go on and on. Just noooooooooooo. Oh and own your own oil well.

I had a V8 4.6 Vogue. Averaged about 13mpg. In the last week I had it just doing school runs it was 8mpg.

If you don't mind fixing things yourself on a near weekly basis then they're great.

Are these the ones with those V8 blocks which got bored out a bit too far and developed issues in the larger capacities?

That's what i seem to remember my old boss telling me about 8 years ago after he bought one of those daft things for buttons

[Monkeylegend]

daveco said:

Kierkegaard said:

I would love a Mercedes SL R230, especially the SL55 AMG...

...but, the thought of the sheer expense if anything went wrong with it...which would be a leaking roof, potentially failed & pricey to replace ECUs, pricey ABC suspension failure, SBC brake failure and just the generally flakey build of an early 2000s Mercedes.

Head says no, hell no! But heart pines for one!

My father had an '03 SL500 and just about everything you mention above went wrong with it over the space of two years. He'd often come out to find the car leaning badly to one side from ABC failure, the roof leaking and the battery unable to hold charge. It also went into limp home mode at the slightest whiff of being driven properly.

When it worked it was great, but that wasn't often.

I allowed my heart to rule my head and bought a 2004 SL350 in January. I wanted the SL500 but put off by the ABC woes, so went for the standard spring and shock suspension of the 350.

I still have the SBC pump and the balancer shaft issues to think about, but think the engine issues were sorted on mine.

The roof works perfectly with no water leaks in the boot at all. Having said that it has been kept under cover all it's life.

So far I have only had to buy a starter battery at £80 so all is good so far.

[DoubleD]

But your heart wanted a SL500

[Monkeylegend]

DoubleD said:

But your heart wanted a SL500

Yes I know so it's sort of a halfway house.

Having said that in the real world there is very little difference in performance, you just don't quite get the V8 burble.

[DoubleD]

Nice car either way

[Stickyfinger]

I keep twitching

[spookly]

Vitorio said:

spookly said:

Mr Teddy Bear said:

Liquid Tuna said:

I'd love one of these. Cheap enough to buy, but I hear they're not even slightly reliable.

Don't touch one of those things with a barge pole; unless you have VERY deep pockets, find it funny to be locked out by the vehicles security system, don't mind the thing refusing to start because there is interference with the fob signal. I could go on and on. Just noooooooooooo. Oh and own your own oil well.

I had a V8 4.6 Vogue. Averaged about 13mpg. In the last week I had it just doing school runs it was 8mpg.

If you don't mind fixing things yourself on a near weekly basis then they're great.

Are these the ones with those V8 blocks which got bored out a bit too far and developed issues in the larger capacities?

That's what i seem to remember my old boss telling me about 8 years ago after he bought one of those daft things for buttons

Dunno.
But they were reknown for having chocolate head gaskets from the factory. The ones on mine heroically lasted until 92k. That was the only engine trouble I had with it. Amazingly got a local scratter garage to redo the heads/skim + major service incl gearbox for £950.

But I also had:

1. Intermittent air suspension fault - would randomly go to full height and stay there. Resets itself after engine off for 5 minutes.
2. Window regulators - 3 out 4 done in 2 years.
3. Several electrical faults (Hifi/Nav, aircon fault, electric mirrors)
4. Aircon radiator/condenser
5. Brake lines
6. A ridiculous amount of punctures. It seemed to attract nails and screws

Despite the awful mpg and long list of faults it was lovely to drive when it worked and very comfortable. And you didn't feel like a footballers wife driving it.

[jayemm89]

Markbarry1977 said:

Always dream of owning a Ferrari 355. The fact it needs new headers as they crack every 4-5 years and cost £10k a time to replace (probably slight exaggeration) but could be replaced with aftermarket ones. Along with everything Ferrari being unreliable and mega expensive my head says no. But they look soooooo beautiful and sound soooo nice. Erm......I even drive past greypauls in Nottingham to drool every now and then when I drop the Cayman in for a service.

I know someone who's had one since 1997 - never had a problem with the headers, nor even a mention of them from the mechanic. Hasn't needed anything beyond "regular" maintenance since about 2000. Sure, it hasn't done many miles, but few Ferraris do.

[stevemiller]

Stickyfinger said:

I keep twitching

My brother has owned one for nearly two years. I collected the car with a transfer journey of 350 miles. Less than 60 miles in it was on the back of a lorry. I think he has covered around a 100 miles since. He has no intention of getting rid so at least for him the heart rules - bravo to him.

[Stickyfinger]

stevemiller said:

Stickyfinger said:

I keep twitching

My brother has owned one for nearly two years. I collected the car with a transfer journey of 350 miles. Less than 60 miles in it was on the back of a lorry. I think he has covered around a 100 miles since. He has no intention of getting rid so at least for him the heart rules - bravo to him.

I was talking about the "pert MILF" looking at it

[Actus Reus]

That'll be the air suspension.

[Stickyfinger]

Actus Reus said:

That'll be the air suspension.

There is Zero Air in those mate....