Car to sit on the drive for occasional long haul use.
Discussion
Is an E46 330ci or E46 325i cab a sensible choice that will just work and cost bugger all to run / get through the MOT each year. When I say occasional use I mean it'll be sat without being touched for maybe a month or 2 then be expected to be work fine driven everyday for 2 weeks ~4000 miles, then parked up again for 2 months or more and repeat? I've arrived at these options as effectively mundane cars so should cope with neglect but offer a bit of fun and be comfortable for when they are used.
davepoth said:
I originally looked to hire something but anything vaguely interesting means it's cheaper to just buy the car.We had a 3rd car in this situation. I found a solar trickle charger in maplin for about twenty quid worked fine. Sat it on the dash, wires coming out the door under the bonnet and on the battery. It claims to be a maintainer and not a charger, ie will only maintain a good battery and not charge a flat one. This it did perfectly.
The other thing was condensation, give it a run if it's cold or wet for a long period.
The other thing was condensation, give it a run if it's cold or wet for a long period.
StuntmanMike said:
OP my 330CI often sits for weeks on end, but postes have mde the point that a hire car would be best, I agree and its got to be cheaper as well.
That's promising. Do you know if they are cars that leak at all or have any battery draining issues when left, leaking into the interior ans electrics seems the best way to kill cars that sit about.Herman Toothrot said:
Can't be garaged as my motorbikes have the garage. I should add its main use will be Europe wide where the driving is a big part of the trip, i.e. I want something less boring than my A6 2.7T Quattro to do such trips in.
What does a 330i do that the Audi can't? Wouldn't it make more sense to chop the Audi in for something you actually want?Herman Toothrot said:
StuntmanMike said:
OP my 330CI often sits for weeks on end, but postes have mde the point that a hire car would be best, I agree and its got to be cheaper as well.
That's promising. Do you know if they are cars that leak at all or have any battery draining issues when left, leaking into the interior ans electrics seems the best way to kill cars that sit about.
NiceCupOfTea said:
Saab 9000
Well, mine has been used very exactly 2 weeks a year over the last 5 years. When I am on vacation I go pick it up from the barn, clean it, inflate the tires, put the battery back in, and off we go!
So far it has survived pretty well. Never a problem starting after 11 1/2 months, it starts straight away as long as the battery is charged. (I get someone to charge it in the days before I need the car). Make sure you remove the battery every time you garage it for a long time (or at least disconnect it), otherwise you will be buying new batteries pretty often!
Not sure it would work that well if it was parked outside though. A dry-ish garage is probably a good idea for this.
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