Rubbish cars you just bonded with
Discussion
A peugeot 309 Zest I had on loan from a member of the family as a temporary car. I was only meant to have it for a month or so while I looked for my next car but had it for over 6 months in the end. This was partly because my relative didn't need it but mostly because although it was under powered and drove like a tank i actually got on with it so was in no hurry to car hunt. It got sold on eventually and for ages I used to drive past it on my way to work and reminisce about driving it 
Back in 2004, I had the chance to pick up a Volvo 440GL for £350. I intended to sell it for £600 straight away but I liked the old bus and it had an electric sunroof that my Impreza Turbo didn't!
Found it relaxing to drive what with its soft (shagged) suspension and lazy acceleration. It was in a sort of granny blue rinse colour and I can still remember driving it into town one night and with my friends waiting for me in a fairly empty car park, I managed to handbrake turn it straight into a space showing my mates what this Swedish ( or was it dutch) old shed could do!
Found it relaxing to drive what with its soft (shagged) suspension and lazy acceleration. It was in a sort of granny blue rinse colour and I can still remember driving it into town one night and with my friends waiting for me in a fairly empty car park, I managed to handbrake turn it straight into a space showing my mates what this Swedish ( or was it dutch) old shed could do!
1.2 diesel eco version
My wife's car and I took it on a Euro road trip last year to the Alps when I was in between jobs. Loved it.
Did a similar road trip this year in a Merc C Class and just didn't connect with the trip in the same way. The crapness of the Ibiza made it feel like I was driving rather than being driven.
My wife's car and I took it on a Euro road trip last year to the Alps when I was in between jobs. Loved it.
Did a similar road trip this year in a Merc C Class and just didn't connect with the trip in the same way. The crapness of the Ibiza made it feel like I was driving rather than being driven.
Fabia 1.4 Mpi Classic. Battered on every panel, rusty on one rear arch due to a poor repair but was the kind of car that worms it's way into your affections by being a trooper.
Kick it's face in from cold, not a problem. Throw it down an unmade farm lane at silly speeds, not a problem. Load it up with 400+kg of rubble, not a problem. Comical leaning round corners at moderate speeds, all part of the experience.
Was a sad day when immobilzer failure sealed it's fate.
Kick it's face in from cold, not a problem. Throw it down an unmade farm lane at silly speeds, not a problem. Load it up with 400+kg of rubble, not a problem. Comical leaning round corners at moderate speeds, all part of the experience.
Was a sad day when immobilzer failure sealed it's fate.
DoubleD said:
f1nn said:
DoubleD said:
So are you saying that its rubbish?
Yeah, it's hard to describe a ten year old Fiat Panda as anything else. If you look at it objectively, it's a crap car.Toaster Pilot said:
Klippie said:
In 2004 I was in between good cars at the time and needed transport ASAP trawling through the local classified ad's I spotted a 2001 Blue Skoda Felicia 1.9D (no turbo) 27k miles from new up for £1750, I went for a look it was no oil painting but it was all there managed to haggle down to £1500...after a few weeks driving around I loved it, basic car, solidly put together, did over 50mpg, furnace for a heater, I even got my money back when I sold it.
Looked like this...
Felicia is my go to cheap banger - they can be had for less than £200 with a long test and apart from the galloping rot will go on forever. Looked like this...
After having a car written off on 2008 i was in desperate need of transport for work, got offered a 1994 Ford Mondeo 1.8 TD saloon for £300 from a work mates mother and snapped their arm off.
It had 180k on the clock, the turbo either didn't work or was seriously under powered and it was winter and the heating didn't work but despite all its flaws, it was quite possibly the most comfy car I've ever driven, never asked for anything spent on it and cost peanuts to fuel. Best £300 motor ever. Period.
It had 180k on the clock, the turbo either didn't work or was seriously under powered and it was winter and the heating didn't work but despite all its flaws, it was quite possibly the most comfy car I've ever driven, never asked for anything spent on it and cost peanuts to fuel. Best £300 motor ever. Period.
I've had five of these in total (yes, five). The Rover 213 is a magical little car. Unpretentious, reliable, fizzy little engine (12 valve Honda 4-pot), comfortable interior, sweet gearchange. They only had two major flaws - they rusted like a Lancia parked in the sea, and the understeer was comically (sometimes dangerously) bad.
Otherwise, great cars - I bonded with all of mine.
Picture nicked from the internet - my cars all looked broadly similar.
Otherwise, great cars - I bonded with all of mine.
Picture nicked from the internet - my cars all looked broadly similar.
My old Renault 5 1.4 Prima that was my first daily car. Cost me £650, had 80k on it and was nearly mint. Nippy and light, really direct with no power steering, ABS etc but was so full of character and fun.
Not a great car but I was genuinely sad when some moron in a pick up truck rear ended it!
Not a great car but I was genuinely sad when some moron in a pick up truck rear ended it!
I got my wife a Peugeot 106 automatic.
It fitted everything she wanted being automatic, small and having 5 doors.
The seats are very comfortable but it the way it deals with road imperfections with the soft suspension & small wheels makes for a ride quality that I didn't think was possible in a small car.
It has its issues that I was going to leave but am finding myself slowly fixing it as its so much better than I thought it would be.
It fitted everything she wanted being automatic, small and having 5 doors.
The seats are very comfortable but it the way it deals with road imperfections with the soft suspension & small wheels makes for a ride quality that I didn't think was possible in a small car.
It has its issues that I was going to leave but am finding myself slowly fixing it as its so much better than I thought it would be.
About 20 years ago I took a D reg 1.3 automatic Micra as part payment for a job I had done (customer ran out of money/caught me in a weak moment/v.long story)
By the time it got written off about three and half years later I'd done 25k in it and had a blast!
It never let me down despite the abuse it received and I was confident enough to jump in it one night and drive from Warrington to Hull and back. I was gutted when it got totalled.
By the time it got written off about three and half years later I'd done 25k in it and had a blast!
It never let me down despite the abuse it received and I was confident enough to jump in it one night and drive from Warrington to Hull and back. I was gutted when it got totalled.
Oh I forgot about my 2002 1.0L K11 Micra...it stayed for two years amazing little thing it was just so reliable, handled like a horse and cart, central locking had a mind of its own, used to slow down when I switched on the air-con, I think a paper bag had a higher Euro NCAP rating...everyone should own a K11 at some point.
Lovely wee thing...I still miss it.
Lovely wee thing...I still miss it.
noway said:
My wifes Ford Ka that we bought at 6 mths old in 1999,it refuses to die and can be good fun down our local B roads....
My first car was a mk1 Ka, in many ways I consider it the real 'new Mini', neatly packaged, surprisingly spacious and handling like a roller-skate. Shame about that rust though! Bright orange 1 litre fiat panda hire car in greece. Was a cracking little car. Also had a opel zafira for a hire car for a week in France, bit of a road trip round the South coast and up to the gorge du verdon. Only me and the other half so no need at all for a big wagon like that but really enjoyed it. Sat nav, connectivity with the music etc on the phone was better than any car is driven at the time, really important on some long motorway slogs
Klippie said:
Oh I forgot about my 2002 1.0L K11 Micra...it stayed for two years amazing little thing it was just so reliable, handled like a horse and cart, central locking had a mind of its own, used to slow down when I switched on the air-con, I think a paper bag had a higher Euro NCAP rating...everyone should own a K11 at some point.
Lovely wee thing...I still miss it.
Yup, I remember having one for 2 weeks when my company e46 BMW was being crash repaired. Lovely wee thing...I still miss it.
I really liked it, such a willing little thing!
f1nn said:
This is surprising me:
Bought on a drunken whim, with the wife expecting me to advertise it as soon as the V5 turned up.
It's taken just over a week for the s
tter to become part of the family. TIp runs, dogs to the park, wood to the allotment,..it's just so nice to not have to worry about where you leave it, what you load into it. It's a bonus that's it's a fun little car to drive about.
Since Friday, none of our "better" cars have been touched, the Panda has been used for everything.
The feels when the Panda is my nice car 
Bought on a drunken whim, with the wife expecting me to advertise it as soon as the V5 turned up.
It's taken just over a week for the s
tter to become part of the family. TIp runs, dogs to the park, wood to the allotment,..it's just so nice to not have to worry about where you leave it, what you load into it. It's a bonus that's it's a fun little car to drive about.Since Friday, none of our "better" cars have been touched, the Panda has been used for everything.
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