Things you want - why are they always miles away!
Things you want - why are they always miles away!
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Discussion

Notshortnottall

Original Poster:

610 posts

214 months

Wednesday 16th January 2013
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Does anyone else find this?

Be it a car, a motorbike, race parts etc, I have never had one instance in the past 10 years where something I've been looking for along these lines has turned out to be local enough to pop round for me to have a look.

Case in point, I'm currently looking for a fully enlcosed GRP car trailer - can I find one within 75 miles, can I fook!

The necessity to have to view these things makes it difficult, but I'm sure if I moved to the South Coast the thing I'd want to buy would be in the Highlands!

Infuriating!

furious

Captain Muppet

8,540 posts

295 months

Wednesday 16th January 2013
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I've been to Scotland, and at the time it didn't seem to be absolutely crammed full of all the cars I love, but somehow they're always up there when I'm trying to buy one.

Changedmyname

12,549 posts

211 months

Wednesday 16th January 2013
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Every thing is always miles away for rural Wales.
Could move spose.scratchchin

kdri155

644 posts

181 months

Wednesday 16th January 2013
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In a similar way I always find when I have the money for a car or something in particular I want there are none available, as soon as I start dipping into the pot lo and behold there's loads available.

swisstoni

24,081 posts

309 months

Wednesday 16th January 2013
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Yep - I live in the most densely populated part of the UK and everything I want is either out west or oop north.

AJordan

169 posts

173 months

HustleRussell

26,581 posts

190 months

Wednesday 16th January 2013
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This annoys me so much that I don't bother looking for stuff that I don't need urgently unless I am going to be travelling hundreds of miles in the near future. Then often the whole thing can be organised into one journey smile For instance, I was racing in Anglesey and a set of wheels and tyres I wanted for the BMW turned up for sale nearby.... it was only a 15-mile detour.

Salgar

3,285 posts

214 months

Wednesday 16th January 2013
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I'm in the same position, there is a car which if was around 200 miles closer, I would almost certainly buy this weekend, but instead the only way in which I could do that involves a 4 hour train journey + bus journey + taxi, just to go and 'look' at it.

NiceCupOfTea

25,595 posts

281 months

Wednesday 16th January 2013
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There's an absolutely fab car 4 miles from me that I am very tempted to go and see - but it's a bit more than I wanted to pay and to be honest I can't justify changing the car...

Everything else is bloody miles away though.

Spanna

3,737 posts

206 months

Wednesday 16th January 2013
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Had a 5 hour round trip to pick up my motorbike earlier this year. Was a good day out and ride though as a mate took me there on the back of his bike and it was on one of the sunny days we had in July.

I'm right in the heart of the country and anything that involves picking it up to buy is always 80+ miles or more than an hour away.

Ray Luxury-Yacht

8,918 posts

246 months

Thursday 17th January 2013
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Lol, seems to be very true - but then as PH'ers, we probably have a more strict set of buying criteria, which may well rule out some of the stuff for sale nearby, if it's not looking like a good buy.

But yeah, this has basically been the case with me mostly too - but with one exception.


A mate bought a Jeep to go off-roading with, and I decided I needed one too. I went round his house one day, and we logged onto ebay to see what was available. I had a specific budget as well.
Feck me if we didn't immediately find something that looked perfect that was less than 2 miles from my house. Right spec, right price....and so we called the seller, who was in, and arranged to go round.

The car was better than expected, had a hard top on it and came with a brand-new soft top too. Full main dealer service history, with a lovely Alpine stereo / autochanger / amp and big speaker setup included.

It was already at a very good price, but I pulled out some cash and haggled another 100 quid off, although I would have been happy to have paid the asking price.

Amazing local deal of a pretty rare car. I doubt that will happen again anytime soon!


Fantuzzi

3,297 posts

176 months

Thursday 17th January 2013
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Oddly a low milage, perfect condition, fsh car of my choice was only about 35mins away from me. Normally it was 'ooh thats a good one, oh its in scotland and Im in the south...

The gods of petrol and pistons were watching that day'....

LiamB

8,119 posts

173 months

Thursday 17th January 2013
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My mini was one village away..

My bike however. All the way in bloody Reading.

Jayyylo

986 posts

177 months

Thursday 17th January 2013
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At least you don't live in N.I. If you want to buy something half decent the first step of looking at a car is to buy a plane ticket, then the crazy boat prices if you do buy it.

Bear Phils

891 posts

166 months

Thursday 17th January 2013
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Jayyylo said:
At least you don't live in N.I. If you want to buy something half decent the first step of looking at a car is to buy a plane ticket, then the crazy boat prices if you do buy it.
Exactly!

These mainland UK people don't know hardship

Donatello

1,035 posts

191 months

Thursday 17th January 2013
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I live in Lowestoft so everything is always miles away.

The use car forums to my advantage though. I've bought two cars that were at least 100 miles away and just asked forum members to go a view the cars for me (I just asked for them to check the car was at least 'as advertised' so I didn't waste my time travelling to view). I know you have to trust them but if they are on a forum, chances are they are the 'helpful' type. Both times it worked out well and when I got an OK review and went to buy the cars I bought both of the people who helped me a pub lunch.

Like I said though, you have to be someone who trusts others opinions.

Devil2575

13,400 posts

218 months

Thursday 17th January 2013
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It wouldn't be so bad but half the time when you travel miles to see a car it turns out to be a misdescribed piece of tat.