Spontaneous and unexpected car purchases
Discussion
Who has bought a car on a whim, without expecting to, for which they have no practical need?
In my spare time I find myself browsing the classifieds for anything vaguely interesting within a 5 mile radius. I like the idea of popping round the corner one Sunday, and coming back with something interesting for the next week's commute. No stress, no touring the country for the perfect model. The only problem I can see is being able to sell it again with quite so much ease...
Can anyone inspire me? And is selling privately always more hassle than buying?
In my spare time I find myself browsing the classifieds for anything vaguely interesting within a 5 mile radius. I like the idea of popping round the corner one Sunday, and coming back with something interesting for the next week's commute. No stress, no touring the country for the perfect model. The only problem I can see is being able to sell it again with quite so much ease...
Can anyone inspire me? And is selling privately always more hassle than buying?
Really wanted a R5 Turbo when I was about 19/20, looked at loads of dogs all over London, one day I looked in the local free paper that came through the door and see an advert that read 'AX 1988, red, VGC 850' those were the days of paying a 1 a word lol
Rang the number as I could see it was the same area code, a woman answers and says yes I have owned it for 4 years and fancy a change, what model is it I ask, it says GT on the back, so of I trot round to her house 5 mins up the road. There it was a totally unmolested AX GT in excellent condition with 63,000 on the clock, taxed and MOT, got the car for 650 kept it for 8 months and sold it for 1400 plus a ford sierra or orion in PX that I sold again for 500
Loved the AX so much I bought another AX GT Sportif for 750 that I had to travel for, but sold that for 1700. Great cars they were! finally got a R5 turbo had it for 10 days as it was pinking and backfiring and lost 100 on that!
Rang the number as I could see it was the same area code, a woman answers and says yes I have owned it for 4 years and fancy a change, what model is it I ask, it says GT on the back, so of I trot round to her house 5 mins up the road. There it was a totally unmolested AX GT in excellent condition with 63,000 on the clock, taxed and MOT, got the car for 650 kept it for 8 months and sold it for 1400 plus a ford sierra or orion in PX that I sold again for 500
Loved the AX so much I bought another AX GT Sportif for 750 that I had to travel for, but sold that for 1700. Great cars they were! finally got a R5 turbo had it for 10 days as it was pinking and backfiring and lost 100 on that!
About 10 years ago, the Missus wanted a smallish car. Went to the local auctions where 3 year old late Mk3 Astras were going for peanuts, went back a week later to buy one and everyone was bidding them up massively so ended up buying a manual gearbox Omega V6 CDX!! Not quite the small car she was expecting 
This is the thread for me! Virtually every car I've ever bought has been on a whim, over the phone, usually after a nights drinking. I just wake up and think f
k it you only live once....unclouded judgement. This has been done most memorably with a Mazda RX8... Bad decision...BMW 320d F30... Good decision. Land Rover Disco 3 and Lotus Evora...OK decisions.
k it you only live once....unclouded judgement. This has been done most memorably with a Mazda RX8... Bad decision...BMW 320d F30... Good decision. Land Rover Disco 3 and Lotus Evora...OK decisions.A couple, was buying a 3 door sierra Cosworth and they mentioned a trade in was due in that day, a Fiat
Cinquecento turbo, just a cheap little thing so ended up buying that as well.
Another time was buying a Fiat coupe 20v turbo and they had an immaculate old Volvo 340 being traded in by a retired chap who'd had it since new, 40,000 miles as new, had to buy it as well.
Cinquecento turbo, just a cheap little thing so ended up buying that as well.
Another time was buying a Fiat coupe 20v turbo and they had an immaculate old Volvo 340 being traded in by a retired chap who'd had it since new, 40,000 miles as new, had to buy it as well.
tractorguy said:
I purchased a 87 Nissan Laurel, just beacuse someone at work said he would sell it for a 100. That was seven years ago and its still at the back of a barn with nothing been done with it.
This is the kind of thing I am in danger of doing. It's probably a good thing I don't own a barn and can only park on the (congested) road!Almost all of my cars have been bought on a whim,
My R32 back in 07 was probably the one that stands out most, whilst waiting for photos of a wedding we attended the previous day to be developed, we headed off to VW for a nosey, seen the R32 sitting there, asked for a drive and bought it less than an hour later
I was hungover, felt like st, wearing my comfy clothes and arrived in my escort van i used to get to work, the salesman at the time didnt look too pleased when i asked for a test drive.
Every other car i have considered over a few days, then i just bite the bullet and buy one
My R32 back in 07 was probably the one that stands out most, whilst waiting for photos of a wedding we attended the previous day to be developed, we headed off to VW for a nosey, seen the R32 sitting there, asked for a drive and bought it less than an hour later
I was hungover, felt like s
t, wearing my comfy clothes and arrived in my escort van i used to get to work, the salesman at the time didnt look too pleased when i asked for a test drive. Every other car i have considered over a few days, then i just bite the bullet and buy one
rallycross said:
A couple, was buying a 3 door sierra Cosworth and they mentioned a trade in was due in that day, a Fiat
Cinquecento turbo, just a cheap little thing so ended up buying that as well.
Another time was buying a Fiat coupe 20v turbo and they had an immaculate old Volvo 340 being traded in by a retired chap who'd had it since new, 40,000 miles as new, had to buy it as well.
The logic that you've used in both examples - that somehow it makes sense to buy two cars at once - is particularly impressive. Cinquecento turbo, just a cheap little thing so ended up buying that as well.
Another time was buying a Fiat coupe 20v turbo and they had an immaculate old Volvo 340 being traded in by a retired chap who'd had it since new, 40,000 miles as new, had to buy it as well.
I was in a breakers last October, looking for a throttle position sensor for a Jag X300, and came away with a cosmetically tatty Ford Ranger double cab pickup. It surprised me, but nobody else, when it needed a fuel pump, clutch and DMF in the next couple of weeks. Still got it, and it still looks like st. The Jag still ticks over at 1400 rpm, too.
t. The Jag still ticks over at 1400 rpm, too.New POD said:
There's an MX5 in local garage, with no MOT for 650. I like the idea of offering them 50 to MOT it, on the understanding that I'd buy it if it passes.
Do you not think they would have done that if they thought it would pass?At a wild guess - go and prod the sills with a screwdriver.
Sometimes i see cars advertised and for a few minutes actually lose my mind and seriously consider purchasing them.
Just the other day i saw a link to an ad for a Fiat Croma automatic on a tread here and just for a moment started thinking too seriously about buying it.
If it was a 2.4 turbodiesel Marea estate i probably would have come dangerously close to buying it.
In fact everytime ive seen a Marea advertised in the last few years (not exactly very often as they aren't exactly the most common of cars) - i seriously start thinking about buying it.
And yes im well aware the Mareas are st (which is probably why i have never actually bought one).
Dont ask me what the attraction is
I think its the rebel in me refusing to accept the sensible path and opting for a 320d
Sir Fergie
Just the other day i saw a link to an ad for a Fiat Croma automatic on a tread here and just for a moment started thinking too seriously about buying it.
If it was a 2.4 turbodiesel Marea estate i probably would have come dangerously close to buying it.
In fact everytime ive seen a Marea advertised in the last few years (not exactly very often as they aren't exactly the most common of cars) - i seriously start thinking about buying it.
And yes im well aware the Mareas are s
t (which is probably why i have never actually bought one).Dont ask me what the attraction is
I think its the rebel in me refusing to accept the sensible path and opting for a 320d
Sir Fergie
Few years ago I look on Ebay and found a Lotus Excel that appeared to be OK and cheap.
Put a bid in and won it - then check the location......about 250 miles away!
Car turned out to be a good one, had a good day out, stopped at Silverstone on the way back to watch F1 testing and the wife loved the car.
Sold it a couple of years later for profit, big mistake, can't find one now for less than double what I sold it for.
But I now browse Ebay/PH classified/AT via Chomes Incognito page!
Put a bid in and won it - then check the location......about 250 miles away!
Car turned out to be a good one, had a good day out, stopped at Silverstone on the way back to watch F1 testing and the wife loved the car.
Sold it a couple of years later for profit, big mistake, can't find one now for less than double what I sold it for.
But I now browse Ebay/PH classified/AT via Chomes Incognito page!
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