Car thoughts....

[cj2013]

So I'm soon changing job after a year of having no car (and at the time, no need).

To be honest, my life for the past year has been a city life, I moved to be within walking distance of work and had no parking for a car (city location of course). The savings have been offset by hire cars when needed, taxi's when needed and tesco home shopping!

So, I'm soon to be relocating and will be choosing a 30 mile or so commute (each way) and will be needing a car.

Due to my passion for cars (my degree is automotive also) I've owned, to last count, 51 cars. Unfortunately, you might think this is excessive as I'm not quite yet 30. This has been due to just wanting to drive almost every variety, mixed in with hobby trading (fully insured, buying & selling for an interest and not really for business). As a result, my exposure to cars is quite broad, having mainly owned a lot of peugeots and fords over the years as well as most other marques.

I'm also an avid detailer. I can easily choose a whole weekend of clay, microfibre and colonite over football, so it's often been important to have a good base of paintwork for me to be happy - right colour, no damage etc.

My choice is often to go for Black - it's rewarding to polish, looks great and doesn't really fall subject to fading or dulling. As a result, it's likely to be a deal breaker if it isn't black or a suitably attractive-to-polish colour. You'll either understand or you won't, but each to their own.

I don't mind the budget for the right car, but under £3k is preferable. It's either all about sensible economy, fun, or a mixture of the both - i.e. an 850R (one extreme) or a 1.4HDI C4 (super cheap to run). No 2.0 vectra or other 'pointless' engine (where they are neither nippy nor economical).

So...

I've been narrowing it down. At one point, I thought a HDI 406 coupe was a good choice, but I've changed my mind. Seen, on the budget end, perhaps a Puma 1.7 (had one previously), Astra H coupe (perhaps derv), but I'm now seriously considering a mk1 TT, around 2001 or so. Fits budget, on paper capable of acceptable mpg, nice looks - isn't really ageing too badly...

Any suggestions? I don't mind leftfield ideas as I hate seeing the same car driving in the opposite direction. Something a bit rare even....?

[Ray Luxury-Yacht]

What about considering my current daily drive - a Mk. 1 Skoda Octavia VRs?

4 doors, a hatchback and very practical with a huge boot. Nice inside, comfortable, good-looking and a bit special with the half-leather seats etc.

Re-mapped with a couple of extra tuning goodies = around 220bhp. In a reasonably light car, this gives entertaining performance and genuine 150mph potential.

Have uprated brakes, braided brake lines and Bilstein gas dampers all round = handling that is also entertaining, and as the car is based around the Mk. 4 Golf floorpan and running gear, it has a pretty short wheelbase for the given size of the vehicle, so it turns very well.

Over the last 3 years and 60,000 miles of ownership, very little has gone wrong, and at 13 years old with 130k miles up - there are still no squeaks, rattles or annoying cabin noises. Very well screwed together.

Decent fuel economy - averages around mid-30's with normal driving, and on my runs down to University and back on the motorway with economy in mind so just trundling at around 55mph - I get high 40's back - amazing for a turbo petrol engine.


Finally, I also love clay bars / polish / wax - and the finish on mine is called 'Black Magic' - which is basically a black metallic, with a wonderful multi-coloured metallic flake in the paintwork which looks a million dollars when polished and in the sunlight.

Hope this helps...

Here's a pic, not of mine - just one I found on the net:

[cj2013]

I have considered a VRS, but they (perhaps all of a sudden) don't seem to have aged too well to me :/

I think I'd probably start to resent it if I felt that I didn't like the looks.

I guess cars are very much like women!

Perhaps swaying heaving to Pumas...