Audi A8, Honda CRZ, Mini....
Discussion
Never started a readers car thread before. Quick background, was a serial car buyer before, owned loads usually strange or a little eccentric, predeliction for clever small cars and big barges, although that itch had not been revisited for several years. 2019 saw me needing reliable transport that could whisk me around the country cheaply so I sold my e39 525i and bought a five year old Mini One D, most expensive purchase of my life but a car I love. I've added 110k miles to it and am its second and likely last owner. I want to take it past 200k miles so 50k to go.
Mrs and I car shared but when she took semi retirement, we looked for a car for her and I found a lovely wee Honda CRZ locally, so she has been running that since February this year.
Just the other week, my Mini was involved in a smash in my absence...someone had hit it when I was at work bit left details. Different story for a different day, but they were a garage owner, took the car away and fixed all of the damage, all front suspension and steering components but...but...I had a niggling doubt about it, an irrational one for sure, but it jist doesn't 'feel' the same so I made the error of checking AT for what I could buy with a meagre budget of £2500 and I found a car I've always wanted. Being sold by its one owner from new was a 220k mile Audi A8 D3 3.0tdi. It had wanted for nothing, lots of history, bills, all the old MOT, pretty near unmarked and with an interior to die for. Its had recent brakes, battery and a recon gearbox 20k miles ago...so, I bought it...
Don't have many pictures for now but more pics and stories of 'the fleet' will surely come...I really like our wee eclectic collection....
...as explained in barge thread. The Audi now has a 'name'. It is called Karl Marx. Big charismatic German full of innovative ideas that will completely bankrupt you and f
k you up if not handled correctly....
Only other cars I've owned that had names were my first Beetle, a '72 1200 bought with Miss M hand painted on the engine lid, so Miss M it remained, and my Senator 3 litre which was called Ollie Reed, big, powerful, lots of fun to be around but liked a drink....
Mrs and I car shared but when she took semi retirement, we looked for a car for her and I found a lovely wee Honda CRZ locally, so she has been running that since February this year.
Just the other week, my Mini was involved in a smash in my absence...someone had hit it when I was at work bit left details. Different story for a different day, but they were a garage owner, took the car away and fixed all of the damage, all front suspension and steering components but...but...I had a niggling doubt about it, an irrational one for sure, but it jist doesn't 'feel' the same so I made the error of checking AT for what I could buy with a meagre budget of £2500 and I found a car I've always wanted. Being sold by its one owner from new was a 220k mile Audi A8 D3 3.0tdi. It had wanted for nothing, lots of history, bills, all the old MOT, pretty near unmarked and with an interior to die for. Its had recent brakes, battery and a recon gearbox 20k miles ago...so, I bought it...
Don't have many pictures for now but more pics and stories of 'the fleet' will surely come...I really like our wee eclectic collection....
Edited by biggbn on Friday 17th July 15:15
Edited by biggbn on Friday 17th July 15:51
Edited by biggbn on Friday 17th July 15:53
Edited by biggbn on Friday 17th July 15:54
...as explained in barge thread. The Audi now has a 'name'. It is called Karl Marx. Big charismatic German full of innovative ideas that will completely bankrupt you and f
k you up if not handled correctly....Only other cars I've owned that had names were my first Beetle, a '72 1200 bought with Miss M hand painted on the engine lid, so Miss M it remained, and my Senator 3 litre which was called Ollie Reed, big, powerful, lots of fun to be around but liked a drink....
Edited by biggbn on Friday 17th July 15:58
Nice little flock OP.
I owned a CRZ for about 6mths, interesting litte thing. Sold to a young chap who had only had is licence for a year but I recall him saying the CRZ was much cheaper to insure than a 1.2 Polo which was what he initially wanted.
Ahhh a D3 A8, mine was the 4.0TDI V8 which they didn't make for long, bought from an auction - what could go wrong!
It turned out to have nigh on every option box ticked after spec checking it with a dealer after purchase & was a fabulous thing to own, out of 50+ car's it is one of very few that I hold a hugely positive opinion of.
Enjoy the journey!
Chris
I owned a CRZ for about 6mths, interesting litte thing. Sold to a young chap who had only had is licence for a year but I recall him saying the CRZ was much cheaper to insure than a 1.2 Polo which was what he initially wanted.
Ahhh a D3 A8, mine was the 4.0TDI V8 which they didn't make for long, bought from an auction - what could go wrong!
It turned out to have nigh on every option box ticked after spec checking it with a dealer after purchase & was a fabulous thing to own, out of 50+ car's it is one of very few that I hold a hugely positive opinion of.
Enjoy the journey!
Chris
So...to do list....
CRZ...it just keeps on keeping on but I want to have its underside protected against rust before the winter...if anybody can recommend anyone in Scotland who does this kind of thing, let me know. Wheels need a refurb also but that isn't urgent. Starts on the button, averages about 46mpg running back and forward from Arbroath to Dundee and is a loveable little car.
Mini. Its been maybe the best car I've owned...and I've owned a lot. Stopped counting after 150, really...(I used to buy and sell from my door way back so had an awful lot of cars over the years). If it is going into retirement, it might be better becoming the van I always use it as. Do I need back seats? Probably not. Might take them out and get a tint for back windows to keep trying eyes out and dogs cool...or I might not. Always fancied a big set of cibies up front?
Audi. Swirl flap repair kit. EML is on and its swirl flaps going by the code. Car drives brilliantly but I'd like it done. Will take it to my 'the man' and see about the front end rattle. Advisories were shock absorber bushes worn at front and some other bush or rod end and these things are beyond me. But everything else works, whisper that though. Wheels could do with refurb again but its not put a foot wrong in the almost 400 whole miles I've driven it, averaging just over 40mpg but that will need brim to brim check eventually...i do like it much more than I thought I would. Its a car I did not realise was such a complete piece of design. I genuinely think its a stunning shaped car and can strangely see historic styling cues going back to NSU RO80....
CRZ...it just keeps on keeping on but I want to have its underside protected against rust before the winter...if anybody can recommend anyone in Scotland who does this kind of thing, let me know. Wheels need a refurb also but that isn't urgent. Starts on the button, averages about 46mpg running back and forward from Arbroath to Dundee and is a loveable little car.
Mini. Its been maybe the best car I've owned...and I've owned a lot. Stopped counting after 150, really...(I used to buy and sell from my door way back so had an awful lot of cars over the years). If it is going into retirement, it might be better becoming the van I always use it as. Do I need back seats? Probably not. Might take them out and get a tint for back windows to keep trying eyes out and dogs cool...or I might not. Always fancied a big set of cibies up front?
Audi. Swirl flap repair kit. EML is on and its swirl flaps going by the code. Car drives brilliantly but I'd like it done. Will take it to my 'the man' and see about the front end rattle. Advisories were shock absorber bushes worn at front and some other bush or rod end and these things are beyond me. But everything else works, whisper that though. Wheels could do with refurb again but its not put a foot wrong in the almost 400 whole miles I've driven it, averaging just over 40mpg but that will need brim to brim check eventually...i do like it much more than I thought I would. Its a car I did not realise was such a complete piece of design. I genuinely think its a stunning shaped car and can strangely see historic styling cues going back to NSU RO80....
T6 vanman said:
Somewhere in the deep past within PH(2019) I posted that I bought the cheapest CR-Z for T6 junior to learn in, the insurance for once passed was over £100 less than for a C1.
We still have the little shed
Think you paid about a grand for yours from memory? That was cheap regardless. Ours was £2400...there's 7 years of inflation!! But even at £2400 I'd struggle to find a more unusual, innovative, fun little car. Ironic thing is, the big Audi which was likely 50k plus in 2005 is my cheapest buy and likely 'worth' the least in the grand scheme of thingsWe still have the little shed
biggbn said:
T6 vanman said:
Think you paid about a grand for yours from memory? That was cheap regardless. Ours was £2400...there's 7 years of inflation!! But even at £2400 I'd struggle to find a more unusual, innovative, fun little car. Ironic thing is, the big Audi which was likely 50k plus in 2005 is my cheapest buy and likely 'worth' the least in the grand scheme of thingsGassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff