Traveling To Buy A Car
Discussion
I once bought an e28 528i from eBay whilst inebriated, next day I discovered it was in surrey and I lived in Leeds at the time.
Took the train down and was met at the station by the seller in an e46 m3. At his house he had an f355, a 944 turbo and several others, at this point i realised I had lucked in and the car was a beauty.
Stopped off in London for a night out and then headed back north breaking 130mph on the a1. Loved that car.
Took the train down and was met at the station by the seller in an e46 m3. At his house he had an f355, a 944 turbo and several others, at this point i realised I had lucked in and the car was a beauty.
Stopped off in London for a night out and then headed back north breaking 130mph on the a1. Loved that car.
I flew to Belfast from Southampton for my Indy Yellow S2000, took a cab to the middle of nowhere to the farm-based dealer, found the roof had a small tear which wasn't previously mentioned, bought it anyway with a small discount and spent the sunny winter weekend driving it back to Dublin to have dinner with a friend followed by a late 3 hour ferry to Holyhead.
Drifted a little around a quiet roundabout then settled in for a cheap and nasty Travelodge night in Bangor followed by a brilliant Sunday morning hooning back to the south coast via the Welsh countryside! Great way to fall in love with the car.
Couldn't even imagine selling it now!
Drifted a little around a quiet roundabout then settled in for a cheap and nasty Travelodge night in Bangor followed by a brilliant Sunday morning hooning back to the south coast via the Welsh countryside! Great way to fall in love with the car.
Couldn't even imagine selling it now!
About 10 years ago - North East England to Newport to pick up a vx220 that I won on Ebay - I had no clue what it was going to be like. I got the train there , picked up from the station at Newport then drove home with no issues, well except it was freezing cold and the heaters didn't work and I'd only worn a light jacket.
Wad one of my most memorable days
Wad one of my most memorable days
I was living in Milan, but bought a second hand Uk Porsche Boxster in Cheshire. The in laws picked up the car and I flew to Manchester on the Friday night.
I got in at 10 pm and full of bravado decided I would drive it back to Milan overnight starting immediately. Unfortunately at about 1.30am, I ran out of energy and bravado, sliding it up the central barrier of the M25.
The recovery truck took the car off for major repair and me to the airport for a hastily purchased return flight to Italy. I was back with the wife and kids for lunch on Saturday, chastened and embarrassed by the experience.
On balance, I was a complete idiot and lucky that the consequences were not much more serious...
I got in at 10 pm and full of bravado decided I would drive it back to Milan overnight starting immediately. Unfortunately at about 1.30am, I ran out of energy and bravado, sliding it up the central barrier of the M25.
The recovery truck took the car off for major repair and me to the airport for a hastily purchased return flight to Italy. I was back with the wife and kids for lunch on Saturday, chastened and embarrassed by the experience.
On balance, I was a complete idiot and lucky that the consequences were not much more serious...
All from Bristol:
London - to collect a Megane 265 from a main dealer. It was the only with the options I wanted in the budget I'd set.
High Wycombe - To collect a Megane 250 from a private seller. Loved that car, had all the options I wanted, and modified it slightly to improve it.
Hull - M135i - Reckon it was in a front end smash and hastily repaired as it had loads of issues from the outset, lasted 3 months and multiple 8hr round trips to/from Hull.
S
horpe - To collect another Megane 250, Cheaper end of the market, but it's in good condition, good price, and a rare colour. No Recaro seats, but the seats were coming out anyway so no hardship.
London - to collect a Megane 265 from a main dealer. It was the only with the options I wanted in the budget I'd set.
High Wycombe - To collect a Megane 250 from a private seller. Loved that car, had all the options I wanted, and modified it slightly to improve it.
Hull - M135i - Reckon it was in a front end smash and hastily repaired as it had loads of issues from the outset, lasted 3 months and multiple 8hr round trips to/from Hull.
S
horpe - To collect another Megane 250, Cheaper end of the market, but it's in good condition, good price, and a rare colour. No Recaro seats, but the seats were coming out anyway so no hardship. Sold my Mitsi Evo VIII a few years ago to a chap who flew down from Glasgow to Gatwick. We had exchanged a number of emails with comprehensive photos of the car, I offered to pay his return flight if the car was not as described.
All was good, although he was snowed in for the following 10 days so was unable to take the car in for inspection ahead of transferring the reg plate to me, which was part of the sale agreement.
If both the buyer and seller are honest and car described I cannot see the issue.
I flew from Gatwick to Liverpool to collect my Skyline R34GTR, very enjoyable drive home with my new toy.
All was good, although he was snowed in for the following 10 days so was unable to take the car in for inspection ahead of transferring the reg plate to me, which was part of the sale agreement.
If both the buyer and seller are honest and car described I cannot see the issue.
I flew from Gatwick to Liverpool to collect my Skyline R34GTR, very enjoyable drive home with my new toy.
When I bought my ST I borrowed a mini cooper with the intention of going from Yorkshire > Manchester to view a silver 3 door > Milton Keynes to view blue 5 door the one I ended up buying.
The one in Manchester had no service history looked clean though. Anyway the car in Milton Keynes had two finance applications against it via auto trader (I seen proof when I got there) so I forgot about the one in Manchester and headed straight for Milton Keynes I was pretty sure it was the one I wanted anyway.
I knew I was taking it as soon as I seen it took it for a test drive fell in love. Left a deposit and went back via the train the following weekend to pay the balance and drive it home. That was a long week.
Had to get back quick sharp as my wife was going to work and I had to collect my Daughter from her grand parents.
Here is a few pics of the day I picked it up.
Enjoy OP.
The one in Manchester had no service history looked clean though. Anyway the car in Milton Keynes had two finance applications against it via auto trader (I seen proof when I got there) so I forgot about the one in Manchester and headed straight for Milton Keynes I was pretty sure it was the one I wanted anyway.
I knew I was taking it as soon as I seen it took it for a test drive fell in love. Left a deposit and went back via the train the following weekend to pay the balance and drive it home. That was a long week.
Had to get back quick sharp as my wife was going to work and I had to collect my Daughter from her grand parents.
Here is a few pics of the day I picked it up.
Enjoy OP.
I think lots of people are prepared to travel for the right car these days.
I'm in Manchester and this month alone we have sold cars to customers from Bude, Norwich, Bristol, Airdrie, Glasgow, Worcester and North Wales, as well as the usual local ones.
Longest trip I ever had in a day was in the bad winter of 2009/10. An oil rig worker from Keith in Scotland had ordered an X5 but been unable to collect it due to the weather and had now gone back to work. Only way to complete the deal was to put the car on his drive and come back in the part exchange. The drive up from Manchester in the X5 was quite uneventful but coming back down the A9 in a strange Focus ST with marginal tyres as the weather and the dark closed in was eerie. Should have stayed over really.
I'm in Manchester and this month alone we have sold cars to customers from Bude, Norwich, Bristol, Airdrie, Glasgow, Worcester and North Wales, as well as the usual local ones.
Longest trip I ever had in a day was in the bad winter of 2009/10. An oil rig worker from Keith in Scotland had ordered an X5 but been unable to collect it due to the weather and had now gone back to work. Only way to complete the deal was to put the car on his drive and come back in the part exchange. The drive up from Manchester in the X5 was quite uneventful but coming back down the A9 in a strange Focus ST with marginal tyres as the weather and the dark closed in was eerie. Should have stayed over really.
Edited by Wooda80 on Friday 29th March 10:36
MondeoMan1981 said:
Currently on my way to Liverpool (from Edinburgh) to get a car.
What's PH'ers tales of traveling to get a car, how far have you gone?
I don't bother with any car north of the border anymore. Bad experience with each and every one What's PH'ers tales of traveling to get a car, how far have you gone?
Last car was Wigan to Portsmouth. Train down, drive back. Worked out well. Just a full day of a job.
Travel from Glasgow- Bognor Regis is about as far as I've been.
Also Gatwick for a test drive and pickup- didn't bother with the return flight I booked as a precaution. All the way back in a V8 petrol (the LPG fitted came into its own from the very first drive
)
I suppose there have been quite a forays into the south of England over the years.
Buying cars up here is quite dull- too much bore-inducing material and hard to find anything interesting.
Also Gatwick for a test drive and pickup- didn't bother with the return flight I booked as a precaution. All the way back in a V8 petrol (the LPG fitted came into its own from the very first drive
)I suppose there have been quite a forays into the south of England over the years.
Buying cars up here is quite dull- too much bore-inducing material and hard to find anything interesting.
XMified said:
MDMA . said:
I don't bother with any car north of the border anymore. Bad experience with each and every one
Interested to hear about why. Bad luck or something else?
Went to Luton from Northern Ireland via bus,plane and then taxi for my Z4.
Drove back from Luton via Holyhead-Dublin ferry and then another 3 hours home.
Last month i went to Redcar for the wifes MX5.
That was a bus followed by a flight and then a hire car (cheaper and quicker than a couple of trains).
Returned via Newcastle and then Cairnryan to Larne ferry and 90 min drive home.
Drove back from Luton via Holyhead-Dublin ferry and then another 3 hours home.
Last month i went to Redcar for the wifes MX5.
That was a bus followed by a flight and then a hire car (cheaper and quicker than a couple of trains).
Returned via Newcastle and then Cairnryan to Larne ferry and 90 min drive home.
I once sold a VX220 and bought another VX220 in the same day. Coincidentally they were both within about 20 miles of one another in South Wales.
I went from Newcastle to South Wales in the VX220 I was selling, did the deal then got picked up by the chap who was selling me his VX220 and drove home in that.
And in other news tomorrow I'm going to take my Evora to the Lake District to have a look at a Clio V6 255
I went from Newcastle to South Wales in the VX220 I was selling, did the deal then got picked up by the chap who was selling me his VX220 and drove home in that.
And in other news tomorrow I'm going to take my Evora to the Lake District to have a look at a Clio V6 255
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