Traveling To Buy A Car
Discussion
Ladies and gentlemen.... Mr. Johnny Cash.
Chamon_Lee said:
I have always had to travel for a car, man.
I have always had to travel for a car.
I have always had to travel for a car, man.
I have always had to travel for a car.
From glasgow I have been to:
Carlisle
Inverness
Manchester x 2
London x 2
wales
exeter
birmingham
newcastle
Ireland
I generally swap once a year, man.
I generally swap once a year.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYKeDJSbq9gI have always had to travel for a car.
I have always had to travel for a car, man.
I have always had to travel for a car.
From glasgow I have been to:
Carlisle
Inverness
Manchester x 2
London x 2
wales
exeter
birmingham
newcastle
Ireland
I generally swap once a year, man.
I generally swap once a year.
Similar to Composite, I bought my Exige in Aberdeen. Booked an easyJet ticket to view the car, and spent the weekend in Aberdeen with my partner. Car was fine, and agreed a pick up later in the month after servicing and some warranty work in Edinburgh (only approved Loutus garage in Scotland).
Flew up to Edinburgh few weeks later, then approx 6-7 hours drive home back to London. Thankfully, it didn't snow as it was Feb, and the car was wearing a new set of Yoko AO48 which wouldn't be ideal.
Flew up to Edinburgh few weeks later, then approx 6-7 hours drive home back to London. Thankfully, it didn't snow as it was Feb, and the car was wearing a new set of Yoko AO48 which wouldn't be ideal.
Saw car for sale in Surrey late one evening. Phoned seller a little after 7am (felt a bit bad) sounded good so I booked a last minute flight from Aberdeen to Heathrow and then got the train. He picked me up from the local station around lunchtime and the car was as described so I bought it and drove home via friends.
Done a few long trips for used cars;
December 2014; Melton Mowbray to Plymouth for an eBay Defender 90 with 11 months MOT. As a cheapish Defender it was always going to be rough and it felt like a very long drive back at 40-55mph after a relaxed train ride down. At the time, the speedo, binnacle lights, heater and wipers were broken. Major investigation, after a rather more exacting MOT test 10 months later, showed that the bulkhead had been fixed with filler, a Pepsi tin and the Saturday Sun magazine. Should be on the road soon with the major stuff fixed. Defender prices now suggest that even after the repairs I will be ahead!
Earlier this month, I took my Defender 110CSW and a car trailer to Llanelli to pick up a Mazda MX5 NB California. A long slow journey there and back. Although it looks OK, the sills are shot, but thankfully I knew that from the off.
Where vehicles are as described there are no problems, but one person's "minter" is another's shed.
December 2014; Melton Mowbray to Plymouth for an eBay Defender 90 with 11 months MOT. As a cheapish Defender it was always going to be rough and it felt like a very long drive back at 40-55mph after a relaxed train ride down. At the time, the speedo, binnacle lights, heater and wipers were broken. Major investigation, after a rather more exacting MOT test 10 months later, showed that the bulkhead had been fixed with filler, a Pepsi tin and the Saturday Sun magazine. Should be on the road soon with the major stuff fixed. Defender prices now suggest that even after the repairs I will be ahead!
Earlier this month, I took my Defender 110CSW and a car trailer to Llanelli to pick up a Mazda MX5 NB California. A long slow journey there and back. Although it looks OK, the sills are shot, but thankfully I knew that from the off.
Where vehicles are as described there are no problems, but one person's "minter" is another's shed.
I live in Northern Ireland. Sold my e46 330cd to a bloke in Newcastle ish who wouldn’t travel over but offered to pay me to deliver.
30 miles to get the ferry from Belfast - Liverpool, drove across England, then got a couple of trains to Todmorden to meet the seller of my e46 m3.
Did the deal there, drove up to Cairnryan and caught a boat back to Belfast then 30 miles home at about 3 in the morning. Long trip but the last leg from the ferry to back home didn’t take too long
Biggest mistake was not booking a cabin on the overnight boat. Had hoped for a few hours kip but several members of the travelling community had other ideas and spent the trip drinking and fighting meaning that didn’t happen, the police were waiting for them in Liverpool
30 miles to get the ferry from Belfast - Liverpool, drove across England, then got a couple of trains to Todmorden to meet the seller of my e46 m3.
Did the deal there, drove up to Cairnryan and caught a boat back to Belfast then 30 miles home at about 3 in the morning. Long trip but the last leg from the ferry to back home didn’t take too long
Biggest mistake was not booking a cabin on the overnight boat. Had hoped for a few hours kip but several members of the travelling community had other ideas and spent the trip drinking and fighting meaning that didn’t happen, the police were waiting for them in Liverpool
Edited by jb2410 on Friday 29th March 13:13
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?
London to Liverpool. Or to be exact, Birkenhead.What's PH'ers tales of traveling to get a car, how far have you gone?
I'd still travel that far, but I wouldn't go back there for all the tea in China.
Last two cars: One was delivered (new), and the other was 10 miles away. I guess I'm getting lazy as I get older.
Edited by C70R on Friday 29th March 13:18
I flew to Vienna to view a car, then went to pick it up from Calais a week later. So Portsmouth>Stanstead>Vienna>Stanstead>Portsmouth in a day. Then one evening Portsmouth>Dover>Calais>Dover>Portsmouth. I pretty much met him in a car park at the ferry terminal, quick handshake, grabbed the keys and was straight back on a ferry. I don't think I was in France for an hour 
This was a journey I did a while back in a Golf GTD:
Steeple Bumpstead (deepest rural Essex) to Brittany towing a Lotus Europa TC via Channel Tunnel
Then;
Brittany back to Steeple Bumpstead via Channel Tunnel to drop the trailer off
Then:
Steeple Bumpstead to Plymouth to pick up a Jedi single seater on a special trailer (wouldn't all fit on the Brian James I took to Brittany) which I had swapped the Lotus Europa for
Then:
Plymouth back to Steeple Bumpstead
Started on a Friday evening finished on Sunday late afternoon
Steeple Bumpstead (deepest rural Essex) to Brittany towing a Lotus Europa TC via Channel Tunnel
Then;
Brittany back to Steeple Bumpstead via Channel Tunnel to drop the trailer off
Then:
Steeple Bumpstead to Plymouth to pick up a Jedi single seater on a special trailer (wouldn't all fit on the Brian James I took to Brittany) which I had swapped the Lotus Europa for
Then:
Plymouth back to Steeple Bumpstead
Started on a Friday evening finished on Sunday late afternoon
Done this a few times. The 2 of note for distance are:
2006 - 410+ miles each way - Ayrshire to Bristol to collect a Mitsubishi FTO from a club member. All due diligence done via email and phone calls, flew the early sleazyjet flight from glasgow to bristol, seller picked me up in his rare FTO (cant remember the exact model). We drove to his house in Bath, car was as described, paid money and had a very drony (after market exhaust) 8 hour drive back to Scotland.
2016 - 400 miles each way - Ayrshire to Norfolk to collect a new 340i Touring. Couldn't get the local BMW dealer to sell me one......, so purchased via a broker - totally painless and fantastic sales experience in comparison to dealing with local dealer.
5 am taxi to Glasgow airport, with a taxi driver with smelliest breath ever.... 1st sleazyjet flight to Luton, and a driver from Coopers BMW collected me and took me to Norfolk. Finalised paperwork, frothy coffee and biscuits etc, got the keys and had a very nice 8 hour drive getting to know the 340i on the way home to Scotland.
2006 - 410+ miles each way - Ayrshire to Bristol to collect a Mitsubishi FTO from a club member. All due diligence done via email and phone calls, flew the early sleazyjet flight from glasgow to bristol, seller picked me up in his rare FTO (cant remember the exact model). We drove to his house in Bath, car was as described, paid money and had a very drony (after market exhaust) 8 hour drive back to Scotland.
2016 - 400 miles each way - Ayrshire to Norfolk to collect a new 340i Touring. Couldn't get the local BMW dealer to sell me one......, so purchased via a broker - totally painless and fantastic sales experience in comparison to dealing with local dealer.
5 am taxi to Glasgow airport, with a taxi driver with smelliest breath ever.... 1st sleazyjet flight to Luton, and a driver from Coopers BMW collected me and took me to Norfolk. Finalised paperwork, frothy coffee and biscuits etc, got the keys and had a very nice 8 hour drive getting to know the 340i on the way home to Scotland.
I've only ever bought one "long distance" car...an Alfa Sprint 1.7 Green cloverleaf (F739 OLP!)
Winchester to Newcastle via London on National Express...the seller picked me up in another car as the Alfa wasn't quite ready...
On arrival at his place the rear hatch and both doorcards were both lying on blankets in front of the car...turned out he was a true enthusiast who was just being fastidious apparently...
Once I'd helped him put it back together it drove faultlessly back to Hampshire, and for nearly 3 years after with no real issues until the inevitable MOT failures on underside rust saw me chop it in for a similar engined 33 Series 3.
Sounded fantastic too...I somehow had at least 10 Alfas before my final GT defeated me and the Sprint was easily one of my favourites.
Winchester to Newcastle via London on National Express...the seller picked me up in another car as the Alfa wasn't quite ready...
On arrival at his place the rear hatch and both doorcards were both lying on blankets in front of the car...turned out he was a true enthusiast who was just being fastidious apparently...
Once I'd helped him put it back together it drove faultlessly back to Hampshire, and for nearly 3 years after with no real issues until the inevitable MOT failures on underside rust saw me chop it in for a similar engined 33 Series 3.
Sounded fantastic too...I somehow had at least 10 Alfas before my final GT defeated me and the Sprint was easily one of my favourites.
Fast Bug said:
I flew to Vienna to view a car, then went to pick it up from Calais a week later. So Portsmouth>Stanstead>Vienna>Stanstead>Portsmouth in a day. Then one evening Portsmouth>Dover>Calais>Dover>Portsmouth. I pretty much met him in a car park at the ferry terminal, quick handshake, grabbed the keys and was straight back on a ferry. I don't think I was in France for an hour
Epic. I give in. What was the car?!
About an hour from home to view a 350Z last weekend only to turn up on the doorstep to find it had been sold. Of course the seller had tried to contact me to let me know this, just odd that i hadn't received anything... technology eh?
Just as well Sunday was glorious and the drive was through the beautiful Kent countryside.
Just as well Sunday was glorious and the drive was through the beautiful Kent countryside.
Done a few over the years. Some successful, some not so. Longest was Ipswich to Glasgow, we actually flew from Stansted to Glasgow in the end. Far quicker and cheaper, thankfully the car was worth the trip!
This Sunday I am travelling from Ipswich to near Preston, hoping this trip is worthwhile and as successful as the Glasgow one.... Will update Sunday night! I will either be delighted or fuming!
This Sunday I am travelling from Ipswich to near Preston, hoping this trip is worthwhile and as successful as the Glasgow one.... Will update Sunday night! I will either be delighted or fuming!
Aberdeen to London to buy a 1986 (D265ELF) 4.2 Jaguar Sovereign back in about 1992 or so. Flew down, stayed over with in-laws for a night, then picked up car and drove straight back north before being stuck in a snow storm in Dunfermline.
I don't bother looking at cars more than 20 miles away now, can't be arsed, but when you live in Aberdeen or other out of the way places the choice of available cars to buy locally is well restricted.
I don't bother looking at cars more than 20 miles away now, can't be arsed, but when you live in Aberdeen or other out of the way places the choice of available cars to buy locally is well restricted.
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