Bangernomics - MOT Pass happiness.
Discussion
My 110,000 1998 E36 323i Coupe has just passed its MOT, first time and with only two advisories - oil leak (filter housing cap cracked) and 1 x drop link has play (a couple of quid and ten minutes to change!), Im so happy!
Im a Building Surveyor and use her for work, travelling all over the South - here she is waiting for me to finish conducting some solar panel surveys!
and here she is home on the drive waiting to be cleaned (i quite like the used and abused look though!)
Its at this moment when bangernomics comes good that I realise just how much money im saving.
Including purchasing the car, changing some parts (including some bmw only parts), having trouble bleeding air out the cooling system so having to get a specialist to sort it and servicing it (including 2 x oil changes) ive spent, excluding tax and insurace about £1150 for 17 months worth of MOT valid driving (I bought it with some MOT on it).
Im sure that there are many out there who have done it cheaper but im pretty happy with that sort of expenditure, especially as its reltively modern and refined, RWD, 6 Cylinders, looks good and is relatively fun and fast. I could instead have a new (or nearly new) car on finance, thats diesel and boring, FWD, slower, depreciating, costing just as much in servicing each year and costing more per year overall. (BTW I dont hate diesel's!)
Sorry if this just sounds like me boasting about being so happy ive passed what to many is just another mundane pain in the back side but sometimes Bangernomics (being a petrol head helps) can be soooo good and I just wanted to share my experience.
Constructive positive and negative comments always welcome!
Cheers.
Im a Building Surveyor and use her for work, travelling all over the South - here she is waiting for me to finish conducting some solar panel surveys!
and here she is home on the drive waiting to be cleaned (i quite like the used and abused look though!)
Its at this moment when bangernomics comes good that I realise just how much money im saving.
Including purchasing the car, changing some parts (including some bmw only parts), having trouble bleeding air out the cooling system so having to get a specialist to sort it and servicing it (including 2 x oil changes) ive spent, excluding tax and insurace about £1150 for 17 months worth of MOT valid driving (I bought it with some MOT on it).
Im sure that there are many out there who have done it cheaper but im pretty happy with that sort of expenditure, especially as its reltively modern and refined, RWD, 6 Cylinders, looks good and is relatively fun and fast. I could instead have a new (or nearly new) car on finance, thats diesel and boring, FWD, slower, depreciating, costing just as much in servicing each year and costing more per year overall. (BTW I dont hate diesel's!)
Sorry if this just sounds like me boasting about being so happy ive passed what to many is just another mundane pain in the back side but sometimes Bangernomics (being a petrol head helps) can be soooo good and I just wanted to share my experience.
Constructive positive and negative comments always welcome!
Cheers.
Thanks guys.
323i - as per my "garage section" of my profile, of course id rather have a 328i and people will tell you they arent much more to run and im pretty sure they are right. But being a mid twenties chap and after lots and lots of hunting, the insurance on a 328i is at least £150 more to insure a year and trying to find a nice and tidy coupe that hasnt got stella mileage or got mtec rubbish all over it for cheap is very hard. Look at 323i's and there are a lot more that have been looked after. I dont live in the countryside anymore and so cant fully exploit the extra 20bhp a 328i brings anyway.
I paid £600 for a nice and tidy, standard, 106,000 mile coupe with tons of history, go find a working 328i coupe for that thats not in Scotland!
The 323i (really a 2.5)is smooth, ok on fuel, very torquey and sounds nice. For an everyday snotter thats a bit fun, its not bad.
Id still rather a 328i though! ha!
323i - as per my "garage section" of my profile, of course id rather have a 328i and people will tell you they arent much more to run and im pretty sure they are right. But being a mid twenties chap and after lots and lots of hunting, the insurance on a 328i is at least £150 more to insure a year and trying to find a nice and tidy coupe that hasnt got stella mileage or got mtec rubbish all over it for cheap is very hard. Look at 323i's and there are a lot more that have been looked after. I dont live in the countryside anymore and so cant fully exploit the extra 20bhp a 328i brings anyway.
I paid £600 for a nice and tidy, standard, 106,000 mile coupe with tons of history, go find a working 328i coupe for that thats not in Scotland!
The 323i (really a 2.5)is smooth, ok on fuel, very torquey and sounds nice. For an everyday snotter thats a bit fun, its not bad.
Id still rather a 328i though! ha!
lordlee said:
If you really love her buy her a new front number plate!
Otherwise she is lovely and that sort of spend is nothing.
Ha, thanks! Shes just had a new rear number plate and shes got a new front plate sat in the garage waiting for me to drill some fixing holes! I paid just under £8 for a set of high quality plates - check out ebay if anyones interested theres a guy on there whos sold 70 odd thousand!Otherwise she is lovely and that sort of spend is nothing.
BTW, nice pistonhead history of cars you have had there!
Wafflesmk2 said:
Passed the MoT.
Failed in the good looks department.
Im sorry.
Ha! No worries. I like the way she looks, nice and standard, coppers dont look at me and neither does anybody else meaning its easier to be a bit bad sometimes and go unnoticed. I really like the coupe shape and so do however wish it wasnt spoilt by the bloody rear spoiler.Failed in the good looks department.
Im sorry.
I have also taken this approach to daily motoring.
2 yrs ago I brought a 53 plate Mondeo Tdci estate for £1200 with 140k on the clock.Bodywork not that pretty but functional.In that time I have spent around £500 on servicing and replacing stuff like wheel bearings and shocks.
It has sailed through 2 Mot's since I've had it with only 2 advisorys.
When I first got it I thought I'd be lucky to get 10k out of it before it died but 23k later it's still going strong,although I am getting a bit bored with it so am considering changing.
I think luck plays a large part in buying any motor,new or second hand.
2 yrs ago I brought a 53 plate Mondeo Tdci estate for £1200 with 140k on the clock.Bodywork not that pretty but functional.In that time I have spent around £500 on servicing and replacing stuff like wheel bearings and shocks.
It has sailed through 2 Mot's since I've had it with only 2 advisorys.
When I first got it I thought I'd be lucky to get 10k out of it before it died but 23k later it's still going strong,although I am getting a bit bored with it so am considering changing.
I think luck plays a large part in buying any motor,new or second hand.
seismic22 said:
Ha! No worries. I like the way she looks, nice and standard, coppers dont look at me and neither does anybody else meaning its easier to be a bit bad sometimes and go unnoticed. I really like the coupe shape and so do however wish it wasnt spoilt by the bloody rear spoiler.
I agree, it's funny how, to my eyes at least, the M-Tec coupes look a lot more dated than the standard (un-spoilered_ ones.How are the rear arches on this one? That's where mine started to go before I sold it.
The Jolly Todger said:
I agree, it's funny how, to my eyes at least, the M-Tec coupes look a lot more dated than the standard (un-spoilered_ ones.
How are the rear arches on this one? That's where mine started to go before I sold it.
I forgot to say the total cost i stated included the cutting out of a couple of rear arch scabs, welding in new metal and a rear quarter spray on both sides........ for decent job at £150! Shopping around and cash in hand paid off! I budgeted for this when I bought it as though its a banger and i can stand dents and scratches, rust makes me want to cry. I guess this shows me up as a bit of a piss poor bangernomics competitor but I just couldnt walk up to it everyday knowing the arches were eating themselves away!How are the rear arches on this one? That's where mine started to go before I sold it.
![](http://thumbsnap.com/sc/SuV4CyXe.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="http://thumbsnap.com/YtoFcZs5" Target="_blank">[img]http://thumbsnap.com/sc/YtoFcZs5.jpg)
Wafflesmk2 said:
Passed the MoT.
Failed in the good looks department.
Im sorry.
I totally disagree. Nice looking, unmolested Beemer. Well done.Failed in the good looks department.
Im sorry.
The cost saving are enormous compared with buying a newish car.
I am an Accountant (now retired).
Various studies that I have seen have all concluded that buying a decent low mileage FSH car and keeping it for three or four years is by far the cheapest way of motoring.
If you possess mechanical skills all the better.
This looks a decent car, obviously drives like a decent car and is saving you a good deal of dosh. Well done indeed.
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