That short term shed that gets under your skin
Discussion
Who here has purchased some cheap wheels as a means to get up and running or to use as a tip run vehicle or as a temporary extra car, only to find that short term has become long term and the car has gotten under your skin?
That is what is happening to me right now. Bought a sheddy old volvo. Wasn't particularly fussed which either. I wanted something move house with and use as a temporary solution to get me to work. That was 9 months ago. I went on ebay, searched for cars priced in the £100's and bought the nearest one that looked decent.
I thought I'd have replaced it with something better by now, but to be honest I look around and see nothing that really takes my fancy. Lots of cars that I would like to have a go in, but nothing I really want to own (within budget of course). And now, I can feel that I really don't want to part with my shed.
Its slow, its paint is faded, the engine sounds like it runs on coal, its got a 4 speed auto, baggy suspension, a cheap nasty sounding exhaust repair, headlamps no better than a set of tea lights and yet, and yet... I love it.
That is what is happening to me right now. Bought a sheddy old volvo. Wasn't particularly fussed which either. I wanted something move house with and use as a temporary solution to get me to work. That was 9 months ago. I went on ebay, searched for cars priced in the £100's and bought the nearest one that looked decent.
I thought I'd have replaced it with something better by now, but to be honest I look around and see nothing that really takes my fancy. Lots of cars that I would like to have a go in, but nothing I really want to own (within budget of course). And now, I can feel that I really don't want to part with my shed.
Its slow, its paint is faded, the engine sounds like it runs on coal, its got a 4 speed auto, baggy suspension, a cheap nasty sounding exhaust repair, headlamps no better than a set of tea lights and yet, and yet... I love it.
A few years ago I bought a 106 1.5D to keep the miles of my 993. I wasn't looking for a 105/6, just a cheap as chips car. I expected to hate it. It left the factory with 57bhp although it felt like it had loosened up by the time I bought it with 140k miles on it. It didn't have straight panel on it.
It turned out I fell for it in a big way. I put over 20k miles on it in a year, only replacing a driveshaft due to CV clunk. It reminded me of my first car, a Mini 998cc, all those years ago. It would willingly do 80mph and although it took an age to get there it would do 80mph everywhere as long as you didn't let off. It taught me how to carry speed through corners again. Lift off oversteer a plenty too on the tiny, barely legal tyres with the cast iron lump up front.
It saw me through the winter of 2010 and got me home through 4ft snow drifts, never once letting me down. It reminded me of an old dog, going blind and the back legs starting to go, but if you throw a ball it'll jump up and run with all the excitement of a puppy. When it came to MoT time it didn't make financial sense to spend the cash and put another year on it, but I didn't half have a lump in my throat when the scrap man drove it off the weighbridge toward the pile of wrecks in his yard.
It turned out I fell for it in a big way. I put over 20k miles on it in a year, only replacing a driveshaft due to CV clunk. It reminded me of my first car, a Mini 998cc, all those years ago. It would willingly do 80mph and although it took an age to get there it would do 80mph everywhere as long as you didn't let off. It taught me how to carry speed through corners again. Lift off oversteer a plenty too on the tiny, barely legal tyres with the cast iron lump up front.
It saw me through the winter of 2010 and got me home through 4ft snow drifts, never once letting me down. It reminded me of an old dog, going blind and the back legs starting to go, but if you throw a ball it'll jump up and run with all the excitement of a puppy. When it came to MoT time it didn't make financial sense to spend the cash and put another year on it, but I didn't half have a lump in my throat when the scrap man drove it off the weighbridge toward the pile of wrecks in his yard.
Edited by BrewsterBear on Saturday 10th January 11:09
I was looking for a cheap old Saab 9000 with tax and test through the winter as I had winter tyres/wheels that would fit. Any old 2.0 n/a auto with velour would do
What I got was a top spec last of the line 2.3T Anniversary - 200bhp, heated seats, climate, leather/suede interior, etc. all for £750. It was just a perfect daily with the result that I barely drove my other cars at all for the last 3 years. Really got under my skin, and even though it wallows like the old barge it is it is huge fun to throw through twisties.
Unfortunately it now needs money spending - rusty wing, welding needed for MOT, new a/c compressor, clutch biting high, whining turbo, occasional misfire, and suspension needs a refresh. It makes no sense to chuck that sort of money into it but haven't the heart to scrap it. Current thoughts are to strip out Trionic engine management and fit to my Saab 900 (common mod) and the interior (which is in truly excellent condition) to make a couple of office chairs and a small sofa! Just feels like putting down a faithful old dog
What I got was a top spec last of the line 2.3T Anniversary - 200bhp, heated seats, climate, leather/suede interior, etc. all for £750. It was just a perfect daily with the result that I barely drove my other cars at all for the last 3 years. Really got under my skin, and even though it wallows like the old barge it is it is huge fun to throw through twisties.
Unfortunately it now needs money spending - rusty wing, welding needed for MOT, new a/c compressor, clutch biting high, whining turbo, occasional misfire, and suspension needs a refresh. It makes no sense to chuck that sort of money into it but haven't the heart to scrap it. Current thoughts are to strip out Trionic engine management and fit to my Saab 900 (common mod) and the interior (which is in truly excellent condition) to make a couple of office chairs and a small sofa! Just feels like putting down a faithful old dog
Yep, bought a 2001 V70 T5 with 5 months t and t back in early September 2014. I needed something for a trip to centre parcs in October that would take all the bikes and other associated stuff a family of 4 needs. Intention was to keep for a couple of months and flog on. £1400 quid of wafty, leathery loveliness. It passed its MOT today, been serviced and is sorted for another year, its staying.
I also had a Skoda Superb as well that I loved. Had to sell it in the end because it was starting to cost money to fix and at the time we simply had no need for two cars. So kept the Honda.
It wasn't exactly shed money, but 3 bags for a car that size seemed ok. I had originally wanted an Octavia Mk1 to bomb about in, but then this came up for a quick sale and I took it.
It was like piloting a bouncy castle down back roads, but the long wheelbase meant it rode the M1 like a champ. I just loved that car, everything about it was just comfy. It was a handsome car that had some nice touches. Big gas strut under the bonnet to left the bonnet up (same on my 17 year old V40 as well!) and massively over engineered boot hinges. I liked inside as well where it seemed like they'd raided the VW parts bin. It was a mish-mash of old VW switches and dash equipment. It had green back lighting, an orange MFD display between the dials, red puddle lighting and white LEDs illuminating the door handles. It had lights in all the footwells and puddle lights under the wing mirrors.
It was just a comfy old sofa of a car and I was genuinely sad to see it go when I sold it. Lump in the throat sad.
It wasn't exactly shed money, but 3 bags for a car that size seemed ok. I had originally wanted an Octavia Mk1 to bomb about in, but then this came up for a quick sale and I took it.
It was like piloting a bouncy castle down back roads, but the long wheelbase meant it rode the M1 like a champ. I just loved that car, everything about it was just comfy. It was a handsome car that had some nice touches. Big gas strut under the bonnet to left the bonnet up (same on my 17 year old V40 as well!) and massively over engineered boot hinges. I liked inside as well where it seemed like they'd raided the VW parts bin. It was a mish-mash of old VW switches and dash equipment. It had green back lighting, an orange MFD display between the dials, red puddle lighting and white LEDs illuminating the door handles. It had lights in all the footwells and puddle lights under the wing mirrors.
It was just a comfy old sofa of a car and I was genuinely sad to see it go when I sold it. Lump in the throat sad.
It was this one for me:
Bought as a cheap runabout when my BMW needed a fair bit of work to the front suspension. Ended up keeping the thing almost year and putting 10k or so on it! It was a fantastic car, I went on a couple of good runs in it and did some long drives in it as well. It was 100% reliable and much better than I thought it would be.
My Mum ended up using it when her Corsa died, meant to be for a week or two but she had it a few months as well. We ended up trading it in to the BMW dealer against her 118i as they offered such a good price for it.
I wonder where it is now? Hope it found a good home, if it weren't for my E46 I would have happily kept it
I left the PH sticker on the back so maybe it will pop up here again...
Bought as a cheap runabout when my BMW needed a fair bit of work to the front suspension. Ended up keeping the thing almost year and putting 10k or so on it! It was a fantastic car, I went on a couple of good runs in it and did some long drives in it as well. It was 100% reliable and much better than I thought it would be.
My Mum ended up using it when her Corsa died, meant to be for a week or two but she had it a few months as well. We ended up trading it in to the BMW dealer against her 118i as they offered such a good price for it.
I wonder where it is now? Hope it found a good home, if it weren't for my E46 I would have happily kept it
I left the PH sticker on the back so maybe it will pop up here again...
Twice now:
Firstly, about 12 years ago, I had a new rally rep that would have been stolen within the hour if parked up in a hotel carpark overnight, so I bought a ten year old £500 Escort 1.8Lx with 70K and full history to mile munch a 3 month stint between Kent and Gloucester.
When that stint ended I kept it another 18months to use as a train station/ football run/tip run car - until some scrote nicked it from the train station and wrote it off.
Strangely enough its immediate and newer replacement (Escort GTI) never had the same vibe and I traded it privately against a Forester Turbo - again to save mileage/theft of the next rally rep.
I had that old Forester as a second car for four years/60k miles. The affair only ended when the milkman wrote it off with his transit at 5.00am one morning on my driveway.
Firstly, about 12 years ago, I had a new rally rep that would have been stolen within the hour if parked up in a hotel carpark overnight, so I bought a ten year old £500 Escort 1.8Lx with 70K and full history to mile munch a 3 month stint between Kent and Gloucester.
When that stint ended I kept it another 18months to use as a train station/ football run/tip run car - until some scrote nicked it from the train station and wrote it off.
Strangely enough its immediate and newer replacement (Escort GTI) never had the same vibe and I traded it privately against a Forester Turbo - again to save mileage/theft of the next rally rep.
I had that old Forester as a second car for four years/60k miles. The affair only ended when the milkman wrote it off with his transit at 5.00am one morning on my driveway.
I bought a Peugeot 307 for a short term runaround but ended up keeping it for 2 years. That thing got some abuse and didn't get serviced in the 47,000 miles I had it, yet it wouldnnt die on me, in the end I started to respect it's durability. Thinking back I shouldn't have got rid as all subsequent cars have been a bit bit of a money pit.
So if anyone knows the whereabouts of a battered blue Peugeot NL52 ASU I want it back.
So if anyone knows the whereabouts of a battered blue Peugeot NL52 ASU I want it back.
I bought a slightly tatty E39 523iSE years ago, and thought it'd be around for a couple of months while I got my old Elise sorted out.
In the event it stuck around for 2 years and about 33000 miles.
Bought it for £3200, sold it for £2600.
I have since been in an E60 5 series, an F10 5 series, an F30 3 series, and I currently own an E90 3 series (55K, have run it since new).
None of them have the charm of the E39. I think it might well be the last of the organic BMWs.
In the event it stuck around for 2 years and about 33000 miles.
Bought it for £3200, sold it for £2600.
I have since been in an E60 5 series, an F10 5 series, an F30 3 series, and I currently own an E90 3 series (55K, have run it since new).
None of them have the charm of the E39. I think it might well be the last of the organic BMWs.
Edited by CraigyMc on Friday 9th January 17:14
dazwalsh said:
I bought a Peugeot 307 for a short term runaround but ended up keeping it for 2 years. That thing got some abuse and didn't get serviced in the 47,000 miles I had it, yet it wouldnnt die on me, in the end I started to respect it's durability. Thinking back I shouldn't have got rid as all subsequent cars have been a bit bit of a money pit.
So if anyone knows the whereabouts of a battered blue Peugeot NL52 ASU I want it back.
According to https://www.vehicleenquiry.service.gov.uk/ it's no longer on the road.So if anyone knows the whereabouts of a battered blue Peugeot NL52 ASU I want it back.
Untaxed Tax due: 01 October 2013
No MOT Expired: 25 July 2014
A few years ago I bought a cheap Vectra diesel, ex taxi, 160k, poverty spec. It was a terrible car but I need something ASAP. It still took me all over the country, got thrashed, had engines thrown in the boot and helped me move into my first flat without really costing me much. Eventually at 190k the fuel pump gave up. I have to admit to feeling a bit sad when we towed it to the scrappy and watching it freewheel itself into the yard to be squashed.
To be fair though, most of the cars I buy/have bought in times of need have turned out to be the ones I've become most attached to!
To be fair though, most of the cars I buy/have bought in times of need have turned out to be the ones I've become most attached to!
Bought a camry as a stopgap for a few months. 5 years ago.
It's still our only car. It keeps passing mot's with minimal work. It is treated with no love at all. Family bus and occasional builders van. It's scraped, scuffed, dented and filthy. It starts, stops, is comfy, tows, offroads (to a degree) and just keeps going.
It's now got to the point where we actually service it and have even changed the cambelt.
I think we'll now have it until it dies. Quite interested in seeing how long it will last.
It's still our only car. It keeps passing mot's with minimal work. It is treated with no love at all. Family bus and occasional builders van. It's scraped, scuffed, dented and filthy. It starts, stops, is comfy, tows, offroads (to a degree) and just keeps going.
It's now got to the point where we actually service it and have even changed the cambelt.
I think we'll now have it until it dies. Quite interested in seeing how long it will last.
Back in 2002 I was running this Alfa GT Junior as a daily driver (the Mrs had a sensible car...)
Unfortunately, rust started peeking through in a few places so I retired it to the garage to do a bit of welding and to keep the Alfa flame alive I bought this for the princely sum of £650-
The intention was to hack around in it for a couple of years then hook the Twinspark out of it and fit it in the Junior. Unfortunately I fell in love with it. Two years later, the GT Junior was sold.
Fast forward to 2008, the red 75 had 180,000 miles on it and was disintegrating around the engine so I scrapped it and bought the current one-
Which now has 180,000 miles on it but isn't falling apart.
Unfortunately, rust started peeking through in a few places so I retired it to the garage to do a bit of welding and to keep the Alfa flame alive I bought this for the princely sum of £650-
The intention was to hack around in it for a couple of years then hook the Twinspark out of it and fit it in the Junior. Unfortunately I fell in love with it. Two years later, the GT Junior was sold.
Fast forward to 2008, the red 75 had 180,000 miles on it and was disintegrating around the engine so I scrapped it and bought the current one-
Which now has 180,000 miles on it but isn't falling apart.
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