Getting a new (to you) car that was a happy day
Discussion
I think most car collection days have been great, but the one that stands out for me was this:
A proper dream come true. When I was 17 I used to drive my £600 Fiat Cinquecento (complete with Ferrari sticker on boot!) to the local Ferrari dealer so I could dream about the cars. It was incredibly special to collect a Ferrari all these years later and it was everything I hoped it would be.
A proper dream come true. When I was 17 I used to drive my £600 Fiat Cinquecento (complete with Ferrari sticker on boot!) to the local Ferrari dealer so I could dream about the cars. It was incredibly special to collect a Ferrari all these years later and it was everything I hoped it would be.
As a teenager I spent a lot of time 'driving' inside Need for Speed SE, often picking the agile RX-7 and often taking it to Autumn Valley Speedway and driving from the in-car view.
This time twelve years ago I took a train up to somewhere in the Midlands and bought an FD RX-7. It was a classic private sale, the seller collected me from the station, took me out for a test ride in which he assiduously demonstrated that the sequential turbochargers were operating correctly, I handed over a wodge of cash then called my insurance co to get cover before getting behind the wheel and setting off home to Croydon.
On the way home I just remember the autumn leaves were in full colour beside the motorway, and the view from behind the wheel with the big tacho and rising peaks of the front wings ahead was just exactly Need for Speed made real - only the colour was out, my car being black vs the yellow in the game (this was before car games featured choices of paint!)
It felt like I was stepping into my dream, like I'd achieved what I'd been longing for and now it was real, if that makes any sense.
and yes, it was even better in real life than in the game, although somewhat more expensive to run!
This time twelve years ago I took a train up to somewhere in the Midlands and bought an FD RX-7. It was a classic private sale, the seller collected me from the station, took me out for a test ride in which he assiduously demonstrated that the sequential turbochargers were operating correctly, I handed over a wodge of cash then called my insurance co to get cover before getting behind the wheel and setting off home to Croydon.
On the way home I just remember the autumn leaves were in full colour beside the motorway, and the view from behind the wheel with the big tacho and rising peaks of the front wings ahead was just exactly Need for Speed made real - only the colour was out, my car being black vs the yellow in the game (this was before car games featured choices of paint!)
It felt like I was stepping into my dream, like I'd achieved what I'd been longing for and now it was real, if that makes any sense.
and yes, it was even better in real life than in the game, although somewhat more expensive to run!
No photo ... but for me it was my BMW M5 (E39 shape to BMW geeks).
I was a teenager when it came out, and distinctly remember reading all about it in Top Gear magazine. It was one of my two dream cars at the time (the M5 and a TVR Cerbera would have been my dream 2 car garage). It just looked so right. It had such a huge bandwidth, ticking so many boxes. All the reviewers gushed about it.
Fast forward to 2010, where I find 27 year old me paying the (ludicrously cheap - by today's prices) sum of £6,400 for a 10 year old one with 120k on the clock. Yep, I fully embraced the brave pill and bought a cheap, high mileage M car. I'd never paid over £1500 for a car before that one. What could possibly go wrong?
I put 45k miles on that car - enjoying every single one of them. It was fast. It sounded great. It handled better than anything that size had any right to. It was comfortable. It was luxurious. It ate up motorway miles. It was everything the reviews that teenage me had poured over, and more!
I even got away fairly lightly. Apart from averaging 22.4mpg over 45k, outside of routine servicing all it threw at me were a couple of bills towards the end of my ownership. One of £800, and one of £150. Not the end of the world, but spooked me enough to look to sell.
I still haven't got round to owning a TVR Cerbera ... but that is definitely in my sights for about 18 months' time.
Edit: Found a photo!
I was a teenager when it came out, and distinctly remember reading all about it in Top Gear magazine. It was one of my two dream cars at the time (the M5 and a TVR Cerbera would have been my dream 2 car garage). It just looked so right. It had such a huge bandwidth, ticking so many boxes. All the reviewers gushed about it.
Fast forward to 2010, where I find 27 year old me paying the (ludicrously cheap - by today's prices) sum of £6,400 for a 10 year old one with 120k on the clock. Yep, I fully embraced the brave pill and bought a cheap, high mileage M car. I'd never paid over £1500 for a car before that one. What could possibly go wrong?
I put 45k miles on that car - enjoying every single one of them. It was fast. It sounded great. It handled better than anything that size had any right to. It was comfortable. It was luxurious. It ate up motorway miles. It was everything the reviews that teenage me had poured over, and more!
I even got away fairly lightly. Apart from averaging 22.4mpg over 45k, outside of routine servicing all it threw at me were a couple of bills towards the end of my ownership. One of £800, and one of £150. Not the end of the world, but spooked me enough to look to sell.
I still haven't got round to owning a TVR Cerbera ... but that is definitely in my sights for about 18 months' time.
Edit: Found a photo!
Edited by Rotary Potato on Thursday 24th October 14:03
Any car purchase is a happy day for me.
Doesn't matter if its expensive or cheap, its a new toy - probably one of only a few things these days that genuinely excite me over day-to-day life.
I used to buy a few vehicles from Copart, used to love delivery day as I would end up with a list of parts I needed to buy to fix the thing up.
Suppose its really down to the fact that working on cars is my equivalent of going to the gym - I get a lot of satisfaction from taking something that's in need of attention / broken and making it work again.
Similarly to one of the previous posts, I guess my most "exciting" purchase was also an e39 M5, my first properly quick car, although probably not that quick by todays standards. Saved for a long while and questioned it before spending the money, but.... you cant take it with you - was far more fun enjoying the car than it was having the money sat in the bank.
Doesn't matter if its expensive or cheap, its a new toy - probably one of only a few things these days that genuinely excite me over day-to-day life.
I used to buy a few vehicles from Copart, used to love delivery day as I would end up with a list of parts I needed to buy to fix the thing up.
Suppose its really down to the fact that working on cars is my equivalent of going to the gym - I get a lot of satisfaction from taking something that's in need of attention / broken and making it work again.
Similarly to one of the previous posts, I guess my most "exciting" purchase was also an e39 M5, my first properly quick car, although probably not that quick by todays standards. Saved for a long while and questioned it before spending the money, but.... you cant take it with you - was far more fun enjoying the car than it was having the money sat in the bank.
I've owned many cars over the years but I can genuinly say that nothing made me happier than collecting my E36 325i aged 22. Previously all my cars had been little shopping trolleys and going from 45bhp - 192bhp with RWD, leather seats and the feeling of quality was a very special day.
I've had much nicer cars since but that one stands out as being much more of a leap forward than any others.
Not a car, but a very similar experience when I first climb on board my Suzuki GSXR600 SRAD aged 25. I'd had small bikes in the past and decided to do my direct access when I was granted a company car. I passed my full bike test, came home and insured the Suzuki and went straight out. Opening the throttle for the first time was a feeling I wish I could bottle and drink. Again, I've had better and quicker bikes since but it's all relative.
I've had much nicer cars since but that one stands out as being much more of a leap forward than any others.
Not a car, but a very similar experience when I first climb on board my Suzuki GSXR600 SRAD aged 25. I'd had small bikes in the past and decided to do my direct access when I was granted a company car. I passed my full bike test, came home and insured the Suzuki and went straight out. Opening the throttle for the first time was a feeling I wish I could bottle and drink. Again, I've had better and quicker bikes since but it's all relative.
20 years ago, I purchased a Ferrari F355 privately.
The feeling of driving it away for the 1st time, is indescribable, my whole body was tingling.
Checking the weather forecast constantly, to get an idea of when it can come out of the garage next, for a quick blast.
Excitement of driving it, hasn't really diminished.
The feeling of driving it away for the 1st time, is indescribable, my whole body was tingling.
Checking the weather forecast constantly, to get an idea of when it can come out of the garage next, for a quick blast.
Excitement of driving it, hasn't really diminished.
So far it is three BMWs, two Ferrari, one wankel engine and one Mercedes.
I never thought that I would see G-Wizz and Ferrari in the same post
Rotary Potato - Your username suggests that you should try the RX-7...
Where are all the Essex boys with their Ford Capris.... (Yep, I've had two of them in the past - But I've also owned three Hondas...)
I never thought that I would see G-Wizz and Ferrari in the same post
Rotary Potato - Your username suggests that you should try the RX-7...
Where are all the Essex boys with their Ford Capris.... (Yep, I've had two of them in the past - But I've also owned three Hondas...)
Rayny said:
So far it is three BMWs, two Ferrari, one wankel engine and one Mercedes.
I never thought that I would see G-Wizz and Ferrari in the same post
Rotary Potato - Your username suggests that you should try the RX-7...
Where are all the Essex boys with their Ford Capris.... (Yep, I've had two of them in the past - But I've also owned three Hondas...)
I would love an RX7, but a good one is the same price as plenty of other interesting stuff. I got my rotary thrills from a couple of cheap RX8s. Both were great and awful in all the stereotypical ways! I never thought that I would see G-Wizz and Ferrari in the same post
Rotary Potato - Your username suggests that you should try the RX-7...
Where are all the Essex boys with their Ford Capris.... (Yep, I've had two of them in the past - But I've also owned three Hondas...)
Also had a couple of Capris when I was younger (both older than me) but were so cheap & plentiful at the time that they didn't feel special.
Glosphil said:
Collecting a new black Sierra XR4x4. My 1st car with ABS & only the 2nd with more than 4 gears.
I've had better, and faster cars, since but that was a real step up from the previous Cortina & Cavalier company cars.
150hp from a 6-cylinder 2.8i engine was rather weak though.
But it was a step up from the 1.3/1.6L four pots that powered most sales fleets at that time ...I've had better, and faster cars, since but that was a real step up from the previous Cortina & Cavalier company cars.
150hp from a 6-cylinder 2.8i engine was rather weak though.
I sat in a Milano Red EP3 in 2002 in the local Honda showroom with my Grandad and said to him ‘I really, really want one of these’ and he said to me ‘You will one day’
I nearly bought a black one in 2012 but it was a bit rough. We left it.
He died in 2013, I hadn’t got round to getting one, but in June 2014 I did. It was Milano Red, the same colour and spec that we’d looked at together. I’ve still got it and I’m keeping it forever.
Collection day.
I nearly bought a black one in 2012 but it was a bit rough. We left it.
He died in 2013, I hadn’t got round to getting one, but in June 2014 I did. It was Milano Red, the same colour and spec that we’d looked at together. I’ve still got it and I’m keeping it forever.
Collection day.
I have wanted a Land Rover since I was 15, and some 40 years later I finally got one. It was an old 90 on Facebook marketplace that was solid, but needed tidying up. I picked it up in the pouring rain, in the middle of a forest, where there was no phone signal, so I couldn't do the bank transfer. Luckily the seller was sound and let me take the car, but he kept the lov book and spare key, to be dropped off the next day when the transfer was through (which he did). On the drive home the indicators stopped working and a wiper fell off, but I smiled all the way home. All my normal friends don't get it, but I have heard it being called cool a few times by other people, which I have to agree with
I've always been excited picking up a new car.
Highlights were collecting a Rover 3500S when I was 20. Then a 3 year old Granada 2.8 Ghia when I was 22 and a 2 year old Capri 2.8i when I was 25, as my previous cars had all been much older.
Sadly the Capri had to go after a year as I bought my first house so my cars were more sensible for many years.
Then in 2007 I got a job with a company car, but I took the monthly allowance to get something better and picked up a pre-registered 3 month old BMW 123d in January 2008. The first and only time I owned a car on a current plate, and with less than 20 miles recorded.
I turned 60 in 2019 and with the mortgage cleared I decided to treat myself to a BMW Z4M which got me excited for a different reason - a proper M car!
Highlights were collecting a Rover 3500S when I was 20. Then a 3 year old Granada 2.8 Ghia when I was 22 and a 2 year old Capri 2.8i when I was 25, as my previous cars had all been much older.
Sadly the Capri had to go after a year as I bought my first house so my cars were more sensible for many years.
Then in 2007 I got a job with a company car, but I took the monthly allowance to get something better and picked up a pre-registered 3 month old BMW 123d in January 2008. The first and only time I owned a car on a current plate, and with less than 20 miles recorded.
I turned 60 in 2019 and with the mortgage cleared I decided to treat myself to a BMW Z4M which got me excited for a different reason - a proper M car!
My second car was a neighbour’s Mk2 Cavalier 1.6 GLS when I was 17. It was the first decent car I’d ever driven and I loved it.
I was also excited to collect from BMW my 2 year old Imola Red 330i Sport, that I bought to celebrate becoming 30. I’d worked and saved (not easy on 1 income with 2 children) really enjoying hard to buy that.
I was also excited to collect from BMW my 2 year old Imola Red 330i Sport, that I bought to celebrate becoming 30. I’d worked and saved (not easy on 1 income with 2 children) really enjoying hard to buy that.
ChrisH72 said:
It's not a Ferrari but picking up my MX5 earlier thus year felt good. Best car I've owned so far and one I think I'll be keeping for quite some time.
MX5 - A fun car once you are in it, and until you have to get out of it.I used to work with a young lady who had one - One day she insisted that she take me out for a lunchtime drive. It took me 5 minutes to fold myself into it, and another 5 minutes to unfold myself out of it
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