Who has a really crap car for 'stuff'?
Discussion
Opportunity has arisen to acquire a 1998 Passat in black, for the sum of £500.
This excites me as I'd quite like to have a throwaway car, something to leave in car parks, drive to work in, etc etc and never, ever worry about it. I'd not even worry if it was there when I got back, never mind if it had a door ding!
Its on about 140,000 miles but apparently recently passed an MOT and has 4 months tax.
Who, on here, has nice cars but a complete snotter for when the situation arises? £500 is less than what I paid for my phone, so I'm here bored on a Sunday wondering what I can get for £500 ish. Needs to be reasonable on insurance or it defeats the object. I reckon I'd have made that £500 back very quickly with not having to pay for a secure car park when a kerb in a rough area will do!
This excites me as I'd quite like to have a throwaway car, something to leave in car parks, drive to work in, etc etc and never, ever worry about it. I'd not even worry if it was there when I got back, never mind if it had a door ding!
Its on about 140,000 miles but apparently recently passed an MOT and has 4 months tax.
Who, on here, has nice cars but a complete snotter for when the situation arises? £500 is less than what I paid for my phone, so I'm here bored on a Sunday wondering what I can get for £500 ish. Needs to be reasonable on insurance or it defeats the object. I reckon I'd have made that £500 back very quickly with not having to pay for a secure car park when a kerb in a rough area will do!
I have had two in the past, a £150 Xantia diesel and £500 Vauxhall Omega V6.
I treated them exactly as you suggest. Opened the door into walls, stood on the roof and went 'car surfing', i could leave them anywhere and not worry or care. Ironically both of these cars appeared to be pretty much mint when i sold them. Yet i can notice a hairline scratch on the P&J at 100 yards. Sod's law i guess!
The main thing is to not buy one which needs any work. Or if it does then to not spend anything on it. A £500 car is all well in theory but if the head gasket fails or the clutch disintegrates the day after you buy it then it becomes much less of a bargain..
I treated them exactly as you suggest. Opened the door into walls, stood on the roof and went 'car surfing', i could leave them anywhere and not worry or care. Ironically both of these cars appeared to be pretty much mint when i sold them. Yet i can notice a hairline scratch on the P&J at 100 yards. Sod's law i guess!
The main thing is to not buy one which needs any work. Or if it does then to not spend anything on it. A £500 car is all well in theory but if the head gasket fails or the clutch disintegrates the day after you buy it then it becomes much less of a bargain..
My Mondeo qualifies, I think. 2005 1.8LX, no wheeltrims, paint is ruined by scratches and trolley dinks and hauling furniture and building materials in and out the back.
After having had a Lancer, which I was scared to leave anywhere, it's refreshing to have something no-one is interested in damaging or stealing.
After having had a Lancer, which I was scared to leave anywhere, it's refreshing to have something no-one is interested in damaging or stealing.
Erm yes, in a word. My car is s
te beyond words.
The best part of it is, I don't really need a car so can treat it how I want and not worry if I break it.
If it wasn't parked outside when I woke up in the morning I really wouldn't care. It quite often doesn't get locked with the idea in my head of "What's somebody gonna do? Steal it?"
te beyond words.The best part of it is, I don't really need a car so can treat it how I want and not worry if I break it.
If it wasn't parked outside when I woke up in the morning I really wouldn't care. It quite often doesn't get locked with the idea in my head of "What's somebody gonna do? Steal it?"
I have Primera 2.0TD on a T plate for this. Great car. Tows the boat and the trailer I use for the garden and all the other rubbish. With the back seats down it pretty big. The dog has it all hairs and mud and yet it starts first time everytime. Never misses a beat and I can't remember when I last washed it. Feel sorry for it now 
Edited by TheD on Sunday 27th February 18:23
Yeah, I ran a Xsara HDi for a few years. Mountain bike chucked in the back - no problem. Tip run - no problem. In fact I ran it without a back seat for months at a time as it was pretty much a van.
Wasn't bothered when some drunken idiot ran over the top of it, denting the bonnet badly, or when 100mph winds lifted my 40-odd kg canadian canoe up, dumped it onto my shed, destroyed that completely, which then fell on the Xsara boot and dented it. I was more worried about the canoe!
Tried it again recently, when I bought an S reg 406 estate for £350 with full MoT and tax. Gave up, as insurance was over £500, more than I pay for my Clio Trophy. Couldn't even get a multicar deal for less than £900. So I gave up and sold it for £400!
Wasn't bothered when some drunken idiot ran over the top of it, denting the bonnet badly, or when 100mph winds lifted my 40-odd kg canadian canoe up, dumped it onto my shed, destroyed that completely, which then fell on the Xsara boot and dented it. I was more worried about the canoe!
Tried it again recently, when I bought an S reg 406 estate for £350 with full MoT and tax. Gave up, as insurance was over £500, more than I pay for my Clio Trophy. Couldn't even get a multicar deal for less than £900. So I gave up and sold it for £400!
My current daily owes me 500notes. I was carrying a heavy trolley jack towards it, stumbled and flung the jack into the rear body panel, putting a nice dent in it.
Just laughed at my stupidity and put the jack into the boot where it was supposed to go. Haven't looked at the dent since.
Cheap, crappy cars are so liberating.
Just laughed at my stupidity and put the jack into the boot where it was supposed to go. Haven't looked at the dent since.
Cheap, crappy cars are so liberating.
HellDiver said:
My Mondeo qualifies, I think. 2005 1.8LX, no wheeltrims, paint is ruined by scratches and trolley dinks and hauling furniture and building materials in and out the back.
Mine's a 1993 Mk1 Mondeo hatchback. Not in too bad nick given its age though (a couple of bits of rust coming through). MOT's due end of March, which is always a worrying time!tribbles said:
HellDiver said:
My Mondeo qualifies, I think. 2005 1.8LX, no wheeltrims, paint is ruined by scratches and trolley dinks and hauling furniture and building materials in and out the back.
Mine's a 1993 Mk1 Mondeo hatchback. Not in too bad nick given its age though (a couple of bits of rust coming through). MOT's due end of March, which is always a worrying time!
and it's REALLY crap...Colonial said:
No, but I am looking at buying one.
Is three cars too many for one person? Nah. Didn't think so.
For the last census, there were two questions I remember:Is three cars too many for one person? Nah. Didn't think so.
Q) How many cars do you have?
A) 7
Q) How do you get to work?
A) Walk
(At the time, I had two working cars, two cars I was working on, and 3 scrap cars for bits for the other two).
I've now rationalised it down to 3 cars. And I still walk.
otolith said:
2.0 V-reg non-turbo Impreza estate. Perfect fishing car.
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
sorry
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