Why did you buy yours?
Discussion
Inspired by this quote in the Aussie prices thread:
I'll chip in too, for me I always wanted a big V8, manual, RWD car. Teenage years I was thinking TVR, ideally a Griffith 500, or possibly a Cerbera...
Then Clarkson drove a Monaro on Top Gear in 2003, and then the VXR in 2004 (the beach episode) and 18 year old James thought that if this piece of motoring perfection was 'only' £35k now, then perhaps in 7 years when I'm 25 and insurance might be sensible, I could get one...
Needless to say after Hammond drifting a silver VXR (now with a 6 litre
) I was not put off.
Around 23 I was making reasonable money, had a flat, outgoings were comically low, so I saved up ready to get my first proper car. At the time I really quite loved the look of the T350 with targa roof panels, but this was a straight six and really I wanted a V8. Add to this the temperamental nature of the Speed Six motor (warm-up procedure etc.) and the fact it would be living outside, my TVR dream started to look a little unrealistic.
And then one week I remembered the Monaro. I had a quick search on Pistonheads, the prices were basically the same as they are now, and usefully about £8k cheaper than the TVRs I had saved up for, and I knew it would be the car for me.
There was one nearby at a garage, I went there on the next Saturday, test drove it (gently, I was coming from a 1.2 Clio) and the want was strong. Alas it was putting out a lot of white smoke after the test drive, there was a belt squeak (I knew very little about mechanics at this point) and the dealer absolutely refused to budge on the price whatsoever. This even though it was the 27th February, and the tax expired on the 28th, so if I'd bought it a couple of days later I would have saved hundreds of pounds...
Alas I walked away, and was most grumpy, I'd made my mind up, and I wanted one NOW!
I resorted to ebay, and there was one being sold in Bath, he was getting a VXR8, and was planning to trade the Monaro in, but wanted to see if he could sell it on instead.
I went to visit him on the Sunday, test drive etc. the deal was done. It was always going to happen, and Bruce came home with me
Nearly 9 years (and a LOT of mods) later and the Monaro still makes my friends and I laugh as much as it did in our 20s. It was always going to be a keeper, it has been absolutely everything I expected and more, for me it is just perfect
So over to you lot, was it just a cheap Vauxhall with a big engine? Did you also see the Top Gear 'beach' episode and decide that if Clarkson was licking the bonnet it had to be worth a go?
dan mugglestone said:
For my pennys worth . I brought it for looks , noise and because I wanted to , Had no intention of 'making' money and its a 20+year keeper.
Yes for the money i could have brought something faster , handle better , cheaper to run? but dont care its what i wanted .
I thought it'd make an interesting, or at least fairly easy thread Yes for the money i could have brought something faster , handle better , cheaper to run? but dont care its what i wanted .
I'll chip in too, for me I always wanted a big V8, manual, RWD car. Teenage years I was thinking TVR, ideally a Griffith 500, or possibly a Cerbera...
Then Clarkson drove a Monaro on Top Gear in 2003, and then the VXR in 2004 (the beach episode) and 18 year old James thought that if this piece of motoring perfection was 'only' £35k now, then perhaps in 7 years when I'm 25 and insurance might be sensible, I could get one...
Needless to say after Hammond drifting a silver VXR (now with a 6 litre
) I was not put off.Around 23 I was making reasonable money, had a flat, outgoings were comically low, so I saved up ready to get my first proper car. At the time I really quite loved the look of the T350 with targa roof panels, but this was a straight six and really I wanted a V8. Add to this the temperamental nature of the Speed Six motor (warm-up procedure etc.) and the fact it would be living outside, my TVR dream started to look a little unrealistic.
And then one week I remembered the Monaro. I had a quick search on Pistonheads, the prices were basically the same as they are now, and usefully about £8k cheaper than the TVRs I had saved up for, and I knew it would be the car for me.
There was one nearby at a garage, I went there on the next Saturday, test drove it (gently, I was coming from a 1.2 Clio) and the want was strong. Alas it was putting out a lot of white smoke after the test drive, there was a belt squeak (I knew very little about mechanics at this point) and the dealer absolutely refused to budge on the price whatsoever. This even though it was the 27th February, and the tax expired on the 28th, so if I'd bought it a couple of days later I would have saved hundreds of pounds...
Alas I walked away, and was most grumpy, I'd made my mind up, and I wanted one NOW!
I resorted to ebay, and there was one being sold in Bath, he was getting a VXR8, and was planning to trade the Monaro in, but wanted to see if he could sell it on instead.
I went to visit him on the Sunday, test drive etc. the deal was done. It was always going to happen, and Bruce came home with me
Nearly 9 years (and a LOT of mods) later and the Monaro still makes my friends and I laugh as much as it did in our 20s. It was always going to be a keeper, it has been absolutely everything I expected and more, for me it is just perfect
So over to you lot, was it just a cheap Vauxhall with a big engine? Did you also see the Top Gear 'beach' episode and decide that if Clarkson was licking the bonnet it had to be worth a go?
that's brilliant!
jelevents said:
I'd seen them on Top Gear but in 2006 I went to the car show at London Excell centre called Mph06
sat in a brand new Monaro (in red obviously)
This was at the London motor show I think, but doubtless the same car. I sat in it too. It's funny because I was surprised that I 'fit'. I hadn't sat in a proper car before, and in my head I expected to be like a kid sat in my dad's car or something sat in a brand new Monaro (in red obviously)
Thought I'd dig the pics out for you
Ignore the tiny V8uk watermark, I wrote a tool years ago to watermark our pictures and that's the quickest thing I have to just instantly resize stuff so Thumbsnap lets you upload it!Photography was not my strong point
V8TFT said:
I first saw a Monaro when I was at Millbrook on a works trip. I was luck enough to get a passenger ride in one and taken around the bowl and on the handling circuit. Doing 170 at the top of the banking, four up, aircon on, in a comfortable seat followed by a mainly sideways lap around the handling circuit. The driver said it was one of the most entertaining cars he had driven. Said I would get one when they were about 4 or 5 years old and could afford one.
I found a 2004 VXR eleven years ago, a few mods at Monkfish and 80k miles later it is still used as a daily in the summer months and has completed a few trackdays and roadtrips around europe.
Fantastic I found a 2004 VXR eleven years ago, a few mods at Monkfish and 80k miles later it is still used as a daily in the summer months and has completed a few trackdays and roadtrips around europe.
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