HMC

Well I sold the maxima and with a bit of a clash of styles, I immediately bought an Abarth 595 (aka a tuned up fiat 500) I was a bit reluctant to post it on the main forum as it’s not that old, but decided as the basic model was launched 16 years ago, that it was ok. It’s flawed, fun and not serious. I like it!

Getting my crystal ball out, mystic HMC here. As pure electric vehicles progressively supersede ICE transport, what of the remaining ICE vehicles- will they get relatively less, or more expensive. This site began in 2006- 17 years from now what will their status be £££ wise in the old used car (or not classic, not nearly new- ie shite) world be? apologies for thread drift but it’s sort of a longer term progression of the used market.

@cobblers is a Genius as he originated the “will they fit” website that has fuelled enthusiasts and wheel obsessions ever since. Fantastic site that helps to visualise the effects of wheel changes and offset. Certain to have saved exuberant enthusiasts £1000s in ill advised purchases (well it did me)

That last photo is pure porn

Recent media coverage of low uk car production. I’m sniffing a scrappage plan, where Korean factories do well and uk production is barely affected.

That was 2018 and had a long mot, perfectly usable.

Another one- a £100 2000 megane 5 door 1.6 that needed an ignition coil pack. (2020, gumtree)

I think it’s the price being so low you could do it all on a whim and go to an ATM that did it for me. This was widely possible right up to 2020. So much fun and essentially disposable. A £1500 (these days “cheap” ) car just isn’t disposable in the same way. As has been said, it does work both ways as a £1500 car is worth fixing and looking after; better as a longer term ownership prospect but for a car addict browsing over classified it’s bad news. Actually maybe it’s good news As I find I’m doing a lot less browsing than I used to.

2008 - a 1988 216 vdp efi for £90. Went on a trip to Brighton in it for work and the mileage allowance paid for the fuel AND the car outright. Them were the days.

Same too, 2019 I got an mot’d 1997 Astra 1.6 estate for £150 and a £450 2000 e320 petrol estate. No wierd mates deals, just from e bay and gumtree. Both were the asking price and both are now totally unthinkable.

Lately it seems there are few bargains about. In 2006 when this forum started I was picking up roadlegal vehicles like e34 BMWs and Volvo 240s that were about 15 years old for £300 or less (the Volvo was £105(!)) 15 years used to be the shite zone as they were not “classics “ but of interest and about the average age that cars were scrapped. 15 year old cars (2008 ish) are up at silly money, and most are generally pretty unremarkable dirge. Not even “bad” cars as by then even the cheapest vehicles were dynamically ok aka lacking in character. older stuff what has something about it is now quite expensive. I guess I’m writing this as genuinely interesting shite , or at least of interest to me and what the forum was originated for no longer exists., anything worthwhile is £££ and what’s cheaper is utter characterless dirge. TL:DR- is the golden age of shite (which to my mind has to mean above all things low budget ) over?

That’s mould, not the seat fabric pattern. Overhead lines might complicate removing it? That photo was this morning so that notice is 2 months old.

Also how come Manufacturers now only associate leather with luxury? Bring back non plasticy seat facings.

Love this, and kudos to you for going through with it. I once looked at importing a thema estate but did t get very far. That colour combo is just SO tasteful and perfect for the car. True Italian style. Im particularly in love with the interior and all those dials in the instrument cluster. I’ll go weak at the knees if the labels are in Italian.

“Older adults” “baby on board” Seems like middle aged able bodied people are fair game, presumably.

16 owners. Draw your own conclusions 😂

Funnily enough I really like the late ones with ones with The wrap around body coloured bumpers that they made till about 2002. IIRC @Sam Glover had an ambulance version of those that I’d secretly like to have converted into a camper.

Life with the ropey Boxster has been good so far. When 2 or less seats are needed, I’m using it as my main car. It’s a fantastic steer with a great soundtrack on the cheap (so far) and a brill heater. Add in a small cockpit and it’s a brilliant winter hack. The tyres are cheap brands (obv) and I’ve not really pushed through B road curves much as I don’t trust them, and I usually crash most roadsters I’ve owned so I’ve got form. Although the tyres are 255 section at the back so quite meaty for the modest power. I would image it would be utterly useless on snow. Some of these are very cosseted. This one never had been although it’s not covered many miles lately. I’m a big believer in using cars. I have previously commuted in 1937 Austin 7 (although it was just a few miles and no hills etc!) No doubt I looked like a right twat. Anyway I was hoping it might improve with use, particularly the idle from cold which used to drop off and then the car would cut out, until it was warm. I read about idle Control valves and mafs and decided just to use it and give a few longer, hard runs. Basically just to use it as it was designed to be. I thought maybe short runs and being shunted about and covered in a blanket lately had gummed up the idle valve or something like that. Wishful? Maybe. But it actually sorted the issue. Phew! It’s also been pissing water into the cabin which is not great down here in famously wet Tavistock, in a street parked old car. First I thought I’d sorted it as a drain Was blocked; but also the drain pans under the roof mechanism were not properly connected to the drainage tubes- it sounds like maybe a link piece had come off or gone astray. In the end I decided to try to fix it by taking some Evian bottles apart and using the inner nozzle part of the cap to seal the edge, bridge the gap and act as a mesh to prevent crap falling into and blocking the drain tubes. Bit of a cobble up but then it’s basically a banger Boxster in the hierarchy of Porsche boxsters. I used the inner nozzle that I dissected out of the cap (the bit that’s not pictured) Has it worked? I’ll let you know! A dash light also came on the other day in my peripheral vision, I braced myself before I looked down to find out what was amiss. ……. Low washer fluid level!

More please! Interesting window to pre Peich modestly competent, low key VAG

That’s it. What a lash up.

I wonder what those rear lights were sourced from? Those shut / swage lines to accommodate make my eyes itch.

Re German tuv yes indeed are sticklers for originality. We had to swap some mini lite replicas for the original perforated steel wheels on the 72 1300 when we exported/ registered it in Germany. I also seem to remember they insisted on having the “chassis” number on the body so we had to make a totally non original tag rivited on the body to match the number on the chassis, which in fact wasn’t the VIN anyway- which is on a separate plate on the bulkhead from the factory. Bizarre and possibly a mis interperetation of the regs- still they insisted and once this was done it passed the tuv and got registered .

Sorry I misread the OP main point, ignore the above.

Or a fiat 500 twin air? Characterful, and quirky. Although maybe out of budget (seem to start at about £1750 ish) and not all are fans of the engine.

Is one of the 04 on pandas too new? Clever, small, fun, you need make no apologies for it, maybe not “old” enough for you?