Considering a major change of direction - any thoughts?

[Mr Lobster]

Seems a very wise decision to me so good luck with selling.

 

I'm thinking of having a bit of a cull as well. Sell the R4 GTL first then the Kangoo at some later point. Buy another van (either a newer Sprinter or I quite like them 6 seat Vivaro / Trafics) and keep the R4 van SEAT.

 

Thats the plan anyway.

[j-j]

I want all your clearout but no cash/space/time = HELL. Crapolamatic

 

Car and classic is something I go on purely for the pictures and pretend I can get some cool old smokereeno. But the ebay advert cluster thing is relatively new as I'm sure less than a year back it was just carandclassic ads alone. Slightly annoying when you've just been on ebay and seen that actual list of cars already!

[gtd2000]

even though i dont own as many as you I am actually thinking along the same lines, i just dont have the time to repair and drive all my cars or bikes.

the weekend comes around and i dont get much done as to busy fixing other peoples cars

 

my problem is that some of the cars i own are not that easy to get hold of so i know i would regret it i keep thinking that they are wasted as someone else could get the pleasure from them, mabe best to just keep paying the storage and forget about them

 

And what would you be thinking of offloading then?

 

I'm just "across the road" as it were in Stow...

[wuvvum]

Well the fleet reduction is going GR9 - so far the size of the fleet has gone up by one. I noticed that in my list of keepers there wasn't really anything suitable for the track day at Marham at the end of next month (apart possibly from the Rover, but I don't want to risk killing that if I can help it), so I started to look around on the Bay for something dirt cheap which I could thrash round the track for a day without worrying if it broke, and one came up quicker than expected - this afternoon I managed to bag myself this.

 

 

It's a Primera Sport Plus VT6, which as I understand it means it gets a CVT gearbox but with a computer-controlled "stepping" system giving it six tiptronic "gears". It's a 2-litre so should be reasonably nippy, and Primeras handle quite well in my experience. It's tested till November; it needs an idle control valve, but it won't be doing much idling round Marham so I'm not too worried about that. And it was £200, so if it does explode I can weigh it in and probably get my money back. I'm picking it up later in the week.

 

Other than that, I've had some serious interest in the CX and the Merc so fingers crossed they will go soon. Also had a fair bit of interest in the BMW (had a chap come to look at it yesterday morning, but I don't think he'll have it - also have a chap who really wants it but is in Cardiff and is struggling to find the time to get here), but disappointingly little in the DS or the Audi. The DS may have to go on the Bay if nothing happens by the end of this week, as the MoT is disappearing fast.

 

In other news, I realised today whilst getting the paperwork together that I never received a logbook in my name for the SVX, so I'm going to have to send off for one in the morning. It's a bit of a pain as the tax is out at the end of the month and I'd been hoping to be able to get it shifted before then. Still, at least I have the green slip so I won't have to pay the £25 fee. I'm struggling to value the SVX though - from looking at what they make on the Bay I'd been thinking around £1200, but that one on RR for £900 (more tax and lower miles, but shorter MoT and an import rather than a UK car) might force me to revise that downwards a bit.

 

The chap who'd expressed an interest in the Metrocab seems to have gone quiet - I might end up MoTing that before I sell it as I doubt it'll take much. The Alfas will probably be next to be advertised - I'll stick the 156 on Gumtree for £150 (it's got three weeks' MoT left and isn't really driveable for any distance because of the dicky water pump) and if it doesn't sell I'll take the wheels off and weigh the rest in. The 75 will be sold as it is unless the fuel pump wiring proves to be very easy to sort, which being an Alfa I somehow doubt. It's perfectly driveable as it is though, and it has a year's test so should sell OK.

 

I've been having a few "Plan B's" run through my mind - the most persistent being that I should keep the BMW as my one "good" classic and spend some of the proceeds from selling the rest on tidying up the bits that need tidying up, and then spend the rest on prostitutes or a nice holiday or getting my HGV licence or something sensible. It's just such a good car - the only 40-year-old car I've ever driven that I would happily jump in and blast down to the south of France in. It may still happen if it doesn't sell, but chances are that it will.

[dollywobbler]

Must admit Wuv, the DS has been tempting me. Sadly for both of us, I appear to be rather skint.

[Volksy]

I bet, at least a Little Chef Main Course, that you'll pick some stuff up within about... 4 weeks.

You'll probably win that bet - I currently have nothing suitable to take to the Marham track day at the end of April, so I'll be on the lookout for something dirt cheap and reasonably quick that I can thrash mercilessly for a day without worrying about whether it goes bang. I haven't even looked at eBay Motors in the last week though, purely because I know that if I do I'll end up bidding on something.

 

haha, Next time I'm in Norfolk, I'll claim my burger!

[messerschmitt owner]

Have you ever considered an F reg Proton?

[wuvvum]

Have you ever considered an F reg Proton?

I have, but they're notorious for suffering fuel starvation when cornering hard, so GR0.375 as a track day car.

[Morgan84]

37 cars?! Tell us more! I love your E3 Dave, I wish i could give it a home.

 

37 cars,not including over 10 dead ones !

 

Opel Manta Coupe 11000 miles

MK1 Cavalier

MK2 Astra Belmont LXi estate

1992 Sierra Ghia auto

1977 Reliant Scimitar GTE

1993 Mercedes W124 300D 28000 miles

1974 Volvo 145 ( from new )

1976 Mini Van

1983 Mini

1982 Mini

1960 Riley 1.5

1956 Hillman Minx MK8

1957 Morris 1000

1968 Riley Elf

1968 Daimler V8 250

1966 Vauxhall Cresta PC ( from new )

1973 Jensen Healey

1970 Rolls Royce Silver Shadow

1971 Rolls Royce Silver Shadow

1976 Rolls Royce Silver Shadow

1956 Bentley S1

1992 Ford Fiesta Calypso

1997 Ford Fiesta Chicane

2002 VW Lupo TDi Sport

2003 VW Polo Twist

1998 Landrover Freelander XEDi sw

2010 Landrover Freelander TD4

2004 Volvo V70 D5 SE

1992 Ford Transit 120

1994 Mercedes S500L

2009 Alfa Romeo Mito Veloce

1974 Mini 1000 Stewart & Arden supplied ( for restoration,and with replacement bodyshell )

1995 Peugeot Boxer Autotrail Scout

1966 David Brown 990 Selectamatic

1968 Riley Elf ( restoration project )

1992 Astra SXi ( dormant for many years,but still savable )

 

Was 37 - forgotten to count out the Solara GLS !!

 

Then a few dead no hopers !

[Cavcraft]

Only on Autoshite can someone 'downsize' and actually end up buying another car!

 

I'd have thought a running 156 would be worth £150+ all day long without trying to be honest, even with a dicky waterpump. Have you tried an Alfa forum?

[hhhugues]

I'd LOVE an Alfa 75. Wish I had the money to insure a second car :'(

[Pete-M]

I'd love the E3, but fleet reductions are needed here as well.

 

E3 2500 has been on the 'bucket list' for a long, long time as my dad had a silver one in about '79. Having said that, being me, I really lust for a 3.3 Li.

[flat4alfa]

I'll stick the 156 on Gumtree for £150 (it's got three weeks' MoT left and isn't really driveable for any distance because of the dicky water pump) and if it doesn't sell I'll take the wheels off and weigh the rest in.

It's worth more than that

 

Call Ned at Autolusso, they will fetch in

[wuvvum]

Someone emailed about the CX today wanting me to check the condition of the metalwork around the front door hinges. So I stopped off on the way home from work, only to find that the passenger front door now won't open. It was working fine on Sunday so not sure what's happened to it. It won't open from the outside or the inside. Still, at least the door cards don't look like too much of a twunt to remove with the door closed...

[dollywobbler]

It's possible you may have trapped the seatbelt in it. Try pushing the door in as you operate the handle. I've managed this on the BX...

[AnthonyG]

Must admit Wuvvum, If I were you the BMW would be on my keeper list due to rarity and the 'when will you find another?' factor.

[wuvvum]

It's possible you may have trapped the seatbelt in it. Try pushing the door in as you operate the handle. I've managed this on the BX...

Tried pushing the door in and it didn't work. The lock lever is moving up and down OK, it just doesn't feel like the catch is engaging.

 

In other news, I've just had my first firm offer on the BMW - £700. I almost went back with a Wat-style rant, but to be fair the bloke was slightly apologetic about his offer and explained that it was due to the cost of paying somebody else to do the cosmetic work on the car as he couldn't do it himself. If it carries on like this though I will be keeping the BM.

[Morgan84]

Its stupid insulting offers like that which don't inspire you to sell a decent motor,and is also why many good ones got handed in under the scrappage scheam

[j-j]

Wuvvum, CX series 1 locks: is it that you go to unlock it but then pushing the door button acts as if it's still locked? If so its due to a little lever that sticks. If you can get some wd40 sprayed in VIA lock barrel and if poss, on to the lock from the window seal above, and wait. It moves down with gravity after the lock is turned but sticks when ancient. A few choice thumped after wd might help.

[wuvvum]

That's exactly what it's doing. I'll give the WD40 / thumping treatment a try tonight - thanks for the tip.

[mk2_craig]

The point made about storage costs is very pertinent. I've rented a council lock-up for a dozen years now which has never contained anything but old chod worth a few hundred at best, most of which I didn't get round to putting back on the road and broke up or sold on/gave away. It's probably cost me the wrong side of five grand to date; I dearly wish I'd bought something nice with that money and taken care of it since. I could have probably owned the best mk2 Escort in the world for less than five grand back in 2000.

 

Good luck with your clear-out Wuvvum, even if you have to take a hit on what it's all owe you, think of it as cutting your losses and saving you future expense in terms of both time and money.