I (think) i need a auto.

[Charlie Croker]

Well as the title says i think i'm in need of a automatic. I suffer from Diabetes rather badly and now my legs are suffering. I am ok on a run but round town with all the clutch action i can barely walk when i get out of the car. Anyway this is'nt NHS 24 so enough of the moaning and down to buisness what i'm thinking is swapping my MG-ZR for something as i'm pretty much skint to be honest. Anyway if anyone fancies the MG i'm open to all suggestions/offers. Not to sure what the MG is worth.....£600ish??? If you want to know more just ask. Thanks guys.

[purplebargeken]

Sorry to hear of your predicament. An auto does make a difference as I went auto for similar reasons. Loads of cars out there, I am sure something will come along soon. Good luck with it.

 

Ken

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

Hope it doesn't end up affecting you in a more serious way (BTW how stupid is it that the NHS doesn't pay for and/or encourage regular blood tests? People dont know they suffer from diabetes/fatty liver/cholesterol until the symptoms become visible).

 

If you have enough ime and money to be picky, get a car that's seen a couple of ATF changes in its life.

If not, make sure that the box is in good working order and get the fluid renewed ASAP.

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

*time.

 

[For some weird reason, Chrome is refusing to allow me to edit my posts]

[dieselnutjob]

Don't buy any French car that has an automatic transmission. Some French cars a tougher than most people think, however I can't think of any that have reliable automatic gearboxes. Some of the bigger ones have the ZF 4HP20 gearbox which is normally okay in BMWs and the like (except for fancy oil), but in the French stuff you can't change the filters and checking or changing the oil is no easy, so no one ever does.

[HillmanImp]

No brainer really IMO

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1995-VOLVO-850-T5-GLE-RED-/110989124890

 

Unless of course you want double figure fuel consumption but would not see anyone on here ever admitting to that.

[Guest]

Chrysler Neons all round, thats my advice.

[Lacquer Peel]

[HillmanImp]

EFA

 

[andrew e]

If you have enough ime and money to be picky, get a car that's seen a couple of ATF changes in its life.

If not, make sure that the box is in good working order and get the fluid renewed ASAP.

 

Ride to see it on a Unicorn too*. I'd leave the fluid in any autobox thats been sealed for over 10 years, at this end of the market bail it when it goes bang. As an automatic specifier (for similar crippling pain) you need to sit in a car where your knee/leg is at the optimum pivot postion for the type of journey you intend too do. I.E. comfy if its a solid 3000rpm motorway dash most of the time, or a gentle throttle prod round town.

 

Anyway I owned this from 10k to 140k and they were a)buttons a year old, and b)buttons now. Here's the only picture of it can find now; odd as I owned 6 years... and yes it quite possibly has the boot ENTIRELY filled with hardcore

 

[Junkman]

I never needed any reason or excuse. It's auto all the way.

Why should I do what a machine can do for me?

For that reason I'm not getting off the couch to switch telly programmes or do dishes either.

I'm going to sell the BX in spring simply on the grounds that it is a manual.

I'm already sick and tired of that shifting business.

 

Here is some auto shite for you to consider:

 

 

 

[Junkman]

Don't buy any French car that has an automatic transmission. Some French cars a tougher than most people think, however I can't think of any that have reliable automatic gearboxes. Some of the bigger ones have the ZF 4HP20 gearbox which is normally okay in BMWs and the like (except for fancy oil), but in the French stuff you can't change the filters and checking or changing the oil is no easy, so no one ever does.

 

I'm on my third 405 auto now and never had the slightest little issue. Also, changing the gearbox oil on those is easier than on any other auto I ever had and that's even in scientific terms a shitload of them.

[Charlie Croker]

Thanks guys. It's a nightmare like but sod it........what can we do.lol. I used to have a 850 manual and couldnt belive how much i liked it........gonna have to be a saloon same go's for the Omega. I was thinking of a BMW 325 diesel theres one on Ebay at 495 buy it now. Ive heard though the auto boxes are weak in these though. Anyone know anything about it?

[406V6]

Don't buy any French car that has an automatic transmission. Some French cars a tougher than most people think, however I can't think of any that have reliable automatic gearboxes. Some of the bigger ones have the ZF 4HP20 gearbox which is normally okay in BMWs....

Mine has the 4HP20 and after 120k miles it's fine. I follow the 406 Coupe owners forum where you'll probably find more french V6 engines than anywhere else and the V6 autobox doesn't seem to be any more troublesome than others. And certainly better than the French built AL4 on smaller engined cars. Of course any autobox can self-destruct at some point in its life just like any engine can suffer HGF. Clutches on manual boxes can give trouble too. Don't avoid the French V6 autoboxes - just check them out like on any other car.

 

No doubt R9UKE can comment as he seems to have owned virtually every circa 2000 big engined French car at some point.

[eddyramrod]

I never needed any reason or excuse. It's auto all the way.

Why should I do what a machine can do for me?

 

I'm already sick and tired of that shifting business.

 

With you every inch of the way! This is entirely my feeling now, the only way I'm going to pay my own money to own a manual gearbox ever again is if my plans to import the surviving Cypriot FSOs come to pass. Otherwise, only a proper self-shifter is going to be good enough. Preferably one that points at the rear wheels.

[pandarus]

I drove an auto for the first time on holiday a few years back.

 

Awesome.

[nigel bickle]

CC -you have my sympathy. A long term back injury occasionally forces me into autos.

 

If its easy driving you want -I'd strongly recommend Japanese. With light steering ,electric everything, usual reliability, & good mpg I find them hard to beat .Dull though -even the turbo ones.

 

Theres always a Scimitar -or Yank ,for silliness!

[dieselnutjob]

I suppose to be fair at least the early ZF 4HP20 has a dipstick, so maybe a 605 or XM would be okay. On the newer stuff they deleted the dipstick so you can guarantee that the level is never even checked.

[dieselnutjob]

 

This really surprised me. Are they really that worthless?

[Junkman]

 

This really surprised me. Are they really that worthless?

 

I was offered a black on black 2002 4.2 facelift with 70000 documented miles for 1800 the other day.

There is no used car market for these.

Heck, there was hardly a new car market, if you consider how many 5-Series BMW shifted while Jaguar

expected buyers to put their money where their taste is.

The way things are going, those new S-Types will be the old S-Types of tomorrow.

Bargain road burners and darn good cars to boot. They also look reasonably shite and provide the

appropriate geezer image, so what is there not to like?

There is one out there with my name on it, that's for sure. Too bad so few of them are beige.

[carlo]

Don't buy any French car that has an automatic transmission. Some French cars a tougher than most people think, however I can't think of any that have reliable automatic gearboxes. Some of the bigger ones have the ZF 4HP20 gearbox which is normally okay in BMWs and the like (except for fancy oil), but in the French stuff you can't change the filters and checking or changing the oil is no easy, so no one ever does.

 

I'm on my third 405 auto now and never had the slightest little issue. Also, changing the gearbox oil on those is easier than on any other auto I ever had and that's even in scientific terms a shitload of them.

 

And I'm on my fourth, they're indestructible.

[purplebargeken]

I'd love an S type but 99% of the ones I see on fleabay have knackered gearboxes

[ashmicro]

I had 2 S Types, a 2.5 and a 3 litre, both autos (manual ones are rare). I had no mechanical woes with either, but round town they drink like George Best. Lovely to drive, and even the "tiddler" 2.5 is pretty darn fast. Very comfy. Look out for grot in the rear of the sills (my 2.5 was starting to get crispy). My Dad had a Type R and it was mental, and burned more dead dinosaurs then a badly-tuned helicopter.

 

Sometimes, the "fucked" transmission is just the lever, which is, in effect, a switch. Dad's one went a bit funny (wouldn't go from P to R). £40-odd quid for a new one, piss easy to fit.

[Guest]

I had an S-type and the auto 'box went bang. Apparently "they all do that, sir". I think its just a mildly uprated Granny 'box.

[Rocket88]

Merc 190e will do you