North Devon: The overpriced tat-land of the nation.

[2Thumbs]

It's my own fault for keeping cars so long I forget what a massive pain in the balls it is finding a half-decent one for anything other than epic coin regionally! Either that or everyone is spying on me and bump up their prices by 40% once I'm in the market.

 

Went to look at a 306 'state d'turbo jobby yesterday as always had a soft spot. Described as tidy with 140k on the clock and having had all the belts done. Went to look at it and it's a shed. Clutch knackered, front shocks gone, brakes sticking. Oh and the actual mileage was 200k, and with no proof of the belts being done. Credit to the car though, engine pulled like a train, just a shame about everything else in a 10 foot radius lol. 

 

Seems like it's been like it around here for as long as I can remember though. Searching further afield brings up a cavalcade of bargainous wonderment. The real bargains for me only seem to come from for-sale groups on dreaded Facebook and even they're few and far between.

 

Anyone care to share their browsing haunts? I of course know of eBay, AT. I check Freeads and CaC too.

 

P.S. Found a lovingly scabby Landcrab hiding in a car park yesterday. Will put a pic up on my spotted thread when I've built up a collection. Nom nom nom!

[Junkman]

Why don't you buy that Landcrab and be done with it?

[garbaldy]

There is no such thing as a bargain on your doorstep.

 

My 306 just sold for £207.25 so plenty cheep cars about you will just need to put in a little more effort.

[phil_lihp]

I feel your pain - I've lived in North Devon on and off for nearly 30 years.  It's expensive I think because it's a long drive ( for me, 45 mins +) to the nearest motorway and therefore it's effectively sealed off from the rest of the country as far as used car trading goes - a lot of people won't bother looking outside the area, so there's less choice and more competition.  Same as anywhere really, for example I expect Dollywobbler gets similar experiences living in rural Wales.

 

This does work conversely too though - both vehicles I sold on ebay, Kangoo van and Nova, had lots of MOT and tax and were fully driveable with no major faults but both attracted exactly 1 bid and sold for a rock bottom price the winner hardly believed they'd got away with.  Had I been in a more accessible part of the country, I expect it would have been different.

[2Thumbs]

Why don't you buy that Landcrab and be done with it?

 

I was considering it as that was the last car I saw after browsing 'budget' showrooms.

[Junkman]

LOL, go for it! Be a WINNAH.

[HillmanImp]

On Ebay cars with any kind of collector value seem to be cheaper in Devon and Cornwall as no fucker can be bothered to trek to go and get them.

 

Obviously high worth cars are valuable enough to warrant a trip to collect but for cars in the middle seem to dip in value. The same goes for northern Scotchland on the mostpart from my perusing of EBay.   

[dollywobbler]

Around here, people seem to hang on to their cars until they're utterly ruined. Which seems to mean a mighty trek if you want something decent. My sister lives in North Devon and struggled to find something on her doorstep. She did in the end, but it was strong money for what it is.

[oman5]

I find it difficult finding exactly what I want on my doorstep as most people drive moderns these days, searching out shite can be time consuming, but I'll always travel for the right car if its the exact one I want.My dear departed late father and I used to make a day of it,he was retired and chod hunting with me was a day out for him...from newport we'd hop on the train (which was part of the fun, both of use were train nuts) to wherever.

newport-Leeds for a volvo 740 td

newport-Barnstaple for a sierra saph 2.3d

newport-frome for a leyland daf 200 (worth travelling for, it had the perkins donk)

newport-crewkerne for a volvo 240

newport-llanfrynach for a mk4 transit

newport-Aberystwyth for a subaru justy

Newport-Luton mercedes 420se

 

with the exception of the money pit merc, all of them lasted for ages and were worth the trek.

come to think of it, the only one I found locally was our current backup 306dt, found less than a mile away. 

[Jim Bell]

Rule 16.

All good cars are far away. Especially if they're affordable. At a siding ratio of want:distance.

[2Thumbs]

I've always been patient, and I'm usually a fussy git when I know what I want. But nothing seems to grab me within a 50 mile radius (as the crow flies), everything else has been incorrectly described which means I fail to release the wonga and why I'm not a fan of travelling a great distance.

[Largactil]

Buy this Devon-based beast, and make Vulgalour green with envy...

 

 

http://www.catalogue-host.co.uk/richardedmonds/2013-09-28/lot_343?prev_page=browse%20catalogue%2c%20page%208%20of%208&prev_url=%2frichardedmonds%2f2013-09-28%2fpage_8

[Junkman]

Bringing any car to the Greater Manchester Area automatically adds 10% value.

[Negative Creep]

I'm local and have a 944 or W124 if you're interested..........

[2Thumbs]

I did see the Merc for sale. Too big/juicy for my needs though, I've just sold an Audi A4 V6 for the same reason.

 

Thanks anyway.

[vulgalour]

That Princess does not make me any colour with envy, he can have it.  From what I've seen of it online it's not as good a purchase as you might at first think.

[2Thumbs]

Lots of want for that Princess. The old man would spit out his Lady Grey if I rolled up in that. He had one in Burgundy in the early 80's.

[2Thumbs]

What a peach.

 

http://www.catalogue-host.co.uk/richardedmonds/2013-09-28/lot_351?prev_page=illustrations%2c%20page%208%20of%208&prev_url=%2frichardedmonds%2f2013-09-28%2fillustrations_8

 

If the description is to be believed, that valuation is way off the mark?

[Cavcraft]

Rule 16.

All good cars are far away. Especially if they're affordable. At a siding ratio of want:distance.

 

 

It's true that. Even run of the mill cars can be a pain if you want a certain colour or something. When I swapped my Zafira for the Corsa C my son owns now, the lad came from Devon and was cock-a-hoop with the Zafira due to local pricing.

[overrun]

I'll happily put in the miles for the right car.

 

My last purchase was trailered back to Sunderland from Cardiff.

People only willing to search a few miles radius almost deserve to get lumbered with a dog.

[HillmanImp]

Rule 16.

All good cars are far away. Especially if they're affordable. At a siding ratio of want:distance.

 

In that case you should point out the distance you are travelling to the vendor and suggest that they give you some discount because of the hardship and cost of coming to see the car.

 

Especially if you are buying a car from Chester.

[Cavcraft]

In that case you should point out the distance you are travelling to the vendor and suggest that they give you some discount because of the hardship and cost of coming to see the car.

 

Especially if you are buying a car from Chester.

 

Absolutely, and don't forget to make (shit) offer before you've even viewed said vehicle. 

[Jim Bell]

Any talking point dropped into conversation which could potentially reduce the price of a good car is worth a pop in my book.

 

You want £300 Billy?

I'm half Pole, and in the old country they say 15% off for good luck! (7.5% In actual genetic terms)

Go on, call it £275 and a kiss!

 

Fuck you Barry Shitpeas. £310.

 

#youhavetohaveatrythough

[Junkman]

I'll happily put in the miles for the right car.

 

My last purchase was trailered back to Sunderland from Cardiff.

People only willing to search a few miles radius almost deserve to get lumbered with a dog.

 

So what's the furthest you ever went for collecting a car?

I once bought one in Beirut and drove it to Belgium, where I lived at the time.

Can't say it was a particular bargain, or saved me any money, to the contrary.

I just wanted to have it.

[Angrydicky]

That's what's great about living in South Essex. There's an obscene amount of proper old tat still on the roads and therefore on Ebay. The dryish climate probably helps, and the fact that there are loads of old car fans in the area. Out of 12 or 13 cars I've owned most were bought within the Southend area, and the furthest I ever travelled for a car was Herts. It looks like such effort living oop North or in wet Wales, having to travel hundreds of miles just to buy something that hasn't rotted away or been driven into the ground.

[phil_lihp]

At the end of the day, it's a minor one of a few compromises (high property prices, fewer jobs, lower pay, roads crammed full of doddery old folk bouncing off pavements at 20mph) which you pay for living in one of the most beautiful parts of the country.  It really is a fantastic place to live.

 

My attitude is, if you want it badly enough, hop on the bus/train and go get it.  As I will prove on Saturday.

[Pete-M]

So what's the furthest you ever went for collecting a car?

 

Four from Switzerland, one from Italy, one from Bavaria (although that one is still in Northern Bohemia at the moment).

 

I've delivered one to Zakynthos, from Liverpool.

 

Went to Great Yarmouth for my XJR, which was a nine hour train journey one way.

[Jim Bell]

Er, Ive been to Reading for a car with buckled wheels. Which meant the drive back to Nyucassel @48mph took 134 weeks.

[Pillock]

I'm going to start buying up average cars, putting them into a container and shipping them to Devon. I'll make a killing.

[phil_lihp]

We've got plenty of average cars thanks, the pensioner population thrives on them.