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Posted

205 van is an interesting choice. Eifion, an occasional poster on here has/had one of those that was briefly a courtesy car, it was at Chumley.

Posted

Eh? How is a 205 newer than three late '90s cars?

Do you mean 206?

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Posted

They probably rent old nails out because they all get ragged to fuck. It’s better than getting on the bus.

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Posted

I was once given a cinquecento sporting as a courtesy car (number plate ---DOK, Barry Cade said in recovery circles appropriately= Dead On Key) Liked it so much I bought it (£150)

 

Verdict- don't give me courtesy cars you don't always get them back.

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Posted

 

Last Time we took a car over they gave us a courtesy car as they couldn't finish ours before they closed. We were offered 4 quality Motors

 

Mk2 Seat Ibiza

 

Mk1 Ford Focus

 

Pug 205 Van

 

Mk4 Vauxhall Astra

 

We chose the Focus

 

 

Thread PHAIL. Right there.

 

You could have had a wonderful Puglet van.

 

I mean, yes, the Focus sounds awesome shite but, but, but the Pug van....

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Posted

205 van for sure.

Edit: 206 you say? That line up is an e short of shite.

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Posted

I've had some interesting loaners

 

Civic 5 Dr I bought for 200 quid and drove to Scotland in a week later

 

The starlet that moog had off me

 

Solid old 1.7 puma

 

Current diesel saxo with 193k on

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Posted

A MK2 Cavalier, with a screwdriver for an ignition key.

 

A Nissan Sunny with the passenger side so caved in you couldn't open the door.

 

Both of these from the same place, early 00s

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Posted

I've had some interesting loaners

 

Civic 5 Dr I bought for 200 quid and drove to Scotland in a week later

 

The starlet that moog had off me

 

Solid old 1.7 puma

 

Current diesel saxo with 193k on

You're doing it all wrong. Your Saxo isn't even slightly hanging. I didn't like it, but that's because I don't like Saxos, not because the dash was hanging out of it or something like that.

Posted

Focus ? Shear luxury !

 

I get the garage van. A 53 plate Kangoo that the handbrake was dead, doors didn't lock, wheel wobble, oily fingermarks everywhere and the back had various bits of metal rattling around in an oil slick.

 Didn't feel much different to mine, really.

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Posted

Local Saab specialist used to have a fleet of Saab 9000 courtesy cars 5 years or so ago, now mainly last shape 9-3s

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Posted

I like it when they're old and a bit tired. Not having to pay indirectly for the depreciation and maintenance of something worth decent coin is a feel good feeling for me, and I'm just grateful to have the use of one.

 

Plus as we know, book stats say otherwise but they are the fastest accelerating cars on the planet aren't they?

Posted

I was loaned an SD1 2600 that didn't make it back to my (then current) base.... ignition was also anything you could get into the slot. No electrics worked at all but  the charge warning light was missing, so it died within a few miles.

They replaced it with a Metro, my side was good enough but the hole in the floor on the passenger side was so bad I couldn't have seriously taken any fat passengers in case of collapse. Went like a rocket though I must admit (don't ALL loan cars!)

Worst was Mk3 escort van - I'm certain there was something living in the back. It was hanging, gag reflex in overdrive the entire drive back to my place - where it stayed until I drove it back (with mask and Vicks in place) to collect the XR3 ( bought for a song from a lad near me as he couldn't undo the locking wheel nuts!)

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Posted

Our local Merc independent has a 51-plate E Class loaner and a tidy X-reg W202.   These both have the dual benefit of making me glad I still have a 190E and don't mind spending on it, reverse psychology that probably only works on a shiter.....  

 

Generally I never bother with courtesy cars, they are inevitably rank and liable to end me up with a massive bill when a thunderbolt of ill fortune sends a blind giffer backwards into it in a carpark somewhere.  

 

Also, I will never, ever, beat the RWD Seville with a 455 Olds motor that I used to get as a "courtesy car" whenever my Pontiac Grand Prix was being fettled.

Posted

I used to use a Mercedes specialist who was always apologising that all he ever had for me was a solid drab green, green check interior C reg 190E Auto when he had two C class loan cars as well. This happened a few times and in the end I really looked forward to spending a day or two in the 190E.

 

Then nightmare I turned up and was given a C class, I complained immediately that I wanted the green 190 and was told it was gone. After he got over the shock I was not joking, he said he had got very little for it and I could have had it if I liked it that much!

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Posted

Always make sure your loan car is worse that the one they are leaving with you.  Thats my rule.  That way they are always keen to bring it back quickly. :)  

 

We have an old x plate 206 hdi and a c2 hdi with 160k on it. :)  We dont charge for it, so no one turns up their nose when offered them. :)

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Posted

Before I could even drive I was collecting boatshite and my father agreed to collect a pile of damp wood resembling a dinghy from South Devon; we lived in the midlands at the time. Problem was Dad's car didn't have a tow bar, we had no trailer, and he'd never towed before. No problem; our local friendly garage man loaned us his speedboat trailer and a1968 Mini pick-up 'courtesy car' that would have been twelve years old at the time and long overdue its appointment with the crusher.

 

The long return journey went without major problem apart from the throttle return spring snapping which took a while to make itself known since the performance was so feeble I think it was maxed out at 50 mph on the M5

 

The same garage had a 1.3 Marina and a DAF 33 van (remember those?) as courtesy cars. The DAF had a knackered clutch and had to be thrashed to make it even move..

 

Squirrel2

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Posted

Always make sure your loan car is worse that the one they are leaving with you.  Thats my rule.  That way they are always keen to bring it back quickly. :)

 

We have an old x plate 206 hdi and a c2 hdi with 160k on it. :)  We dont charge for it, so no one turns up their nose when offered them. :)

Bet they dont put any fuel in them either tho

Posted

Fatha N lives in Brittany and his local Land Rover specialist , had until last year, a pale blue 1986 205 diesel . It's done about 400k km and probably hasn't been cleaned since the last Century. I've driven it a few times over the years as Fatha N has usually got his Series 1 or Disco in there for something and it gives me a sense of Frenchness rattling into town to pick up the morning baguettes in a dusty old 205.

Unfortunately it got crashed last winter and is sitting amongst the dead P38s behind the workshop, James ( the garigiste) reckons he's going to fix it, but meantime his courtesy car is a dusty red 306 2 door, that must be almost 25 years old.

Posted

I know they were praised at the time but there's something that just depresses me with the mk1 focus. I don't think I could ever have one

Posted

I found a new local, reliable garage and their courtesy car is a 1999 1.0 Micra. Quite fun* commuting in that after dropping off a 3.0 BMW for work  :-D

Posted

Indeed, they are constantly bombing about on fumes.  Sometime "borrowers" claim to have "just put fuel in their car"  to which the answer has to be " it will still have fuel in it when you get it back then" 

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Posted

As far as I manage to piece together its rather patchy past, the very R16 I'm the current custodian of

previously served as a hire/courtesy car for a classic car dealership in Essen.

Posted

I’d much prefer to be lent some absolute heap of shit that may or may not break on the way to work. Adds a bit of surprise to the mix.

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Posted

" im just taking it home and back " is the fave response when I say the car is free but the fuel isnt . 

I have been known to say " i will just disconnect the fuel line then " 

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