2Thumb's 2017 vehicle ownership diary retrospective.

[2Thumbs]

I've been away a while thanks to work and other commitments which I'll get in to more detail over now.

 

So in Q1 of this year I was the owner of 3 cars and 2 motorcycles. I decided I was going to sell the majority of them, partly because I didn't use half of them and mostly because I couldn't be arsed with the maintenance so after selling 3 items I decided to treat myself to a 'new' motorcycle in April, a Triumph Street Triple R, which pretty much came to the total of my earnings from the previous sales.

 

This is where it get's semi-interesting...

 

Not long after purchasing the bike, I hear from my great uncle who had decided to move on a couple of his items so that he's able to make room in his shed for a mobility scooter as he's having trouble walking these days.

 

He asks me if I know anyone who could be interested in one of them. With little hesitation I said I would be and to let me know a price when he decides on one.

 

 

A 1973 Honda C90, with one previous and 14k on the clock and not been ran in well over a decade.

 

With a bit of tinkering and fresh fluids it burst in to life and passed an MOT with the only issue being a duff fuel cap seal. He decides I can have it if I help him charge up the batteries on his cars, fit them and get them running.

 

A month or so after that I was browsing eBay as I'd recently sold my 'daily' vehicle, a E39 BMW 525i, as it was too juicy. Literally half a mile up the road was a 2000 Vauxhall Corsa 1.4 Elegance with 100k,  9 months MOT, an intermittent running fault and the most disgusting interior I'd ever willingly placed myself in for a start bid of 99p. Naturally I went up the next day, made an offer and drove it home.

 

All this GM perfection for eighty of your finest Queens heads. (I'm aware it's pink)

 

 

 

 

As I was cleaning off the years of accumulated crud, I'd noticed it had £600 worth of Irmscher suspension fitted. RESULT! So I fixed the running problem, gave it a light service and drove it round for a few weeks with my hood up. I then put it up on Gumtree and sold it for a tidy profit.

 

After that I bought something else that was a mistake and I wont go any further in to, but managed to sell it on for a £60 loss so could have been worse.

 

Next up, in August; I came across something I've been tempted by for a while and noticed their prices are increasing at a decent rate. This one was found on Facebook locally, the lady owner didn't really know what she had, thinking it was a 1999 model and not realising that was when it was imported on the V5. So the price was very low! I travelled the 20 miles or so in a friends car to go take a look the day after it was advertised, made an offer and drove it home.

 

 

A 1993 Eunos Roaster V-Special with 77k, regularly serviced, totally original bar an iffy repair on the near side wing.

 

I bought it with the intention to run as a winter hack as I assumed for the money it was mostly rotted with a dodgy MOT. Turns out it was very solid with no rot at all, so I made the decision to use it on good days and keep a look out for something more beater-ish whilst doing jobs on it.

 

I had planned on fixing the aforementioned wing, before getting a chance my neighbour decided to reverse in to the exact spot it had been repaired. Thankfully he's the good sort, openly admitted to it and promised to get it sorted, quids in!

 

Here's a photo after getting the bodywork done. Notice the hard top which was a bargain, and the wheels I picked up whilst I clean up the original daisies.

 

 

So on to October...

 

Again a Facebook purchase. The pure definition of a winter beater, and prime cut shite. A 1996 Peugeot 406 2.1TD Estate, 160k , 6 months ticket and 1 family owned from new for a ton and a half.

 

 

Oh and 7 seats, you must have to hate your children to put them back here.

 

 

So now it's November and I own 3 cars and 2 bikes. It seems that the life of a shite enthusiast works in a circular motion.

[phil_lihp]

I nearly bought that Corsa for exactly the same reason!!  Somewhere on here's a post I made asking if anyone had any suggestions about its running problem...glad it ended up with someone who could sort it properly though, looks ace (and pink).

[strangeangel]

That ninety looks about as right as one has ever looked! Do stop by the Bikeshite thread with it sometime, won't you?

[Split_Pin]

That must be one of the first Corsa Cs on an X plate, most are the earlier sort.

 

WBOD looks like a good solid thing too although Ill bet those rear facing seats would make passengers a bit travel sick!

[bezzabsa]

come on fess up to the 'unmentionable'....................MGF...METRO.......PUNTO????

[2Thumbs]

I nearly bought that Corsa for exactly the same reason!!  Somewhere on here's a post I made asking if anyone had any suggestions about its running problem...glad it ended up with someone who could sort it properly though, looks ace (and pink).

 

The issue was related to the throttle position actuator. When the engine bay got to a certain heat point, it would momentarily drop voltage off the main line to the throttle pedal causing the car to go in to limp mode and the throttle being unresponsive.

 

I do have a few more photos of the 90, so i'll be sure to check out the bike thread. 

 

The unmentionable was a Skoda Fabia VRS that had been messed around with too much by a teenager who thought he knew what he was doing and it also had a chequered past before his ownership. Was glad to get rid of it after 3 weeks ownership.