The new news 24 thread

[eddyramrod]

Tomorrow is MrsR's birthday...

[Liggle]

4 months and counting. Actually nearly 7 but that bit’s my own fault

We started a week before Xmas and moved in 4th April, had to threaten to pull out in month 4 to get things moving. Don't let that put you off though Vulgalour we would do it all again, the house is worth it.

 

In contrast my first house purchase was a textbook no chain 5 week job.

[alcyonecorporation]

Off to Peebo tomorrow, for some slightly straighter parts for my GTi. Good *enough*, anyway, if not perfect. I think I might end up wobbing a dent in the bonnet...

 

After we're done down there, I'm giving the parts vendor a lift to a car he won on eBay a few hours ago... don't think he's on here but he has JohnK and Dollywobbler on Facebook.

Where in Poobo?

[R9UKE]

Realised the Laguna Baccara is now out of MOT so it's been getting the cobwebs blown off and will hopefully get a date next week.  

 

[Tickman]

I only need to give one month notice on my current place, bf needs to give 2.  That, combined with the predicted 4-6 weeks of paperwork from the point you agree to buy the house to being allowed to move in does not give me much confidence that there's enough time for it to happen this year.

 

 

 

 Quickest I have ever bought and moved into a house is 3 months. That was with no chain, mortgage sorted and a repossession so a quick sale.  Everything takes forever.  Plus once you get to December, solicitors, estate agents etc pretty much stop working. 

 

 

I have managed a 4 weeks from offer to keys but that is down to our solicitor being brilliant, he has managed a 10 days for someone once!

[beko1987]

Crikey it's an autoshite Peterborough convention, I'm off there tomorrow!

 

Well, I'm blasting through and out the other side, then London, then back, then Skipton, then back, then Essex, then back then home via Northampton!

[tobyd]

Stealth mode going on at the front left of that Laguna.

[Broadsword]

Today I drove a VW Lupo 1.7 SDi. It drove exactly like one of those lawnmower tractors. It was just about as fast as a lawnmower too. Given the lack of a service history and quite scruffy bodywork I determined £700 was way too much to pay. I might have took it home for £500. It was fun in a way but boy was it loud.

[bramz7]

Slightly regret not buying Bjorn's cheap as heck 9-3 today. I've somehow developed some massive Saab itch I feel the need to scratch.

 

(Has to be FJ compatible in any case before anyone tells me about the roffle one)

 

Are they any good or will my lust of comfy French barges and thrash til death Italian stuff sully my opinion?

[Ghosty]

Where in Poobo?

Ramsey Mereside, in the flats to the south.

[Guest Hooli]

Slightly regret not buying Bjorn's cheap as heck 9-3 today. I've somehow developed some massive Saab itch I feel the need to scratch.

 

(Has to be FJ compatible in any case before anyone tells me about the roffle one)

 

 

Why isn't mine FJ compatible?

[bramz7]

No idea, they won't quote me though.

[Noel Tidybeard]

Outside in the pissing rain trying to change the Xantia's drive belt (bits flew off it last week), I had a delivery. It's about time I bought a car off bramz...

 

20180922_135749.jpg

 

These were an optional extra on the GTS-X. Frickin' YES.

 

20180922_135941.jpg

 

Standard equipment was this snazzy interior and sports steering wheel.

 

20180922_143650.jpg

 

I've given up on Xantia fixage today. Much more fun to potter about with the 19.

 

Edit: after reading the brochure properly, the yellow fogs were actually standard equipment. PAS was an option. Steering at slow speeds requires monumental effort, so this doesn't have it! Must check the pressures.

 

powa steering on a renner nnn19 isnt finger light anyway even with itsy bitsy 13" wheels!

[MikeR]

For the hell of it .I bought a new wiper blade for the drivers side .... 2 squid ..

[DodgeRover]

If I never take part in trying to buy another house, it will be too soon.

I'm hoping the next house auction catalogue comes through soon (see previous grumps re buying and selling) then at least you are pretty sure there will be a problem with whatever you are buying but at you can actually just buy it !!

[New POD]

We started a week before Xmas and moved in 4th April, had to threaten to pull out in month 4 to get things moving. Don't let that put you off though Vulgalour we would do it all again, the house is worth it.

 

In contrast my first house purchase was a textbook no chain 5 week job.

A move from Birmingham to Keighley for work with a relocation package took almost a year.

 

1st buyer feel through.

1st seller didn't need to move and didn't like the risks in a flying freehold in the 350 year old cottage he was buying.

2nd buyer told us they'd pull out if we didn't exchange

1st seller pulled out when given a similar ultimatum.

2nd Seller promised to move to rented if they hadn't found something suitable within 8 weeks. Then refused. Denied they'd ever promised that. Then pulled out when we have them a deadline.

3rd seller was a small developer. There was a short delay die to our solicitor insisting that the Water supply management company was set up correctly. That's right. I had to become a director of the company that owned the 2 bore holes owned jointly by 16 houses

I went for the first interview in March. Finally moved into new house on the edge of the Dales in the following March.

What I discovered is that everyone is a lying cunt .

[Timewaster]

Ramsey Mereside, in the flats to the south.

Thought for a moment, there are no apartment blocks in Ramsey Mereside....

 

Oh yeah. Flat.

 

I could probably see Ramsey Mereside from here as it's only about 20 miles.

[HMC]

Why isn't mine FJ compatible?

From experience FJ operate to varying age restrictions-

 

Saab- 15years+ (That 9-3 was 02, think your 9-5 is a 54?)

Alfa 15years+

Fiat 30years+ ( if memory serves)

I remember the fiat Alfa thing as at the time my 92 tipo was a no but a 2000 166 was a yes

It seems very arbitary - they said no to that 1995 Escort recently too.

 

Presumably some suited people in a mood room run through makes and decide what brands seem suitable. How else do you explain the fiat Alfa difference where a GTV is a classic but the very car whose underpinnings sired it (tipo) isn’t

 

In 2004 they allowed a 1993 Saab 900 classic onto a classic policy- so the goal posts have shifted over time.

[bramz7]

Indeed my Y reg 156 is fine.

T reg Marea, arguably rarer..hell no.

Any 605, nope.

Safrane, nope

XM, any age.

Xantia, any age.

BMWs...fuck knows.

MK1 Espace, no.

R21s, no.

R19s, no.

 

 

My Tipo was fine. Was over 25 when insured though.

[Guest Hooli]

From experience FJ operate to varying age restrictions-

 

Saab- 15years+ (That 9-3 was 02, think your 9-5 is a 54?)

Alfa 15years+

Fiat 30years+ ( if memory serves)

I remember the fiat Alfa thing as at the time my 92 tipo was a no but a 2000 166 was a yes

It seems very arbitary - they said no to that 1995 Escort recently too.

 

Presumably some suited people in a mood room run through makes and decide what brands seem suitable. How else do you explain the fiat Alfa difference where a GTV is a classic but the very car whose underpinnings sired it (tipo) isn’t

 

In 2004 they allowed a 1993 Saab 900 classic onto a classic policy- so the goal posts have shifted over time.

 

Fair enough, I'd always thought they had a general 15/20 year rule.

 

You are right it's a 54, 2004 btw.

[brownnova]

I have more cars than space... and no time to work on the cars I do have... so the obvious thing to do is to leave my number for a guy who was out at work but apparently wants to sell his festering non runner on the drive....

 

If it’s cheap It’ll probably be at mine soon... ????

Looks like this purchase might be on! Guy phoned me tonight and said he wants rid. His price was minimal (not that it’s worth much) I agreed in principle...

 

Now I need to find some storage for at least one vehicle...

[Ghosty]

And update your signature while you're at it!

[Ghosty]

No idea, they won't quote me though.

 

They won't quote me for anything.

 

*buys LHD Renault 4*

[paulplom]

Getting antsy about houses now.  The chances of us moving in December is getting higher with every passing week.  We at least have a new shortlist, frustratingly some of the houses on the shortlist are properites that sold before we got to view them the first time around much earlier in the year and that makes me think there's probably something wrong with them and we'll have the same sort of merry old dance that has caused us to have three failed purchases so far.

 

I only need to give one month notice on my current place, bf needs to give 2.  That, combined with the predicted 4-6 weeks of paperwork from the point you agree to buy the house to being allowed to move in does not give me much confidence that there's enough time for it to happen this year.

 

If I never take part in trying to buy another house, it will be too soon.

I got the keys to the first house I bought on 24/12/2003. Moving in on Christmas eve with a pregnant girlfriend wasn't stressful at all.

[BorniteIdentity]

 that makes me think there's probably something wrong with them and we'll have the same sort of merry old dance that has caused us to have three failed purchases so far.

 

I only need to give one month notice on my current place, bf needs to give 2.  That, combined with the predicted 4-6 weeks of paperwork from the point you agree to buy the house to being allowed to move in does not give me much confidence that there's enough time for it to happen this year.

 

If I never take part in trying to buy another house, it will be too soon.

 

Remember, 1 in 3 sales collapse.  It's entirely likely that those houses have been re marketed through no fault of their own (collapsed chains, failed mortgage offers, job losses, cancelled relocations) and not because they've got subsidence or are broken.  

 

As for your partner's notice period - if it's an Assured Shorthold Tenancy he has, his notice period is 1 month.  The landlord gives 2 months.  I'm sure you've checked, but it's worth checking again just to make sure you're not being bound by terms you shouldn't be.

 

Our last move was a nightmare.  3 years and 3 months later, I can still say that I'll never buy and sell again unless it's a matter of life or death.  However, just to offer a little balance and hope, 28 day exchange and completions are still entirely possible.  You need a good conveyancer, you need to be talking to them every 48 hours, and they need to understand the urgency.  I have managed a 28 day exchange and completion with a chain and a leasehold management company; you need a bit of luck (you're due some) and just to keep them busy.

Good luck dude!

[skattrd]

Slightly regret not buying Bjorn's cheap as heck 9-3 today. I've somehow developed some massive Saab itch I feel the need to scratch.

 

(Has to be FJ compatible in any case before anyone tells me about the roffle one)

 

Are they any good or will my lust of comfy French barges and thrash til death Italian stuff sully my opinion?

 

I'm probably in a minority here, but I'm not a massive fan of driving the classic Saab 900. 

 

As a kid I always wanted a 900 T16 and I had posters of them on my wall. I eventually bought a 2 door notchback T16s, arguably the best handling, as they're more rigid than the hatchback. It handled like a long jellyfish. The engine is fantastic, and is great in a straight line, but on twisty roads it was no fun. My Alfa 155 and Thema were much better handling cars. The Thema was also much more comfortable. I kept the car for about 2 years and tried to like it, but I never did.

 

I've not driven a GM 900 or anything later than a classic 900, so can't comment on those.

 

I do think I need to try a 9000, similar platform to the Thema, and I did like the Saab turbo engine.

[HMC]

I.ve never been a fan of the gearchange on a lot of classic 900s . Having an auto is a refreshing change on these. They’re also the car I’ve had most brown trouser moments when I’ve pushed things a bit too far. This 900 Shoukd help again as it’s more of a cruiser than something to attack corners in.

[skattrd]

I.ve never been a fan of the gearchange on a lot of classic 900s . Having an auto is a refreshing change on these. They’re also the car I’ve had most brown trouser moments when I’ve pushed things a bit too far.

 

Would the brown trouser moments be due to not thinking you'll get round the corner at speed? 

I might have had the odd one of those.

[HMC]

Yes!

The worst two ended in a dry stone wall and on the middle of a roundabout.

[Lacquer Peel]

Does the turbo overwhelm the cla**ic 900's suspension and traction? I had a 900i 8v, I thought that handled pretty well and was good in the snow.

The 9000, now that's a crap car to drive on back roads.