The new news 24 thread

[fordperv]

That bus cafe looks fantastic

[coalnotdole]

Yes you can sit in the bus!

[Richard]

There's one on the A96 too, a Duple Dominant IIRC. You can sit in it, but it gets less bus like every time I see it.

[rml2345]

It's like the old tram bodies that used to be sold off for use as sheds and summer houses. Slowly they become less bus or tram and more building.

Never seen a Dominant bus with a UPVC door though.

[primeradoner]

There used to be a sit in bus cafe at Esh Winning of all places. Not sure if its still there

[stripped fred]

I've been ill with a virus the last few days and obviously not been feeling too good which may have coloured my recent thinking. I've been having a think about selling my 3 old cars and sinking my cash into a £2.5/3kk 10 year old a4/a6/Octavia/mondeo. I really don't have the time or expertise to keep repairing old cars so I'm a regular visitor to my local garage at the moment. My Peugeot only cost £200 but with a few jobs for the mot, new tyres, a strut top mount and aux belt will have cost me £700 all in so not that cheap in the end. My plan is to keep it for a bit then sell (for a loss) towards the newer car. Obviously this goes against all Autoshite principals especially as I am considering an Audi but I am open to opinion both positive and negative. The best all round car I had was a 2001 A4 I had for 6 years and never let me down and I had confidence in it. I want to recapture a bit of that. Of course, when I'm feeling more myself I may see the light but those are my thoughts at the moment.

[xtriple]

The bloke who was doing my stereo head unit was, and indeed, is, an arse. But a very good at what he does arse! Fixed my Alpine head unit perfectly and tried it over and over in every possible configuration to make sure it all worked properly. When he first fitted it back in the car, it was no better but he found the (other) fault, fixed it and spent much time running around in the rain.

 

He's actually alright just comes across as a dreadful 'train watcher' type.

 

So, stereo all fixed finally and banging tunes can be heard in the South Devon region... if you call Marilllion, Genesis and Sam Brown 'banging tunes!

 

Oh, and the poxy car got absolutely soaking inside 'cos that bloody dog insisted on sticking his head out of the window even though the rain was (obviously) stinging his face! Silly little sod.

[vulgalour]

@fred:  That 6 year old A4 in 2001 is going to be a 20 year old Audi A4 now and a very different proposition.  You may find yourself in the same position as you are now.  Danger can be reduced if you can buy one with a decent amount of history that has genuinely been well cared for but you're going to be likely to pay more for that sort of thing.  You'll be increasing the purchase price by tenfold (£200 for the Peugeot, £2000 for the Audi), are you going to get that sort of enjoyment/saving from it?

[dollywobbler]

There's  no need to spend £2500. Frankly, with enough patience, you should be able to find something under a grand that ticks all of your boxes. You ideally want something deeply unfashionable but dependable with fairly low mileage. It's a great time to be buying cheap chod and you'll save yourself a fortune.

 

The problem with your dream scenario is that there's nothing to guarantee that an old banger will be 100% reliable, but that's also true if you spend £2500. Look at the sums - as Vulg says - does it make sense to spend £700 on a car, flog it then spend £2500 to save money?

 

In my news, I've just noticed that the XM doesn't sink anymore. Bother. I liked it sinking!

[captain_70s]

 

Local busitechture with bonus broken Dolomite + missing wheel trim action.

[The Moog]

Echo Mr V & DW.  

 

The cheapest car is often the one you have. You know the fobiles. If you have just spent £700 on 406 why not hold on to that. 

 

If you think of the cars that most people on here run around in on a semi regular basis we probably have a decent reliability rate.  In cars most people would think are scrap fodder. 

 

On the flip side if you want to go for Audi then do it. The whole AS thing is to do what you want.  

 

Perhaps what you really want is a slightly accident damaged, LPGd Focus ... totally reliable  

[stripped fred]

Thanks for the replies. I think what it is is this. When you buy a cheap car it only stays cheap if you can fix the things wrong with it yourself and I often can't. When I buy a car I like to get it's problems sorted out to make it reliable. The Peugeot will have cost me £700+ not including the cambelt. That is something I could try in the new year. That may then give me a reliable car which will last me.

 

The Audi I had was a 2001 model bought at 5 years old and kept for 6. It cost me £5k and overall cost me £50 a month depreciation. I also had a garage do the major jobs, apart from oil and brakes. The thing is it was a nice car to own and was reliable. It felt like a quality car. Maybe VAG quality dropped after the B5? I'm thinking whether the best way to do Autoshite for me is to stump up a bit of cash early on for car say 7 or 8 years old and then keep it for a long period. Also, running one car rather than taxing, insuring and mot'ing three which I'm doing at the moment.

 

My best plan may be to sell 2, run the 406 for a bit and take it from there. The car may then last me for a long time in which case I can decide what I want to do and it's not a bad car to run around in if nothing exciting. I think I need to give it a good clean as it smells musty inside which isn't helping!

[vulgalour]

If you like it and you enjoy it and you feel you can afford it then go for it.  That applies to any car, no matter the badge.

[The Moog]

If you like it and you enjoy it and you feel you can afford it then go for it. That applies to any car, no matter the badge.

I think sums it up fantastically. Along with second rule of shite club - once bored ROFFLE!

[MarvinsMom]

i've always thought that the VAG shite qualitity kwaliti was little more than smoke, mirrors and bullshit.

 

25 odd years ago VAG made a good, well made car, since then they have been trading on their legacy, and on clever marketing.

[vulgalour]

Datsun learned from their mistakes (especially corrosion) and improved on it to make a strong brand that is known and respected the world over.

 

VAG invested lots in really solid but expensive cars in the 1980s and then used clever marketing and LIES to keep up the illusion to become a strong brand that is known and respected the world over.

 

Vauxhall started out with an average product with some interesting things in the 1990s, never addressed the corrosion issue and have now completely lost the plot to become a strong brand that is known.

[R9UKE]

Was tempted today by some prime future shite. C4 Grand Picasso with the £2k optional Mistral Leather Lounge Pack.

 

Amazing future shite credentials and a bargain but that fucking EGS semi automatic whiplash-with-every-gear-change is something I don't think I could live with. Shame, because a fantastic car otherwise.

 

[ruffgeezer]

I've been ill with a virus the last few days and obviously not been feeling too good which may have coloured my recent thinking. I've been having a think about selling my 3 old cars and sinking my cash into a £2.5/3kk 10 year old a4/a6/Octavia/mondeo. I really don't have the time or expertise to keep repairing old cars so I'm a regular visitor to my local garage at the moment. My Peugeot only cost £200 but with a few jobs for the mot, new tyres, a strut top mount and aux belt will have cost me £700 all in so not that cheap in the end. My plan is to keep it for a bit then sell (for a loss) towards the newer car. Obviously this goes against all Autoshite principals especially as I am considering an Audi but I am open to opinion both positive and negative. The best all round car I had was a 2001 A4 I had for 6 years and never let me down and I had confidence in it. I want to recapture a bit of that. Of course, when I'm feeling more myself I may see the light but those are my thoughts at the moment.

 

 

So @stripped fred, talk to me about the 406 then please, Via PM if you'd prefer? 

[loserone]

There used to be a sit in bus cafe at Esh Winning of all places. Not sure if its still there

 

It's opposite my house.  Yes, it's "still" there, but it's only been there about a year.  As an added bonus there's also a car dealer on the site, with most cars in the 2-300£ range.

[MarvinsMom]

Was tempted today by some prime future shite. C4 Grand Picasso with the £2k optional Mistral Leather Lounge Pack.

 

Amazing future shite credentials and a bargain but that fucking EGS semi automatic whiplash-with-every-gear-change is something I don't think I could live with. Shame, because a fantastic car otherwise.

 

image.jpgimage.jpgimage.jpg

father in law had one of those until the gearbox fucked up in spectacular fashion in the middle of the cross roads right in the centre of malton.

 

no driver, nothing, they couldn't even get it into neutral.

 

plod turns up and tells the outlaws that they cannot "park" it there and that it needs to be moved. it was blocking traffic and causing chaos throughout Malton.

 

AA arrive and they couldn't do owt with the frigger either, it ended up been dragged, yes dragged cos the front wheels were locked up solid onto a low loader and sent back to the main stealers.

 

it was a mobility car, so they told citroen to get stuffed, and he went and got a nice ford focus instead. they could not fix the car anyway!

 

seems that the OMGTERMINALGEARBOXFAIL is very common on these.

 

shame cos they are quiet nice inside, that big window and the steering wheel what moved around all them button are pretty cool thing to see in action.

[rml2345]

That C4 interior looks utterly fantastic.

[MarvinsMom]

they are nice inside as i say, riding in one reminded more of riding in a star trek shuttle thing instead of been in a family car.

 

it is the rest of the citroen electrical things that give me the shivers......

[hairnet]

There's  no need to spend £2500. Frankly, with enough patience, you should be able to find something under a grand that ticks all of your boxes. You ideally want something deeply unfashionable but dependable with fairly low mileage. It's a great time to be buying cheap chod and you'll save yourself a fortune.

 

The problem with your dream scenario is that there's nothing to guarantee that an old banger will be 100% reliable, but that's also true if you spend £2500. Look at the sums - as Vulg says - does it make sense to spend £700 on a car, flog it then spend £2500 to save money?

 

In my news, I've just noticed that the XM doesn't sink anymore. Bother. I liked it sinking!

^^ that

 

just cos its 2000 not 200 doesnt mean itll not have been mongtarded and never serviced by the last 3 owners

 

cheap can be found if yer not fussy with good nick and well maintained

[hairnet]

That C4 interior looks utterly fantastic.

my first thought

 

auto and french is to be avoided

 

friend had the smaller version and no bother oddly - motability

[doobietoo]

My car buying friend has come across a Subaru Justy I am guessing an older one but not seen it yet..... borked engine apparently but (he says ) no rust!!!! as garaged all its life... if anyone is interested pm me and I will go and have a look, take some pics and try and work out whats wrong with it... I doubt it will be loads of money but its been left to a charity and the money is going to them so it wont be £50 either...

[Alan_Green]

The news (as in TV news) has just reported that used car prices are down 5% on last year in real terms. So even normal people are noticing the price falls.

[Bear]

What an exhausting day. Emotional rollercoaster with new starts and false starts, horrid feeling I've somehow got a speeding ticket doing 39 in a 40 in Nottingham in a bloody Picasso of all things, suddenly sofas, yeay visiting Autoshiter (cagey for reasons ), motorway chaos but thankful it's not us in those smooshed cars, mad dash back to get to Northampton in time for Alan Moore/Robin Ince and Grace Petrie.

Wow.

And tomorrow I get to be an office bunny. Me. In an office. With people. For a working day.

This could go really quite badly. Must remember inside voice and that I can't sing Nick Cave and Ben Lee songs at full volume whilst working near fellow humans.

[Bear]

Also: $importantperson totally schooled me on Picasso's appeal because her mum had one that colour and all of a sudden it was made of memories and familiarity and a role in life, rather than "how did PSA manage to make something so characterless and dire".

[cros]

Was tempted today by some prime future shite. C4 Grand Picasso with the £2k optional Mistral Leather Lounge Pack.

Amazing future shite credentials and a bargain but that fucking EGS semi automatic whiplash-with-every-gear-change is something I don't think I could live with. Shame, because a fantastic car otherwise.

image.jpgimage.jpgimage.jpg

I think it looks absolutely fucking horrible.

[doobietoo]

I think it looks absolutely fucking horrible.

which is a good enough reason to buy it on its own......