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Dollywobbler's Consolidated Tat Thread


dollywobbler

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1 hour ago, Fumbler said:

Failing that wouldn't an early 2000s/late 1990s Corolla or Avensis estate do you well? The one thing I would hope for one of those is that they're not as shouty and uncomfortable as the Primera you had.

Something that is reliable, low maintenance and holds a good amount of luggage points to a solid Japanese or German car in my mind. Preferably someone that doesn't have the propensity to rust either. Perhaps a late 90's Corolla wouldn't be a good idea on that front.

This a million times, bar the German part 😅 I've had a few old Audis, VW's, BMW's, and Mercs, and they were all cars that whilst well ahead of their Jap contemporaries in refinement and finish (late 90's early 00' cars that I had mainly), they were definitely much more frustrating to live with in terms of reliability compared to the Hondas, Toyotas, Subarus etc. that I've run. Always found that things like Honda's are a piece of piss to work on as well compared to the Euro stuff.

The cheapest motoring I ever had was a 2.0 Avensis SE. I bought it for £200, did something like 12-15k miles in it over about a year before I got bored, and in that time I changed the oil and filter once and had to replace the thermostat for £3. I had to replace a tyre too, but can't blame the car for a slow puncture. It was doing about 38-42mpg on long runs as it was the lean burn model with long gears, and I had specifically bought it as I was going out with a girl near Wales and the fuel cost in my Granvia V6 was killing me driving up from Sussex. When I sold it I think I got about £250 for it on eBay. If I found myself in a fix needing a cheap, reliable motor then I'd be looking for a late 90's petrol Toyota or Honda personally.

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HUGELY EXCITING NEWS. I washed the 2CV. Naturally it then started raining.

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Also confirmed that the coolant appears to be leaking directly from the gasket on the inlet manifold (which is plastic, ugh). Quite why there's coolant there, I don't know, but it's now much worse anyway. Decision time for that one, but now really isn't the time to be forking out for all the new bits it needs. Not much point just replacing the gasket though. More drastic surgery required if it is to stay.

In summary, of a fleet of ten vehicles (ignoring the loaned PT Cruiser which should be going soon), I have three Citroens that are fully operational, and a Daewoo Matiz. That isn't here. WINNING.

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My 2 pence. Keep them all and get a great big loan from a local credit union. Then go buy a Lamborghini/other high performance VAG product and do a shocked face title page on a video. Wait for the views to roll in.

Seems to be the thing for car YouTubers do nowadays.

(Or pickup a Laguna II before they all have died off)

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2 hours ago, C1am said:

Absolutely, if you can buy quickly and don't mind a bit of work (and expense) initially.  The Saab I recently bought I would call a bargain, not in terms of resale value but defininitely in long term usability.  Purchased site unseen, it had stood for six months, with water in the rear footwell & rear wheel well with resulting mouldy interior and a dead battery.  As soon as I got it home the alternator packed up, but it had had a full service, new glow plugs, egr valve and tyres within the last 200 miles. A few days work to put it right, and I now have reliable car that should last me years, 

I agree with this, I feel my Focus was a bargain. Yes it needed a new turbo hose and a few other bits but as dolly says all cars can have issues and it has proved very reliable, which is why its still here. I see no reason why it shouldn't last several more years 

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5 hours ago, dollywobbler said:

Also confirmed that the coolant appears to be leaking directly from the gasket on the inlet manifold (which is plastic, ugh).

A plastic inlet manifold is normal these days. It keeps the inlet charge of air cooler as it doesn't conduct heat from the cylinder head- my old E34 BM had such back in 1994. Yet once upon a time, we had summer/winter settings on air filters to warm the incoming air.

I believe modern Minis have the same arrangement.

I'd like some of that rain on "the drier side of the country", as the LNER used to call it.

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If I remember correctly there was a sharp intact of breath in the comment section when you purchased the Yugo. That has to be removed from the equation pondering. 

We all know why you purchased the  Charade. But even that seems to have written it's own fate. Type for another small hatch to be called into driving school duties. That would also be great practice for the other half where she gets to experience something different. In driving that is 🤭

The two of you working on videos has certainly changed things. The last one of the Toyota. Great including the Muttley laugh at one point.

 

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9 hours ago, OM646 said:

I stand for this. And the automatic transmissions in those are indestructible. Find a good condition facelift W203. They're now 15 years old, well into shite territory

 

12 hours ago, Talbot said:

I think that depends on what the 20-ish year old car is.  Some will be an absolute money pit, whereas others still have many thousands of miles and years of service left.

A late-90s or early 2000's Merc C-class or E-class is still an absolutely viable daily & reliable car.  Whilst I hope I do have a bit of spannering skills, the '98 E-class I've been barreling about in for the last 2 years and 35k miles has been pretty reliable.  Yes, I had to put a gearbox in it when I first got it, but I knew all about that, and it's the reason the car was cheap.  I've had one lower arm break open due to rot, which was a pretty straightforward repair and one other bit of welding to do, which again I knew about when I got the car.

Other than that, 35k miles completed without any real incident.  I know I've now set myself up for a massive phail having said that, but it's been superb.  Fast, comfy, huge loadspace, reasonably economic for the size of car, etc.etc.  Allover just a competent vehicle.  One might say "boring", but being broken down at the side of the road isn't really my idea of excitement anymore.  Also, no timing belt (instead a fat duplex timing chain FTW) and no clutch.  Although I'd honestly prefer it if it had one.

Granted, you can get an absolutely shit e-class which will be an utter nightmare of problems, but that then comes down to buying the right one.  You need the right model of car, and the right one for sale.  Won't happen overnight but is possible.

My daily is the 1994 coupe. Over nine years now and 56,000miles. Just waiting for my mechanic to replace the n/s/r suspension bolt.

ps.  This replaced my C5 exclusive, KG52MFK in 2012, that replaced my CXDTR, D708RTU in 2006.

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8 minutes ago, Remspoor said:

Type for another small hatch to be called into driving school duties. That would also be great practice for the other half where she gets to experience something different. In driving that is 🤭

 

As you still seem to be able to find them, I vote Renault SuperCinq. Low mileage, cared for examples seem to turn up a lot. But also - Micras. Two a penny!

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7 minutes ago, R1152 said:

As you still seem to be able to find them, I vote Renault SuperCinq. Low mileage, cared for examples seem to turn up a lot. But also - Micras. Two a penny!

Maybe the issue with one I could find is LHD.

R5 this one looks OK But not so AS priced as I would like.

https://www.milanuncios.com/renault-de-segunda-mano/renault-r5-378588566.htm

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Micras are harder to find.

Most First and second gen cars have not warn well. Rust and paint peal seems to very common. Plus the general wear and tear takes it toll.

This maybe ok. Number plate obscuration fail.

https://www.milanuncios.com/nissan-de-segunda-mano/nissan-micra-403548342.htm

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Thanks for the suggestion I enjoyed that searching for nice examples.

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Buy the modern equivalent of a 90's Toyota. Which is probably an 8 year old Hyundai i30 Tourer. Sorry, I meant the previous i30 estate (2008-12 version)

You'll be bored out of your mind, which will be incentive enough to get the other cars going.

Can we form a Sana saving collective? I think it needs a few hours with a decent auto electrician first, see what the hell's gone on with the ignition wiring? If 'we' could save a Sana it would help seal AS's footnote in automotive history 😆

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1 minute ago, egg said:

Buy the modern equivalent of a 90's Toyota. Which is probably a Hyundai i30 Tourer.

You'll be bored out of your mind.

That's not actually the negative it comes across.

When you've got access to so many interesting old cars with different capabilities, just having that AN CAR you can always get into and not really think about or realistically care for to get to and from them and always have available for daily chores, kid ferrying etc is a good thing. if nothing else, it's basically an insurance policy on wheels.

It would take a lot of pressure off that you have to have one of the more needy cars working at the end of the day just to be able to get home. If you're working on something and there's a fail of some sort, it's late, the weather is bad and you're hungry and pissed off, just chuck the tools in a corner and fuck off home in the Zanussi. It doesn't have to be interesting, it doesn't have to be content. It's an everyday tool.

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1 hour ago, Mrcento said:

That's not actually the negative it comes across.

When you've got access to so many interesting old cars with different capabilities, just having that AN CAR you can always get into and not really think about or realistically care for to get to and from them and always have available for daily chores, kid ferrying etc is a good thing. if nothing else, it's basically an insurance policy on wheels.

It would take a lot of pressure off that you have to have one of the more needy cars working at the end of the day just to be able to get home. If you're working on something and there's a fail of some sort, it's late, the weather is bad and you're hungry and pissed off, just chuck the tools in a corner and fuck off home in the Zanussi. It doesn't have to be interesting, it doesn't have to be content. It's an everyday tool.

It seems to result with a lot of YT channels that wrench on shite. Look at the teashelf lad who owns a whole bunch of it, and has that W204 Merc for "an car" duties.

 

 

Hell, i don't have a channel, and only have a single old shiter, the Aldi, and having the W203 parked in the corner that starts at the flick of the key saved me in so many situations....

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2 hours ago, egg said:

Can we form a Sana saving collective? I think it needs a few hours with a decent auto electrician first, see what the hell's gone on with the ignition wiring? If 'we' could save a Sana it would help seal AS's footnote in automotive history 😆

I'm legit wondering if there isn't a way of frankensteining the odd Fiat bit in it 

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13 hours ago, Remspoor said:

Micras are harder to find.

Most First and second gen cars have not warn well. Rust and paint peal seems to very common. Plus the general wear and tear takes it toll.

Thanks for the suggestion I enjoyed that searching for nice examples.

YouTubes UK Salvage Rebuilts bought a decent looking Micra for scrap money, with just a small hole visible in the rear of one sill which they planned to plate up.

They put it up on the lift and it was as rotten as a pear. Really rotten, but you would never have guessed from the body and interior.

I like looking through Milanuncious too, some great stuff on there. Plus, with most of the vehicles over here being rust free (including Transits!) its just the mechanical items to worry about.

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Micras are nice but low-geared and shouty because of the undersquare engine. It would probably be as comfortable as the Primera on the motorway. If you find a prefacelift one, chances are it'll either be a low-mileage old person's car that's been well cared for, or it'll be hanging on for dear life, barely scraping through MoTs. Their interiors and seats are much better than facelift cars IMO. They're excellent commuter cars and family hatchbacks but have limitations when going at speed for long amounts of time.

I'd still say the Corolla is a good idea, especially on the corrosion resistance front.

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13 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

Did we ever get the diesel K11 in this country?

I dont think so, I know it was offered in Europe but I don't remember reading about any UK spec ones. Pity I don't still have my copies of What Car from the late 90s to refer back to 

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I don't ever remember a Diesel K11. 

I think the only small hatchbacks with diesels were the Polo/106/Saxo/AX/Charade/Metro in the Irish/UK markets. 

I don't even think there was another Japanese small hatch with a diesel other than the TD Charade. And good luck getting one of those. Genuine 70mpg car however. 

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I agree with the comments that late 90s/early 00s cars are perfectly daily-able and urge against the more modern route.

3 years and 40k later my 1997 Saab 9000 has been my main family car and not needed all that much beyond service/easily replaceable items. It’s been great. (Notwithstanding that it’s currently parked up because the exhaust mounting broke and I have other cars so I haven’t fixed it yet. 

I’d champion a Saab as a good buy for a family wagon if you went down the C5 replacement route.

 Not that you asked for any of this advice of course DW! 😂

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47 minutes ago, Spurious said:

I don't ever remember a Diesel K11. 

I think the only small hatchbacks with diesels were the Polo/106/Saxo/AX/Charade/Metro in the Irish/UK markets. 

I don't even think there was another Japanese small hatch with a diesel other than the TD Charade. And good luck getting one of those. Genuine 70mpg car however. 

The Fiesta was available as a diesel as well, the 1.8TD Lynx engine, and I'm sure the Corsa was. 

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7 minutes ago, dollywobbler said:

Nova/Corsa had Isuzu diesels. Cracking little motors by all accounts. Rover Metro used the TUD diesel shared with Saxo/AX/106. 

Turns out the Micra K11 could be had with that PSA diesel in Europe! Suzuki Vitaras could have the larger XUD diesel too.

We got Vitaras with the XUD in Ireland. And the later Vitaras with the DW10, same as your C5. 

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9 minutes ago, dollywobbler said:

Suzuki Vitaras could have the larger XUD diesel too.

And later models were actually sold with early units of the 2.0 HDI!

(This one was first registered in 2002, i thought they had stopped production in 2000....)

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  • dollywobbler changed the title to Dollywobbler's Consolidated Tat Thread

In actual fleet news, I'm doing nothing. House has to come first, so the C5 will stay and be used for as long as it is mobile. 2CV has been taking the load this week. Charade is now out of action, but while I could SORN it, a year's tax is only £30 so there's not much point. GSA is sitting ready to act as a C5 replacement if needed, and the Matiz will be coming back soon too. Starting to wish I hadn't committed to the expenditure yet, but little did I know I'd be buying a house when I sent it away!

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