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Operation mingebag is a go.


jakebullet

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I has purchased this smoll car.

IMG_20200630_190518.thumb.jpg.c3d8440ce79eb7bb5dca2da313bcb951.jpg

It may be called startled Gerald.

The original aim was to use man maths and I can run it to Leeds and back every weekend for similar money to the train cost. People told me it's a hateful thing and a stupid idea and there's better smoll cars.

Having just taken it for a blat down the m1 they're both right and wrong. It's noisy but a different noisy to my disco. Sound of road whoosing past rather than angry diesel and at's thrumming. Round town I need to have an eye welded to the Speedo as there's way too little engine noise to judge speed by.

Think I'm going to have to get used to it being boingy on country roads.

Man maths has taken a hit already as the nice insurance company put another £40 on the premium for the audacity of wanting to insure it today. I haven't got somewhere to stash it for 3 weeks to get the cheaper price.

£10.50 spent at Halfords for new window smearing device.

There's a speed related wheel noise. Drivers rear drum gets slightly warm and passenger one is cool so I'm guessing that's what it is.

Radio has had a pioneer shoved in instead. No cd player. Lots of flashy lights and the ability to lose settings when ignition is off. Not sure if I should get an original off eBay or blow the budget further on a new radio that will play Wurlitzer cd's.

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Good runaround that!

With regards to the radio losing settings its possible they haven't installed it correctly and the wires need switching. Seen this a few times:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/268785/car-stereo-forgets-my-radio-station-presets-after-a-while-mechanics-help

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  • 2 weeks later...

I haz blown the minge bag budget :(

Target was 52 x £12.20 train ticket = £634.40

Insurance £335.22
tax £20
wiper blade £10.50
Mats £11.85
Headlight bulb upgrade, dash light up poncing, owners club membership, other fripperies £36.64
Toyota Auris wiper stalk upgrade £24.99

Took it to my friendly garage with instruction to replace everything that needs replacing & new MOT. He rates it's been looked after generally, but hasn't been serviced for approx 1.5 years. No MOT fails, new everything + adjustments mean it now drives better, but £220 bill. I could cheat and class it as start up costs.

£659.20 spent

I have desires for new wheel trims, better speakers, luxuries like a glove box door, dashcam but these will have to wait.

There's definitely the potential for these to be future shite. It has lots of 'features' that you would get on an 80's car. Interior light that goes off when you shut the door. Manually adjusted clutch. Damp caravan smell. You half expect a choke knob. 

It's interesting to join bookface groups for them. They have young kids interested in doing stuff to their "bug", raiding scrap yard for bits that fit and improve*. I had thought the youth of today was only interested in PCP plans and not getting hands dirty. They also tend to start their advice with contact insurance & declare it first which is something we used to forget* to do at that age.

The mrs. likes it, which is always a bonus. It's quite good* on the motorway, appears to sit nicely at 65. It goes faster but the loose baffles in the exhaust start rattling at over 3K rpm. Feels like a win, generally.

The project binky lot are supposed to be doing one. Be interesting to see where they add brackets.

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11 minutes ago, jakebullet said:

I haz blown the minge bag budget :(

Target was 52 x £12.20 train ticket = £634.40

Insurance £335.22
tax £20
wiper blade £10.50
Mats £11.85
Headlight bulb upgrade, dash light up poncing, owners club membership, other fripperies £36.64
Toyota Auris wiper stalk upgrade £24.99

Took it to my friendly garage with instruction to replace everything that needs replacing & new MOT. He rates it's been looked after generally, but hasn't been serviced for approx 1.5 years. No MOT fails, new everything + adjustments mean it now drives better, but £220 bill. I could cheat and class it as start up costs.

£659.20 spent

Not catching deadly diseases and smelling other people's farts on the train - £priceless

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These are great dependable things, my Dad stuck 120k on his and the only fault was the indicator stalk which is quite common. It sat for 18 months and went straight through an MOT and my uncle now has it, has put a new clutch in it though - they seem to be a when not if job. 

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12 hours ago, Liggle said:

These are great dependable things, my Dad stuck 120k on his and the only fault was the indicator stalk which is quite common. It sat for 18 months and went straight through an MOT and my uncle now has it, has put a new clutch in it though - they seem to be a when not if job. 

I took it for a run today to u pullit, to raid some speakers to supplement the 2 weedy ones in the dash. They must have had 30+ of various variants, all missing indicator stalk & hazard switch (Or with a broken one left).

Citroen are a bunch of mingebags too. I was expecting remove old door cards & A post trims, plug in new speakers, reassemble. Nope. Totally wired for just 2 speakers. Down to empty sockets in the radio plug.

Found a bonus insurance tracker jammed on the A post, so that can go in the bin.

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Change the dash speakers for something off eBay, best 30 quid you'll spend, transforms the stereo imo, if you can be bothered shopping around you can do it for less. I think it cost me about half the price of these pre-done/wired ones. 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/OWNERS-CLUB-Front-Dash-Speaker-Upgrade-Citroen-C1-Peugeot-107-Toyota-Aygo-/153508644232

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2 hours ago, 1duck said:

Change the dash speakers for something off eBay, best 30 quid you'll spend, transforms the stereo imo, if you can be bothered shopping around you can do it for less. I think it cost me about half the price of these pre-done/wired ones. 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/OWNERS-CLUB-Front-Dash-Speaker-Upgrade-Citroen-C1-Peugeot-107-Toyota-Aygo-/153508644232

It's sounding better for swapping the door cards to aygo ones with throbbing* 6 inchers in them. Also used the aygo A post covers with built in tweeters. The standard ones say 13 watts on the back and are very poo.

I may end up swapping the new* door ones for components, 6x9's in the parcel shelf old skool style and disconnect the standard windscreen ones.

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5 hours ago, jakebullet said:

It's sounding better for swapping the door cards to aygo ones with throbbing* 6 inchers in them. Also used the aygo A post covers with built in tweeters. The standard ones say 13 watts on the back and are very poo.

I may end up swapping the new* door ones for components, 6x9's in the parcel shelf old skool style and disconnect the standard windscreen ones.

Mines got 6x9s but it had them prior to my ownership, so I can't tell how much of an improvement they are. I might have to try snag some Aygo door cards though as I was considering dynamatting the doors anyway.

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Mrs Spart had one of these, it was a great car, I'm sure it was on about 180'000 when she sold it. 

With regards to your man maths, you're really not taking full advantage. Don't forget that at the end of a year you'll still have something of value, not so catching the train, also, the car can be used for other journeys, again, not the train.

Man maths score, 6/10, must try harder!

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  • 2 weeks later...

I've been using the aircon since I had it re-gassed, and thought I'd buggered the fuel economy when it dropped to 2 bars left at 358 miles. I got 405 last time so was feeling a bit down. Until I filled it and could only get 29 litres in. So I've got an inconsistent fuel gauge, and aircon 'costs' 0.4 mpg.

I suppose it's possible aircon uses a lot more, but I've balanced it out by being a better driver on the 2nd tank.

Next job is try and improve back pain by jacking the seat up a bit.  

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  • 4 weeks later...

Had a look in the boot today. Good news, no leaks. Bad news top quality* spare tyre. Nice pavement ramming previous owner.

IMG_20200827_130038.thumb.jpg.0ba2de0bfb6f6f132f191df2fb051602.jpg

Also has a dead good wheel brace.

IMG_20200827_130412.thumb.jpg.142dbd1515eea7b504ea09ce644bd6c1.jpg

 

To the breakers! Who suck teeth that it's a bit new for them, but they think there's one somewhere. They do indeed have a 107, that has a perfect wheel attached with a nearly new continental tyre on it. How much? £15. Winner winner chicken dinner.

The 107 is complete and in good nick. Not crashed so must have been terminal mechanical fail. So time to grab a few more bits for various stupid ideas.  Got door light switch so I can have the luxury of the inside light coming on with the passenger door too. Interior light, hoping to add it to the back so you can see where you're fumbling with shopping. Better wheel brace. Rev counter + surround to flog on ebay for vast profits. Few bits of better trim. Complete dash top section so I can have a go at flocking it, hopefully fixing the windscreen reflection problem. All this crap & wheel for £60. Rev counters are £50 on ebay so I think I did quite well.

I've also turned up some spacers and lifted the back of the driver's seat by 35 mm. Change in seat angle has eliminated lower back pain. I had to do the same with the disco so I'm assuming it's me who's defective rather than the cars.

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  • 9 months later...

One year in update!

Target cost was 52 x return train ticket to Leeds (12.50) = 650

Obvs I've not made this target.

£899 on insurance / repairs / upgrades*
£743 on fuel
minus 2000 disco miles saved -£400 = £1242

So only double the target. Or 16.6p per mile.

Insurance has dropped by £150 this year, and I shouldn't have to add more improvements* so just the cost of breakages to cover. I'm not attempting to calculate depreciation, it was bought with free money from scamming the bookies so treating it as a free car. 

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