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Gas Guzzling Money Pits
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Author:  GazChap [ Sun Apr 09, 2017 19:51 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gas Guzzling Money Pits

Also, remembered that BMW made the last generation of M3 in a four-door saloon model and now my wallet's itching again. 730d or M3? :P

Author:  Zardoz [ Sun Apr 09, 2017 20:02 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gas Guzzling Money Pits

Already looking, Gaz!

Was hard enough getting the one out of my Leon.

Maybe I should have started turning it the right way from the beginning. :D

Author:  Zardoz [ Sun Apr 09, 2017 22:27 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gas Guzzling Money Pits

Treated myself to a 6l oil pan too.

#yolo

Author:  Warhead [ Sun Apr 09, 2017 22:29 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gas Guzzling Money Pits

Insurance renewal again. How I hate it. My renewal quote beggared belief, up from £443 last year to £644. Got it down to £363 after an hour or two off faffing around on comparison sites. Yes, it's a reeeeeesult, but I didn't enjoy it very much.

Author:  Zardoz [ Mon Apr 10, 2017 9:27 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gas Guzzling Money Pits

My car ran lovely this morning :luv:

Next job: Front brakes (slight wobble lately when light braking so I'm guessing I've warped my disks)

Author:  Pundabaya [ Mon Apr 10, 2017 9:53 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gas Guzzling Money Pits

Zardoz wrote:
I'm guessing I've warped my disks)


Ouch, get well soon.

Alternatively

Title

Author:  asfish [ Mon Apr 10, 2017 19:28 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gas Guzzling Money Pits

Quote:
I was under no illusions when I bought the S4 that it was going to be an expensive fucker to run and maintain, so I'll just roll with the punches when it comes to nonsense like £220 batteries.


Each month a guy in the department forwards an email from a leasing company he uses.

It has various offers and deals on leasing cars.

This month there is an S4 Auto Quattro that appears to be well loaded (Sat Nav, heated seats, rear sensors phone system) for £288 a month with 10,000 PA on a 2-year deal.

A one-off payment of £3600 is also required, so that makes it around £430 a month, last time I looked at our work scheme you couldn't get a basic 320 BMW for that.

Author:  Hearthly [ Mon Apr 10, 2017 19:46 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gas Guzzling Money Pits

asfish wrote:
Each month a guy in the department forwards an email from a leasing company he uses.

It has various offers and deals on leasing cars.

This month there is an S4 Auto Quattro that appears to be well loaded (Sat Nav, heated seats, rear sensors phone system) for £288 a month with 10,000 PA on a 2-year deal.

A one-off payment of £3600 is also required, so that makes it around £430 a month, last time I looked at our work scheme you couldn't get a basic 320 BMW for that.


That's not too bad, I assume it's not a brand new S4 though?

I have no idea how these leasing scheme things work we don't really have them over here, does the cost include servicing and maintenance, and fixing stuff if it breaks, or does that all come out of your own pocket?

Author:  BikNorton [ Mon Apr 10, 2017 22:06 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gas Guzzling Money Pits

The point of leasing is you get a new car. Usually includes servicing, not always tyres.

Author:  ApplePieOfDestiny [ Mon Apr 10, 2017 22:07 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gas Guzzling Money Pits

BikNorton wrote:
The point of leasing is you get a new car. Usually includes servicing, not always tyres.

Servicing is an option. And normally an overpriced one.

Author:  asfish [ Tue Apr 11, 2017 7:46 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gas Guzzling Money Pits

Hearthly wrote:
asfish wrote:
Each month a guy in the department forwards an email from a leasing company he uses.

It has various offers and deals on leasing cars.

This month there is an S4 Auto Quattro that appears to be well loaded (Sat Nav, heated seats, rear sensors phone system) for £288 a month with 10,000 PA on a 2-year deal.

A one-off payment of £3600 is also required, so that makes it around £430 a month, last time I looked at our work scheme you couldn't get a basic 320 BMW for that.


That's not too bad, I assume it's not a brand new S4 though?

I have no idea how these leasing scheme things work we don't really have them over here, does the cost include servicing and maintenance, and fixing stuff if it breaks, or does that all come out of your own pocket?



Yes its brand new, I know the work lease scheme includes everything, so you can have them come to work and do tyres and the servicing is included even insurance I think.

With the S4 deal I think you just get the car, these sorts of deals are really popular as you can get cars that were normally well out of you league financially. One of my mates at work had been saving for years to get a good deposit on a an A3 (not sure of the model but its the same sort of car as the 300bhp golf) he now just accepts the fact he is setting aside £200-300 a month and leasing it.

The S4 is tempting as my own car allowance would cover it, but with a car paid for already and a 2nd child due anytime there is always something better to spend £400 a month on.

This is a snip of the S4 deal

Author:  ApplePieOfDestiny [ Tue Apr 11, 2017 8:32 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gas Guzzling Money Pits

12 months up front is fairly cheeky on a 24 month lease. I've only just one to terms with paying 6+36 next time out.

Author:  MaliA [ Tue Apr 11, 2017 9:10 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gas Guzzling Money Pits

EXCITING ROVER UPDATE!

It's MoT day!

Author:  Kern [ Tue Apr 11, 2017 9:21 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gas Guzzling Money Pits

MaliA wrote:
EXCITING ROVER UPDATE!

It's MoT day!


Are you running on a book on what it'll fail on?

Author:  MaliA [ Tue Apr 11, 2017 9:30 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gas Guzzling Money Pits

Kern wrote:
MaliA wrote:
EXCITING ROVER UPDATE!

It's MoT day!


Are you running on a book on what it'll fail on?


It'll pass, because God hates me.

Author:  Zardoz [ Tue Apr 11, 2017 10:20 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gas Guzzling Money Pits

Good luck?

Author:  Goddess Jasmine [ Tue Apr 11, 2017 10:44 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gas Guzzling Money Pits

MaliA wrote:
EXCITING ROVER UPDATE!

It's MoT day!

Just picked mine up. Straight pass with no advisories. :)

Author:  MaliA [ Tue Apr 11, 2017 11:36 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gas Guzzling Money Pits

Kern wrote:
MaliA wrote:
EXCITING ROVER UPDATE!

It's MoT day!


Are you running on a book on what it'll fail on?


Battery insecure, new tyre needed, wiper blade, headlamp adjustment. £125.

Author:  Zardoz [ Tue Apr 11, 2017 11:46 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gas Guzzling Money Pits

Have you tried talking to your battery? If that doesn't work there's always counselling.

Give it my best wishes.

Author:  myp [ Tue Apr 11, 2017 13:31 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gas Guzzling Money Pits

That reminds me, I need to book mine.

Author:  MaliA [ Wed Apr 12, 2017 15:47 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gas Guzzling Money Pits

Huh, someone on Facebook has taken umbridge to a photo of an unmarked pilice car in Shrewsbury (large white ford thing, VX17 CKV) being out up, because there's "less chance of creeping up on a burglar, now". Which is odd.

Author:  myp [ Wed Apr 12, 2017 15:50 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gas Guzzling Money Pits

MaliA wrote:
Huh, someone on Facebook has taken umbridge to a photo of an unmarked pilice car in Shrewsbury (large white ford thing, VX17 CKV) being out up, because there's "less chance of creeping up on a burglar, now". Which is odd.

Police apologists eh?

Author:  Hearthly [ Thu Apr 13, 2017 20:55 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gas Guzzling Money Pits

Man gets presented with a $57,000 repair estimate from Mercedes to fix his R63. Decides to do it himself in his garage.

(The R63 was a very limited run of what is effectively a minivan with a 507HP 6.3L V8 in it.)

http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture ... 00-repair/

Quote:
We all know how rare the R63 is. Less than 200 examples were ever built, making the V8-powered minivan a hard car to find. User "Mazdadeuce" over on the Grassroots Motorsports forums decided to pick up a white example with 94,000 miles on the clock from a Mercedes dealer without any kind of warranty. Sadly, 12,000 miles into ownership, one of the head bolts near the back of the engine failed, causing everything to go to hell.

So, Mazdadeuce took his ailing Merc to the local dealership to assess the damage. In the end, they came back with a staggering $57,515 repair estimate to rebuild the engine. Absurd? Yes. But that's the price of late-model German luxury.


There's a fantastically engrossing thread to read, it starts off with the guy researching the car and buying it, then on Page 7 disaster strikes (it starts smoking like crazy, and there's coolant in the oil).

https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum ... 824/page7/

The thread's still running but he's basically managed to take it all to pieces, and put it back together again, doing a repair for a couple of thousand dollars in parts that Mercedes wanted over $57,000 for.

There are loads of pictures and it's a really good read.

Attachment:
r63.JPG

Attachment:
r32_2.JPG

Author:  GazChap [ Fri Apr 14, 2017 8:45 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gas Guzzling Money Pits

Expensive month this month. Having remedial work done to the Celica by my trusty specialist, and also some cosmetic stuff too.

General servicing, including fixing various minor niggles - £450. This could have been worse, as the sunroof wasn't working and a local garage has diagnosed it as the mechanism being fucked, which would have meant cutting the roof out and welding it back in with a new mechanism - trusty mechanic just replaces the faulty switch ;)

Cutting out a growing patch of rust on my near side rear arch, then fabricating and welding in a replacement patch, including painting - £400.

Undersealing the car for rustproofing - £120.

Refurbishing all four wheels to repaint them in white and get rid of kerb marks - probably near £400.

Have now asked trusty mechanic to powder coat my brake calipers while he's got it, too.

Oh, and Jem's Fabia has had a massive coolant leak for months. Took it to be looked at while we were away - leak diagnosed as being in the water pump. Cam belt also looked like it was hanging on by its last thread so replaced that too. £253.

Hopefully all the remedial work will minimise future expenditure on the Celica though.

Author:  myp [ Fri Apr 14, 2017 9:47 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gas Guzzling Money Pits

Ouch. Old cars are expensive aren't they? Things I need/want doing:

Short term:
Wheels refurbed
Rear window privacy glass
New front and rear red H badges
New front wiper arms
New driver side wing mirror
Scratches and paint chips resprayed
Japanese shape registration plates

Longer term:
Mugen grille and front bumper lip
Full respray or vinyl wrap in championship white
Wheels refurbed in CW
Supercharger kit

Author:  GazChap [ Fri Apr 14, 2017 9:50 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gas Guzzling Money Pits

Careful with the number plates - you could get pulled by a particularly arsey plod - JDM sized plates (well, motorcycle plates) are technically only legal on imported vehicles that can't fit a standard UK plate.

Author:  Dr Zoidberg [ Fri Apr 14, 2017 10:05 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gas Guzzling Money Pits

Lonewolves wrote:
Ouch. Old cars are expensive aren't they?


All cars are expensive. My Octavia has needed nothing but scheduled services (4 so far, all free) and a pair of front tyres in the last 41k, but I've been paying a few hundred quid a month in depreciation.

In other car related news, I did the Morgan factory tour on Monday which I can highly recommend as it's a fascinating place. Only downside is I'm now trying to work out if I should buy a three wheeler :D

Author:  myp [ Fri Apr 14, 2017 11:24 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gas Guzzling Money Pits

GazChap wrote:
Careful with the number plates - you could get pulled by a particularly arsey plod - JDM sized plates (well, motorcycle plates) are technically only legal on imported vehicles that can't fit a standard UK plate.

Is that true? Hmmm.

Author:  GazChap [ Fri Apr 14, 2017 12:50 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gas Guzzling Money Pits

Lonewolves wrote:
GazChap wrote:
Careful with the number plates - you could get pulled by a particularly arsey plod - JDM sized plates (well, motorcycle plates) are technically only legal on imported vehicles that can't fit a standard UK plate.

Is that true? Hmmm.

Yup.

Author:  myp [ Fri Apr 14, 2017 15:19 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gas Guzzling Money Pits

GazChap wrote:
Lonewolves wrote:
GazChap wrote:
Careful with the number plates - you could get pulled by a particularly arsey plod - JDM sized plates (well, motorcycle plates) are technically only legal on imported vehicles that can't fit a standard UK plate.

Is that true? Hmmm.

Yup.

That's not clear. It seems to refer to having characters that are smaller than the UK legal size. I'd get UK legal size lettering just with a different shaped plate to match JDM.

Author:  MaliA [ Fri Apr 14, 2017 15:21 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gas Guzzling Money Pits

Wasn't it built in Swindon, though?

Author:  myp [ Fri Apr 14, 2017 15:21 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gas Guzzling Money Pits

MaliA wrote:
Wasn't it built in Swindon, though?

Yep!

Author:  GazChap [ Fri Apr 14, 2017 16:44 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gas Guzzling Money Pits

Lonewolves wrote:
That's not clear. It seems to refer to having characters that are smaller than the UK legal size. I'd get UK legal size lettering just with a different shaped plate to match JDM.

Don't think it's possible to get two lines of 79mm high characters on to a motorcycle sized plate and retain legal spacing around the characters.

You'd have to be ludicrously unlucky to get pulled for it, though.

Author:  Hearthly [ Fri Apr 14, 2017 17:08 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gas Guzzling Money Pits

Dr Zoidberg wrote:
All cars are expensive.


This, basically.

By the time I've had the brake pads and suspension bushes done on the S4, it'll have cost me about £1500 in two months.

In fact, quick tot up:

Tax - £330 (my own fault for getting a car in the 'planet fucking' category, although there are higher brackets than this)
Insurance - £380 (IIRC)
Service - £280
Battery - £220 (lol)
Brake pads and bushes - £300 (guesstimate, labour will be the arse on the bushes apparently)

And then it's about £50-£60 a week in petrol as well. (Again my own fault for using the flappy paddles far more than is necessary and howling the bollocks out of it.) Plus whatever it's depreciating by as well.

If you're driving anything other than a disposable junker then car ownership is basically one of the best ways to set fire to many thousands of pounds per year.

Author:  Dr Zoidberg [ Fri Apr 14, 2017 21:36 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gas Guzzling Money Pits

GazChap wrote:
Lonewolves wrote:
That's not clear. It seems to refer to having characters that are smaller than the UK legal size. I'd get UK legal size lettering just with a different shaped plate to match JDM.

Don't think it's possible to get two lines of 79mm high characters on to a motorcycle sized plate and retain legal spacing around the characters.

You'd have to be ludicrously unlucky to get pulled for it, though.


SUVs often have squareish plates with full sized lettering.

Author:  GazChap [ Fri Apr 14, 2017 22:45 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gas Guzzling Money Pits

Yeah, those aren't Japanese-sized plates. Jap plates are the same size as those often found on motorcycles (although the SUV plates you mention are also often seen on motorbikes)

Author:  Hearthly [ Sun Apr 16, 2017 11:30 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gas Guzzling Money Pits

Mate of mine took delivery of this beauty at the end of last week.

88K on the clock but drives like a new car, you can't argue with Honda's bombproof mechanicals.

240bhp to the rear wheels and very little in the way of driver assists. Quite a spirited drive!

This is a 2009 model so it's got the traction control as standard (prior to that even that nod to good behaviour wasn't fitted so get it badly wrong and it will just launch you into a nearby field).

Have to say I have a massive soft spot for fast Hondas, (I've had a Jap import Prelude Type-S in the past, and of course the Type-R was my car before the S4, and a mate had an S2000 over a decade ago), and having had a blast in this S2000 I can well remember why.

This cost £9K, apparently values are on the rise for nice ones now.

Attachment:
s2000.JPG

Author:  myp [ Sun Apr 16, 2017 13:32 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gas Guzzling Money Pits

You seem to have forgotten about the Merc.

Author:  Hearthly [ Sun Apr 16, 2017 15:26 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gas Guzzling Money Pits

Lonewolves wrote:
You seem to have forgotten about the Merc.


Oh yes, deleted from the memory banks already, apparently.

This is how I manage to function within something vaguely resembling normal parameters despite a lifetime of catastrophically self-destructive and expensive decisions in all aspects of my life - outright denial.

Author:  Sir Taxalot [ Tue Apr 18, 2017 0:15 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gas Guzzling Money Pits

That S2000 does look really nice. Are they OK for 'regular' driving though or is it the sort of car that has to be hooned?

Author:  Hearthly [ Tue Apr 18, 2017 8:42 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gas Guzzling Money Pits

Sir Taxalot wrote:
That S2000 does look really nice. Are they OK for 'regular' driving though or is it the sort of car that has to be hooned?


It's an old-school VTEC so up to 4000rpm it's very tame and a perfectly nice 'normal' car, 4000-6000rpm it starts getting interesting and then 6000-9000rpm it all goes a bit mental.

Peak torque is at 8500rpm.

So it's very much a case of how you drive it and what sort of mood you're in.

Author:  myp [ Wed Apr 19, 2017 9:21 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gas Guzzling Money Pits

Car just needed front pads, other than that just three advisories: front calipers sticking, a bit of play in the ARB and a bit too much travel in the handbrake. :attitude:

Author:  MaliA [ Wed Apr 19, 2017 9:44 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gas Guzzling Money Pits

Lonewolves wrote:
Car just needed front pads, other than that just three advisories: front calipers sticking, a bit of play in the ARB and a bit too much travel in the handbrake. :attitude:


Excellent news.

Author:  DavPaz [ Wed Apr 19, 2017 10:01 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gas Guzzling Money Pits

MaliA wrote:
Lonewolves wrote:
Car just needed front pads, other than that just three advisories: front calipers sticking, a bit of play in the ARB and a bit too much travel in the handbrake. :attitude:


Excellent news.

Harsh. Have you been tampering with his brakes?

Author:  myp [ Wed Apr 19, 2017 11:47 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gas Guzzling Money Pits

To celebrate I've bought a set of genuine remanufactured front calipers in red (£150), OEM Type R front and rear interior mats (£46) and a set of Bosch AeroTwin wiper blades (£15).

Author:  BikNorton [ Wed Apr 19, 2017 12:39 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gas Guzzling Money Pits

VTEC is more like 6k in the s2k. 9k redline means an up shift puts you back above it.

It's fine in normal driving before there though.

Just gotta drive it to your mood and not whinge about lack of overtaking 'low down'.

Author:  myp [ Wed Apr 19, 2017 12:46 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gas Guzzling Money Pits

Slightly more torque than my Civic - ie not much. Rev it high if you want power!

Author:  GazChap [ Wed Apr 19, 2017 15:31 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gas Guzzling Money Pits

Just had a sniff around and a shit in the new Nissan Micra at my local Nissan dealer.

Conflicted, now. My plan for when the LEAF went back (and assuming I don't just use the Celica/Fabia as a daily driver) was to replace it with a BMW 730d, a decent one of which I should be able to pick up for ~12K, and I would own it at the end of the finance period.

However, the new Micra does tick all the right boxes - with one potential exception - and would undoubtedly be more reliable and economical - but I'd basically just be renting it again.

(the exception is that it currently doesn't have an automatic gearbox, and with my current back/leg troubles I'm not sure I can stomach driving a manual day in day out - I'm OK normally but when my problems flare up it causes immense pain to use the clutch)

//edit: Spotted the typo, fuck it, I'm leaving it there :P

Author:  markg [ Wed Apr 19, 2017 15:36 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gas Guzzling Money Pits

GazChap wrote:
Conflicted, now. My plan for when the LEAF went back (and assuming I don't just use the Celica/Fabia as a daily driver) was to replace it with a BMW 730d, a decent one of which I should be able to pick up for ~12K, and I would own it at the end of the finance period.

When it will be worth about £5K.

Just buy an old Nissan Micra. It will probably be reliable and you could own it outright for the price of a less than a months rental of the new one.

Image

Author:  MaliA [ Wed Apr 19, 2017 15:44 ]
Post subject:  Re: Gas Guzzling Money Pits

markg wrote:
GazChap wrote:
Conflicted, now. My plan for when the LEAF went back (and assuming I don't just use the Celica/Fabia as a daily driver) was to replace it with a BMW 730d, a decent one of which I should be able to pick up for ~12K, and I would own it at the end of the finance period.

When it will be worth about £5K.

Just buy an old Nissan Micra. It will probably be reliable and you could own it outright for the price of a less than a months rental of the new one.

Image



Rover 25. 12 months MoT. Some bodywork is a little less that pristine, and the blower doesn't work on settings one and two. £985

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