1999 and is now sold. Old friend hoovered it off me this morning after seeing it. Small profit at mates rate and I’ll get to see how well it does as it’ll be staying local.
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I have a 52 plate Focus 1.6 that I purchased around 5 years ago for £1500. I love bangernomics but I only partly subscribe to the philosophy in so much as it's kept immaculate and I will get larger repairs done as and when they arise (within reason) at my excellent indy garage. I feel that's compensated by the fact of what the vehicles worth to me, I know what's been done to it with a near negligablel initial purchase price. Unless something absolutely fatal goes on it, I'm determined to keep going for at least the next 5 years. It gives me a bit of a warm glow as it sits in the staff car park at work surrounded by brand new diesels on PCP deals. I can see their depreciation dripping onto the tarmac. I even had a comment from a couple of teenagers at at work who thought of it as a"classic!"
Edited by Gateway88 on 02/06/2018 at 11:59
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I have the advert from when the last owner bought it - was on a notice board in Morrisons. He paid £800 for it 6yrs ago which was an absolute steal and got £250 back. His only expenses other than tyres and breaks was an exhaust and a timing belt change. Less than £100 a year in depreciation and I’m confident that the new owner will get another couple of years out of it.
Edited by SLO76 on 02/06/2018 at 12:45
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"I can see their depreciation dripping onto the tarmac."
Nice turn of phrase, sums it up! Yes, in our street there are a couple of driveways where there are probably 70 to 80K worth of new stuff, yet same people still complain of high fuel prices!!
We have a 14 year old Corolla and an 11 year old Panda in the fleet, I'm always amazed just how cheap motoring can be if they're well maintained and one is not bothered too much about having the latest model.
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"I can see their depreciation dripping onto the tarmac."
Nice turn of phrase, sums it up! Yes, in our street there are a couple of driveways where there are probably 70 to 80K worth of new stuff, yet same people still complain of high fuel prices!!
We have a 14 year old Corolla and an 11 year old Panda in the fleet, I'm always amazed just how cheap motoring can be if they're well maintained and one is not bothered too much about having the latest model.
I now buy new cars as I know that no-one has thrashed them, and they will be well maintained. Build faults tend to appear within the warranty period too. I only kept the VW Up 6 years as it’d done 130,000 miles. The Ford Ka, teapot model, was beyond economic repair at ten years old. The current Polo should last many years. For me the concern about old cars is reliability, since I have a 25 mile commute each way, and no second car. I cannot imagine blowing £40,000 or more on a car. Not even £25,000. I have the cash, but we are talking £5,000 a year on a car. Nope. Almost twenty years ago I put £6,000 in an ISA which is now worth £60,000. Had I bought a car instead, it’d be worth nowt today.
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It’s all horses for course I guess.
All things can be bought more cheaply whether at car boot sales, charity shops or £1 shops.
And most things apart from houses or cars are worth little or nothing after initial purchase. Ie TVs, clothing and holidays.
Chucking a few pints of beer down your neck every night or smoking 20 woodbine a day hardly make good financial sense either.
I always drive a newish car bought at 6-12 months old, keep for a couple of years and move on.
I enjoy the refinement, comfort and piece of mind of a new car.
Yes, no doubt it costs me, but I’m a car nut and that’s my fix.
I also own a nearly a 20 year old almost classic and reliable as it is, there will be a point when it fails and parts will be nonexistent and that’s the part I can’t be bothered with.
My current car has three years warranty, three years breakdown cover and I am unlikely to use either.
But ultimately you Bangernomics fans need me or you will have no supply.
We are different and it’s good we can all enjoy our own thing!
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I also own a nearly a 20 year old almost classic and reliable as it is, there will be a point when it fails and parts will be nonexistent and that’s the part I can’t be bothered with.
If a true 'classic' with a following, you will probably always be able to source parts.
But ultimately you Bangernomics fans need me or you will have no supply. We are different and it’s good we can all enjoy our own thing!
Well said. Although since the advent of the MoT and stagnation of car design there is no such thing as an 'old banger' these days. I saw a very clean 20 year old Audi A6 the other day - to the automotively uninterested (e.g.SWMBO) it looked nearly new.
Edited by John F on 03/06/2018 at 10:24
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I am the same Leif, I have the money but not the desire to spend large amounts on a car, although I am fascinated by all things motoring. Buying a moderately priced car and keeping for years or high mileage is of course another way to get excellent value for money, I do almost that typically, with a lightly used buy and keep for a good few years. I don't get attached to them and treat them as white goods. That way I don't get upset or stressed if they get dinged or sctratched. My bikes though, feel different, they seem to be a more emotional involvement, probably because they offer much more fun when used!
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Totally agree.
Cars are becoming bigger, heavier and generally quieter ie Dull
Aside maybe GT86, MX5 and poss M3.
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I've taken the new car route about eight years ago with a Golf Tdi 1.6 only to find it lacks all the grunt you would expect from a diesel.
Now I've enjoyed 50k miles from an A4 1.9 Tdi 130 and the pulling power ease of driving, fuel economy never ceases to amaze me.
Ok it gets regular servicing each year , which just cost £270 including reassembling the air con clutch which had fallen apart an resting in the under engine tray.
No rattles whatsoever and 55 profile tyres plus full spare.
I can understand why the local Eastern European community keep asking me to sell it. But for £550 ? Which is its trade in value.
They are far more car savvy than us Brits when it comes to car value on a budget. But seem to prefer German to Japanese.
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They are far more car savvy than us Brits when it comes to car value on a budget. But seem to prefer German to Japanese.
Maybe because they can sell them easily for a decent profit when they go home on holiday, fly back, rinse and repeat.
Even Indians have moved away from Japanese to German cars in the course of a generation, and long may this continue to be the case, or we might be paying far more for our ultra reliable used bargains.
The Polish lads do have a bonus over us too, i know chaps who have got their petrol cars LPG converted whilst home for a week or more, circa 1/2 the cost of a conversion in the UK, very popular alternative fuel in Poland, similar cost savings for bodywork etc if they can get things done in the timeframe.
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Even Indians have moved away from Japanese to German cars in the course of a generation, and long may this continue to be the case, or we might be paying far more for our ultra reliable used bargains.
On my last visit to NW India in January Suzukis seemed to be very popular with other Japanese / Korean stuff quite numerous, Did not notice an over abundance of German metal. Sadly the old Ambassadors were very rare now.
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My mountain bike is worth more than my wife's car, which may sound mean spirited, but in defence of that, her mountain bike is also similarly valuable. Fortunately, it's still allowed to spend yer dosh on what makes you happiest. ;-)
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Fortunately, it's still allowed to spend yer dosh on what makes you happiest. ;-)
Hmm - I wonder how long that will allowed to continue?
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"I can see their depreciation dripping onto the tarmac."
Nice turn of phrase, sums it up! Yes, in our street there are a couple of driveways where there are probably 70 to 80K worth of new stuff, yet same people still complain of high fuel prices!!
We have a 14 year old Corolla and an 11 year old Panda in the fleet, I'm always amazed just how cheap motoring can be if they're well maintained and one is not bothered too much about having the latest model.
I now buy new cars as I know that no-one has thrashed them, and they will be well maintained. Build faults tend to appear within the warranty period too. I only kept the VW Up 6 years as it’d done 130,000 miles. The Ford Ka, teapot model, was beyond economic repair at ten years old. The current Polo should last many years. For me the concern about old cars is reliability, since I have a 25 mile commute each way, and no second car. I cannot imagine blowing £40,000 or more on a car. Not even £25,000. I have the cash, but we are talking £5,000 a year on a car. Nope. Almost twenty years ago I put £6,000 in an ISA which is now worth £60,000. Had I bought a car instead, it’d be worth nowt today.
Almost 40 years ago Nick Mason (Pink Floyd) paid £35k for a Ferrari 250GTO, it is currently worth around £30 million.
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Notice the car you bought was a 99 Corolla which in my experience were from an era when Toyotas were built in Japan with their strict quality control on suppliers.
I found a 2000 year Yaris for my sons fiancée and it never fails to astound me how everything still works, no mot advisories and completely rust free.
Later cars from the Japanese manufacturers but built with locally sourced components do not appear to have faired so well.
My local Honda dealer initially refused to take any cars not built in Japan and labelled them as inferior products.
So SLO as the fountain of all knowledge is there any cred ance in my observation? And which Japanese Toyotas and Honda are still built in their home countries ?
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“Later cars from the Japanese manufacturers but built with locally sourced components do not appear to have faired so well.”
Can’t say I’ve noticed this. Some of the most robust cars ever to grace our roads were Japanese designed and UK built. Ultimately It’s down to the design and not where it’s built.
Nissan Bluebird
Nissan Primera (excluding final model which was post Renault takeover and rubbish)
Nissan Micra K11/K12
Toyota Carina E/Avensis
Toyota Auris
Honda Accord
Honda Civic
Honda Jazz
Honda CRV
To name a few, all built in the UK using a great deal of locally sourced parts and all just as reliable as Japanese built equivalents in my experience.
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Thanks for that SLO
Think the last of the Corollas were built here too.
But any idea where the latest Jazz and HRV are built ? Mexico and Japan ?
Understand the CHR is built in Turkey and production of the CRV is moving to Canada.
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3 doors made in Japan, 5 doors Brit built
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“Later cars from the Japanese manufacturers but built with locally sourced components do not appear to have faired so well.” Can’t say I’ve noticed this. Some of the most robust cars ever to grace our roads were Japanese designed and UK built. Ultimately It’s down to the design and not where it’s built. Nissan Bluebird Nissan Primera (excluding final model which was post Renault takeover and rubbish) Nissan Micra K11/K12 Toyota Carina E/Avensis Toyota Auris Honda Accord Honda Civic Honda Jazz Honda CRV To name a few, all built in the UK using a great deal of locally sourced parts and all just as reliable as Japanese built equivalents in my experience.
I've noticed quite the opposite but that's just what personal experience shows.
I sold Suzuki's in the early 00s and the Spanish built SJs were appalling, Vitaras pretty bad too.
My Wife had a Hungarian built 55 plate Swift which had no end of problems.
I also remember buying a Daihatsu and the sales manager telling me that their fleet of Micras used as courtesy cars for their bodyshop were terrible for reliability. They were the first generation built under the Nissan-Renault alliance.
I only buy Japanese built cars now. They are harder to find though. Interestingly, I believe that the new Swift is sourced once again from Japan.
Edited by groaver on 03/06/2018 at 14:04
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I had a 06 plate swift Hungarian built never a moment's trouble and I still have a 60 plate sx4 bought from new not a single problem and it's only used for short runs.
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My 2012 Jazz is UK built.. It's only 6 years old but so far it's been 100% reliable..Consumables only.
Our 2003 Toyota Yaris D4D has had an apalling reliability record in te epast three years: Heater motor regulator, driver's window actuator, glowplugs have all failed. Repairs cost a staggering £60ish...As it was built in Japan I am sadly disappointed - I thought Japanese cars lasted forever..
:-)
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Our 2003 Toyota Yaris D4D has had an apalling reliability record in te epast three years: Heater motor regulator, driver's window actuator, glowplugs have all failed. Repairs cost a staggering £60ish...As it was built in Japan I am sadly disappointed - I thought Japanese cars lasted forever..
:-)
Know what yer mean...I had a bulb blow one year...I did think of taking it up with the highest level of Toyota management..!!
Disgraceful...and I think that cost me at least a couple of quid...and for someone with Yorkshire DNA, that's painful..lol
Edited by nellyjak on 03/06/2018 at 19:21
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Yes, a blown headlight bulb was the sum total failure on my first Landcruiser over a 5 year period, insurance write off at around 130k miles.
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My 2010 sx4 is still on all its original bulbs from the factory after nearly 8 years of ownership I did have to replace the original battery at the beging of last month for the very exspensive cost of £63
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Only things beyond normal wear and tear (tyres, breaks, exhausts) that I’ve ever had to do on a Japanese car were a distributor on an 1988 Mazda 323, a steering rack on a 2002 Civic, a few window regulators and sticky rear calippers on MX5’s plus an electric window motor on an 89 Nissan Bluebird ZX Turbo.
I should probably include the juddering clutch I managed to get under warranty on my current Honda CRV but i’ll Give them credit for doing it at 26,000 miles for free and to be honest they’re right that it is a characteristic of CRV’s particularly the diesels, this one was particularly bad however. Considering the number of them I’ve owned and traded over the years this is real credit to Toyota, Honda, Mazda and (pre Renault) Nissan.
Though I’ve been surprised by many motors you’d normally associate with poor reliability. We ran a 1989 Citroen BX TZD Turbo as a hack and loaner at one dealer I worked at and nothing ever went wrong with it no matter how hard we tried to kill it. Comfy, fast, economical and utterly reliable unlike every other one I sold.
An early 88 Volvo 480 ES I sold to a Saab/Volvo fanatic who lived over the back door from me fully expecting to see paving stones flying over the wall at me soon after but no he had it 7yrs or so with almost nothing to report.
A Peugeot 405 1.9 GR Estate I flogged to a pal knowing they were murder for hot starting problems and it again ran flawlessly for years.
I also flogged loads of Rover 800’s and not a moments bother was had beyond the occasional wonky central locking system.
We also ran a Renault Extra Van for the family business which still ran faultlessly at 14yrs old and 100k. I needed something newer on account of the value of cigarette stock I regularly carried from Glasgow wholesalers at the time and couldn’t risk breaking down at the side of the M77 with 10k worth of stuff in the back. The Kangoo that replaced it was a dog, so was the next one. I finally accepted Renault didn’t make decent motors anymore and bought a VW Caddy instead which was brilliant.
Edited by SLO76 on 03/06/2018 at 20:12
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