Seiing an old 'friend'

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Wed 11 Dec 2024 22:08
Seiing an old 'friend' - daveyjp

Just over 4 years after I sold it I saw my old Forester yesterday, its now over ten years old and close to 90,000 miles.

Unfortunately it was in the Subaru dealer having had major gearbox surgery to rectify the issues caused by a clutch change earlier this year which was carried out by an independent garage.

Other than that issue it looked as good as the day I sold it.

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Thu 12 Dec 2024 08:03
Seiing an old 'friend' - SLO76
I frequently see old “Terrance” the Toyota, my old Avensis with his new owner while sauntering around Johnstone (near Glasgow) on one of my wee service bus duties. New owner is keeping him very tidy, but from checking the most recent Mot there were several advisories for rust that I never had. I knew it was getting a bit crispy underneath on the rear subframe but it was never an advisory, this latest Mot seems to suggest I offloaded at the right time.

It’s all suspension components and not the actual structure of the car though and it’s well worth spending a bit of money on to get another 5-10yrs out of it. It still looks very tidy and the engine and gearbox were perfect. It’s much missed as a workhorse as it had much more space than the C Class Merc that replaced it and I miss having a manual box.

Edited by SLO76 on 12/12/2024 at 08:06

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Thu 12 Dec 2024 08:47
Seiing an old 'friend' - paul 1963

Strangely enough I saw my Vitara yesterday, traded in for our current Swift, still looked nice and clean but she only left me 2 months ago and spent a month on the dealers forecourt so not much chance to get it filthy I guess?

Like SLO I do miss it despite loving the swift, think it's the only car I've owned I've ever seen again?

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Fri 13 Dec 2024 09:48
Seiing an old 'friend' - JonestHon
I frequently see old “Terrance” the Toyota, my old Avensis with his new owner while sauntering around Johnstone (near Glasgow) on one of my wee service bus duties. New owner is keeping him very tidy, but from checking the most recent Mot there were several advisories for rust that I never had. I knew it was getting a bit crispy underneath on the rear subframe but it was never an advisory, this latest Mot seems to suggest I offloaded at the right time. It’s all suspension components and not the actual structure of the car though and it’s well worth spending a bit of money on to get another 5-10yrs out of it. It still looks very tidy and the engine and gearbox were perfect. It’s much missed as a workhorse as it had much more space than the C Class Merc that replaced it and I miss having a manual box.

Clear north-south divide SLO, my petrol version of Terrance crossed into the 152k territory recently and has no rust anywhere on it's undercarriage parts. But it spent all its life in the south west Severn Vale where we hardly see the gritters in action. The gear box on these big old boats is simply sweet so I know what you mean.

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Thu 12 Dec 2024 08:48
Seiing an old 'friend' - craig-pd130

I had a slightly spooky and poignant sighting of a familiar car a few years back.

My dad bought an Octavia mk1 brand new in 2001, and he and my mum absolutely loved it, going all over the country in it and keeping it in excellent nick. He passed in early 2015, and we sold it locally (my mum doesn't drive).

That same summer, we were on holiday in Criccieth and walking along the seafront. As we walked, I noticed a metallic dark green mk1 Octavia driving towards. 'Looks just like dad's,' I thought. Then I clocked the number plate: it was dad's. In the car were a family with a couple of small kids: that 14-year-old Octavia was still doing sterling service. Brought a tear to my eye, that did.

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Thu 12 Dec 2024 09:50
Seeing an old 'friend' - Andrew-T

I've corrected the title, which I previously thought read 'Selling' :-)

Many years back, when the daughters were cutting their driving teeth on used (BMC) Minis, we had a T-reg one which had started life in white, been rolled in the snow (perhaps winter of 81), gutted and repainted in bright blue. In truth it was a pretty ropey vehicle, but a year or two after getting rid, it bombed past us coming south on the M6. It seemed to be going OK, but I was glad not to be in it.

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Thu 12 Dec 2024 10:37
Seeing an old 'friend' - skidpan

Bought a new Golf GTi in May 1989 and kept until August 1996 by which time it had covered 113,000 and was still reliable and in (if I do say myself) excellent condition. Only changed it since I had got a 3 year contract for consultancy work and with the miles to be covered needed a diesel (bought a Polo 1.9).

Never saw it again until February 2016 (almost 20 years later) when it was parked in our local Tesco. Hung about a bit and the owner did turn up. Had a chat with him, brother had given him the car as a project. "Only" 199,000 miles on the clock, if true it had only covered 83,000 in the 20 years after I sold it.

Just looked and MOT expired in August 2016 and its on a SORN.

Last V5C issued in 2021 so a different person may own it now.

It may live again or perhaps its being used on track days.

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Thu 12 Dec 2024 11:19
Seeing an old 'friend' - Steveieb

Unlike to see my old Audi a4 Tdi PD as it probably went to Eastern Europe.

But what an amazing car it was. Original exhaust etc and can’t remember the number of times I was asked to sell it by Eastern European passers bye.

So easy to drive , with masses of low end torque , no need to change gear and amazing fuel consumption.

But always remember waiting for a lift from the Main dealers where I had returned my mini to get an oil leak repaired under warranty and seeing my Old Ford driving by with its new contented owner.

Same nostalgia with houses . I have visited all my old houses after asking permission to look around , by writing to the new owner. Luckily I prefer my present house but my work colleague is hoping to buy his previous house which he built 40 years ago.

I Wonder if this nostalgia applies to relationships too. Thinking about Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton who divorced then remarried !

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Thu 12 Dec 2024 11:35
Seeing an old 'friend' - Ian_SW

I've never seen any of my old cars again after selling them, though I am a bit disappointed if they keep going for too long after I get rid of them as I like to get my money's worth before buying a new car.

There are a couple of my Dad's old cars we used to see regularly. Most notable was a base model 1976 Mk1 Golf which we used to see fairly regularly driving around locally until the late 1990s. That was fairly impressive, given that he moved it on in 1985 with over 100k miles on the clock and a blown head gasket.

A less surprising one was a Volvo 940 estate which was sold to a local mechanic we knew in 2003, running fine at 200k miles but with wierd electrical gremlins. He eventually fixed the issues and used it for local journeys to pick up customers cars, parking it at their house while he had their car. As dad used this garage to maintain his next car, the old one used to be parked on Dad's driveway a couple of times a year for several years after we sold it! That only ended when my parents moved to a different town a few hundred miles away.

I checked recently on MOT checker and it's still running, doing a few hundred miles per year so it looks like he's still using it for the same purpose.

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Thu 12 Dec 2024 23:35
Seeing an old 'friend' - edlithgow

Nearly all my cars have left me directly to the sc***yard, where I guess they havn't lasted long, since sc***pies only keep vehicles for which there is parts demand.

The exception was a Nissan Sunny I gave to friends on leaving for Taiwan, which I could still see on Google Earth for a long time after, and probably for quite a while after it wasn't really there anymore.

Google Ghost.

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Fri 13 Dec 2024 11:41
Seeing an old 'friend' - Halmerend
I saw our old silver Suzuki Swift this week which we owned for ten years from new until a private sale in 2021. Couldn’t resist typing the reg number into the government mot checker. Looks like it might have a couple of years in it still even though it’s on 90,000 miles nearly now. Engine like a little sewing machine.
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Sat 14 Dec 2024 11:34
Seeing an old 'friend' - Steveieb

This thread has set me off realising that parting with your car is like saying goodbye to an old friend and the replacement never lives up to the initial thrill when you get used to it.

But my old Audi 80 TDI and A4 PD top the list. The low end torque and nimbleness I miss the most. I know that Audi s have a poor reputation for reliability but there are some things in life worth putting up with for driving pleasure .

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Sat 14 Dec 2024 13:09
Seeing an old 'friend' - corax

This thread has set me off realising that parting with your car is like saying goodbye to an old friend and the replacement never lives up to the initial thrill when you get used to it.

But my old Audi 80 TDI and A4 PD top the list. The low end torque and nimbleness I miss the most. I know that Audi s have a poor reputation for reliability but there are some things in life worth putting up with for driving pleasure .

When I got rid of my Audi 80 TDi I felt relief and didn't look back. Rough engine, uncomfortable seats and dull handling. Nimbleness you're joking.

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Sat 14 Dec 2024 15:52
Seeing an old 'friend' - Steveieb

Maybe Rose tinted glasses Corax but after a BMW 530 D with a heavy worn out clutch the A4 TDI seemed an easy drive .

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Sat 14 Dec 2024 16:16
Seeing an old 'friend' - corax

Audis do make good cruisers though. I don't know if they have changed now, but the two I had were incredibly stable at high speed.

I almost bought a 525i some years back, but the one I tried also had a heavy clutch. It would have been horrible in slow moving traffic.

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Sat 14 Dec 2024 17:46
Seeing an old 'friend' - veloceman
Not seen any of my ex’s in the flesh but I did see my old Alfa GTV in an episode of Italia Autos on You Tube.
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Sat 14 Dec 2024 22:29
Seeing an old 'friend' - bathtub tom

Seen a few of mine, but the one I felt sorry for was a Triumph Vitesse. The purchaser couldn't drive (don't know how they passed their test) and it disappeared kangarooing down the road. I'd already replaced a gearbox and diff and I doubt they survived that sort of treatment.

The KIA Pride only survived a year after selling. Saw it once and it sounded sweet. Sc***ped because it failed the MOT on handbrake. I know exactly why and I suspect the buyer was told it couldn't be fixed by some shonky garage. A new (ebay) cable would've done it.

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Sun 15 Dec 2024 13:32
Seiing an old 'friend' - Big John

I'll be seeing my old friend next week. Having coffee with an old friend who bought my old friend the Superb!! Great car.

Edited by Big John on 15/12/2024 at 13:33

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Tue 17 Dec 2024 09:49
Seeing an old 'friend' - John F

I see my old friend most days when I go into the garage....my old workhorse TR7 DHC, owned since 1981; now, like its owner, enjoying a leisurely retirement.

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Tue 17 Dec 2024 11:30
Seiing an old 'friend' - Mike H

Here in Austria where I live, registration numbers are personal to the registered keeper, not the car, so unless there are any distinguishing marks it's impossible to know whether I've seen our last car or not!

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Fri 3 Jan 2025 07:58
Seiing an old 'friend' - AmyRichardson

I sold my car to my cousin three years ago, and now its condition is good.

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Fri 3 Jan 2025 08:59
Seiing an old 'friend' - badbusdriver

I sold my car to my cousin three years ago, and now its condition is good.

The way you have worded that suggests the car wasn't in good condition when you sold it!

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