ChasR
RR Helper
motivation
Posts: 10,195
Club RR Member Number: 170
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The only way to learn is to do it! It's how I learned! I'm a long way off being a true engineer/mechanic, but I've learned alot to do things to way I know works. and that is continuously evolving. As for 'decent local garages', I've struggled to find such peeps, even for old cars. It's annoying and frustrating to have a problem on a car, when you know it could have been avoided. I'm not at all surprised that people lease cars for this reason, but that's not what this topic is about. I've just had it with the Mondeo. It had the clutch done 4 months ago, with a drivetrain that was as smooth as silk. Now, I have what was a perfectly good CV joint clicking its off. Pattern ones IME are a waste of money and time (they go again and you are back to square one) and genuine parts are stupidly pricey. Do I sell the car, or fix it up myself with a decent CV? That's one thing by doing the work yourself. You know where you went wrong. Even for an curse word tinkerer, my cars seem to go wrong alot less than if I'm paying someone on company time. I know of good places, but by God they can take an age to book ; I'm talking months. Yes ; i've tried probably 3 or 4 garages locally, all with dissapointment in some way.
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ChasR
RR Helper
motivation
Posts: 10,195
Club RR Member Number: 170
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Manuals aren't that much cheaper, as I'll explain.
My Mondeo's clutch change cost £1.4k. Yes, I did say that. The parts for decent OE parts before they are even fitted to the car are £800. Then you have to fit the things. After working on some bits myself, even the plenum chamber is a 3 hour job to remove, and it's difficult to do. Sure the M3 has alot to remove, but it's much much easier to do so. It seems Ford with the Mondeo 2.5T threw the Volvo engine in, and didn't really think about how to refit it.
The 535d of my dad's? Torque converter is wavering in lockup. It'll live like that for a very long time. The cost to change that? £750? A mate is trying to get rid of a 530d of the same generation with a shot release bearing; it's a manual. Yup, he won't have much change from £1k if he goes to someone who won't create 2 or 30 other problems from fixing it.
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I was forced out of a retro and into a modern when I had a back injury/ situation change/ work move, all within afew months. But when i got a modern, i made sure it was something I wanted. I decided on a k11 micra, but i made sure it was a top spec 1.4 manual. The slightly more unusual spec made me feel a bit better about things. When the micra needed replacing I wanted something slightly bigger, an estate but nothing too big or long wheelbase to make parking at work easier. A Cube pops up local which seemed to fit the bill perfectly, as well as being slightly odd, unusual and interesting, it was low mileage and cheaper than anything else equivilant in age, engine size etc. Moderns don't have to be boring, just find something that you want or need in a car, and look for it. They're out there.
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We went to look at a 49 year old convertible yesterday . I'd forgotten how curse word most stock old cars are compared to modern. What ruled it out for me was really being a manual as hydraulic operated clutch was way too stiff for my poor old back ...which is when I remembered why I changed to auto (mostly) about 20 odd years back. Also the cost of buying a nice classic, when I used to run them all the time they were cheap as chips even up to about 15 years back but now they are more expensive to buy than a good modern daily. I'm lucky that I already own some nice classics that I lusted after since being a nipper and finally got them. However I can't seen me justifying buying another ever again....never thought I'd say those words Next to nothing modern appeals to me either ...probably been spoled by all the nice early stuff I've been fortunate to own in the past. Had a lot of good stuff before they became desirable just because I liked them and the hadn't become 'scene' material of any type.
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I’d agree with the above The scene thing does pi** me off Old stuff is silly expensive these days I’ve had too many mk1 and mk2 escorts too remember them all, they were rotten back in the 80s. So all these “genuine unwelded” ones on eBay etc are just toshed up old curse word! I’m a tinkerer not a restorer but I’ve had some nice stuff over the years, and I’ve learnt to seek out cars with great shells and some mechanical faults As said always best to buy the best bodily you can find The 90s stuff is very interesting to me now And my boy as already started finding good solid cars So I must of passed on my wisdom!
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Fraud owners club member 1999 Jaguar s type 1993 ford escort
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^ I look just outside of the scene to avoid the 'taxation' element.
Eg. there's a Mk3 Golf for sale that is a 1.8 SE manual. "But it's not a GTi/16v/VR6" it could be said. Yep, and I don't really want one of them.
I do like the slightly obscure model. The Cube above, I could go for that. I've had a Japanese import before and it was great, and one of those I have liked the look of from the start. That and the Merc CLS from when it was introduced mid 2000's. 2 totally different cars, both of them I like the look of, and no welding needed!
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Putting your two recent threads together BellyBuilder, I think it might be a good time to have a fresh start, sell up, put your feet up for a few months and then reassess. You might find that you really miss having cars in your life, or you might not. At the end of the day, driving and owning cars is supposed to be a pleasure, if it's not bringing you any enjoyment then give yourself a bit of breathing space.
Now I just need to apply some of that logic to my own life and clear out some stuff!
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brachunky
Scotland
Posts: 1,320
Club RR Member Number: 72
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Owning a LS, I would second that as these are very reliable and super comfy for an ageing body(ask me!) The only downside is fuel costs but if you can live with that, you will have a superb reliable retro.
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skinnylew
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 5,546
Club RR Member Number: 11
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May 12, 2019 10:03:37 GMT
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I kind of know the feeling. Doing several hundred miles to a show in something old is something I used to enjoy, drove my mk1 Polo down to the Haynes for RRG, just cruised A roads and B roads and really enjoyed it. However the older i get the more time pressures I have so getting from A to B quickly and reliably is more the priority. That said the 90's can offer an absolute ton of retro reliable goodness that will out live most modern tosh. Any non sporty version will be cheap and generally unthrashed. No complex electrics and most will be relatively well rust protected.
I have done 20k in my 1998 406 that cost £100 off eBay. No real issues at all.
Few alternative 90's ideas Audi 80 Coupe Merc 190 Citroen ZX Honda Prelude Mazda MX6
All of those would eat mileage with ease I'd have thought........i have no real world experience however
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Putting your two recent threads together BellyBuilder, I think it might be a good time to have a fresh start, sell up, put your feet up for a few months and then reassess. You might find that you really miss having cars in your life, or you might not. At the end of the day, driving and owning cars is supposed to be a pleasure, if it's not bringing you any enjoyment then give yourself a bit of breathing space. Now I just need to apply some of that logic to my own life and clear out some stuff! Unfortunately, unless the people I moaned about on the other thread sell up an put their feet up it probably won't make any difference in the scheme of things, and I can't see that happening! I am coming to the conclusion that I may be done owning classics now, especially as I can't see myself ever driving one again at time of writing this. They could be considered (for me anyway) like a trophy wife:- nice to look at but high maintenance & stressful on a daily basis!!
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My current daily is manual. I deliberately looked for a manual one cos the two previous similar cars gave trouble with the automatic. So far (five years) the only real trouble I've had from the current one has been related to the clutch pedal and the clutch cable. How is it even possible to break the pedal box so the clutch pedal falls off?
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May 13, 2019 10:06:35 GMT
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I know the feeling, I'm on my third non-completed "project car" and that's not counting cars that I had on the road that never quite got to where I wanted them to.
This time however, I've accepted that I don't really have the time or energy to do certain things.
I'm pretty good at understanding how things work and theory of things, so it's not like I couldn't figure out most things if I had the time, it's more the sitting down and doing the actual work. I've never been good with my hands, I had/have I guess what you'd call mild dyspraxia since I was a baby (mild brain damage apparently).
My approach this time is just to put together a load of cash and get someone else to sort things like bodywork, it's just trying to stop the thing totally deteriorating in the meantime.
I think it's possible to run an old car without being hands on, however, it needs to be low mileage and ideally not your main/only means of transport so you're not dependent on it (live in an urban area, take the bus to work, wife has a modern so not a problem for me) and you can't do it on a budget.
My advice would be to pick a car that already has a big aftermarket/support network if you can (already ignoring my own advice as a Suzuki Cappuccino owner) like an MX5/Beetle/MGB/Mini etc. I know kinda "obvious", but these cars are popular for good reason. This way it's possible to get loads of off the shelf aftermarket replacement parts and are usually so simple any mechanic worth his salt can work on them.
It's not as cool as being that guy who can fabricate a hot rod from scratch, but I'm ok with that. It's better to know your own limits and be able to enjoy some retro motoring than just toil away and never experience this stuff.
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cjhillman
Posted a lot
1979 Capri (Rolling Project) 1985 Escort mk3 (Daily)
Posts: 1,588
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May 14, 2019 13:52:17 GMT
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I've been thinking the same lately. As i commented on another post before. My Escort mk3 has been amazing for the last 6 years but only a daily for the last year. So i had spare cash and after doing a few bits on the Escort thought... i can fix a Capri. I'm still sure i can but i'm busy with work and i don't have the spare cash to get it to where i want. I'm throwing the towel in a little i think buy taking it to a garage soon that knows about their old ford (probably will cost a bit ) and then i'll see where i'm at. I just want it driving ok. I think i just realised i like doing bits on old Cars and driving them... pulling them completely apart and wondering if i can get it back together gives me a little more anxiety than i like lol then again... if i had some more spare cash i'd worry less about it as i could get out of situations easier. I'm a little torn myself at the minute too.
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May 14, 2019 20:50:24 GMT
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As well as being a total car nut And working on a tight budget, I now have my lad George nearly 16 heavily into the old car scene, he now has the van jointly with me A mk3 fiesta a mk1 golf convertible And is always looking out for his dream car...a mk2 escort four door It’s so hard to get out of the car scene, but to me there’s nothing that gives you such a buzz Out with the boys at meets shows and chasing old motors, it’s just great fun Have a few months away chap, I promise you within a that time you’ll miss the whole scene There’s plenty of 90s stuff out there all within budget and quite reliable if you choose the right motor I’m 50 now , been around motors since I was very young and I’ll be around them until the day I die And yes I know it’s my third post on this thread! But it’s struck a chord with me
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Last Edit: May 14, 2019 21:08:10 GMT by Mercdan68
Fraud owners club member 1999 Jaguar s type 1993 ford escort
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