Buying a car

PC_Dave

Just buy a fucking car and be done with it please. 

digitalscream

Emp_Fab said:

By and large I agree with most of what you say.  I disagree about the electrical engineering degree. Cars are pretty much basic contraptions with the addition of a few computers.  Computers are my field so....

Computers are my field too, but the ones used in cars are essentially black boxes without the right tools (which are prohibitively expensive, and not distributed widely outside of repair centres). That's a good thing, really, because mucking about with them without in-depth knowledge can cause major safety problems.

It's also why I tend to buy older cars with less tech in them.

crunchman

digitalscream said:

Emp_Fab said:

By and large I agree with most of what you say.  I disagree about the electrical engineering degree. Cars are pretty much basic contraptions with the addition of a few computers.  Computers are my field so....

Computers are my field too, but the ones used in cars are essentially black boxes without the right tools (which are prohibitively expensive, and not distributed widely outside of repair centres). That's a good thing, really, because mucking about with them without in-depth knowledge can cause major safety problems.

It's also why I tend to buy older cars with less tech in them.

It's why I've given up on older cars and repairing them myself.  Anything from the last 20 years is difficult to repair.

Ironically, the only problem we have had in the last 5 years or so is when the gearbox let go - after noise from a dodgy bearing for quite a while.  Purely mechanical.  Newer cars are very reliable on the whole.

RaymondLin

Emp_Fab said:

By and large I agree with most of what you say.  I disagree about the electrical engineering degree. Cars are pretty much basic contraptions with the addition of a few computers.  Computers are my field so....

As for the rest... Yes, that's probably the most logical path to take.  But I can take any other path, and that's ok.  If I feel like getting a puce diesel automatic sports car that does 0-60 in 20s, that's ok too.  It's a free world (in this context anyway).

That's like saying a space rocket is a bit like a kitchen hob upside down with a Playstation tacked on.

It's a free country and you can do what you pleased but one thing I have noticed is that you really don't take advice on board, at all, even if you see the merit of it.

I can sense a lot of I told you so in the future.

EricTheWeary

digitalscream said:

Emp_Fab said:

By and large I agree with most of what you say.  I disagree about the electrical engineering degree. Cars are pretty much basic contraptions with the addition of a few computers.  Computers are my field so....

Computers are my field too, but the ones used in cars are essentially black boxes without the right tools (which are prohibitively expensive, and not distributed widely outside of repair centres). That's a good thing, really, because mucking about with them without in-depth knowledge can cause major safety problems.

It's also why I tend to buy older cars with less tech in them.

Surprising how far you'd have to go back to find a car with no tech in them. Even my Citreon AX had a digital engine management system and those came out in 1986.

One of my band mates a few years ago restored vintage cars and hated anything digital. His day to day car was a 1970s Range Rover on which he said he could fix anything with a spanner and a screwdriver. [his car for best being a 1950s Pontiac]
He did have a digital keyboard that he played in the band but just used it how it came set up. 

Being tied to the tech is a pain in the arse. I can't take any of our cars for a service locally, always have to find somewhere with the correct licences. One inroad to Emp's dilemma here ( although heaven forbid I should introduce another dimension) is to ask what he can get serviced locally. Not great having an Alfa Romeo if he has a 100 mile round trip to plug it into their lap top. 

Electro_Ham

Diagnostics on modern cars isn't infallible. Helpful though. I took my wife's diesel to a garage hoping they could confirm a dodgy EGR valve, however, the only code they pulled was a stuck throttle from goodness knows when. Before they threw a £400 throttle at it, I took it home and replaced the EGR valve. Just looking at how the vehicle ran would have indicated EGR, but there you go. 

digitalscream

For what it's worth @ ;;

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-search?sort=distance&radius=1500&postcode=SA1%201DE&onesearchad=Used&onesearchad=Nearly%20New&onesearchad=New&make=HONDA&model=S2000

Yes, a touch more than your budget, but it might turn you into a driving enthusiast...

Kilgore

I can see Emp turning up to work in the ZZ Top car, shades on, Legs playing on the sound system 

SteveRobinson

Never mind

RaymondLin

If you want to take a spanner to fix things, get that Rolls Royce, made in the 70's, it won't have a computer in it.

joneve

digitalscream said:

For what it's worth @ ;;

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-search?sort=distance&radius=1500&postcode=SA1%201DE&onesearchad=Used&onesearchad=Nearly%20New&onesearchad=New&make=HONDA&model=S2000

Yes, a touch more than your budget, but it might turn you into a driving enthusiast...

YES PLEASE

Emp_Fab

I'm not interested in performance.  If I wanted that, I'd get a bike.  I'm very interested in that Giulietta but I am also concerned why it had no MOT for 18mths.  

SouthpawMark

Emp_Fab said:

I'm not interested in performance.  If I wanted that, I'd get a bike.  I'm very interested in that Giulietta but I am also concerned why it had no MOT for 18mths.  

Did it have a SORN? 

digitalscream

Emp_Fab said:

I'm not interested in performance.  If I wanted that, I'd get a bike.  I'm very interested in that Giulietta but I am also concerned why it had no MOT for 18mths.  

Ring and ask, then. Takes five minutes

welshboyo

digitalscream said:

Emp_Fab said:

I'm not interested in performance.  If I wanted that, I'd get a bike.  I'm very interested in that Giulietta but I am also concerned why it had no MOT for 18mths.  

Ring and ask, then. Takes five minutes

Dealer isn't going to know...

I reckon someone "forgot" to MOT it (and probably tax it) - unless its been used abroad in that time as it has 11k on the clock since the last MOT - if the car is clean (and it looks to be) it wouldn't bother me especially of all Finance/WriteOff stuff has been pre-checked by dealer.

digitalscream

welshboyo said:

digitalscream said:

Emp_Fab said:

I'm not interested in performance.  If I wanted that, I'd get a bike.  I'm very interested in that Giulietta but I am also concerned why it had no MOT for 18mths.  

Ring and ask, then. Takes five minutes

Dealer isn't going to know...

I reckon someone "forgot" to MOT it (and probably tax it) - unless its been used abroad in that time as it has 11k on the clock since the last MOT - if the car is clean (and it looks to be) it wouldn't bother me especially of all Finance/WriteOff stuff has been pre-checked by dealer.

Well, they might have an idea of the history which could give a clue.

Personally, I wouldn't be that bothered about it given that it's had a clean MOT this time round and the only advisories previously were tyres.

gubble

I'm very confused, tried having a read of this thread and got very lost.

On the surface it looks like:

1. Emp wants a car
2. Emp has very strict criteria
3. Emp Claims his criteria are not strict

Does someone have a refined set of criteria so i can give my opinion? 

As a rule of thumb i'd say; 2 seater convertible = MX5, 4/5 seater sensible car Ford Focus/Mazda 3, Small supermini Fiat 500/Toyota Aygo.

All of those are great cars that are sensible to own and also put a smile on your face whilst driving.

RaymondLin

gubble said:

I'm very confused, tried having a read of this thread and got very lost.

On the surface it looks like:

1. Emp wants a car
2. Emp has very strict criteria
3. Emp Claims his criteria are not strict

Does someone have a refined set of criteria so i can give my opinion? 

As a rule of thumb i'd say; 2 seater convertible = MX5, 4/5 seater sensible car Ford Focus/Mazda 3, Small supermini Fiat 500/Toyota Aygo.

All of those are great cars that are sensible to own and also put a smile on your face whilst driving.

MX5 rusts.  Ford Focus too boring.  Fiat 500 too Ugly.

The Aygo is black ?

gubble

RaymondLin said:

MX5 rusts.  Ford Focus too boring.  Fiat 500 too Ugly.

The Aygo is black ?

I had a string of red and white Aygo's as hire cars a couple of years back (are those colours out too?)

They were brilliant. Great fun to drive, frugal on fuel, looked funky. It was perfectly happy doing a 150 mile cruise on the motorway or zooming around the new forest. Decent specs too, air con, DAB radio. 

RaymondLin

gubble said:

RaymondLin said:

MX5 rusts.  Ford Focus too boring.  Fiat 500 too Ugly.

The Aygo is black ?

I had a string of red and white Aygo's as hire cars a couple of years back (are those colours out too?)

They were brilliant. Great fun to drive, frugal on fuel, looked funky. It was perfectly happy doing a 150 mile cruise on the motorway or zooming around the new forest. Decent specs too, air con, DAB radio. 

when i had my Yaris, the Aygo was the courtesy car every year when i take it for a service.  I don't like it, not compared to my Yaris.  For something marginally more expensive, which is still cheap it was much better built and better pedal feel.  But I had the SR (top of the range model) with keyless entry and climate.  I did drive that car everywhere though.  I live in West Midlands and went to Hull, to Suffolk, or down to Brighton, Margate and over to Dublin via Anglesey.