Do Irish people really like cars ?

kluivert

Ok as no one has answered i may as well the one to.

A V8 refers to the number a clyinders the has ie 8, the V relates the arrangement of these cylinders in a V shape ie four and four "V",

For all you BMW drivers BMW tend to perfer a "straight" 6 cylinder combination, while Lexus i think go for a V6 arrangement.

The nicest sounding engine IMO is the Flat box engine, such as those found in the Subrau which means the cylinders are layed flat rather than upright as with most cars.

8V refers to the number of values the car has for all cylinders. So if the car is a four cylinder are then it has 2 values per cylinder, 1 is the inlet value and the other is the outlet value.


IMHO i think people should have to take a mechanics course before learning how to drive a car.

mike65

You needed to tell us that?

Mike.

ds20prefecture

kluivert wrote:

IMHO i think people should have to take a mechanics course before learning how to drive a car.

Dude - I couldn't agree more. What's a value?

@RobAMerc - I hear what you're saying, but it has got to the stage where anything that isn't german or japanese loses value at an alarming rate. This just makes the German/Japanese ownership proposition a self-fulfilling prophecy. If the people that chose these cars were to chose among the more interesting alternatives, the alternatives would have a stronger resale value.

Cause and effect.

junkyard

The main reason people buy Japanese or German cars is that in general they don't brake down or fall apart.(With the exception of the 1.3 million Mercs recalled last year and the VW/Audi duds out there);)
I don't think we will ever see people buying Citroen's and Peugeot's here unless we see a DIY culture starting here in a big way as it would be the only way to keep them going.

PauloMN

ds20prefecture wrote:

What's a value?

Must be the yolks in the clyinders he's talking about....

A V8 refers to the number a clyinders the has ie 8, the V relates the arrangement of these cylinders in a V shape ie four and four "V"

PauloMN

bazz26 wrote:

Some of the 05 cars I was looking at were in terrible condition, these had alot of scratches, scuffs on the bumpers, alloy wheels and doors and some of the interiors were just shabby. They had a lack of care look all over them. Even though my own car has covered almost 80k miles, while not getting ridiculously overprotective about my car, I do try to look after it, get it serviced on time, careful how/where I park it and wash/polish it regularly. It is in better condition than some of the 2005 cars I was looking at today.

I have found the same when looking at "newer" cars. It's also got me thinking why should I give the spotless car I've looked after for years to some garage for peanuts while buying a scruffier - albeit newer - car for lots of cash????

I suspect my now 5 year old will be gracing my driveway with its presence for some time to come...

ds20prefecture

junkyard wrote:

The main reason people buy Japanese or German cars is that in general they don't brake down or fall apart.(With the exception of the 1.3 million Mercs recalled last year and the VW/Audi duds out there);)
I don't think we will ever see people buying Citroen's and Peugeot's here unless we see a DIY culture starting here in a big way as it would be the only way to keep them going.

In general, cars don't break down or fall apart. Particularly Peugeots and Citroëns. Take a visit to Africa, and count how many Land Cruisers are broken down compared to, say, Peugeot 404s. My Citroën has neither broken down, nor fallen apart. Has yours?

Keep charging with the herd, Junkyard

RobAMerc

junkyard wrote:

The main reason people buy Japanese or German cars is that in general they don't brake down or fall apart.(With the exception of the 1.3 million Mercs recalled last year and the VW/Audi duds out there);)
I don't think we will ever see people buying Citroen's and Peugeot's here unless we see a DIY culture starting here in a big way as it would be the only way to keep them going.

Good to see we don't make sweeping generalizations here !

I'd rather have a 10year old car that put a smile on my face everytime I look out the window or drive it and caused me the odd bit of grief than the brand new "we forgot to put the character into it" recycled biscuit tin that some companies sh*t out.
Soul-less junk that robs people of the experience of owning a car as and being so boring people forget what it is they have.

Maybe thats it, the reason people buy so many drudge buckets here is not because theres no appreciation for cars, but because people have been robbed of the joy of having a good car !!(and perhaps a quality road network) and this has happened because they have been convinced a non event is a good thing.

It's safe to come out now my rant is over.:)

RobAMerc

ds20prefecture wrote:

In general, cars don't break down or fall apart. Particularly Peugeots and Citroëns. Take a visit to Africa, and count how many Land Cruisers are broken down compared to, say, Peugeot 404s. My Citroën has neither broken down, nor fallen apart.

Keep charging with the herd, Junkyard

Hey Ds, funny I was gonna put in my last post : Junkyard your gonna get it when Ds20 reads that
You were letting him have it while I edited it out lol !!
Your right though, basically they are more than 4 cylinders a steeing wheela and 4 tyres which means many folk are way outa their dept with them.

junkyard

I'm all out of Citroens....at last. I'm not sure about Toyota Landcrusiers breaking down, as far as I know they're the most dependable vehicle in Australia and I know which I would prefer to travel across Australia in and no, it wouldn't be a Citroen. And yes Alfa's for one do fall apart, its common knowledge, but I think we'll beg to differ on a few opinions. Oh and Moooo by the way.:)

unkel

ds20prefecture wrote:

In my experience Irish people (and it's a big generalisation) do not so much like cars as what their car says about them. Otherwise more people would buy ... a Citroën C6 instead of a S320

Nouveau riche, peut-être, but the reason they ain't buying a new C6 is because they're not insane

ds20prefecture wrote:

there'll be no one but an insane few to buy them new

curiosity

RobAMerc wrote:

Hey Ds, funny I was gonna put in my last post : Junkyard your gonna get it when Ds20 reads that
You were letting him have it while I edited it out lol !!
Your right though, basically they are more than 4 cylinders a steeing wheela and 4 tyres which means many folk are way outa their dept with them.

Oh dear, the butchering of the English language.

Carb

I like cars, it just sometimes hard to give a sh*t when you go to get it washed and by time you get home, it 's back the to the exact same way as before, because you've had to drive through an inch of muck for a couple of miles stuck behind a lorry. Or if you're on the way home from getting the car serviced and after about 10 potholes, you're wheel allignment is back the way it was. Caring for a car in Ireland is an endless battle because of the state of the roads.

junkyard

I was beginning to think I was the only one concerned about the condition of the roads in this country so much so that I bought a jeep as my regular car. We have paid millions here over the years for roads but as far as I can see this money hasn't been spent on roads in the south of Ireland anyway. I was in Dublin recently and I thought the roads were great. It really annoys me to have to put up with this crap treatment and then to have to pay for toll roads on top of it.:mad:

Kersh

I agree with whats been said here.
As in, the car you drive reflects neither your interest in cars, nor your wage.
I know some people with M5s, gallardos, 360s, and they just use them as posemobiles.
And I know some with ferraris/porsches etc, who dont have huge wages , but have the cars.
I think the second type is called an enthusiast , the first is a ... emm, well you know.:)

ds20prefecture

unkel wrote:

Nouveau riche, peut-être, but the reason they ain't buying a new C6 is because they're not insane

Touché. Way to quote out of context

My point still stands. If people cared more about cars than image, the C6 would have rock solid residuals.

Alfasudcrazy

I agree with Robamerc that in general Irish people don't find cars interesting. This can be seen from the number of new corrollas and Anensis on the roads.

I also think that some people are almost afriad to get any car that stands out for fear of being branded a show off. A variation of this thyeme may be a kind of macho disregard for their cars by leaving them dirty. I have often heard people say they don't like being seen washing their cars - why? Again its a strange fear of being regarded as too materialistic - a sub conscious catholic religion thing I suspect.

It just hits you immediately how different Nothern Ireland people are with their attitudes to cars - up there it seems to me there is a very strong interest and pride taken in cars. I once drove my Fiat 128 3p up there and these cars were rare in 1987 and was amazed by the attention it got whereas down here it was never looked at.

My old man is the typical Irish car owner. I once came home to find him using the 1.4 Astra (a perfect car I had searched very hard to find him) trying to pull up a wooden railway sleeper from the ground with a rope tied to the hitch. I was appalled especially since he had the choice of two tractors but was too lazy to get them out of the garage.

I had to buy a van for everyday hacking as I always found my main car would be ruined in no time with door dings.:rolleyes:

bazz26

Alfasudcrazy wrote:

I agree with Robamerc that in general Irish people don't find cars interesting. This can be seen from the number of new corrollas and Anensis on the roads.

Here's a strange thought - maybe there are people who like driving their Corolla, Focus, Golf, etc just as much as so called "interesting" cars.

Not everyone likes Alfas or BMWs, etc. This doesn't mean however they have no interest in cars, it just means their interest is different from someone else's perseption of "intesting" cars.

There are plenty of Alfas and BMWs out there are just as badly treated as any other make. Just as there are plenty Toyotas or VWs out there that have plenty of tlc. I wouldn't assume that because of what type of car you drive automatically determins what type of owner you are.

The guy who goes out every Sunday afternoon and spends a couple of hours cleaning and polishing his 10 year old Micra/Starlet maybe more interested in cars than the guy who owns his €100k BMW or Merc across the road.

I love cars probably just as much as anyone else on this forum, so just because I drive a different car to someone else's idea of an interesting car does not change the fact that I still enjoy it.

Alfasudcrazy

bazz26 wrote:

I love cars probably just as much as anyone else on this forum, so just because I drive a different car to someone else's idea of an interesting car does not change the fact that I still enjoy it.

Do you know what it is - Id like to know? - just joking.:p

An interesting case in car ownership was ex broadcaster Gay Byrne. He loved cars and had the money to buy them if he wished yet he drove around in a pretty medium spec Vectra.
In the final late late show Joe Duffy even asked him about this and as far as I recall he said he just liked the simple life etc - bull**** - he had the same 'don't want to be seen as a show off' phobia as many Irish people.;)

I see Irish people's lack of car knowledge in my job every day where I am trying to get the make of car some suspicious caller was using. It seems a lot of the younger Gardai also can only describe a car by its registration plate and are immediately lost if they are asked to name the brand or model type.:rolleyes:

RobAMerc

Alfasudcrazy wrote:

It just hits you immediately how different Nothern Ireland people are with their attitudes to cars - up there it seems to me there is a very strong interest and pride taken in cars. I once drove my Fiat 128 3p up there and these cars were rare in 1987 and was amazed by the attention it got whereas down here it was never looked at.

To be honest this is exactly one of the driving ( excuse the pun ) factors behind me starting this thread.
I recently collected my 'new' classic car in the uk and drove it 150 odd miles to the ferry port. In that time I was asked, and complimented about the car at least 3 times, with most of the people having a genuine interest in it, appreciation for it and shocked me with the level of knowledge they had.

I have had two experiences displaying the complete opposite attitude here and in the roughly 5 months I have the car here I have had not one person ask me about it or anyone show any interest in it at all. ( And I don't have it because I want attention: before ye start)

Two things that have happened to highlight this are:
1: Turned up to meet a few buddies, one looked at the car and asked me how much I gave for it almost scoffing because it's old and the other to answer for me “sure thats worth nothing, it's old”

2: My colleague sent me outside to show me a car just like mine outside, it turned out to be a 1988 R107 300 SL (a small convertible). Mine is a 1974 w114 280ce. ( neither small or convertible)

But in general I am just shocked at the lack of interest, understanding and respect Irish people have for any cars compared to Europeans.

Alfasudcrazy wrote:

I also think that some people are almost afriad to get any car that stands out for fear of being branded a show off.

Funny that: My brother in law asked me to suggest some modern classics he might like after having being badgered by some 'experts' into buying an Astra, which he hates. I suggested perhaps a Porsche 968, but his girlfriend errupted into laughter and told him he'd look like a 'proper knob' driving a Porsche. Why ??? I presume she meant exactly what you stated Alfasudcrazy its some how a show off's car.
Ther must be an awful lot of knobs out there and I would really like to be one:)

franksm

Was mentioning this discussion with a mate and he had a story to tell: he has a '91 MX5, nice condition and well looked after. He's interested enough in it to be an active member of "the club". He parked the '5 on the street in Dublin city centre - not sure of the street, but somewhere near the big Garda station close to Tara St.

When he came back to the car later, there was a Porsche Cayenne parked right on top of his front bumper. Parking by touch, Parisienne style. The MX5 has a number-plate on a plastic plinth, and this had been pushed right up into the nose of the car, and was cracked. The owner happened to be there, and my mate pointed out the damage to him calmly enough. The porsche guy then went into a fit about "why annoy me with your small car ? it's 15 years old. get a grip" etc.

A Guard happened to be passing then, and when he saw what was going on, gave the porsche guy a ticket (don't know what it was for tho). I think my mate also got €10 for the damage to the plinth.

The point is the guy's attitude - it's indicative of a lot of peoples' views on cars, nevermind whether a car is nice or not.

mike65

Alfasudcrazy wrote:

It seems a lot of the younger Gardai also can only describe a car by its registration plate and are immediately lost if they are asked to name the brand or model type.:rolleyes:

That may have something to do with the mind numbing blandness of most modern cars. I can spot an old Merc at 500 metres I could'nt ID a Korean Dullola if it parked on my foot.

Mike.

Kersh

Its mainly Irish begrudgery. Show up with a nice car, or dare I say, a nice classic car, and cos its not a 06 its scoffed at.
I have even had it on here, not so long ago, been called a show off etc, so I dont really bother with even giving much input on car or driving experiences anymore.
Its an attitude I never get in the UK. mainly over there people compliment nice cars, but over here, you can be called everything from a knob to a wxnker, and i have been spat it in some cars i have been in, followed by the 'look at that prik in his nice car' as said twat falls over on the kerb.

Alfasudcrazy

Kersh wrote:

Its mainly Irish begrudgery. Show up with a nice car, or dare I say, a nice classic car, and cos its not a 06 its scoffed at.

That's also sad but true. I posted what I though would be a nice interesting thread on Octane and got five replies two of them from myself.:(

http://www.octane.ie/cult/forum/showthread.php?t=3824

A good bit of work went into getting all the pics together but I was dissapointed by the reaction - I also won't be too quick to go to that much trouble again as I got the same reaction to my BMW 318iS factfile thread.:(

Kersh

Fully agree with you there Alfa. its just not fun anymore sharing car 'experiences' on forums, cos inevitably, those who dont care/cant have, feel a need to comment. Its just the Irish way. Thats all. Maybe it will change in next generation, but i doubt it, its instilled in us growing up. Some of us shed it, some dont.
Class pics btw. Nice cars. Sorry I mean, what piles of Sh1te, why dont you buy a 3 series blah blah
Stop coming on here showing off.

Alfasudcrazy

Its interesting to contrast the reaction on the mainly US Ultimate cars site to the exact same thread.

I know there is a bigger membership but it has to be remembered that none of these cars are or ever were available in the USA yet it got 22 replies and many PM's enquiring about them.

http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/forum/showthread.php?t=22919

bazz26

I agree totally guys, personally I will always stop if I can to have a look at a car I deem to be interesting and definately would not begrudge anyone who owns it out of jealousy or hatered.

But this argument cuts both ways also, it is also seems to be a common theme on this forum and other forums that a small few (not all) people have a go at what they class as dull or uninteresting cars and make assumptions about the type of people who drive them.

It would seem that if you drive a run of the mill car then you have no interest in cars and only have it for a to b transport. Equally if you drive a different or unique car then you are seen as a poser or attention seeker. It is a sad fact but stereotypes have been with us for a long time.

Just my 2cent.

RobAMerc

I am very jealous Alfasud crazy, they are beautiful all three.

Thanks also for the intro to the octane.ie I'll have a look around that.

You should start a new thread here with those pics.

I bet it will be hyjacked by people who don't actually have cars but pretend they do (no names mentioned) or people who will tell you from their vast knowledge and experience that they are all crap as they are Alfa's.

Kersh

Are there really people on here pretending to own cars??? You are joking right. :eek:

bazz26

RobAMerc wrote:

.

I bet it will be hyjacked by people who don't actually have cars but pretend they do (no names mentioned) or people who will tell you from their vast knowledge and experience that they are all crap as they are Alfa's.

No way.. :eek: