The Ultimate Dogabout..

VanhireBoys

I am very pleased with my '01 TDDi Mondeo Zetec Estate. Sure it has a few dents scrapes, A/C dosent work and the doors squeak but I got it near enough free.

Ive spent about €500 putting tyres, a track rod end, an exhaust bushing and a set of genuine wiper blades on it and its going really well.

It has 195,000 miles (not Kms...!) on it and ready for a few more...!

Throughout my driving career Ive always driven sommit that is well used and old...!

Why bother driving a €30k car when some idiot will only damage it in a shopping centre carpark. I had notions of a nice Saab 95 but Id only be heartbroken if anything happened to it.
Who is going to steal a '01 Mondeo FFS...?
Who is going to run a key up the side of a well dented and scraped car.... ?
With this I dont give a continental fiddlers what happens.

What sort of mechanically sound but rough dogabout do you drive..?

Dabko

Ha, seen dogabout, thought it was something naughty!:D

Same here - 01 Tddi Mondeo hatch - 140,000 miles, sounds like a truck, but mighty car. Still getting 50mpg mixed miles.
She's up for nct end of month, no problems as far as mechanic is concerned. Its also a UK Import (owner before me!)

Lord Nikon

'00 520i. 127k miles, needs work and a wash but it's the best thing for any man to drive.

BlackWizard

When did 00 and 01 cars suddenly become decrepit?

My poor 03 car is starting to feel old all of a sudden

Zube

BlackWizard wrote: »

When did 00 and 01 cars suddenly become decrepit?

It's not just the year, it's the car.

If you buy a Ford, it's a dogabout from day one. Even a €40K Ford like our S-Max: no-ones ever going to give us any real money for an old Ford, so we can relax. It's a family car: they'll puke up in it, scratch it with bike handlebars, the dog will stink it up...

Thing is, it's our car, we'll get the wear out of it instead of keeping it beautiful for the next owner.

Dabko

Zube wrote: »

Thing is, it's our car, we'll get the wear out of it instead of keeping it beautiful for the next owner.

Very true (except all the baby sick stuff for me anyways!), nothing worse than some folks who would nearly make you take your shoes off before you get into it.
A car, like a liver, is for using. Dont be worrying about it, Use it.

Voodoomelon

I'm in the same boat, but sitting in a different direction.

Mine is 9 years and 3 months old now, and looks like it did the day it rolled out of the factory. Just because its old, doesn't mean you should treat it with contempt.

Lord Nikon

BMW ftw

towel401

BlackWizard wrote: »

When did 00 and 01 cars suddenly become decrepit?

My poor 03 car is starting to feel old all of a sudden

don't worry lad. i'm driving a '91 and nothing at all wrong with it. picking up a pair of new overpriced wiper blades for it tomorrow i think

Zube

Voodoomelon wrote: »

Just because its old, doesn't mean you should treat it with contempt.

Don't get me wrong, the kids will get the treatment if they damage the car...

... but they will damage it. That's life.

and since I plan to keep it for at least 7 years (my current record) no-one else will care.

I mean, if I was here asking what an 8 year old Galaxy was worth, we'd be laughing, right?

Voodoomelon

I suppose kids will always throw a spanner in the works!

Zube

Voodoomelon wrote: »

I suppose kids will always throw a spanner in the works!

No, there's more to it than kids.

I haven't seen car bras here yet, but it's a matter of time. I'm guessing the first bra I see will be on a Celica.

Matt Simis

Zube wrote: »

No, there's more to it than kids.

I haven't seen car bras here yet, but it's a matter of time. I'm guessing the first bra I see will be on a Celica.

Thankfully I think even Yanks got over Car bra's so lets hope that died out in the early '2000s.

Our Dogabout is a 2000 Audi Allroad. 2.7L BiTurbo, can play with tuning it for hours then bring the 3 (large..) dogs out for a drive or drop to B&Q for patio slabs. Came with a Cargo net (keeps dogs in boot area) and plastic drip tray for the rear boot area. 156k miles on it, few little squeaks out of it internally (plastic and rubber bit aged I would imagine) and did some maintenence on it myself, but going strong.

Its spec'ed really well (Air Suspension, SatNav, Solar Sunroof, TV, Bose surround, 6CD, heated Seats etc) and was able to fit a single bed in the rear while my parents newer, lesser spec'ed and poorer fit and finish Mazda CX7 "SUV" was not quite up to it.

The Mazda cost EUR50k and the Audi cost £6k plus VRT. IMO, you need your head examined to buy a new crap-tacular urban SUV over a used estate anything. Allroads are now going for under £4k in the UK, VRT is likely around EUR1500ish. You have a choice of a 180BHP 2.5 V6 TDI (last gen of that engine, the only VAG 2.5V6 TDI to consider) or the infinitely fun Audi S4/RS4 derived 250bhp (at stock...) 2.7L BiTurbo.

O.A.P

I have a 99 landrover 110 with more dents and scrathes on it than paint and I bought it to last the rest of my driving life.;)

barochoc

I'm hammering about in a 1990 Saab 900i 16v with 160K

It looks amazing from a distance but looks a bit tired when close up. Half the interior has been removed & I have been meaning to put it back in.

NCT is well over due but I'm not optimistic even though it sailed through last year. It's such a cool car though & turns heads everyday.

I've an old classic 735i for the weekends but haven't really driven it much since February as the tax ran out & I'm not too keen to fork out €1600 for another year. I might stick 3 months on her next month or get a 740i.

keefg

Zube wrote: »

no-ones ever going to give us any real money for an old Ford

*Ahem*.....;)




http://www.lillysofsandhurst.co.uk/155224/lilly-stock.htm


110K Sterling

VanhireBoys

Thats nice but the VRT would be savage...!

Fun yes, MPG is bad, No room to have anything bar a passenger, No boot space, Noisey, no radio, Uncomfortable on a journey, Spares would be a problem (apart from the dash and tailights from a Sierra). Scumbags will try and steal it.

It will take the Mondy to tow the trailer for it...!

thethedev

My cars a 1990. I hate people who have no meas on a car just because of its age! Or think that just because a car is cheap its disposable!
My car is nearly as old as I am and I intend to keep until I'm an old man!
Fair play to you for having a bit of cop on!

kakee

Hi all. I agree with all the posts about wasting money on good cars. I have a friend who likes his cars and has to do a few laps of a car park before he finds somewhere suitable (usually the middle of 2 parking spaces).
The best car I ever owned was a jap import toyota corolla saloon. It was white colour coded everything,air conditioning, electric windows, central locking, a nifty 1.5 engine and a little bell alarm that went off if you went over 60. I still see it in the local town going as good as ever.

Rowley Birkin QC

I have a 1998 Vectra with 146,000 miles, one horrible dent that some drunken cnut put in it last year, a Haynes manual, a well stocked tool box and a willingness to learn.

Recession proof.

Next car will be a 520/525 or possibly Matts suggestion of a Bi-Turbo Audi, loving the sound of €7k landed. All that is providing someone takes notice of my sig or the 54 million CV's that I sent out lately.:(:(

alias no.9

I have a 1996 C200 estate which I bought for buttons a few months back. It's a bit rough around the edges but has lots of extras, only 113k miles and only needed the headlight allignment done to pass the NCT. Earlier today I managed to get a rather oak large book case into the back of it, saving me an ~€80 delivery charge, so I can write that €80 off the cost of the car, a few more trips like that and I'll be oweing it money.

keefg

VanhireBoys wrote: »

Thats nice but the VRT would be savage...!

I'd be too scared to ask :eek:

3-4 years ago I looked into bringing in a 1 year old Roush Mustang from the UK so I contacted my friendly VRT office and they quoted me 25 grand!!!!

Feckin' Mustang only cost about 28k sterling at the time.

VanhireBoys wrote: »

Fun yes, MPG is bad, No room to have anything bar a passenger, No boot space, Noisey, no radio, Uncomfortable on a journey, Spares would be a problem (apart from the dash and tailights from a Sierra). Scumbags will try and steal it.

To be fair I don't think the RS200 was ever marketed as a family run-a-round

SouperComputer

1996 Ford Taurus LX, coming up on 170K.....ill post a pic later.

Looks like pants, but in its defense:-

Its got very comfortable, electric seats with adjustable lumbar support.
Kick-ass JBL sound system
Electronic climate control works great in winter and the A\C is icy cold even in 40C weather.
Handles snow like a champ
Nice 200BHP 3.0 24v V6, not a lot to shout about but better than the pathetic 150BHP from the OHV engine in some of the other Taurus'. YUK!


We have a 2000 Beetle as well, hope to sell it in a while, free up some cash and replace it with one of the following, cant decide which tho hah:-

e34 BMW
Early 90's Quattro 20v turbo
Saab Turbo
Lexus Soarer\SC400

L-M

Voodoomelon wrote: »

I'm in the same boat, but sitting in a different direction.

Mine is 9 years and 3 months old now, and looks like it did the day it rolled out of the factory. Just because its old, doesn't mean you should treat it with contempt.

+1

Mine is 9 years and 8 months old and it still has paint work like this,


I can count the marks on it (4).

I could of bought a 03 and paid more of the exact same thing, but I see absolutely no point in that. Also I couldn't find one as clean .

Zube

Pretty fly (for a white guy).

*Kol*

'01 Vectra CD from new with 115K on it. Apart from a few spots of rust that I never bothered doing anything with its in great shape and I intend having it for a while yet. It owes me absolutely nothing after 8 years.

Saab Ed

Just aqquired a 1999 Toyota Avensis Turbo diesel with 215,000 miles on her :eek: ...and you know what shes fu**kin flyin . Laughed at it for the first 5 minutes but ended up doing a couple of 100 miles in her yesterday and you couldnt get me out of it. Great car.........but like everything its still for sale

maidhc

Another vote for the mondeo!

We have a 1995 Mondeo with 220k miles. We bought it new, traded it in for an Avensis in Jan 1999. Bought it back in Sept 1999 from the same forecourt for 3k less (£6,000 punts) and it has been faultless for the past 10 years and 160k miles since!

congo_90

My 00 1.3 accent gls though broken into and been broken by me a few times has survived well! at an average 48-50 mpg she's doing well for a car with the check engine light on a month now. ( i will fix i promise).
Anyways shes a bit of rust on one part of the body from previous owner dropping some solvent on it and spoiler paint is pealing away but she still runs. Starts will a brum noise that sounds more V8 than straight 4.
I hate her, but but love her for never dieing. She's worth f*ck all and looks sh1t no matter how hard I try but is lovely for the long drives (unless your a backseat passenger then good luck).

sogood

barochoc wrote: »

I'm hammering about in a 1990 Saab 900i 16v with 160K

It looks amazing from a distance but looks a bit tired when close up. Half the interior has been removed & I have been meaning to put it back in.

NCT is well over due but I'm not optimistic even though it sailed through last year. It's such a cool car though & turns heads everyday.

I've an old classic 735i for the weekends but haven't really driven it much since February as the tax ran out & I'm not too keen to fork out €1600 for another year. I might stick 3 months on her next month or get a 740i.

I drive a 1990 735i myself and it cant be beaten. What model/year is yours/ mine is the e32.