£6k to blow on a car - 700 miles a week use

No it's not valid as I was talking about Audi's. They do not cost the same to fix as a Seat or at least that's what the garage will have you believe. I have an interest in cars as well as bikes so am fully aware of VAG part sharing but they are not all equal. The 4 Audi's my friends have were/are costing a fortune to fix while my similar age old Focus did not.

Is it nicer to sit in my pals A3 compared to my old Focus? Yes.

Did/does it cost far more day to day? Yes.

Is my friends Seat Leon as nice to sit in as the previous mates A3? No.


You've obviously not driven many modern Fords if that's what you think. Is this some sort of badge snobbery? If so I suggest you get at least a VW, if not Audi as willy waving while driving a Seat (that shares a few bits with other cars) makes you look a bit silly. Nothing wrong with them (just like Skoda, Ford, Pug, Vaux, etc), they're just run of the mill.

Do you think someone at the BBC reads Retrobike: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-23406467 ;-)

Well, after another 4 excruciating hours bombing around in the Doblo, I will settle for just about anything.

Things the Doblo needs quite quickly before the MOT in September:

Exhaust is held on by jubilee clips

passenger door mechanism has decided to stop working, cant open the door.

Knackered internal window guides on the drivers door leaves the window permanently shut as the mechanism simply pushes the window out...

all round pads/ discs

alternator belt

Service.

Theres enough there to piss me off as despite the last three and a half years being mechanically fault free, keeping up with the stupid niggles has been the most annoying.

I could throw a few hundred at it and keep it going. Current mileage is 189,500. Cambelt was done last year. No sign of the turbo packing it in yet.

Got two Skodas on the drive. A 2003 Octavia 1.9TDI and a 2001 Fabia 1.4.

The Fabia is the absolute cheapest, bottom of the range model. Has never broken down, even after running with the water level a bit low for a bit too long. Not a speck of rust.

The Octavia is at about 150k miles, was T-boned by a police car doing 70mph on a 30 limit (with no flashing lights!) and repaired, reversed into by a truck and repaired, and rear ended by a 1980s Jag and repaired. The only things that have gone wrong are where it was repaired by shitty insurance company endorsed garages. Engine's still as good as the day it was bought.

Got a Ford out there too, but it's a Transit. I've driven a Focus and it felt like crap, zero feedback and very uncomfortable (But I'm 6'8", so most cars are uncomfortable). Also had loads of electrical problems at less than 7 months old, like the power steering switching off in traffic, and the engine deciding that it didn't like air, and turning on whatever passes for a choke nowadays halfway round a roundabout.

6'8"?! I feel like a shortarse! My only car at the moment is also a Transit, though Woman has her Disco. The Tranny is knocking on a bit, but Ford parts are so cheap it's not a major issue as it climbs past 210k.

I keep trying to persuade my dad to drop a 6 speed into the Transit, but he won't have it, however much he complains about not having enough gears for motorway cruising.

Chopper1192":14bogu2e said:

The Tranny is knocking on a bit, but Ford parts are so cheap it's not a major issue as it climbs past 210k.

Click to expand...

Loads of miles left.

Took my Sierra through to 315K (bought at 97K), had it scrapped 'cos I didn't want any one else to drive it (sentimental reasons), still got the camshaft in the garage, had its original clutch replaced at ~275K. Body work helped by very small oil leak - underside always had a misted coating of oil - best rust preventer I've come across.

Last year sold my Focus with >240K (bought at 54K), blew a cooling pipe, which resulted in a slightly weeping head gasket, but for family reason needed to have car that wasn't a risk of stranded un-expectdly. Officially sold for "scrap", but was certainly still on the road three months later - who-ever was driving got caught by a speed camera. Got asked for details of who I'd sold the car to - err the details on the form I sent to the DVLA would be a good place to start...

TedC":3ick81o2 said:

Chopper1192":3ick81o2 said:

The Tranny is knocking on a bit, but Ford parts are so cheap it's not a major issue as it climbs past 210k.

Click to expand...

Loads of miles left.

Took my Sierra through to 315K (bought at 97K), had it scrapped 'cos I didn't want any one else to drive it (sentimental reasons), still got the camshaft in the garage, had its original clutch replaced at ~275K. Body work helped by very small oil leak - underside always had a misted coating of oil - best rust preventer I've come across.

Click to expand...

My mum had a sierra she bought for £50. D reg I think? Still had a choke, anyway. Worst car ever, didn't have a lock on the passenger door, but it looked so crap that no one ever even opened it to have a rummage around inside. I used to jump up and down on the roof and the bonnet with my friends when I got home from school.

got a 2009 Skoda Fabia 3, 1.4 TDI 80 BHP, 58,000 miles..getting 50 MPG around town..mostly used by Mrs Ernie and the eldest daughter. Averages about 700-800 miles a month

Well happy

Ernie