Bangernomics

[hamster]

97 Toyota Starlet 'stopgap' car bought in 2017 for £300. Been through most MOTs since with little trouble, just serviced by me once a year on the drive. Most reliable car I've ever owned. Its a keeper until the rust takes hold underneath eventually.

Sounds like a 2002 Yaris I bought off the babysitter for the price of 3 return taxi rides to nearby Southampton. Every panel is dinged, but with 130k on the clock it starts every time and has lasted 5 years, I have replaced tyres and dampers, battery and the exhaust manifold over that time, but that's all. It looks scruffy but it's a hoot to drive now the suspension is fixed.

 

[grahame]

You're right.... I have to have a selection of hammers now

Metric *AND* Imperial. There's posh

 

[doctor-bond]

Love bangernomics. Here’s one of mine that got away:

M535

More recent adventures include a 1989 230te for £1500 which I miss terribly, and an Outback with the 3 litre flat 6 - fantastic cars. This one was a tad thirsty for the miles I was doing at the time so got replaced by a £900 Astra H 1.7 diesel with 130k on the clock.

When all things are considered, this is prolly the best car I’ve owned. Pov spec with wind up rear windows and steel wheels, I put a decent air filter and black box on it (£50 from the bay) and hooned it around U.K. and France for a few years. About 45k extra miles and it only needed service items. (one of the built in Germany ones) I love the gutsy practicality and complete classlessness of them. We still use it to take rubbish to the bins up the farm track: eldest sons job who has learned to drive on it.

Ah, Astra H: I might see if I can grab one of the 1.6 turbo ones while they’re still around.

 

[albash82]

The Focus is going strong.
Still haven't got around to servicing it yet, but I will do asap.
Started playing the mpg game after I filled up last night and averaged 57mpg on the way to work today.
Satisfying.

I've also noticed there's a storage compartment on the top of the dash that won't open. Curious to see what's inside. Could be anything in there....
-Gold
-Contraband substances
-M900
-Misc debris
Who's knows!

 

[Jamesbike]

I miss the old bangers - meant you can change your car every other year!

Volvo V70 where my fav including a T5.
Also had XC90 too.
Audi A4 V6 was soooo smooth!

Had some shockers too....!

Renault 19, Citroen xantia, fiat panda. VX zafira X3.

 

[doctor-bond]

Giving it some thought, there should be a retro-banger list: cars that have that certain something that
was either too costly or not recognised at the time, and need to be experienced. (Not classics, but tools to be used.)

Ford focus, top of the list: anyone remember Tiff Needell, 4 up, ragging one round a race track and changing gear half way through a powerslide? (And let’s not forget they have heated windscreens: why was/is this not compulsory?)

Astra H, obvs.
Peugeot 306: the last great handling little P.
Subaru Forester: ugly cute, and as capable as any car ever was or will be.
Old Mercs. all of them. (The only issue is, when do they become retro-bangers?)
Alfas: any, all
Saabs: any, all
Citroen C6s. Truly.
Anything with 6 or more cylinders …..……


…. Which @Jamesbike brings us to the XC90: I’ve been playing with a 2005 T6 that is truly excellent apart from 21 mpg and any nu,ber of electrics that go pop every other week. XC90 prolly the most practical car ever. But as a retro banger, madly flawed; makes a Lancia look like a good punt ….

 

[Jamesbike]

Giving it some thought, there should be a retro-banger list: cars that have that certain something that
was either too costly or not recognised at the time, and need to be experienced. (Not classics, but tools to be used.)

Ford focus, top of the list: anyone remember Tiff Needell, 4 up, ragging one round a race track and changing gear half way through a powerslide? (And let’s not forget they have heated windscreens: why was/is this not compulsory?)

Astra H, obvs.
Peugeot 306: the last great handling little P.
Subaru Forester: ugly cute, and as capable as any car ever was or will be.
Old Mercs. all of them. (The only issue is, when do they become retro-bangers?)
Alfas: any, all
Saabs: any, all
Citroen C6s. Truly.
Anything with 6 or more cylinders …..……


…. Which @Jamesbike brings us to the XC90: I’ve been playing with a 2005 T6 that is truly excellent apart from 21 mpg and any nu,ber of electrics that go pop every other week. XC90 prolly the most practical car ever. But as a retro banger, madly flawed; makes a Lancia look like a good punt ….

XC90 t6 Your tranny still working?!!

 

[doctor-bond]

Ish. Box was replaced at 59k, now at 103 and it works but is only 2wd (DM module). About four different dash warnings for everything from alarm to anti skid; window trims peeling (how much each?!!!), and replacement stereo amp won’t work because Volvo proprietary software thinks I nicked it.

Apart from that, it carries dogs, kids and shopping comfortably and goes like shit off a stick …. so comfy.

 

[Jamesbike]

Ish. Box was replaced at 59k, now at 103 and it works but is only 2wd (DM module). About four different dash warnings for everything from alarm to anti skid; window trims peeling (how much each?!!!), and replacement stereo amp won’t work because Volvo proprietary software thinks I nicked it.

Apart from that, it carries dogs, kids and shopping comfortably and goes like shit off a stick …. so comfy.

My two were d5

Both were great second one had shunty auto box iirc. 03 - 05 age.

 

[hamster]

An old Bangernomic car I had was a 1997 Saab 9000 2.3 Turbo (not the LPT one, but the 200bhp job). If handled roughly it would spin its wheels at 60mph on a wet motorway. Overtaking never needed any steering action - torque steer would do the rest. I finally sold it at 14 years old after Saab had gone bust.

Effortless for doing long distances, with the nicest seats and driving position I ever experienced.

Agreed about the 306, I had an XSi, a late one with the 136bhp 2.0 which was good fun. I sold that at 9 years as it was clearly built to a price and everything looked like it would go shortly.