Car history + current fleet!
Discussion
I’ve often looked at other people’s threads and wondered how they manage to have more vehicles than people in the house. How could they have the space and money to run them all I would mutter. Moving them about to get the car you need must be a pita.
Then one slow blink later I’ve ended up with 3 cars and a bike between me and the misses! Having a garage seems to increase this likelihood somewhat it appears.
Quick rundown on my car history before I get to my current fleet. Unfortunately due to a laptop accident I don’t have pictures of most of the older cars so ive used google to find ones in same spec and colour!
Peugeot 405 1.9 Diesel
Was owned by my dad and was going to scrap due needing some major suspension work done and was already replaced by a 405 SRi but I convinced him to let me have it and get it fixed to allow me to have a car to learn to drive in! In the end by some luck the major sounding suspension woes turned out to be some minor parts and adjustments to the tune of £250. Made it to the scrap yard 12 months later on the week of my driving test when the engine expired when my mum drove it to the shops (I don’t blame her…honest..) my memory of it now is of the amazing seats, mpg and how incredibly slow it was. google image..
Rover 214i
Needed a car after the 405 went and bought this at the local Skoda dealership. Mate had one and seemed lightning fast at the time and cheap. Some mechanical problems I wasn’t happy with delayed getting the car for 2 weeks and they loaned me an almost new Fabia 1.4 100bhp which was pretty decent. Finally got the car but 4 days later when approaching a roundabout on a 50mph road the brakes almost completely failed. Me now would know to slam it in 2nd and use the handbrake but young me went s
t (not helped by the fact I was braking too late already) and got myself braced for the 2ft walled wide roundabout hoping I could somehow take it at 35-40. Cue clipping the very edge and rolling it and landing back on my wheels! Roof caved in so had to get via the rear door after some kicking. Was fine but certainly gave me a fright and to this day I still check the brakes firmly at the end of my street. Skoda denied any wrongdoing and trading standards agreed that the brake lines were completely corroded and leaking. However they wouldn’t say for sure that garage was at fault. Suspect if I hadn’t been 19 I might have got a better result. With hindsight I should have walked away at the initial problems. Google Image
Peugeot 406 1.8 Rapier
The spare car in the house was now mine on lend until I could sort myself out. Ended up using it for nearly 6 months. My dad kept it for a bit after and was sold with 178k on it. Comfy mile muncher for my 60 mile commute at the time. Got pulled over by the cops numerous times to check I owned the car and insured as it was in my dad’s name but I was insuring it. Google Image
Ford Fiesta 1.4 Zetec
Saved for 6 months and bought this on only 18k miles. Perfect for what I needed and was decent on the fuel for the commute. Barely anything went wrong on it for 4 years (45k miles) only regret was the 1.25 would have been better than the 1.4. Sold because I was getting bored of it and a new job with more money and less miles meant I could buy something else. Sold to my mum! Only died recently after something on the engine let go at 168k miles. Was scrapped but slightly annoyed as I said I would pay the scrap money to buy it off her and get a new engine in but she said people wouldn’t buy it and scrapped anyway. Pah. Google again..
Volvo 850 T5 Estate
That earning more bit above plus fiesta sale? Went right out the window when car searching! Fancied something left field after ordinary cars and was actually looking at much more expensive stuff but in the end I bought a £800 Volvo estate. Friends and family looked at me weirdly but absolutely loved the thing. Blue dash and leather seats. All mod cons. Only thing I had to fix was a blowing exhaust which I got done for £150 (replaced cat back) living in centre of Edinburgh meant mpg wasn’t good for my small 10 mile traffic leaden commute. 22 mpg. Esp as it ran better on the 98+ and had a 70ltr tank! Grudgingly sold for £850 (profit!!) to a farmer as I needed the money for a trip to Australia with the then girlfriend and couldn’t quite afford to do it without selling. I should buy another. Had the bike for commuting (below) Google!
Honda 125 CBR
Bought by the parents as a means for both younger brothers to get about town instead of giving them lefts everywhere. I used it for getting some practice in after by bike CBT in prep for my direct access course to get my licence. Nippy enough but skinny tyres + 14 stone + rain = scary handling! Once topped out at 70mph! google my friend. picked this picture to show how small it is!
Kawasaki ZX6-R
Thankfully passed! Knew the owner of the local Kawasaki garage and popped in to ask about a couple of their used 636 bikes on finance. 20 mins in he slips me some figures about a brand new ZX6-R that worked out the same cost. Pretty much sold on the idea there and then but called my dad who isn’t fussed about bikes and a voice of sensibility to make sure I’m not rushing in. He says go for it. Called the GFs dad who rides bikes and he said a good deal also. Bugger…deposit down and factory build arrived not long after. Owned for 2.5 years and 9500 miles and was brilliant to own. Managed to drop it once in a queue of traffic with a passenger on. Crash bungs saved any cosmetic damage. Would recommend! Only sold to fund house move and the fact I wouldn’t have a garage to put it in. a pic of my actual one
Lupo GTi
After selling the Volvo I ran the bike as my only mode of transport for 4months with the occasional use of a parent’s car if I was struggling. Cue the trip to Australia coming up and in a bout of madness I travelled to Aberdeen to buy a Lupo in December snow! Looking back I’m not sure what I was thinking but I had seen one and thought I like that. Nearly bankrupted myself as at this point I was paying finance on the bike and had laser eye surgery to pay off to adding the lupo loan was hard going. Added some blistern lowering springs and dampers, poly bushed the suspension, camber bolts and full 4 wheel alignment. Induction kit and full custom exhaust including 4-2-1 manifold and sports cat (should had had it remapped..) Only thing i never got sorted was the allows back to the original bathhurts due to the cost. Sold to finance house and had become attached to it so only advertised it on the VW forums as I had I looked after it well. Several enquiries but 1st person to view bought it. Looked him up on FB 3 days later to see how he was getting on and discovered he managed to hit a puddle (lift-off oversteer more like) on a NSL road and rolled it many times across a field through 2 fences. He was ok but car was a right off. Was gutted! pic before the lowering took place. like a tractor...
Mazda 6 2.0 TS3
That car I was using to bomb about in when I had the bike? It was this fella. Just before I sold the Lupo both younger brothers got some cash to buy their 1st bikes and it equated to roughly the same as buying this 2nd hand (these are almost worthless btw!) so I asked to take it off their hands as it was going up for sale. Car was fully loaded kit wise, reasonable miles and I knew the history. Painfully slow and struggled to hit 30mpg plus it had on the Michelin premecy tyres which weren’t really that good in the wet. Those tyres were brand new so couldn’t replace and was reliable all the time I ran it which helped as I had just got my 1st house and was pretty skint!. Survived 12 months before boredom got the better of me plus the alloys and arches were started to really rust. Google...
Saab 9-3 Aero
Wanted something a bit faster, more interesting and not too expensive. Fitted the bill perfectly. Kept for over 3 years and only the gearbox pin needing changed (thought the clutch was doomed but £50 fixed everything!) and front springs (made of chocolate) everything else was standard consumables. Was comfy, speedy when I needed it to be and would happily keep to my 30mpg+ I like without having to go diesel! Only mid-range spec wise so if I did it again id like the top one as no heated seats on a fully leathered saab is just weird. Had it remapped by a guy called Karl (saabnoob) and made it much sharper and faster. Had no plans to sell and was actually the perfect foil for the gfs mk2.5 mx5. Eventually went as the lease deal on a Golf R (loads of sighs in the background…) meant for me 24 months of guaranteed financial stability as we were looking for a new house. My actual car. recommend getting a decent camera for sale ads!
Current Fleet!
Audi TTS
The girlfriends (now wife) MX5 lasted nearly 6 years and was reasonably reliable and fun to drive although I found it a bit cramp and not great for overtaking(surrounded by country roads and 40mph dawdlers). Typically on the day I drove it whilst the Saab was getting MOT’d the coolant pipe gave way at about 80 leptons and I didn’t notice until the needle shot right round to the max mark (also turned out later than the fan also wasn’t cutting in) and by the time I managed to get it stopped at the side of the road it was over heating. Not great on a car that had done over 120k miles and no history before she bought it. Long story short couple of garages said it was fooked so we flogged on gumtree as spares or repairs for £600. I had 20+ calls in 2 days and 1st came bought it.
Anyway the replacement had to be a convertible and as the gf was a trainee at the time and wasn’t flush I said I’d help fund it so had to have decent power. She didn’t like the Z4, the Boxster could be very expensive to run if anything went wrong and although we liked the 370Z the mpg of a mates barely hits 20 so that left the TT and as we couldn’t afford the RS the S would do. Pretty fast, loads of grip, roof works and has everything we need for weekend blasts. Both window regulators have been fixed (bloody VAG cheapness) and the roof sensor was replaced under warranty, probably keep this long term as still hasn’t hit 40k miles and doing about 6k a year. 4wd is a bonus as it’s pretty much always wet or icy and we now live on a steep hill. Having the Golf now does highlight the Haldex4 isn’t nearly as good as the Haldex5 though.
Triumph Sprint 955i
Wife’s dad no longer used this and hadn’t moved for 6 years so I offered to take it off his hand and get it back on the road. Didn’t take too much, new battery, fluid, petrol, tyres. Not a patch on the ninja but a decent commuter bike and I’ve managed average about 1-2k miles a year. Still haven’t managed a long trip away yet so need to sort that out. This has typically spurred the FIL to get back into riding and has bought a new bike!
VW Golf R
Was looking for something to replace the Saab and decided I fancied something on lease. Originally looking at S1s and smaller cars but came across a thread n here about the R and the deal was too cheap to ignore (£230pm 1.2k deposit 10k miles pa) which was less than that S1! So far it’s exactly what I expected, standard golf with plenty of kit and brilliant grip. Will wash wide if you push into a corner so better to go slower in and fast out. Favourite bit is the hill assist which I use instead of the hand brake and been caught out a few times in the Audi thinking it had it! Typically as I have had to hand it back it’s the only car I’ve ever kerbed and someone drove into my in a car park breaking the headlight and gouging the bumper. Fixed under their insurance ok though. VW 10k service also resulted in them somehow scratching both right hand side doors! Fixed by them. Still 6 months to go on the lease so need to think what I’m going to do next. Looked at everything from new leases, 7-8k cars and EVs!
Lupo GTi
Opps… now have 3 cars. Saw one going cheap on gumtree locally with girl emigrating to Oz. Needs some TLC and haggled down to a reasonably cheap price, its also got 135k on it :S. Might get a thread up about it as it’s a bit left field. Used sporadically and planning on doing the north 500 in it and heading to the Scottish borders this weekend for a 300 mile blast (mates have a Clio trophy and also a Lupo GTi)
Cleared out the garage at the new house which the previous owner left loads of rubbish in. fits the lupo and the bike and even the golf and the bike at a push! need to paint the walls and floors maybe next year. Also bonus image of the lupo in the garage with another gti! rare sight that.
A bit of a long post there in the end! Thanks for ready! Now fully understand how people end up with many wheels!
Then one slow blink later I’ve ended up with 3 cars and a bike between me and the misses! Having a garage seems to increase this likelihood somewhat it appears.
Quick rundown on my car history before I get to my current fleet. Unfortunately due to a laptop accident I don’t have pictures of most of the older cars so ive used google to find ones in same spec and colour!
Peugeot 405 1.9 Diesel
Was owned by my dad and was going to scrap due needing some major suspension work done and was already replaced by a 405 SRi but I convinced him to let me have it and get it fixed to allow me to have a car to learn to drive in! In the end by some luck the major sounding suspension woes turned out to be some minor parts and adjustments to the tune of £250. Made it to the scrap yard 12 months later on the week of my driving test when the engine expired when my mum drove it to the shops (I don’t blame her…honest..) my memory of it now is of the amazing seats, mpg and how incredibly slow it was. google image..
Rover 214i
Needed a car after the 405 went and bought this at the local Skoda dealership. Mate had one and seemed lightning fast at the time and cheap. Some mechanical problems I wasn’t happy with delayed getting the car for 2 weeks and they loaned me an almost new Fabia 1.4 100bhp which was pretty decent. Finally got the car but 4 days later when approaching a roundabout on a 50mph road the brakes almost completely failed. Me now would know to slam it in 2nd and use the handbrake but young me went s
t (not helped by the fact I was braking too late already) and got myself braced for the 2ft walled wide roundabout hoping I could somehow take it at 35-40. Cue clipping the very edge and rolling it and landing back on my wheels! Roof caved in so had to get via the rear door after some kicking. Was fine but certainly gave me a fright and to this day I still check the brakes firmly at the end of my street. Skoda denied any wrongdoing and trading standards agreed that the brake lines were completely corroded and leaking. However they wouldn’t say for sure that garage was at fault. Suspect if I hadn’t been 19 I might have got a better result. With hindsight I should have walked away at the initial problems. Google Image
Peugeot 406 1.8 Rapier
The spare car in the house was now mine on lend until I could sort myself out. Ended up using it for nearly 6 months. My dad kept it for a bit after and was sold with 178k on it. Comfy mile muncher for my 60 mile commute at the time. Got pulled over by the cops numerous times to check I owned the car and insured as it was in my dad’s name but I was insuring it. Google Image
Ford Fiesta 1.4 Zetec
Saved for 6 months and bought this on only 18k miles. Perfect for what I needed and was decent on the fuel for the commute. Barely anything went wrong on it for 4 years (45k miles) only regret was the 1.25 would have been better than the 1.4. Sold because I was getting bored of it and a new job with more money and less miles meant I could buy something else. Sold to my mum! Only died recently after something on the engine let go at 168k miles. Was scrapped but slightly annoyed as I said I would pay the scrap money to buy it off her and get a new engine in but she said people wouldn’t buy it and scrapped anyway. Pah. Google again..
Volvo 850 T5 Estate
That earning more bit above plus fiesta sale? Went right out the window when car searching! Fancied something left field after ordinary cars and was actually looking at much more expensive stuff but in the end I bought a £800 Volvo estate. Friends and family looked at me weirdly but absolutely loved the thing. Blue dash and leather seats. All mod cons. Only thing I had to fix was a blowing exhaust which I got done for £150 (replaced cat back) living in centre of Edinburgh meant mpg wasn’t good for my small 10 mile traffic leaden commute. 22 mpg. Esp as it ran better on the 98+ and had a 70ltr tank! Grudgingly sold for £850 (profit!!) to a farmer as I needed the money for a trip to Australia with the then girlfriend and couldn’t quite afford to do it without selling. I should buy another. Had the bike for commuting (below) Google!
Honda 125 CBR
Bought by the parents as a means for both younger brothers to get about town instead of giving them lefts everywhere. I used it for getting some practice in after by bike CBT in prep for my direct access course to get my licence. Nippy enough but skinny tyres + 14 stone + rain = scary handling! Once topped out at 70mph! google my friend. picked this picture to show how small it is!
Kawasaki ZX6-R
Thankfully passed! Knew the owner of the local Kawasaki garage and popped in to ask about a couple of their used 636 bikes on finance. 20 mins in he slips me some figures about a brand new ZX6-R that worked out the same cost. Pretty much sold on the idea there and then but called my dad who isn’t fussed about bikes and a voice of sensibility to make sure I’m not rushing in. He says go for it. Called the GFs dad who rides bikes and he said a good deal also. Bugger…deposit down and factory build arrived not long after. Owned for 2.5 years and 9500 miles and was brilliant to own. Managed to drop it once in a queue of traffic with a passenger on. Crash bungs saved any cosmetic damage. Would recommend! Only sold to fund house move and the fact I wouldn’t have a garage to put it in. a pic of my actual one
Lupo GTi
After selling the Volvo I ran the bike as my only mode of transport for 4months with the occasional use of a parent’s car if I was struggling. Cue the trip to Australia coming up and in a bout of madness I travelled to Aberdeen to buy a Lupo in December snow! Looking back I’m not sure what I was thinking but I had seen one and thought I like that. Nearly bankrupted myself as at this point I was paying finance on the bike and had laser eye surgery to pay off to adding the lupo loan was hard going. Added some blistern lowering springs and dampers, poly bushed the suspension, camber bolts and full 4 wheel alignment. Induction kit and full custom exhaust including 4-2-1 manifold and sports cat (should had had it remapped..) Only thing i never got sorted was the allows back to the original bathhurts due to the cost. Sold to finance house and had become attached to it so only advertised it on the VW forums as I had I looked after it well. Several enquiries but 1st person to view bought it. Looked him up on FB 3 days later to see how he was getting on and discovered he managed to hit a puddle (lift-off oversteer more like) on a NSL road and rolled it many times across a field through 2 fences. He was ok but car was a right off. Was gutted! pic before the lowering took place. like a tractor...
Mazda 6 2.0 TS3
That car I was using to bomb about in when I had the bike? It was this fella. Just before I sold the Lupo both younger brothers got some cash to buy their 1st bikes and it equated to roughly the same as buying this 2nd hand (these are almost worthless btw!) so I asked to take it off their hands as it was going up for sale. Car was fully loaded kit wise, reasonable miles and I knew the history. Painfully slow and struggled to hit 30mpg plus it had on the Michelin premecy tyres which weren’t really that good in the wet. Those tyres were brand new so couldn’t replace and was reliable all the time I ran it which helped as I had just got my 1st house and was pretty skint!. Survived 12 months before boredom got the better of me plus the alloys and arches were started to really rust. Google...
Saab 9-3 Aero
Wanted something a bit faster, more interesting and not too expensive. Fitted the bill perfectly. Kept for over 3 years and only the gearbox pin needing changed (thought the clutch was doomed but £50 fixed everything!) and front springs (made of chocolate) everything else was standard consumables. Was comfy, speedy when I needed it to be and would happily keep to my 30mpg+ I like without having to go diesel! Only mid-range spec wise so if I did it again id like the top one as no heated seats on a fully leathered saab is just weird. Had it remapped by a guy called Karl (saabnoob) and made it much sharper and faster. Had no plans to sell and was actually the perfect foil for the gfs mk2.5 mx5. Eventually went as the lease deal on a Golf R (loads of sighs in the background…) meant for me 24 months of guaranteed financial stability as we were looking for a new house. My actual car. recommend getting a decent camera for sale ads!
Current Fleet!
Audi TTS
The girlfriends (now wife) MX5 lasted nearly 6 years and was reasonably reliable and fun to drive although I found it a bit cramp and not great for overtaking(surrounded by country roads and 40mph dawdlers). Typically on the day I drove it whilst the Saab was getting MOT’d the coolant pipe gave way at about 80 leptons and I didn’t notice until the needle shot right round to the max mark (also turned out later than the fan also wasn’t cutting in) and by the time I managed to get it stopped at the side of the road it was over heating. Not great on a car that had done over 120k miles and no history before she bought it. Long story short couple of garages said it was fooked so we flogged on gumtree as spares or repairs for £600. I had 20+ calls in 2 days and 1st came bought it.
Anyway the replacement had to be a convertible and as the gf was a trainee at the time and wasn’t flush I said I’d help fund it so had to have decent power. She didn’t like the Z4, the Boxster could be very expensive to run if anything went wrong and although we liked the 370Z the mpg of a mates barely hits 20 so that left the TT and as we couldn’t afford the RS the S would do. Pretty fast, loads of grip, roof works and has everything we need for weekend blasts. Both window regulators have been fixed (bloody VAG cheapness) and the roof sensor was replaced under warranty, probably keep this long term as still hasn’t hit 40k miles and doing about 6k a year. 4wd is a bonus as it’s pretty much always wet or icy and we now live on a steep hill. Having the Golf now does highlight the Haldex4 isn’t nearly as good as the Haldex5 though.
Triumph Sprint 955i
Wife’s dad no longer used this and hadn’t moved for 6 years so I offered to take it off his hand and get it back on the road. Didn’t take too much, new battery, fluid, petrol, tyres. Not a patch on the ninja but a decent commuter bike and I’ve managed average about 1-2k miles a year. Still haven’t managed a long trip away yet so need to sort that out. This has typically spurred the FIL to get back into riding and has bought a new bike!
VW Golf R
Was looking for something to replace the Saab and decided I fancied something on lease. Originally looking at S1s and smaller cars but came across a thread n here about the R and the deal was too cheap to ignore (£230pm 1.2k deposit 10k miles pa) which was less than that S1! So far it’s exactly what I expected, standard golf with plenty of kit and brilliant grip. Will wash wide if you push into a corner so better to go slower in and fast out. Favourite bit is the hill assist which I use instead of the hand brake and been caught out a few times in the Audi thinking it had it! Typically as I have had to hand it back it’s the only car I’ve ever kerbed and someone drove into my in a car park breaking the headlight and gouging the bumper. Fixed under their insurance ok though. VW 10k service also resulted in them somehow scratching both right hand side doors! Fixed by them. Still 6 months to go on the lease so need to think what I’m going to do next. Looked at everything from new leases, 7-8k cars and EVs!
Lupo GTi
Opps… now have 3 cars. Saw one going cheap on gumtree locally with girl emigrating to Oz. Needs some TLC and haggled down to a reasonably cheap price, its also got 135k on it :S. Might get a thread up about it as it’s a bit left field. Used sporadically and planning on doing the north 500 in it and heading to the Scottish borders this weekend for a 300 mile blast (mates have a Clio trophy and also a Lupo GTi)
Cleared out the garage at the new house which the previous owner left loads of rubbish in. fits the lupo and the bike and even the golf and the bike at a push! need to paint the walls and floors maybe next year. Also bonus image of the lupo in the garage with another gti! rare sight that.
A bit of a long post there in the end! Thanks for ready! Now fully understand how people end up with many wheels!
Edited by camthebam on Friday 2nd December 15:46
Edited by camthebam on Friday 2nd December 15:55
BricktopST205 said:
Nice cars and similar tastes and selection of cars to me. We have 4 as well and are only a 2 adult household. Saab 9-5 Aero, Suzuki Ignis Sport, Mazda MX5 2.5 with the Celica GT-FOUR tucked up in the garage.
Would love a bike but know I would kill myself.
GT4 would be good! 4 cars is enough for now to still remain in the good books. Bike wise its all about mind-set I think. I ride with a mind-set of how would I view my own riding i.e if I thought "look at that aWould love a bike but know I would kill myself.
hole" I know I need to sort myself out. Relatively safe bikes, its more other people you to watch out for! benjijames28 said:
Nice post.
I'm tempted by a new motor, been looking at Alfa's, old Lexus is200, golf lease deals.
2k up front then about 170 a month for a gtd, very tempted. Never had a new car, but not sure it will even feel like its mine.
Get yourself on to the lease thread, a good read and highlights the pitfalls and what to look for. think we will lease and own a car until the deals dry up. I like alfas, not taken the plunge though. viewed 2 147 GTAs and a 3.2 GT Coupe but they were very ropey and put me off. I'm tempted by a new motor, been looking at Alfa's, old Lexus is200, golf lease deals.
2k up front then about 170 a month for a gtd, very tempted. Never had a new car, but not sure it will even feel like its mine.
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