Am I alone in getting fed up with the continual self satisfied crowing of those who run cars with X zillion miles on the clock, change the oil every 100 miles with DuckhamsSuperShell semi - synthetic oil purchased for 2.294FF a litre from a supermarket only 27 Km from Calais.
Anyone who isn?t as wise or frugal as these sages is just plain mad.
You are all very very clever and we admire you greatly. I bet you know where to buy ex MOD wartime stocks of toilet paper of the greaseproof variety , which flushes beautifully even with the toilet cistern filled with bricks to save water.
The old guy in the MacDonalds advert was modelled on some of you.
|
Roland,
As one of those who may have wound you up on the above subject, you'll be glad to know that Leslie is equally unimpressed! (see separate thread). There's nothing clever in running a car to a high mileage and my particular viewpoint is not the pennypinching one you seem to think, I'm just impressed how long things can last when looked after.
Mind you, one advantage of the car lasting as long as it has is that I've been able to justify to myself the expense of running two wheels as well, I'm off to look for that packet of Izal......
Rob
|
|
|
Izal - now there's a name to conjure with. Mind you too much use damaged big ends.
L
|
|
Who cares? Some people want interstellar mileages from a car, some want warp factor speeds, some want negligible mpg. Read the bits that are of interest, ignore the rest. Someone out there is probably interested in it.
|
|
|
|
San Izal? Bronco even? Surely all too modern and expensive for Roland's "betes noires", who still stick (sometimes all too literally perhaps!) to yesterday's newspaper - but not the Saturday Telegraph I hope .....
Ronnie
|
|
|
Did Izal/Bronco re-jig their machines and turn to producing thermal fax paper? Seems like the same product...
...no, considering the quantity of junk faxes, toilet paper is more use..
rg
|
It's a good job I'm fairly flame-resistant..
..I depend on my Pug to support my business, which is trading in used telecomms equipment and demands 20K+/yr at decent fuel economy. Plus bags of loadable space.
I make decent money, but I ain't going to watch that drain down the plughole of depreciation and stupid main-dealer servicing costs. No, sir. I can manage without satnav and cupholders, thanks.
This vehicle works for its living, and helps me feed my wife and kids... I'm amazed it keeps going, and I post on this group to help folks "beat the system" and buy things that last.
Three years ago I was slung out a a top-flight sales job whilst off with stress-induced depression through a few years of 60-hour weeks and 50K+ year in various company barges.
This wrecked an otherwise-immaculate CV and made me unemployable. Long-term sick, and dismissed from last job.
What's this got to do with motoring? The Pug helped me start up from zero, and I am thankful every day that it keeps going. It even gets cleaned from time to time... I am sure that other backroomers would agree that ancient and reliable "clunkers" become the motoring equivalent of the old family Labrador. Don't knock "bangernomics"...
So please don't daub a broad brush over everyone presuming that each posting on this topic is of the "I recycle my teabags arn't I clever" mode. It ain't all that simple. There is a human story behind some of these cars. Some of us need to pool information to keep our cars alive (Thank-you Mr W, guru of the fens)
Self-satisfied? No, just Thankful and amazed that in a throw-away world, some things just keep going.
rg
(no brick in toilet. Hates Mcdonalds)
|
|
Well said Rob. There IS great satisfaction too, in this "throwaway" age, to keep good and sound machinery going as long as possible. My background was not too disimilar to yours and, to continue to earn a crust I needed lots of load space for my antique fair hobby. I kept my Nissan Prairie going for 160K miles and, because I wanted something a bit bigger, with a few more "goodies", I bought my Japanese import, ie, Toyota Masterace. It cost me less that the first 1-2 years depreciation on a colleagues new Espace. I get great satisfaction out of maintaining it and fully expect it last me for the next 160K miles.
|
...and not forgetting big organisations/leasing companies getting rid of well-maintained and reliable "high motorway miles" machines for 30% of what they paid...
(looking forward to my Omega 2.5TD Elite automatic estate for £5k in a couple of years...)
rg
|
Rob,
Errr......... via the Xantia first I hope??
David
|
|
|
David,
I've been eyeing them up...
...they look fine, and I like the idea of that suspension. They are an excellent tow car, it seems.
However, it looks like they have quite a sharp roof taper towards the rear. I need something like a 20ft container (as used for cheap housing in The Fens?) in terms of loadability.
The Monterey suffers from a load area which is restricted by a low upper doorframe. This caught us out collecting a big sofabed from Ikea the other week; there is quite a marked difference in length from loadbed to window height. Enough to stop the door closing despite careful measuring..Thankfully, some pseudo baler twine around the door handles helped... Something Omega/Sierra estate-ish would make life so much easier for me. Oh yes, colour-matched sills not really practical; the pug has an stainless steel sill cover which makes an ideal loading pivot...
Then theres always one of those nice estates that only have two seats in the front, two big folding doors at the back and no windows...maybe this is where I'm heading......
rg
|
One of the downsides. I was mildly caught out as it was one measurement I did not think to compare. Xantia estate is significantly narrower at roof bar level than a BX or presumably a 405. Difference between four bikes going on comfortably and needing great care and pedals off. Halfords roof box needed some minor bodging with packing. Roof load limit is 75kg to 100 on the BX, but oddly the 406 will do 100kg as well.
Still a great car though (HDi 110).
|
|
|
ah!
Someone in the real world!
Thanks, Simon...
rg
|
|
|
|
|
|
Great post Roland! All true.
However some of us derive huge satisfaction from the feeling of warm oil running over our fingers and it would be a shame to deprive us of this simple pleasure!
Thanks, you've started my day off with a grin!
|
|
|
|
Someone once said" An Engineer is a person who can do for five bob what any fool can do for a pound".
|
Yes I like this one.
Bill
|
|
|
|
Luxury . . . at my boarding borstal the loo roll had 'Government Property' printed on every sheet, and was like tracing paper . . . which is nice.
Stu.
|
|
|
< Anyone who isn?t as wise or frugal as these sages is just plain mad.>
Roland, how do you think motoring wisdom and frugality are found in the first place? Not all of us (even yourself I suspect) are born engineers.
This forum exists as much as anything to help those who are either new to motoring or don't have a mechanical background and I hope we continue to see postings that will pass on sometimes-commonplace knowledge to others who haven't yet trodden that particular path. Bragging it may be, but it can still help someone.
Usually the posting 'subject title' gives a clue as to what is coming and we don't have to read them if we don't want to. I have skipped a large number of postings myself, especially those relating to politics or criticism of others (so I won't be reading this one!).
|
|
|
"Usually the posting 'subject title' gives a clue as to what is coming and we don't have to read them if we don't want to. I have skipped a large number of postings myself, especially those relating to politics or criticism of others (so I won't be reading this one!)."
Dammit! Read the title and thought this thread was about minimising bore wear in high mileage engines. Now where is that Advertising Standards Authority phone number........
;-)
|
this site is far more entertaining (and informing) than any newspaper Letters Page
Andrew Wills
|
|
|
|
I'm everso grateful to the vast majority of people like Roland, who make the cost of motoring down for the 100k+ drivers. Don't turn into one of us, we need you as you are.
Rob F
|
|
|
Rob S said "As one of those who may have wound you up on the above subject "
I thought so - according to your previous post under high mileage cars, your Cavalier is due to be bought 5 months from now in June 2002!!
|
I never was very good at typing or dates! I wonder if Mick and Roland are related..............
Rob S
|
|
|
|
My goodness, someone with the same name as me!!
roland
|
|
|
|
I applaud that, but for me I get bored with the same wheels after a year or so.....
|
|
|
"Luxury . . . at my boarding borstal the loo roll had 'Government Property' printed on every sheet, and was like tracing paper . . . which is nice."
Brill
In that case, either you were boarding at Her Majesty's pleasure, which I doubt, or your (ex Service?) school bursar was working a dirty racket.
For your amusement, every special printed form in the Navy is known as an "S (for Service) Form" eg the form reporting the Damage Loss or Theft of Stores is known as Form S.126, whilst the dual purpose loo/tracing paper you referred to is known as Form S.H1T!
Regards
Ronnie
(aka on special occasions as "Ronald")
PS I wish all these dyslexic "Rolands" would stop taking my name in vain ....
PPS MBRM - Please excuse apparent non use of asterisk on this occasion - I used a "1" and not an "I". BTW - would it be a kindness to edit out the address the lady with the Volvo 740GL erroneously supplied?
|
|
|
|
Well said Roland
|
As a matter of fact my original posting about high mileage cars was a genuine expression of interest. For those of you who think its boring read the subject matter before bothering to read the message!
I loved Rob Govier's reply - good luck to you Rob.
|
well actually...
I loved my Mazda 323. No, this was not some Jap blandmobile. (I mean the small curvy shapely one c. 1997. ) I note that the Ford Focus looks not dissimilar. (I think they stole its lines.)
If Gillian Anderson was a car, she would be a Mazda 323 (discuss - 20 marks).
Nutcase revvy musical engine. 0-60 in 10 but felt like 8. A colleague did 110 in forth. Not bad for a 1.8. Perfectly balanced handling. An unlikely drivers car a la Nissan Primera. Sober business suit outside, but Janet Reger kit underneath. One of the few mass-produced cars that just looks -right- with alloys and spoiler.
Great fun was had on the A68 Newcastle Edinburgh run. Front wheels spinning, back wheels drifting on the long sweeps/tight hairpins at Carter Bar.
Pulling -g- on local deserted roundabouts.
Anyone got the 2.0 V6 for sale?
rg
|
|
|
|
Lordy , Lordy,
Don't you zillion milers ever get bored with the dam'n thing!
Remember a change is as good as a rest, and a change from the eternal droning on about frugality, common sense, beating depreciation, would give us all a rest!
Live a little, buy another car (nearly new but with higher than average miles but a good investment as I got it at a lower price zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!)
|
|
Hey looks like I touched a few nerves here! The irony is I have a low mileage 735i
|
I think it's a shame to drink wine that is younger than my car. Therefore I have an eleven year-old BX and an extensive knowledge of southern France. It's not so much fun with a 2000 Mondeo.
Chris
|
|
|
|
I thought Roland's post was great.
Most of us interested in motoring enjoy hearing about the zillion mile brigade and we all have some ancient piece of machinery that we take a pride in keeping 'on the road'. Mine is a Best Matchless electric firelighter.
What is mildly annoying, to me anyway, is the theme that runs through some of the posts that anyone who buys a new car is an idiot/mad/stupid. The post is an example.
Surely Roland was just teasing those who think that everyone should be like them.
BobH
|
|
|
Humm,
Just seen the earlier post, it does get a bit stiff doesnt it?
Bill
|
|
|
|
Ace post Roland. The funniest thing is that some people couldn't resist the opportunity of writing about the very subject you were criticising!. Priceless . . .
|
|
|
|
Eizel, that's the name od MoD bog roll
|
|
|
Big Bird,
The Mark 1 version was prone to skids.
Your post had more relevance than the one above yours.
|
|
|
