I have today gone all the way to Weybridge top look at an elderly first-shape BMW 520i. I can get it very cheap. I don't know yet what MoT or licence it has (I drove it but fairly typically didn't even look).
The engine and as far as I could tell the gearbox were sweet as a nut. The oil was not new but far from squalid. There was a light on saying 'inspection' on the dashboard. Underbonnet, fairly filthy, showed a breather pipe sort of thing strangely lying there with a spark plug stuffed up it to seal it. Perhaps as a result of that, it idled much too fast, nearly 2,000 rpm, and the idiot economy meter read zero at idle (!). It drove OK but like a boat. Brakes weren't sharp but worked. Whole thing felt just slightly lopsided, not in a bad way, and not unusually for a 175,000 miler.
My mechanic, who has a much newer-shape 525 and is a fine fellow, said the light wasn't a problem and BMWs were generally reliable and long-lasting, but the original 5 series could suffer rust. (I didn't look under the car but it was apparently rust-free, perhaps often garaged). He also said those models if in sound nick were fairly easy to keep in order. It has been the much loved hack of a film maker. I thought it might make a good station runabout for the place in Sussex where my long suffering wife is sometimes staying with grandnippers and no personal car.
Am I, at a frankly buttons financial level, just being dumb and thinking of wasting money? There's a front wing crunched too but I know a good body man. Speak soon if you have an opinion, especially Aprilia if you see this.
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Why would you buy this? Seriously.
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200 quid. Last a year or two. Why not?
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200 quid. Last a year or two. Why not?
Ah OK. It sounded like you were desperate for that badge. Personally I think it sounds utterly swear filtered. ;o) Maybe a week or two.
Wouldn't buy it regardless of marque.
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Ah OK. It sounded like you were desperate for that badge.
BADGE? WOT BLEEDIN BADGE?
Honestly what is the matter with people? We're talking old jalopies here. Do you seriously imagine that I think an old 520i, for pink fluffy dice's sake, is going to, er, ring my bell?
Do me a favour. Just want to know if anyone knows of a serious flaw with that model.
This one was a C reg. When I went to talk to my mechanic there was a very tasty C reg M6 sitting outside. Altogether different kettle of fish. And worth some bread.
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Honestly what is the matter with people? We're talking old jalopies here.
Errrr, that's my point. :-S You can't tell me anything with less/no 'credibility' in the same (Knackered) condition would make £200 except on eBay
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>> Honestly what is the matter with people? We're talking old jalopies >> here. Errrr that's my point. :-S You can't tell me anything with less/no 'credibility' in the same (Knackered) condition would make £200 except on eBay
Don't know what you mean by credibility manuscripts. No such thing really. The point about this car is it doesn't actually seem knackered.
22 years old is one thing, knackered is another.
Perhaps I should see if he'll take 50 quid, once I've made sure it will pass an MoT test?
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If it was a Rover 800 you were looking at, would you have bothered?
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Might easily have. Always fancied one of those . 'Schnell!'
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O buy the bleedin' thing, it needs a loving home. After all what would you get for £200.oo ?
OK
$400.00 (or just under)
About 4 Tanks of petrol
A Holiday in some insect infested dump
3 Packets of fags with enough left over to pay the fine for smoking them in Wales.
3/4 of a tax disc of a Range Rover Sport etc etc
:-)
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O buy the bleedin' thing it needs a loving home. After all what would you get for £200.oo ?
Oddly enough PU my daughter, whose current boss is trying, obviously desperately, to get rid of the thing, says he isn't interested in money but seems concerned that the device go to a good home.
Someone I saw today, an old friend of mine with car connections of extreme weight, said: 'Good home is woman talk.'
Actually I am sort of tempted. But I'll have to run it past my man first. How much petrol is it going to use between that strangely hidden bit of Surrey and the real world? I don't doubt really that a sane owner will soon have the thing in order.
Oddly, the inside bristles with small furry microphones. Something to do with the owner's telephone I feel. There's a suggestive looking cradle with contacts.
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"small furry microphones"
Probably intruder detection (ultrasonic). Make sure the alarm is either completely disabled or working properly!
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Whats strange and hidden about this bit of surrey? Mss lives there, so do I and so does HJ himslef
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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Whats strange and hidden about this bit of surrey? Mss lives there so do I and so does HJ himslef ------------------------------
Snigger.
Although the person who drove me down has such serious motoring connections, when we passed the signpost to Byfleet we weren't even tempted. Not enough time.
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Buy, buy, buy.
And prepare to banger race. All the other "racers" - I use the term loosely - detest BMWs, so the car will have a short but interesting career. Not that I would ever descend to attending an oval track meeting, let alone participating in the more genteel events. No sir, that would be awfully working class.
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"I don't know yet what MoT or licence it has"
That may have a bearing on its desirability... :-)
If none, or v.little, it might be worth a look on Ebay. Slightly more money might get you something very presentable, e.g. without spark plugs being used as bungs for breather pipes!
Which reminds me of the tale of a neighbour, a few decades ago, when a Mk.2 Zodiac was considered desirable. Said neighbour acquired one cheap, and it ran OK, if a little roughly for a six, so he was pleased to discover that the apparent cause was merely a missing spark plug.
He got a new one, and put it in without thinking too hard about the piece of wood that he had found blocking up the hole. He discovered the reason for the wooden plug (not to mention the low asking price) shortly afterwards, as there wasn't a piston in that cylinder either, and the new spark plug only served to ignite a whole engine's worth of mixture...
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Which reminds me of the tale of a neighbour a few decades ago when a Mk.2 Zodiac was considered desirable. Said neighbour acquired one cheap and it ran OK if a little roughly for a six so he was pleased to discover that the apparent cause was merely a missing spark plug. He got a new one and put it in without thinking too hard about the piece of wood that he had found blocking up the hole. He discovered the reason for the wooden plug (not to mention the low asking price) shortly afterwards as there wasn't a piston in that cylinder either and the new spark plug only served to ignite a whole engine's worth of mixture...
Oof, I would love to have seen that!
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Well, your trip to Weybridge cost you £20. (I guess. Might have been £50.)
Taking your man down there will cost the same in travel, plus several pints - or £50 - depending on how much he is 'your' man.
Putting it through an MOT test will cost £50 - whether or not it passes.
An oil and plug and filters change £50. If you do it yourself
The cost of the car is not material in the context of other costs you will incur. Buying a car is an expensive hobby. What about a Mk II Polo? Less inclination to rust.. Simpler mechanically.
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Aaaaaaah.... (makes New York Jewish sort of shrugging gesture)
Actually I gave him a tenner which more than covered the petrol. It was a nice day. In the end we bought each other two halves each of Leffe, as good as pints in anyone's language.
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In the end we boughteach other two halves each of Leffe as good as pints in anyone's language.
Leffe, eh? Good choice!
Oh by the way, buy the beemer, what's the worst that can happen?
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Its scrap value without an mot (to the owner)
whenever i hear the words " i want it to go to a good home " i personally run away
offer to take it of his hands free a favour to daughter and artist and that you will love and cherish it -----------(obviously lie through teeth--- but smile--- as these words come out)
scrap the thing if it fails on the usual bits
brake pipes about 40 foots worth on a 520
fuel lines (as discussed this week i believe?)
tyres
corrosion
leaky petrol tanks
suspension bushes
damaged lights (front)
play in steering (dont worry if its only an advisory though ;-))
cant you find a nice tidy little fiesta at banger money?
dont buy it lud
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"Leffe"
Blonde or Brun - You are a man of taste, seriously the original 5 series was a very nice car in it's day. I still hanker for the genuine Teutonic designs before tthey went all euro/japanese/US clones.
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Has to be Tripple Blonde.
Tho I prefer Qwak myself.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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If it's got alloys/tyres,they're probably worth more than the car.
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I would say buy it, you'll be the Cain Dingle of the south!!! They do have a certain appeal those old 5s, something about the,.
There's one on Coldplay's "The Scientist" video, I believe a South Africa registered one...
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I like these old beemers and would say go for it! Remember, the older BMW's did not have chain driven engines, but for £200 thats not going to bother you I'm sure.
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I have to say, it sounds like, from your description to be be a shed. Before i considered buying it i would enquire how much it will cost be to scrap it, because its an option that would be needed sooner rather than later.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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There is no such thing as a "£200 car" though is there? You buy, you have to tax it and then insure it, then you will need some repair work (e.g. sorting out the breather, possibly a tyre or two), then there is some unexpected problem. You are soon locked into the vehicle to the tune of £800+ and it probably has little or no value as a breaker at that age.
These old BMW's were really not that great. Better to spend a few hundred more and buy a mid-1990's 3-series as a run-around, which would be a much better car all round.
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"Better to spend a few hundred more"
Which may cost you less...
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=49220&...f
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I agree with JBJ. Unless you have the skills and tools, as well as the time, it makes no sense to buy an unknown quantity for £200. Far better to spend a bit more on something with 12 months ticket, and the chance of another pass with few hassles. It does depend on how you value your time, bit I value mine somewhat higher than the min wage!
Look for the unloved - eg Skoda Favorit. I've got one sitting in the yard with ticket to June. When it's got four weeks to go I'll MoT it, and sell it with 13 months - and I doubt it will fetch more than £150, yet it's a perfectly adequate basic vehicle.
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Offer them £75 which is better than the scrap value.
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I agree with JBJ. Unless you have the skills and tools as well as the time it makes no sense to buy an unknown quantity for £200.
I do in fact have quite a lot of the skills and quite a lot of the tools, but I lack the inclination these days for an open-ended grapple with a roughish old barge. I believe the idle speed and misrouted breather pipe will be pretty easy to deal with, but I've never owned a BMW and there's always something you have to learn with cars new to you.
I am still dithering slightly but unless the thing has a year's MoT, or nearly, I'm inclined to turn it down. Bringing it to London to run it past my mechanic will cost a bit (even if I bring it into the congestion zone at night). The main thing is that apart from the very creamy, somewhat gutless engine I didn't really take to the feel of the car. It didn't feel dangerous but didn't inspire real confidence.
Quite like the sound of yr. Favorit though ly. Especially if it has a pre-electronic 1300cc engine. Why don't you try to flog it to me?
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And many thanks for the very variable advice given here!
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It's a 1300 alright. First reg 24/10/93, under 70,000, four good tyres, minor rust spots on rear arches, very tidy interior with sunroof. Some SH, ticket to June but SORN. Needs a service.
Located at OX10 9LS, which is 5 mins walk from the station, and 60 mins from Paddington.
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I am theoretically interested in the Favorit ly. Would it be OK to email you on the link in yr company website?
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Has to be Tripple Blonde. Tho I prefer Qwak myself.
Ordinary draught Blonde actually PU and TVM. Fabulous stuff, very good for the disposition. Strong though.
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For those interested I have found a pub in Castor (just outside peterborough) that serves draft belgium raspberry beer.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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For those interested I have found a pub in Castor (just outside peterborough) that serves draft belgium raspberry beer.
Guh guh guh, shudder... not even all Belgians like it TVM. Surely you don't?
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Indeed I do lud, tho it has to be said it needs to be drunk rather like a desert wine - after a meal - Not the kind of beer you could guzzle by the litre during a session.
None the less goes well with a ploughmans in the garden.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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The people in my favourite pub in Camden Town also explained that with Kriek (same stuff really I think, it's pink anyway) you have to gulp it, sipping doesn't do it justice. But I still don't like it myself.
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Kriek is cherry beer
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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OK, but to me still tastes of rancid cider mixed with anti-freeze (NB motoring connection).
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I would expect nothing else from a man who thinks Skoda Estelles are desireable motors. ;)
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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Fabulous stuff, very good for the disposition. Strong though.
SWMBO stopped me drinking it because it made me all depressed. Dran Kriek stuf fin France once.
Sad about that BMW really, they all die eventually.
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I have decided to do the sensible thing and turn the 520 down. It will certainly soldier on though. It is in the hands of a garage man with a predatory gleam in his eye (and a couple of nice interesting rustbuckets undergoing restoration in the back shed). Bit wimpish of me but I can't afford to waste money and no longer feel like struggling with all that grime and complexity. .
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"I have decided to do the sensible thing"
It probably is. Do let us know what price tag it eventually wears when your garage man has finished with it...
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"SWMBO stopped me drinking it because it made me all depressed"
That's funny - I find that not drinking it gets me depressed... :-)
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Personally i wouldn't mind the old E28 if i could afford to run one, but it would really need to be a manual because the autos are really thirsty 26 mpg anyone?
--
Its not what you drive, its how you drive it! :-)
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Been on the Grimbergen and Leffe in Lille this week - all good stuff.
Plus a new one has just come out, Kronenbourg 1664 Blanc. Very nice. Highly recommended.
And for the motoring input, buy the Favorit.
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But if you really want an Estelle you could buy this - it would certainly get you noticed:
www.volkszone.com/VZi/showthread.php?t=356923
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Looks terrific apart from the exhaust.
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"if you really want an Estelle"
Dear God! Almost worth getting just to see the look on my insurance broker's face...
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and that you will love and cherish it
scrap the thing if it fails
:^D hehehe
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Where did you get those quotes manuscripts?
I think you made them up.
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Where did you get those quotes manuscripts? I think you made them up.
Do you mean me? I don't know what manuscripts means in this case I'm afraid!
They are part of a post by bell boy...made me chuckle.
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Sorry mss1tw, just a reference to yr handle. The abbreviation 'ms' means manuscript to editors etc, and 'mss' means manuscripts... no insult intended of course.
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No problem Lud, I really should get it changed!
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