Car Broken Rant

[Mr Speirs]

Car's Broke. Repair bill is £1140...thats a pretty nice bikes worth of money...good job I didn't buy that SRAD yesterday.

Mr Speirs' bank balance £0.00p :)

Whats that?? Yeah I have a wedding to pay for in October too haha

[davepreston]

fecking hell what went

[454697819]

just had simillar although i decided to write the car off as it was 10 yrs old..

just emptied an account to get another one..

i hate cars

[Skip]

You bought an Alfa Selespeed and now you are surprised at a repair bill or £1000+ :confused:

You have my sympathys!

[Mr Speirs]

Well it went in for a new actuator as mine was leaking. That was £600 but when they removed it they found where the actuator bolts onto the gearbox one of the bolts had split the gearbox casing...new gearbox time...and as the gearbox is off I might as well have the clutch replaced.
All fun and games. Thought about just sacking the car off but I would lose the same amount of money each way. And I'd have to buy another car.

[Skip]

Funny how you hadn't mentioned why it broke down but I knew it was more than likely the gearbox - such a shame as they are lovely cars and the Selespeed is nice when it works.

[Mr Speirs]

Na the gearbox is fine the casing has broken, this caused the actuator to vibrate slightly which wore away at one of the seals which then started to leak.

Selespeed is awesome...I love it but not when it breaks :) At least now I have done everything so make sure it won't fail...unless the pump goes :)

Italian machines eh??

On the plus side the Ducati sailed through its MOT.

[maviczap]

£1140! I could afford to buy another 3 Cavalier's like my 17year old one, but its still going strong :p

Still not as sexy as your Alfa mind ;)

A bill like that is shizzle though :pale:

[Mr Speirs]

Half of me is tempted to sell this when I get it back and use to money to buy a old SRAD and a cheap carpy car to run around in. We'll see how it goes though.

[maviczap]

Half of me is tempted to sell this when I get it back and use to money to buy a old SRAD and a cheap carpy car to run around in. We'll see how it goes though.

At least with cheapy carpy cars you don't have to worry about them :-$

[Specialone]

I love alfas, but would never own one unless i had my own alfa mechanic to look after it ;)
My mate and neighbour spent a couple of weeks ago £1500 on his audi a4 2.6 diesel which has 200k on the clock :confused:.
Cams, cam belt, valves, some other stuff, then broke down after less than 50 miles, in the garage still now.
Audi wanted a grand for the stuff so he got them from another source for £600 and gave them the garage whose doing the work, trouble he's got they wont accept any responsiblity for the stuff he supplied.
Seeing him tomorrow and will get an update...

[Dicky Ticker]

With the depreciation and cost of servicing on new[ish] cars I can see the sense in buying an old £500 runabout with a years MOT that you replace at the end of year.
Not the prestige but a win on economics as new cars loose so much money and require reputable garage servicing.
Old banger= DIY or backstreet Harry and normally bits out of the scrap yard for spares.

[Mr Speirs]

Totally and actually this is why I bought the Alfa. Cost me £2000 and so far including the current issue has cost me £600 for a full Service and the £1140 for this fix.

Previously I had a Lexus IS200 which was costing me £219 a month loan payments, so I figured as long as the Alfa doesn't cost me more than £2400 in a year then I am saving money...I am not near the £2400 yet but my mind is thinking of getting another bike and a cheapy cheap car with a Tow Bar :)

[ravingdavis]

but my mind is thinking of getting another bike and a cheapy cheap car with a Tow Bar :)

Do it!

Cars suck, I dont have one, I dont want one and I dont need one :D

[Specialone]

but my mind is thinking of getting another bike and a cheapy cheap car with a Tow Bar :)

Off roady bikey :smt023
Join the mad laners :cool:

[Mr Speirs]

Off roady bikey :smt023
Join the mad laners :cool:

You know what. I had a go on a Hypermotard which got me thinking about it and I would actually fancy a DRZ. Currently torn between whether to get a bike to pootle round on to work n stuff or get another sports bike which I can go round a track on.

[Mr Speirs]

Do it!

Cars suck, I dont have one, I dont want one and I dont need one :D

Cars are brilliant in winter, I do want one and I do need one :)

[Specialone]

You know what. I had a go on a Hypermotard which got me thinking about it and I would actually fancy a DRZ. Currently torn between whether to get a bike to pootle round on to work n stuff or get another sports bike which I can go round a track on.
You can have a blast on mine if you like, its not a super moto but you get the idea of them.
Good winter hack as well.

[ophic]

Cars are brilliant in winter, I do want one and I do need one :)
Nah. You had the perfect bike for winter - it's a bike, it's a bonfire. Lovely ;)

[BigBaddad]

Bung it in an auction and buy an old Volvo. I paid £600 last summer for a V40. Full leather, all Electrics everything still works and runs as sweet as a nut even after 140k miles and 14 years. mot due soon, so I might change my tune.

Had an Alfasud a few years back, best car I've ever driven. I think there are bits of it still on my drive mixed in with the gravel.

[kwak zzr]

why is it the last 2 nice expencive german cars have had faults? my old 2001 focus ran for 4 years and never cost me a penny.
my current 325ci now has central locking problems where as they only lock and unlock when they feel like it?
the passenger door doesnt have a key hole so now i cant take passengers cus the door is dead locked :( i wonder how much BMW are going to sting me for?

[Mr Speirs]

Bung it in an auction and buy an old Volvo. I paid £600 last summer for a V40. Full leather, all Electrics everything still works and runs as sweet as a nut even after 140k miles and 14 years. Not due soon, so I might change my tune.

Had an Alfasud a few years back, best car I've ever driven. I think there are bits of it still on my drive mixed in with the gravel.

I was looking at a nice old volvo. If I decide to sell im sure what I replace it with will be summat similar

[speedplay]

On the plus side the Ducati sailed through its MOT.


Where did you take it in the end mate?

[Mr Speirs]

Motorvation...they were great.
Had it booked in for 13.30 so dropped it off at 10.30 and went to go get a bus to town and then to work. I was just about to get the bus from town to work when they phoned up and said it was done and it had passed, so got a bus back to them and still got to work on time.
Got an advisory for a blown number plate bulb.

[speedplay]

Good lads down there :)

I always go there with the KTM as they are a bit more "offroad friendly" than most other places.

[maviczap]

why is it the last 2 nice expencive german cars have had faults? my old 2001 focus ran for 4 years and never cost me a penny.
my current 325ci now has central locking problems where as they only lock and unlock when they feel like it?
the passenger door doesnt have a key hole so now i cant take passengers cus the door is dead locked :( i wonder how much BMW are going to sting me for?

Because most German cars are made in Germany anymore, plus they all use the same common parts.

Cars aren't built to last these days (maybe Hondas excepted) they're built to a price.

According to my German family Mercs build quality went downhill when they started making them in the Czech republic. Same for VW i think

All down to the accountants

[kwak zzr]

my 04 passat was well built, better than my merc and better than the bmw

[Specialone]

AFAIK my golf was made in the giant vw factory in wolfsburg, not all german cars are made elsewhere.
Mercs have defo gone downhill imo, i have had loads of vw's and never had any complaints and i drive them fairly hard.

[maviczap]

AFAIK my golf was made in the giant vw factory in wolfsburg, not all german cars are made elsewhere.
Mercs have defo gone downhill imo, i have had loads of vw's and never had any complaints and i drive them fairly hard.

Less and less is done there, last time there were strikes because of getting rid of staff. Its still big though

Went to the VW museum there, as my wifes family live not too far away