Owning a performance car or classic just becoming difficult

[corrado_sunderland 0]

First off if you are an investment banker please just ignore my post and carry on reading vanity fair with your glass of poor persons blood.

 

 

Does anyone else feel these days that it is becoming more and more difficult to keep anything beyond a eco bullshirt mobile on the road?

 

 

I haven't had enough cash to get my Gti back on the road for 2 years now. Its like a part of your life is missing when you do not have something you love to drive.

 

I often wonder how all these folk i see driving m3's etc actually manage these days. I remember my G60 been a fuel monster all them years ago let alone these days.

 

I blame the tories, Rupert Murdoch and the lizard men :lol:

Edited August 3, 2017 by corrado_sunderland

[Cressa 44]

I'm all for blaming the tories And the government for anything.

Let's get taxed on everything and then get taxed on paying tax. .

Aghhh..

Then they want rid of petrol !!

 

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[Jim Bowen 1]

Its all a plan by the elite, same as trying to get a cashless society, (am sure thats to try and combat people buying drugs/guns/sex with cash etc)

 

They have somehow stamped out the boyracer scene amongst the young, never see an old hatchback with big wheels and loud exhausts anymore, i don't think the youth of today even change their sound system, all driving standard cars for a monthly fee instead.

[corrado_sunderland 0]

I'm all for blaming the tories And the government for anything.

Let's get taxed on everything and then get taxed on paying tax. .

Aghhh..

Then they want rid of petrol !!

 

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

 

But haven't you heard, electric cars are amazing cough ...apart from the fact the batteries are a eco diaster and need dumping in landfill roughly every 10 years which means it costs you more than the cars worth by that point all in.

 

Im all for hydrogen power :D More bhp, no emissions and still a combustion engine. Imagine when China gets hold of the tech. Conversion kit £7.99 on ebay :lol:

[corrado_sunderland 0]

Its all a plan by the elite, same as trying to get a cashless society, (am sure thats to try and combat people buying drugs/guns/sex with cash etc)

 

They have somehow stamped out the boyracer scene amongst the young, never see an old hatchback with big wheels and loud exhausts anymore, i don't think the youth of today even change their sound system, all driving standard cars for a monthly fee instead.

 

The last apprentice i trained was paying 2200 quid for a 1.2 punto with a tracker in. I remember getting my first 205 gti at 19 for 900 quid 3rd party. No the wonder the poor buggers cant have decent cars :lol:

 

And at the time i moaned as my brother had paid the same amount for his Lotus at 21.... wow its changing fast

 

And yeah Jim we are definitely turning into WallE people :lol: At least in demolition man the future was clean and peaceful ha

Edited August 3, 2017 by corrado_sunderland

[Billzeebub 1]

It's certainly getting more costly by the year and also less socially acceptable. However, the buggars will have to drag me kicking and screaming from 6 cylinder petrol engined cars.

[g0ldf1ng3r 13]

But haven't you heard, electric cars are amazing cough ...apart from the fact the batteries are a eco diaster and need dumping in landfill roughly every 10 years which means it costs you more than the cars worth by that point all in.

 

this has always been my point with electric cars

 

plus where are they going to get all the electricity needed to charge these cars - at present, from fecking fossil fuels which really defeats the objective

 

it is all a con & cleaner, greener & even zero point energies have been suppressed by governments & the elite for decades

 

you only have to look to Tesla, no not the jumped up car manf, but the man himself who was 'surprisingly' killed whilst developing free wireless energy around 100 years ago

 

which, if you are unaware, a US school kid has managed to prove zero point energy works - http://www.wakingtimes.com/2016/05/18/13-year-old-invents-tesla-inspired-free-energy-device-for-under-15/

[dragon green 4]

I'm still hoping petrol runs out,and we end up in a Mad Max 2 scenario!

 

 

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[coullstar 0]

Im not as I'll be out of a job, lol. Finance has never been cheaper and people want the latest greatest so if they can get it they will. How many of these young folks have houses, probably very little so any disposable income goes to the car. I remember it was a total privilege to get a car when I was 17 but then there wasn't PCP etc around, now its a god given right it seems.

 

All our cars are bought and paid for (youngest car is 12 years old though) but I must admit Ive been tempted in the last couple of years by something brand new and shiney because of some of the deals.

 

Its never been cheaper to borrow money so its well within your means it would be rude not to, within reason of course. Just don't buy a diesel it seems lol.

[dragon green 4]

I haven't had any trouble keeping my C on the road,used as my daily doing about 15k a year,my other "fun" car is 63 years old, so for me everything is hunky dory

 

 

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[mic_VR 3]

^^Coullstar is 100% right IMO. Lease deals are so cheap these days, and most young people can't afford to get on the housing ladder so they blow the money on cars. You can get an S3 on PCH for about £275 a month which is an insane deal. Dealers never used to lease cars to anyone other than businesses, but now every dealer does it. If you pay attention to things like reg plates and window stickers you can spot a lease car a mile away.

 

There is also definitely an air of assumed right with teenagers now. I see it all the time at work when the apprentices rock up in some brand new car like they're barry big balls.... but I know what they all get paid.... and the answer is either mummy and daddy are helping out or they've got no other commitments. When I was a teenager, and then as an apprentice, I had to use my mum's car until I could afford a £1000 banger and insurance/fuel/tax etc. I never got a penny towards it from the folks unless I upped the chores!

 

Some days I think I'm mad slogging around in old or relatively old cars, and often I think "Damn it, I'm going to get something new" but then I also think... my house is almost paid for, I have no loans or credit cards and it's quite nice not having unnecessary financial obligations hanging over me.

[Cressa 44]

I agree with that. I'm staying away from debt and tied in agreements.. Hence riding round in a battered passat estate. .. but hopefully my Corrado will be nice..

Definite difference in generations now

 

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[dr_mat 0]

It's certainly difficult keeping Corrados going given how rapidly the parts are becoming unavailable.

 

I have to say (the conversation about electric cars); I think you're wrong. The internal combustion engine has simply had its day. It's progressed, a bit, over the years but it's a constant drip drip of improvement, it just doesn't do anything really well apart from excite petrol heads. And if you'd driven a Tesla (the car!) you'd agree the future isn't that bleak. Ok it's got no steering feel, but no production petrol car has either, and it *obliterates* any production petrol/diesel vehicle on the road for performance, handling, safety. As for the batteries they already have 200k mile cars out there that have lost around 5% battery capacity, and they estimate half a million miles will be an easy ride. These are almost zero maintenance cars. Yes, the big issue is electric power distribution, but hell we've had a hundred years to work out how to get petrol to end users and we've only been doing electric cars for five minutes and it's already viable, even if you have to do things a bit differently.

 

So, sad as it is in a way, I think within our lifetimes the electric motor will take over from the internal combustion engine, and for the sake of all our health and the environment I think this will be long overdue..

 

I accept this is a tough statement to make on a car nut forum, so I accept appropriate flames ... :)

 

 

A Corrado is for life, not just for the MOT.

[corrado_sunderland 0]

Im not as I'll be out of a job, lol. Finance has never been cheaper and people want the latest greatest so if they can get it they will. How many of these young folks have houses, probably very little so any disposable income goes to the car. I remember it was a total privilege to get a car when I was 17 but then there wasn't PCP etc around, now its a god given right it seems.

 

All our cars are bought and paid for (youngest car is 12 years old though) but I must admit Ive been tempted in the last couple of years by something brand new and shiney because of some of the deals.

 

Its never been cheaper to borrow money so its well within your means it would be rude not to, within reason of course. Just don't buy a diesel it seems lol.

 

I haven't had any trouble keeping my C on the road,used as my daily doing about 15k a year,my other "fun" car is 63 years old, so for me everything is hunky dory

 

 

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^^Coullstar is 100% right IMO. Lease deals are so cheap these days, and most young people can't afford to get on the housing ladder so they blow the money on cars. You can get an S3 on PCH for about £275 a month which is an insane deal. Dealers never used to lease cars to anyone other than businesses, but now every dealer does it. If you pay attention to things like reg plates and window stickers you can spot a lease car a mile away.

 

There is also definitely an air of assumed right with teenagers now. I see it all the time at work when the apprentices rock up in some brand new car like they're barry big balls.... but I know what they all get paid.... and the answer is either mummy and daddy are helping out or they've got no other commitments. When I was a teenager, and then as an apprentice, I had to use my mum's car until I could afford a £1000 banger and insurance/fuel/tax etc. I never got a penny towards it from the folks unless I upped the chores!

 

Some days I think I'm mad slogging around in old or relatively old cars, and often I think "Damn it, I'm going to get something new" but then I also think... my house is almost paid for, I have no loans or credit cards and it's quite nice not having unnecessary financial obligations hanging over me.

 

It's certainly difficult keeping Corrados going given how rapidly the parts are becoming unavailable.

 

I have to say (the conversation about electric cars); I think you're wrong. The internal combustion engine has simply had its day. It's progressed, a bit, over the years but it's a constant drip drip of improvement, it just doesn't do anything really well apart from excite petrol heads. And if you'd driven a Tesla (the car!) you'd agree the future isn't that bleak. Ok it's got no steering feel, but no production petrol car has either, and it *obliterates* any production petrol/diesel vehicle on the road for performance, handling, safety. As for the batteries they already have 200k mile cars out there that have lost around 5% battery capacity, and they estimate half a million miles will be an easy ride. These are almost zero maintenance cars. Yes, the big issue is electric power distribution, but hell we've had a hundred years to work out how to get petrol to end users and we've only been doing electric cars for five minutes and it's already viable, even if you have to do things a bit differently.

 

So, sad as it is in a way, I think within our lifetimes the electric motor will take over from the internal combustion engine, and for the sake of all our health and the environment I think this will be long overdue..

 

I accept this is a tough statement to make on a car nut forum, so I accept appropriate flames ... :)

 

 

A Corrado is for life, not just for the MOT.

 

 

Totally right its easy to get finance but unless your income climbs its means your screwed once your older and commitments mount up. Debt is evil so i dont think more cars are affordable now just because you can get chuckied up on them easily as that means most people are living beyond their means. All my pals growing up had the latest cars and without mummy and daddy they would be paying it off for their best years. Debt was made to trap us into lining bankers pockets at the end of the day. I learned a lesson paid it all off with some help from family myself and would never do it again except in property.

 

 

 

And Yes electric is good in some ways and brush less motors etc have transformed power delivery. I use smaller versions of the batteries everyday in our business and own tons of lipos to fly my R/C stuff but ultimately long term they are hard to dispose of and bad for the environment. If hydrogen tech was released you could potentially convert most of the world to zero emissions driving in decades. Old carbed engines work excellent on it etc. I cant imagine a 3rd world country going hugely electric anytime soon but i could easily see a hydro conversion drive been possible and affordable for all. Thats my argument as to why im not a huge electric fan.

 

They are getting good miles out of tesla cars but cells degrade over time so they will all need new batteries at some point and once that cycle starts we will have piles and piles of batteries to be safely disposed of. Again in a 3rd world country etc they will go in places they should not like the ocean etc.

 

I think the oil companies shut down the direction we should of took and were going electric for now it seems like it or not.

 

 

 

Anyone who is looking at new cars just dont bother unless your flush i would say :lol: Lets be realistic, a car lasts 10-15 years now before its full of electrical issues, rotten or unreliable due to its over complicated systems. The costafortune valve or boost bull**** sensor or whatever is always going and they are always pricey/ engineered to fail all over again. You didnt see that in cars from the 70s/80s/ early 90s as manufacturers relied on showing off their engineering and longevity not sucking posers in to another 20k every few years.

 

Every new car ive had has been costly to fix and awkward to work on. Thats why im after another C now, it just works for the most part and wont bankrupt you to service/ maintain. Same as my 205 Gti. I had 2 over the course of decades now and broke down in one once.

 

You cant beat good engineering i say compared to the new generation of Autocad driven wassuks who design parts without even knowing fabrication or hand engineering skills etc. As a toolmaker i was taught to draw/ make everything manually and you see nerds now doing these jobs instead who are good on a pc but crap hands on.... Like i told you earlier, WallE people... were heading their :lol:

Edited August 3, 2017 by corrado_sunderland

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Im not as I'll be out of a job, lol. Finance has never been cheaper and people want the latest greatest so if they can get it they will. How many of these young folks have houses, probably very little so any disposable income goes to the car. I remember it was a total privilege to get a car when I was 17 but then there wasn't PCP etc around, now its a god given right it seems.

 

All our cars are bought and paid for (youngest car is 12 years old though) but I must admit Ive been tempted in the last couple of years by something brand new and shiney because of some of the deals.

 

Its never been cheaper to borrow money so its well within your means it would be rude not to, within reason of course. Just don't buy a diesel it seems lol.

 

Yeah and it's going to end in disaster again. Nothing was learned from mess of 2008, and wages are still stagnant because of it.

 

There is a big implosion coming. We're due a big war to clear out some of the over population, and I reckon Trump and that Koren odd ball f'ckwit are more than likely going to start it.

 

All those acid throwing morons and other worthless rats of society can go on the front line and get killed off hopefully.

 

Nature always finds a way to restore the balance.....and nature's way is to get the humans to turn on each other.

 

As for electric cars.......the silly money we pay for petrol now will be replaced with silly money charged for electricity. Electric cars won't be the cheap motoring people think it will be.

[Gti_Jamo 10]

The internal combustion engine will never die. All this is just greed and fear mongering but in the end nothing really changes.

 

As for running a classic, it's bought and paid for and it gives me something to tinker with in the garage. Cost me peanuts in tax and insurance. I'll only ever run classics. I don't really think much of modern cars as they just aren't made the same.

 

Had a car on finance 10 years ago and was one of lifes bad choices.

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Tinkering is a dying pastime. People these days have melt downs about needing new tyres and brake pads, like they expect cars should last forever or something.

[Gti_Jamo 10]

I'd be lost without something to work on. The classic car world is still very much alive and kicking at the moment and can't see it changing anytime soon fortunately.

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Yeah same! I love having 'car jobs' to look forward to at the weekends!

[coullstar 0]

I enjoy older cars, not so much the rust etc that comes with them. Its fine have a simple tinker now and again but must admit Im less inclined to get right into something these days but that's just my family/life now to blame. 95% of most people don't care about cars so the finance / PCP suits the perfectly and you could argue helps keep the motor industry turning as well.

 

As for borrowing money I don't see too much of an issue if its well within your monthly means and you have some sort of exit strategy if need be. Ive had about half a dozen loans in the past for buying cars but never to the extent that it was near full value required so I was always had some equity to work from if needs be. Don't see a problem with that, its the folks that borrow up to their eyeballs that are to blame.

[1xshaunx1 27]

I blame the people that lend money and dangle carrots to the gullible.

There's a lot to be said for as mentioned " living with in your means"

I would also say I've spent less on Corrado ownership than I did do on newer "better" cars but went back to Corrado's. If you like to tinker and have somewhere to play over the years you can save thousands.

[dr_mat 0]

Hydrogen has one problem: massively explosive, much more so than petrol. Also, orders of magnitude more difficult to store and transport than a liquid fuel too.

 

Agree there will be Teslas hitting the scrap yards with a battery that needs recycling, but that's a once per lifetime operation (it seems), so if other manufacturers get their electric vehicle tech into the current generation we should all be able to buy an electric car with a lifetime battery pack before too long.

 

I hope no-one thinks electric cars will be cheap. They should be promoted by reduced taxes in the medium term, in order that people pick them up and they become more common, but ultimately the energy they consume is still a huge amount compared to what people are used to paying for household electricity. (Ironically perhaps this will finally make people realise how big a deal taking the car everywhere is?)

 

I'm sticking with the VR6 as long as it's legal to drive on the road.. (and it hasn't died of tin worm)... but an electric commuting car starts to make more and more sense...

 

 

A Corrado is for life, not just for the MOT.

[dragon green 4]

Instead of using gasoline,why not run them on alcohol !

It can be made out of nearly anything,cars run cooler on it,

 

 

 

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[dr_mat 0]

Instead of using gasoline,why not run them on alcohol !

It can be made out of nearly anything,cars run cooler on it,

 

Nice idea, but it's still a hydrocarbon so to obtain it in large enough quantity it would need to be industrially obtained from oil. (Unless anyone fancies bringing that huge interstellar "beer cloud" from space they found a few years back...?)

 

And obviously it would also still cause CO2 emissions and the usual internal combustion engine problems: particulates, unburnt fuel in the air, etc. If pure it would remove the issue of nitrogen by-products but putting anything that pure into the tank would be prohibitively expensive.

 

A Corrado is for life, not just for the MOT.

Edited August 5, 2017 by dr_mat

[dr_mat 0]

I suppose the point to bring to this conversation that is a little more on-topic is that one of the things that's hard about running a performance/classic car is that it is likely they will be banned from certain roads before too long because of environmental concerns!

 

On the other topic, people mentioned unreliable new cars - agree hugely. We have a 2013 golf family car and it threw a bunch of dashboard error codes about the braking system (I mean like five of them), all because I'd left my camera resting on the "auto hold" button.. wtf?!

 

And woe betide anyone who waits for the TPMS to alert you on a tyre pressure issue, because it threw no less than twenty or so *totally unrelated* error codes from loads of different engine and general car modules at the very specific moment it also realised one of the tyres might be a little flat.

 

Touchy. Can't wait for it to get properly old. I will need to program an AI to work out which error message is the real one.

 

 

A Corrado is for life, not just for the MOT.