Some piccies of the Isuzu/GMC mystery machine.

Been back today so I could get some photos while they were still closed for Xmas.

The tax disc says Isuzu. The steering wheel is a lotus one and it is automatic/turbodiesel.

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Rear tyre looks a little flat but all should be legal.

If it drives OK, and holds fluid, reckon it is worth a punt?

Reply to
Elder
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No.

It's registered as an Isuzu, so I'd definitely want to know why it now has GMC badging on it.

Aside from that, the history will be patchy, could be in Nipponese if it's there at all, and it appears to be priced a bit above what the going rate is for those.

Reply to
SteveH

Just shares a grille mould. All the other badges are Isuzu standard as is the interior badging.

It was suggested it might be a South African import as they got odd models.

My Celsior is on the V5 as a Toyota Lexus Celsior, so weird shit goes on the V5 if the registrant doesn't get it.

Strange for a 1993 not to get here until 2004 though.

Reply to
Elder

They're thirsty, too.

Given the current, and growing, price difference between diesel and petrol, I'd not want to be buying a sub-30mpg oil burner with all the performance of an Daewoo Matiz.

Reply to
SteveH

What's the appeal?

Could be a bargain, could be a nightmare.

If you do want it and you can afford to lose the difference between what it cost to buy and what it's worth as scrap (potentially over the course of a couple of days), I say do it!

I'd bear in mind that it has no reliability provenance before I bought any 'only' car for my commute.

Reply to
Douglas Payne

Unless you are buying from anything vaguely like a dealer that could happen to any car without any comeback. Could have happened to the Celsior, or the Octavia, or either of the Saabs.

It was close to happening to the rangie, but the vandals got to it before I had time to double check the dizie cap and timing (that was all it was in the end).

Reply to
Elder

you're insane!

Reply to
Vamp

Yet I was and I had to sell to a german to shift it. I ran nicely, was saveable, but expensive to get right thanks to some=20 visible and tricky to do rust.

The Celsior wasn't in use at all until I bought it. I took a chance and=20 it worked out ok.

I have found a magic formula that works though.

It can be miles away or round the corner, but if the missus looks at it,=20 it will be fine. If she doesn't see it, no matter how nice it looks,=20 drives and has papers to show, it will have a nasty surprise.

Skoda Estelle, =A385 needed =A350 to pass mot, she saw it. Skoda Favorit, =A390 needed nothing, she saw it. Saab 1, =A3300, needed nothing, she saw it. GT4, =A31750, needed nothing, she saw it. Saab 2 =A32500, just passed MOT, but seemed A pillars corroded and=20 slightly out of line. She didn't see it. Octavia, =A31700, needed nothing, she saw it. Range Rover, =A3600, passed mot but tempremental ignition then vandalised,= =20 she didn't see it. Celsior =A3800, risky but needed nothing yet, She saw it.

She doesn't have to like it, infact, some she had seen before I brought=20 home, she hated. And some she liked once I got them home(but never saw=20 before hand). But the fact that she saw it before handed the cash over=20 (normally driving me to collect) is enough for it to be fairly trouble=20 free.

--=20 Carl Robson Audio stream:

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Reply to
Elder

Now you see, that is something I have ever, ever, ever denied. I seem to have misplaced the paperwork, but I'm sure it is somewhere here abouts.

Reply to
Elder

Yet I was and I had to sell to a german to shift it. I ran nicely, was saveable, but expensive to get right thanks to some visible and tricky to do rust.

The Celsior wasn't in use at all until I bought it. I took a chance and it worked out ok.

I have found a magic formula that works though.

It can be miles away or round the corner, but if the missus looks at it, it will be fine. If she doesn't see it, no matter how nice it looks, drives and has papers to show, it will have a nasty surprise.

Skoda Estelle, £85 needed £50 to pass mot, she saw it. Skoda Favorit, £90 needed nothing, she saw it. Saab 1, £300, needed nothing, she saw it. GT4, £1750, needed nothing, she saw it. Saab 2 £2500, just passed MOT, but seemed A pillars corroded and slightly out of line. She didn't see it. Octavia, £1700, needed nothing, she saw it. Range Rover, £600, passed mot but tempremental ignition then vandalised, she didn't see it. Celsior £800, risky but needed nothing yet, She saw it.

She doesn't have to like it, infact, some she had seen before I brought home, she hated. And some she liked once I got them home(but never saw before hand). But the fact that she saw it before handed the cash over (normally driving me to collect) is enough for it to be fairly trouble free.

Reply to
Bob Sherunckle

Ahh right, it's one of those.

Builder mate of mind had one for about 8 years. Ran it on kerosene and generally abused it to death the way theat builders do.

It eventually ate its gearbox and he scrapped it. Up to that point he loved its faithfullness.

His was a dodgy import from a known dodgy dealer and had all sorts of stupid badges and no history. He won't tell you that the whole deal was a bad experience, far from it.

Reply to
Bob Sherunckle

You might imagine two owners, full service history, spotless bodywork, rebuilt engine, recon turbo, s/h box, receipts for brakes, exhaust and a price that reflected a slightly shabby convertible roof would be good.

But while it drove nicely, the corrosion was too much for me, that and 2 pints of water sloshing arround before it hit the drains.

Reply to
Elder

That's encouraging, when even dodgy ones show typical japanese "to the death with honour" type reliability.

I might see if they will do me a partex for the Celsior after I give it a scarily hard testdrive.

Reply to
Elder

*shakes head*
Reply to
SteveH

Didn't you buy it knowing it had an iffy roof and corrosion on the A Pillar?

Did you lose much on it?

Reply to
Douglas Payne

About =A3500 after 9 months. Didn't know about the A pillar, past MOT the day before I collected,=20 didn't see how bad it was until 3 months later.

The roof in the description was "shabby, but I don't think it leaks". Which meant it leaked like a seive not where the driver/passengers were,=20 during the wetest winter for years.

I was still a good drive.

--=20 Carl Robson Audio stream:

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Reply to
Elder

Then insult him by offering half what he is asking and see where it goes.

Reply to
Elder

I just don't see why you want it.

They turn in shocking MPG for a diesel - and forget running it on used veg oil etc, 'cos you don't have the time or the space to do it.

Unless you're going to move into a caravan and get yourself some 'dags', I'd leave well alone.

Reply to
SteveH

Average 30 isn't shocking after what I've been used to, and it tidy enough to keep me going until a sensible one comes along.

I'm still not ready to take finance on anything decent, and I don't want something with flakey french build quality. At least with Jap stuff, it might be bland but it is well screwed together.

You might be surprised at how cheap bulk bought pre-cleaned used veg oil is. Either in 250, 500 or 1000 litre tanks (the tanks cost extra but not pricey) and 1000 litre tanks fit on a standard pallet.

You can pump it with a hose, cordless drill and drill mounted pump.

30% veg oil mix would allow me many miles of reduced tax motoring.
Reply to
Elder

And where will you keep said tank?

It's not something you can just ditch on your front drive and forget about.

You'd be very lucky to see 30mpg - Parkers reckons 25mpg - then there's the shockingly poor performance - 16 seconds to 60 and tops out just over 90mph.

Fuck that.

Reply to
SteveH

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