Got rid of the Punto - Hurrah!!!

Took you a while. Don't buy any Italian cars.

No, no you must buy at least one, just so that you can call yourself a petrol head. It is impossible to be one without having known the terrible pain of having owned an Italian car.

Of course with wealth comes more pain. I particularly treasure the experience of a friend who bought a Ferrari 328 for £20,000. First garage bill for servicing - £20,000. To rub salt into his wound the garage complimented him on his choice of the "robust, easy to service" model of the Ferrari range.

Good point. Been there. Done that. Owned a very crumbly Alfasud in the late 70s/early 80s. (I think. So many cars....)

Someone at a previous place of employ did the same with a Rolls Royce. Paid £10K for it, first service; £10K.

Heh, my local body repair bloke who is excellent (he also repairs light aircraft) once shook his head at me and said "there are many like you who have been ruined by car ownership" as I dragged yet another sad sack of shit to him for major body surgery.

Starts to make the £2.2K for an Aston V8 Vantage clutch at an independent sound cheap. Sometimes they last 30k, sometimes they last

10k. Not that I'd know, just what I've heard from someone that does.

My motoring idiocy was a BX in the 1990's, just for the novel 1950's suspension. That cost as much to service and repair in 18 months as it cost to buy and I got next to nothing back for it. Came as quite a shock after 5 years with a Celica 2.0XT, £1400 purchase, 2 months later £1200 insurance payout + kept salvage. £200 from scrap yard for doors, lights and rubber trim to replace the stuff that melted/scorched when car parked next to it caught fire. Got £150 from scrapyard 5 years and 60K miles later. I kept the nearly new tyres and battery. Having only had 2 sets of tyres, one clutch, one exhaust, one wheel bearing, a set of front brakes, DIY oil, filter and plug changes. It was almost free motoring, OK the doors were white while body was silver over blue.

I rather miss my old BX. Never cost *that* much for servicing & repairs but maybe I was lucky. suspension height thingies used to stick quite often needing freeing up but other than than can't remember any horrendous bills. Very comfy ride.

Tim

Same here, had a BX 1.9 diesel for a few years and no complaints Did all the basic servicing myself and didn't find it expensive. But noticed some of the pipework underneath not looking to good. Then in Tesco carpark a guy introduced himself as a citroen mechanic setting up on his own. OK says I, how much to redo the suspension & brake pipes. Ah that's one job I don't want to do was the reply. If a guy looking for work turns the job down it must be bad So thats when I traded it in!

Bob

Same here, had a BX 1.9 diesel for a few years and no complaints Did all the basic servicing myself and didn't find it expensive. But noticed some of the pipework underneath not looking to good. Then in Tesco carpark a guy introduced himself as a citroen mechanic setting up on his own. OK says I, how much to redo the suspension & brake pipes. Ah that's one job I don't want to do was the reply. If a guy looking for work turns the job down it must be bad So thats when I traded it in!

I quoted a customer £350 for that, because I didn't want to do it. I got the job. : - (

Steve

Or as my wife says; "Cars are a waste of money."

Bob Dodds wrote: [snip]

I had a BX GTI and a 16 Valve. My local independent - Peter Boxall at Rake

- replaced all of the hydraulic lines and the spheres on the GTi at

120Kmiles. It cost a few hundred. I suspect your bloke wasn't quite as experienced as he was making out.

The only real beef I had about the car was rust on the sunroof frame and the valve guides needing replacement at 80 kmiles.

[snip]

Apparently my current lusting for a V12 bi-turbo Mercedes S class has distaff approval. I can't see her being pleased when I explain the cost of insurance, tax and fuel.

I see old age is setting in.

it did decades ago, remember that my preferred cars are Jaguars. I prefer waft to whoosh.

If you get a proper Jag you can waft past Porsches on track days while listening to Radio 4.

Methinks not.

Meknows so. I've seen the video, you can too.

20Gb have watch right to the end. Drivers quote "It was a blast though, great fun and the look on the Porsche drivers face (left hand drive) at the end couldnt have showed more confusion and suprise had he just seen a cat bark! Proper wtf is going on here look as the big blue boat floated past! The Porsche guys came over later for a chat and I told them Id be putting a vid on here so if youve found this then hello Mr Porshce and friend, that tussel was the highlight of the day. Its just a shame the Jags pads were knackered or we could have gone again"

En el artículo , Huge escribió:

Or French either.

Or anything with budget grade Bosch electrics. They are on par with the worst that Lucas offered. If you can get pattern electrical parts, it means its a lemon. They don't make stuff like that unless there is a big demand for them.

Or it could mean that it's a generic part fitted to dozens of different models.