Well, as the metro went for asking price I just went out and spent the day looking for my replacement toy.
Got a nice ZZR600 in purple and pink ( girlie I know but last time I checked I was female) I had to make sure I had something with more acceleration and grin factor and I certainly got it.
Won't be getting a new car now till next year I would imagine and then I am going for a old classic car that is tax exempt. :)
Might drop in here occasionally to return the piss taking favour though.. :p
It's a shame MGBs* can only be afforded by beardies, hence screwing up the reputation. They're lovely cars, but as only Mr Sad Fat Bastard 40+ year old bank manager can afford to run a good one they suffer the same problems as most nice cars :(
- I am not including rubber bumpered late 70s BL rust enhancing steel models in that statement!
Well being a Uni Student I just save loads of each lot of Uni money..and can't see it being worse to run than my Range Rover.. But I did just sell that today.. I now have.. wait for it.. its a real gem... A 5 door Astra
1.4, but it will get the kids to school, it will get me to Uni when its raining and I dont fancy sitting in wet leathers...
Won't be bothering modifying it in anyway shape or form though. Except on Photoshop for a laugh to show the metro lot.
The v8, every single time. It's a tight squeeze in an mg, though, so not all the options will fit.
That v8 engine, though, well let me just say it doesn't matter what the performance actually is, because you don't care and nor do you need a radio because you have all the music you'll ever need already. :) :) :) :)
Hey my father has a B and he's a sad fat bastard 40+ insurance broker (with a beard). (I'm a young sad fat bastard with a beard and a passion for aircooled VWs)
Check out the insurance costs on an old "classic" with limited mileage.
The only real problem is rust and unreliability. There's not too much that can fail the MoT other than rust and actual faults.
What with the saving on insurance, and the zero depreciation, you have to do a lot of miles for anything else to be cheaper. Since you more or less have to have two cars to run a classic, the unreliability needn't be an issue - you drive the one that's working this week, and work on the other in spare time.
Of course, paying a main dealer to keep it in tip top condition is a bit like going around throwing coins into the street and paying fines for littering, but you don't do that as it is sheer stupidity.
I never use main dealers. Thats why I live with a mechanic.. who also has very good friends. I like the idea of the MG as since having the metros I have become quite loyal to MG and Rover but.... I love the mk1 and 2 escorts and think they are great. The only other cars I have had an liked have been my Escort Cabriolet and the TD one. :)
I used to run 2 classics... And will again when I've got them both working properly. Shame only one is tax exempt though :(
I think Bs are quite pricey for what they are, or to put it another way, there's other classics out there that do very nicely and don't cost as much. But one day I will have one - Or at least (and maybe preferably) a Midget :)
The other way is to have a modern car for shopping / work / driving to John O Groats, and the classic for actual fun, social, work when it is a sunny day and you want open top motoring.
A useful option, cheaper than buying a new open top car, but costs a bit more than owning just the eurobox.
Not really an MG fan myself, I can't fit in them and the controls are all in the wrong places for me, jaded, I suppose. I'd like an E type Roadster, which are even more overpriced / well expensive anyway, well outside what I can pay for the car before starting to price up maintenance.
Got a Triumph, not tax exempt either, but modern position, low seat, open top, v8 engine, and easily the best value car I've owned, given it can't depreciate and doesn't go through parts fast.
See? I don't have anything against beards as such (well, that's an utter lie, never trust anyone with facial hair!) but it is a crying shame that alot of the nicer cars out there can only be afforded by those of a certain age. Not saying they shouldn't be allowed them, I just wish the younger ones could afford them too.
And I won't start on air cooled Nazi staff cars... ;)
With the right level of care, a classic can do all the journies a newer car can - I just never have the time money or patience to take the proper level of care yet :(
Doesn't help that those smaller engines are pants either.
I'd love a B for something I could chuck around a little (well, not much at all) and do longer jounries in in slight comfort. I've always been a fan of them, but I'm trying not to be so old as to want one instead of the bouncy impracticle fun of a Midget! :)
Ahh, you'll be one of them rich gits with a Stag then? ;) I'm in the small saloons, got a 68 fwd, a 74 1500TC, and a 75 1500TC that is sort of mine. The good points are that I like older cars, and would rather get my hands on something with a bit of character for my cash than a ten year old ex repmobile (I'm skint, the most expensive of the Triumphs was 25 quid!). The insurance costs are so low as to be worth running 2 or 3 instead of one newer car. The owner's club is very good. I get to drive something that is both comfortable yet still involving. I like the way they look.
The list goes on. For someone with an interest a tool kit and time, they're great. Only downsides have been certain parts are tricky to come by, and some places have no idea about them - Went to Halfords a while ago when I was desperate for a pair of rear shocks for the MOT on the fwd. They said "Not a problem, will have them in stock by the end of the week, they're the same as for the 1500fwd". Which is balls, but of course, the customer is always wrong in there...
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