Ok, hands up, I bought a car and it turns out we hate eachother, try as I might I cannot get along with the Alto and I really have tried.
Putting aside the fragility of the thing, one problem I am having trouble ignoring is the drivers seat is giving me pain, alternating between my back and legs - I have a cushion which cancels out the angle of the seat and stops my legs going numb and hurting, but then I loose the side support and my lower back gets punished as I move around too much in the seat.
In short it is blooming uncomfortable. It also doesnt help that the PAS is pretty heavy at parking speeds and weights up oddly around town so you tend to have to put your shoulder into it ( you cant spin the wheel with one hand at all without hurting your wrist ). All in all I am finding it exhausting to drive and I can honestly say I have until now not met a car I cant adapt to but after 15 mins driving around town I was so uncomfortable I just turned around and went home and abandoned the trip.
It is not a stretch to say I miss the Charade ALOT, it was a far better car all round. My dilemma is, what on earth do I do? Sell it and loose £800-900 and have to throw another £500 in to get an alternative of similar age or tough it out? I reckon I could put it up privately for £2950 which would make it the cheapest new shape Alto on sale and it would prob shift ok.
I am genuinely sick of the thing, it really is a hateful car to own even if it was ultra reliable ( seems unlikely that will be the case ). Anyone ever had a car they just couldnt get on with? What did you do? I am dreading driving it to Cornwall in a few weeks time.
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I cannot see that there is any point sticking with a car that not only do you not enjoy, you actually end up not driving and not going places because of it.
So surely the question is more around what you can afford to do about it?
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No problems with comfort of the seats on my Swift although with back issues I'd imagine the difference between seats of different specs of the same model may be noticeable.
The Alto is made absolutely down to a price, everything will be just good enough and no more.
Like buying wine: don't buy the cheapest - get the second cheapest and it should be ok.
Want to buy a Forester?
;-)
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>>No problems with comfort of the seats on my Swift although with back issues I'd imagine the difference between seats of different specs of the same model may be noticeable.<<
I had a 2012 Swift as a loan car while they did the gearbox on the Alto and it was a gorgeous little car, so slick to drive, loved it, didnt want to get my car back!
>>Want to buy a Forester?<<
My wife does so keep it to yourself :-)
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>>So surely the question is more around what you can afford to do about it? <<
I could replace it with something of similar age, although it would mean dipping into money that was allocated for our holiday spending to top up the budget, my money fund for my next car only has a couple of months cash in it atm.
It would mean a more austere holiday for sure although we could take the Matrix, albeit with an extra £200 on petrol to come out of the holiday budget so it will take away from the holiday fund whichever way I slice it.
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>>It would mean a more auster
>> albeit with an extra £200 on petrol to come out of the holiday budget so
>> it will take away from the holiday fund whichever way I slice it.
>>
Is petrol really that good to be worth that kind of overhead driving from Northamptonshire to Cornwall in an MPV at 70mph ?
That kind of cost screams diesel to me.
Before the insurance people scream Daily Mail and property prices, they want to get their own houses in order with damaging people's property with p155 poor tracker installs leaving wires hanging down in the passenger footwells of young drivers cars.
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Its a tough call, but if you really hate it that much then move on. Sounds like its not going to get any better.
With all the problems you have had is there any opportunity to do a deal with the dealer - tell them you have lost all confidence in it and want to swap for something else?
I sympathise because I haven't really bonded with the Volvo. The ride is so hard that journeys are not a pleasure and I spend my time focused on avoiding every rut and pot hole, but given its only on an 18 month lease I can see light at the end of the tunnel - 9 weeks left (not that I'm counting)
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An alto is not the kind of car I would consider doing a run to cornwall in under any circumstances, specially If i had the Matrix available to do it in.
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>>An alto is not the kind of car I would consider doing a run to cornwall in under any circumstances, specially If i had the Matrix available to do it in.<<
I bet you never thought you would say you would prefer to take the Matrix :-)
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>> >>An alto is not the kind of car I would consider doing a run to
>> cornwall in under any circumstances, specially If i had the Matrix available to do it
>> in.<<
>>
>> I bet you never thought you would say you would prefer to take the Matrix
>> :-)
Very true.
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>>With all the problems you have had is there any opportunity to do a deal with the dealer - tell them you have lost all confidence in it and want to swap for something else?<<
I may pop in and ask the question, they can only say no. I dont know about swapping, the only stuff they have near my budget ( and not that near ) is another Alto. I would rather walk.
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Off topic, but to those of you who have driven a Swift - how high/low to the ground are the seats?
We can get in and out of the Panda OK, so if much the same seat height, a Swift sounds a good possibility.
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I didnt find it especially low Roger, very comfy car overall too. Proper autobox if I recall and the 1.2 engine is misery on fuel.
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I have found a car worth looking at, a model I looked at before but couldnt find one anywhere near by, not exciting but rare all the same and at a main dealer, diesel too and NOT a small car. I shall investigate...
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>> I didnt find it especially low Roger, very comfy car overall too. Proper autobox if
>> I recall and the 1.2 engine is misery on fuel.
>>
Misery or miserly? Where's that bloke who says spelling doesn't matter?
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>>Misery or miserly? Where's that bloke who says spelling doesn't matter? <<
I dont do many typos but ya caught me :-)
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>> >> I didnt find it especially low Roger, very comfy car overall too. Proper autobox
>> if
>> >> I recall and the 1.2 engine is misery on fuel.
>> >>
>>
>> Misery or miserly? Where's that bloke who says spelling doesn't matter?
A 1.2 auto misery on wheels. Makes my gutless one seem like a super car
Last edited by: Zero on Thu 15 Aug 13 at 19:58
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13.5s vs 12.2s 0-60 in favour of the Lancer.
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>> 13.5s vs 12.2s 0-60 in favour of the Lancer.
Wow didn't know there was anything I could burn off, I will be hunting down 1.2 auto swifts now just to feel good.
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>>Wow didn't know there was anything I could burn off, I will be hunting down 1.2 auto swifts now just to feel good. <<
Daihatsu Charade 1.0 will do it in 12.2 seconds, if you fancy racing Mavis to the PO on pension day :-)
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bit close, might loose, think how bad that would feel.
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I beat a Mondeo at the lights in my lilac one once, think how he felt poor sod.
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>> >> >> I didnt find it especially low Roger, very comfy car overall too. Proper
>> autobox
>> >> if
>> >> >> I recall and the 1.2 engine is misery on fuel.
>> >> >>
>> >>
>> >> Misery or miserly? Where's that bloke who says spelling doesn't matter?
>>
>> A 1.2 auto misery on wheels. Makes my gutless one seem like a super car
>>
Suzi Swift 1.5 Auto figures:-
Fuel consumption (urban) 31 mpg
Fuel consumption (extra urban) 51.4 mpg
Fuel consumption (combined) 41.5 mpg
0 - 62 mph 11.7 seconds
Top speed 112 mph
Cylinders 4
Valves 16 v
Engine power 102 bhp
Engine torque 98 lbs/ft
Last edited by: Roger on Thu 15 Aug 13 at 22:17
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1.2 auto has a combined of 50 mpg although 2010 model onwards only.
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The seats on a swift are pretty much the same kind of average height as the panda.
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>> What to do if you hate your car:
a big stick, Fawlty style -
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mv0onXhyLlE
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I've had company cars that I hated, which is worse cos you cannot get rid of the things.
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I assume the Swift Sport seats are a little lower than regular ones, but they're not too bad.
The Sport has height adjustment but it's mostly raises the back of the squab which I find isn't useful when you have legs like a giraffe.
Steering wheel adjusts for rake and reach on Sport - not sure if base models get that.
Also the electric PAS might lack feedback through the wheel but it is utterly consistent in use and typically Jap for easy parking (despite the current UK ones being built in Hungary).
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...isn't useful when you have legs like a giraffe.
Four? Might be the solution to the pedals in a manual MB, I suppose.
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I must have missed an earlier thread, Stu, but I'm curious as to why you bought such a small car - one of the smallest on the market - when you have your valeting kit to take around.
Maybe get whatever vintage of Skoda Fabia you can afford - an estate if you can - and you could be happy.
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>>I must have missed an earlier thread, Stu, but I'm curious as to why you bought such a small car - one of the smallest on the market - when you have your valeting kit to take around <<
The kit fits fine, my space needs are not about volume but the load area with seats down AND how flat those seats fold - funny enough the Matrix actually has a less useable space than the Alto or Charade - Ford Fiesta and Suzuki Swift exactly the same, both useless for what I need.
The reason for the Alto was it was £3800, good mpg, pocket change tax and just 4 years old - I was trying to jump into a much newer car and to that end I did - it is perfectly suited to my carrying needs, it is just the lump behind the wheel that doesnt fit so well.
Skoda is a bit mainstream for me, the Alto taught me not to buy cars that everyone else buys, my most loved cars have always been oddities and I think I need to go back to my roots.
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Maybe if they've improved the seats since our early 'Comfort' (chortle) model was built in 2000. It was a decent car but the seats were not its greatest asset - flat and uniformly over-firm. An hour at the wheel was my upper limit.
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First car I hated was my Dolomite Sprint believe it or not, the engine was harsh, the suspension was harsher,
I could never get the thing to run right - and I was a car tuner!
The 2nd car I hated was a Citroen BX 16TRS bought new, sold it to a Jew boy in N. London after less-than 6 months.
Life is too short to put up with a car you hate IMO - it's only money after all.
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I had a Rover 200. I loathed and detested the thing almost from the off and I sold it at £100 loss exactly one week later.
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I hated the Pug 306 td with a vengeance from the moment i bought it, ran it for a while hating every second even though i'd tweaked the pump so it went like hell, sold it to my mate who really liked it.
Stu i don't think this new small car generation (particularly Indian built) are going to be good long term used buys like your previous generation Charade/Sirion/Matrix have been, which in turn won't last forever like the Starlet the old lady round the corner still uses.
Think you might be better off finding well cared for Korean/Japanese previous generation small cars being sold byolder low mileage pop down the shops users.
Would a 107/C1/Aygo be big enough for you, i'm finding them to be superb little cars, simple to work on and easy to improve the soundproofing on (necessary) with tyres in just about the cheapest size available.
Last edited by: gordonbennet on Thu 15 Aug 13 at 21:35
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>>Think you might be better off finding well cared for Korean/Japanese previous generation small cars being sold byolder low mileage pop down the shops users <<
Im going to hopefully look at a Kia in the next few days, Focus sized though, going back to brands I know and like.
There is nothing more disappointing than a small car that is heavy to drive - how on earth do they manage to gear the steering so heavy and for what reason, I really dont know. It also has a bone shaking ride so there is no real relief other than a peppy engine but it isnt enough.
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>> Im going to hopefully look at a Kia in the next few days
Diesel Cerato? Damned good buy. Bargains, usually.
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>>Diesel Cerato? Damned good buy. Bargains, usually <<
Thats the one, I looked for one before I bought Suzuki but couldnt find one nearby - hoping to look at one later today. You approve then? :-)
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>> You approve then? :-)
>>
Oh yeah. Often considered one myself. The wife would probably have one now if there were diesel autos available. Loads of car for the money.
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Was £4995.
ahahahahahahahahahahaha...
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>>Was £4995 <<
All their prices are like that - maybe it was £4995 for one day!
Had a look at it, nice enough car, very notchy gearbox but otherwise a decent motor - hadnt been driven for a while, looks like a forecourt ornament so maybe a deal to be had.
An Experian check on my Alto brought it up as stolen - I have checked with the police who say it isnt as does the only previous owner - Experian are double checking their data entry as they suspect someone put in wrong reg number, have to wait though.
Asssuming the data check comes back ok after another try I may buy it. They said cost to change of £750. I scowled. A little while later they said £500. I thought " that was easy, must want it gone ". I have vowed not to part with more than £300, maybe less. Not sure if there is a cambelt on these, havent checked its status if there is, maybe some wrangling there.
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>My dilemma is, what on earth do I do? Sell it and loose £800-900 ..
Can't you buy an after market seat?
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The Mondeo TDCi Ghia I had from 2003-2007 wasn't very comfortable. Seats were way too firm. On a long journey it would give my wife back problems.
When I switched to a diesel and therefore better MPG I thought we might travel more as it would be cheaper. We seemed to avoid long car journeys. Trouble was it was a company car on a 4 year lease so not much I could do.
Next car much more comfortable and this one even more so. Seats are even better than anything else I have had before...
.... my rambling point is.... swap the car for something else if you can afford to. Sounds like you bought something that is not right for you.
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As a comparison for us between the Mondeo TDCi Ghia and the Mazda6/Passat CC.... my wife was in agony with back pain within 3 hours in the Mondeo. Five hours plus no problem in the other two.
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>> >My dilemma is, what on earth do I do? Sell it and loose £800-900 ..
>>
>> Can't you buy an after market seat?
>>
I was going to suggest this but I think there are too many other bugbears with the car.
Last edited by: corax on Fri 16 Aug 13 at 07:57
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Had a Skoda Fabia once as a courtesy car.Hated the thing, uncomfortable seats and not nice to drive.
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The Fabia with the 115PS 2.0 petrol engine was quite entertaining.
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>> Had a Skoda Fabia once as a courtesy car. Hated the thing, uncomfortable seats and not nice to drive.
That an interesting view, and while I'll happily agree the Fabia isn't an outstanding car - there are plenty of others which are any or several of the following: quicker/comfier/bigger/smaller and more economical - it's certainly nicer to drive than my 60 plate Punto was, and the seats are reasonable for a cheapinexpensive car. (25% off list a lot of the time).
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We had a Fabia 1.9tdi from new in 2001, until we came back to the UK two and a half years ago.
We loved it and once happily drove, between us, for nearly 17 hrs. with only comfort stops and were quite happy with the comfort: quite quick it was, too.
The Sdi was a sluggard, though and the 1.4tdi not much better, when we had one as a rental when ours was in the VAG garage for servicing.
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I had two Fiat Punto's John.Liked them both the first one was the 1.2 litre Engine very economical to run,Second one a 1.9 Diesel Fiat Punto sluggish but comfy seats.Strange how you can take to a car or not.Now we drive a 1.6 Diesel Grand Picasso.Vey comfy good on the Motorway about 50mpg.Drives like a river barge ok for me.>;)
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>> I had two Fiat Punto's John.Liked them both...
There are Punto's and Punto's: I first had a Mk2B, 1.2 petrol, which was a nice economical wee car.
The most recent one was a Grande Punto, which wasn't grand at all - much too much GM Corsa in it (basic body shell, steering and suspension) - though it looked far better than it aught as a 3 door in white, it was joggly over bumps, steering was oversharp and imprecise, and it had the turning circle of a river barge which made parking unfeasibly difficult.
Probably my least favourite car, which is why it went shortly after I finished work.
The Fabia which replaced it is better in almost every respect, but that's quite a low target, IMHO.
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Back to the OP; sell it Stu, life's too short. Find a good valeter (8-) ) and advertise it privately for 2975. Use your spare car in the interim. If you lose a few quid then so what in the bigger scheme of things?
I bought a used Audi A3 a couple of years ago, kept it less than 6 months. Tried to like it but various niggles caused me to lose faith in it and I was happy to stump up the extra couple of grand to get shot of it and "start again" with a different car.
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>> Ok, hands up, I bought a car and it turns out we hate each other, try
>> as I might I cannot get along with the Alto and I really have tried.
In future try to get a long test drive. I suggest that a hundred miles, unaccompanied by the salesperson, wouldn't be an unreasonable request. Make sure that the tyre pressures are correct to ensure that the ride and handling isn't abnormal.
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I am thinking that unless a deal happens on the Cerato ( not hopeful really ) I will wait until I get back from holiday ( and take the Matrix ).
People seem to be asking strong money for them privately but I dont have enough affection for it to squabble over a couple of hundred quid. Im tempted to try and flog it before I go on holiday as I have three weeks before I go. I am going to wash it today, might be a good time to take pics...
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Seems I cant sell it, it comes up stolen if you do a car data check even though Northants Police say it isnt and was returned to the owner last year - have to wonder about the accuracy of the reports if they are 6 months behind really.
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How does it come up stolen ? On the HPI ? Didn't the selling dealer tell you the HPI is clear ?
I would be looking at taking action against the dealer in that case.
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The HPI IS clear IF you have up to date information, but Autocheck dont have updated information.
Clearly the dealer I bought from uses a more current data check service but that doesnt help me if the car check services elsewhere are using older data.
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So you are saying it has a stolen marker against it but not a recovered marker?
Therefore a PNC check would show it as an outstanding stolen vehicle.
I would be taking this up with the Force that processed the initial theft. It is their responsibility.
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I went in to Northampton Police station and they checked the details for me. They werent able to tell me alot of detail on account of data protection, but they could tell me that the car was stolen in early 2012 and returned to original owner and that I am currently the registered keeper of it.
They said that there was no current marker on the car and they have no interest in it.
It is the car data companies that have the wrong information so whatever data set they are using, it is pretty old.
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I had similar trouble with Black Horse (crap) - they incorrectly reported that my late wife's Golf was on finance when I came to sell it. It referred to the car as Jetta. I got in touch with them and it was resolved within a couple of days. Phone them tomorrow - get it sorted. Threaten them with reporting them to the Information Commissioner if necessary
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The car dealer I went to see rang Autocheck as they thought it was unusual that despite the car being 'stolen' it had also had a change of keeper since then so unlikely it was correct - Autocheck told dealer they would investigate it, I imagine they check with Northants Police themselves perhaps? Not sure if they can what with data protection but we will see, as it was a Friday afternoon they wont hear back until early next week.
I also paid for a check myself so I will phone up on Monday and take them to task as a customer, especially as I know for certain what the status of the car is since on the dealer data check it referenced Northants Police for the force dealing with it. Given that they supplied wrong information, I think I am within my rights to get a refund at the very least.
Worst part is, if I hadnt been window shopping cars I would never have found out!
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Wait until you speak to Autocheck - They have a responsibility under the DPA to ensure that data is up to date. They are reputable company - they should fix it with the minimum of fuss.
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your beef is with HPI, you have the right to see the data they hold, and to get it corrected (note from police will do) May cost you a couple of quid in admin.
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Do you know what is scary for anyone using Autocheck? My car was stolen 29/1/12 - it was MOT'd by last owner on 13/3/12 so the car was returned to the owner 17 months ago which makes the data Autocheck are using coming up for 18 months out of date. Yikes.
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>> Seems I cant sell it, it comes up stolen if you do a car data
>> check even though Northants Police say it isnt and was returned to the owner last
>> year - have to wonder about the accuracy of the reports if they are 6
>> months behind really.
>>
The previous owner managed to sell it to you, so you should be able to sell it to someone else.
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You have a new car. And you want to change it because the seat hurts. Change the seat.
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Ok, what do you suggest about the ride and heavy steering? Front tyres are at 40 psi already so forget tyre pressures.
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Not as easy to change seats these days, they're plumbed into the car electronically and that
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>> Not as easy to change seats these days, they're plumbed into the car electronically and
>> that
Yes, they're connected to the airbag system and any aftermarket seat is going to need a different subframe, so it would be difficult to turn the airbag light off unless you can find some way of fooling the ECU that it's still there. It's not going to be good for safety though.
You could swap the seats for ones from a similar but more upmarket model. That way you would retain the airbag system but I doubt there is much scope with this car.
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>>>Ok, what do you suggest about the ride and heavy steering?
He has a point Mapmaker...
Buying a decent Mondeo estate finally seems the only option.
Last edited by: Fenlander on Mon 19 Aug 13 at 19:21
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>> >>>Ok, what do you suggest about the ride and heavy steering?
>>
>> He has a point Mapmaker...
>>
>> Buying a decent Mondeo estate finally seems the only option.
Alas that is no longer the C4P "final solution"
It needs to be a Subaru Something.
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>>>It needs to be a Subaru Something
Ahh but the Mondeo love is forever... Subarus just a passing phase. After all FoR dumped his Subaru years ago.
Last edited by: Fenlander on Mon 19 Aug 13 at 19:35
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A Subaru Something? If there's a new Scooby out, I must get myself up to the dealer's and try it asap :-)
Joking aside, I'd expect no complaints about seats, ride comfort and the rest from a Legacy or Forester, and given how much Stu was budgeting for fuel on holiday, they couldn't cost more to run either. The Legacy auto did 29mpg average on my recent 2,200 mile round trip to - and through - France, a good part of that loaded to the roof with a top box and four bikes on the back.
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>> >> Not as easy to change seats these days, they're plumbed into the car electronically
>> and
>> >> that
>>
>> Yes, they're connected to the airbag system and any aftermarket seat is going to need
>> a different subframe, so it would be difficult to turn the airbag light off unless
>> you can find some way of fooling the ECU that it's still there. It's not
>> going to be good for safety though.
>>
>> You could swap the seats for ones from a similar but more upmarket model. That
>> way you would retain the airbag system but I doubt there is much scope with
>> this car.
I can "plug n play" the Mitsi Recarro's into the cooking Lancer estate. A move I have oft considered.
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I wouldnt say no to an Impreza diesel but my bank account does.
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There's a difference between hating a car and finding it completely impossible to live with. If you absolutely can't learn to live with a car's inadequacies then the only solution is either to leave it to rot in the garage or to dispose of it.
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>> There's a difference between hating a car and finding it completely impossible to live with.
>>
>>
I have only ever bought cars I have fallen in love with. Anything less renders it totally beyond consideration in the first place.
Merely getting from A to B isn't nearly good enough.
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>> I have only ever bought cars I have fallen in love with.
Yes, but...
How do you know you have fallen in love with it until you have driven it for a while? You find out more about a car the more you live with it and that needs to be for a few weeks at least, not just a test drive. If you were going by looks alone I would understand.
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>> If you were going by looks alone I would understand.
I'm never bothered about what a car looks like, just so long as it's a bright highly visible colour.
Last edited by: L'escargot on Tue 20 Aug 13 at 08:53
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I'm fortunate that when it comes to the last 3 cars I've got, I've had 48+ test drives in each. I got the test drive for the current car over a weekend so had it for 72 hours and managed to do lots of different driving including fast, windy A roads, motorways etc.
It must be difficult to select the right car if all you're allowed is a short test drive.
And even though I had a Mondeo Ghia for a few days, we still found out after I'd got one that it caused back pain for my wife over longer distances.
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>>You find out more about a car the more you live with it and that needs to be for a few weeks at least, not just a test drive
It aint necessarily so - when I had a test drive of my Subi, I hadn't gorn more-than a couple of miles before I realised this was the vehicle I'd been seeking - for the last 40 years.
Last edited by: Dog on Tue 20 Aug 13 at 08:57
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>> >>You find out more about a car the more you live with it and that
>> needs to be for a few weeks at least, not just a test drive
>>
>> It aint necessarily so - when I had a test drive of my Subi, I
>> hadn't gorn more-than a couple of miles before I realised this was the vehicle I'd
>> been seeking - for the last 40 years.
till the next one.
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>>till the next one
till he drives a turbo version.
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>> >>till the next one
>>
>> till he drives a turbo version.
Best thing about the turbo is that it is very easy to drive off boost most of the time and maintain speed, but you have the acceleration when you need it. It's only lightly boosted but it just makes that difference. I liken it to something like a Volvo 2.5t or Saab LPT. Enough to make things interesting but not so much that it acts like an on/off switch.
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>> >> If you were going by looks alone I would understand.
>>
>>
Looks are the over-riding precondition for me. Then I'd have read up about it, seen reviews and articles, probably knew someone who had one, or grew up with one when young and always hankered after it.
It's like judging a book by its cover - it's nearly always infallible. Just instinct.
I've always hankered after a Daimler Dart. I've never driven one, or ridden in one, but I have touched one in a museum. I've read about them. It's a dream, perhaps a retirement present. Obviously I'd have a test drive, but if it lived up to expectations, I'd go for it.
But cars don't have to be so exotic, just appeal to my taste.
I've always thought the Volvo 240 estate was a classic design long before I got my first.
I've loved the Mark 1 Triumph 2000 - timeless classic italian styling, subdued, understated, boring, but with a lurking tiger in the tank.
I grew up in old series landrovers - again, classic rugged good looks, they mean the business with no frills.
My first car was a Triumph roadster. My friend was given one needing attention, we got it going, I wanted one too. I kept it for 10 years as my daily driver, then, strangely, wanted a Landrover.
Almost certainly I'd hate on sight 99% of the cars owned by C4P forumites.
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>>I've always hankered after a Daimler Dart
Just as well you're handy with a spanner, comrade Clifford, as every single Dart/250 I tuned was a plug oiler upper.
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>> Almost certainly I'd hate on sight 99% of the cars owned by C4P forumites.
Fair enough CP, I can't argue with that :)
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>> There's a difference between hating a car and finding it completely impossible to live with.
No there isnt. One quickly leads to the other.
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Well until Autocheck sort themselves out I am pretty much stuck with the thing. I am not going to waste time looking at alternatives if when it comes to p/x they look at me like Im a criminal.
We are going in the Matrix now anyway, booked in for a small service in prep.
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I'd never really thought about it but I'd be pleased to know that a stolen in the past marker was left on such vehicle checks. There are many reasons why, even if recovered promptly, I'd rather not have that car.
So I assume it is the norm for s stolen record to be cleared so you never see it?
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>>I'd never really thought about it but I'd be pleased to know that a stolen in the past marker was left on such vehicle checks. There are many reasons why, even if recovered promptly, I'd rather not have that car.<<
The marker isnt 'stolen in the past', it is 'stolen and wanted by the police, dont buy this car'.
Those car data checks are not as comprehensive as they appear and alot of the info they contain is available via other cheaper sources.
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>> Those car data checks are not as comprehensive as they appear and alot of the
>> info they contain is available via other cheaper sources.
They are comprehensive, but they are only as good as the data entered into/updated in the database. Humans at work their I'm afraid.
They all buy and use the same one, cheap or dear. The cheaper ones buy the data less frequently than the dearer ones is all.
Last edited by: Zero on Tue 20 Aug 13 at 12:16
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What I mean is they dont tell you if a car was stolen in the past, only if it is a wanted car at the time they do the search. Other data checks may do, but Autocheck doesnt and that is the system Autotrader use, so they are a decently big player.
The odd thing is that all roads seem to lead back to Experian - the supplying dealer said their checks are done from Experian data, exactly the same as Autocheck so I wonder how they come back with different answers.
I suspect they are over playing what they know too as the Autocheck girl specifically said they have a data feed from the PNC - which is strange since they dont seem to have access to current PNC information but the way she said it was as if they did - only when I told her the PNC check at the police station would surely have the same information if that were true did she start mumbling.
Last edited by: FoR on Tue 20 Aug 13 at 12:26
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>>>always hankered after a Daimler Dart
Our three houses ago neighbour had one as an "as long as it isn't raining" daily driver and a businessman family member had one too as a summer weekend car.
I do like that engine in the saloon but for your dream test ride prepare yourself for a bouncy ride with handling thrown off by bumpy corners, heavy steering and heavy moderate brakes.
I'd far rather your Triumph 2000... I do slightly envy you (and Westpig?) being able to justify keeping one.
Last edited by: Fenlander on Tue 20 Aug 13 at 11:59
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>>
>> I do like that engine in the saloon but for your dream test ride prepare
>> yourself for a bouncy ride with handling thrown off by bumpy corners, heavy steering and
>> heavy moderate brakes.
>>
Sounds just like the landrover, but with a V8! But thanks for the warning. I did read an article saying they were virtually uncatchable on the straight, but watch out on corners.
But that gorgeous beautiful mean shark look ...
>> I'd far rather your Triumph 2000... I do slightly envy you (and Westpig?) being able
>> to justify keeping one.
>>
The justification is that my wife needs an everyday car for shopping and children-ferrying etc.
Also classic cars are very cheap to run. No road tax, easy mechanicals, and any number of cars on the one insurance policy for just £85 pa. In fact I can feel another one coming on now.
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>> children-ferrying etc.
Rear seat belts in classics?
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Didn't kill either you or me Alanovic'...
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What was the average speed of a car when you were young? When I was driving MK1 Escorts, old Anglias, Imps & similar then on the roads I lived on I used to get over 40 rarely and over 50 virtually never.
I now drive on those same roads, well not at the moment, but often. Even with my children in the car I will happily be doing 60.
Consequently never mind the chances of having an accident, if I do have one things are going to hit harder.
35/40 years ago there were much fewer cars on those same roads. They're pretty busy now. So the chances of me meeting someone doing something idiotic and dangerous are much higher than they used to be.
Consequently the chances of me having an accident are probably higher.
So the relevance of whether we wore seatbelts in the back of a car, sat 4 across or leaned on our parent's seat in front all those years ago are of limited relevance today.
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>> Didn't kill either you or me Alanovic'...
>>
Those who were killed are not here to speak up, funnily enough. Some of the maimed are, though.
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>>
>> Rear seat belts in classics?
>>
Yes, in the Triumph. Original fittings.
Last edited by: Cliff Pope on Wed 21 Aug 13 at 08:04
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>> Yes, in the Triumph. Original fittings.
>>
Surprised by that, I don't remember any rear seatbelts in anything until the 80s. My Dad's M reg Triumph 2000 didn't have any.
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>>
>> >> Yes, in the Triumph. Original fittings.
>> >>
>>
>> Surprised by that, I don't remember any rear seatbelts in anything until the 80s. My
>> Dad's M reg Triumph 2000 didn't have any.
>>
The attachment points were already there. Perhaps the belts themselves were an option. My previous 2000 had a matching set from new in 1964.
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A Dart in full song is a wondrous thing! That V8 noise!
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>> A Dart in full song is a wondrous thing! That V8 noise!
>>
>>
I listened to one on YouTube yesterday. It's subtley different from a Rover V8 and a Triumph Stag, both of which I've owned. With both of those you can hear the two engines, their exhaust notes beating in that wonderful throb that sounds as if they can't quite decide whether to fight each other or pull together.
But the Dart sounded more coordinated somehow - a bit more tuned and refined. Truely a magnificent engine, and very sturdy apparently.
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In the mid 1960s , at least in London, the traffic police had Darts. I was working for the then Austin distributor in London, The Car Mart Sales, and they used to burble past our showroom occasionally. (163 Bromley Rd. Catford, SE6, in the "Golden Mile" of local motor dealers if you really want to know!)
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What to do if you hate your car - No FM2R
