MK2VR6
Posted a lot
Mk2 Golf GTi 90 Spec
Posts: 3,329
|
|
|
|
Righhht. I'm keen on buying an old car about 350 miles away from my door. Got lots of photos and several long chats with the owner. The car is on the road, but isn't really ready for a 350 mile drive. The owner quotes this and I'd prefer not to break the poor old thing. I've got a half decent quote for a courier to deliver the car to my door and am keen to go ahead with this. However, logistics including log book signatures and payments are seeming pretty complex. Option 1: I could drive up, inspect the car, pay for it and sort the paperwork/payment and then arrange the courier. Option 2: I Could train up, inspect the car, pay for it and drive it home, hoping it survives a long journey (which it hasn't done in 20+ years). Option 3: I could not inspect the car at all, stay at home, pay for it, get the courier to deliver it to me and somehow sort the paperwork from a distance. Still not sure how the hell this is possible. Option 3 is my favourite as it's the simplest, although it does seem the riskiest. Option 1 is the 'safest' and gives me a 99.9% guarantee that I take deliver of a car which isn't already broken. Suggestions? Or is everyone going to tell me that option 1 is the only choice? I'm hoping someone can help me solve the paperwork and payment issue on Option 3... Have a Porsche as payment   |
| |
Last Edit: Dec 9, 2013 19:44:40 GMT by MK2VR6
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I'm ALL for option 2. All day, every day.
If the car turns out to be a complete lemon, you jsut get the train back. If it's what you're expecting then you've got an awesome 350 mile road trip back. Stop off in Bristol for a cuppa at Area 52 etc...and if the worst happens, get the big yellow taxi home.
No brainer. I've done this many times and always enjoyed it.
|
| |
|
|
smellyferret
Posted a lot
Back in a retro after 7 years!
Posts: 1,121
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
LowStandards
Club Retro Rides Member
Bigging Up The Sum Sum Man Since '99
Posts: 2,650 
|
|
|
|
|
In the past i've just given the courier the cash and got him to put a scribble on the v5, simple.
Was a well known rr regular mind.
|
| |
|
|
doobie
Part of things
Posts: 271
|
|
|
|
In the past i've just given the courier the cash and got him to put a scribble on the v5, simple. Was a well known rr regular mind. This all day long... |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Myself and dad flew to edinburgh then trained to dundee and drove a 1977 vauxhall viva 1300 gls back to mid devon in one hit. even made a detore to newcastle upon tyne to pick up a friens.
Damn we had back ache 13 hours and 650 miles later!
|
| |
'72 Opel kadett coupe
'77 Opel kadett city sr
'92 Peugeot 309 Gti Goodwood
'93 Peugeot 205 GL auto
'88 Citroen BX 16v(Breaking)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Option 2, great memories are made on such journeys.Done it a few times including picking up a hearse!
|
| |
2014 - Audi A6 Avant 3.0Tdi Quattro
1958 - Chevrolet Apache Panel Truck
1959 - Plymouth Custom Suburban
1952 - Chevrolet 2dr Hardtop
1985 - Ford Econoline E350 Quadravan
2009 - Ovlov V70 2.5T
1970 - Cortina Mk2 Estate
2007 - Fiat Ducato LWB 120Multijet
2014 - Honda Civic 2.2 CTDi ES
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I'm ALL for option 2. All day, every day. If the car turns out to be a complete lemon, you jsut get the train back. If it's what you're expecting then you've got an awesome 350 mile road trip back. Stop off in Bristol for a cuppa at Area 52 etc...and if the worst happens, get the big yellow taxi home. No brainer. I've done this many times and always enjoyed it. Me too! One-way train ticket, wodge of cash and (if you're feeling organised) a rudimentary tool kit. Bringing some poor fool along for the trip is optional but good fun, and handy if any pushing is needed. Have adventures.  |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 is cautious. This is the correct procedure if you are buying a 1909 Rolls Royce.
2 is adventurous. I picked up a 1978 Cadillac CoupeDeVille from Portsmouth last year and drove it home with curse word lights and no wipers, about 600 miles at 9mpg.
3 is business. I buy a dozen cars a month give or take and what isn't driven to me buy the seller is collected in this way. Usually I make the recovery driver pay for the car too lol (then he gets paid when it arrives).
|
| |
|
|
MK2VR6
Posted a lot
Mk2 Golf GTi 90 Spec
Posts: 3,329
|
|
|
|
|
Thanks all. Much as I love the idea of the roadtrip and driving it back, I could do with removing opportunities for things going wrong generally at the moment. Think I'll sleep on it for a couple o'days.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
option 4, get a mate to drive you there, have a towing bar in the boot in case all else fails  |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Option 3. I do it all the time.
|
| |
|
|
djefk
Part of things
Posts: 844
|
|
|
|
|
I'm with the option 2 camp.
Years ago I once travelled from London to Newcastle to pick up an immacute 69 Vauxhall FD Victor from Newcastle. The old boy who had it tolld me he wouldn't trust it to drive any great distance, luckily I asked some intelligent questions and it basically came down to "it's an old car that's never really been more than 50 miles from here" type thinking rather than any good reason why i shouldn't just try it. So I just brought some tools with me along with my AA card, checked the car over in-person to ensure the seller had the same idea of what "excellent condition" means in our language as I do (which thankfully he did), then drove away and stopped in the first petrol station I came to. I then checked All the tyres / pressures, brimmed it with fuel and checked all fluids (picked up 5 litre bottles of water and oil too just in case), the got straight on the Motorway chugging along at 55 - 60 mph, figuring that if I took motorways all the way home it'd be quicker and kinder on things like brake and clutch hydraulics that hadn't seen much use in recent years, plus give the engine a really good chance to get properly hot and blow away the cobwebs.
After 30 miles or so I stopped at a services and repeated all my checks. I then had the confidence to continue at a steady 75mph - It drove beautifully with no problems all the way to Ealing and I'll never forget that drive - Happy times!
Bottom line, if you're careful and take the precautions of a thorough check over before and shortly after you set off, what's the very worst that can happy, barring absolute anomalies?
|
| |
Last Edit: Dec 10, 2013 1:57:41 GMT by djefk
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Get there on the train and drive it back. Part of the pleasure of buying an old motor is driving it back. I'll never forget when I drove my "74 Beetle back from Chester in the beautiful sun on quiet, Sunday A-roads. Sounds stupid but it'll stay with me forever.
Then there's driving a mini down the M42 from Coventry, pitch black, engine buzzing it's tits off, freezing, noise........fear.
What car is it?
|
| |
1993 Mercedes-Benz 190e LE in Azzuro Blue.
|
|
LowStandards
Club Retro Rides Member
Bigging Up The Sum Sum Man Since '99
Posts: 2,650
|
|
|
|
|
I drove a Beetle ratrod 200 odd miles home from Bournemouth in the middle of winter, no heating and half the bulkhead missing, it's things like having to stop at a Maccy D's to stuff napkins in your shoes to stave off frostbite that makes our hobby what it is...
|
| |
|
|
Lawsy
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,615
|
|
|
|
I'm ALL for option 2. All day, every day. If the car turns out to be a complete lemon, you jsut get the train back. If it's what you're expecting then you've got an awesome 350 mile road trip back. Stop off in Bristol for a cuppa at Area 52 etc...and if the worst happens, get the big yellow taxi home. No brainer. I've done this many times and always enjoyed it. I agree to this too, just make sure the AA cover is in place a couple of days before you head off as if you take out same day they will charge extra.. when buying train ticket, check return costs too, sometimes its only a few pence more to buy a return ticket, the last car i travelled for, was 150 miles and the return ticket was 50p cheaper than the single.. as Bruce says, worse case, get the big yellow taxi if it does break, but I'm sure if its capable of doing a 30 mile journey it'll just keep on going |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Dec 10, 2013 12:01:37 GMT
|
|
Option 2 is great fun. My son and I went to Hull from Bolton on the train in October and drove back in a very quick Saab 900. We detoured over the Humber bridge (just 'cos) on the way back and generally had a whale of a time.
|
| |
Jaguar S-Type 3.0 SE
|
|
tenman
Part of things
m00000000000
Posts: 899
|
|
Dec 10, 2013 12:29:59 GMT
|
option 2 ... I love a build thread that starts with an epic road trip |
| |
RWD Fanatic...
2003 BMW 320d Wagon (getting old and boring)
1996 Mini Kensington (SWMBO's)
|
|
|
|
|
Dec 10, 2013 12:33:00 GMT
|
Allways option 2. Rac card, a mate and fuel money. If it's mentioned to be it'll get you home |
| |
|
|
speedy88
Club Retro Rides Member
"Nice Cortina mate"
Posts: 2,279
Club RR Member Number: 118
|
|
Dec 10, 2013 12:53:40 GMT
|
|
Another for option 2. I get giddy every time I walk to the train station, with countless memories of having a roll of 20s in my pocket bound for some far destination ready for whatever the world wants to throw at me. I've always had a good time too and met plenty of nice people. And I usually do this after just EMAILS, sounds like you've talked to the chap plenty.
Option 4 with a mate and his support car is also a viable option and only slightly less adventurous than the above.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
[*]
[*]
