That < buy something sensible > sermon ringing in my ears

[slomoshun]

Being black friday and no more about that i took the bus into town. Waiting at bus stop watching endless blank expression drivers in various modern tin ware drive by i mentally did a yes or no as each car went by. Needless nearly all were a no. Now before i set off swmbo sometimes gave me a < buy something sensible > for us to drive round in sermon. This still ringing in my ears i began to think i don't understand sensible and cars in one sentence. After four decades i am no further up the sensible league than i was as a youngster in my little Austin A35. Am the only one who gets the buy something sensible sermon ?

[bavarianretro]

I don't really get the sermon, but I do play a similar game when - as I am just now - sitting parked in a car park. I look around and ask myself, "Which of the cars parked here would I swap for the one I'm sitting in?" The answer is invariably, " None of them."

To be fair, if my good lady played the same game, the answer would probably be, "All of them."

[fred]

Yes indeed - and the fact I have never took out a loan or finance to buy a car
So my budget only covers cars which are usually 10 years old anyway

[slomoshun]

i have never owned a new car not even newish but that as been my choice based on build quality of older cars / simple ish technology and ability to modify without losing its non existant value
had new company car but had my old beemer for real motoring

[BenzBoy]

Define "sensible"

Basic retro cars: these have less to go wrong, meaning smaller repair bills. They are also lighter, meaning more economy.
Luxury retro cars: these have more to go wrong but whatever could go wrong has probably gone wrong by now and been fixed. They're thirsty, but looking cool isn't free.
Simple mechanicals: in the event of a thermonuclear blast, the electromagnetic pulse will render all electronics useless. But not you! You can start and drive your car to safety. Your neighbours will fry in their non-functioning Priuses and modern Audis whilst you and the wife can escape to the hills to begin rebuilding human civilisation from the ashes of a global nuclear holocaust.

[fred]

Fred 'likes this' ^^^^^^^^

[slomoshun]

well benz boy putting it like that I'm saying let sensible be some one elses ball game
agree with what you are saying

[darrenh]

Nov 28, 2014 21:46:01 GMT BenzBoy said:

Simple mechanicals: in the event of a thermonuclear blast, the electromagnetic pulse will render all electronics useless. But not you! You can start and drive your car to safety. Your neighbours will fry in their non-functioning Priuses and modern Audis whilst you and the wife can escape to the hills to begin rebuilding human civilisation from the ashes of a global nuclear holocaust.

its alright love, its alright love my landys got a distributor HAHAHAHAHAHA. wurrwurrwurrwurrwurrwurrwurrwurr

ah plums, that aldon ignitor

[awoo]

don't know if it was urban legend or something i saw on here. but there was a bloke told by his wife to "go out and get a sensible new family car" and he came back with a Delorean.

[HoTWire]

We bought a new 'sensible' Volvo... a Volvo C30,.. it is ridiculous and I love it, but I have no idea why/how Volvo ever made it, the doors are overly long and heavy, the boot space is minimal, which isn't a problem because you can't get anything of size through the tiny rear hatch thing anyway, for a small diesel hatch back it is stupidly quick for no reason (I have the D4, you can get a Polestar D5 which is much faster but I don't anyone bought them, instead they got the much rarer T5R version which does about 8mpg), the seats fold forward for rear access, but it is still hard to get in the back... Overall it looks like a sensible car,.. but it really isn't and this is why I love it so much

[adam73bgt]

Sensible everyday car eh? Have a look in here >> retrorides.proboards.com/thread/164353/big-bargain-barges

Just don't look at the average fuel consumption on the trip computer

[Deleted]

Nov 28, 2014 21:59:33 GMT @dmk66 said:

Black Friday or not (Continent Specific), we decided to go mad and "buy something sensible" today as a second daily driver as we were struggling with one. Saw it on the net at 10 am. It was outside the house, insured and taxed by 4 pm.

Daihatsu Sportrak, 100k, 500 quid. Can you get more sensible ?

I can relate to that
My new "sensible" is a Discovery 3.9,on gas so it's sort of cheap to run..

[IDY]

Nov 28, 2014 23:10:32 GMT adam73bgt said:

Just don't look at the average fuel consumption on the trip computer

Set the computer to range remaining - much more practical and (slightly) less alarming

[retroade]

Nov 28, 2014 21:46:01 GMT BenzBoy said:

Define "sensible"

Basic retro cars: these have less to go wrong, meaning smaller repair bills. They are also lighter, meaning more economy.
Luxury retro cars: these have more to go wrong but whatever could go wrong has probably gone wrong by now and been fixed. They're thirsty, but looking cool isn't free.
Simple mechanicals: in the event of a thermonuclear blast, the electromagnetic pulse will render all electronics useless. But not you! You can start and drive your car to safety. Your neighbours will fry in their non-functioning Priuses and modern Audis whilst you and the wife can escape to the hills to begin rebuilding human civilisation from the ashes of a global nuclear holocaust.

With Putin eyeing up the Baltics this is very sound advice. Protect and Survive people. Retro Rides Civil Defense Dept.

[bryn]

Sensible means different things to different people.

I hate to disappoint you but there is absolutely nothing to say that a 40/50/60yr car can't make a sensible daily driver. If you feel that you're rebelling, or worse still 'not normal' by driving something older, you're really not.

Chances are 99% of the people you wouldn't swap cars with, wouldn't swap with you. Live your own life and let them worry about theirs.

This may sound negative but it's not intended to be, I think sometimes we all become too preoccupied with what other people think of us, how they perceive us even, sensible, normal etc.

Back on topic - I honestly think a sensible car is one that will do the job you ask of it.

[Clement]

I entirely agree. I'd just add that in most cases, people telling you to be sensible don't want you to find a solution that's best suited to everyone and makes sense. They just want you to abide by the norm and just stand out less because being "different" tends to make people feel vulnerable.

If your A35 is in good mechanical nick and doesn't need more than regular maintenance, you'd actually make your life a whole lot more complicated by having a second car...

[adam73bgt]

Nov 29, 2014 12:13:15 GMT IDY said:

Nov 28, 2014 23:10:32 GMT adam73bgt said:

Just don't look at the average fuel consumption on the trip computer

Set the computer to range remaining - much more practical and (slightly) less alarming

This is true, except for when the range gets down to single figures and you can't find a petrol station

[Copey]

My sierra is my sensible car...nice bigish practical saloon with 4 doors and a bigish boot, which i have now fitted wide wheels on that srub, lowered so it catches and a cossie front bumper with laguna lip that catches on most things...i still call it practical though

[bazzateer]

Depends on your definition of 'sensible' really. I think buying a cheap car with no debt and running it cheaply for a year or two is far more sensible than taking out a loan or paying HP etc for a car that costs a fortune to service etc.

[retroade]

Nov 29, 2014 16:39:26 GMT bazzateer said:

Depends on your definition of 'sensible' really. I think buying a cheap car with no debt and running it cheaply for a year or two is far more sensible than taking out a loan or paying HP etc for a car that costs a fortune to service etc.

Wise words. The only new cars I've had have been company cars and I've usually had a second car because said motor bored me senseless. The most I've spent on a personal car is £2.5k and most cars I've owned have cost between £500 - £1k.

The bargains are cars people consider risky, sports, luxo-barges. But, as we know, if you know your way round a car you can minimise the risk.