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Author Topic: Would you spend....  (Read 1498 times)

Offline Bane

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Would you spend....
« on: November 04, 2013, 10:59:48 pm »
Money on buying a near twenty year old car?
Whilst out walking the dog,I saw an M reg Range Rover HSE 4.2 with a for sale sign stuck in the window.£1700 ono.
Gold in colour and an auto box...made me wonder if it would be good just as a winter hack as it's MOT'd until may next year.
But then it got me thinking about modern cars and how because of better build quality,they are lasting longer.
I mean,in the 80's(when I were a kid) a twenty year old car was rarely seen outside of a scrap yard,was used as a field car on a farm or had become so unreliable that it spent more time in the garage than on the road.
I wouldn't call the rangie mint,but it looked like it may give another couple of years service and I kind of liked the idea of a posh 4wd... :rolleye:.

Offline xjay1337

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Re: Would you spend....
« Reply #1 on: November 04, 2013, 11:01:19 pm »
Range Rovers were renowned for their legendary reliability.

Oh wait.

Offline MAT ED30

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Re: Would you spend....
« Reply #2 on: November 04, 2013, 11:19:58 pm »
My daily is a passat v6 4 motion I bought it cheap and planned to use it to take a few miles off the golf well I am never out of it  :signLOL: yeah it's 12 years old but god it's built well and I have owned a few derv passats and they are no way built as nice as the v6. Go have a good look at the range rover you might like it

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Offline sub39h

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Re: Would you spend....
« Reply #3 on: November 04, 2013, 11:36:59 pm »
Personally, I disagree with your assessment that cars are better built now. Historically cars were a lifetime purchase, whereas nowadays they're considered disposable and replaced after a few years. I'm only 26 myself but that seems to be the assessment from my dad as well. His old cars would last nearly 200k miles, whereas the newer ones are lucky to reach 100k without problems.

Someone else also put it this way, that in the past parts for cars were designed by a guy with a slide rule and a pen, who would then add extra tolerance to the part so they wouldn't break all the time and make him look bad. Again this is in contrast to now where parts are designed by computer and then built down to a price to increase profits. Also it doesn't help that there is more to go wrong on them as everything is electronic. 

Anyway to answer your question - yes I would buy a twenty year old car. There are a few in my "winning lottery ticket garage". However I would not buy a 20 year old Range Rover and tbh with a decent set of winter tyres I reckon the Golf would probably be better in the snow. 
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Offline john a

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Re: Would you spend....
« Reply #4 on: November 05, 2013, 12:20:04 am »
Historically cars were a lifetime purchase,

Whose lifetime?
Whilst the fit and finish of a premium car may have been much better, the improvements in *some* (not all) anti corrosion technology means modern cars are more than capable of outlasting older cars used to the same extent.

My dad scrapped a 7 year old mk1 when I was 6 because it was pretty much rotten, my granddad had a Hillman Avenger that had been welded more often than the frequency of the MOTs and I had a J plate Escort in 2004 that had that many holes in the floor, Fred Flintstone would have rejected it.

My dad's last car before his Superb was a 99 Mondeo 1.8, bought near new it lasted him until 2012 before the body fell apart around a perfectly good petrol engine on 230k miles.

Don't get me wrong, neither modern cars are totally perfect nor would I hesitate to buy a 20 year old car but I don't think it's realistic to expect to be able to pick any 20 year old car at random and it to be as good as a modern equivalent picked the same way.

FWIW before I bought my Focus, I nearly bought a 93 E34 525TDS Touring until the wife talked me out of it. Things could've been so different!!

Offline john87

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Re: Would you spend....
« Reply #5 on: November 05, 2013, 09:58:49 am »
I'd say that while modern cars have become better at surviving the elements (anti-corrosion technologies), they have become more susceptible to problems concerning reliability, due to the amount of technology implemented these days.
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Offline tony_danza

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Re: Would you spend....
« Reply #6 on: November 05, 2013, 10:38:07 am »
Sentimental rubbish. Old cars were toss. They broke down on a regular basis, rotted like peaches and were generally made by retards with hammers who spent more time on strike than working.

We're talking about mass production, something only the Germans and Japanese really got right.

Cost cutting was invented a long time before modern processes.
« Last Edit: November 05, 2013, 10:41:18 am by tony_danza »
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Offline rich83

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Re: Would you spend....
« Reply #7 on: November 05, 2013, 10:42:38 am »
Well yeah.... If I had the money would I buy a mint mk1 golf?? Probably!

Wouldn't buy a range rover at all...

Offline Tortaruga

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Re: Would you spend....
« Reply #8 on: November 05, 2013, 11:36:06 am »
^^^ Why aren't you on honeymoon? :confused:
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Offline Scottymon

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Re: Would you spend....
« Reply #9 on: November 05, 2013, 11:43:43 am »
I've said it before but my Mk5 GTI has been the worst car for reliability I've owned, and it's rusting to bits too (wings/sills/boot, well not the boot anymore, lol), not sure why I still have it tbh... but cars are like that, you keep fixing them thinking they will be ok, then something else goes and your spending more and more cash just keeping the thing going. :rolleye:

If you like something do some research see what areas are a cause for concern and have a good look over it and offer him a silly price... I was going to buy another SAAB before they got killed off, would've been my 3rd with A LOT (read as HUUGELY) less trouble than the Golf, yet people say that SAAB's were unreliable, take it all with a pinch of salt and make your own mind up mate.  

I've got a Freelander TD4 too, again another unreliable car (supposedly) and it's been fantastic, hasn't skipped a beat in 90k - and great with A/T tyres on in the mud/snow - made some VERY expensive 4WD's look daft at the shoot last week.  A/T tyres FTW! :happy2:

Offline rich83

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Re: Would you spend....
« Reply #10 on: November 05, 2013, 11:45:20 am »
^^^ Why aren't you on honeymoon? :confused:

We are busy at the moment.... Going next year  :happy2:

Been going out 10 years... The honeymoon period was over years ago....    :innocent:

Offline Snoopy

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Re: Would you spend....
« Reply #11 on: November 05, 2013, 09:26:50 pm »
As above modern cars are built to a price and are white goods. Just look at all the rust threads on here on cars less than 8 years old and I also have an ibiza the same age with the same rusting wing issues.
Yes older cars suffered rot BUT from the early 80s to the mid 90s were when cars were built to last. Those now are suffering but come on there 30 years old now. Mk1 golfs didnt have decent rust proofing till the series two and 1983 they rotted before that.
I currently own 7 cars of my own 2 from the 50s one from the 60s one from the 80s and one from 2005. Ive owned my mk1 since 1991 and it was my daily for years its never failed to start or run and is less rusty than the ibiza! Why lack of electronics and simple over engineered design.
A mate has at my last count 45 cars mainly from the 80s to 2000 most are rustless and mainly reliable. Modern cars are built to a cost and it shows. Its not just cars either most products are like that now. As a design engineer I seem to spend more time now shaving the spec to save pence and been an accountant than been an engineer which always saddens me.
.
Saying that you couldnt give me a land rover or range rover product there unreliable and simply crap.
« Last Edit: November 05, 2013, 09:40:52 pm by Snoopy »
Ex mk5 GTI owner, moved to a mk6 in 2010.

Offline doylebros

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Re: Would you spend....
« Reply #12 on: November 05, 2013, 09:45:28 pm »
For my money it's better to buy a high mileage young car than an older model!

Plenty older cars have supplier problems with parts - NSF wing MKIV Golf  - back order no delivery date etc!


Offline phil1975

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Re: Would you spend....
« Reply #13 on: November 06, 2013, 08:50:38 am »
If you fancy it and can afford it why not.... but don't buy it if your looking for trouble free no expense motoring.

My brother runs a 13 year v8 range rover as a daily and it costs him a fortune in fuel and its had its fair share of parts (but he loves it)

Owing/running an old car is great (I have a 50% stake in a 25 year old fiesta xr2 and a 50% stake in 8 year old escort cosworth) but they are a costly hobby not daily drivers.
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Offline dajonic

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Re: Would you spend....
« Reply #14 on: November 06, 2013, 10:20:56 am »
Absolutely go out and buy so long as you're prepared to spend money on it. But do check all the usual Range Rover places for rot first. An M reg should be the "soft dash" version so an updated more plush interior in the classic shelled RR. Check the rear floor, chassis, bulk head, rear arches, A + B posts, sills, rear tailgate, and everywhere the aluminium panels meet the steel frame as it causes galvanic corrosion, suspension, exhaust and mounts, sun roof drain tubes and I'm sure plenty more. Check, check and check again but for that sort of money you're probably looking at scrapping it when the mot runs out unless you're willing to take the time and effort to fix/restore things. If you can work on the car yourself will make a serious difference to running the car as parts are expensive or find a good garage with experience of older models. eBay will become your best friend for finding bits and pieces.

Having said all that and now probably thinking you'll pass on buying it...I bought an end of the line 93 "hard dash" model which had a few run out luxuries which should have been scrapped and god knows how it passed the mot before I bought it, BUT, I went in with my eyes open noted all that was wrong with it and bought it for a couple of hundred quid and set about fixing it. I'll have had it 3 years next feb and don't think i'll ever sell it. I do about 3000 miles a year in it and it puts a smile on my face every time I use it. It's not perfect by any means with dents and scars collected over the last 20 years but very refreshing not to worry about someone else knocking it or where you park it. Mine has been totally dependable passing it's MOT's every time without advisories. It runs about 24mpg on the motorway and drops down to about 18-19 combined. It's a completely different way of driving and you'll be amazed when you drive routes you know, how much you're missing out on by sitting so low in the golf. Other drivers don't have issues with you either being sat in a big 4x4 unlike some newer models.

As with most things do your research first and you won't go far wrong. I would suggest spending a considerable amount more on a good car first so if this one turns out to be a dog there will be more out there but be quick they are running out and prices for good ones are rising. If you fancy a punt and have a few quid to throw away find an older 2 door model which are the ones to hang onto and can go for serious money.

Ps If you take it for a test drive, make sure you do a three point turn and if it has trouble with tight turns the transfer box is binding which costs a fair bit of money to fix. Check the high/low transfer box works smoothly and it doesn't clunk into reverse.

Good luck :happy2: