Swaying away from Bangernomics...

fatboypee

Hey all,

Pie in the sky, day-dreaming, whatever, a firm believer up to now in Bangernomics I'm getting swayed against. I got-no-beans and my 96 vectra keeps having issues that cost me more than the car is worth soo thinking about getting a loan :eek: an' maybe going for a very low engined diesel estate (1.3 astra, 1.4 307 ?!?), i know, but mine is 1.8 and with the best driving in the world still costs lots of beans on petrol, tax etc... I need a car capable of pulling 5 ppl about so small runabouts aint gonna work..

So, to the point, I need help on:

a) is it even worth going for the loan for such a wagon?
b) whats best to consider
c) whats the likely cost
d) Cant' afford +10k (mad to think about it even) but any scrappage ideas?

as explained, pie in the sky I guess... just appreciate some comment..

Saab Ed

Your budget decides a lot so.....

20 Grand over 5 years = 400 odd per month ( New car or 2009 )

15 Grand over 4 years = 380 odd per month ( 2007/2008 car )

10 Grand over 3 years = 310 odd per month ( 2006/2007 car )

Banks will only lend money over a certain term depending on the age of the car i.e as above.

Which of those figures sits best with your budget ?

johnos1984

Madness spending huge wads of cash if your not comfortable doing it.

There are lots of good, cheaper cars out there for sale that while not being in the bangernomics price range they won't break the bank either.

You can buy anything from a good sized and economical Avensis to a daysul Luxo barge cheap these days

fatboypee

10 Grand over 3 years = 310 odd per month ( 2006/2007 car )

This one.

Madness spending huge wads of cash if your not comfortable doing it.

There are lots of good, cheaper cars out there for sale that while not being in the bangernomics price range they won't break the bank either.

You can buy anything from a good sized and economical Avensis to a daysul Luxo barge cheap these days

Agreed. My thinking here tho is, low mileage, low CC Diesel Engine will yield the best economic return on investment for me. Of course I can pick up a good cheap alternative but I have literally got-no-beans without a loan and if I get a loan would want / need something that will warrant getting a loan for? The Vectra I'm driving now is 1996, has 72k on it is in good all-round (agricultural style (so I'm told)) order. There are two things wrong with it however that are making it uneconomical to fix or keep but I'm loathed to replace it with a potentially equally "OK" now but potential money-pit in the future vehicle if I have to get a loan to do it ? Hence my Q on Diesel, estate would be pref, probably utterly mad but given low cost of new(ish) cars at the moment I'm just wondering...

alias no.9

What you're missing about bangernomics is knowing when to cut and run. When you have a potentially large repair bill, you need to weigh up if the money would be better spent on the next banger.

BostonB

You don't spend a lot on repairs with Bangernomics. Once a big bill looms you move to the next car, or drive the current one into the ground. The only exception to that is if you know if you fix x amount you won't need any more repairs for a long time.

fatboypee

agreed, I've been a bangernomic man since I owned my first car and am usually extremely prudent, knowing exactly when to cut and run.

Sadly, the issue right now is NO BEANS at all, and certainly nothing in the pot for another banger...

So the choice is drive the one i have to the ground, repairing only when I have to, or, consider a dreaded car loan.. I know. how would I pay the loan back if no beans.. just weighing up my options with the theory of little overheads, lower fuel and tax bills.. may somewhere make sense...?

BeardyGit

Changing your car doesn't sound like it makes sense to be honest. If you're thinking along the lines of a €300 per month loan, you're going to be forking out €3600 plus in the first year of paying it off. Now I don't know what's wrong with your current car, but I can't imagine it'll cost even that to put it right. Even if you're to work in things like a new set of tyres, cambelt, brake work and the likes, you'll still spend less than a loan.

If you're looking at pre-July 2008 cars, you won't save a shedload on tax in any case. Even if you work out the difference in fuel costs and tax, I can only imagine you'll end up spending more on your motoring costs in the long run.

1996 Vectras gave trouble from 1996 in many cases, the error in your ways was chosing a Vectra as a candidate for bangernomics.

fatboypee

RoverCraft wrote: »

Changing your car doesn't sound like it makes sense to be honest. If you're thinking along the lines of a €300 per month loan, you're going to be forking out €3600 plus in the first year of paying it off. Now I don't know what's wrong with your current car, but I can't imagine it'll cost even that to put it right. Even if you're to work in things like a new set of tyres, cambelt, brake work and the likes, you'll still spend less than a loan.

If you're looking at pre-July 2008 cars, you won't save a shedload on tax in any case. Even if you work out the difference in fuel costs and tax, I can only imagine you'll end up spending more on your motoring costs in the long run.

For sure, just wondering on opinions really. Mrs FBP wants me to drive a polo or something and it makes sense (as tax alone on mine is 4 times her Lupo) but we still occasionally need the 5 seats... two things wrong with mine: rear brake drum/calliper sporadically overheating the brake fluid resulting in NO BRAKES :eek: and, having replaced it once already, it seems the Idle valve is failing making the engine run high or cut out completely :mad: (not helping the fuel consumption of a 1.8 )

BostonB

I think if you only rarely need 5 seats, then use 2 cars on those occasions. The rest of the time, you get the advantage of the smaller cars running costs. It probably doesn't makes sense to use a bigger car if 98% of the time theres only one or two people in it.

A small engine like a 1.0 may not cheaper in fuel than a 1.4 or 1.6 depending on how its driven and the kinda journey its doing. IE your doing long high speed journeys, carrying a load, or revving the brains out of it.

Considering using a bicycle if possible. Cheapest way to get around.

djimi

10 year old Honda + Credit Union loan = affordable option that wont cost the earth to run!

Im currently paying €100 a month on a €4k loan over 4 years from the CU. For €4k-€5k Id imagine you are open to a whole world of decent second hand cars.

BostonB

Honda are good on reliability, and on fuel. Expensive repairs, parts and insurance can out weight that though. Also a theft magnet. Older ones had rubbish locks. But a good one would be great.

I Was VB

Just bought a 1997 Toyota Carina for €250, for the NCT all it needs is two new tyres (that im getting part worn for €25 each)


Bargins are out there to be had.

Sleepy

Just got a 1998 Rover 600 1.8 (Honda Engine) with 81k on the clock, a FSH, NCT til September leather seats, air con etc. for €400. She has a few minor scratches, the central locking's not working, radio aerial is snapped (still gets decent signal), cigar lighter missing etc. but a lot of car for very little money.

Decently reliable internals (same as an Accord in design bar the bodywork), relatively cheap and available parts and if something does go wrong, my back-street guy used to work for a Rover Main Dealer.

There's definitely still value out there, just have to root for it.

Mr Benevolent

What about luxobarge Bangernomics? I wouldn't call buying a '96 Vectra bangernomics, it's just a heap of unreliable crap. Something like a nice (E34?) '94 520i would be right up your street. I'd say E39, but with the coolant system problems on the high mileage cars I'd be a bit wary.

BostonB

Which is why if you've an older Honda, a Rover part might fit and be cheaper.

no1beemerfan

I Was VB wrote: »

Just bought a 1997 Toyota Carina for €250, for the NCT all it needs is two new tyres (that im getting part worn for €25 each)


Bargins are out there to be had.

Sleepy wrote: »

Just got a 1998 Rover 600 1.8 (Honda Engine) with 81k on the clock, a FSH, NCT til September leather seats, air con etc. for €400. She has a few minor scratches, the central locking's not working, radio aerial is snapped (still gets decent signal), cigar lighter missing etc. but a lot of car for very little money.

Decently reliable internals (same as an Accord in design bar the bodywork), relatively cheap and available parts and if something does go wrong, my back-street guy used to work for a Rover Main Dealer.

There's definitely still value out there, just have to root for it.

I bought a 1997 Laguna 6 years ago for €1,900. Have done over 100,000 miles and spent about €3,000 on parts...biggest were new shocks/springs and alloys....and she passed the Nct in april 1st time so have it for at least another 2 yrs!

Sleepy

Sleepy wrote: »

Just got a 1998 Rover 600 1.8 (Honda Engine) with 81k on the clock, a FSH, NCT til September leather seats, air con etc. for €400. She has a few minor scratches, the central locking's not working, radio aerial is snapped (still gets decent signal), cigar lighter missing etc. but a lot of car for very little money.

You can get the masts seperately on ebay for less than a tenner small money Great car, I bought a 1999 one in 2006 for €2300.

Confab wrote: »

I wouldn't call buying a '96 Vectra bangernomics, it's just a heap of unreliable crap

bit harsh, all of them weren't bad but they aren't the best.

BostonB wrote: »

Which is why if you've an older Honda, a Rover part might fit and be cheaper.

Rover parts aren't cheap to be honest.

BostonB

RoverJames wrote: »

....
Rover parts aren't cheap to be honest.

They used to be. Haven't had a Honda in a good few years.

E39MSport

As per RoverJames and IwasVB, successful bangernomics adheres certain fundamentals such as: -
Make / model
Service history
Ongoing maintenance etc etc

IMO, opel vectra would contravene #1.

fatboypee

E39MSport wrote: »

As per RoverJames and IwasVB, successful bangernomics adheres certain fundamentals such as: -
Make / model
Service history
Ongoing maintenance etc etc

IMO, opel vectra would contravene #1.

I've no issue with Opel/Vauxhall, never any issue with them and I've got relly's in the opel trade so parts & labour etc are extremely competitively priced I have a 94 Cavalier that I love dearly and cannot bring myself to get rid of, it sat at my house needing a new wing (which I have), new mirror (which I have), windscreen (stone chip too big to pass) & tyres to get thru its NCT and I'd happily trade the vectra for it's repair any day, yes its a farmers wagon but I bought it when it had only done 13k (now has 72 on it) and n'er an issue with it but mrs FBP was driving it one day when she and my kids nearly got totalled by a twatty boy racer and there it has sat gettin mouldy since last year (mrs FBP moved on (to another car) and insists I downsize my engine for cost purposes..)...