My car is in absolute bits. The mirror fell off the other day not becuase it was struck or anything - just because it was too rusty. The tyres are shit, the car pulls to the right all the time (there is a bend near my gaff that I can go around without putting my hands on the wheel), the radio doesn’t work anymore, it’s NCT is out of date since June 2005. But it still drives.
Looking at replacing it in February/March time. Don’t have any intention of ever buying a new car or spending any sort of decent cash on a car. I don’t like driving and I don’t drive that often - it’s more a way of getting to training or to a late night shop/prostitute etc.
What sort of brands/years should I be looking at? I’d like 4 doors and I’d like power steering and reliability. Its appearance or speed doesn’t matter to me in the slightest.
Also what’s the story with the NCT? Can they compel you to pass it ever? Been stopped a couple of times at checkpoints where Gardai mentioned it to me but I’ve just said I’d failed and was reapplying. Does it have any legal implications?
Dont have huge knowledge of cars either. I generally think that any type of car is ok but don’t rate Nissans, Fiats and obvious girl cars like Polos and Peugeot 206s
I have been looking to get one since the summer but I’m a very lazy man. I’ve had my full license for almost two years now but I still get lifts/public transport everywhere…
I generally think that any type of car is ok but don’t rate Nissans, Fiats and obvious girl cars like Polos and Peugeot 206s
Another thing Ive got/like you’re not a fan of farmer. Im a polo driver, was thinking of upgrading to a Passat but cant be arsed getting anything else especially since I’ve 2 penalty points on the way which will undoubtedly affect my insurance quote.
rocko, you couldn’t possibly get anything more camp than the yoke you have now. I say keep it. Is it not a laugh allowing it to go around bends on its own?
It is yeah but it gets really annoying if you have to drive on long distances and the car veers away to the side. Any car whatsoever will be a macho upgrade for me though.
Happy memories of driving to Shannon every morning with Bandage in front and the two audit birds in the back and belting out Four Leaf Clover, Aiden McAnespie etc. and Damo Dempsey from the car stereo. Not once did we let them pick the music and not once did we pick anything non Celtic/Dempsey related as far as I remember.
I remember you driving in from Shannon to Limerick the night we were playing Bayern at home in the 2003/04 campaign and we were screaming out all the rebel songs for the 30 minute journey. The birds didn’t know what was going on!
Why did you do it? Have you not the guts to say? You say it was an accident or even a ricochet. But like Loghgall and Gibraltar, your lies are well renowned. Yes, you murdered young Aiden MnAnespie on his way to the Gaelic Grounds.
Rocko - drive a polo myself and would recommend one. Cheap tax, cheap insurance and runs on the smell of petrol. Have been meaning to upgrade now that I’m loaded but can’t be arsed. You’ll pick up a decent one for about 3k.
If you want to push the boat out a bit go for a Ford Focus, you’d get one for about 6.5k. If I could be arsed I’d upgrade to one.
Rock, I think your requirements are just for a city car, no? You won’t be haring around the country? From a brief chat with your schwester, she said you had an auld Fiat Punto. I started driving last summer in a '96 Punto which didn’t respond well to me haring up and down the motorway most weekends to Galway. I drove it into its grave. Due to budget constraints I bought a new Punto in July. It’s a '01, had 39k miles on it and is a newer model than the '96. It’s lovely to drive although I do have a problem with the catalytic converter just at the minute.
I spotted the following ad in the Galway Advertiser and thought it may be ideal for your requirements. Seem like a bargain to me.
“2002 Fiat Punto Elegance, 1.2, 14,000 genuine miles, petrol, red metallic finish, stereo, CD player, ew, ps, cl, alloys, NCT '08, vgc, genuine reason for sale, Galway city (west), 4200 ono. Tel 086-3268333.”
Now there may well be Fiat bashers on this forum and in a strange way I might be one of them but as I said, for your requirements this sounds like a grand little motor to me. Also, www.carzone.ie is a good site where you can filter by price, type of car, mileage etc.
I think much of the damage I did yo mu old Punto was driving up and down to Shannon with it in my previous employment. Then I’d a disastrous day with it when it went on fire on the M50 on the last day of its warranty. Got the entire engine replaced and it’s driving ok now but it’s a rusty old fecker now. The road out to my homeplace in Fingal is actually really bad with potholes and the like and I don’t think that helped it either. Big problem at the moment is the electrics. If I don’t remember to take the radio out it can just come on in the middle of the night and drain the battery which is well annoying.
Anyway that and the fact that the brakes failed on my sister’s Punto makes me weary of buying one again. I do realise that the newer models are probably an entirely different car though so I guess I shouldn’t rule that out.
Not buying till Feb anyway - when the SSIA comes in.
Couple more questions:
Should I be buying from a garage or privately?
Should I get a mechanic to look at the car before I buy it?
Will a garage pay me for a 9 year old Punto that hasn’t been covered by NCT for the last 2 years?
Suppose there’s a bit more comfort in buying from a garage but there’s some website you can look up if you were to buy privately to check genuine mileage, number of previous owners and such.
I’d certainly get a mechanic to look at it if you were to buy privatley and no harm if you purchased in a garage.
You’ll get nothing for your old hunk-a-junk I’d be thinking.