Top Gear or Flop Gear?

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Maxakarudy
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Re: Top Gear or Flop Gear?

Post by Maxakarudy »

StewbieC wrote: I have to agree a classic would trump all modern cars, but again as a daily driver? I don't think so, but if Frontline sold that MGB at a third of the price they do I could be tempted but not for 100k which is probably the reason why you don't see loads of them.
JMHO as we are all entitled to one ;)
Why not have a classic Mustang as a daily driver?, they are similar money as a new one and going up in value yearly and everyday is an adventure :)
In fact, I've just done exactly that, sold my 911 Carrera and bought an MGB GT (£1000, lol), there are days I might regret it I'm sure, but classics are so much more fun, I have a Sprinter van as my other pony, just in case.
As for the Frontline car, I could build one for a fraction of that cost, as everyone else could, also with independant rear suspension too boot, Gerry H designed a conversion kit to do it, so 100k for an MGB or a E type Roadster hmmm......, let me think for a millisecound which one I'd have :lol:
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Roger King
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Re: Top Gear or Flop Gear?

Post by Roger King »

Maxakarudy wrote:
StewbieC wrote: I have to agree a classic would trump all modern cars, but again as a daily driver? I don't think so, but if Frontline sold that MGB at a third of the price they do I could be tempted but not for 100k which is probably the reason why you don't see loads of them.
JMHO as we are all entitled to one ;)
Why not have a classic Mustang as a daily driver?, they are similar money as a new one and going up in value yearly and everyday is an adventure :)
In fact, I've just done exactly that, sold my 911 Carrera and bought an MGB GT (£1000, lol), there are days I might regret it I'm sure, but classics are so much more fun, I have a Sprinter van as my other pony, just in case.
As for the Frontline car, I could build one for a fraction of that cost, as everyone else could, also with independant rear suspension too boot, Gerry H designed a conversion kit to do it, so 100k for an MGB or a E type Roadster hmmm......, let me think for a millisecound which one I'd have :lol:
Martin
Indeed. I ran a Triumph GT6 as my everyday car about 15 years ago, no problems apart from space. Dirt cheap to run, too.
Not sure how well-sorted an E-type you'd get for 100k, that's now a starting point really and they are total rustbuckets. The Eagle featured was over 400k, IIRC.
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agnoraan
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Re: Top Gear or Flop Gear?

Post by agnoraan »

Roger King wrote:
Maxakarudy wrote:
StewbieC wrote: I have to agree a classic would trump all modern cars, but again as a daily driver? I don't think so, but if Frontline sold that MGB at a third of the price they do I could be tempted but not for 100k which is probably the reason why you don't see loads of them.
JMHO as we are all entitled to one ;)
Why not have a classic Mustang as a daily driver?, they are similar money as a new one and going up in value yearly and everyday is an adventure :)
In fact, I've just done exactly that, sold my 911 Carrera and bought an MGB GT (£1000, lol), there are days I might regret it I'm sure, but classics are so much more fun, I have a Sprinter van as my other pony, just in case.
As for the Frontline car, I could build one for a fraction of that cost, as everyone else could, also with independant rear suspension too boot, Gerry H designed a conversion kit to do it, so 100k for an MGB or a E type Roadster hmmm......, let me think for a millisecound which one I'd have :lol:
Martin
Indeed. I ran a Triumph GT6 as my everyday car about 15 years ago, no problems apart from space. Dirt cheap to run, too.
Not sure how well-sorted an E-type you'd get for 100k, that's now a starting point really and they are total rustbuckets. The Eagle featured was over 400k, IIRC.
Someone I know has an E type series 2 hardtop parked in her mother in laws garage and it was a part of her divorce settlement. I was offered it for sale a few weeks ago. It had stood for 35 years in a dry garage, but even so it was really rusty, even the gauges inside had huge rust blisters on them. She later decided to put it up for sale with sealed bids, so at that point I withdrew my interest. It turns out she only wanted £15K for it
Nige
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StewbieC
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Re: Top Gear or Flop Gear?

Post by StewbieC »

Daily drivers for me are point and shoot, hopefully low hassle, practical and don't cost the earth to run.
911 Carrera, nice looking car yes, reasonable to buy No, cheap to run No,
Focus, nice looking car No, reasonable to buy yes, cheap to run yes
Classic Mustang, nice looking car Ohh Yes, reasonable to buy yes, cheap to run not if it's a V8 + reliability issues
New Mustang, nice looking car yes, reasonable to buy yes, cheap to run if an Ecoboost yes
I've had numerous company cars in the past, Audis, Volvos, Mondeos, Jags, would I ever have bought one of those myself No!
If an Audi comes in the opposite direction do you ask yourself, nice car? If you see a Mondeo do you go onto Fords website and download a brochure?
We can all say if money was no object and and and, but when its 5:30 in the morning all you want to do is get in it, fire it up and go! What other modern cars are out there that have a bit of cultural heritage, reasonably cost effective may on occasion put a smile on your face? Oh they've stopped building the Defender.
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Roger King
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Re: Top Gear or Flop Gear?

Post by Roger King »

I had a Series III as my daily driver for 4 years, school run and all...

I'm in the lucky position of not really needing a daily driver. Never have, really... 60yd walk to the surgery, and my job was not portable, punters had to come to me. Not sure how much longer I'll keep the 3 series estate. Might just get my wife to get something a little bit bigger than her (quite excellent) Jazz, and nick that when I need something for general driving duties.
On another note, I see Tesla sales are tumbling in the US, and that before the recent fatal crash.
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StewbieC
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Re: Top Gear or Flop Gear?

Post by StewbieC »

I've got a 67 2a which is being bought up to scratch, I'm looking at a front disc brake upgrade, dual brake circuit mod and overdrive so a least I can top 55 and feel confident it would stop :shock:
It has a Perkins Diesel (ex Montego) which starts on the button in all weathers but in the winter its freekin freezing!
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Maxakarudy
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Re: Top Gear or Flop Gear?

Post by Maxakarudy »

StewbieC wrote: 911 Carrera, nice looking car yes, reasonable to buy No, cheap to run No,
.
That's a popular misconception with Porsches, yes expensive to run if you go to a main dealer and have no idea what's wrong with your car.
However most of us folk are clued up, so, £200 for a service from an independant specialist ( just to keep up the service history) Brembo Front discs and pads from Euro carparts £170, Radiator £100 x2.
Yes engines, g/boxes are expensive if they go bang, but so is your average BMW or Audi
Have a look at 911/996 models lots of them well under 10k, but are increasing like classics now
Having said all that I found it a bit souless, just like driving a Golf or Focus, bring on the MGB :D
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Re: Top Gear or Flop Gear?

Post by PeterT »

Have to come in here for two reasons. Firstly sooooo pleased that Evans is out of Top Gear for all the reasons stated when we all hit the Forum after the first Top Gear (stayed true to my vow and never watched another programme like so many others, hence lowest ratings ever last week)
Secondly, for all those in the know, at long last I got my MGC Sebring back from John Chatham after his engine rebuild to Sebring spec. The triple Webers need balancing but the performance is unbelievable. I joined the M5 in Bristol heading back to Worcestershire and had to lift off when the speedo was somewhere north of 100 mph and the traffic was fast disappearing behind. The nearest experience I recall to this was a Porsche 2.7 Carrera Targa (the one with the ducktail bum and mechanical fuel injection) I had for 4 years from 1980, yet another car I shouldn't have sold.

Am definitely going to compete this car but will probably look for a younger more competent driver to get the best out of it !
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