Theoretical Buying Advice

[gumby6371]

Just throwing this out there

A few members seem to be considering other cars and let's face it the 406 is at youngest 8 years old now.

But.....

If you could do some of the work yourself how much would it really cost to bring these old cars up to scratch?

Engine rebuild....new suspension....brakes....respray etc....

Now I'm not saying I'm going to do it but if you're doing it all at once instead of fixing bits here and there you wouldn't have to spend silly money for a car that looked and drove like new vs an unknown potential lemon that depreciates like mad.

I suppose it depends on how happy you are with the car in the first place, power, trim level, economy etc

My 1.9 is 16 years old but only has 89,000 on the clock, needs new brake pads and I'm planning to rebush the suspension followed by some elbow grease on the bodywork and I genuinely would be happy to still be driving it in 5 years time. It does 37 mpg round town and 50 plus on a run and I'm currently paying £5 a gallon with a veg/derv mix. It's quick 'enough' for a family/commuting car, spacious, easy to maintain etc..
Admittedly I could probably do all the jobs needed for a few hundred which is different to a few thousand but you get the point.

[sirwiggum]

My 406 needed new nearside doors with no rust and then a full respray, but even with this you are looking at least a wedge of a couple of grand

[rwb]

What you get on a newer car:
* around the £5k mark: more power but no more mpg
* around the £10k mark: more power and more mpg
* risk of electrical problems that are outrageously expensive to fix

I think a 1.9 is worth keeping. (My next 406 will be a 1.9 again.)

[sirwiggum]

£10k gets you a Chrysler 300 diesel.

Tempting....

[Welly]

That's a great question and something I consider quite often.

After driving various cars for 23 years now I honestly believe that when they reach 8 years old they are "tired". The engine and box might be fine but it is the hidden things like engine mounts, suspension bushes, springs, dampers etc..

To bring a 406 up to scratch you'd need these as a minimum:

Engine mounts
gearbox mounts
full sussy bushes
trailing arm bushes
track rods
eggsauce system
clutch
dmf
crank bearing seal
back plates!
..................and that'd before you start looking at the steering rack, drive shafts, wheel bearings, RUST.......

I spent at least £2,000.00 on my HDi and it still needed a clutch/dmf so when I had the finances to change I threw the towel in and got a 4-year old car which has been extremely reliable and enjoyable (started having a few suspension issues of late but it's 7 years old and our roads aren't exactly smooth).

The big question is: "is it cheaper to run a Banger?" or have something new on finance? The Banger will be cheaper but it's how your feel about it all that makes a big difference; cars are very emotive things you could be the richest man in town but you'd look poor driving an old Cavalier and we see all these fancy new cars around we end up wanting them

[sirwiggum]

I had the very same argument with my old team lead.

He said that I was spending say £1500 every couple of years on a banger, then say £300 every few months, i'd be better off putting a few hundred down each month into a new(er) car.

Its alright if you can get the credit though.

[lozz]

I had the very same argument with my old team lead.

He said that I was spending say £1500 every couple of years on a banger, then say £300 every few months, i'd be better off putting a few hundred down each month into a new(er) car.

Its alright if you can get the credit though.

Anyone over here can get credit for a car mate, they hand it out like its nothing, ask for a credit card tho, and computer says NO

[sirwiggum]

I have big black marks thanks to some dodgy advice from a "debt management" company a few years ago.
Can't get a mortgage and I'd say I'd not be able to get finance for a £10k Chrysler.

[FarmerPug]

Would you want a chrysler 300 over a citroen c6?

[lozz]

Things must be tough in ireland then mate,
in england you can get credit for most things, even if youve no -or bad credit rating,

Theres a bent Morgadge or car loan provider around most corners up here,

[FarmerPug]

It definatley hard to get the lend of money in the south of ireland here in the north the economy is just the same as the rest of the UK

[sirwiggum]

Would you want a chrysler 300 over a citroen c6?

Wouldn't mind a C6 but I've heard some horror stories about the electrics, and dealers who employ brain-dead antelopes that bark at dogs used to servicing C1s making a horlicks of a C6.

They're also quite rare.

300 there are a bit more about.

As for credit, I don't have a bad rating last time I checked, just those black marks about 4 years ago have mucked things up for another couple of years at least.

[lozz]

ive noticed latlely alot of people from (Eire) coming over to england for cars,
my mate as just sold 3 mpvs in the last month, all 3 went on the ferry,
Cars (values) must be abit cheaper over here,

[sirwiggum]

ive noticed latlely alot of people from (Eire) coming over to england for cars,
my mate as just sold 3 mpvs in the last month, all 3 went on the ferry,
Cars (values) must be abit cheaper over here,

GB (England/Scotland/Wales) is very cheap for cars. I think it it because yous age them twice a year.

Even people from Northern Ireland come across, I went and got my Xantia from near London.

People from the Republic even come up North to get cars, it's to do with high tax rates on Southern cars keeping prices high. They age their cars once a year mind in January. In the North we don't really age them at all. You can usually tell when a plate was issued, but it can be a re-registration or moved the plate (eg. my '99 Honda has a plate issued around 2007).

[Doggy]

My 1.9 is 16 years old but only has 89,000 on the clock, needs new brake pads and I'm planning to rebush the suspension followed by some elbow grease on the bodywork and I genuinely would be happy to still be driving it in 5 years time. It does 37 mpg round town and 50 plus on a run and I'm currently paying £5 a gallon with a veg/derv mix. It's quick 'enough' for a family/commuting car, spacious, easy to maintain etc..
Admittedly I could probably do all the jobs needed for a few hundred which is different to a few thousand but you get the point.

My bro is similar, 'cept his 1.9 will have about 160k on the clock when he gets back from his hols in August. (Alright for some).
He's torn between spending a bit to keep his going or trying to get a sound low miler.

I'm slightly different. While I see the huge advantage of running on veg, I've got used to having a bit more welly and cruising ability, however I would be quite happy to have another remapped 2.2 HDi estate, if I could find one at realistic cost. Forking out thousands for something a lot newer just doesn't appeal to me.