Bye bye HAE

[rapport25]

Audis are staying unconsidered - I'm not a tw*t! The RS are too expensive and I'd rather an RS6 over an RS4 any day (same reason I'm not even considering the M3)

Do Audi's have that image? Or is it all german cars

Whats your budget then?. What shape M5. Please dont start with e nunbers

[mjb]

What about a V8 Jagwarr?

I'd love an XK with a manual box, but they never made 'em

Moronaro?

Hmmmm stretching the budget a bit, but they do fit the bill

I know.........

Apparently those things are not so much of a joke as you would first think, cheap too

I *HATE* the Rover 75, and the ZT's just more of the same. Bloody expensive too for what it is

Do Audi's have that image? Or is it all german cars
Whats your budget then?. What shape M5. Please dont start with e nunbers

Mostly just Audis now. *IF* I get the loan, then the budget's 5-8k, else as little as possible

E39 is a 1995-2003 5-series. Dunno how else to describe it, other than go to http://images.google.com and put in 'e39'

[rapport25]

Thanks Mjb (e39) thats the shape I like. Very understated

I would need a loan just to run one

[steve_earwig]

E39 is a 1995-2003 5-series.

'nuff said.

Dunno how else to describe it, other than go to http://images.google.com and put in 'e39'

It also brings up light bulbs

[rwb]

Thanks Mjb (e39) thats the shape I like. Very understated

They're very pleasant indeed inside.
I haven't been in a E60 5-series, but the E90 3-series is downright grim inside.
I think the latest BMWs are just appliances for businesses to lease.

I would need a loan just to run one

Indeed. Although putting 190k on a V6 must be an expensive hobby.

other car suggestions?

Maybe scraping the barrel here, but: X-type 3.0 V6 ?

[mjb]

it just gets better... damn thing failed its MOT on both ball joints, drop links, and the rear brakes. £200 bill if I don't want to do it myself.

I'd have been better off scrapping it 2 months ago before I tried to get it through its MOT

[Welly]

Oh noes I think whatever you do to this car it's still going to be a 12? year old motor with mega-mileage so despite your best endeavors it'll be seen as a risky purchase second-hand especially with a big complex engine (in buyers eyes).

Maybe it's time to move on and say your goodbye's

Still have the Glof Diesel to use? I can't remember.

[steve_earwig]

I'm pretty sure mjb took that one outside and shot it. Kindest way really.

[Welly]

I'm pretty sure mjb took that one outside and shot it. Kindest way really.

Mmm, probably best. I could have cheerfully taken that Ford CMax outside and shot it last week, the hateful shitty thing it was. In fact I did drop it off a high curb and twatted the underside at the front but instead of wincing in horror a little smile came over my expression.........

[steve_earwig]

I have a car like that... I reckon it's the first car I've had since I was a teenager that I just don't care about, I even cared more about that Cortina I had with sills made out of beer cans. It was up on the 2 poster again the other day, this is the same 2 poster that dropped a van a few months back, and I was wondering if it would bother me if it fell off. I know that if the 406 fell off I'd be livid but the Toyota? Pffft

[Welly]

I know what you mean, I had the dubious pleasure of being carried in a 2008 Toyota Verso D4DTCCDTCDiTD just last night and it was nothing short of 'unremarkable' I don't know exactly what it was but it left you with the feeling that if you owned one you just wouldn't care if it wasn't there one morning

[mjb]

Well it's got an MOT now. Got the refusal certificate - front ball joints knackered (expected 'em to fail years ago tbh), chocolate drop links knackered (surprise) and for the 4th year on the trot, the handbrake.

At least I've now had a chance to feel the difference my brake work has made - STACKS better. Still not perfect - probably due to seized rear calipers, but I don't care about the thing at this point. At least it's loads better and it no longer squeals - probably a first for a Brembo-equipped car

Oh noes I think whatever you do to this car it's still going to be a 12? year old motor with mega-mileage so despite your best endeavors it'll be seen as a risky purchase second-hand especially with a big complex engine (in buyers eyes).

Maybe it's time to move on and say your goodbye's

Rolled off the Pininfarina factory floor 18th May 1999, so over 13 years old with 191k on the clock. Bloody engine's easily the best part of the car (besides the brand new washer reservoir cap!)

I really want to get rid of this thing now, but I can't replace it with something that isn't as good as the V6 406 Coupé is. The thing is there's really not much better out there for under 10x the Coupé's going rate. The only real candidates (in order of preference) are:

BMW M5 - £5-15k - Want very much, but rare and if something not on the normal 5-series breaks, it's £££. This is a terrifying thought.
Nissan 350Z - £4-10k - Sweet as. No back seats though, and the 406 has more storage space in its glovebox. If I can get over the twoseaterness, this will be my #1 choice.
Vauxhall Monaro - £7-14k - Nice, but rare in the affordable pre-VXR guise
BMW 540 - £1-4k - Rare, especially in the right spec
Mazda RX8 - £1-4k - Cheap as chips and highly available, but no back seats, no luggage space, and not a relaxed engine. Probably not a relaxing drive.
Mitsubishi Legnum VR4 - £3-5k - Rare, turbocharged, 4wd, unknown parts availability, not overwhelmed by the looks

None of these are as pretty as the 406, but Astons are way out of my price range!!!

I guess if I don't get the loan, I'm almost certainly grab a 540 touring (BMW-speak for "estate" ) with all the options. When one eventually comes up for sale with a manual box.

[rapport25]

Good luck with you search MJB. Have you looked at the Bmw 330 clubsport?. I seem to remember these were pretty good. not sure of the e number

[Bailes1992]

MJB, have a look at the Mondeo ST220!

My father still swares his two were miles better than his Volvo V50 T5 and his new BMW 320d.

[Doggy]

I guess if I don't get the loan, I'm almost certainly grab a 540 touring (BMW-speak for "estate" ) with all the options. When one eventually comes up for sale with a manual box.

I certainly fancied one with an LPG conversion once upon a time, (nowadays I'm hooked on diesel, yorkie bars and bacon sarnies). Another good point on these is that if you get a 4.4, they're one of the very few N/A petrol engines that can significantly benefit from a remap, (detuned to 4.0 levels following that short-lived power unit's penchant for melting pistons).