Bring back the basic & simple cars

[biggs682]

The Fiat Multipla has the same handbrake set up if you want to try it with less outlay

Above the same street cred

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Believe me, it wasn't a car that was ever on my radar
I liked the look of it when it came out, but at the cost of a new one, it was w-a-y beyond us

SWMBO had a company Mondeo, when she worked for a consultancy firm
In 2008, they announced that cars were being withdrawn (I forget why) & cash added to salaries
I had suggested another Mondeo, but an estate, or an Octavia

She fancied something a bit more 'fancy'
We looked at/test-drove the Toyota Celica, the Mazda RX8 (nice, but felt like it wanted to 'go' all the time), & a few others

Her dad had, at the time, a Jaguar X-Type, so she'd gone down to the showroom with him, when it went for a service
And... ended up looking at XKs inside (& liking)
She told me this, so I thought I'd do my own 'daydreaming' research too
Thus, I ended up, on my days-off, test-driving a TVR Chimera, a Griffith 500 & a Cerbera - the 'baby 4.2
(I'd driven a few on a track day, for my 40th, including the mentalist Sagaris, & to this day have a soft-spot for the Griff 500)

Then... on a visit for something else to the Jaguar dealer, there was a XKR outside, & during the conversation with the salesman, he offered her the keys
I phoned her up, later in the day, & she told me she was considering paying a deposit on a car
She told me, but wasn't sure which one
"Did you notice if it had louvres on the bonnet, my dear?"
"Yes"
Cue my, almost, whimpering, as I imagined insurance quotations as high as they wanted to make them
We both drove it, I even managed to get in the back & be reasonably comfortable, but wouldn't have wanted to travel for more than an hour
View attachment 352078 View attachment 352079

With my 110 (also long-gone)
View attachment 352080

It wasn't a bad car, I remember we went to Cardiff in it, for one of her meetings, & it worked out at roughly 30MPG, & some 'interesting speeds' along the M50/A40, chasing a B*W (with the Battle of Britain' theme playing in my head)
Insurance wise, it was about £400 a year, on a 7,000 mile limit (I think we did about 11,000 in 3 years)

Downsides;
Auto gearbox (could be manually changed) - one company did offer a 6-speed manual conversion, using a Tremec(?) from a Corvette, but it was £10,000+
Sounded too refined - could probably have been rectified with a different exhaust, but it was okay during the time we had it
Too many gadgets - electric seats, electric steering column (that lowered into place, when key inserted)
Visually - the brake calipers looked 'plain-jane', it had an electric (stainless sectional) aerial!!!!


Well, you did (sort of) ask

The only car of recent years that has made me consider owning a car again. But we would have to move. No drive or garage, and the on street parking is around the corner and an xkr deserves more than on street.

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

The only car of recent years that has made me consider owning a car again. But we would have to move. No drive or garage, and the on street parking is around the corner and an xkr deserves more than on street.

The newer ones appeal, as they're seemingly set up a lot more 'aggresively', less 'golf-club'

 

[fossyant]

My MiL has a mahoosive Smart TV that she was given.

With her eyesight it works because everything is so big.

As for a remote we have this:

View attachment 352036

Channel up, channel down, volume up, volume down, on and off

Works brilliantly and saves the numerous phone calls because she has retuned it or selected HDMI input by pressing random buttons on the original remote

Now that's an idea. 'How do I work it' she'll say ?

 

[cyberknight]

Remember replacing the cable that snapped on my mini ( a proper one ) that went in the back of the speedo , good luck trying to do it these days .

 

[Vapin' Joe]

Remember replacing the cable that snapped on my mini ( a proper one ) that went in the back of the speedo , good luck trying to do it these days .

When I worked for a local authority some people were known to reach behind the speedo on the Marina vans to disconnect the cable so private mileage wouldn't show up.

I don't know how they lived with themselves

 

[raleighnut]

[QUOTE 4800544, member: 45"]Mine didn't.[/QUOTE]
The 'plastic bumper' version ? I seem to remember the 'push to hold' button was changed as the Americans deemed it unsafe.

 

[raleighnut]

76 then, could be after the 'safety change' though the 'lift and drop' handbrake was a boon for car trials etc as you cold just grab the back brake and release to get the back end to lock without pressing the button.

 

[Oldfentiger]

[QUOTE 4800544, member: 45"]Mine didn't.[/QUOTE]
Mine was an early one. 1965.
Great little car, till I bisected the bonnet, using a telegraph pole.

 

[tyred]

When I worked for a local authority some people were known to reach behind the speedo on the Marina vans to disconnect the cable so private mileage wouldn't show up.

I don't know how they lived with themselves

I know someone did the modern day version by unplugging the connector from the speedo sensor on the gearbox of a Merc but the mileage still showed up on the ECU when it went to the Merc garage for a service

 

[biggs682]

Last time I unplugged a sp

I know someone did the modern day version by unplugging the connector from the speedo sensor on the gearbox of a Merc but the mileage still showed up on the ECU when it went to the Merc garage for a service

Modern technology strikes again

 

[Illaveago]

The trouble with all this sophistication with things like parking assist and the new driver less cars will be will they be checked as part of a normal service or will such things be charged separately as air conditioning is. Even insurance companies are starting to complain about the costs of repairs when they are having to replace all of the sensors that get damaged in accidents. The other problem will be that not all garages will have the capability or skills required to work on these vehicles and will be able to charge you more.

 

[screenman]

As service times increase costs must rise, there is nothing stopping people from buying a basic car, it might just need to be an older used one though.

 

[Vapin' Joe]

As service times increase costs must rise, there is nothing stopping people from buying a basic car, it might just need to be an older used one though.

The trouble is that in time the older cars will be today's new ones, all loaded with expensive electronic gadgets that cost ten times what the car is worth to replace.

 

[screenman]

The trouble is that in time the older cars will be today's new ones, all loaded with expensive electronic gadgets that cost ten times what the car is worth to replace.

We do not know that yet, electronic components are coming down in price and cars are far more reliable.

You see lots of 5 year old cars with 100,000 miles plus on them, but very few 20 year old ones with the same mileage. I remember those older cars well, I do not rate them when compared with the ones I fix nowadays.