when I'm doing 500+ miles a week, so I need to change the car.
57 Mazda6 2.0 TS [147] auto hatch, 56k miles, serviced at 6k, 13k, 21k, 31k and 49k. 4 matching Bridgestone tyres. Clean inside and out, no damage. Trade-in price seems to be around £2.4k.
Its inability to get up snowy hills is a big problem for me. I know it only snows for a few weeks a year but there are problem hills near work, home and my son's house so the issue has cropped up a lot in the last month.
Need 4/5 seats and a boot big enough for one or two childrens' stuff for a week (including duvet!)
Thinking of another diesel hatchback, but my Mondeo experience put me off the idea a bit (I threw £100's at it in the hope the DMF wasn't failing - it was), or, now I'm 40 and the insurance won't be so expensive, a small, Jap, diesel 4x4 (CRV, RAV-4, X-Trail).
Thoughts?
Last edited by: Dave_TDCi on Mon 11 Feb 13 at 21:25
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With that sort of mileage is not a cheap, old tech, diesel for commuting the way to go, and the Mazda for when you're out.
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Shop around for an LPG conversion and put some proper all seaon tyres on the front (run Bridgstone rock hard things out on the back), no more expensive than a car upgrade will be, and you keep a known good car.
Last edited by: gordonbennet on Mon 11 Feb 13 at 21:32
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I've thought about LPG GB but I can't rustle up the £1000+ to get it done. The tyres I can manage but it's an old-tech auto and FWD with no torque below 4000rpm (peaky VVT engine) so it'll never be brilliant at getting its power down.
It was a panic buy when the Mondy died really. Dad read a Which? report on them and put a deposit down on that basis - I think he thought I could cut my mileage down a bit but it's just not happening. I drive between any and all of: Coalville LE67, Old Dalby LE14, Eastwood NG16, Bedford MK41 and Letchworth SG6. Easy to pile the miles on like that :(
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>> no torque below 4000rpm (peaky VVT engine) so it'll never be brilliant at getting its power down.
So it'll be perfect for snow and ice then
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Fair enough Dave, though if your going to spend about the same on a 4x4 Diesel as you reckon the Mazda is worth then its going to be a shed IMHO, and likely to have its own problems looming...CRV Diesels fetch big money.
Have you enquired about an LPG from reputable installers in your neck of the woods, might just be worth a call to Hilton Autogas (Featherstone just outside Wolverhampton) to get a ball park figure from a good converter.
You do have a good basic car there, having to venture into the unknown again is my main concern.
Best o' luck anyway..)
Last edited by: gordonbennet on Mon 11 Feb 13 at 21:46
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Good jap diesel 4x4s are not cheap to buy. Or repair if required.
They'll be lucky to top 40mpg from the black pipe (~38mpg petrol due to the price differential).
They'll depreciate like stones if you are doing 25k miles per year.
Think about a lighter FWD petrol (eg. Suzuki Swift 1.2, Panda 1.2) that can genuinely manage 45-50mpg without turbos and high pressure fuel systems.
With winter rubber on cooking sized versions costing about £50 per tyre you'll manage most snowy hills.
If you just want a new car just say so: no need for the man maths ;-)
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>> If you just want a new car just say so: no need for the man maths ;-)
Rumbled... :)
I'm not keen on the 6. There, I said it. If there was such a thing as a reliable, Mondeo-sized, 45mpg+ car with a good life expectancy, within budget, I'd jump at it. The 4x4 idea is a bit of an ego/image thing, I'll grant you Doc.
I must say I was shocked at how little / how old a 4x4 this budget gets. Don't know if that's just a winter thing, maybe they're cheaper in June when the sun's shining?
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If there was such a
>> thing as a reliable, Mondeo-sized, 45mpg+ car with a good life expectancy, within budget, I'd
>> jump at it.
There is, Hyundai Sonata Kia Magentis and similar, unfortunately generally saloon only which is a shame as they would have made brilliant estates.
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Not sure if someone else has commented (or maybe I did to your original thread). I ran 2x 2.0L Petrol Mondeo III estates from Ford Direct over 4 years (the first was an LX and I changed it after a few months for a plusher Zetec on a whim).
I can't remember exactly, but I think I could get 36mpg-38mpg on a run and averaged lower 30s with more mixed usage. The 2.0L engine therefore was torquey and reasonably economical IMHO and was very reliable without quite so many points of failure as the diesel. The cars were much cheaper than their diesel brethren to buy and possibly also to run when all costs are considered. IIRC they were reasonably competent in the snow too.
I can't comment on the Mondeo IV, but I do wonder how well a petrol derivative might serve you and I'll bet it's a lot cheaper used than its diesel siblings.
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I hesitate to say this but a diesel Berlingo/Partner would fit the bill. The pre 06 1.9D is a bit raucous above 3k/rpm and barely manages 40 mpg but is simple and tough as old boots.
The 2.0 HDi 90 is more refined and economical but could be pricey to fix if you're unlucky enough to get the one that throws a wobbly.
The later 1.6HDi 90 has a few problems with lunched turbos and might have a cloud over it.
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>> a diesel Berlingo/Partner
I'd thought about those. Also saw an ad for a Kangoo Trakka DCi80, didn't they have some kind of part time 4WD or pseudo-LSD?
I previously did many many miles in an R-reg Partner van, so I know the economy and practicality outweigh the driving experience and image. Might stop daughter asking for lifts all the time too :)
Last edited by: Dave_TDCi on Mon 11 Feb 13 at 22:07
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>> I'd thought about those. Also saw an ad for a Kangoo Trakka DCi80, didn't they
>> have some kind of part time 4WD or pseudo-LSD?
>>
>> I previously did many many miles in an R-reg Partner van, so I know the
>> economy and practicality outweigh the driving experience and image. Might stop daughter asking for lifts
>> all the time :)
Don't know about Kangoos. As is probably well known we've had a 1.9D Berlingo in Desire trim from new in 2005. Obviously it needs regular servicing but it ran to over 110k before seeing recovery - clutch worn to failure; something I should have recognised. A record no other car I've had has got near.
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I still reckon an old A4 Avant Tdi 110 takes some beating for reliabilty and mpg. And once fitted with a set of old rims and cold weather tyres will get up most hills.
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What about one of those Lancer estates like the old duffers here have? Estate with 1.6 engine is probably big enough and economical enough? Cheap to buy too. ( And you could always pretend you were looking after it for an elderly relative if anyone saw you in it )
:-)
Edit - Or a Panda. Sexy now they are !
Last edited by: Humph D'Bout on Mon 11 Feb 13 at 22:18
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I must be getting old Humph... I like both of those suggestions ;) I did look at Lancers back in November but they were all a bit far away at the time. I took some decent photos of the Mazda in the sun last week, I should whack it on AT/eB at 3750, borrow the works van for a bit and see what I can find :)
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Just had a gander on AT. Seems you can get high mileage older ones for a grand but there's one there now, not sure where it is, but it's a 2007 estate in silver with 38k for £3000 or just less I think.
Joking aside, that looks an ok buy to me. 40 mpg too apparently.
Just needs a National Trust sticker and it'd be sorted.
Edit - whoops, it's in Ayr...
Last edited by: Humph D'Bout on Mon 11 Feb 13 at 22:32
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It's in Ayr :(
Funnily enough, I was on AT looking at Berlingos and Partners when you wrote that!
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Id be tempted by a RAV 4 out of the initial list. Suzuki Vitara TD any good?
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>> Suzuki Vitara TD any good?
Not as economical as might be wished for at that age - 35mpg is realistic.
At the 2-3 grand end of the market I'd take a non-Turbo Foz first for 25k/yr if I really needed some offroad ability.
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>> I'd take a non-Turbo Foz first for 25k/yr if I really needed some offroad ability
I noticed in Halfords the other day snow socks are only 60 quid a pair. It's a handful of 1 in 8 hills that have been foxing me, all in strategic places (primary routes to home / work / family). 10 minutes of faffing with socks is preferable to living with the compromises of a *proper* off-roader that I'd use in anger a dozen times a year. I think.
Vitaras will have seen a lot of life at this price, there's only 1 on AT within 100 miles at <10 years and <£3k. Juicy too.
There are quite a few suitable diesel SEATs on AT...
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"At the 2-3 grand end of the market I'd take a non-Turbo Foz first for 25k/yr if I really needed some offroad ability."
Mine ('99 with 170,000 miles on when I got it for €1600, but spent another ~€750 on suspension) was truly excellent in bad road conditions, but never exceeded 27-28mpg. The set of Bridgestone Duellers it would have needed when I traded it in (against a Panda, as it happens) wouldn't leave much change from €600.
The Panda's a fun, cheap to run, little thing. Ours is doing a 400km round trip on a 35 litre tank - but you'll know you've been for a drive when you step out of it afterwards.
For petrol and economy, an Avensis 1.6 or Octavia 1.4 were both reputed to return ~ 45mpg and were well liked by taxi drivers around these parts. Both have good-sized hatchbacks too.
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>> At the 2-3 grand end of the market I'd take a non-Turbo Foz first for
>> 25k/yr if I really needed some offroad ability.
>>
Hardly addresses the consumption issue which was the excuse, I mean reason, for changing. Thirsty things, those Foresters.
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I wouldn't recommend the old duffermobile for you Dave me ole son, you stick/ go back to a Derv job.
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What about an Octavia Scout?
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At this time of night I didn't read all posts... I drove a 143PS diesel on standard tyres in the bad winters of....
You know I can't be bothered finishing that.... What't the problem?
Current car has bigger/wider tyres over and above the Mazda6 I had for four years. Two bad winters,
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And Dave you're sounding more and more like a troll.
Don't forget some of us bailed you out.
To now say: oh I do 500+ miles a weeks so why a petrol.
.... are you real?
Last edited by: rtj70 on Tue 12 Feb 13 at 00:52
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500 miles per week
Current Fuel Prices;
- Diesel £6.36
- Petrol £6.00
Lets assume a petrol does 30mpg so it'll cost you £100 per week in fuel.
Lets assume a diesel does 45mpg so it'll cost you £71 per week in fuel.
Keep a car for a year of 500 miles per week and the diesel will be £1,508 cheaper in fuel. (Less miles, less savings)
Knock off that any difference in servicing or maintenance costs (I'm just saying £100 because I have no idea) and you'll save yourself £1400.
Now consider the difference in price between two identical cars where one is diesel and the other petrol. And then care about depreciation, tax, and new furry dice etc. etc.
Assuming I didn't mess up the maths and that the MPGs are realistic, with those costs it would seem far more important to get a good deal on a reliable car, then care about whether its petrol or diesel.
Subject to personal preference of course.
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It is somewhat traditional in forums for each poster to offer up a vehicle which is biased to their own likes/needs even if it is nowhere near what you want. In that spirit here is my offering at a price to allow for a set of winter/all season tyres...
www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201302085258273
Seriously though I'd stick to diesels and avoid 4x4 to get best value.
I don't think I commented at teh time but I have to say when I read of the Mazda6 auto purchase I thought it was a mistake for the life circumstances you present.
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The red face is from me. On the beer?
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The snowy hill problem can be much more cheaply solved with tyres than with 4 wheel drive and that will leave a much wider choice of cars with reasonable fuel economy.
None of the cheap 4x4s is likely to be economical.
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>> The snowy hill problem can be much more cheaply solved with tyres than with 4
>> wheel drive and that will leave a much wider choice of cars with reasonable fuel
>> economy.
Smallish or medium sized front wheel drive with sensible wheels/tyres...and a set of winter tyres in the winter, even if you budget for a spare set of wheels/tyres for summer/winter usage.
>>
>> None of the cheap 4x4s is likely to be economical.
Most 4x4's have considerably worse fuel consumption than their 2 wheel drive counterparts, some hideously so.
My input: manual Skoda Fabia, 1.4 petrol. If you need more room than the hatch back, the estate doesn't look that bad and has a good sized boot. The 1.4 has a reasonable amount of get up and go, is a piece of pie to drive and they are reasonably priced.
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Funny you should say that WP.A neighbour of ours is one of the test engineers for Bentley. More often than not there is one of his employer's new products on his drive. Serious petrolhead of a guy. However, his personal transport has been a succession of Fabia estates. He reckons they're a great wee package. Like me he's into mountain biking and just wants the best compromise between economy and practicality. He gets enough of a driving fix at work though I guess. Gets to take Bentleys to frozen Scandinavian lakes etc.
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>> Funny you should say that WP.
However, his personal transport has been a succession
>> of Fabia estates. He reckons they're a great wee package.
My wife and I have been running around in one. Amazed at how good it is.
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Eh, when I read the 'what's bad' about the Alfa 156 & that Audi A4 on HJ, I ain't arf glad I've got a duffers Lancer!
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All the taxis round my way are 2003-2005 VW Passats. Seem to be fairly bomb proof and indeed mine was, although it did suffer from the infamous pollen filter water leak. 55 mpg on the motorway and none of that DPF rubbish to worry about.
What's more, it was surprisingly capable in snow, getting me home to a farm on Dartmoor up steep un-cleared lanes in 4 inches of snow.
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>>>when I read the 'what's bad' about the Alfa 156
Having read loads from proper sources before and since buying it's obvious this is a very good example of poorly researched scaremongering I'm afraid. He will add stuff to the list even if just one report comes from an individual... with no checks made on the circumstances surrounding the fault or credibility of the source. If it looks impressive it will go in.
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>> Having read loads from proper sources before and since buying it's obvious this is a
>> very good example of poorly researched scaremongering I'm afraid. He will add stuff to the
>> list even if just one report comes from an individual... with no checks made on
>> the circumstances surrounding the fault or credibility of the source. If it looks impressive it
>> will go in.
Equally if it's a car he loves, he will ignore negative feedback and continue to peddle the line that it's all wonderful.
The site is a bit of a joke, really.
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>> Eh, when I read the 'what's bad' about the Alfa 156 & that Audi A4
>> on HJ, I ain't arf glad I've got a duffers Lancer!
The lancer is a very capable car. Its quiet (really - more so than many more upmarket models) with a comfortable ride well controlled ride (better ride than any Ford) with adequate handling and Über reliable and cheap to maintain, being an ideal DIY prospect.
Prices are at the WTF! cheap level for what you get.
For a high milage driver tho, economical its not. 30 - 35mpg average is the best you will get, sub par 30mpg is likely with slightly enthusiastic driving. This is compounded by a titchy fuel tank, meaning sub 300 miles per tank is possible. I once got 43mpg by super mimsing and tailgating lorries.
The mazda was on my list of possibles, but the Lancer was more comfortable, (the mazda ride is quite hard) and quieter ( the mazda is a noisy car)
I dont think the lancer will suit Dave, because of the fuel consumption.
Me however? The lancer has prompted me to see just how many miles I can get out of this thing before it requires anything other than consumable or service items. Thats how easy it is to live with.
(unless of course I obtain a large sum of money, when it will be replaced by a Jag XF sportbrake in a heartbeat)
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I know the Lancer is a damn good car Mr Z Sir - that's why I bought one instead of the Mazda 3 I was going to buy :)
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Zero I find that hard to believe. I find the 4G9 engine very economical I don’t know if it the exact same engine as in your Lancer but the 102bhp model in my Carisma over my usage of 75% 30-40-50 mph, 25% 60-70mph and very little actual town driving gives 41-42MPG via the very accurate readout and brim to brims (3 months worth of logs) coming in +-0.1 – 0.2 MPG. I would expect pure town driving to be low 30’s. A very good engine and very torquey given that my previous car was a slightly larger V6 engine.
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Nah, its the very very smooth but gutless 4G18 95bhp engine.
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Wasn't it you for whom there was a whip round on this forum, and now you're running and swapping newer cars than many of us drive?
I hope you've given the cash back to those who helped you out. I doubt it though.
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Dave, our main motor is a Legacy 2 litre petrol auto that gives ~30mpg. SWMBO's current work requires the 400km round trip I mentioned about twice every three weeks, so we've been spending some €500 a month on petrol. HOWEVER, the difference in purchase price between a 3 year old Subaru and any comparable diesel (I looked at Subaru, Volvo V70 and Mondeo) was such that it would take us 8 years at 20,000 miles p.a. to break even!
Your best bet is to keep what you have, buy some all season tyres as GB suggested, and budget a bit more carefully for your travelling whenever possible. SWMBO and I have done just that and recently cut our fuel use for her commuting by a quarter.
If and when you have to change it, or can comfortably afford to do so, then I'd give some more consideration to running cost vs. purchase cost. Were I to have to change the Legacy tomorrow, given our current needs, I think it'd be for a diesel Octavia estate or a Fiat Doblo.
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Honda will be introducing its new CR-V with the new 1.6 iDTEC diesel engine later this year. That should be very economical. I have the new CR-V 2.2 iDTEC and getting about 34 mpg on local journeys. I haven't yet tried it any distance but I'm hopeful I'll get 45 mpg or thereabouts.
It's the EX manual with 18" wheels.
Last edited by: Robbie34 on Tue 12 Feb 13 at 10:32
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As we're talking cost to change too, bear in mind that the CRV (good though it is, don't get me wrong) would cost me €39k whereas the Octavia or Doblo can be had for under €25k new.
My interest in cost of ownership has been piqued by realizing that my Legacy is now worth about €7,500. So are an '07 Octavia/Focus or Doblo/Berlingo/Partner. But the first owner of the Subaru parted with about €37,000 for it, whereas the others could all have been bought brand new for at least €12,000 less.
How long could you run a car on for that saving? Concentrates the mind on exactly what you want - or need - your next car to do, doesn't it?
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>> Wasn't it you for whom there was a whip round on this forum, and now
>> you're running and swapping newer cars than many of us drive?
>>
>> I hope you've given the cash back to those who helped you out. I doubt
>> it though.
Judge not, that ye be not judged.
I doubt if Dave is living particularly high on the hog. Nor do I think being hard up means not having a choice about how you spend what money you have.
And it's just a conversation - advice has been asked for, why not just offer some instead of making personal criticisms?
That's a rhetorical question by the way.
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www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201219469071672/
Sorted.
Edit (unless you need auto of course.)
Last edited by: Alanović on Tue 12 Feb 13 at 12:05
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Old shape Kia Carens diesel? Plenty of autos around if you prefer over manual.
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>> www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201219469071672/
>>
>> Sorted.
>>
>> Edit (unless you need auto of course.)
Ah yes, the Renault Primera......
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>> Ah yes, the Renault Primera......
Yep, the diesel can be troublesome. And the X trail you mentioned had well publicised diesel problems. The petrol X trail 2.5 is a good engine with 165bhp but thirsty for high mileage.
I wouldn't normally go for VAG, but something like an old shape Passat with the old school PD engine would be a contender if you really need to go for a diesel.
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I have the same 6 but a 6 speed manual a year older and 77k, i do 250 miles a week on 30 to 40 mph roads stop start and no motorway and get 31mpg couple more when warmer.
When i do go on the motorway mostly Plymouth to Glasgow i set the cruise control around 75 to 80 mph and gets low 40's. I knew auto's were thirstier but not that much.
Dont know if Dave's ts spec has traction control my ts2 does and can be switched on and off with push of a button. A couple of weeks back i took the son up to prince town to see the snow because we don't get any in plymouth and it was fine going up hills and pulling away and that's with normal pirelli's on the front.
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I used to have a near identical car to Dave's 6 - 55 plate, one of the earliest 2.0 petrols with the higher 143 (8?) output. Also an auto. Was never much of an MPG wonk, and that car's display showed l/100km anyway, but I do remember it rarely lasted more than 250 miles on a tank (down to warning light), although I rarely ventured out of town in it. Apart from that significant drawback, easily the nicest car I've ever owned. Loved it and miss it now.
I swapped it for a diesel Golf to match up with the main family diesel-powered MPV, so that I could run both cars on the company fuel card. Why the hell I didn't change the MPV instead to a petrol powered one, change the fuel card to petrol and keep the Mazda, I'll never know.
:-(
Still, the Golf's a fine steer also.
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Depending on roads driven on, sometimes my Mazda6 diesel would average low 40s mpg. But if I was doing longer runs then it would be about 50mpg or thereabouts.
If I was doing 500+ miles per week (so over 26k pa) and paying for that fuel myself then I'd be looking at how to reduce the miles. Not increase mpg. When I last did that sort of miles (about 30k per annum) most of it was business miles so I claimed the cost back. And got the company car taxed at the lower rate due to doing over 18k miles.... proves how long ago that was.
So assuming petrol is about £1.35/litre and the car averages 30mpg... those 26,000 miles will be costing about £5300.
And for diesel at about £1.42/litre and a car doing say 50mpg... the same miles will be costing about £3352.
I find it incredible someone who has to do this sort of mileage and pay for it would choose a petrol automatic! They say the annual mileage where a brand new diesel makes economic sense over a petrol is 15k, i.e. purchase cost and increased cost of fuel outweighs the cost to drive those miles.
Last edited by: rtj70 on Tue 12 Feb 13 at 17:11
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>> I find it incredible someone who has to do this sort of mileage and pay
>> for it would choose a petrol automatic! They say the annual mileage where a brand
>> new diesel makes economic sense over a petrol is 15k, i.e. purchase cost and increased
>> cost of fuel outweighs the cost to drive those miles.
>>
Not so straight forward when buying used though. A quick look on the motorpoint website shows that quite a few mainstream models are 2-3K (sometimes more) cheaper if you buy the same spec petrol model. That difference appears to remain a fair way down the market, and in % terms possible gets bigger.
Factor in the risks with a modern diesel, especially if you just plan to run it till it dies and the petrol option still make a lot of sense. That said, I'm not sure I would have opted for an auto at 25K pa if fuel cost was a concern
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Having done a job driving 20k miles a year and now owning a RAV4 there is NO WAY I would use a 4x4 for that sort of mileage. These things are not designed as tourers, they are big, bouncy, brick shaped things that don't tend to do great MPG, although I managed a computer indicated 57 MPG from a gentle drive from Wiltshire to Cambridgeshire last summer in ours. They also have big, expensive tyres and the RAV wants gearbox oil changed in its electronic dif every 2 years.
A saloon is best for the mileage indicated in my opinion, but I would consider a Toyota Avensis Estate in your position. Alternatively look for a Kia Ceed Diesel Estate on an 08 plate as it will have 2 years warranty left (up to 100k miles) - get a top spec one with 60k miles up and a FSH and know you have no nasty surprises to pay if something breaks.
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I have to question what sort of driving 500 miles per week would reduce the economy to 30MPG? I'm guessing it is free flowing driving on A roads and motorways with a touch of traffic. I would expect at least 5MPG or more. Are you sure it doesn't need a tune up or service?
On the snow front I think it would be very unwise to base a car making decision on if it will cope in the snow but the tyressocks suggestion would be valid. I would have thought an autos creep function would benefit snow driving - more control and less likely to spin wheels with high revsheavy clutch release?
I know it is not easy to reduce the miles if that is routine but it would be interesting to see if you could shave a small amount off which would result in a tidy saving.
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If you do a search on AutoTrader for Mazda6's without price limits, range limits etc. It shows 439 available of which 22 are automatics... I'm surprised Dave found one.
I can see why he went for something other than a Mondeo after the problems he had. And why he avoided diesels. Which means if he'd gone for a petrol manual Mazda6 he might have been happy with the mpg compromise.
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Bit of a delay in replying, so I don't expect any responses to this latest post. But to tie up a few loose ends:
I'm not living the high life at all, I've simply been taking work while it's been available and, as it happens, working almost solidly over the last few weeks. I *can* post here from my phone, but the formatting is awful so I'd rather wait to get on the PC to do it. I was quite taken aback by some of the posts on 10/11/12 Feb and have only just got time to sit down and construct a response to them.
I've been at the same place of work for 18 months now - the job's enjoyable, it's varied and I get to see and drive cars that most people only see on posters or in magazines - but it's a 60-mile commute every day (=300 miles per week). Add on to that ferrying around my little darlings (I believe they should have regular contact with their mums even if their mums can't be bothered, hence I do most of the driving) which adds an extra 150 miles per week on top. That's most of my 25k a year right there.
When I went bust 2½ years ago, I didn't ask for help on here but I was offered it, mostly by generous, fortunate folk who said "Here, take it. I've been successful or lucky in life and you haven't, I want to help you move on with your life." They didn't want to see someone struggling for years to come, which is why they backed me up when I was stuck. I've moved on now, in fact I've got off my backside and I've been working hard ever since. I'm not rich yet but I'm keeping my head above water which is what I believe the majority of my benefactors wanted. I hoped I would be able to move on from the bankruptcy by now, without attracting criticism from people who I view as longstanding friends on here.
My dad who, as I said at the time, would have been ashamed and disappointed to find out his son had gone bankrupt, spent some of his retirement money on a diesel Mondeo for me in 2011, so that I could get to work and shift his grandchildren about as was needed. After that car went bang at 145k he graciously chose and bought a low mileage petrol auto Mazda6 at a dealer near him so that I could carry on doing so. Its reliability is great but its fuel economy is a real problem.
I've read all the responses on here my original post, plus a couple of private emails, and I reckon the best course of action is to follow GB's plan and go for an LPG conversion. I've saved up half the conversion cost already and should have the rest put aside by Easter '13. Once it's done I'll have a reliable, comfortable car which is a sensible long-term proposition for ownership with the equivalent of 50mpg+ consumption.
As a footnote, anyone who contributed to my bankruptcy fees in 2010 and is now unhappy with their decision to do so, by all means please email me your bank sort code and account number (when I received the donations into my account they didn't include the sender's details) and I'll willingly refund the original amount donated within the next 8 weeks. I don't have enough to cover it all in one go but I can now save £50 a week towards it.
Dave TDCi.
Last edited by: Dave_TDCi on Mon 25 Feb 13 at 00:21
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That's a humbling reply to some of the posts Dave, well said.
I'm saddened that yet again you've feel you've had to justify or explain yourself and i hope this will be an end to it.
Your LPG plan sounds good to me, but then i'm a convert.
The only things i can add are to ensure that you maintain the car really well to get the benefit of the conversion for as long as possible, good underbody care post winters as well as keeping the servicing to a high standard...though i suspect i'm teaching me granny here...;)
Oh and make sure your chosen converter puts a flashlube dispenser on, no doubt he will suggest that anyway, 5 litre bottle of the stuff around £60 on ebay lasts me around 2 years.
Last edited by: gordonbennet on Mon 25 Feb 13 at 00:46
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I suspect those that came to Dave's aid, are not those who are having a dig.
Let me rephrase that for the avoidance of doubt. I doubt mapmaker put his hand in his pocket.
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Good post, Dave. All the very best to you.
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Prins LPG is good they use flashtube.The majority of new LPG systems are good.It's finding the right people to know how to fit it in your car.
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>>I hoped I would be able to move on from the bankruptcy by now, without attracting criticism from people who I view as longstanding friends on here <<
Perhaps the hardest thing a man has to do in life is to accept the help of others, I have been there and I waited until my last £20 before I did, but my grandmother said to me once that a gift or offer of help is not about what is being given but why it is being given.
My finances are far more complex that I have ever explained on here and as a result I have attracted much criticism for the appearance of the facts taken out of their true context, but who cares what armchair observers think, you clearly have some good people supporting you and those are the people I would place the value on.
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Dave, you are a credit to yourself having turned your situation around and I applaud you.
Last edited by: R.P. on Mon 25 Feb 13 at 21:07
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Got yourself in the crap, got yourself out again. Well done.
Some nice people helped you, good on them, there but for the grace of God and all that.
Gifts are unconditional. I am sure that those who did contribute see your recovery to normality and your gratitude as sufficient reward. I am sure if they do not, they will address that directly with you.
Beyond that I cannot see how it is anybody else's concern.
But to repeat, you got yourself into issues, and you got yourself out again. Good on you and well done, now its just time to move on and put it behind you.
Last edited by: No FM2R on Mon 25 Feb 13 at 22:40
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Dave you have a bit of time to go yet.
32 years ago I neatly parked a lorry on it's side on the M1/M69 roundabout at Leicester.
Five years ago I was having a bacon butty at a T Bar on the A1 when the bloke at the side of me said 'Your that woman who turned the F86 over at Leicester, arn't you?'
It will come back to haunt you and just when you think it's gone forever it will come back yet again but it's only sad people who live in the past:)
I always had a one word answer ready but the swear filter won't allow it on here!
Pat
Last edited by: pda on Tue 26 Feb 13 at 05:27
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Good on ya, Dave, just remember; those voluntary contributions from people here a couple of years ago were a hand up, not handouts. You deserved it and went on to prove so. I'm sure no-one would dream of expecting repayment: they weren't loans! As Pat says, only sad folk relish the past.
EH
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>> Dave you have a bit of time to go yet.
>>
>> 32 years ago I neatly parked a lorry on it's side on the M1/M69 roundabout
>> at Leicester.
>> Five years ago I was having a bacon butty at a T Bar on the
>> A1 when the bloke at the side of me said 'Your that woman who turned
>> the F86 over at Leicester, arn't you?'
>> I always had a one word answer ready but the swear filter won't allow it
>> on here!
>>
Aw but pat, thats an ideal lead on.
Beams proudy and looks at the driver " Yes, everyone has 15 minutes of fame, except, it seems, you - you sad git"
Last edited by: Zero on Tue 26 Feb 13 at 08:53
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Congratulations for your success thus far Dave.
It is very easy to slide down the slippery road of financial ruin - I've been there myself, and its VERY hard to slow down, let alone change direction.
I haven't got to the point of needing to become bankrupt, but have been very close..
In fact at this time I can just see the light at the end of my own tunnel (just hope its not the train of unexpected bills!)
Good luck, and btw you're an inspiration to those in similar positions.
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Mazda Mazda 6 - Can't live with 30mpg economy... - No FM2R
