OT: buying cars

[clare]

With British cars you need to open the hood and fondle their nuts every day or two to keep them happy.

[rbowman]

Lucas, Prince of Darkness. I know him well, having had an Austin-Healey at one point.

[clare]

If you plan on keeping a new car after the warranty is over and are not mechanically inclined a warranty (a GOOD one) can save your bacon

-often the dealer will allow you to buy the warranty within the first year or two - so you can get a feel for the reliability/build quality of the car. In that case, rather than buying a warranty for a poor car, I'd be more likely to sell it.

With used cars, sometimes a "good" warranty can be worth while - but a lot of crappy used car dealers will sell you a car requiring repairs - and a warranty - so they don't have to pay to repair the car. RUN the other way.

[clare]

In our family we've had a Bedford doormobile, a Vauxhaul Victor Special, a Viva HA, a Viva HC (Firenza) 2300SL, a Rover 2000TC, a Mark

1 Mini, and a Sunbeam Arrow. I also babysat and drove a Sunbeam Alpine Mk2, helped restore a '53 MGTD, and currently helping restore a british Isetta . I was also reponsible for looking after an old Rover 3500 and a Mini Moke for aver a year, and serviced a Mk2 E type Jag for a good customer for about 8 years.

The Mini was my first car. It was a 1961, and had intermittent wipers LONG before they became standard or even optional equipment on American iron. Weren't designed that way - they just happened!!

[Emma D.]

ohhh, another car I've been thinking about if a Mini Cooper. I guess I kind of like the idea of the smaller car, but I haven't driven one, yet. I can't decide which model if I can even get around to test driving one.

[rbowman]

Learn something every day -- I always thought BMW was the ones who picked up the Isetta from Italy. I guess in the land of the Morgan tricycle anything to cheat the taxman was good.

I used to get a kick out of watching the Minis at the SCCA races at Limerock. The big Vettes could run but they couldn't hide for long.

[Ron]

I don't know about cold climates because I live in FL...but you can't beat the Hyundai and Kia warranties.

[Ron]

I have 2 family members and a best friend that have Kia Souls. They are great cars, and you can't beat their warranty. Next time you are out and about, count the Kia Souls that you see. me and my g/f have a game we play when we go somewhere counting Souls. They are EVERYWHERE!

On a 6 mile round trip to our favorite place to eat ever Friday, we count at least 10 of them. I think our record is 15. And that doesn't include the 4 that are parked in our neighborhood.

[clare]

It wasn't moisture and corrosion - it was vibration and thermal stress. I always kept the spare screwed to the firewall next to the one in service so all I needed to do was move the wires.

[clare]

You think the mini (austin seven) was a vette killer, you should have seen the Lotus Sevens mop the track with them!!

[rbowman]

You wouldn't run out of fingers counting them around here. Subarus are the noticeable ones, preferably with the optional black lab with red scarf installed. It's the AWD that sells them.

[rbowman]

That's why I was at Lime Rock -- pit crew for a guy running a Seven S2 :) If I ever get to the point where I can't keep a bike upright there may be a Caterham in my future rather than messing around with a trike like the Can-Am Spyder. Luckily this state isn't very fussy about what you put on the road as long as you buy the tags.

[clare]

A good friend of mine has built/rebuilt the majority of the sevens running vintage racing in the eastern half of North America, and quite a few that are driven on the road as well. He has a chassis standing in the hangar that I'd love to make into a car if it wasn't so terribly hard to licence and insure one here in Ontario

[Doug Miller]

"Emma D." wrote in news:mptmgn$ca9$ [e-mail]:

Former Fiat owner writing here. Emphasis on "former".

FIAT stands for Fix It Again, Tony. Fix It Again Today. Fix It Again Tomorrow. Take your pick.

Years ago, there was a skit on SNL with two guys arguing about which one was dumber -- each maintaining that he himself was dumber than the other guy. "Oh yeah? Well, I'm so dumb I did X." -- "Oh, yeah? Well, I did Y!" -- goes on for a while. Then one says "I bought a FIAT". End of argument.

Bottom line is, there is a *reason* for all these jokes.

[Ed Pawlowski]

Mini is rated about 1 notch above the Fiat. Cute car, but expensive. Never drove one so I don't know if they are worth the money. Not hard to hit $28k to $30k for the bas model with some decent accessories.

[Tekkie®]

Emma D. posted for all of us...

I do only on cars. There are too many systems to go wrong with labor to diagnose and repair. I can't work on them any more... You can shop warranties but I get the Toyota one because there is no question about reimbursement (Toyota vehicles) I have won on every one I purchased. Also they can be canceled in case you trade with a small return to you. No comments on Toyota reliability and no horror stories (yet) - if asked.

[Tekkie®]

rbowman posted for all of us...

Yup, and their reliability. The give a % of the price to charities. I miss my black labs, Tink, Abie and Oscar. :(

[Tekkie®]

[e-mail] posted for all of us...

And suspect everything marked Lucas... Are they still in business-maybe making beer warmers...

[Tekkie®]

[e-mail] posted for all of us...

You know a new season of Wheeler Dealers is coming up?

[notbob]

Tekkie? I think not.

Have you ever owned a British sports car or motorcycle. I have. Lots of 'em. Smith and Lucas were steady performers, in my experience. Even Wikipedia sez "this title is undeserved"[1].

[1] Prince of Darkness

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