First car recommendations?

[hugh]

In message , gremlin_95 writes

Where did we go wrong :-(

[hugh]

As long as they don't see "21/4 litre, 17 year old" and panic. Also they are not economical, even when converted to gas.

[Mr Pounder]

Japanese.

>

[Rick]

A bonnet that came up with the wings mad working on the engine a breeze.

Real solid wood dash & door cappings ... rubber bumpers (ideal for 1st car) Only let me down once when hardy-spice coupling failed, and car simply squatted down in middel of a road junction .... Jacked side of car up so it was balancing on 2 wheel and replaced coupling in about an hr ... cars were much simpler then.

I loved my Herald .... wish I'd kept it but at 18 you are keen to move on ... if I remember the sequence of first few cars it was..

Triumph Herald 1965 Vauxhall Viva HA 1969 Morris 1300 1972 Volkswagen Beetle 1973 Triumph 1500 1974 Simca 1500 ? Cortina Mk III 1976 Cortina Mk IV 1978 Cortina Mk V 1982

... all probably now well scrapped and made into something else

[Andy Champ]

+1. About 20 times.

Insurance at that age is likely to be more than the cost of the car. Think thousands. Possibly up to 4K.

If you can get a company vehicle out of them do it. Anything! Take a pay cut. Heck, go for minimum wage!

Now (puts on Dad hat) remember that the other driver is out to kill you. Not all of them, not even most of them, but a few of them. Like the one who hit my son - he went through the green light on the pedestrian crossing, and thought it meant he could drive straight onto the roundabout 50 yards later. I'd probably have dodged, my son with limited experience didn't. It moved a suspension tower and wrote the car off. Luckily he now has a company car...

Andy

[Davey]

Yes, I had lots of fun in mine, it was my main car for many years. I sold it when I moved to the US, many others had come and gone in the meantime, mostly while at engineering university. Now I'm back home, and have a Renault!

[Frank Erskine]

I think it rather unlikely that a brand new apprentice would be given a company car :-)

[gremlin_95]

What do you mean?

[thirty-six]

Perhaps you shouldn't advertise you drive over the ton.

[thirty-six]

and if it's not been crunched, still fetch a reasonble resale even at

15 years unlike el cheapo eurobox.

[thirty-six]

The compensation is set by the court and there are minimum rates payable for specified, verified injuries. These rates may be increased if the claimant goes through with court proceedings. I've had crunches, but only to my own vehicle and I've not had any influence for any other claim. Vehicle repairs are straightforward, even if an insurer sends a loss-adjuster, the claimant still should claim for the full amount and any out-of-pocket expenses.

[thirty-six]

There are independant specialists which will give more reliable service, look to the Peugoet Motoring Club(for instance) or whatever their preferred monicker is to see if there is an independant specializing in your area of choice. This applies across all brands and usually equates to two blokes who are qualified vehicle technicians with specific understanding to the brand. You'll pay a fraction of the cost of a main dealer because the independant can work much more efficiently.

[Andy Burns]

I think he's wishing *all* teenagers would get off their arses, find an apprenticeship and a day-release course, not expect M&D to buy them a car and be willing to find extra work to pay for one instead ...

Keep at it, you should do well ...

[tony sayer]

In article , Davey scribeth thus

Dunno nowadays . I can buy a ticket here in Cambridge to go to London use the underground and busses for less now that its going to cost to run my car there put up with the congestion and then more often than not pay to park it and the congestion charge fee....

[Nightjar]

The front wheel made a convenient seat while doing so.

Colin Bignell

[Davey]

That bonnet was useful once when I drove too fast into a flooded roadway. I was able to open the bonnet, lift it, dry off the ignition wires, and drop the bonnet down again, all without getting my feet wet.

[Rick]

My Herald often crapped out after going through a puddle ... must have been where distributor or coil was situated ... can't remember now.

I remember the big luxury of fitting a stick on heated rear window demister ... very flash at the time. If I had that switched on at same time as headlights dynamo couldn't keep up and battery slowly discharged.

[Davey]

I had to go into London once last year, from Diss. The coach took me straight to Victoria, and back, and cost =C2=A322. I think I could have done it for =C2=A39 if I had booked early enough. All research I did beforehand told me to avoid car, parking, and congestion charge. And for my particular trip, there was no easy underground route.

--=20 Davey.

[Davey]

Never did that. I did have a Webasto roof installed, though. Opening it by hand was faster than the powered roof on my current car.

[gremlin_95]

Ahh cheers, well at school I noticed everyone just went with 'A' Level subjects without looking at other options just because it was the norm. I often got told my course is for people with poor GCSEs etc and for those not clever enough to do 'A' Levels, didn't let this bother me though :)

One thing I will say though, it's bloody hard finding work :( Was just applying for a Sainsburys night shift role yesterday and just as I was about to send the application the vacancy had expired. Waiting to hear back from the place I went for work experience now, they could possibly have some work for me...