Um ... Ok.
My eldest daughter is driving a 2005 Citroen C2. (so 20 years old). Its only needed tyres and oil changes. Let me think. I did put the strut bushes in the front a couple of years back ($90aud and a couple of hours work).
The youngest daughter is driving a 2007 poogoe 407 6spd manual. We have owned this car for 13years and put over 250,000kms on it. The only non-service type item it has ever had is a flywheel at 80,000kms (all cars back then with dual mass flywheels seemed to fail). Its still running fine today. getting quite battered. I'd jump into it and drive it to perth tomorrow if I needed to without hesitation. This was my wifes car and was moved onto the youngest daugther last year.
My wife is driving a 2011 Poogoe RCZ (so 14 years old). I'll have too see when this thread has started, its been what ... 2 ... maybe 3 years. The car has needed a thrust bearing and normal servicing (The risks of buying a used car, a previous owner had cooked the grease out of the thrust bearing). I'd drive it to perth tomorrow without a seconds hesitation.
Now lets see, my cars. I've owned a range rover classic for over 10 years. Actually, I've done a bit of work to this car. It bent a conrod when the fuel pressure regulator died and filled No8 cylinder with fuel.... I killed the transfer case/gearbox output shaft by running really thick gearbox oil in the transfer case that didn't have a cross drilled input shaft. Its guzzled endless amounts of LPG and done everything I've ever asked of it.
I've owned a citroen cx for 20 ... no maybe 25 years. Not just a locally sold one, a personal import that was never sold in Australia. Other than numerous hours over the years chasing electrical gremlins (salted roads and wiring system don't live well together). the thing just goes. I've towed caravans all over Australia with it, towed car trailer ... travelled ... The poor thing has been run on the tightest shoe string budget imaginable. I could get up from this chair right now, walk over to the car, hook up the battery terminal and drive it without a seconds hesitation.
Now, not only is it a 40 year old car, it was a demonstrator when sold new (CNAN number plates in the UK). This means the high performance petrol turbocharged car was a dealer demonstrator when new. Every single test pilot would have beaten the thing mercilessly. At 40 years of age, its never had the engine touched, doesn't burn or use a drip of oil between oil changes, never had the gearbox touched, never had the turbo installation touched (bullet proof old garret.... could do with a new core now doubt as it will be down on boost). The suspension has normal service items. ie: ball joints, bushes and spheres as needed. I drove this as a daily car with 3 young children on a single very average wage. That is how little it has cost me.
Other cars ... I have two 1963 Citroen ID19s. They haven't done a lot of milage over the last few years, but they just go. Normal servicing work is about it. They are mechanicaly incredibly tough.
Um, a 1950 Citroen Traction Avant. Its done next to no milage, so I can't comment on running costs... But its fun to tinker with.
Cars are expensive because people pay tremendous amounts of money paying someone to service them, I don't do this.
So if I got something like a Jaguar X type or Chrysler 300 .... How much do you think I'd be spending .... Hmmmm... My only concern is the huge bills slugomatic gearboxes can send my way
My wife has her small fun car, so I'm thinking some modern luxo-barge type vehicle .... you know, similar to a Citroen Ds or Citroen CX ... but made this century that she would be confident to drive wihtout fear of breaking down.
If you want to talk expensive..... ludicrously, insanely expensive motoring. Lets look at the electric throw-aways. Man the money they will cost is just mind boggling. Guess how much I've lost on the cars I've owned (especially if you include servicing costs) versus a throw-away every few years.
seeya
Shane L.
Originally Posted by PhilipA
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