For those interested in "Modern Classic" Cars

[russ p]

11 hours ago, big jim said:

frying pan and fire spring to mind! 
 

I do like the ZT but I’d be going older and I really want to get a newer vehicle with a few more refinements and newer tech than an old rover 

 

looking on eBay at what’s available they seem to be commanding good money for a descent one now 

 

It's the tech of new cars which puts me off buying one!  If I had to buy a new car I would really struggle to find one I liked . Mind I don't know what many of them are, and certainly haven't had a hire car I've liked. I had some biggish vauxhall thing a while back and on motorways you had to physically fight it to cross white lines. Couldn't be doing with that and imagine it when it goes wrong!

[Hobby]

6 minutes ago, russ p said:

It's the tech of new cars which puts me off buying one!  If I had to buy a new car I would really struggle to find one I liked . Mind I don't know what many of them are, and certainly haven't had a hire car I've liked. I had some biggish vauxhall thing a while back and on motorways you had to physically fight it to cross white lines. Couldn't be doing with that and imagine it when it goes wrong!

 

You must be pretty weak if you had to "physically fight it", I've had lane assist on my last two cars and it's never been that strong, it "tugs" on the steering wheel but is easy enough to over-ride! If you indicate (full indication, not just the flick version which just flashes your indicators three times) lane assist won't even try to stop you.

[spamcan61]

11 hours ago, big jim said:

frying pan and fire spring to mind! 
 

I do like the ZT but I’d be going older and I really want to get a newer vehicle with a few more refinements and newer tech than an old rover 

 

looking on eBay at what’s available they seem to be commanding good money for a descent one now 

Personally I do like the Superb, particularly the estate, been in a couple as airport taxis and they are well roomy and a good ride, might go for one when my Avensis finally wears out. I had a Skoda Estelle in the late 90s as a cheap runaround and that was fun to drive*, indeed SWMBO states it's her favourite ever car. I appreciate there's nothing in common between an Estelle and a Superb other than the brand name ;-)

 

The 2 litre diesel Superb is quicker than my Hyundai Coupe to 60 as well, OK the Hyundai is hardly an out an out sports car.

 

*You had to watch out for the lift off oversteer mind you.

[big jim]

4 hours ago, spamcan61 said:

 

The 2 litre diesel Superb is quicker than my Hyundai Coupe to 60 as well, OK the Hyundai is hardly an out an out sports car.

 

 

0-60 is 9 seconds which is pretty good for a big estate, the TDI tuning box I have on the mini diesel will transfer to the superb (after reprogramming) and take it from 138 to 182bhp with torque increased from 236 to 288 lb/ft so that’s a definite doer if I end up with a superb 

 

the polish guy at the garage that has the mini at the moment says he’ll have it off me as it stands to export back to Poland, if I go down that route I’ll get all the aftermarket bits off to sell separately and put the original bits back on

 

the only thing I can’t replace is the coilovers and those are going for about £400 used at the moment, if I can get a cheap set of used original suspension then I’ll do a swap but they are proving hard to find 
 

 

[Hobby]

Think you'll find sub 9secs is normal for the VW 2.0l TDi powered estates, Jim, my last Golf could do it and the Octavia, both of which are not much smaller than the Superb.

[russ p]

6 hours ago, Hobby said:

 

You must be pretty weak if you had to "physically fight it", I've had lane assist on my last two cars and it's never been that strong, it "tugs" on the steering wheel but is easy enough to over-ride! If you indicate (full indication, not just the flick version which just flashes your indicators three times) lane assist won't even try to stop you.

 

It's just not nice, and I really didn't like the car 

[Dunsignalling]

According to the book, my 2.0 Yeti will do 0-62 in 8.6, mind you it is a CR170 with the quattro transmission.

 

Overtaking, 40-70 in third, can generally be achieved before passing the cab of the artic.

 

John

Edited July 28, 2022 by Dunsignalling

[big jim]

They do a 1.6L version of the superb which is only £30 a year tax, there’s one for sale on autotrader for £1500, similar mileage to the estate I’ve been looking at, might have a look at it if the small heath one is no good

 

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202207228027209?include-delivery-option=on&postcode=cw28tu&model=Superb&radius=1500&onesearchad=New&onesearchad=Nearly New&onesearchad=Used&make=SKODA&sort=price-asc&price-to=3500&advertising-location=at_cars&page=1

 

It’s only 105 bhp but my TDI chip can increase it to 139 bhp, it’s got a similar sort of combined mpg to the mini too, the leather looks a bit mucky but I could, as I did with the mini re-dye it to freshen it up

Edited July 27, 2022 by big jim

[spamcan61]

MoT history is a bit grim but then it is cheap, even with 200K on it. ex taxi maybe.

[Dunsignalling]

4 hours ago, Hobby said:

Think you'll find sub 9secs is normal for the VW 2.0l TDi powered estates, Jim, my last Golf could do it and the Octavia, both of which are not much smaller than the Superb.

And there are a lot more Octavias to choose from.

 

BTW, until recently, a pal of mine had an old Passat TDi estate that he'd had chipped up to 220bhp and reckoned that, if he drove it "sensibly" it returned better mpg than it had before....

 

He replaced it with a BMW and his spine is regretting it!

 

John 

[big jim]

56 minutes ago, spamcan61 said:

MoT history is a bit grim but then it is cheap, even with 200K on it. ex taxi maybe.

never thought to look at the MOT checker, interesting that in the pics I was wondering if the front headlight was fogged at the bottom, the mot check shows a fail twice for headlight not working on low beam, wonder if the Lens is cracked and letting in moisture, it has xenon’s so if it is damaged it won’t be a cheap fix, I think I’ll give that one a miss

 

EDIT: looking at the car in small heaths history it has a lot better MOT history but the last MOT shows it done in April at 205081 miles, the pictures on eBay and ‘trader show 204762 on the clock, so they are either old pics and it’s been there a while or it’s dodgy, if it shows the lower miles tomorrow I’ll be walking away, the pics however do show the trees with no leaves on so I suspect they are old pics (but now I’m suspicious why it’s been there for so long!)

there is also another saloon one on eBay with 250k on the clock for £2300 which I was wary off because of the mileage but the mot check shows it to have a fantastic history, only one fail in 2015 for a bulging tyre, no advisories at all until this years test which was done 5 days ago ‘Nearside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement’ 

Edited July 27, 2022 by big jim

[big jim]

I’ve bought the white one from small heath, it’s been there a while hence the mileage discrepancy  as I suspected, it has had the water pump and cam belt done since the pics, got a ruck of receipts with it and full service history., it’s originally from devizes in Wiltshire, 2 owners iirc

 

Back bumper is a bit dodgy paint wise, which is why it’s a cat S could probably do with a respray or replacement if it really bothers me in the future, also has a dodgy rear tinted window that I’ll defiantly be taking off (the film has bubbled) 

 

mechanically it seemed fine on the test drive, took it for a spin around small heath and tyseley and onto the dual carriageway, box is smooth (having had a dodgy DSG I know how bad they can be), pulled really well

 

just doing some shunting in small heath then I’m going back to collect it hopefully, it’s a bit dirty as it’s been sat there a while but I’ll put it though the car wash near the yard! 

[big jim]

Not a modern classic but certainly a very nice car, it’s flipping huge! 
 

 

 

[Trainshed Terry]

1 hour ago, big jim said:

Not a modern classic but certainly a very nice car, it’s flipping huge! 
 

 

 

 

That is a tidy car, If i purchased that car with the the damage to the bumper and body work would trigger my OCD and would be the first thing done.

 

But otherwise it looks a useable car with add rear end protection device fitted.

 

Terry.

[boxbrownie]

It’s interesting as not sure there was ever a “black” version (could be wrong) but most likely owned by somebody who wanted to pimp it a bit and looked after it, blacked wheels, window deflectors and stuff.

 

You may have struck lucky.

Edited July 28, 2022 by boxbrownie

[big jim]

2 hours ago, boxbrownie said:

It’s interesting as not sure there was ever a “black” version (could be wrong) but most likely owned by somebody who wanted to pimp it a bit and looked after it, blacked wheels, window deflectors and stuff.

 

You may have struck lucky.

to be honest I thought the same as the grilles only look to be plastic dipped and you can see chrome where it’s been stone chipped and the alloys aren’t Skoda OEM however the V5 does say ‘Black edition’

 

Edited July 28, 2022 by big jim

[boxbrownie]

Apparently so…..

https://www.motors.co.uk/skoda/octavia/trim/black-edition/used-cars/

[monkeysarefun]

Sad that only the Europeans seem to be building station wagons (estates?) these days.

 

Down here everyone has abandoned them for dual-cab SUV utes with a plastic canopy on the back, then wonder why they cant fit half of what they used to get into a station wagon.

 

 

Was a sad day when the Holden sportswagon Commodore (the real one, not the sad Opel thingy they replaced it with) was discontinued.  With a 6.2 litre V8  how cool do  the kids feel sitting in the back of the family station wagon..

 

 Like everything these days with a Holden badge and a V8 in it, pulling astronomical prices, for example if you paid RRP of $59K on a new one 5 years ago, you could sell it today for $65K to $75K. Every one is a modern classic!

Edited July 28, 2022 by monkeysarefun

[big jim]

I’m not keen on the pick up trend, all of a sudden they appear to have got very brash looking and overly big for our roads, saying that some estate cars are overly massive now, the superb seems a big car but when you compare it to one of the top of the range Audi S series estates with massive arches and wheels it doesn’t look that big!

 

on the motorway ride back from Birmingham I managed 66.7mpg at a steady 70 mph with the cruise control on

 

just ordered some black vinyl trim for it to dechrome the window surrounds and tidy up the grille surround, looking at it again it appears the previous owner has plasticoted the surround to match the OEM grille

 

going back to the mini, The garage says it’s the crankshaft sensor that’s gone on it according to the codes, a quick google and it’s a job that can be done on my ramps in a few minutes, I’ve ordered a sensor off Amazon for £18 so hopefully I can get it working again, if so I can sell it as a runner rather than scrap it, I’ll still get all the sporty bits off and sell those separately though whatever however I sell it 

 

 

[Classsix T]

1 hour ago, monkeysarefun said:

Sad that only the Europeans seem to be building station wagons (estates?) these days.

As an Englishman, that has a hankering for whatever Jaguar are punting out, I'd tell the plebs I'm driving a shooting-brake. Although my working class roots would obviously preclude me from such. (I'm such a hypocrite!)

 

C6T.

[monkeysarefun]

1 hour ago, big jim said:

I’m not keen on the pick up trend, all of a sudden they appear to have got very brash looking and overly big for our roads

 

They've all gone US good ol boy  pickup  style here,  oversized view-blocking, car space overflowing  things.  No comparisom  to the traditional car-based  Aussie V8 ute.

 

(This one sold for $1.05 million last year, a 2017  HSV Maloo  special edition - most arent worth that much. Which is a pity given I have a  lesser specced  yellow one!)

 

 

 

 

Edited July 28, 2022 by monkeysarefun

[boxbrownie]

11 hours ago, Classsix T said:

As an Englishman, that has a hankering for whatever Jaguar are punting out, I'd tell the plebs I'm driving a shooting-brake. Although my working class roots would obviously preclude me from such. (I'm such a hypocrite!)

 

C6T.

Afraid to tell you in industry speak (in U.K.) any “Estate” car is a Wagon, it changes to an Estate car when the advertising and sales department get to it 😄

[boxbrownie]

10 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

 

They've all gone US good ol boy  pickup  style here,  oversized view-blocking, car space overflowing  things.  No comparisom  to the traditional car-based  Aussie V8 ute.

 

(This one sold for $1.05 million last year, a 2017  HSV Maloo  special edition - most arent worth that much. Which is a pity given I have a  lesser specced  yellow one!)

 

 

 

 

That’s just not one thing or the other, a real gender identity issue…..🤔

[Nick C]

12 hours ago, Classsix T said:

As an Englishman, that has a hankering for whatever Jaguar are punting out, I'd tell the plebs I'm driving a shooting-brake. Although my working class roots would obviously preclude me from such. (I'm such a hypocrite!)

 

C6T.

 

1 hour ago, boxbrownie said:

Afraid to tell you in industry speak (in U.K.) any “Estate” car is a Wagon, it changes to an Estate car when the advertising and sales department get to it 😄

Apparently my Astra is a "Sports Tourer". V5 says Estate though...

 

As for pickups - I've particularly noticed it with the Ford Ranger, of which there seem to be plenty around - the original version is 5.1 x 1.8m, the current one 5.3 x 2.0m - so 20cm bigger both ways - but it looks much bigger when you see one on the road. A Landy 110 is only 4.6m long, so small in comparison!

[boxbrownie]

28 minutes ago, Nick C said:

 

Apparently my Astra is a "Sports Tourer". V5 says Estate though...

 

 

As I said whatever it takes to sell them 🤨