Could a Classic be used EVERY Day?

Dear All,

Just had my Impreza off the road for 3 weeks with a strange brake problem so I resorted to the X19 for daily transport. Nothing strange there other than I cover 40,000 miles a year on business alone. This means that in three weeks the x19 has covered nearly 4000 miles (little trip to Rally GB included). Other than having to tighten the roof screws and fix a minor water leak it didn't miss a beat. Its returned 35 to the gallon whilst being thrashed within an inch of its life and happily mixes it on the motorways including the M25.
So here I am paying for super unleaded for the WRX, having had it back for a day. It's returning barely 30mpg. The turbo lag at motorway speeds is dreadful and and 70mph it feels like its barely moving. The WRX needs replacing soon 200k is fast approaching and I am very tempted to spend 10-15k on a very reliable and comfortable classic instead.
Has anyone considered or even done this?

Joe drives his X1/9 every day, though I think he's the only one now.

There are some people who use other classics day-to-day. I remember a couple of articles in Classic Cars magazine. Mk II Jag, Astons, Ferraris, all sorts.

As with anything, if it's properly maintained I don't see any problems, though you'd have to take into account that it will almost certainly be off the road more than a modern car whatever care you take.

Johnny,

I have been driving my exxy every day now for about 3 months covering over 6000 miles. I will still be using it for a few weeks whilst I get the Orion fixed. Apart from a few new rattles and the fact I haven't washed it for a while (shame on me I know) it drives and runs fine. This morning I have given the new jets a run and tomorrow the new K&N filter. Every day it just gets better.

I have often thought of owning a nice real car. Something that will stand out in the car park from all the blobs on the road today. I started doing the maths:

My Car : Renault Laguna Diesel £18K or £3k a year for 3 years
Service X 2 - £600 -
Tyres £140 EACH (17") Had a new set already so £600
Interest on finance (not that rich me) : ~£2500 so £850 a year
Insurance : £350 (2 drivers)

So a years motoring in my modern car = £5400 !!!!! excluding diesel.

So is a classic going to cost more than this when the initial purchase cost is £10k say? Even if it needs work, servicing of a new car is extortionate compared to an old one (which you may do yourself). Keep it for a couple of years and I reckon you will save thousands.

I am writing this in secret at work, so if my maths doesn't add up then forgive me. But this has bugged me for a while about new cars, actually running them. They are not cheap. A nice big Fiat or Lancia for a decent price. Spend a little money on it and I think your on to a winner. Now I have to just convince the other half...

Hi

Other than having to tighten the roof screws and fix a minor water leak it didn't miss a beat. Its returned 35 to the gallon whilst being thrashed within an inch of its life and happily mixes it on the motorways including the M25.

I ran my '88 exxy every day for two weeks recently while I was between 'normal' cars. Considering the trouble I'd had with my X-reg Seicento Sporting (and glorious Fiat UK, but that's another story!) before I sold it, I was impressed with how my exxy stood up to my 100-mile round-trip daily commute - especially having just celebrated it's 17th birthday! I got 34mpg flying along a mix of dual-carriageways and fast single carriageway A-roads. What a great two weeks!

Funnily enough, the exxy has always had a bit of starter motor bother. Using it everyday cured that.

The one disadvantage of everyday use comes in winter when salt is spread on the roads. I should imagine the R-word would move in pretty quickly if used everyday then. I don't much fancy that! :shock:

So a years motoring in my modern car = £5400 !!!!! excluding diesel.

Yes, depreciation is a killer. Another advantage of the X1/9 really. Buy a decent-ish one for a grand now and it'll probably still be worth that three years down the line.

I swore I'd never buy a new car again, but I've just bought a new Ford Ka as my daily driver (because the local used stuff was overpriced trash!). At £4795 it won't depreciate too much and at least it's got a three-year warranty. Very commonplace - but actually a really good car to drive. No, really! :lol:

Cheers

Simon

Nowt wrong with a Ford Ka Stonks. I have driven a couple of hired ones in my time and a wheel in each corner makes for good handling and fun fun fun on twisty Spanish mountain roads. With an unusual shape and stylish interior I think it may be future classic....................just me then

I really must get out more.

Bumper sticker.........Drive it like you stole it!

Johnny,
Daily useage for last 8 years, kept out in the open, near 250 000 miles on the car later....
4 engines (the current 30 000 miler is the best I've had in the car), three gearboxes (fifth a winer), half a dozen clutches, a couple of reels or welding wire, about 10 litres of paint of various colours, plenty of underseal and a few tubs of filler...
Yep, it's looking really ropy now, but it's still going healthy and I still love it!
Unfortunately, I have some sorry news....it looks like I'm gonna be relegated to a Ford Focus or Astra for work and the exxy wont be used every day (for work atleast)...which I'm gutted about to be frank.

I dont think former owner John Whitmarsh of sporting FIATs club would recognise it now as basically, save the shell, most of it has been replaced! (thanks to the supply of parts from mag advertisers and local scrappies)

I say, if you have the chance to use it daily, and it's practical for your daily driving, and the car is not concours ie better than how it came from the factory, or of historical importance) go for it!....lets face it, it aint worth keeping them locked up in air conditioned garages for investment...most left are reasonable looking old FIATs...and so they don't command the same monetary value as something more exotic...yet ...ideally tho, we'd all like two!...one for daily use, and the other for shows only!

Keep driving,... in 8 years time I still want to be doing the same...it's what it's all about


PS, I read a newspaper article a while back saying how many companies specialise in old 'classic' car leases for the companies to send their reps out in. Merc, Jag, Maserati were all represented. I understood there's a tax advantage for using them too , which probably explains the reasoning

Warren .....Ford Ka .......Future Classic

Must buy another Transit connect bound to be a good investment
I ll even keep it white

Funny thing I have had 3 Fiats over the years as daily drivers a new 127 Sport in 1981 lovely thing but brakes failed after 2 months and after 10 it was rusting a Strada purchased at 3 years old and after 2 years of ownership during which the fusebox burnt out, the gearbox failed, the cluth pedal sheared off and various minor bits fell off / broke it was then shagged out at 5 yrs old :oops: Currently have a 3 year old Punto, had it 1 year and .......nothing has gone wrong yet (tempting fate i know)

BUT the Ford Ka we have had for six years doing 12,000 a year and 2 sets of tyres and 2 exhausts later thats all its cost in parts apart from very cheap servicing !

Hi folks

Nowt wrong with a Ford Ka Stonks. I have driven a couple of hired ones in my time and a wheel in each corner makes for good handling and fun fun fun on twisty Spanish mountain roads. With an unusual shape and stylish interior I think it may be future classic....................just me then

I really must get out more.

I had one as a hire car once too - thought it was great. Yes, dare I say - it corners as well as the exxy. But it certainly doesn't sound as good

Before I bought the Ka, I was trying to bag a deal on a new MG ZR (I think they look quite good). I was shocked that the ZR didn't drive that well - it was pretty slow for 103 bhp and didn't sound remotely sporting. Bits were falling off the demo model too! :lol: Thought they'd be going cheap due to the demise of MG Rover. They weren't though - especially for the quality of car on offer. My old '95 Rover 418 Turbo Diesel was much better built! :shock:

BUT the Ford Ka we have had for six years doing 12,000 a year and 2 sets of tyres and 2 exhausts later thats all its cost in parts apart from very cheap servicing !

Sounds promising - hope mine behaves as well!

Cheers

Simon


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Nowt wrong with a Ford Ka Stonks

.
Ohhh peleeease, pass me the hammer to knock me out cold.
Yeah, Ford mundanes last well too......but are totally totally uninspiring.
Ford make better vans...cos Fords engines suit vans better! :lol:
Tho the connect has been superceeded. Drove a Vauxhall Vivaro yesterday. faster than a connect, six speed box heavily turbo charged, massive lag...and could keep up with merc sprinter in front whilst we hogged the fast lane of M62 doing the white van man impression....passing a convoy of Fords, and beating another at the lights after coming off the motorway. passed a Fiat ducato, as we all know those engines are better in cars

Hi, I've also been using an exxy as a daily driver this summer - a new roof for the 216 Cabby and Home improvement at my Dad's (where the exxy is usually garaged) means that I've sole custody since May. Its a 40 mile round trip, twisty lanes, 70 to 90 mph along a busy stretch of the A3 and a crawl through Guildford - no hassels, good mileage (better than the Rover) No Overheating! (touch wood) although the Rad. fan is called into action most days in the hold ups (and works ok! - I've learned to trust it now) and best of all - seems I can out-corner most things on the tight left hand cloverleaf that takes me back onto the A3 on the way home. I did defer to an Elise one day and a Boxster another but the Golf GTI type drivers either don't the the grip or the bottle.
Re the math, I had a "discussion" with the other half when she complained at the £5 here and £10 there, that the £1000 exxy was costing - I pointed out that her beloved Vauxhall had cost £300 -£500 a year to service and had shed over £2500 a year in depreciation!
Viva the classics - I'm now being tempted by a Thema as comfy large crusier - Anyone got/had one?

Just to add to the Fiat reliability thread - both I, and a colleague at work, have had Fiat Puntos from new for eight years apiece. Neither car suffers from so much as a speck of rust, or has required more than one or two exhaust or brake parts replaced during their entire lives. Much better than can be said for many other supposedly more reliable makes! Furthermore, the Punto is roomy, quiet and pleasant to drive. Strangely, however, motoring reviews always seem to treat Puntos as a pile of dog-poo. I've always felt that there's a distinct bias against Fiats in the motoring press - some sort of hangover from the bad old days perhaps. I also find it strange that most branches of Halfords stock few, if any, Fiat spares (unless they happen to be common to other cars) despite the fact that they are the biggest car manufacturer in Europe, while the shelves are stuffed to the ceiling with almost every Eastern manufacturer's stuff.

I never touch Fords,Vauxhalls,or any of the other "mainstream" cars,the best bargains and buys are the ones people ignore,or have forgotten about.I suppose I have always driven "classics" as everyday cars,Manta's,Alfa Giuliettas,stuff like that..had a Lancia Dedra that was driven every day for 2 years,no rust,2 services,3 tyres and a replacement stepper motor on the injection system.Car cost me £52 to buy,and apart from the above items,it was 100% trouble free.Before that a Delta that was rescued from the scrappys,genuine 37000 miles, also 2 years truoble free.Then bought a 6 year old Nissan Primera,when I was going through a sensible streak,2 shocks,rear calipers,front discs,no power,and very boring to own.That car cost me £3000,and another £600 in repairs in 6 months-sold at a loss of £500.......never EVER again. Bought a cheap Merc from auction,did a lot of paint,and FULL service etc....then the cylinder head decided to crack...

Who says old Italian cars are unrelable?? NOT ME!!

This is sort of related, and interesting: Top 10:
Used cars under £500

Cinqi..................cinqucet.....those little fiats are great value. A great car for the money. I was looking on ebay recently for Panda 4X4 as the road out of our village is on an uphill incline and fun in the ice! Just needed something to pop to the shops . Always liked them.

Sorry, what were we talking about again? :roll: