gthyni Posted January 28, 2006 Posted January 28, 2006 the optimal combo would be a real Piaggio car, a van: or a pickup:
Paul Minnaert Posted January 28, 2006 Posted January 28, 2006 Well, for a car I have a different selection crirteria then for a bike. It should be comfortable and economic. So this is my third Volvo. A V40 2.0 automatic on gpl. Owning a car is throwing away money, the way they depreciate is awfull. I like alfas too, but they depreciate more then I want to pay.
velofish Posted January 28, 2006 Posted January 28, 2006 Had a 2003 VW GTI 1.8 turbo. Great fun and economical to run. The warranty ran out at 50 k and the electronics started to go completly haywire at 53k. All the dash lights lit up like a pachinko machine on the way to the dealer to trade it in and it wouldn't go faster than 55mph or so. Stopped to pop the hood and take a look. What a complicated horror-- I assume the big metallic thingy in the middle under the big plastic thingy was the motor thingy. Gently closed the hood and said a little agnostic prayer-- Dear odin/zeus/yahweh, just make it run until I can unload it. That did the trick. It ran fine during the trade-in negotiations. I suspect that modern mechanics have extensive electronic diagnostic equipment and full snap-on rollaways, but most of the real work is done by on-site shamans reading goat entrails and performing aromatherapy on bi-polar black boxes. Bought a Nissan Frontier truck with 4 wheel drive. Hope it runs forever. fish
DeBenGuzzi Posted January 28, 2006 Posted January 28, 2006 Had a 2003 VW GTI 1.8 turbo. Great fun and economical to run. The warranty ran out at 50 k and the electronics started to go completly haywire at 53k. All the dash lights lit up like a pachinko machine on the way to the dealer to trade it in and it wouldn't go faster than 55mph or so. Stopped to pop the hood and take a look. What a complicated horror-- I assume the big metallic thingy in the middle under the big plastic thingy was the motor thingy. Gently closed the hood and said a little agnostic prayer-- Dear odin/zeus/yahweh, just make it run until I can unload it. That did the trick. It ran fine during the trade-in negotiations. I suspect that modern mechanics have extensive electronic diagnostic equipment and full snap-on rollaways, but most of the real work is done by on-site shamans reading goat entrails and performing aromatherapy on bi-polar black boxes. Bought a Nissan Frontier truck with 4 wheel drive. Hope it runs forever. fish 76240[/snapback] the only ones that run forever are the ones with less electronics, look at guzzi's basically in the stone age but go till youre in the ground. Same deal for cars they used to last a long time but they were all mechanical and made of steel now electrical and made of alum it sucks I want a car that will actually go longer than 3 years(without a costly problem) but they just aren't available. Your VW sounds like it was in "safe mode" which means some sensor went haywire and it doesn't let the car hurt itself or think it might hurt itself and goes into safe mode I think it has to do with the turbo controller friend of mine worked for vw now audi and has the 1.8t he loves it but the stuff he has gone wrong with it are easy as sin for him to fix, you or me?, yeah we'd be screwed.
Guest AdamofKC Posted January 28, 2006 Posted January 28, 2006 Hmmm... seems like Saab owners here are just as rare as Guzzi owners in the middle of the US. I just recently purchased a '99 Saab 9-3 SE, and so far, I absolutely love it. Best car I have ever owned and I intend to keep it for a very long time. When I went to the dealership to get a $32 problem fixed (I'm not mechanically inclined), I was introduced to a '96 900 with over 321K miles on the odo and it looked in pretty much show room condition! 5 speed manual, 200 hp turbo 2.0L Four, 4 door hatch with a shit-load of cargo space. More passenger and cargo room, in fact, than my fiance's brothers Caddy ETC. My bike on the otherhand is quite different from my car. '04 Kymco Venox 250. Not the most incredible bike for long distances but absolutely WONDERFUL for my daily commute during the late spring/late summer. Big shout out to the previous and current Saab owners! All hail the turbo charger and torque steer!
velofish Posted January 28, 2006 Posted January 28, 2006 Former Saab owner here-- 1985 900 turbo SPG. I loved that car. Bought it used with about 150k miles and it ran great until the GF wrecked it. A fast little tank. Deben, I agree with you entirely. My favorite all-time car was a 1968 Mercedes 250S sedan. The windshield fluid button was a little pump on the floor that stuck up through the pedal that actuated the wipers. Push the pedal down far enough to hit the fluid button and voila! Like a big squirt gun. Now that was technology that even I could understand-- kinda guzzi-like. fish
DeBenGuzzi Posted January 28, 2006 Posted January 28, 2006 Hmmm... seems like Saab owners here are just as rare as Guzzi owners in the middle of the US. I just recently purchased a '99 Saab 9-3 SE, and so far, I absolutely love it. Best car I have ever owned and I intend to keep it for a very long time. When I went to the dealership to get a $32 problem fixed (I'm not mechanically inclined), I was introduced to a '96 900 with over 321K miles on the odo and it looked in pretty much show room condition! 5 speed manual, 200 hp turbo 2.0L Four, 4 door hatch with a shit-load of cargo space. More passenger and cargo room, in fact, than my fiance's brothers Caddy ETC. My bike on the otherhand is quite different from my car. '04 Kymco Venox 250. Not the most incredible bike for long distances but absolutely WONDERFUL for my daily commute during the late spring/late summer. Big shout out to the previous and current Saab owners! All hail the turbo charger and torque steer! 76260[/snapback] I love Saabs but they are natorious for being extremely expensive to fix, not to mention buy(get a BMW or Lexus for same $$) I think in a few years ,maybe even now, it'll come down a little being under the GM umbrela but then under GM I think other problems will come into play here.
Guest AdamofKC Posted January 29, 2006 Posted January 29, 2006 Expensive..... ugh... yea, that's what I've heard. The 30k mile mechanical check is said to cost somewhere between $500 and $700. I don't have that kind of money to pay off at once, but since I have about 8,000 miles left until I have to get it done, thats plenty of time to get a credit card to help pay this thing off easier. I tell you one thing about the Saab though, is that I'm the only person at my job who has one, I only know one other person who owns one and I feel like I'm in an elite group of drivers since not everyone has a Saab, as compared to a Mercedes or BMW. Not that they are bad cars, I've driven a BMW 328i and a M-B C320 hatch, but they seem to be everywhere! Porsches seem to be just as common as Saabs, too.
Beuphonium Posted January 29, 2006 Posted January 29, 2006 Salutations: I've got a small collection of MGB's to match the bike collection.. at least they're from the same continent... - Joe K 84 Guzzi V65SP 04 Guzzi V11 Cafe Sport 73 / 73 / 78 / 80 MGB
gthyni Posted January 29, 2006 Posted January 29, 2006 Big shout out to the previous and current Saab owners! All hail the turbo charger and torque steer! My first car was a 1965 Saab 96 two-stroke, bought it for 55 euro in 1980, had it for three years and sold it for the same amount. Being a swedish car you can buy cheap SAAB parts at your local petrol station over here.
Ballacraine Posted January 29, 2006 Posted January 29, 2006 2002 Mercedes Benz A170 LWB. Previous car was a 2000 SWB..... Yes, I really do like them. As our kiddies are growing we needed more room. I don't like big cars so I think I have hit a pretty good compromise. I was tempted by the M series SUV, and the wife and kids said they wanted a seven seater. Sure it would flatter the ego, but that would be about the limit of the advantages. I said no. Ninety percent of the time I will be the only one in it so I am not thundering around at twenty mpg or less in one of those battleships. For the cost of one tyre on that I can replace the entire set on the car I have. I get 50+ mpg and the ride is good on the LWB. They are a much maligned great little car.....I am happy about that really, 'cos I can buy 'em cheaper! Nige.
jihem Posted January 29, 2006 Posted January 29, 2006 2002 Mercedes Benz A170 LWB. 76346[/snapback] samo samo, except mine is even "sweeter"; it's my wife's company car I really hate spending $ on a four wheeler to be honest. The A class Merco is such a nice little bugger that we' ll get a new one in a few weeks.
tikkanen Posted January 29, 2006 Posted January 29, 2006 We're a Ford family as my father in law (RIP) was the head wrench at a Ford garage. Wifey: Ford Mondeo 2.0 TDCI Stationcar (DIESEL!!) Mio: Ford Focus 2.0 Stationcar (PETROl!!) Sons: Ford Escort 1.1 from 1985 My wife is about to change car and she won't have a Ford again. I'm trying to persuade her to buy an Alfa Romeo - either the 159 or the sexy Brera.... See the 159 See the Brera Cheers Søren
John in Leeds Posted January 30, 2006 Posted January 30, 2006 From now on it is Toyota, Toyota, Toyota...wish they made motorcycles. 76053[/snapback] Baby Toyota arriving after 8 years of Toyota Rav4, nothing has ever gone wrong with it. It's just crap to drive. The little Aygo is a Toyota Citroen/Peugeot hybrid, if we get Toyota reliability with the French feel it will be great. Main workhorse is VW Caravelle 8 really comfy seats that take out, 35 mpg, carries bikes, families, camping, tools and tows caravan, what a great machine, love it. and for the shopping
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