Cheers everyone
I have really enjoyed OOF and really appreciated the huge level of help and advice received.
In my 89 cars, OOF has been the absolute best club/forum of the lot and has been a great help.
My circumstances and mileage just meant an Omega was not viable-I soldiered on with it until it began to start making my family suffer due to time, money and worry.
I suppose that really I should have stuck with my original plan to keep with my little hatchback for my high mileage and have the Omega as the second car for my wife and Poland runs.
What actually happened was that the cheap Omega had issues and sorting it meant selling the other car and using the money from that to get it right. That meant that my wife has lost her car and I have put 10,000 miles on a 10 year old car in a few months, all at 23-30mpg, which more than doubled our original costs for BOTH of our little 55+ mpg cars TOGETHER! When I factored in the cost of tax, insurance, ££££repairs, plus the time issues of keeping an older car tiptop for my high usage, it did not work. Add in to this my wife having to walk everywhere and do shopping with a toddler, the Omega had to go.
In 2007 I bought a brand new Perodua Myvi 1.3SXi, which is basically a Daihatsu Sirion but made in Malaysia by a Toyota company. I ran it for 6 months, then sold it to my Parents who have run it until now without issue and kept it tiptop.
They have been so impressed with it, they ordered another identical new one, so part-exed theirs. I hopped into the deal and matched the p-ex price with the Omega and some extra cash and simply bought it back.
Christ, I know most Omega owners will giggle, but the Myvi is my type of car; unassuming, economical, reliable, well specced and easy to live with. I need to jump into something and drive under great work pressure without adding to it with car issues or fuel cost worries.
Sad fact is, if covering 10,000 miles+ pa, it is cheaper to buy a 50+mpg newish car (wisely) with low tax than soldier on with an older car. After 55,000 miles and 3 years, my Myvi which cost new £6300 fetched £3000 px price, so only a loss of £1100 per year, plus 5 sub-£100 services, 2 tyres and a set of front brake pads.
Factor in the included 3 yr warranty and 2 yr breakdown, plus no MOT, plus 50++mpg, £110 tax, low insurance etc it is about as cheap as motoring can be-especially if you consider our family's higher mileages.
I liked the Omega, love OOF, but after 87 previous cars, I could not justify the immense fuel cost, tax cost, insurance, let alone my ridiculous amount of repairs to make the car "right". In context, a short term lease on a diesel S-Class would have worked out cheaper
I do hope the dealer I px-ed it into finds the right buyer for the Omega-someone who wants a comfortable executive car which can tow well and does not do that many miles. They will have a superb car!
Heartfelt thanks to all who have supported, advised and consoled over the last few months
OOF-the best forum/club in the known world