If you purchased a brand new motor....

[Kevin Wood]

Loads of salt here. Guess we must have more BMW drivers.

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

I just go with the servicing schedule. If you buy at the right price you can justify to yourself (just about) that you have a bit of money in the pot for repairs.

Phaeton was new 8 years ago. I don't wash it or wax it myself  (well I did wax it myself 3 years ago following a VW day somewhere)- maybe it gets washed 6 times a year by others.

It looks like new and does the job. You can spend all the loving care you like on a car and it will still kick you in the teeth with something you cannot have predicted. Extract the maximum you can on extended warranty but depending on price you may be better just putting that money into a fund for future repairs.

Just take the hit on depreciation and make sure you are happy with that trade off as having had the new car experience.

I do like the Phaeton. I never cease to be amazed just how huge they are in the metal.

[pscocoa]

Tunnie maybe getting access to it this weekend with his VAGCOM

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

Tunnie maybe getting access to it this weekend with his VAGCOM

Sounds like an expensive bit of kit.

[Migv6 le Frog Fan]

I cant actually think of a new car I would want to own. All the ones I desire are quite elderly. 

[STEMO]

I cant actually think of a new car I would want to own. All the ones I desire are quite elderly. 

I have that trouble with women.

[New POD]

My father in Law bought a W reg mk4 astra 1.6 16V club new, and 19,000 miles and 15 years later it was as new.

Never go out if it might get wet
Never go out if the council might have salted the road
Never go out if the journey is less than 6 miles
Wash and dry and polish weekly
Check and record tyre pressures weekly.
Never go over 3000 RPM
Fit seat covers.4

Was Offered to various people in the family, and was eventually given to my son as his first car.  It's value in 2015 ?  No more than £1200. Value now with 45K on the clock ? £800 ?

My Dad bought a 51 reg focus 2.0 ghia estate new.

Never wash it. Or Polish it,
Use it what ever the weather
Drive like Colin Mcrae (Flat out)

By 2009 it had done 100,000 and looked like it had done 200,000

Was offered to me for more than I wanted to pay, and traded in for another new focus. for £1200

I think the only way to make it worth your while is to have something worth having and hold onto it for 30 years. Like maybe an RS focus or a GSI astra ?

[Viral_Jim]

I think the only way to make it worth your while is to have something worth having and hold onto it for 30 years. Like maybe an RS focus or a GSI astra ?

But that only works if you don't want to drive the bloody thing. I mean, even a paultry 2000 miles a year would make a car sub optimal by the age of 30+yrs. my father's e-type has done 78,000 miles in its 49yrs on this earth and he's responsible for over 1/3 of them in the last decade or so. The sad thing is, even he's not driving it much now due to the risk of damage and he's moving it on next year in favour of something more usable.

If you want a museum piece, buy a car and put it in a heated garage, drive it only to the MOT station and back and to whatever specialist you choose to maintain it.

Otherwise, take reasonable care of it, get your arse on the leather (trousers optional  ) and get it driven   

[2boxerdogs]

I think the only way to make it worth your while is to have something worth having and hold onto it for 30 years. Like maybe an RS focus or a GSI astra ?

But that only works if you don't want to drive the bloody thing. I mean, even a paultry 2000 miles a year would make a car sub optimal by the age of 30+yrs. my father's e-type has done 78,000 miles in its 49yrs on this earth and he's responsible for over 1/3 of them in the last decade or so. The sad thing is, even he's not driving it much now due to the risk of damage and he's moving it on next year in favour of something more usable.

If you want a museum piece, buy a car and put it in a heated garage, drive it only to the MOT station and back and to whatever specialist you choose to maintain it.

Otherwise, take reasonable care of it, get your arse on the leather (trousers optional  ) and get it driven   

You are so right the enjoyment comes from using cars & the memories of the drives, not cocooning them.

[BazaJT]

Paint and upholstery products are not bad,but wildly overpriced if buying from main dealer at time of car purchase.If you must go that route either haggle it into the deal for the car as a freebie,or buy the stuff later-even main dealer parts counters will sell you it for a whole lot less than the car salesman-and apply it yourself,it's not something you need any kind of special training to do.

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

I think the only way to make it worth your while is to have something worth having and hold onto it for 30 years. Like maybe an RS focus or a GSI astra ?

But that only works if you don't want to drive the bloody thing. I mean, even a paultry 2000 miles a year would make a car sub optimal by the age of 30+yrs. my father's e-type has done 78,000 miles in its 49yrs on this earth and he's responsible for over 1/3 of them in the last decade or so. The sad thing is, even he's not driving it much now due to the risk of damage and he's moving it on next year in favour of something more usable.

If you want a museum piece, buy a car and put it in a heated garage, drive it only to the MOT station and back and to whatever specialist you choose to maintain it.

Otherwise, take reasonable care of it, get your arse on the leather (trousers optional  ) and get it driven   

1968........So a 265 BHP 4.2 straight six then. How does the performance hold up today?

[Viral_Jim]

Good knowledge! On your bedroom wall as a boy? Sadly his is a fhc rather rag top, st the time he bought it they were similar money, now the drop top is worth 50% more. Also his arthritis makes the fhc less accessible.

In all honesty not bad. Driving experience is very different with the 4spd box. I don't drive it often (never risk breaking anything I can't afford to buy ) The torque makes the performance very accessible and is well equipped to Embarrass most of the mundane stuff on today's roads. Also fewer changes mean it has the edge on comparable manuals.

The likes of a golf r will have legs on it at low speed due to traction advantage but once it's rolling the lack of weight makes it very feisty.

Noise levels make it feel faster than it is.  I've tried calling people from the passenger seat but at anything over 45mph it's impossible.

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

Good knowledge! On your bedroom wall as a boy? Sadly his is a fhc rather rag top, st the time he bought it they were similar money, now the drop top is worth 50% more. Also his arthritis makes the fhc less accessible.

In all honesty not bad. Driving experience is very different with the 4spd box. I don't drive it often (never risk breaking anything I can't afford to buy ) The torque makes the performance very accessible and is well equipped to Embarrass most of the mundane stuff on today's roads. Also fewer changes mean it has the edge on comparable manuals.

The likes of a golf r will have legs on it at low speed due to traction advantage but once it's rolling the lack of weight makes it very feisty.

The big 160 MPH  speedo and rev counter still look great today.


Noise levels make it feel faster than it is.  I've tried calling people from the passenger seat but at anything over 45mph it's impossible.

Yep.....still pretty quick today.  Back in 1968 when the roads were full of Morris Oxfords and the odd Ford Anglia the E-Type must have felt like the Saturn 5.

The old twin cam 6 cylinder lump (3.4/3.8/4.2 was known for plenty of low down torque.

[dbug]

Wish I had kept the '61 3.8 DHC E Type I had late 60s - better engine IMO than the later 4.2 - actually produced the same power as the 4.2

[Doctor Gollum]

Take it to the States to sell, should see good money