Game for a laugh-----------Need to change car!! Arnold Clark or Car Craft?

[heliosuk]

OK regular posters here we go!

 

Little starship Saxo hit 200,000 miles today and is going in for MOT tomorrow. Expect a couple of issues to fix which are usually carried out FOC for me. Well looked after and runs on LPG as well which most garages will shy away from.Tempted to keep it and see what I can get out of it without resorting to "triggers broom scenario"!!

 

OH or LHO north or the border says I have permission to go and get a replacement within a set budget.

 

Haven't had much sport lately so thought this might be an opportune time!

 

Should i try out the cracking deals and after service at Sir Arnolds and car craft purport to offer?

 

Will report back experiences.

 

What say you all?

[scaniaman]

Well Heliosuk, cant imagine you getting shot of the Saxo as it has done well by you. Seeking a new car from either of the firms you mention would indeed be "Sport". Arnold Clark---"You Can't Be Serious". I would love to be present when you completely demoralise their salesman with your superior automotive knowledge---fresh pants required!!

I was speaking to an ex-employee today who recently bought a £7,500 car from AC. There has been a door problem with it since day 1, and he stupidly accepted the offer of a second hand door from them. Even at that, he has been chasing them up for months for this door--still no joy--just the usual empty promises. "Promises Delivered????"

What was interesting about the conversation was that when he spoke to the sales manager, who had had his own motor sales business, he stated that the good thing about working for AC was that after you sold a car, you didn't have to bother with it again. !!!!!

[MARTIN3030]

he stated that the good thing about working for AC was that after you sold a car, you didn't have to bother with it again. !!!!!

 

Can well believe that train of thought.........

Maybe tell AC that you are a contributor on CAG-we should be asking for commission for all the advertising they get on here.

 

No doubt Tommy will be here to give his expertise / opinions:roll:

[heliosuk]

I expect I'll need the services of a solicitor Martin!!

 

Seriously though, little starship sailed through MOT but have concerns about a slight vibration which "we" think might be an ovality of the crank starting to manifest itself.

 

Thing is a new mechanic there remarked on how good it looked for a Saxo and when shown the mileage virtually keeled over. I love the car as it fits my needs and does what I want when I want it and is dirt cheap to run but do I spend a couple of grand on it and now target 350K miles or try something different. I have a 5K budget.

[MARTIN3030]

Yes this is always a difficult one.

I think if you know a cars history,then that counts for a lot.

My old j reg BMW 520i has 225,000k miles on the clock.

I bought it off ebay 5 years ago for 800 quid.

It was ex sales rep and came with all history including original £20k+ sales invoice.

Having family in the trade has meant that anything needed doing has been done without worrying about big bills.

Aside from usual servicing its had 2 rear springs and shocks,new battery,ignition switch,radiator expansion tank,tyres,and a cam belt & tensioner.

I have thought about getting something a bit newer,but think as long as this is doing the job then I dont really see the need.

I have always had Audi/VW in the past since I knew the cars having worked on them-this I think also counts for a lot.

If you are happy to keep the Saxo and it does all that you need and want from it,then why not investigate the noise and spend some money on that ?

We used to do a lot of Beetles in the 70s and early 80s,and other customers of Mk1 Golfs Sciroccos and Polos would question why anyone would spend a couple of hundred quid on a Beetle engine overhaul ?

Thing is that they didnt understand that their cars would be in the scrapyards long before the Beetles.-and it was just economic sense if you wanted to keep motoring in your beloved car.

The beauty of it was that the car was easy to work on,cheap to maintain,and did everything you asked of it.Rather like your Saxo.

Todays motors need specialist tooling,the parts are not cheap,diagnosing faults can often mean fixing things that dont need fixing before you actually get to the fault etc etc as you well know.

 

My 20p then is that you should keep your trusty Saxo and keep some of that 5k for other needs.

[CRH71]

FWIW, I second Martin's thoughts.

 

When circumstances changed last year, I needed an estate car and only one would do it for me - a BMW E34, because of the sheer amount of space in it.

 

When I went to view it, the seller was doing his level best to dissuade me from it (the mileage was rather high for a 96 car at 226,000) but, knowing the model as I do, it didn't dissuade me at all. In fact, the mileage has continued to rack up apace and the car's proven to be everything I'd ever expected of it. Here's to getting her to 300,000!

 

Like Martin's, it had been maintained "on the button" from day one of it's life, and the last owner had at 8 years/105,000 miles out of it without any more than normal wear and tear problems.

 

If your little Saxo is otherwise good, then why on earth not treat it to a rebuilt engine? You're obviously in the trade, so why not grab yourself a decent secondhand engine and spend some time and money rebuilding it for the car - they're not overly-complicated engines to do, and the parts are plentiful and cheap. That way, you keep mobile whilst the new engine's getting prepared, then it's just around a day's work to swap the "old" for the "new" (the LPG stuff, I guess is all on the inlet manifold, so just swap manifolds between the two), take the opportunity to fit a new clutch, water[pump, cambelt and tensioners (much easier with the lump out of the car...) and in return, you get your cracking little car back, in extremely good mechanical order for an investment of well under £1,000. A car you know, and trust, and you can say, hand on heart, will last you another two journeys round the clock without any more major issues.

 

Go for another car and you're opening up a whole new can of worms - how do you know it's been looked after properly, driven with consideration, serviced when due, with the correct specification fluids? Simple answer is, you don't. I've had a bad experience with a different "sub-prime car dealer" and wouldn't ever give them the benefit of my hard-earned money again.

 

Just my 20p-worth on the debate. I'd say stick with what you know and trust. You know where you stand with the Saxo. If you were sitting here stating that it needed welding, a gearbox and an engine, as well as possibly an interior, then that's an entirely different matter.

[Conniff]

I know a man in Nigeria who will do you a good deal - he will even deliver it free of charge.

 

If you have any doubt about changing it, then just change the bearing shells, clean the strainer and you'll probably get another 100 thou out of the old girl.

[heliosuk]

I have considered a re ring and shell change connif but think thats a bit like the "triggers broom" scenario. I've now insured the starship so that I can get it home if and when it goes pop.It's obviously down on power a bit and starting to burn a bit of oil. I have no complaints about it whatsoever but then it has been treated like a baby as does most of the machinery in my care.

 

The handling of the car is so precise you can anticipate exactly what it will do, infact I often state to others I work with that if you can make the car perform on an equivalent basis they it could only be described as perfect.

 

The problem I have is that it is now outdated and despite running on LPG diesels have overtaken it as have some petrol engined cars in terms of MPG.

 

I'm pretty sure I can take it to 300K with ease but I don't have the time or inclination to do so. So have made an appointment with AL to go and look at some cars tomorrow for research benefits!!

[lasertung]

Fit kine o' noansense is is? Gaen tae AL the morn tae look it cars!!!! If Scaniaman funs oot aboot is he'll cae yur block aff. How tae win freends an influence people--is must be a wind up surely. Tic care Manny.

[heliosuk]

Well I visited AL and wanted to look at two cars. One was seriously over priced by £2K but looked like a good car. When told he just walked off. Also asked to look at the workshops which was met with a big no, no. Really didn't seem interested halfway through. The bloke didn't listen to what my requirements were.

Now compare this to local S***roen dealer who after receiving an online enquiry wants to bring a car for me to use for the day, new or used at my convenience.

 

Is it any wonder why AL don't win customer service awards and that I would alledge the award they did get was as a result of their advertising spend.

 

I spent two hours at that dealership and frankly could not see anything that I considered realistic value for money and given the reputation of said firm on CAG perhaps vindicates all who have complained against them.

 

A wholly unprofessional establishment which gave me no confidence in them as a company able to look after my requirements.

 

So we'll try the next one a bit further down the road and see what that turns up.

[scaniaman]

Well Heliosuk, pity you didn't visit a Larkie garage today. This is the end of the month, (TARGETS??) and on arrival at site you would likely have been pounced upon by two salesmen---like Aligators after a piece of meat.

In trying to enhance their sales at the last minute, you should have been able to drive a good bargin---possibly not a good car!!!LOL

[Rob S]

Is it worth the risk of buying a car from dealers who have a bad reputation, or are you just intending to go along to the dealers and have a bit of sport with the salesmen before a tactical withdrawal and purchasig from somewhere with a better reputation?