Am I mad? 80 miles per day in a 1.8 petrol

Ive done 30,000 miles pa in V8 automatic petrols for the last 5 years running.

No man points for a 1.8 4 pot im afraid :p
 
MilanoChris said:
It's not really the economy that bothers me, I make money on anything over 22mpg, it's the frequent servicing that puts me off. I can rarely get booked in on a weekend which means I have to take a day of work. I'm a contractor and that means I lose my daily rate for that day, plus I have to pay for a service on top. In addition, I don't like putting too many miles on it.
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Fair enough, I was just pulling your leg really.

I get what you mean though. The problem I find is that if I drive a car for a couple of hours a day every day of the week then when the weekend comes I don't have that desire to give it a blast down the coast or take a trip just for the sake of it. That is why I'm keeping my MX5 for sunny days and getting a commuter box for the daily game of follow the leader to and from work.
 
Sorry for the lack of updates - had a bit of a mad weekend!
Took the car out to some local twisties on Sunday, I have to say the power delivery for a 1.8 is brilliant, and handling is also very good. With the engine only weighing around 90kg the front end isn't overly heavy like it was on my old ZS diesel.
Well worth a look if you're after a cheap hatchback that's not insanely boring - I genuinely enjoy driving it.
 
No offence but if you're on a wage that is close to minimum wage then ditching that job and taking one that is minimum wage, much closer to home has to work out financially.

i.e 80 miles per day @ say 35mpg is circa £70 a week * 48 weeks = £3491

Allow for tax and NI and the salary increase over a job closer to home you need just to make that even out is around
£4.4k (using a crude +25%)

even if we allow say £20-30 a week for some travel costs to work closer to home you're still needing £2.5-3k extra just to be taking the same amount home.

We aren't even touching on the extra servicing / insurance costs you're adding to these already fragile cars

It just doesn't add up. Don't get me wrong I worked 35 miles from home in my first "proper" job for not a lot of cash, but I only done that in the knowledge that I'd be getting a specific skillset that would eventually pay me significantly more - it sounds like you just want any job whilst you follow up on your own interests.


I know it's not neccesarily easy to just go out there and get a job, but the lowest paying ones are generally the easiest to get.......

*edited figures to reflect a lower salary a bit better*
 
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Ok - you talk about starting your own business though? The two don't really go together, which are you commiting to?

Given the salary moving closer and ditching some of the scrapheaps has to be an option too?
 
rodenal said:
Ok - you talk about starting your own business though? The two don't really go together, which are you commiting to?

Given the salary moving closer and ditching some of the scrapheaps has to be an option too?
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My partner manages my sideline of MG Rover parts, while I work in the day.

It's a good bit of extra income, but I can't see it paying for my entire lifestyle so I'm also holding down my day job.
Can't move away, grandparents and other family are here. 600 is off the road, not insured or taxed so costing nothing.
 
Yes you are mad, but not for the reason you suggested in the thread title, you're mad because you keep buying old Rovers that seem to break to a schedule :-/ mad as a hatter.
 
Done around 800 miles so far, seems a solid buy. Front exhaust has a slight leak at the flexi, but they're only £48 from CP4Less so no biggie.

I will be back in the 600 - as much as I love how revvy the K Series is, it's not for me in the long term. I miss my sunroof and A/C. :p
Put together a list of everything I'm aware of being worn on the 600, and it's not going to be an easy/cheap job but will be worth it.

As for a loan, I'd rather own something outright. With a bit of cash the 600 will be lovely, in all honesty it's not too bad now, just showing it's miles a little. Shockers feel worn, clutch feels worn, syncros feel worn... you get the picture. At 164k it's acceptable. :)
 
Why not have the best of both worlds and just buy a nice spec MG ZS? One which can be kept for a while and that you can truly enjoy? I honestly think it's a better idea than faffing with the old 600, and you'll enjoy it more. :)
 
Howard said:
Why not have the best of both worlds and just buy a nice spec MG ZS? One which can be kept for a while and that you can truly enjoy? I honestly think it's a better idea than faffing with the old 600, and you'll enjoy it more. :)
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I love the ZS, don't get me wrong. I had that diseasel ZS for about 2 years, and really enjoyed driving it.
The problem is the comfort - although the ZS is a perfectly acceptable car, the 600 has a full leather interior (door cards and everything, they went to town!) and the seats are so much more supportive.

All of the issues I have with it are purely down to age - it's not had much spent on it in the past.
I'll have the handling abilities back, as I've managed to find some Bilstein coilovers for it for £60 (friend breaking his).

If I could find a ZS that wasn't silly money that ticked all the boxes, I'd give it a go. The problem being the later ones are built awfully, the Mk2 really suffered from cost cutting. On the Mk1 specification is incredibly spartan, with some not even having A/C and rear electric windows always being an option, not standard.

When you find a nice Mk1 diesel with all-round electric windows and a sunroof with A/C, the seller assumes it's worth £100,000. Not a fun situation to be in. :)

The logic behind the decision is that I feel at home in the 600, can improve the handling for not a lot of outlay, and parts are plentiful and cheap. I also have a freshly rebuilt gearbox and 5,000 mile old clutch to go on, again from my friend's 600.

Muffin` said:
You'll go round in circles, convincing a fanboy on the breadline that there are better options just isn't worth it, it's sunny out :cool:
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Not so much on the breadline, just not a lot of disposable income. We spend money in other areas - hence not wanting to dip into that for fuel.
The odd pub night / meal out is more important to me than hooning to work and back in a petrol engined car.
 
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