Chopping in...

Solari · 16 Mar 2009 at 16:38

I'm looking at chopping in the Golf in, probably around May/June/July, and due to the fact that I won't be moving for a bit (waiting for property prices to settle), I'm going to have to go for something reasonably inconspicuous at about the 14-15K mark - I don't have a driveway where I am at the moment and the car has to be parked on the street.

I know this will raise howls of agony and probably a bit of anti-VW jeering, but I'm toying with chopping my car in for a mk5 R32. There seems to be some pretty good scope for bagging one quite a bit below the crazy prices that have been the norm up until lately.

Other stuff I've looked at on t'interweb are Audi S3s, and E46 3 series bimmers (like this) but I have my reservations.... The Audis look a bit "old man" to me and the back end of the bimmer just looks a bit "meh" IMO (although the rest is lovely)

Bleh... Funny how circumstances can change and ruin plans!

Ideas/comments/insults?

Dunks · 16 Mar 2009 at 16:47

Solari said:
and E46 3 series bimmers (like this)

What? That's not an E46.

Solari · 16 Mar 2009 at 16:48

DunK1 said:
What? That's not an E46.

D'oh, I know sod all about Beemers but it's in the E46 section of PH..

Was 2006 an overlap year between models? I thought that must have been some sort of mega-facelift comparing it to the older ones

Obviously I fail...

Dunks · 16 Mar 2009 at 16:51

Solari said:
D'oh, I know sod all about Beemers but it's in the E46 section of PH.. Was 2006 an overlap year between models? I thought that must have been some sort of mega-facelift comparing it to the older ones

Not sure, E46 production did stop in 2006 iirc, but that's still an E90.

Guess it's just the way Pistonheads has the dates on the sections.

LiE · 16 Mar 2009 at 16:52

How about one of these: http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/856853.htm or maybe this? http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/927903.htm

Some food for thought.

InvaderGIR · 16 Mar 2009 at 16:53

DunK1 said:
Not sure, E46 production did stop in 2006 iirc, but that's still an E90. Guess it's just the way Pistonheads has the dates on the sections.

I think it's people putting them into the wrong sections to get more attention.

This is an e46. Also a few forum members have them mrk's for example is here.

Dunks · 16 Mar 2009 at 16:59

Isn't £16k entering E46 M3 territory?

Solari · 16 Mar 2009 at 17:01

msm722 said:
How about one of these: http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/856853.htm or maybe this? http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/927903.htm

Some food for thought.

I thought that 130 was a wind-up until I did some research. :eek:

Really not keen on them though. The Cupra is nice, not keen on the colour however.... That's got the cogs clunking away

InvaderGIR · 16 Mar 2009 at 17:02

DunK1 said:
Isn't £16k entering E46 territory?

From a quick browse of PH, it's e46 M3 territory.

Dunks · 16 Mar 2009 at 17:02

InvaderGIR said:
From a quick browse of PH, it's e46 M3 territory.

Yup, is what I meant.

Post edited.

Fropome · 16 Mar 2009 at 17:04

Solari · 16 Mar 2009 at 17:42

DunK1 said:
Isn't £16k entering E46 M3 territory?

Hardly "reasonably inconspicuous" though

I'm still not sure on the aesthetics to be honest - to me the front end on those E46s are starting to look a little dated. I'd probably ditch an M3 anyway tbh

paradigm · 16 Mar 2009 at 17:58

I don't think you can get more inconspicuous than a MK4 golf.

Solari · 16 Mar 2009 at 18:00

paradigm said:
I don't think you can get more inconspicuous than a MK4 golf.

The trouble being that I'm bored with it

Since I got it, 3 others, in the same colour as mine have popped up around my way... a 1.8T, a 1.6 and a 2.0

Feels like my car is a clitoris... ie: every ****'s got one

paradigm · 16 Mar 2009 at 18:01

So, you want an inconspicuous car that no-one else owns one of...

does not compute.

Solari · 16 Mar 2009 at 18:03

paradigm said:
So, you want an inconspicuous car that no-one else owns one of...

does not compute.

"reasonably inconspicuous"... not many people would bat an eyelid at an R32 for example, whereas a Boxster S would attract a lot of attention. :confused:

eidolon · 16 Mar 2009 at 18:45

Solari said:
"reasonably inconspicuous"... not many people would bat an eyelid at an R32 for example, whereas a Boxster S would attract a lot of attention.

I'd have said the opposite. One of the reasons I'm considering a Boxster S is because it's inconspicious, there's loads of them around so nobody bats an eyelid.

Solari · 16 Mar 2009 at 18:50

eidolon said:
I'd have said the opposite. One of the reasons I'm considering a Boxster S is because it's inconspicious, there's loads of them around so nobody bats an eyelid.

Hrm... I'd have thought that Joe Public would look at an R32 and think "Oh, a Golf".

I suppose it depends on the area you live in - I'd not be comfortable parking a Boxster S out on my street, unfortunately.

People do have some reasonably nice motors up my road and there's been no trouble really but getting anything too out-of the ordinary relative to everything else is just tempting fate IMO

Another tempting factor Bimmer-side is that I can probably get a decent deal through a mate of a mate who works at a dealership.

InvaderGIR · 16 Mar 2009 at 20:13

I'd say 330Ci (less conspicuous) or M3 personally. Most people will just see them as 'a bmw' so won't really care, there are loads of M3s about these days.