Re: Modern Cars.

Yes, there's not much else to do to maintain the modern car Floydy. However, there's also the fact that nobody can do anything else with regard to servicing as it's impossible these days. Anything else is subject to hourly labour rates of £100 an hour, not exactly affordable for anyone on the basic State Pension of £155 a week. OK when you are working and earning but when on a small pension it's very much a different story.

Re: Modern Cars.

You're right, Baz. I wasn't really talking about the money aspect - I don't have very much myself working in my meagrely-paid desperate job.
I understand that it's more expensive these days to do it yourself because everything is linked up electronically to an inbuilt computer and it isn't just the expense, it's having the tools and know-how to perform repairs yourself. I haven't a clue about any of that and costly as it is, my car is essential to get me to work and so needs to be maintained.

You could argue though that an older car would be just as expensive to maintain because more things would probably go wrong with it causing repairs to be needed more often, so it's a catch-22 situation really. I take the benefit of the doubt option and drive a newer car for peace of mind. The only way I was able to buy one was from inheritance. before this one, I've always had them on finance or driven bangers.

Re: Modern Cars.

I agree with Bruce, Asian cars compare very well with
Euro cars on the reliability question, and on the running
costs and affordability front out score euro cars by a wide
margin!
I suppose in the uk this difference is not so evident due to
the tarriffs imposed by eu on imports from outside the eu.
If we ever get out of eu this should change!

Regards Donkeyman!

Re: Modern Cars.

You had wipers?

I can remember the windscreen washer being a rubber button on the floor which you pushed with your foot.

Re: Modern Cars.

I recall, note only recall as it was in my grandfather's ancient car, the wipers being operated with a piece of string in through the driver's window pulled up and down!

That car also had 'floorboards', real wooden ones that lifted right up one day when he drove through floodwater in a dip in the road! All the fun and games of the days when there was no technology at all and hardly any basics either!

As for any ignition method for starting the car – that old car was started with a starting handle, woe betide you if you cranked it wrongly as it could easily break your wrist!

Re: Modern Cars.

You had it lucky! My dad had to throw a cup of tea on his windscreen from his side window

Re: Modern Cars.

Yes, luckily, I'm not quite that old.

Talking of strings through the window, the accelerator pedal snapped off on my Dolomite. To get home, I had a piece of string tied to the accelerator, on the carb, which through the bonnet grill and I accelerated by hand to get me home.

Re: Modern Cars.

Hi

Cars are cars, a means of transport for me and my fishing tackle.

I buy ex works cars and run them until they die.

Depreciation , I buy for cash and put £30 a week into an account and buy another one when they die.

I have absolutely no interest in driving a flash car or impressing anyone.

I have far more important things to spend my money on.

Re: Modern Cars.

When I started to drive petrol was 4 gal for a pound , non of this ltr measurement rubbish back then.The pound was a note Not a coin

Re: Modern Cars.

Remember when they said petrol would never be more than £2 per gallon?