"KatzManDu" (KatzManDu)
04/28/2015 at 06:59 • Filed to: None
2
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"KatzManDu" (KatzManDu)
04/28/2015 at 06:59 • Filed to: None | 2
| 28 |
Here, have a flat-black Citroen SM for your time and troubles.
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My wife is usually super-supported of my automotive stupidity. However, with my push for a 2nd car now that we’re in Belgium things have changed somewhat.
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I’ve posted gobs before — I have a simple mission. I want a car I can daily-drive the 7km commute to work and then not be embarrassed about taking out for a lap around Spa or Brands Hatch or Sarthe or whatever. A car older than 1989 helps with Belgian taxes, which can sometimes exceed the value of the car.
With kids I need four seats. And cheap wins out, too. So a Porsche 944 or 924 or similar wins out. But for some reason my wife does not appreciate the Porsche 944.
I then figured we could go vintage hot-hatch. 1st generation VW GTIs are “stupid” expensive. And the Peugeot 205 GTI doesn’t float her boat, either.
Then let’s venture into GT cars. I found Peugeot 504s that need work. For the uninitiated, here is what a 504 Coupe looks like:
The 504s I found need a little too much TLC, and frankly would be a little slow around a track or for a weekend fun hill climb.
I think I have her sold on a Jag XJS. Fast, comfortable, V12, future-classic. I can eternally wrench on it, and can also swap in an manual transmission as an expensive/fun project. The entry cost is pretty low for ones that need TLC (2000 Euros.) We shall see what we shall see. I’ve never been this frustrated with a domestic vehicle situation. Which if this is the worst thing going on in our marriage, we have little to complain about.
BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
> KatzManDu
04/28/2015 at 07:22 |
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Where do your automotive tendencies lie? Brits, Italians, French, Germans, Swedish, Japanese, American?
Personally, I would be utterly miserable if it was prohibitively expensive to have more than one car...
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KatzManDu
> BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
04/28/2015 at 07:24 |
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I’m an American living overseas in Belgium. I’m used to having a two car garage. Right now I have street parking. It’s not quite prohibitively expensive to own a second car; it’s prohibitively expensive to own specific cars, and logistically difficult to park more than one car given our current living arrangements. A Maserati bi-Turbo would also be fun, but I’ve never owned one and am scared of the maintenance (but less scared of the maintenance on a V12 Jag? WTF is wrong with me?)
As far as tendencies go? I’ve owned Corvettes (C1, C4, C5), Audis (B5 S4, C5 Allroad, D2 A8) and BMWs (E39 M5, E39 520d, currently.) I’ve had a Cadillac or two and a Range Rover and even Volvos. I have not done anything with Japanese cars. Part of being in Europe would mean exploring Euro cars that are not available in the USA, which would make something like a Peugeot 205 GTI a shoe-in.
505Turbeaux
> KatzManDu
04/28/2015 at 07:31 |
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A Jag V12 is cheap here and cheap there. Try putting gas in one for a while at fuel prices over there...
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KatzManDu
> 505Turbeaux
04/28/2015 at 07:32 |
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True, but I can always go LPG conversion, which is readily available here and puts cost per mile pretty low.
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505Turbeaux
> KatzManDu
04/28/2015 at 07:34 |
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ha then have ZERO trunk left. Jags I love, but get yourself an XJS with the 6 cylinder or an XJ40 sedan. The V12 is a good motor, but I prefer the simplicity and balance of the 6ers alot more.
duurtlang
> KatzManDu
04/28/2015 at 07:37 |
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If you’re interested in something less iconic but still absolutely fantastic to drive, check out
this very original 306 GTI
. Not expensive either, rather cheap actually. It will be fun to throw around a track as well. Not nearly as
adventurous
as a XJS though.
TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut
> KatzManDu
04/28/2015 at 07:42 |
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Tricky electrics on those XJSs, but lovely cars all the same.
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KatzManDu
> 505Turbeaux
04/28/2015 at 07:50 |
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Fair enough. But 12 cylinders! Also, most LPG tanks seem to be the same size as the spare. And/or could go under the rear seat (I don’t know about the inside of a Jag interior, though.) If I get a “donut” spare I think LPG in a V12 XJS would be do-able.
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KatzManDu
> TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut
04/28/2015 at 07:51 |
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Why do Brits drink warm beer?
Lucas made refrigerators as well as electrics for cars. *rimshot*
yamahog
> KatzManDu
04/28/2015 at 07:54 |
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Is she going to be driving this car at all, or is it just a money thing? In our household, we have a budget for our car/bike hobbies and as long as we stay close to it, I don’t really care what he does with his share. Even if it’s new wheels, tires, and suspension bits in some vain attempt to turn his Monte Carlo into an autocross track car but I digress....
Obviously with the kids you have to make sure it’ll baby, but I’m not sure what the big deal is regarding specific models as long as you’re considering ownership costs as well.
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duurtlang
> 505Turbeaux
04/28/2015 at 07:56 |
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Those tanks can go in the spare tire well as well, although I imagine a gas guzzler like that 12 cylinder needs a huge tank for an at least somewhat acceptable range. My 406 coupe has its LPG tank behind the rear seats, which I strongly dislike. In my car the spare tire location would’ve been preferable due to vastly increased practicality. In a XJS I think leaving it gasoline only and merely driving it on the occasional weekend would be the better option.
Anyway, how’s the Audi on Ebay adventure going? The yellow one went for €2k with the reserve met if I’m not mistaken. The blue one has 19 hours left.
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KatzManDu
> yamahog
04/28/2015 at 07:57 |
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If one car is down, she’ll be driving this one — it’s well within budget. She’s also fearful of having two cars broken at the same time. The kids are old enough to help push if it breaks down.
Flavien Vidal
> KatzManDu
04/28/2015 at 07:59 |
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A Maserati Bi-turbo?? Run away really... They have mostly been badly taken care of and are already a huge souce of heachache when they are...
V12 Jags personnally don’t scare me nearly as much. But this type of Maserati, really, run away.
Get an Alpine GTA or something, they are fun.
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duurtlang
> KatzManDu
04/28/2015 at 08:01 |
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Normally I believe the spare tire wheel well tank is vastly preferable. This is coming from a LPG converted coupe driver. Having said that, how many liters will fit in one of those tanks and how many kilometers can you drive your 12 cylinder on those liters? Assuming 40 liters of usable tank (50 liter with the max 80% fill) and 20L/100 km fives you a range of 200 km before you have to switch to gasoline. That’s not a lot at all. If you go LPG you’ll need a bigger tank.
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yamahog
> KatzManDu
04/28/2015 at 08:03 |
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I see. What’s the current car again, and is it really that big of a concern to be without for a day or two in Europe (does she use a car everyday/do you have good public transit in Belgium), or is it prone to a much more serious breakdown? Would it be out of the question to ditch that current one (if it’s not reliable) and have one newer/more reliable car of her choosing and then you pick a “fun” 2nd car?
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505Turbeaux
> duurtlang
04/28/2015 at 08:04 |
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yeah that one went for 2,060 in the end on the 100, the 200 is getting pricey. Trying to see if it is going to go over 4,000 which has to be a little much for what they are. That puts me in the 6000 ballpark and then I have to raid my deep “no touch” savings to bring the 205 over too. So I am watching, waiting to see where that is going to land. I am going to check in on it tonight and see where it sits
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duurtlang
> 505Turbeaux
04/28/2015 at 08:05 |
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Have you been able to figure out where it’s located?
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KatzManDu
> yamahog
04/28/2015 at 08:06 |
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I think the logistics of having to rent a parking garage and any other extras is kind of scary. We live in a country where we don’t speak either of the main languages and that means we could easily be taken advantage of by a mechanic if necessary. I don’t have a garage to wrench in and take weeks or two in order to sort out a problem.
Our main (only) car is a 2002 BMW 520d with almost 300,000km on it. We ex-patted on a shoe-string budget and are trying to keep out of debt (no car loans, etc.) so we’re cheaping out on purchase prices but we’re waiting for the other shoe of maintenance cost to drop.
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505Turbeaux
> KatzManDu
04/28/2015 at 08:12 |
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yeah as Duurtlang said, you are going to need a bigger tank than the spare wheelwell one to have any sort of range on LPG. And don’t let the V12 fool you, depending on the year - 1994 V12 runs about 7.1 0-60 while the 6 cylinder from that year is 7.6, so you arent losing that much power, though the V12 has a top speed of 150+ mph. Both of those are handily beat by the Volvo 850 Turbo of the same year. Not trying to dash your dreams of having a V12, but in the Jag’s case it isn’t much of a matter of quickness
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505Turbeaux
> duurtlang
04/28/2015 at 08:19 |
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not at all. I tried calling to no avail. I will try again in a bit.
boxrocket
> KatzManDu
04/28/2015 at 08:19 |
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Volvo wagon.
Safer than the other ones in your list (probably).
RWD.
Turbo I4, allows for relative economy and hooning, and takes mods very easily and well.
Holds its value.
Comfortable, from the seats to suspension.
Mostly invisible to law enforcement.
You can carry a full set of track wheels and tires in the back.
Svend
> KatzManDu
04/28/2015 at 08:20 |
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Its not warm beer. Its room temperature (or the temperature of the cellar which the cask is stored in which can actually get quite cold). If you drink an ale chilled it doesn’t taste as good as a regular one.
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yamahog
> KatzManDu
04/28/2015 at 08:23 |
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Oh man :( in that case, and it breaks my little jalop heart to say this, but maybe hold off on the second car until you can ditch that time bomb of a Bimmer and get a more reliable primary car.
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KatzManDu
> yamahog
04/28/2015 at 08:54 |
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520d has been nearly trouble-free. I have to update/refresh the suspension (the parts are sitting in our dining room.) — it will eventually be due for a clutch and oil change, but it keeps purring along.
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BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
> KatzManDu
04/28/2015 at 10:57 |
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V12 Jag or a Biturbo? I like your taste :) Injected later Biturbos are well sorted cars, it’s the early carbed versions that earnt their reputation. Post-1990 they got galvanised chassis as well so ther rust isn’t a problem. My dad dailied his 228 for a good few years, and it still starts up and runs fine now after sitting for a few months so it can be done :)
I’ll have a think about Euro-only cars that might fit your criteria. A lot of car, like E28s and things, are probably easier to get in the States than over here. Shall have a think :)
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duurtlang
> 505Turbeaux
04/28/2015 at 13:27 |
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Got a reply:
57392 schmallenberg
No time, I have to go right now.
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505Turbeaux
> duurtlang
04/28/2015 at 13:32 |
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awesome, about 4h from you. Let me see if I can raise a shipper to quote me a 340km tow so I can factor that in there
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duurtlang
> 505Turbeaux
04/28/2015 at 13:34 |
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Well, my inlaws live in Arnsberg. Check that distance instead. 45 minutes I believe. I might actually be there this weekend, but I’m not sure. (will actually leave now)