Davie's french attraction.

[Gibbo2286]

My last boss in Brum was a part time fireman and he always drove like one, being an Austin agent he was required to stock one of the big cars and always used it himself for three months before passing it on as a demo car with a discount.

Austin Westminsters up until his last always had four speed gearboxes with first left and forward but the latest was three speed and overdrive, left and forward got reverse, so he's sitting at the petrol pumps goes for his usual formula one take off and reverses into the police car next in the queue.

[Armidillo]

Sorry for the thread hijack, but I don't often get to talk about Westminsters!

We have a 1956 Austin A90 Westminster in our shed - was last registered in 1997. My wife's great-aunt gave it to her in the mid-70's, at which point it had done 15,000 miles.

It has a 4 speed box with overdrive, with the shift on the column. Also leather upholstery and a heater! I can't remember why, but I reversed it into a pole at a petrol station in c. 1976. We were filling there because the fuel was exceptionally cheap - 12.9c/litre (we now pay c. $1.50/litre). Denting the rear bumper rather outweighed the money saved on the fuel .

[Dormouse]

I had a Fiat Doblo van for a few years and it fitted the bill perfectly taking into account load space and ease of access not to mention comfort and economy. Consider something like this Davie:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2008-Fiat-Do ... SwRNFgVZ6W

It is worth considering that the new style Doblo is also sold as a Vauxhall Combo. My neighbour has one and he loves it - decent seating position, bags of access and carrying capacity but frugal to run. Look out for the Crew version with double rear side doors - with or without windows and a removable seat. Could be the capable all rounder that you could comfortably drive?

[Hell Razor5543]

I had a Fiat Doblo van for a few years and it fitted the bill perfectly taking into account load space and ease of access not to mention comfort and economy. Consider something like this Davie:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2008-Fiat-Do ... SwRNFgVZ6W

It is worth considering that the new style Doblo is also sold as a Vauxhall Combo. My neighbour has one and he loves it - decent seating position, bags of access and carrying capacity but frugal to run. Look out for the Crew version with double rear side doors - with or without windows and a removable seat. Could be the capable all rounder that you could comfortably drive?

But the NEW Vauxhall Combo is based on the new PSA Partner/Berlingo van.

[Dormouse]

205 sills were part way stone chipped up the sill and then painted body colour from the back of the mists of my body shop knowledge. make sure the sills are primed with correct steel primer prior to stone chipping and use a flexible primer over the stone chip prior to top coat. it does make a difference to the adhesion.

[Dormouse]

the combo D upto 2017 was Doblo based The Combo E (2018 -) is PSA based

[Dormouse]

I don't rate the Combo C - it is not patch on the D. the D is a far more comfortable proposition. I have hip, knee and back problems so I am fussy about sitting in cars

[Hell Razor5543]

I went for the Sport EF model, with a VERY adjustable driver seat.

[Gibbo2286]

Strange you talking about Fiat and Vauxhall models, at Tesco this afternoon there was a Vauxhall in red and a Fiat in blue parked one behind the other, looked identical apart from the colour, a bit like the Nissan Note but taller, didn't see what they were badged as, the shop was calling

This on the way out a home build kit I think.

[daviemck2006]

Hopefully the idiot is getting handed the bills for repair.
Always a shame to see something once owned abused and ruined. We had a similar experience with the last house and wooded garden we owned in the UK. Fortunately, it's changed hands again, so perhaps some more sympathetic owners.
As the saying goes "Never go back...". Bit difficult, though, when the old car keeps making an appearance.
Not good.

The trouble is Chris that I see it daily! It's the only car I have ever sold locally and see daily. I just have to think it's not mine now, as long as he doesn't hit my car I'm not bothered. The Yeti which replaced it does already have a dink in a door, possibly happened outside the shop, possibly not, I have no idea. It is also doing far too many miles for my liking, so a purchase has been done.

Now the car for deliveries only to save the yeti is a 2006 Mercedes a class 160D CVT. It has a nice high driving position with no sills to climb over getting in and out. It's just under 100k miles, and cost exactly what I got for the vw bora. It has a little problem in that the boot lid will not open normally and the two rear tyres are seriously perished, but plenty of tread but will get replaced. The CVT feels different, in normal driving the engine revs to 2200 revs and stays there, and the speed catches up. It needs a good clean, but it will go to the local hand car wash mob who do a full in and out clean for £25.

The 205, my tame welder has not seen it yet, so it is in limbo. At least it's in limbo here instead of being lost. Its fate is not yet decided, it depends on said tame welders opinion of it once he sees it. I've had the engine turning over with jump leads, but not starting. Theres no fuel getting through so my thinking is the fuel pump ain't pumping. Also any fuel in it will be 6 plus years old so could well be useless. It was driven to the guy when we last saw it so hopefully not much to get it running again.

[Dormouse]

the yellow kitcar looks like a Spartan 2+2 to me. I refurbished an early 2 str for a customer many moons ago.

[daviemck2006]

I don't rate the Combo C - it is not patch on the D. the D is a far more comfortable proposition. I have hip, knee and back problems so I am fussy about sitting in cars

My boss also has a combo c 1.3td all signwritten for deliveries and going to cash and carry. It is wrecked with high miles and spends more time getting fixed than it does working. He keeps getting it fixed because of the signwriting being good advertising. I did drive it a few months for deliveries but it was the most horrible, uncomfortable piece of crap I ever had the misfortune to drive.

[daviemck2006]

The rover 218d is leaving my custody this weekend. It has done very little miles in it's time here, although the number cant be known due to the non working speedometer. It could of been a good thing for me doing deliveries, but it is utterly ruined by lowered suspension and a dustbin can sized back box. It has 4 weeks test left and it is going to be saved. I think it wont need much for the new owner to get a new mot. Had I gone for a new mot I would then have fitted proper springs and back box to it, and possibly have raised the drivers seat too. Then it may have been ok for the pizza runs. I suppose it's been 100% reliable, not had even 1 penny spent on it apart from fuel.

I do not think I shall but another old car for work. I am not fit to do much spannering now, and I have a pug 205 to rebuild. And I have had a sort out of my insurance. I an saving over £500 a year not insuring a car for delivering hot food. So now I use a shop owned car. I get to use my old Seat Leon when working. It still amazingly drives well, although it is past a service. I sold it at 78k, it had been serviced at 77k, so was due at 89k. It's now at 92k, that's 14k of hard use in 6 months. It maybe drives ok, but theres now a young turkish lad drives it 5 nights a week, he only has a turkish licence, which is not valid in the uk after he has been here a year which has arrived. His turkish driving test consisted of start car, drive up to 30 mph, stop, reverse in a straight line then do two junctions and he passed. He it the one who has scraped the side of the Leon 4 times, hit a wall and cracked the front bumper, reversed into another car and split the back bumper and numberplate, Kerber every wheel and torn the sides out of 3 tyres on the granite kerbs outside the shop that everyone else stays about 6" away from at all times. All that is only in two months since he was put on as a driver cos he is a lazy git in the shop. He is a nephew of the boss, but if he were my employee he would be getting his p45. He also smokes in the car and it stinks and the front floor is the ashtray and the back the dumping ground for empty juice cans and bottles. That's a good car just getting ruined by ignorance. The only way it still drives ok is the immaculate service history at Seat dealers before I got it and two services at a good independent garage including timing belt and water pump from me. That's enough of the trumping though from me, it's more cost effective for me using a shop car, I lose out £30 in wages but saving £10 on insurance and probably £40 of fuel and running costs so I'm better off in the long run.

The Yeti and the Hilux are just doing what they do with no complaints. I like them both, and not intending replacing any of them in the near future.

[lexi]

Is your Hilux the 3ltre job? Decent ones are about 11 grand for 10 and 11 plates. Sore on fuel I suppose. What like to drive? Are your legs not raised a bit when on the pedals? Can you slip in and out the seats without bending?

[daviemck2006]

Is your Hilux the 3ltre job? Decent ones are about 11 grand for 10 and 11 plates. Sore on fuel I suppose. What like to drive? Are your legs not raised a bit when on the pedals? Can you slip in and out the seats without bending?

It's the 3 litre auto box. It wont better 30mpg, but it doesn't really drop below 28. I'm happy with that for the type of vehicle and a slush box. I find the driving position near enough perfect for me. Yes the seat is closer to the floor than a normal car but it certainly doesn't feel funny in any way. Also with my bad back, getting in and out of any vehicle is the most important thing for me. I find the hilux again near the perfect height for me, and theres no big bolsters on the seats to make it awkward. However I am 6 feet tall and most cars need the seat right back, so a higher car is better for me. My one on 115000 miles drives really well. Obviously not going to be as smooth or comfy as the likes of a c5, but for what it is it's ok. The ride is comparable to any car I've had, apart from hydraulic citroens, it's a bit noisy under acceleration but ok when cruising. Speed bumps, potholes etc can be forgotten about. I love the feeling of space, height, safety I get driving it. Just not very practical in places due to its size, doesn't like supermarket car parks lol. I know that the age, mileage of my one they are reaching 10 to 11 grand, my one is not worth that as it's a cat N write off due to the damage on it, which I have been running over a year now with no problem. The damage consists of a split front bumper and scratches all down one side. I also have no service history, but I do know it was owned by a mechanic at a local quarry/transport firm, so probably been well serviced. I would have no worries about driving it the length of the country, even towing a big trailer. In short I love it, and if you can stomach the mpg I would heartily recommend one.