Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 16, 2016 22:35:47 GMT
Another musing thread.....
My father bought one of the last Sirions in 2010. He had discovered that for the size of the arm, they were very spacious, easy to enter and exit and were pretty nippy. It is now six years old, has done just under 25,000 miles and apart from someone reversing into it (just repaired) is in excellent condition.
When he moved to Israel to live for most of the year he initially rented cars but when he turned 80, the insurance became expensive, so he went looking to buy a car and found a second hand Sirion. Cars in Israel are very expensive due to high tax. The car he found in December 2014 had done 60,000+ miles and bodily was pretty poor (bumps and scrapes everywhere - but that is typical for Israel), but no rust (obviously!) and mechanically was fine. The cost was more than the value of the better condition, lower mileage car in Manchester.
Roll on 18 months, the Israeli Sirion keeps on going. He has found a a good local garage to service the car and a great tyre bay so he is in good hands. He came back to the UK two days ago to avoid the summer heat, and I am going out in ten days so rather than renting I am using his car. It will be interesting to drive it for a few days to get a real feel of the difference between the two.
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Post by Hofmeister on Jul 17, 2016 20:04:11 GMT
As soon as you start looking in foreign parts, you suddenly realise that the UK has the cheapest, biggest and best value second hand car market in the world.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 17, 2016 21:12:50 GMT
I wonder what the market is like in Europe? Presumably a car bought in Sweden has the same basic spec as one in Greece. It's one European market, all LHD, all metric. So are there locations where is cheaper to source second hand cars and do dealers in more expensive areas go looking for cheap cars in other countries? I suppose you could ask the same question in the US?
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Post by Humph on Jul 17, 2016 21:20:04 GMT
An Italian friend has an old, originally British registered, but now on Italian plates Land Rover series 3 as his daily driver. Cost him a small fortune in Italy. We were going to get around to a thing where I'd find them in the UK and ship them out to him and he'd sell them and we'd split the deal etc. But it hasn't happened so far. Strangely enough, right hand drive ones are more sought after there as they look more original.
Even second hand Fiats are cheaper here than there.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 17, 2016 21:30:33 GMT
Bizarre. Why is a Fiat cheaper here than at home? Is it our crazy desire to change cars every three years.
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WDB
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Post by WDB on Jul 19, 2016 5:32:23 GMT
Probably. Plus greater longevity of cars in warm, dry climates (including Israel, presumably.)
Taxation comes into it too. A Danish sales colleague rode in my then-3yo E220 and was astonished when I told him what I'd paid for it. The huge tax on new car purchases in Denmark means used prices stay high, and he'd barely have got a tatty Mondeo for the Approved Used price of my E.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 19, 2016 10:10:49 GMT
True - despite Israel being a very materialistic society these days, with plenty of consumer products and new cars, there are many older cars still on the road and going well. The sun bleaches the paintwork, but no signs of rust. Israel also has a formal classic car system. I am not sure of the details, but many cars which are now probably 40 years old or more have a different registration plate. Lots of original Beetles have these.
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Post by Humph on Jul 19, 2016 10:38:39 GMT
I've not been to Israel for about ten years now, I used to have a business reason to go but that came to an end when the exchange rate moved against the £. I did notice back then though that there were proportionately more white cars than was common in more northern countries at the time. I guess to reflect the sun and indeed resist fading. Of course white has since become a fashion colour for cars here. The other thing that struck me was the greater number of saloons as opposed to hatchbacks and estates. Again I can only surmise that was a function of the temperature and it being easier/quicker to cool a small cabin than a large one? Although I wouldn't give much for the survival chances of fresh groceries left for any length of time in the boot of a saloon in that sort of heat. Maybe it's just a styling preference in that country? Used to notice the same in America but less so now where the SUV is generic.
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WDB
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Post by WDB on Jul 19, 2016 11:06:41 GMT
Certainly more white cars and saloons. Also noticeably fewer sunroofs and convertibles in properly hot climates.
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Post by Humph on Jul 19, 2016 11:09:45 GMT
Did I mention my panoramic sunroof WDB? May have forgotten to.😉
Anyway, are you going to put a profile pic up? That avatar is quite disturbing...
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WDB
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Post by WDB on Jul 19, 2016 11:19:34 GMT
Easier said than done from the phone version I use most of the time. Will get to it eventually.
Sunroof, pah! Don't like 'em, don't want one. Maybe it's a Scottish thing, running about with your shirt off and your tattoos hanging out at the first sign of a break in the cloud. 👗
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Post by Deleted on Jul 20, 2016 13:54:05 GMT
Don't talk to me about tattoos. A beautiful girl on the tram platform this morning going into Manchester - horribly disfigured by tattoos in all sorts of places. Ugh!
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Post by Deleted on Jul 20, 2016 13:56:25 GMT
Yes - lets of saloons in Israel, few convertibles, even fewer sunroofs. Air con was mandatory from about 1995 for all cars above 1.2l. These days all cars have it as standard - years ago it was an aftermarket local fitment, even when mandatory.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 25, 2016 17:58:23 GMT
Well we are about to become a three Sirion family. Someone drove into Dad's car today and crumpled the front bumper, nearside wing, bonnet, nearside front door, A pillar and cill. Insurers are going to look at it, but I cannot conceive how it will not be a write off. As Dad is 81, getting a courtesy car may be difficult so we looked on Autotrader and found another one for £2,450. Bit older, few more miles but seems in ok condition. New MoT as well (MoT history is perfect).
So if the old one is written off, we will buy the shell back, strip it and keep the bits. His car in Israel would benefit from an internal refit, so we can ship the interior out and install it there.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 14, 2016 18:25:52 GMT
Quick update on the 'new' Sirion. 73,000 miles 2008 model. Pretty tidy. Drove it for the first time today and it drives well. The only issue is the noise of a rattle from behind the steering wheel, but the wheel is solid. I wonder if the bushes are worn? Any other ideas?
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