HELP!

[puddingcat]

Would anyone like to buy a car?

1995 (M) Vauxhall Astra 1.6 GLS 5dr hatchback
78,800 miles (that's not much)
Heated electric wing mirrors
Alarm
Oil & filter changed December 2005
Central locking
Radio cassette

I had the exhaust, battery & lambda sensor replaced in the last couple of years, and AFAIK they're still under warranty (I still have the receipts, so can check).

This site values it at about £1,000 - though I think that's too much (I don't know how old the site is) - the What Car price guide suggests £750. Realistically, since it's not sparkling & shiny (and has a dent in the boot), I'm looking for £600 ono.

I need to find a buyer in the next week, cos I'm collecting a Mazda 323 then...

Comments

[rainbowskye.livejournal.com]

Quite possibly if the insurers decide mine needs writing off now it's found...I *think* it will be okay, but I'll bear you in mind if not!!

[miss-s-b.livejournal.com]

YAY for the Mazda! You're moving up in the Car world!

[puddingcat.livejournal.com]

Yay!

It doesn't feel vastly different, really; a bit lighter, the clutch bites further down and the gearing ratio's different. I'll miss the Astra :(

[puddingcat.livejournal.com]

Great! I'll be coming to Brum at the end of the month, so could drop it off if you want it :)

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

Mazda 323? I wanted one of those last time around. How old is it?

[miss-s-b.livejournal.com]

Are you emotionally attached to the Astra, then?

[puddingcat.livejournal.com]

Not emotionally, but it's still a perfectly good car. The "missing" bit comes from having got to know all the Astra's quirks, exactly how big it is, how it handles, the noise it *should* make, etc.

I'm viewing the 323 as a (rather inefficient) savings account for what I get after that; if I start paying it off now, I'll have a couple of grand's worth of car to cash in next time.

Last time I changed, it was *to* the Astra from a Fiat Uno; it was a big jump, and the missing my first ever car thing was overshadowed by the excitement of having something that could out accelerate a pushbike...

[puddingcat.livejournal.com]

January 2002 - 51 reg. It's *comfortable* - not exciting, not scary, not sexy, but easy to drive & not an Old Person's car :)

[miss-s-b.livejournal.com]

Bwaaaahahahahahahahahahhaaaa just picturing you in a Flat is going to keep me smiling all night.

[puddingcat.livejournal.com]

It was fab! It was 1l, which is a lot in a tin can, and I'm convinced the only reason I never got done for speeding is cos people looked at the photos & decided the camera must have been lying! And it was white, so I never fell foul of Police snooker.

I only got rid cos it started falling asleep. At 70mph, in the outside lane of the M6. I always managed to pull into the hard shoulder & let it have a 5 minute nap, but didn't want to push my luck...

[dr-wez.livejournal.com]

Please tell me things to motivate my purchasing of The Stag.

[puddingcat.livejournal.com]

Learning how to fix it will be really fun.
You'll pull more easily in it.
Classic car insurance.
Um. How much is he asking for it?
The battery will die, fast & often, if you're only going to Yorkshire & back now & then. You'll need someone to help you jump start it. A garage would be a Good Idea, both for insurance & keeping the bodywork from rusting to bits. You'll need to use LRP, not unleaded. I'm not sure if it'll have synchromesh. Can you double declutch?

Or you could buy the Astra... £600 and I'll get it MOTd for you, or £500 as is (MOT and tax run out end of this month).

[dr-wez.livejournal.com]

The Stag is going for about 2K, but needs new seals, a few other bits fixing, and some rust-proofing (Ali may be able to help with that).
I like the idea of learning to maintain it, but of course it's easier to do that if you know someone who can teach you about it! I'm not sure about the gears, and I can't say I've much experience of double declutching. I do have a garage, which is precisely 40cm wider than the car, at its narrowest (the internal buttresses)...

What are the dimensions of the Astra?

[puddingcat.livejournal.com]

Dunno, sorry. It's sort of car-sized...

I'd have to Google it to be specific.

[dr-wez.livejournal.com]

Which model is it? The new Astras (surprisingly swish) seem to be 4.2m long, 2.0m wide (including mirrors). My garage is precisely 2.1m wide at the narrowest. Might need Vaseline to get [the car] in and out.

[puddingcat.livejournal.com]

A 1995 1.6l 16 valve GLS 5 dr hatchback. Smaller than the new ones, but I don't know by how much.