Sunday, March 24, 2013

Thinking About Cars.

I need a new car.  Not a NEW new car just a new to me new car.  Or maybe just a new gearbox for my blue car.   I dunno what to do.  Whaaaa...

I have a blue car, Hyundai Excell, automatic, '99model.  It was bought quite a few years ago when it was only 4 years old.  That's the newest car that I have ever had.  I had nothing but trouble with it for the first 2 years and had to spend a lot of money to get it working properly but it's been a good car since.  The paint is faded and peeling but I thought I'd have it for a few more years.


And I have an old van.    I bought an old van Dec 2012.   Close to 20 years old now.  It was cheap but suited what I wanted it for at the time.  It still goes well but has issues that mean that it will soon need to be shot.  Or retired anyway.   I have been saving since I got the van, to buy a bigger and better one if I decided that I liked camping in it.   I do, I haven't done enough but this year was going to be the year I did more.   I have been trying to decide what sort to get, thinking I'll get the next one sometime this year. 


But at 10 to 8 on Saturday morning I reversed the blue car out of driveway to go pick up daughter for a day trip to Collie.  Drove a few metres then remembered something and put it in reverse to go back into the driveway.  What!  It wont move.  Put it into drive to get off the road and it sounds *funny* so I get off the road and park up.  Ring daughter, ring RAC.  I'm told he should be there within the hour so daughter and I decide to leave in her car as soon as he has been.  Nearly 2 hours later he has been and gone and we leave.  I'm a bit cranky though because he said that the car was no good, the gearbox was gone.  BIG dollars to fix and probably not worth the money.  *Apparently* any car over 10 years old nowadays is not worth fixing?  That doesn't sound right to me but it's what I have been told by a couple of car people.

So now what do I do?  The van is set up as a camper and only has 2 front seats.  Not suitable for what I mostly use a car for.  I need something with back seats as I sometimes have kids and other people in it.  So...Do I forgo buying a new van and get a family car.  Do I get a bigger van that has back seats and can be used as both?  Do I get a small 4x4 that I could use as a family car and that I could sleep in but it wont be set up as a camper?

Husband is away for a few more days so I can't even talk to him about it.  When he gets home it will be Easter weekend and I won't want to go car hunting then.  Then he will be back at work.  I have been looking on Gumtree and there are so many different types of vehicles.  One minute I want this sort then I want that sort but that one looks pretty cool.   I need to give it all some serious thought.

What would you do?  And why?  I'm after ideas so I have lots of information to make the choosing easier.





4 comments:

  1. Hi Alice, it sort of looks that way but it's just because the print goes right to the end of the screen, but the writing does follow on, there's no missing bits, hope that helped :)

    Hi Barb, it's a tricky situation you have there, I sure hope it's not true about cars only lasting ten years, I've had mine four now, I looove it and fully intend to keep it forever, hope I shouldn't have said that, might jinx it :) I am so not a car person but it seems to me if you could get one car that would suit both purposes it would be the best way to go, what that car is ..well you will have to get advice from someone much more knowledgeable than I. Good luck, you'll have to let us know what you choose..

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  2. I get the identical message about my text running off the page. Ignore Alice...spammer.

    Wouldn't a van for everyday use be a gas guzzler? April is when people here must pay taxes and get tax rebates, so cars sell more easily. Therefore, dickering is harder. It seems like you actually do need two vehicles.

    What happened to the vehicle you were retrofitting for camping? If you were to buy a car and get rid of your present car and van, you could afford a good car and maybe rent a van for camping.

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  3. I was wondering who Alice was. haha.
    Linda the van is still being used for camping, that's it above but it's not suitable for more than 2 people. That van is very cheap to run and I would only be looking at a 4 cylinder, no matter what sort of vehicle I get so not too bad.
    I know a man...will go visit him during the week sometime.

    Barb.

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    Replies
    1. Well, if the van is good and cheap to run, it sounds like keeping it would be wise. It is good to know a man....

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