v8kid
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| posted on 16/10/13 at 12:01 PM |
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Bored with soft 4X4 - Options?
I'm getting bored with my CRX soft 4X4. Bought it 2 years ago for £750 on ebay and its done 200k now.
What options are there?
To be fair the only reason I'm cheesed off is the fuel consumption I only get 28mpg on mixed running and I use £60 of fuel a week. The space and
reliability is spot on.
What else can I get that has a BIG load space, cheap to buy and for spares and gets decent mpg - 40 would be nice
I was thinking of a rover 75 estate they must be cheap as chips by now!
What are old volvo estates like for mpg?
Cheers!
You'd be surprised how quickly the sales people at B&Q try and assist you after ignoring you for the past 15 minutes when you try and start a
chainsaw
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dhutch
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| posted on 16/10/13 at 12:16 PM |
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Is it the big space you need only, or will there be much weight to the load? Towing?
If you want load space, we have a y-reg 806 2L HDI which is now effectively worthless, but fairly pleasant to drive, surprisingly sprightly,
economical, and will take a 1000*1000*1800mm load between the rear arches, or else is comfortable for 6-7 adults. Obviously, as its based on a PSA
EuroVan, it is the size of a van, but with the refinement/trim/heating etc of a car.
Ours (parents really) has been really pretty rock solid and is not on about 180k, in about 8 years we have had the recovery truck out to it twice,
once when the aux bonded pulley failed, once when the boost hose came off because the garage had refitted it badly. The only down side is that is is
now on its third clutch (first one at about 60k, presumably as its ex-demo, second at about 160k) which is a big job. I presume it a bit under spec,
but equally we do also do a fair bit of a towing towards its upper limit, including hill work.
Daniel
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mcerd1
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| posted on 16/10/13 at 12:32 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by v8kid
I was thinking of a rover 75 estate they must be cheap as chips by now!
well google suggest they could be between £600 and £3k for a diesel estate - and they alway seemed to have a few fans on this site too
the mondeo estates (2000 onwards) are big and cheap, but probably not quite as reliable....
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britishtrident
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| posted on 16/10/13 at 12:51 PM |
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Rover 75 the main maintenance issues are the front wishbones & bushes, rear springs also the handbrake and the now the youngest cars on the
road are approaching ten years old brake pipes.
Front wishbones & bushes are a relatively major job, both wishbones and bushes both of which are relatively expensive, and also the front
anti-roll bar link.
With these parts it is essential to buy good quality items as the cheap ebay items usually wear out within a year but the best quality parts can
last for many years.
Overhauling the front suspension can be quite easy but the access is very restricted and if the bolts for the rear bushes are uncooperative the
subframe has to be lowered.
Rear springs are quite cheap and both can be replaced without too much work.
The rear brakes feature a disc brake with drum handbrake -- the setup is more or less identical to the BMW 318.
As with the BMW the hand brake needs regular adjustment often the brake shoe hold down springs can pull through the back plate> There is a fix for
this by using the hold down springs and washer from a Ford Capri rear brakes.
If the handbrake remains poor there is also a locost mod that can be done to to the rear handbrake compensator
My current 75 1.8 returns 46 to 49 mpg on the motorway During the summer 34mpg in urban use (I live in an area with steep hills) but this
drops to about 30 to 31 MPG in the winter. The diesel version is about 10mpg better.
[Edited on 16/10/13 by britishtrident]
[Edited on 16/10/13 by britishtrident]
[I] “ What use our work, Bennet, if we cannot care for those we love? .”
― From BBC TV/Amazon's Ripper Street.
[/I]
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v8kid
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| posted on 16/10/13 at 01:15 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by mcerd1
quote:
Originally posted by v8kid
I was thinking of a rover 75 estate they must be cheap as chips by now!
well google suggest they could be between £600 and £3k for a diesel estate - and they alway seemed to have a few fans on this site too
the mondeo estates (2000 onwards) are big and cheap, but probably not quite as reliable....
Yup my previous car was a Mondeo 2.2 estate and it was excellent - 150k and no problems untill it got rearended.
Want something different though.
"Carised" vans sound interesting I had not thought of them
Cheers!
PS ta for the rover info
[Edited on 16-10-13 by v8kid]
You'd be surprised how quickly the sales people at B&Q try and assist you after ignoring you for the past 15 minutes when you try and start a
chainsaw
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02GF74
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| posted on 16/10/13 at 07:29 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by v8kid
What are old volvo estates like for mpg?
Cheers!
volvo 850 T5 normal town driving would see 25 mpg; 30 mpg on motorway run at under speed limit - if driven frugally on motorway 36 mph but only do
that if you like being overtaken by big lorries - not pleasant.
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