What a week it has been. No sooner had I offloaded one slightly broken silver Fiat Seicento and someone else who happened to be in the market for a reliable cheap set of wheels and it just so happens they quite fancied a Lexus IS 200 SE. While I wasn't intentionally going to get rid of the Lexus, well at least not yet, the deal on offer was a good one and I was thinking of what could replace it before I had even handed over the keys. The deal was done at €900 - exactly what I paid for it some four months earlier. Depreciation? Not here there isn't.
So what have I looked at in the last forty eight hours with a wad of used notes burning a hole in my pocket? Well the box for something small and sporty is ticked with the Clio. The option for something cheap to run and a laugh to drive (if not to be seen in) is covered by the Fiat Cinquecento. So should I get something spacious, refined and comfort orientated with lots of electrical gadgets to amuse me in the absence of the Lexus? Or perhaps something adept for the horrendous winter that will no doubt be in store for us this year?
With my usual aplomb I hit the internet and the classified adverts. Combining almost all of the abilities mentioned above I was soon searching for diesel Range Rovers, albeit briefly as I was quickly put off by the huge and on-going running costs plus reliability woes (not that a car's reputation for unreliability has ever stopped me buying a car, I know).
On with the search, what about a Suzuki Jimny? Cheap to run with it being such a small engine, yet with the tall height of other off-roaders and all-wheel drive with big chunky tyres. Pretty reliable on the whole too. The downsides here though are poor refinement, a cramped cabin, poor driving manners, it's very slow in real world traffic and the choice out there is actually quite expensive when you factor in the age and mileage the ones at this kind of money have covered.
Then I found it. One 1999 Land Rover Discovery 2.5 TDI in Alpine White. Fitted with the manual gearbox, permanent four-wheel drive and acres of space it is a great winter hack. With features such as air conditioning, anti-lock brakes and power steering, plus a high seating position, it should make a great winter banger. Coming with a folder full of invoices and service history it is one well-minded jeep. With white painted steel wheels on all-terrain road tyres it looks just the all-purpose no nonsense kind of banger I was seeking.
So what about the downsides? Just what have I let myself in for with this? Well, for kick off it has stood idle for the last two years so it needs a good tidy up, service and new battery. Of course that means no road tax or NCT either. However, the engine and brakes have not seized and all tyres are holding air and are still in good condition with plenty of tread left. Sure it has a few knocks and scratches, as to be expected of a working vehicle this age. Incidentally it was owned and used by an elderly farmer, yet on first appearances the chassis looks solid and the body is remarkably rust free. I'm still to agree on the final price, so I will leave you guessing on that one. How much do you think I will get it for?
With winter practically with us already, I have earmarked a few days to have the Clio and the Cinquecento set up for winter motoring. The usual things like tyre pressures and lights will be checked over and I will also ensure the screen washers are topped up, coolant levels are correct, check the oil for level and condition while stocking up on cans of de-icer. I also give the windows inside and out a good clean - the low sun and dirty roads can cause havoc with vision this time of the year and it's then we tend to notice smears on the inside of the windscreen for example.
Now to tell my long suffering spouse of my latest acquisition. Hey, at least it isn't a Fiat.