Paul_J
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Registered: 6th Jun 02
Location: London
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Ok, I've just accepted a job. It's 31 miles (direct) or 37 miles each way (motorway - which is quicker).
So the reality is, each day I'm going to be doing roughly 70 miles. Quick maths, 5 times a week = 350 miles a week.
In the long term I may just move down there closer and rent, but at the moment I'm going to start while living back at home with the parents (as they don't charge me much). Also the job will (maybe after 6 months) involve me doing a lot of client facing, going to clients and communicating with them direct... Which I'll have to use my car, but will be paid 40 pence per mile.
I'm not sure what I should do car wise at the moment:
- My 106 gti is a bit shit on fuel (probably due to cams / map etc). I'm more likely to get 200-250 miles to a tank. It's already over 100k miles, so putting a lot more miles on it will make it even more worthless than it is now  However on the flip side, it can't get too much worse? However, the 106 is not really a 'adult / professional' vehicle, with it popping and banging as I pull up outside.
That said, my main interest is cars and I love track days. So I use my 106 gti for this at the moment and may spend more making it more capable (for example if it was a 2nd car, I'd strip it and cage it! - maybe using it for competitive sprints). That said, I'd like to get something quicker / newer / more expensive for track.
- I could buy a 2nd daily runner? Ideally looking at something fairly cheap, economical and I could put loads of miles on. However, would not want something too much of a shed - Audi A3 Tdi / Golf Tdi? (are deisels even worth it anymore?). One issue with this is my parents might not like me putting 2 cars on the drive, plus insuring 2 cars, taxing 2 cars etc? the other downside is I'll probably own 2 shitters now... 
- I sell my 106 and buy a car that's a fair bit more expensive and capable as a track car as well as a daily runner... I'm not sure what this would be yet, Honda S2000? Mini Cooper S  ? BMW of some sort? etc... However, this has the down side that they probably won't be great daily runners, will still cost a fortune on fuel, lose value fast due to mileage increase and I'll only end up wanting to tune it up for track so it ends up being a shit daily runner... On the plus side, I'd have a nice fancy car for a while and only need to insure 1 car
Hmm... not sure what to do... Opinions / Suggestions?
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whitter45
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Registered: 15th Nov 02
Location: Norton
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surely if you do travelling you will be entitted to a compnay car
What i would do is use the 106 until the 6 months in
At that point you can make a decision on what to get or push for a company car at which point you could opt out etc
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Paul_J
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Registered: 6th Jun 02
Location: London
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I asked about company car, and they just said - no use your car and we pay you 40 p a mile? 
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pow
Premium Member
Registered: 11th Sep 06
Location: Hazlemere, Buckinghamshire
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Keep 106, buy my car, does 350 miles EASY on £35, and I go 90% town driving.
Get on the motorway/long straights on the cruise control and £35 will last you over a week.
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pow
Premium Member
Registered: 11th Sep 06
Location: Hazlemere, Buckinghamshire
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Something TDi would make a lot of sence 
Cheap to tax (£110 for the year!!!!), insure, flys through MOT's, sips the go juice and last forever.
[Edited on 09-03-2009 by pow]
[Edited on 09-03-2009 by pow]
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Butler
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Registered: 2nd Jun 05
Location: London
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Keep it and buy an old polo or golf in my opinion
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Butler
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Registered: 2nd Jun 05
Location: London
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Maybe even something you could tow the 106 in?
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Tom
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Registered: 3rd Apr 02
Location: Wirral, Merseyside
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Just buy an s2000 and have done with it
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Paul_J
Member
Registered: 6th Jun 02
Location: London
User status: Offline
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quote:
Originally posted by Butler
Maybe even something you could tow the 106 in?
I did think that in the past...
I said to my dad... 'It'd be good to buy a car to tow a trailer' ... 'that way I could have my 106 uninsured and use it just for track' ... 'In the future when I buy a proper race car and take it racing, I'll be able to tow it around with it'.
My dad then just said. Where the fuck are you going to keep a trailer?
I was like oh yeh. Not only finding space for another car, but a trailer too
My dad used to have his race car sat on the drive on the trailer, but then he didn't have me or my sister with cars.
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barter
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Registered: 27th Oct 07
Location: essex
User status: Offline
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noble/ferrai be a good choice
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Butler
Member
Registered: 2nd Jun 05
Location: London
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rent a lock up? thats what my brothers done
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pow
Premium Member
Registered: 11th Sep 06
Location: Hazlemere, Buckinghamshire
User status: Offline
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Like I said, your welcome to have a little poke around my car anytime you like, view to buy or not.
Gives youa good idea
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Fad
Member
Registered: 1st Feb 01
Location: Dartford Kent Drives: 330cd
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Paul, use the 106 as it is for a few months until your probabtion is over then buy something that does everything out of the box.
Insuring and having two cars to run is suicide at the moment and how will you ever afford to move out if you do this.
Buy one decent car and make use of it.
By no means I am saying what to buy but I manage with one car and I do 30k + miles a year in it.
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James
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Registered: 1st Jun 02
Location: Surrey
User status: Offline
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Use your 106 until you start needing to use it for work purposes.
Then tell them it's off the road while you work on it so you need a company car.
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Twiggy
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Registered: 15th Oct 04
User status: Offline
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quote:
Originally posted by pow
Something TDi would make a lot of sence
Cheap to tax (£110 for the year!!!!), insure, flys through MOT's, sips the go juice and last forever.
Is there such a car?
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jr
Member
Registered: 20th May 02
Location: Kent
User status: Offline
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Paul, use the 106 for a few months a settle in to the job and make sure its right for you
then get a daily run around, nothing special but does the job and has the right image for your clients etc
one car for trackdays and work IMO wont work, what happens if you damage it or it blows up, and then cant furfill your work commitments because you were pretending to be a racing driver at the weekend, would be in the back of my mind, and will possibly mke you slower
and keep the 106 as a proper dedicated track day toy 
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willay
Moderator
Organiser: South East, National Events
Premium Member
Registered: 10th Nov 02
Location: Roydon, Essex
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second car is the best option imo, fi you get rid and just have one car that is capable for the track you will only follow the same route of getting it modified to perform better and be in the same situation again.
Put the 106 on limited mileage to save coins, and do what Fad said about leaving it until you are out of probation...
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a_j_mair
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Registered: 23rd Jan 04
Location: Scotland
User status: Offline
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40p per mile isnt that great considering extra insurance for buisness miles etc
id buy another car personally
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Colin
Member
Registered: 4th Apr 02
User status: Offline
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My golfs been ideal, I do 35 miles each way to work at the moment. Full tank £50 lasts me 500 miles or a week & a half of commuting.
The only downside is I paid 6k for it in October 07 & its taken a bit of a hammering on the motorways every day. Its probably worth about £3k now if that. In many ways I wish I bought something cheaper to run that I wouldnt care about so much, mk3 tdi or 306 tdi or similar.
Deffo get a diesel though, you get a bit of power, to achieve similar mph in a petrol car you'd be looking at a 1L corsa/micra or such like & I wouldnt wish that on anybody!!
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smcGSI16V
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Registered: 26th May 03
Location: Farnborough Drives: Thurlby 888 CDTi No.98
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JR has got the right idea, its what i had to do with mine.
Also you could get something like a Passat diesel, good enough to tow, get a trailer, park the 106 on the trailer, never worry when it brakes again.
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ChazSXi
Member
Registered: 26th Jan 03
User status: Offline
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quote:
Originally posted by smcGSI16V
JR has got the right idea, its what i had to do with mine.
Also you could get something like a Passat diesel, good enough to tow, get a trailer, park the 106 on the trailer, never worry when it brakes again.
passat ftw. i got my 2001 pd130 for under 2.5k..
also look at audi a4/a6 too
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AK
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Registered: 5th Jul 00
Location: Aberdeen City
User status: Offline
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sell and buy an elise
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Paul_J
Member
Registered: 6th Jun 02
Location: London
User status: Offline
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Hmm... my dad really doesn't want me to have 2 cars. We've got loads of cars on our driveway already.
He's trying to persuade me to buy a s2000 and get rid of the 106 gti.
We just raced one in my 106 gti haha... I was out driving my dad in the 106 (trying an alternative route I could take to work).
Got to a bit of a dual carriageway, sat at the lights, s2000 pulls up along side. Note in 1/2 a mile it narrows to 1 lane (I have right of way)....
I shot off the lights, he wasn't so quick off the line, but then it was obvious he was caining it...
In 1st gear he was behind my rear quarter... in 2nd gear he got a bit closer to rear quarter... in 3rd gear he drew along side and was about level... Note by this point he was on the cross hatching (but i wasn't letting him in as I wanted to take the next twisty section of road with nothing ahead)... but then his car pulled right past and infront 
Oh well, let me see the performance difference.
I suppose if I bought a s2000, with the plan of possibly moving closer to work anyway, I won't be doing the mileage anyway.
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Ian W
Member
Registered: 8th Nov 03
Location: Wirral, Merseyside
User status: Offline
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Keep the 106 for a while until your settled in then buy a daily drive.
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AK
Member
Registered: 5th Jul 00
Location: Aberdeen City
User status: Offline
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s2000's wont cost that much to run.... and its a reliable car if kept sensible...
But open top ponsing isnt my thing... I'd pick a DC5 over that
[Edited on 09-03-2009 by AK]
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