How's your day?

[Beekay 5,300]

Can you remember when you were 77 then? 

[DJ360 6,781]

3 hours ago, philmayfield said:

70,000 miles is nothing for a modern car. Mileages of 200,000 are achievable with regular oil changes and servicing. If you do keep a car for a long time you do miss out on all the innovations in goodies and gizmos though.

 

Yep.. mine had 30k miles on it when I bought it from my brother in 2012.  He'd had it from new .. regularly serviced and with more oil changes than recommended.  I've taken it to 72000 in the last 8 years. New calipers all around as they were getting a bit sticky. It's a known issue with the Honda but can affect any car.  Apart from an exhaust and the usual 'consumables' that's it.

The Civic isn't over equipped with gadgets, but does have cruise control, air-con, remote/heated mirrors etc... and a rather good stereo.

Also, with the 2.0L iVTEC motor giving an 'adequate' 160 bhp.. it is quick enough to frighten the horses...

 

Basically, it just works... and as I explained to Mary above.. it has cost me less than £5k (including purchase) in 12 years apart from tax..insurance etc.  I'd lose that in six months on any new car.  I could buy a new car today but I see no point.

It's also not often realised that a lot of the 'goodies and gizmos' on newer cars are actually very cheap to make.. being just based around cheap computer chips and touch screens. Much like a Tablet.. and they can be had for not much.  I'd sooner see that money spent on better safety, durability and general build quality.

 

The last new car I bought, in 2006, was a FIAT Grande Punto 'Sporting'.. in red.  It was a very pretty car, and had lots of gadgets such as USB ports, phone connectivity for hands free, 'hill hold', 'speed beep' and other stuff that a competent driver doesn't need.  I passed it on to my daughter around 2012 and it was written off a year or so later when she was rear ended and bounced into the car in front, whilst stationary at lights.  A quick search on the Govt web site shows it is still registered, MOT'd until next year, on about 130k miles and seemingly held together with string.  How that can be legal beats me but..

 

RE 'SatNav'  On the rare occasion I need it.. I set it up on Google Maps on my phone, leave it on the passenger seat and just listen to the instructions.  No need to look at it.

 

My daughter used to live in flats very close to the centre of Manchester. I was able to park in the underground car park, but only if she came down to let me in. Waiting wasn't an option.  So.. I would set up a text saying '5 mins' before setting off from home.. then when I was (inevitably) stopped at lights somewhere along by Salford Uni.. I would just press the 'send' button and that way she would be waiting to let me in.

[philmayfield 6,312]

14 minutes ago, Beekay said:

Can you remember when you were 77 then? 

 

 

Yes, last January.

[DJ360 6,781]

Blimey... I'm surrounded by geriatrics....

[philmayfield 6,312]

Apparently becoming a geriatric starts at 65.

[Beekay 5,300]

So, for all your ridicule, you're only 2 months behind me.

Ignore Col, he's just jealous cos' he's not an old fart. But then again, we have to endure young upstarts.  

[philmayfield 6,312]

I’ve turned down the invitation to our village monthly coffee morning today. The first after lockdown. No way do I want to spend two hours in the village hall chatting with a bunch of old farts. I may be 78 in body but not in mind!

[Beekay 5,300]

Good, valid point Monseiur. Our community centre is restarting 'Bingo' next week but I don't quite know if I'm ready for that much excitement. Think I might nip down to Lewes and watch the traffic light change. That's if my parole officer let's me out.

[Cliff Ton 10,580]

You're only as old as other people think you are.

[Beekay 5,300]

And that from a relative teenager. 

[Jill Sparrow 10,420]

1 hour ago, philmayfield said:

Apparently becoming a geriatric starts at 65.

Yippee! I'm too young to be a geriatric!! 

[nonnaB 4,914]

Nissan Micra, that was my old car which is being handed down to our 18 yr old grandson. Until he gets his license we still use it. It’s a four door and I loved it. My new car , now old is a Mitsubishi We don’t need a “ posh car” to have the roads here ruin it. As long as it goes from A to Z thats all I’m concerned with. I’m not interested in makes of cars and can’t now distinguish one from another. This car suits me, I had Bluetooth installed when I bought it and as far as I know there are no other “extras”. Shows you what I know about cars. Anyway posh cars get you where you want to go and that’s all that matters.

 

[katyjay 5,094]

I don't know about anyone else, but when the media speaks of the elderly,  old age pensioners or senior citizens,  I am not thinking they mean me!

[Brew 5,510]

My car has so many gizmos 'to aid the driver' it's actually dangerous to use them unless stationary. The climate control is one example, it's a nightmare to operate and can take several minutes of faffing about to get it how you want.

 

[philmayfield 6,312]

They do say 'read the manual' but I never do. Its always nice to discover something new!

 

[Brew 5,510]

MB have gone down the digital route for manuals. My last car had one similar in thickness to a Littlewoods catalogue. This one is like an average paperback. It only gives a brief outline before referring  you  to the digital version on the hard drive..

[philmayfield 6,312]

I've never viewed the hard drive version on my car. I must have a play sometime. I never usually read the manual on anything I buy. I only refer to it if I have a problem.

[trogg 2,037]

I always  read the manual  , well only when I really need to know anything, thats why my clock is 1hr out for six months of the year. 

[loppylugs 8,429]

I once read.  "When all else fails, read the manual."

 

 

 

[philmayfield 6,312]

‘RTFM’ I think is the expression!

[Rob.L 1,091]

Used to be a rite of passage that, on buying a car, I also bought a Haynes manual for it.

 

Those days are long gone as modern cars are far too complicated for me to consider anything but the most basic of maintenance (fluids and filters). Hence why my plug spanner and feeler gauges are enjoying a happy retirement in the old toolbox.

[trogg 2,037]

The only time I open my bonnet to to check the washer fluid and thats not very often.   Recently I have been sorting out in my garage I have a set of imperial sized spanners and sockets I cannot remember the last time I used them but I could never dispose of them.  I brought metric sets of them but I have never used them on my car. Gone are the days of laying under the car to put a new clutch in and other tasks.

[philmayfield 6,312]

I used to enjoy working on my cars. I learnt a lot and accumulated loads of tools. I can check most of the 'checkable' things on my current car from my smartphone but it takes the fun away. In the past I've built a Caterham 7 from a kit and totally stripped and rebuilt a Morgan. I'm always looking for a new project. I think I've found one today in that an enormous branch on a big weeping willow in our orchard has snapped. Do I call the tree surgeon or can this be a DIY job? I have all the kit. 

[radfordred 6,284]

If you told me mine had no engine, I'd have to believe it, I've never seen it 

[MargieH 7,622]

RR I think you are younger than the generation that loved messing about with cars and engines in their youth.