My swapz offers - its gone!!

[munky]

Yup, its that time again, that you all love so much... I have a car on swapz and want your opinions on the offers I get. Good, bad, average, bite his hand off, too good to be true... you know the drill.

I'll keep it in one topic this time though and just edit the title as and when... (its for the e36, in case you hadn't noticed)

So, to get the ball rolling...

http://www.swapz.co.uk/swapz/1070056/



Looks pretty clean, but has what looks like a diy paint job peeling off on the back bumper.

Any good? I prefer the older shape legacy's, and obviously non-turbo is a bit meh... but what are they like?

(also got offered an 01 plate citroen picasso but I'm not ready to throw away my dignity and get an mpv just yet)

[Vard66]

Try that again, dude, both of them.

As far as N/Asp Leggys goes IME - pretty reliable, lovely to drive, (if massively uncomfortable for long journeys), heroically disturbing fuel non-economy, go well enough, but do it in a bit of a boring, effortless fashion, good load space - very practical.

[matt077]

keep the bmw i say

[munky]

Try that again, dude, both of them.

As far as N/Asp Leggys goes IME - pretty reliable, lovely to drive, (if massively uncomfortable for long journeys), heroically disturbing fuel non-economy, go well enough, but do it in a bit of a boring, effortless fashion, good load space - very practical.

swapz suckz for linkz

Hows this? http://www.swapz.co.uk/swapz/1311574/


And just been offered this too, which has hit my weak spot hard.... me likey.

http://www.swapz.co.uk/swapz/1302122/

[Vard66]

Ooh, very interesting.

At that mileage, if the Leggy's clutch hasn't been replaced, it'll be logger, the PAS pump will warrant looking at and the leads (again, if they've not been replaced) seem to also be a weak point over 100K.

[paul888]

No on either, leggy is nice but with no turbo makes it boring ,and a bit bland.

Alfa they look nice ,nice interiors but i always hear horror stories about them .

The bm is nicer than those two.

[Marc_GSiTurbo]

Definately no on the alfa tbh. Nice car outside and in, and ok to drive except the serious lack of power from the 1.6. And it hurts when someone hits you from behind. lol

IMO the e36 is alot nicer car to drive, and i'd rather have that than the alfa. I've owned both cars BTW.

[munky]

Ooh, very interesting.

At that mileage, if the Leggy's clutch hasn't been replaced, it'll be logger, the PAS pump will warrant looking at and the leads (again, if they've not been replaced) seem to also be a weak point over 100K.

that would be a no then.

No on either, leggy is nice but with no turbo makes it boring ,and a bit bland.

Alfa they look nice ,nice interiors but i always hear horror stories about them .

The bm is nicer than those two.

Definately no on the alfa tbh. Nice car outside and in, and ok to drive except the serious lack of power from the 1.6. And it hurts when someone hits you from behind. lol

IMO the e36 is alot nicer car to drive, and i'd rather have that than the alfa. I've owned both cars BTW.

But its soooo sexy... And e36's are mind numbingly boring to drive anyway.

This is still my 'until I get a 540' car... so anything that replaces it will be a short term thing. I've wanted a 156 for a while now, I think I need to get it out of my system. They're both worth approximately the same too but the alfa is a lot newer.

I also dont believe all the horror stories are as founded as top gear would like you to think, so it could work as the lil runabout to have alongside the 540 too.... Its got ac as well which I've been sorely missing sine I ditched the 528.

Meh... I know its not sensible... but talks are underway.

[TheRealStig]

They`re both crap, keep the bimmer.

Or

Sell it and get a good car

[munky]

They`re both crap, keep the bimmer.

Or

Sell it and get a good car

I'm getting a good car... in september.

Til then I'm experimenting.

The e36 is fine, it does everything well, does everything without grumbling, does everything without you even noticing you have been in a car... its incredibly dull!

[Vard66]

Yeah, I'd wager fairly heavily that none of those things have had any attention from the owner, if it's been put up on 'swapz'.

[munky]

Yeah, I'd wager fairly heavily that none of those things have had any attention from the owner, if it's been put up on 'swapz'.

Are you implying that swapz is frequented by pikeys and conmen?

your sig is gay, go back to the ring one.

[Vard66]

Yes, but I can make it a statement if you'd like.

You're a pikey, go back to being gay.

[munky]

hmmm... alfa man is willing to go ahead...


But, enter the spanner in the works.

I made an offer on this while drunk last night, and he has replied -



He's only replied asking when the cambelt was last done on the e36 ( ) and is a loooong way from me... but I do like the gs's.

[Marc_GSiTurbo]

yeah i don't know why every says they're so unreliable. we had ours for a good few years with nothing wrong other than the battery dying.

They have got a pretty good spec leather climate etc.

And they do have a nice gear change

[munky]

The latest offer....





No mike... no.

[mike88]

I just wanted to say hello.

BMW's are gay.

I saw a 540 today and thought of you lol

That and when you see "1 new offer" you always get excited haha

[munky]

I just wanted to say hello.

BMW's are gay.

I saw a 540 today and thought of you lol

That and when you see "1 new offer" you always get excited haha

yes you do indeed... had much interest in the tank?


edit> as long as nothing better comes along, I'll be picking up the alfa on monday

[mike88]

A little, only been up 10 mins tho

Escort 1.8 convertible..
Escort XR3I..


Fail.

[munky]

lol. patience is a virtue...

I'm quite surprised at the interest this ones had so far. I only put it up last night, then sent out a load of offers on silly cars like... erm... 540's I havent heard any back yet, except that gs300, but the alfa will get me a lot more 'happy wife' sex than the gs, and its nearer.

[mike88]

When i had it on a few months back i got all kinds of offers on it, old Supras, 300ZXs etc..

[BrackenFox]

How much cash did they offer on top of the 156?

Y-reg even in decent nick with low miles is probably worth about £600-800 in the real world. 4-cylinders (particularly the 1.6) are horrendously dull to drive as well, and drink fuel like a, um, really-fuelly-drinky-thing. I looked into them last year when I was tempted, drove quite a few of them, glad I didn't bother now.

The e36 is fine, it does everything well, does everything without grumbling, does everything without you even noticing you have been in a car... its incredibly dull!

You might have enjoyed it a bit more if it wasn't being strangulated by that exhaust.

I do agree though, the E36 does have the ability to be dull as ditchwater when you're not really pressing on. Mine does come alive rather nicely when pushed though, seems to have just enough power to keep things fun and interesting. Couldn't imagine buying a 318, must be like being slowly bored to death.

[paul888]

You've changed, swapping bmw for an alfa 1.6 !! ESTATE .

Its wrong JUST WRONG .....

[munky]

How much cash did they offer on top of the 156?

Y-reg even in decent nick with low miles is probably worth about £600-800 in the real world. 4-cylinders (particularly the 1.6) are horrendously dull to drive as well, and drink fuel like a, um, really-fuelly-drinky-thing. I looked into them last year when I was tempted, drove quite a few of them, glad I didn't bother now.

Still in negotiations for the cash, I started at 800 and wont drop much. However I think you'll find that good examples, even of the 1.6, go for quite a bit more than 600

[munky]

You've changed, swapping bmw for an alfa 1.6 !! ESTATE .

Its wrong JUST WRONG .....

Its not an estate, its a sportwagon.

[Marc_GSiTurbo]

Yeah they go for a bit more than that if they have all the kit.

Mine was valued at £2000 by the insurance company and they said A1 condition would be £2400

And the 1.6 is pretty slow. lol and brackenfox is bang on with the fuel consumption

[BrackenFox]

brackenfox is bang on with the fuel consumption

I was utterly horrified - I was looking at buying a 1.6 156 as a nice economical runaround! How any reasonably modern 1.6 can give less (much less, according to owners I talked to - Alfa quote 24.9mpg, the general consensus appeared to be closer to 20) than 25mpg around town I'll never know!

You really would be surprised what you can get for under a grand in the Alfa family - I had my choice of top spec, low mileage, fault free quite late model 156's for well under that. Only didn't buy one as I thought I wanted one until I drove a few, then realised that I liked the idea of owning an Alfa a lot more than actually driving one.

If you think the E36 is dull, then don't even try driving a small engined 156 without drinking about ten cups of coffee, or you'll fall asleep and crash.

V6 is a lot better though.

[munky]

I'm reading what you;re saying... but it just isnt making any sense. Look at it, its gorgeous...

everyone should own an alfa at one moment in their lives. fact.

this is my moment. so suck my balls.

[BrackenFox]

I'm reading what you;re saying... but it just isnt making any sense. Look at it, its gorgeous...

That's the main problem I have, I think - I think most Alfas look bloody awful, so I find it harder to forgive them their niggles.

this is my moment. so suck my balls.

[paul888]

A V6 alfa , or a 16v 2.0 litre i could understand, or even a turbo diesel, MAybe everyone should own one at some stage of petrolheadness, but a 1.6 estate ? ,(sorry sportwagon) ?...

Its just not the munky i have become accustomed (think that's the right spelling) ? to . That can take a heap spend a few quid on spray cans ,make the local public car park look like a travellers site ,lock out the wife and kids, mask off the living room in preparation for spraying, and generally turn round a heap, into something matt black.

Come on don't let us down here.

[munky]

Yet you didnt have any comment on the subject of me owning (and liking a lot) a 1.5 honda civic?

Its small, sensible, goddam sexy, and has a big boot... the wife wants a runabout in exchange for letting me get a 540. For the next few weeks, this will be our car, and I'll get alfa out of my system... then it will be her car and I'll have a big shiny v8 bmw.

Its this, or a 306

As long as I dont tell her how much petrol its using, she will have her small engined runabout, I will have my 540, and I'll also have a little project to make shiny... GTA kit and wheels, bit of a drop... sexual.

[munky]

also... its worth noting that the matt black heap I turned around was just another rung on my 'trading up' ladder...

I've gone from that to this, without spending a penny, in fact I'm quite tidily in profit.


Anyway... into the works flies another spanner... (you're gonna hate this one paul!)



Non turbo sdi... Hows that for dull?! (but epic mpg and thus a very happy wife, and potential for me to have a bit of a play with it visually)

[BrackenFox]

Its this, or a 306

Enjoy your Alfa then, sir!

Not a fan of the 306, as you may have guessed - had enough dealings with them over the years to never want to see one ever again.

The derv Skoda is a good solid and sensible choice, however. Less boring to drive than the Alfa too.

[Sheaf]

also... its worth noting that the matt black heap I turned around was just another rung on my 'trading up' ladder...

I've gone from that to this, without spending a penny, in fact I'm quite tidily in profit.

Are you just trying to immitate this, but purely in cars and a LOT more trades? http://oneredpaperclip.blogspot.com/

One matt black prelude to a Veyron in 237'654 trades....

[munky]

Its this, or a 306

Enjoy your Alfa then, sir!

She loves them for some reason. In her defence she does only like the phase two's... but still.

Now that september is drawing closer it keeps being pointed out to me that she really liked the civic as it was perfect for her. And I swapped it for the e36 without telling her while she was at work... I don't remember saying it but she is adamant that while explaining my actions I did promise it would be used to get her a runabout, by september, that was better than the civic.

So keep in mind that any choice I make now is heavily biased by her desire and (clearly errant, but try telling her that) belief that, despite my many protests, her ideal car is a little pig... sorry... *pug...

Not a fan of the 306, as you may have guessed - had enough dealings with them over the years to never want to see one ever again.

I have driven two... a gti6 which was immense, and a 1.6 (iirc) shopping kart which was horrific. I drove each for about half an hour, to and from the mot centre. That time was plenty enough for both opinions to be formed imo.

The derv Skoda is a good solid and sensible choice, however. Less boring to drive than the Alfa too.

I'm sure she will agree... but I also know she loves the looks of the 156 as much as I do. Though perhaps not in the same way, and not enough to let that love steer her away from far more sensible options.



Taking all of this into consideration, I have 'agreed' to do the swap with the alfa on monday. That leaves me two whole days and nights of potential offers and choices. So far they're coming in at about one every two hours, and from people who seem to realise the e36 is a cut above the rest (of the e36's)....Nothing is set in stone just yet.

also... its worth noting that the matt black heap I turned around was just another rung on my 'trading up' ladder...

I've gone from that to this, without spending a penny, in fact I'm quite tidily in profit.

Are you just trying to immitate this, but purely in cars and a LOT more trades? http://oneredpaperclip.blogspot.com/

One matt black prelude to a Veyron in 237'654 trades....

If I said I hadnt heard of that chap and been intrigued by his exploits, I would be telling porkies. So much so that I dont even need to click the link to know its Mr paperclip to house. However I also know that if you scratch the surface his story isnt quite as impressive as it sounds... he has friends in high places that helped him out a LOT. Your average person cant swap things for a part in a US tv drama...

I had a nice car, I made a few mistakes and ended up losing the nice car.
I couldnt affford/justify buying another nice car.
I found Swapz.
I've been slowly, at no cost, working my way back up.
Very slowly.
So slowly its taken me almost as long to get back to halfway decent cars as its taken me to get back into a position where I can buy a nice car.
I changed the plan to make the aim to get the wife a nice car.
It seems to be working.


I don't want a veyron, and even if I did, I dont think the wife would accept any ploy to convince her it is the runabout of her dreams.