So.....
If you've read my recent update to my Golf thread, you'll know change is on the horizon, and approaching rapidly. The 130 mile daily round trip commute, that I pay the fuel for, has become a grind and when I was presented with the opportunity for an interview for a role that is virtually identical to mine, a mere 17 miles up the M1 from home, I jumped at it.
Clearly, I chose the right words, in the correct order, with the right amount of effort in delivering them, because I got the job!
The new role has the option of a fully expensed car, or a car allowance. Given I'll now be doing circa 9k a year mileage instead of maybe 35k, it makes more sense to run my own car and take the allowance. I'd considered asking Lex about how much to buy the golf but considering it's only just over two years old, I think it will be too much.
Thoughts then turned to finances and I figured with the saving of not having a company car on my tax code, and the car allowance, I could bank a serious amount of cash per month. I'd been looking at this car:
A 2010 535d, with a serious spec, and a price to match at £13k.
Thoughts turned to a fun car I could run for a year, that I knew well, that was reasonably reliable, other than the Xsara because I don't want to put the miles on that and easy to maintain myself.
There was only one answer. A 306. The lack of distance I'd be covering meant I didn't need to consider a diesel. I've already a Rallye, so why not a 6? And low and behold an advert appeared on the GTi6/Rallye Facebook page yesterday, in Coventry (very local to Leicester), for about my budget, for a GTi6.
A trip over this afternoon, a good look round, a test drive, a look through the history file over a cup of tea, a little negotiation and a deal was done. Tomorrow, I will own this:
A Ph3, late 2000, X plate GTi6. A fairly well known car amongst the 306 community, it's fairly standard apart from being lowered a touch and having an updated rear beam. Turns out it had a decent period of being maintained by CG Cars of Leicester (if youve read my Xsara thread, you'll know Carl looks after all my french stuff). A bulging history file, 124k on the clocks and generally a very clean example. Previously, it had been modified somewhat to make it handle very well but mostly, suspension aside, it's been returned to stock.
So......the million dollar question. My plans:
Well, I intend to run it for a year. It will be my daily. Undoubtedly, there will things to.do, but, unless parts present themselves so cheaply I'd be mad to turn them down, it will remain standard. Someone I know well, who I've told of my plans, has already asked for first refusal if I do move it on in a year's time, so I guess it's my duty to maintain/improve over the next 12 months. I might have a parts contact.....!
I will be picking it up at lunchtime tomorrow so will hopefully update tomorrow night....
If you've read my recent update to my Golf thread, you'll know change is on the horizon, and approaching rapidly. The 130 mile daily round trip commute, that I pay the fuel for, has become a grind and when I was presented with the opportunity for an interview for a role that is virtually identical to mine, a mere 17 miles up the M1 from home, I jumped at it.
Clearly, I chose the right words, in the correct order, with the right amount of effort in delivering them, because I got the job!
The new role has the option of a fully expensed car, or a car allowance. Given I'll now be doing circa 9k a year mileage instead of maybe 35k, it makes more sense to run my own car and take the allowance. I'd considered asking Lex about how much to buy the golf but considering it's only just over two years old, I think it will be too much.
Thoughts then turned to finances and I figured with the saving of not having a company car on my tax code, and the car allowance, I could bank a serious amount of cash per month. I'd been looking at this car:
A 2010 535d, with a serious spec, and a price to match at £13k.
Thoughts turned to a fun car I could run for a year, that I knew well, that was reasonably reliable, other than the Xsara because I don't want to put the miles on that and easy to maintain myself.
There was only one answer. A 306. The lack of distance I'd be covering meant I didn't need to consider a diesel. I've already a Rallye, so why not a 6? And low and behold an advert appeared on the GTi6/Rallye Facebook page yesterday, in Coventry (very local to Leicester), for about my budget, for a GTi6.
A trip over this afternoon, a good look round, a test drive, a look through the history file over a cup of tea, a little negotiation and a deal was done. Tomorrow, I will own this:
A Ph3, late 2000, X plate GTi6. A fairly well known car amongst the 306 community, it's fairly standard apart from being lowered a touch and having an updated rear beam. Turns out it had a decent period of being maintained by CG Cars of Leicester (if youve read my Xsara thread, you'll know Carl looks after all my french stuff). A bulging history file, 124k on the clocks and generally a very clean example. Previously, it had been modified somewhat to make it handle very well but mostly, suspension aside, it's been returned to stock.
So......the million dollar question. My plans:
Well, I intend to run it for a year. It will be my daily. Undoubtedly, there will things to.do, but, unless parts present themselves so cheaply I'd be mad to turn them down, it will remain standard. Someone I know well, who I've told of my plans, has already asked for first refusal if I do move it on in a year's time, so I guess it's my duty to maintain/improve over the next 12 months. I might have a parts contact.....!
I will be picking it up at lunchtime tomorrow so will hopefully update tomorrow night....