Ownership Verified: My Italian soft-top, rarer than a 599 GTO.

Aston Martin

Proudly supports terrible french cars
Joined
Sep 20, 2006
Messages
15,642
Location
Hull, England
Car(s)
Cactus and Panda Classic
Also rarer than a Ford GT.



So heres how it all began. I was just perusing Ebay for no real reason, saw this and the roof looked kinda cool...


29th of March:

Erm...

$(KGrHqZ,!jYE9Hsu1,QqBPbzjJzTe!~~60_12.JPG

$(KGrHqJ,!jIE697,gMJIBPbzjC8hg!~~60_12.JPG

$(KGrHqJ,!qcE88ftRu69BPbziMHc0!~~60_12.JPG


few little problems.boot can be difficult to open .rear sunroof clip missing,exhaust slight blowing

Boot and exhaust a 10 minute job, the sunroof clip doesn't sound fun. Also it's called the Parade, which sounds quite gay.

'Convertible' Panda. :cool:



Google pic of roof.

attachment.php


.............


1st of April:


I bid on something last week, I'm still the highest bidder. There's 4 hours left, not sure I want it.

As long as it isn't something with large recurring costs, like a car, you'll be fine...

Erm... yeppers.

3h 42m left, come on late bidders.

You're the high bidder, 59 mins left.

So... still unsure about wanting it?

I posted the link on another forum, to try and get outbid.
I'd have it, but if i save up I can get something better next month, that I have my eye on.

Damn, if it's that bad post the link here and I might buy it! :lol:


In all seriousness though, worst comes to worst you could just bung it back up for sale...

It's a decent/useable runabout econobox, but my problem is I've seen something better.

You're the highest bidder 37 mins left.


Moments later:


So, erm I just bought my first car. I bought her sight-unseen, like a mail-order bride.

Err, congrats?

A long MOT on a runner, for a few hundred quid, what could possibly go wrong? :p

Well what is have you bought then? :?

(Please don't say it's a 1970s Bentley.)


MOT September, tax May....cost for all this magnificence? ?400.
What is it? Well I'm hoping to get it on Tuesday, that's when all will be revealed...

Exactly the same way I bought the Saab. Only way to go; mail-order brides. Our marriage lasted a massive 4 months!


............

So it was Sunday night, i've just bought a car... with rusty doors, no radio, a bad exhaust, a finicky boot, no mileage shown on ebay, no service record and it needs a sunroof clip.

The only day I had off work was Tuesday, so I texted the guy. Can I get it Tuesday? "Yes, but i'm leaving for Scotland at 11am, can you be here before 10am?"

The car is in Leeds, which is honestly the worst city in the world, made even worse if you don't have a sat-nav. Luckily when I was there last week, copilot got me in and out quickly. Does the car have a cigerette lighter to charge the phone? Your guess is as good as mine.

The other issue I had, I haven't driven a manual box since I passed my test 2 months ago. The train station, is in the city centre and then I have to drive straight onto the motorway home. It's only 60 miles away, but with only a 45 BHP engine (From the factory, assume what you like, about how many horses have escaped.) It could take 3 hours flat-out.

Theres a line Jeff uses in Curb, when Larry unwittingly asks a chick in a wheelchair out. "It's an Adventure, it's an adventure. Exactly. It's a new experience. - It's great, new experience."


It certainly is an adventure, initially it wasn't one I wanted to go on. But I decided fuck it... driving from Leeds to Hull in a car bought unseen off the internet, that I know nothing about. "How hard can it be?"


2nd of April:

Book train ticket and sort insurance out.



3rd of April:

I wanted to drive the big, safe, comfortable and radio equipped Big Punto into town. Park it in a side street and get the train to Leeds. Sadly it made more sense to get the bus.

Arrive in Leeds, see the car. Which is more green than blue. Ok, more to the list, steering wheel not straight, no locking fuel cap, chip in windscreen, and 109,900 miles.
First manual gearbox in months, Leeds the most hilliest place on earth. I set off, with no glasses. Find a random street, set off for the A-road inside lane i'm doing 50 MPH.

15 minutes later...

Decided yet again, fuck it. Did 80 all the way home (Speedo said 80, so lets assume 55) going over the River Ouse bridge sapped 10 MPH, but going down hit 87.5 on the wobbly speedo. It used next to no fuel.

Proper pics and proof later, no-one would lie about this...

28br6sj.jpg
 
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Ooh look. It rained on your parade! :lol:

Now all you have to do is watch a Wheeler Dealers marathon to inspire you to get those little niggles fixed yourself.

And stick the car here!
 
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Ooh look. It rained on your parade! :lol:

Now all you have to do is watch a Wheeler Dealers marathon to inspire you to get those little niggles fixed yourself.

And stick the car here!

How rude!!!

The dash gets really hot with the heater on. :lol:
 
Have you had it checked for any traces of gentlemans relish?
 
Well it meets the 'half your age plus seven' requirement... just. If only it were a woman rather than a car.
 
An...interesting purchase, for sure. :lol: Looks like it'll be a hoot to drive, nevertheless. Enjoy it and don't forget to take it to the Ring! :p
 
An...interesting purchase, for sure. :lol: Looks like it'll be a hoot to drive, nevertheless. Enjoy it and don't forget to take it to the Ring! :p
:+1:

Under 20 minutes?
 
Sadly my first thought when seeing it was the worst cars thread too. :lol:

Looks like it'll be fun, and if it isn't you can cut it in half!

Enjoy it and don't forget to take it to the Ring! :p

For some reason I remember driving a Panda around the 'Ring in Gran Turismo 4. I was there for a long time, 13 minutes or something. :lol:
 
:jeremy: I'm sorry...can anybody guess why the Panda Parade was rare?

That looks like it'll be a bucketload of fun!
 
The old MOT's are the only history I have.
Goes back to 2000, it had done 57314
2001 63345
2002 67107
2004 70090 (Sorn 2003?)
2008 87050
2009 91074
2011 106480
 
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:lmao:

Congrats! And I mean it!

Drive it to the ground and I bet it will be fun. :D
 
Do I smell Fiat? I do.

Congrats, enjoy it. :D
 
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