Getting Started

This blog is the account of my experiences of running a cheap second car - aka a 'banger'. I'm going to record the trials and tribulations of this experiment here so that I can either extol the virtues of this concept, or convince you to avoid it at all costs.

Some background.

For the last seven years, I've been driving about in a Peugeot 307 diesel. It's been boring, but reliable motoring. Finally, though, the car started to give up. There are some interesting issues with the electrics: the rear wiper sometimes goes of it's own accord and one morning we found an electric window had wound itself down! The suspension is starting to show it's age. And there is a diesel leak in the high pressure system. Also, it needs a new cambelt. All of this lot amounts to a bill of way over a £1000 to sort... I just don't trust it any more. It's a shame, but the faithful old thing finally had to go.

I decided that I should have something a bit more fun. So, I bought a 2001 MX-5. Yes, yes, it's a hairdressers car, blah, blah, blah.. I've fallen in love with it though, so that's that. She seems to be pretty reliable and great on fuel economy (yes, really!) so all good.

I have three kids that I am lucky enough to have stay with me every other weekend. Not really compatible with the MX-5, but my girlfriend has - had - an Astra. However, she also fell in love with my MX-5 and bought herself one last week, selling the Astra to pay for it. We've got two MX-5's and no child-friendly car. Bugger.

I could have got a loan and bought another reasonably priced car. But I wondered whether it might be possible to do this a different way. So I've bought a very cheap old Peugeot 306. It's big enough to get all five of us in it, old enough for me not to really care what happens to it in car parks and so on, and cheap enough that I can afford to run this as well as my MX-5. It's a1995 model, done 127,000 miles, so is showing it's age, but we'll give this a go.

Here is the run down of the costs so far:

Peugeot 306 "Select" XS: £350 (from eBay)
Insurance: £178.08 (£14.85 a month, fully comprehensive)
The car is taxed until April and has an MOT due in November.

I'll share my experience of my first proper drive of it in the next post.