Mid Life Crisis - What Car to get

Ive just had a kind of Midlife crisis reversal... I turned 40 a couple of weeks ago, and this weekend, i bought myself a Mondeo...o_O
 
I don't regard my car as an MLC decision - it was a SONL (start of new life) one! It's Mrs Nod who bought herself a big V8 GT convertible!!!
 
Nod said:
I don't regard my car as an MLC decision - it was a SONL (start of new life) one! It's Mrs Nod who bought herself a big V8 GT convertible!!!
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Well done Mrs Nod..........:cool:
 
LASTOLITE said:
Well done Mrs Nod..........:cool:
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Indeed but don't suggest to her that it was a mid life crisis decision!!! Besides, her previous car was an MX5.

Paul (Bump), I decided to go lower and slower so have a Triumph Speedmaster alongside the Royal Enfield Bullet EFi. Keep considering changing the Trump for something else but can't find anything I prefer!
 
Maybe this one then @Nod this is the baby one currently sat in my garage, the ZRX400 Japan only export version.

I rode it for a few years and it's currently laid up pending a bit of restoration work, needs, the head bearings doing and the carbs stripping and rebuilding.

58bph at 13, 500 rpm with a full titanium yoshimora system

weighs less than a bag of johnies and nice and low over the seat.


I also used to have an identical red one for the wife but that had to go to supply me with a rich parts list for the green one :)

 
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Never really liked the look of the ZXs, although I could be tempted by a mint Z1... The Trump is just above my knees at seat level and has a nice relaxed riding position. Not sure what its top end is but it's quick enough away from the lights for my wants/needs! The Enfield is a winter hack now, really. The chrome on them is crap and the electrics need regular WD40ing but it works well enough to get me down to town and home again. Just need to figure out a way to carry a set of golf clubs on them both!
 
DorsetDude said:
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Nod said:
Never really liked the look of the ZXs, although I could be tempted by a mint Z1... The Trump is just above my knees at seat level and has a nice relaxed riding position. Not sure what its top end is but it's quick enough away from the lights for my wants/needs! The Enfield is a winter hack now, really. The chrome on them is crap and the electrics need regular WD40ing but it works well enough to get me down to town and home again. Just need to figure out a way to carry a set of golf clubs on them both!
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funny you say that I had the chance to ride one about 5 years ago, it was horrible, very top heavy and quite tall on the seat, handling was awfull, brakes poor. All in all a pretty grim experience and I walked away, up till then it had also been a classic I had considered buying.
 
Have to say that I find the Enfield quite light. Brakes aren't too bad (mine's got a disk on the front and drum on the rear), handling's better than I expected from a '50s design chassis, power is about adequate (well, it'll haul my bulk around at 70+!). When it's working, it starts first prod of the button (or foot). Feels quite similar to my old CB125 in many ways (and has performance to match!) By no stretch of the imagination is it a race bike or a long distance tourer (although people do do the trip to and back from Chennai on them!) but as a local bike, it's great.
 
mickledore said:
There's only one answer.

http://www.morgan3wheeler.co.uk/desktopindex.html
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New ones are (for me) hugely uncomfortable and vastly overpriced. Not sat in a real (old) one for many years (since I reached adult size!) but I would think that they are similarly uncomfortable and also hugely expensive! Since I was honest and told the salesman I wasn't going to buy one (on the comfort issue), I didn't get to take one out for a spin. Wouldn't want to get caught out by a shower in one...
 
Of course they are uncomfortable. They need a lot of maintenance. They are draughty and noisy. They are typical of old school British sports cars. Their devotees love them with all their faults. There is a big dealership near here. They told a near neighbour of mine that they shouldn't be considered as a second car; they are more suitable to being a third car. Glorious in everything except prcticality.
 
Indeed, our local dealer (shared a dealership with Royal Enfield, hence me even trying one on!) has an original JAP enginned one as a hobby car (along with a small collection of steam engines). Only uses it to take to shows which always seems such a sad fate for any machine. A proper MLC car needs a certain amount of practicality and comfort - no point in numbing a young lady's parts on a leather covered plank being vibrated by an engine with its roots in the early 20th century - besides, 35 grand for a toy? (Good luck finding a good modern one second hand...)
 
mickledore said:
Of course they are uncomfortable. They need a lot of maintenance. They are draughty and noisy. They are typical of old school British sports cars. Their devotees love them with all their faults. There is a big dealership near here. They told a near neighbour of mine that they shouldn't be considered as a second car; they are more suitable to being a third car. Glorious in everything except prcticality.
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And stability.....
 
At £15k for a convertible you can get a lot of cars that will be reliable.

I would recommend the best Mk2 Audi TT you can find in PETROL guise or a BMW Z4M if you want to scare yourself silly!

I run an old bmw 328 E36 as my toy and it's probably only cost me £5k but I love the experience.
 
White Van - mega fun to drive like an arse. VW Transporter Highline DSG should be proper nice too.
Nice BMW X5 40D - you can still drive like c*** in this one
Range Rover. Easy to park with on anyones lawn.
BMW 740D to upgrade your smaller beemer.
Audi TT convertible Quatro...

There are loads to choose from with that budget. I wish I had that money to spend on now.
 
OldCarlos said:
Honda S2000?
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we're touching 60 and on our second S2k, practical as a roadster can be when needed and loony when I need to, mine is £500 road tax though,get the right age and running costs are sensible though.
 
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for me with the budget a old school Porsche lol however I would look for a jag xf if it was me as can be had within budget either that or a fast audi
 
If you want a Bike, get one of these

one of mine - 1984 BMW R80 ........... .. even at 30 years old they are still lovely to ride ... beats any of those "rice burners"

now tucked away for the winter

BM_R80.jpg




or this one ..... fastest Bike I ever had ..... it was just ridiculous

BM_K1.jpg
 
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Not many "Flying Breeze Blocks" around these days! Recently swapped the bikes over so the winter hack is out and the Triumph is in the garage.
 
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