I mentioned here that the petrol gauge drops as I drive along burning gas. After I topped up the tank last week to nearly half-full, it slowly dropped back down again. Four times in the last three weeks, for no apparent reason, it rose back up to show the correct level.
I checked to see if opening either the filler cap or the covering door was enough to trigger a correction, but it seems not, leaving me none the wiser.
Last week I needed to check the mileage for a journey I’d just finished. I’d just switched off the engine, so I replaced the key in the ignition and turned it to the ‘run’ position for several seconds, but without actually starting up. Very shortly into my next journey, the gauge was reading the correct level, making me wonder if messing with the key had been significant. More investigation is required…
[Update: It seems the fuel computer must be set to show 'range remaining'. Investigations continue]
Thursday 14 June 2007
Thursday 24 May 2007
Strange Goings-on in the Fuel Tank
When I got the Coupé back from Essex LPG, there was very little petrol left in the tank. It uses petrol to start the engine and pressurise the LPG fuel lines, so I put £10-worth in.
I noticed on Wednesday that the fuel gauge was gradually drifting downwards, and by the time I got back from Norfolk it was firmly below the red line. The fuel computer’s estimate of remaining range was also dropping, but only by about a quarter of the actual distance I was covering.
This morning the fuel computer insisted that there was zero range remaining, and the petrol gauge remained firmly stuck to the bottom of the red line, so I added £15-worth. I was surprised to see this moved the needle to the half-tank level...
Talking to Alan this morning, it seems that both the gauge and the computer update themselves by monitoring how much fuel is supplied to the engine, and only reset when more fuel is added to the tank. Unaware that what is being supplied is Autogas rather than unleaded, they then show inaccurate figures.
I’m sure that there is more to this than I’m aware of at the moment, but for now it seems the only way to find out how much petrol I’ve got is to add some more…
I noticed on Wednesday that the fuel gauge was gradually drifting downwards, and by the time I got back from Norfolk it was firmly below the red line. The fuel computer’s estimate of remaining range was also dropping, but only by about a quarter of the actual distance I was covering.
This morning the fuel computer insisted that there was zero range remaining, and the petrol gauge remained firmly stuck to the bottom of the red line, so I added £15-worth. I was surprised to see this moved the needle to the half-tank level...
Talking to Alan this morning, it seems that both the gauge and the computer update themselves by monitoring how much fuel is supplied to the engine, and only reset when more fuel is added to the tank. Unaware that what is being supplied is Autogas rather than unleaded, they then show inaccurate figures.
I’m sure that there is more to this than I’m aware of at the moment, but for now it seems the only way to find out how much petrol I’ve got is to add some more…
Cooking on Gas
Having got the car back on Thursday 3rd, I then left for a fortnight’s holiday with the family in Scotland. The Coupé won’t carry either the child seat or the roofbox, so I had to leave it at home while we took the Astra on the long trek up North.
I’m back to work this week, so off on my new commute in the Coupé. I’ve had it for nearly a month and a half and only driven it a couple of times, so it was good to get behind the wheel.
I’m no Jeremy Clarkson, so I won’t attempt to go too deeply into the handling characteristics, besides which the A14 (straight dual carriageway, lots of speed cameras) isn’t the best place to test the performance envelope. There are two things I missed from the Astra, though:
The first, strangely, is the rear wash-wipe. With condensation in the mornings and dusty rain in the afternoons, rear visibility is not great. The Coupé is eight inches wider and eighteen longer than the Astra, so I’m still getting used to getting in and out of parking spaces. With five cars in the space previously occupied by four outside the house (not all mine, I hasten to add!), I need all the rear visibility I can get.
The second point is the sound system. The factory-fit Peugeot radio is okay, although the reception on FM isn’t great, but I do miss my DAB and MP3 player.
I’m back to work this week, so off on my new commute in the Coupé. I’ve had it for nearly a month and a half and only driven it a couple of times, so it was good to get behind the wheel.
I’m no Jeremy Clarkson, so I won’t attempt to go too deeply into the handling characteristics, besides which the A14 (straight dual carriageway, lots of speed cameras) isn’t the best place to test the performance envelope. There are two things I missed from the Astra, though:
The first, strangely, is the rear wash-wipe. With condensation in the mornings and dusty rain in the afternoons, rear visibility is not great. The Coupé is eight inches wider and eighteen longer than the Astra, so I’m still getting used to getting in and out of parking spaces. With five cars in the space previously occupied by four outside the house (not all mine, I hasten to add!), I need all the rear visibility I can get.
The second point is the sound system. The factory-fit Peugeot radio is okay, although the reception on FM isn’t great, but I do miss my DAB and MP3 player.
Converted...
I’d booked the Coupé in with Essex LPG for conversion on April 23rd. Alan was slightly cheaper than the Greenfuel quote I’d had, at £1650, but it was going to be a four-hour journey to drive the car down to him and then get a train back home. When I mentioned this to him he immediately offered to collect it from me and take it back to Essex on a trailer. Everyone’s a winner.
He’d estimated that the conversion would take about a week, but due to a problem getting a part from a supplier in Wales, I didn’t get the car back until the following Thursday. He did deliver it to me, saving me another four hour journey, which was good.
The conversion looks like a neat job; an 80 litre (nominal) tank fits nicely under the parcel shelf, but still gives me good access to the spare wheel. The filler valve has been neatly fitted onto the rear wing, close to the petrol cap, and the switch is tucked away under the radio.
He’d estimated that the conversion would take about a week, but due to a problem getting a part from a supplier in Wales, I didn’t get the car back until the following Thursday. He did deliver it to me, saving me another four hour journey, which was good.
The conversion looks like a neat job; an 80 litre (nominal) tank fits nicely under the parcel shelf, but still gives me good access to the spare wheel. The filler valve has been neatly fitted onto the rear wing, close to the petrol cap, and the switch is tucked away under the radio.
Thursday 12 April 2007
Got it!
Well, yesterday was the big day. The trip from home to Southampton was an eventful four -and-a-half hours, via London in the rush hour, the less said about which the better.
As I mentioned, I had settled on the 2001 2.0 'S', which was for sale with Nicholas Johnston Cars. I had a bit of trouble last week because Nick was keen to get his hands on some money, and was being pressured by another buyer who wanted to turn up with cash the next day.
The Coupé was ready and waiting when I eventually got to Southampton, so after stopping for a coffee and to sign some paperwork, I was off. Nick Johnston was a nice guy, with half a dozen or so cars he was selling from home. He's serviced and MoT'd the car, including replacing the timing belt, and it's been thoroughly cleaned both inside and out.
The bodywork is in fantastic condition for a six year old car. There's a tiny fine scratch on the driver's door, and a very small ding to the nearside rear wing, but it's small enough that you can only see it if you look carefully along the wing - from head on you'd never spot it. Inside is clean and tidy, the upholstery is in great condition and all the switches and buttons work. The passenger door trim is a bit loose and the trim on the inside of the driver's door mirror has been removed and inexpertly put back, but otherwise it's immaculate.
The 130 mile drive back from Southampton was effortless, taking only just over two hours - a pleasant change from the train down. It was long enough to find a comfy driving position and to get used to the controls and the pedals, but it was motorways and dual-carriageways almost all the way so I can't really comment on the handling. I'm sure I'll find an hour or so in the next few days to check out some of the quieter country roads around home.
So, after fur months of waiting and over two of blogging, I've finally got a 406 Coupé. And here it is.
Apologies to Nick Johnston for pinching the picture off his website, but since the car is sold I don't suppose he needs it any more...
As I mentioned, I had settled on the 2001 2.0 'S', which was for sale with Nicholas Johnston Cars. I had a bit of trouble last week because Nick was keen to get his hands on some money, and was being pressured by another buyer who wanted to turn up with cash the next day.
The Coupé was ready and waiting when I eventually got to Southampton, so after stopping for a coffee and to sign some paperwork, I was off. Nick Johnston was a nice guy, with half a dozen or so cars he was selling from home. He's serviced and MoT'd the car, including replacing the timing belt, and it's been thoroughly cleaned both inside and out.
The bodywork is in fantastic condition for a six year old car. There's a tiny fine scratch on the driver's door, and a very small ding to the nearside rear wing, but it's small enough that you can only see it if you look carefully along the wing - from head on you'd never spot it. Inside is clean and tidy, the upholstery is in great condition and all the switches and buttons work. The passenger door trim is a bit loose and the trim on the inside of the driver's door mirror has been removed and inexpertly put back, but otherwise it's immaculate.
The 130 mile drive back from Southampton was effortless, taking only just over two hours - a pleasant change from the train down. It was long enough to find a comfy driving position and to get used to the controls and the pedals, but it was motorways and dual-carriageways almost all the way so I can't really comment on the handling. I'm sure I'll find an hour or so in the next few days to check out some of the quieter country roads around home.
So, after fur months of waiting and over two of blogging, I've finally got a 406 Coupé. And here it is.
Apologies to Nick Johnston for pinching the picture off his website, but since the car is sold I don't suppose he needs it any more...
Wednesday 4 April 2007
What a Week!
Well, I finally got a call from Potential Future Boss #1 last Friday, telling me that I would be offered the position we had discussed. So, time to stop faffing around and actually buy a car.
I've been looking at used car adverts for three months, so now was the time to leap into action and buy myself a shiny Peugeot 406 Coupé.
The first car on my list, mentioned here, had been sold, as I predicted. The next one, I noticed just as I called the dealer, had red leather upholstery (why??!).
The next three all had sunroofs. None of these were mentioned in the text of the advert, nor were they visible on the photographs. In one case,the advert ran to eight lines of description of the car, including the surprise news that the car had power steering, but failed to mention the sunroof. As I established a while ago, sunroofs are a no-no.
By yesterday, I had narrowed the choice down to two vehicles:
A 2001 (Y) 2.0 S, cloth interior, 73,000 miles. Advertised at £3800 but £3500 agreed.
-or-
A 2000 (W) 2.0 SE, electric heated leather seats, cruise control, etc. 97,500 miles. Advertised at £3500.
My scoring system penalises the 'SE' for the extra 24,500 miles (~£600) and the extra year (£700), but gives it £600 for the extra kit. So, in order to be of equal value to the 'S' model, it would need to be reduced to around £2900.
I called the dealer, Rude Car,this morning and offered £3000 cash, which they politely declined. The car had come in only yesterday, so they weren't willing to drop the price at all. No sale for them today.
I've arranged to collect the 'S' from Southampton next week, once it's been MoT'd. The dealer serviced it and replaced the cam belt when he received the car, so no worries there.
I've also got a nice quote for the insurance by changing the car on my existing policy and taking out a new policy in my wife's name for the Astra. Net cost, about £490, which is £200 or so less than I'd thought.
The LPG conversion is also provisionally booked at Essex LPG for two weeks' time.
Full speed ahead...
I've been looking at used car adverts for three months, so now was the time to leap into action and buy myself a shiny Peugeot 406 Coupé.
The first car on my list, mentioned here, had been sold, as I predicted. The next one, I noticed just as I called the dealer, had red leather upholstery (why??!).
The next three all had sunroofs. None of these were mentioned in the text of the advert, nor were they visible on the photographs. In one case,the advert ran to eight lines of description of the car, including the surprise news that the car had power steering, but failed to mention the sunroof. As I established a while ago, sunroofs are a no-no.
By yesterday, I had narrowed the choice down to two vehicles:
A 2001 (Y) 2.0 S, cloth interior, 73,000 miles. Advertised at £3800 but £3500 agreed.
-or-
A 2000 (W) 2.0 SE, electric heated leather seats, cruise control, etc. 97,500 miles. Advertised at £3500.
My scoring system penalises the 'SE' for the extra 24,500 miles (~£600) and the extra year (£700), but gives it £600 for the extra kit. So, in order to be of equal value to the 'S' model, it would need to be reduced to around £2900.
I called the dealer, Rude Car,this morning and offered £3000 cash, which they politely declined. The car had come in only yesterday, so they weren't willing to drop the price at all. No sale for them today.
I've arranged to collect the 'S' from Southampton next week, once it's been MoT'd. The dealer serviced it and replaced the cam belt when he received the car, so no worries there.
I've also got a nice quote for the insurance by changing the car on my existing policy and taking out a new policy in my wife's name for the Astra. Net cost, about £490, which is £200 or so less than I'd thought.
The LPG conversion is also provisionally booked at Essex LPG for two weeks' time.
Full speed ahead...
Monday 26 March 2007
A private affair
I've never bought a car privately - our two previous cars and our current one were all bought from dealers. Only the second, a rather good looking 1994 Mazda 323F, was sold privately, so I'm rather new to the whole business of buying cars from complete strangers.
As I've been looking for my 406 Coupé, I've assumed that I'd be looking for a car from a dealer. Most of the cars on Autotrader are from dealers, and the £500 penalty I've added in my scoring system has ensured that only trade sales were likely to get a look in.
Until now. A quick surf before bedtime has revealed that a car that I saw a few weeks ago, a silver 2000 (X) 2.0 SE has dropped from £3699 to £3199, and has acquired an 'ono' to boot. This is now firmly top of my list, £200 ahead of the pack.
So - do I understand the additional risks of buying privately? I'd certainly be getting a full independent inspection, which is likely to cost £150-£200. The cost of this is already factored into the scoring system. A bit of negotiating might also get me back vaguely in line with my budget, which would be attractive.
It's probably a moot point, as the newly-reduced Coupé is likely to attract a lot more attention - or maybe al the attention it's already had has been put off by some hideous flaw. Time will tell.
As I've been looking for my 406 Coupé, I've assumed that I'd be looking for a car from a dealer. Most of the cars on Autotrader are from dealers, and the £500 penalty I've added in my scoring system has ensured that only trade sales were likely to get a look in.
Until now. A quick surf before bedtime has revealed that a car that I saw a few weeks ago, a silver 2000 (X) 2.0 SE has dropped from £3699 to £3199, and has acquired an 'ono' to boot. This is now firmly top of my list, £200 ahead of the pack.
So - do I understand the additional risks of buying privately? I'd certainly be getting a full independent inspection, which is likely to cost £150-£200. The cost of this is already factored into the scoring system. A bit of negotiating might also get me back vaguely in line with my budget, which would be attractive.
It's probably a moot point, as the newly-reduced Coupé is likely to attract a lot more attention - or maybe al the attention it's already had has been put off by some hideous flaw. Time will tell.
Tuesday 20 March 2007
First Drive
I've been out and about this week, leaving me too busy to record the test drive I took last week. I was on a training course in Hampshire and I'd noticed that one of the cars towards the top of my list was near by, in Basingstoke.
I phoned the dealer to see if they were open late enough for me to shoot off (Yeah - through the rush-hour traffic. How do people put up with that every day?) and take the car for a spin. It seems that the premises in Basingstoke had closed, but the owner was still selling the 406 Coupé and running the business from home. This seems a little fishy as I write about it, but he had trade plates and promised all the relevant paperwork.
The car was a 2000(W) 2.0 SE in metallic red. 72,000 miles, black leather interior. A couple of small dings and scratches in the paintwork, but the alloys had scrubbed up nicely. Advertised at £4250, but the owner volunteered that he'd take £4000 pretty quickly when I hinted that it was out of my price bracket. We didn't discuss whether he'd take £3750 for it, which is about all I'd really want to pay. I suspect he may not, as he was complaining at having to pay £170 for a replacement switch unit for the driver's seat; I got the impression this was cutting his profit on the car by a fair bit, but then he'd want me to think that.
We went for a short spin, which is nothing short of miraculous given the state of the roads at 5:30pm on a Tuesday evening in market-town commuter-belt Hampshire. It wasn't really enough for me to get a good feel for the car, barely enough to get used to the clutch and steering, but I did find out that the leather is somehow a lot less slidy that I'd thought it might be, and that there's a decent driving position to be found in there somewhere. I thought this would be the case from my earlier visit to County Liquidations, but it's hard to tell without being out on the road.
One thing that did surprise me was that the engine seemed to be revving very high for a 2-litre. I expected it to be a few hundred rpm lower than my 1.6 Vauxhall, but if anything it was higher. By the time I had noticed this and checked that I wasn't still in 3rd we were in heavy traffic again, so I may have been mistaken. I'll have a proper look next time. I also checked that the rear seats can be accessed without too much trouble, which I'd neglected to check on a previous viewing.
So- will I buy this car? If the potential future boss #1 ever gets back to me to offer me the job, then I might. I was a little disappointed at the bodywork, but I have to accept that I am buying a seven-year-old car, after all. There's another 2.0 SE on my list that I'd like to have a look at, and it may come down to how much the two sellers are willing to budge on the price.
I phoned the dealer to see if they were open late enough for me to shoot off (Yeah - through the rush-hour traffic. How do people put up with that every day?) and take the car for a spin. It seems that the premises in Basingstoke had closed, but the owner was still selling the 406 Coupé and running the business from home. This seems a little fishy as I write about it, but he had trade plates and promised all the relevant paperwork.
The car was a 2000(W) 2.0 SE in metallic red. 72,000 miles, black leather interior. A couple of small dings and scratches in the paintwork, but the alloys had scrubbed up nicely. Advertised at £4250, but the owner volunteered that he'd take £4000 pretty quickly when I hinted that it was out of my price bracket. We didn't discuss whether he'd take £3750 for it, which is about all I'd really want to pay. I suspect he may not, as he was complaining at having to pay £170 for a replacement switch unit for the driver's seat; I got the impression this was cutting his profit on the car by a fair bit, but then he'd want me to think that.
We went for a short spin, which is nothing short of miraculous given the state of the roads at 5:30pm on a Tuesday evening in market-town commuter-belt Hampshire. It wasn't really enough for me to get a good feel for the car, barely enough to get used to the clutch and steering, but I did find out that the leather is somehow a lot less slidy that I'd thought it might be, and that there's a decent driving position to be found in there somewhere. I thought this would be the case from my earlier visit to County Liquidations, but it's hard to tell without being out on the road.
One thing that did surprise me was that the engine seemed to be revving very high for a 2-litre. I expected it to be a few hundred rpm lower than my 1.6 Vauxhall, but if anything it was higher. By the time I had noticed this and checked that I wasn't still in 3rd we were in heavy traffic again, so I may have been mistaken. I'll have a proper look next time. I also checked that the rear seats can be accessed without too much trouble, which I'd neglected to check on a previous viewing.
So- will I buy this car? If the potential future boss #1 ever gets back to me to offer me the job, then I might. I was a little disappointed at the bodywork, but I have to accept that I am buying a seven-year-old car, after all. There's another 2.0 SE on my list that I'd like to have a look at, and it may come down to how much the two sellers are willing to budge on the price.
Thursday 15 March 2007
Better Decisions
I mentioned here that I had been trying to create a ranking system to help me rate the merits of the various cars that I've found around the patch.
I was worried that my system of awarding points was a little unscientific and took no account of a car's price, so I've had another go.
I've adjusted the screen price of each car to allow for various factors as follows:
In some ways, this doesn't make the decision any easier, but I now feel I can buy any of those cars and feel that my choice has been a reasonable one.
I was worried that my system of awarding points was a little unscientific and took no account of a car's price, so I've had another go.
I've adjusted the screen price of each car to allow for various factors as follows:
- Each year of age - £700
- Each 10,000 miles - £250
- SE Model + £600
- Private Seller - £500
In some ways, this doesn't make the decision any easier, but I now feel I can buy any of those cars and feel that my choice has been a reasonable one.
Thursday 8 March 2007
Lost one...
I've been getting paranoid that the cars on my list might sell before I'm actually in a position to buy, so I periodically browse the web to check they're still for sale, and to see if any new models have popped up.
I was pleased to see that the silver 2.0 I had at the top of my list was still available,until out of the corner of my eye I saw the word 'Automatic'. How had I missed that?
To me, automatics are driven by those whose left legs are too arthritic to be able to assist with gear changes. No offence meant to automatic drivers*, but I'm not having one.
So, the list was down to one car, and the 19k miles vs an SE model decision was made for me.
[* Except hose who sit at junctions and in queues with their left foot on the brake pedal. In the dark. Why do you do that? Stoppit.]
I was pleased to see that the silver 2.0 I had at the top of my list was still available,until out of the corner of my eye I saw the word 'Automatic'. How had I missed that?
To me, automatics are driven by those whose left legs are too arthritic to be able to assist with gear changes. No offence meant to automatic drivers*, but I'm not having one.
So, the list was down to one car, and the 19k miles vs an SE model decision was made for me.
[* Except hose who sit at junctions and in queues with their left foot on the brake pedal. In the dark. Why do you do that? Stoppit.]
Thursday 1 March 2007
Another Viewing
I went to County Liquidations yesterday to see a car that they were advertising on their website. I wasn't really interested in the car, although the mileage wasn't shown on the advert, the 1998(R) registration meant that it would have had to have been a great deal to interest me. It was a pale blue 2.0S, ~100k miles and cloth interior. Marked up at £2990, which seemed a bit optimistic.
The main reason that I went was to have a climb over a model without a sunroof. I mentioned here that looked at a nice car a few weeks ago, and found that the sunroof left me with less than adequate headroom. This one was okay though, once I had adjusted the (non-powered) seats I found a decent driving position, I think.
The interior was a lot worse than the first car that I'd seen - I don't know whether this is because it differs from the 1998 to the 2001 model, or from the 'S' to the 'SE'. Either way, it looked a bit shiny and plasticky to me.
Other problems included a clutch pedal that required a bionic leg to depress and a gear-shift that made nasty squeaks, but since I'm not buying that one anyway I didn't worry too much...
The main reason that I went was to have a climb over a model without a sunroof. I mentioned here that looked at a nice car a few weeks ago, and found that the sunroof left me with less than adequate headroom. This one was okay though, once I had adjusted the (non-powered) seats I found a decent driving position, I think.
The interior was a lot worse than the first car that I'd seen - I don't know whether this is because it differs from the 1998 to the 2001 model, or from the 'S' to the 'SE'. Either way, it looked a bit shiny and plasticky to me.
Other problems included a clutch pedal that required a bionic leg to depress and a gear-shift that made nasty squeaks, but since I'm not buying that one anyway I didn't worry too much...
Decisions, decisions
I've been keeping a note of the various different cars that I've found for sale for a few weeks now. It started as a way of checking what combinations of mileage and age was associated with different price levels, but I've recently been trying to create some sort of objective scoring system to help me decide between them.
I mentioned earlier that I would be targeting a 2000(X) or newer 2.0 with 80,000 miles for around £3500. I've listed the various cars and allocated points for being better or worse than this reference point in each respect. I've also decided that the extra toys on the SE model might be nice to have, so there's a point for that too.
Currently top of the list are two cars. Both are the same age (2000); the key points are:
73,000 miles, red bodywork, SE model, leather seats at £3899
- vs -
54,000 miles, silver, 2.0S with cloth seats for £3995.
I'm assuming that I can knock a couple of hundred at least of the advertised prices - I spoke to a dealer in Birmingham last week to ask if a car he had came with a sunroof (it did); he was advertising at £3999 but said he'd probably accept £3500 if I was carrying cash.
The key question is whether the toys on the SE are worth as much as 19,000 miles? The head says no, but I'm not sure... The Parker's guide would have 20k miles being worth about £500 on the price.
So - which way to go?
I mentioned earlier that I would be targeting a 2000(X) or newer 2.0 with 80,000 miles for around £3500. I've listed the various cars and allocated points for being better or worse than this reference point in each respect. I've also decided that the extra toys on the SE model might be nice to have, so there's a point for that too.
Currently top of the list are two cars. Both are the same age (2000); the key points are:
73,000 miles, red bodywork, SE model, leather seats at £3899
- vs -
54,000 miles, silver, 2.0S with cloth seats for £3995.
I'm assuming that I can knock a couple of hundred at least of the advertised prices - I spoke to a dealer in Birmingham last week to ask if a car he had came with a sunroof (it did); he was advertising at £3999 but said he'd probably accept £3500 if I was carrying cash.
The key question is whether the toys on the SE are worth as much as 19,000 miles? The head says no, but I'm not sure... The Parker's guide would have 20k miles being worth about £500 on the price.
So - which way to go?
Tuesday 27 February 2007
Web Site Review: Exchange & Mart
URL: exchangeandmart.co.uk
Exchange and Mart sell a lot of other stuff besides cars, but they have a fairly substantial number (~90,000) of used cars for sale. 39 Peugeot 406 Coupés were listed.
The basic search facility for the page allows you to do a free-text search, which is useful as it allows you to add only those terms which are important, i.e. "Peugeot 406 coupe 2.0 blue leather". You can also narrow searches by clicking on the various options for manufacturer and model, and to further filter the results according to price or location.
The advanced search is more powerful, allowing you specify a range of options including the price, the age of adverts, fuel type and transmission. Unusually, more than one combination of model and manufacturer can be included in a single search, and min/max mileages and prices can be entered as free text rather than selected from a pre-set list.
Two cars caught my eye, both 2.0 SE's from 2000. One in silver, for sale privately, 80,000 miles for £3,500; the other red with 73,000 for £3899. Both come at the top of the ranking system I've created to help me make a decision - more of this anon.
Overall, the Exchange & Mart site is pretty good, but it is let down slightly by the number of vehicles available. For more common cars, they've probably got enough [A search for a Ford Focus within 20 miles of my home found 72 cars] but for a rarer beast like the 406 Coupé a larger supplier base is required. For comparison, Autotrader claims 365,000 cars on-line, of which 188 are 406 Coupés.
Exchange and Mart sell a lot of other stuff besides cars, but they have a fairly substantial number (~90,000) of used cars for sale. 39 Peugeot 406 Coupés were listed.
The basic search facility for the page allows you to do a free-text search, which is useful as it allows you to add only those terms which are important, i.e. "Peugeot 406 coupe 2.0 blue leather". You can also narrow searches by clicking on the various options for manufacturer and model, and to further filter the results according to price or location.
The advanced search is more powerful, allowing you specify a range of options including the price, the age of adverts, fuel type and transmission. Unusually, more than one combination of model and manufacturer can be included in a single search, and min/max mileages and prices can be entered as free text rather than selected from a pre-set list.
Two cars caught my eye, both 2.0 SE's from 2000. One in silver, for sale privately, 80,000 miles for £3,500; the other red with 73,000 for £3899. Both come at the top of the ranking system I've created to help me make a decision - more of this anon.
Overall, the Exchange & Mart site is pretty good, but it is let down slightly by the number of vehicles available. For more common cars, they've probably got enough [A search for a Ford Focus within 20 miles of my home found 72 cars] but for a rarer beast like the 406 Coupé a larger supplier base is required. For comparison, Autotrader claims 365,000 cars on-line, of which 188 are 406 Coupés.
Thursday 22 February 2007
Web Site Review: Trovit Cars
No real news to report, other than that I did manage to meet potential future boss #1. It turns out he was waiting for me to get back to him, so I've confirmed that I'm interested in the job we discussed. Hopefully things will move on more quickly from here.
I thought that I would post a few thoughts on some of the websites that I've been perusing over the last few weeks.
URL: cars.trovit.co.uk
A site index rather than a site as such, which I normally find very irritating. Trovit have one useful feature though - they group the cars by various categories and allow you to restrict the search by clicking on the appropriate options. They also show how many cars are in each category (price, fuel, no of doors, mileage, fuel & transmission), which I found very useful. The data collection engine seems a bit flakey, though, as it hadn't captured the mileage or transmission of any of the 406 coupés that it found.
Most of the cars found were actually listed on 'preloved', 'gumtree' or on Ebay. The one car that caught my eye, a 2001 2.0 SE at £3980, was actually advertised on Preloved, but I also found it on Autotrader when I looked more closely.
I think the site might be a UK implementation of an American site, as it had mileages in km (the Yanks seem to think that everyone in Europe uses kilometres), but sorted fuel types into 'diesel' and 'gasoline'. Strange.
I thought that I would post a few thoughts on some of the websites that I've been perusing over the last few weeks.
URL: cars.trovit.co.uk
A site index rather than a site as such, which I normally find very irritating. Trovit have one useful feature though - they group the cars by various categories and allow you to restrict the search by clicking on the appropriate options. They also show how many cars are in each category (price, fuel, no of doors, mileage, fuel & transmission), which I found very useful. The data collection engine seems a bit flakey, though, as it hadn't captured the mileage or transmission of any of the 406 coupés that it found.
Most of the cars found were actually listed on 'preloved', 'gumtree' or on Ebay. The one car that caught my eye, a 2001 2.0 SE at £3980, was actually advertised on Preloved, but I also found it on Autotrader when I looked more closely.
I think the site might be a UK implementation of an American site, as it had mileages in km (the Yanks seem to think that everyone in Europe uses kilometres), but sorted fuel types into 'diesel' and 'gasoline'. Strange.
Thursday 15 February 2007
Car Finding
No news on the new job front yet, so I'm reduced to idly browsing through the various car-sales websites looking for good deals. I'm not getting too attached to any particular car, as I don't want to buy anything before I know for sure that I need it.
I've found two cars that meet the following criteria, so this is likely to be a target for what's available when I'm actually looking to buy:
I've found two cars that meet the following criteria, so this is likely to be a target for what's available when I'm actually looking to buy:
- 2000 (X) or newer
- 80,000 miles or less
- Not much over £3,500
- 2.0 engine
- no sun-roof
- Cloth seats
- Not black, green, yellow or dark gray
Friday 9 February 2007
First look
Well, I managed to sneak out between meetings yesterday to have a look at a car. It was the first time I'd been in a 406 Coupé, and very nice it was too. There was too much snow and not enough time to take it out for a test drive, but I was mainly concerned with the size of the passenger compartment.
The car was a 2-litre SE version, on a 2001 'Y' plate. 64,000 miles on the clock. All the nice toys inside, including electric seats with position memories, climate control and sat nav. One tiny ding in the rear wing, but otherwise in excellent condition. £5,500.
Notwithstanding the fact that this car was a full £2,000 more than I'm hoping to pay, there were a few bad points:
Firstly, the electric seats are a groovy gadget, but we had to get a battery-booster before we could move them to allow me to get in. I didn't check the arrangement, but it wasn't clear if there is another mechanism for sliding the seats forward to give access to the rear seats. I imaging that there must be, otherwise getting anyone in and out would take forever, and be impossible in the event of an accident. Having to hold a wriggling infant whilst inserting the keys into the car and then waiting for the seat to move would be unacceptable. I should have checked, really.
Secondly, the leather. I'm sure that there are a lot of benefits to leather seats, but I'm not sure that I'm convinced. All things being equal, I think I'd prefer a nice cloth. We shall have to see what SWMBO thinks.
Finally, the all-important issue of headroom. This particular car had a sunroof, which lowered the inside of the roof by quite a bit. With the seat tilted right back, I wasn't banging my head on the roof, but I'm not sure that it left me in a very good driving position. I don't know if the sunroof was a standard fit on the SE model; I'm fairly sure that it wasn't on the earlier 'S'. I shall have to pay more attention to the adverts on Autotrader.
The boot looks cavernous, with a lot of space under the parcel shelf that would be hard to reach and useful for the storage of a sizeable LPG tank. It's quite low, though, and I don't know what would fit.
The car was a 2-litre SE version, on a 2001 'Y' plate. 64,000 miles on the clock. All the nice toys inside, including electric seats with position memories, climate control and sat nav. One tiny ding in the rear wing, but otherwise in excellent condition. £5,500.
Notwithstanding the fact that this car was a full £2,000 more than I'm hoping to pay, there were a few bad points:
Firstly, the electric seats are a groovy gadget, but we had to get a battery-booster before we could move them to allow me to get in. I didn't check the arrangement, but it wasn't clear if there is another mechanism for sliding the seats forward to give access to the rear seats. I imaging that there must be, otherwise getting anyone in and out would take forever, and be impossible in the event of an accident. Having to hold a wriggling infant whilst inserting the keys into the car and then waiting for the seat to move would be unacceptable. I should have checked, really.
Secondly, the leather. I'm sure that there are a lot of benefits to leather seats, but I'm not sure that I'm convinced. All things being equal, I think I'd prefer a nice cloth. We shall have to see what SWMBO thinks.
Finally, the all-important issue of headroom. This particular car had a sunroof, which lowered the inside of the roof by quite a bit. With the seat tilted right back, I wasn't banging my head on the roof, but I'm not sure that it left me in a very good driving position. I don't know if the sunroof was a standard fit on the SE model; I'm fairly sure that it wasn't on the earlier 'S'. I shall have to pay more attention to the adverts on Autotrader.
The boot looks cavernous, with a lot of space under the parcel shelf that would be hard to reach and useful for the storage of a sizeable LPG tank. It's quite low, though, and I don't know what would fit.
Wednesday 7 February 2007
Size Matters
I spoke to Alan at Essex LPG. He tells me that the standard spare-wheel-well tank is 60 litres, and that in-boot tanks can go up to 90. If I really want the range I can do what he's done to his Xantia and fit both, giving a total capacity of 150 litres. This would cost £300 or so extra.
Autogas tanks only fill to around 80% of nominal capacity, so this would allow 120 litres (26 gallons) of fuel to be carried. At 25 mpg that's 650 miles.
I'll be doing up to 110 miles a day, so the 60-litre tank's 265-mile range isn't too great. The question is whether it's worth forfeiting the boot space to have a 90-litre tank and a 400 mile range. I'd also still be able to carry a spare wheel in this configuration, although I've only ever used a spare on the road once in the last 300,000 miles.
I'm still hoping to see a car tomorrow, although the one I mentioned here has disappeared from the dealer's website. I'll try and judge the amount of space a 90-litre tank might take up.
Autogas tanks only fill to around 80% of nominal capacity, so this would allow 120 litres (26 gallons) of fuel to be carried. At 25 mpg that's 650 miles.
I'll be doing up to 110 miles a day, so the 60-litre tank's 265-mile range isn't too great. The question is whether it's worth forfeiting the boot space to have a 90-litre tank and a 400 mile range. I'd also still be able to carry a spare wheel in this configuration, although I've only ever used a spare on the road once in the last 300,000 miles.
I'm still hoping to see a car tomorrow, although the one I mentioned here has disappeared from the dealer's website. I'll try and judge the amount of space a 90-litre tank might take up.
Monday 5 February 2007
Realistic Pricing
Thursday's euphoria on having potentially saved over a grand on the conversion costs for the car began to wear off over the weekend as I realised that it was all too good to be true. I e-mailed Essex LPG to ask for a specific quote for a 406 Coupé.
The answer came back that they could do it for £1550. No indication as to whether this is inc- or ex-VAT, or as to why this is so much more than the indicative prices on the website. I suspect that the website gives installation prices only, not including the kit itself, but it's not clear that this is the case. Their e-mail also mentioned that they have a few options on different sized tanks. If I'm going to be doing a lot of mileage in this car, a bigger tank and a extra miles between fill-ups might be worth paying for.
On the plus side, I've found a likely-looking car at a used-car dealer in Essex. I've got to travel to Chelmsford on Thursday, so I'm going to go and have a poke around it, if it's still there. It will be good to have a sit inside, although I certainly won't be parting with any money right now.
The answer came back that they could do it for £1550. No indication as to whether this is inc- or ex-VAT, or as to why this is so much more than the indicative prices on the website. I suspect that the website gives installation prices only, not including the kit itself, but it's not clear that this is the case. Their e-mail also mentioned that they have a few options on different sized tanks. If I'm going to be doing a lot of mileage in this car, a bigger tank and a extra miles between fill-ups might be worth paying for.
On the plus side, I've found a likely-looking car at a used-car dealer in Essex. I've got to travel to Chelmsford on Thursday, so I'm going to go and have a poke around it, if it's still there. It will be good to have a sit inside, although I certainly won't be parting with any money right now.
Thursday 1 February 2007
Good news!
I mentioned in an earlier post that I'd had a price of around £1800 inc VAT for converting my car to run on LPG Autogas. It seems like a lot of money, but when you're looking at saving £600 for every 10,000 miles driven, it's still worthwhile. It did, however, blow a bit of a hole in the £5000 I'd mentally set aside for buying and converting the car.
I've had a bit of a better search around the web this evening. The LPGA (the UK association for all things relating to Autogas and LPG) have a helpful website, which lists all the approved converters in the country. I've sent a few e-mails to local places asking for quotes, but Essex LPG Autogas Conversions say that they can convert a Ford Mondeo for £200 and a C-Class Merc for £400. They're a fair distance away, but for a £1400+ saving I'm not going to complain.
Now, do I reduce my mental budget back to where it should be, or do I plough the whole lot into a more expensive car? Answers on a postcard...
I've had a bit of a better search around the web this evening. The LPGA (the UK association for all things relating to Autogas and LPG) have a helpful website, which lists all the approved converters in the country. I've sent a few e-mails to local places asking for quotes, but Essex LPG Autogas Conversions say that they can convert a Ford Mondeo for £200 and a C-Class Merc for £400. They're a fair distance away, but for a £1400+ saving I'm not going to complain.
Now, do I reduce my mental budget back to where it should be, or do I plough the whole lot into a more expensive car? Answers on a postcard...
Don't you just love technology?
I hate IT sometimes. Especially when I'm doing things that I don't really understand, like editing the styles on this blog or working with PhotoShop.
Today I've been doing both, trying to create the lovely picture of the car that you see to the left of this page. All I wanted to do was to take the orignial picture (pinched from the web somewhere) and make the background transparent.
Somehow it took an hour.
Today I've been doing both, trying to create the lovely picture of the car that you see to the left of this page. All I wanted to do was to take the orignial picture (pinched from the web somewhere) and make the background transparent.
Somehow it took an hour.
Wednesday 31 January 2007
The story so far...
I'm confident enough of being offered the change of job that I've started to think seriously about finding a suitable car. I've also decided to record the trials and tribulations of this in a blog.
My mental budget for the car started off at around £5000, which I hoped would include the cost of an LPG conversion ( I bought my current car, a Vauxhall Astra, as a factory-fit LPG conversion and I'm very pleased with the results. Fuel savings of 6p a mile over the last 100,000 miles have been well worth having.) and a couple of hundred left over for a new stereo system. I believe that the 406 Coupé comes with a CD-changer, but I bough an mp3-playing DAB radio for the Astra a few years ago and I'm quite attached to that.
A search on the internet suggests that I might have to pay around £4000 for a car with a decent combination of age and mileage, plus another £1800 for the LPG conversion. That leaves -£800 for in-car entertainment.
I'm gradually coming round to the idea of paying a little more than I'd hoped to, although I haven't mentioned this to my wife. She's okay with the idea of the car, as long as it's not dark blue, dark grey or black. Don't ask me why*.
I also have a mental budget for insurance, although that's likely to be busted too.
*I do know why, I'm just not saying.
My mental budget for the car started off at around £5000, which I hoped would include the cost of an LPG conversion ( I bought my current car, a Vauxhall Astra, as a factory-fit LPG conversion and I'm very pleased with the results. Fuel savings of 6p a mile over the last 100,000 miles have been well worth having.) and a couple of hundred left over for a new stereo system. I believe that the 406 Coupé comes with a CD-changer, but I bough an mp3-playing DAB radio for the Astra a few years ago and I'm quite attached to that.
A search on the internet suggests that I might have to pay around £4000 for a car with a decent combination of age and mileage, plus another £1800 for the LPG conversion. That leaves -£800 for in-car entertainment.
I'm gradually coming round to the idea of paying a little more than I'd hoped to, although I haven't mentioned this to my wife. She's okay with the idea of the car, as long as it's not dark blue, dark grey or black. Don't ask me why*.
I also have a mental budget for insurance, although that's likely to be busted too.
*I do know why, I'm just not saying.
Why Peugeot?
I need a new car. Not a new new car, but another car.
The reason for this is that I'm changing (or hoping to change) from a job where I can cycle to work to one where I'll be commuting 60-100 miles a day. I can't leave my wife and baby at home with no means of travelling long distances, so a new car is required.
So, why a Peugeot? and why a 406 Coupé?
Well, it's a great looking car, without a doubt. Reviews say that it's good to drive, and spacious enough for family use. My first car was a Citroën, and I've always found that PSA cars have been very comfortable to drive.
I've always wanted one, and now I may finally get one :-)
The reason for this is that I'm changing (or hoping to change) from a job where I can cycle to work to one where I'll be commuting 60-100 miles a day. I can't leave my wife and baby at home with no means of travelling long distances, so a new car is required.
So, why a Peugeot? and why a 406 Coupé?
Well, it's a great looking car, without a doubt. Reviews say that it's good to drive, and spacious enough for family use. My first car was a Citroën, and I've always found that PSA cars have been very comfortable to drive.
I've always wanted one, and now I may finally get one :-)
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