u/New_Plan_7929

What does my 22 years of car history say about me?

1. Honda CRX 1.6 16v - my first car, at age 18 it felt like a rocket ship. I slammed it on cheap coilovers and drove it like I stole it everywhere. Eventually died due to rust (like all early 90’s Hondas).
2. Vauxhall Cavalier 1.8 - this came in to the Peugeot dealer I worked for as a part ex, I paid the company £150 for it (what it owed them), it had  no MOT and a hole in the exhaust. The exhaust was £25 and I got a free MOT each year on the company. All in it was a £175 that lasted a couple of years trouble free. Eventually gave it to my girlfriend, who shortly after became an ex (not because of the car).
3. Ford Fiesta 1.1 - bought for £200 for a road trip to Cornwall as it was cheaper than getting train tickets for three of us. We had a right laugh on the road trip, then when we got back we decided to fiddle with the carbs to see if we could make it faster. Very soon after it fired a push rod through the bottom of the sump while we were trying to get to 100 mph down Telegraph hill in Devon.
4. Peugeot 306 1.9 XUD - after moving from Devon to London I worked in sales for Audi so didn’t own a car. When I left Audi to go to uni I needed a cheap run around. Step forward the £600 306 1.9 NON-turbo diesel, agricultural and unbelievably slow, but would easily do 60mpg all day long. The cam belt did snap at one point and I got a second hand engine fitted for £400 all in. Very cheap motoring.
5. Toyota Celica 2.0 GT - the Peugeot ended up being mostly driven by my girlfriend at the time, so I needed another more fun car. I got this lovely Celica that was a hoot to drive and super reliable. The only car I have ever sold to a friend, he ended up restoring all the bodywork and driving it for years until the ULEZ put an end to fun old cars in London.
6. Saab 9-3 2.2tdi - when the Peugeot finally died I got sucked in by NCAP safety ratings (I had a kid by this point) so opted for the Saab 9-3. Initially it was lovely, comfortable, fast, it had night screen like a fighter jet. But quickly became a nightmare when the high pressure fuel pump died. These are coded to the car, so to get a second hand one requires someone who knows how to divorce it from the donor car. This means they know that they are £2500 new from Saab and charge appropriate second hand prices. I spent thousands fixing that car, and chasing leaking injector seals and boost leaks. I was very pleased to cut my losses and see the back of it.
7. Nissan X-Trail 2.2td - after the Saab it was time to return to Japanese reliability. The X-trail was awesome, genuine off road capability, rugged interior, great spec. The kids were older now and we did a lot of trips around the UK, camping and adventuring. Such a great car.
8. Nissan Micra 1.3 Sport - we needed a second car for me to commute while my wife drove the Nissan about with the kids in. This little Micra was a bargain and a lot of fun to drive flat out down the back lanes. I only had it for a few months but I loved it none the less.
9. Citroen Xantia 2.0 HDi - work had me commuting from London to Bristol on a weekly basis so I needed a comfy, cheap, economical motorway cruiser. The Xantia with the hydraulic suspension was so smooth and quite on the motorway, paired with the luxurious velour interior it was a great way to while away the miles. IT cost me £750, each trip to Bristol cost £30 in diesel but work paid £180 in mileage expenses. I sold it a year later (and about 40 Bristol trips) for £900, the mileage expenses paid for way more than the fuel, insurance and tax. It was truly cost positive motoring.
10. Mazda6 2.3 Sport - after the X-trail was hit in the rear writing it off I got a great deal on a low mileage Mazda6 Sport. With only 25k miles on it the 2.3 four pot was silky smooth and torquey. Factory equipment was great, the only wish was for a bit more power (more on that later!).
11. Ford Freda (Mazda Bongo Friendee) - following a chunky tax refund from HMRC I treated myself to an amazing Ford Freda. 8-seats, pop up roof, sleeping room for 4. We had so much fun in this thing. Drove it all over the UK and France, and even to the Isle of Wight with my mate to pick of a Bongo for him!
12. Honda Civic 1.8i - after the Mazda6 I wanted something a bit newer so got this lovely Civic. It looked like a spaceship inside and out, drove great and was 100% reliable. When my wife and I divorced she took the Civic and ran it in to the ground. I took the Freda and lived in it for 2-months.
13. Skoda Fabia Estate 1.4 MPI - as a newly single man I couldn’t drive everywhere in my camper so when my aunt replaced her Skoda I jumped at the chance to buy her old one which she’d owned from new. She wanted £150 (trade in value) a bargain! It was unfortunately hit by someone in a Zip Car knocking the wing mirror off which would have written it off, but Zip Car just gave me the £350 without going through insurance. I fitted a replacement mirror for £50 and sold the car for £400. More cost positive motoring. Big bonus of this car the aircon worked and was ice cold!
14. Mazda6 MPS - After the Skoda and getting myself on my feet it was time for some fun. I bought the Mazda6 with the correct engine, the 2.3 turbo making about 250bhp with AWD. Awesome car, it was lowered on Teins, had a full exhaust with headers, intake, and uprated recirc valve. Very fast, and very fun.
15. VW Golf Mk5 1.6 - commuting everyday in the MPS was killing me in fuel costs so it had to go and be replace with a 1.6 Golf I got for £500. My first German car and the only wish for this car was that it had more power…. Eventually it failed its MOT for having a massive hole in the passenger sill. I sold it for scrap and got £550 for it.
16. VW Golf Mk4 GTI - bought in a very sorry state as a little project during Covid I overhauled all the suspension with poly bushes, a Cupra R front set up (cast iron arms and better ARB routing), all new brakes, wheel bearings, full service and leak testing etc. It was a fun car in the twisties, if a little rough on the body work.
17. VW Golf Mk5 GTI - after the 1.6 went to scrap yard heaven I bought the Golf with the correct engine. Amazing car, I modified mine with lowering springs, a loud blow off valve, intake, lovely BBS  wheels and a tune taking it to 230bhp. The picture here is when my son and I took it to the GTI Fanfest 50th Anniversary event at the Wolfsburg factory in 2024.
18. Skoda Kodiaq 2.0 TFSI 4x4 - while the GTI is an excellent car and I would argue all the car you really need, my (new) wife wanted a bigger family car. So I bought a brand new Skoda Kodiaq, the only new car I have ever bought (and probably ever will). Faultless car, huge spec, 7 seats, 4x4 so never gets stuck, smooth, comfy, fast enough and practical. Would recommend. Also that colour!
19. BMW 325ti Compact (drift car) - I decided I wanted to learn to drift, so sold the GTI and bought a 325ti Compact. Fully modified for drifting I welded the diff, HSD coilovers, adjustable camber arms, hydro handbrake, OMP fix bucket seats, Momo steering wheel, and an intake. Plus loads of spare wheels. Unfortunately I ended up putting it in to a barrier at about 40mph backwards (on track) and bending the chassis so stripped the entire drive train and all mods and have a 4-cylinder coupe for it all to go in to. This is an ongoing project.
20. Audi S4 Avant - after three years I was fed up with paying PCP payment so sold the Skoda and bought this lovely S4 Avant. So fast and so well equipped. I truly think the 2010s was peak Audi times. This and the drift car are my current cars.

 

Favourite cars: Mazda6 MPS, Mk5 GTI, S4 and my drift car. Basically all the modified fast ones!

All pics are of my actual cars except the CRX, Cavalier, Fiesta and Xantia.

Some big brakes arrived today! £160 ($215) for the pair (off a Q5) seems like an absolute bargain four 4-pot Brembos.

Planning to clean them and paint them, then fit with some braided hoses and EBC pads all round.

Do you think it was my thermostat causing overheating?

Not sure if I should test it haha.