Introduction
So here goes. I've wanted one of these for a very long time. I loved the basic Pandas when I was an apprentice at Mangoletsi, and when the 100hp's were released I fell in love. One bouncy drive round rural Cheshire and I was hooked. Bear in mind at the time I was driving a 1.3 Vauxhall Nova (and I'd have another, but have you seen the prices!) and there was a lot to compare. Small, fun, nippy, head turning. Fast forward a few years, two more Novas (rot boxes), two cavaliers (reliable, if a little old fashioned), a corolla (boring), mk2 golf GTi (VW couldn't make cars then, still can't now. Awful) and a Merc c200 (lovely car, still got a sick feeling about trading it in) I changed garages, got bored and ended up back where I started earlier this year. And a plan formed.
I started looking a few weeks back, and with some money saved I set myself a £3k budget. Plenty around for that price and less, but all at least 50 miles away. I wanted a grey one, with clean bodywork. Not a big ask I thought. Boy was I wrong.
I drove a 120 mile round trip to view a 90,000 mile, 1 owner, full service history at £2k. When I arrived, there was a dent in the door and the wing, and the front bumper was peppered with stone chips, but it was honest, 90% dealer service history, and drove like a new car. I politely told the seller I would let him know as I was looking at a couple of others. One low mileage sold before I could look, but there was a 54k "mint car" up towards Leeds. Saturday lunch I set off. It wasn't mint. Large dent in the roof, the underside looked like it had been parked in the sea, and it just didn't feel right. I walked away, got in touch with the first one, and asked if he'd take my mechanically good, bodywork bad Merc in part ex. I was only asking £300 for the merc, (I bought it for £400 over two years ago, not bad depreciation!), and that's what he offered. So after a 150 mile round trip to Leeds, I got back in my car and drove back to Mansfield.
£1700, plus the merc got me this.
Inside and out, it's miles better than the low mileage "minter", and on a 70 mile cross country blast home last night, it was perfect. It makes me giggle just to look at it.
I started looking a few weeks back, and with some money saved I set myself a £3k budget. Plenty around for that price and less, but all at least 50 miles away. I wanted a grey one, with clean bodywork. Not a big ask I thought. Boy was I wrong.
I drove a 120 mile round trip to view a 90,000 mile, 1 owner, full service history at £2k. When I arrived, there was a dent in the door and the wing, and the front bumper was peppered with stone chips, but it was honest, 90% dealer service history, and drove like a new car. I politely told the seller I would let him know as I was looking at a couple of others. One low mileage sold before I could look, but there was a 54k "mint car" up towards Leeds. Saturday lunch I set off. It wasn't mint. Large dent in the roof, the underside looked like it had been parked in the sea, and it just didn't feel right. I walked away, got in touch with the first one, and asked if he'd take my mechanically good, bodywork bad Merc in part ex. I was only asking £300 for the merc, (I bought it for £400 over two years ago, not bad depreciation!), and that's what he offered. So after a 150 mile round trip to Leeds, I got back in my car and drove back to Mansfield.
£1700, plus the merc got me this.
Inside and out, it's miles better than the low mileage "minter", and on a 70 mile cross country blast home last night, it was perfect. It makes me giggle just to look at it.
