General Pandas - how long will they last?

[306maxi]

The concept of cars as disposable consumer goods goes completely against the grain for me. They are still expensive items and the idea of throwing them away after 10 years seems wasteful. What is especially difficult to swallow is that the car-killer of my younger days, corrosion, has now been greatly reduced and perfectly good bodyshells are crushed because the bits attached to them have failed.
Blimey, I even have a problem with scrapping an old kettle or toaster and wish you could still get parts for these. Our neighbour borrowed our ancient electric lawnmower the other day and tried to cut what they call a lawn, actually a weed-infested jungle. The lawnmower broke. I'm sure many would have scrapped it and bought a new one but I stripped it apart and had it as good as new. The only part needed was a split pin, borrowed for nothing from my mate. I wish this approach still prevailed.

I couldn't agree more.

A couple of years ago the screen in my phone went faulty and for less than £20 I went on eBay and bought the tools and part to fix it and sorted it for a LOT less than a new one would have cost me.

The wifes Subaru just went in today to have ~£400 of bushes, brakes and steering components replaced and it'll most likely be at least £200 in labour to get it done. At most the car is probably worth £700? Why did I do it? Because I like the car and it's got a lot of good points to it and I want to keep it. If I'd not been savvy the bits I bought could have easily cost me about a grand and would probably have not been as good. If I get to have my way and get the car how I like it I reckon it'll cost at least another £3-4k at the very least to get it resprayed, getting rust cut out, getting new panels, getting new dampers and springs, finish polybushing the rear end and just generally get it a bit tidier inside.

After all that's said and done would it be worth even half of that? Most probably not but it's a car me and the wife like, it's uncommon and to buy a new car equivalent to it would cost at least £15k so is it really that bad an investment?

I very much suspect that if we've still got the 500 in 15 years I'll be looking at doing the same for it and restoring a bit of freshness to it.

 

[SurreyAlan]

must admit I also owned a Marina at one time and it was a good reliable motor (except when the exhaust blew at the rubbish clamp on the downpipe), maybe it was made when Red Robbo was on holiday.

 

[trackdayqueen]

must admit I also owned a Marina at one time and it was a good reliable motor (except when the exhaust blew at the rubbish clamp on the downpipe), maybe it was made when Red Robbo was on holiday.

There can never be anything good about a Marina.

Crap build quality.
Crap engines.
Crap handling..

 

[306maxi]

There can never be anything good about a Marina.

Crap build quality.
Crap engines.
Crap handling..

As Top Gear say..... one and only 1 Marina should be saved and on display in a museum. As a warning

 

[Geddes]

There can never be anything good about a Marina.

Crap build quality.
Crap engines.
Crap handling..

Actually the A & B series engines in Marinas were really rather good. A bit wheezy by modern standards but they'll chug along forever. In a Marina a 1.8 B series is dangerously powerful...

Pity the poor designers. Their brief was to compete with the Mk2 Ford Cortina but they had to make it out of bits of Morris Minor and Triumph Herald.

 

[ycming]

Yes, I'm saying that due to their low inherent worth to start with (ie being a cheap car) that by the time they are ten years old they won't be worth much which will inevitably cause their demise. I'm not convinced your average panda is really going to qualify as an enthusiasts car in the broadest sense.

All supply and demand, say as an extreme example, if in 10 years time there only 1 panda left. IT will sell and maintain good value no doubt.

Not really about how good the car drives or how fast it is. If is low in supply, there will always be some died hard fans for it .

ming