INEEDNAWZZZ
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Thought I might as well keep a journal of my car(s); should make for interesting reading if I stick at it for a few years.
1st car - 1997 Toyota Starlet CD
Owned from: 24th of May, 2013 - 6th of February, 2015
My first car; went through numerous stages of being an unloved run-around, to a wannabe JDM/Glanza thing to a trusted, reliable (yet still very much my own) workhorse. It got some new wheels, a head unit, optional clear indicators, strut brace and a splitter. I would have gladly driven the wheels off this little trooper, but it was rear ended to a state which was beyond worth repairing and was sadly written off.
2nd car - 1991 Nissan Micra 1.2 GSX
Owned from: 14th of February, 2015 - 21st of March, 2015
This was an impulse buy/stop gap to replace my Starlet. The MOT inspection revealed a lot of cheap welds which were covering up rust on every suspension mountings as well as whole host of other issues. The cost of the welding alone was more than the car itself, so I cut my losses and got rid. Shame since there isn't all that many left out there.
3rd car - 1998 Toyota Starlet S
Owned from: 22nd of March, 2015 - October 2017
I'm quite a fan of the EP91 platform, and whilst several thoughts came to mind as a replacement for the replacement, another Starlet always stuck at the back of my mind. Then (almost as some kind of eerie coincidence), a red 3 door model cropped up for sale for a stupidly low price. Amazingly clean, well maintained and fun to chuck around; its everything my five door was and should've been. Lasted a good few years before everything but the kitchen sink went wrong with it and it was not economically viable to keep running, so it was sold for spares before presumably being scrapped.
4th car - 2005 Mitsubishi Lancer 1.6 Elegance
Owned from: October 2017 (forgot the exact date) - 5th of August, 2019
This was intended as a simple, 'grown up' choice to replace the Starlet, and on paper it seemed perfect. I've always had a minor affection for the Lancer of this period, and this particular one was a one owner, high-spec model with a full service history and only around 55,000 miles - plus it was cheap to boot. The reality was a miserable experience, with constant ignition and electrical issues, getting crashed into multiple times (only minor collisions) and just being such a woeful lump to drive; to the point where I never even took an actual photo of the thing. Does get the distinction of being the first car I've owned that wasn't a red, Japanese hatchback though, so... there's that. The thing was sold for a pittance, though thankfully my circumstances changed, and I was able to upgrade to...
5th car - 2010 Renault Sport Twingo 133 Cup
Owned from: 2nd of August, 2019 - 16th of August, 2022
Another car I've always had a soft spot for, and after cross-shopping with a closely matched rival (the Swift Sport), I was able to find this for an absolute bargain. Was the first performance oriented car I'd owned, though it is technically just a 'warm' hatch, yet it still had unreal levels of grip, and was more than quick enough on a B-road. Also has the distinction of being the rarest and most reliable of my cars so far; ironic given that it's a small French hatchback! Apart from cracking the two front wheels (and replacing them with aftermarket ones), the car was mechanically sound and never missed a beat. The only reason I replaced it was to enter the world of car loans in order to gain some credit history to help with adult life things... and because the suspension broke my spine every time I drove it to work.
6th car - 2020 VW Up! GTI
Owned from: 16th of August, 2022 - Present
The Up! was the first VW since the Lupo I really, really liked, and the GTI was one of the few new car choices I would consider, given the circumstances allowed for it. Wanting to trade up and get my crap together, I decided to jump in on a payment plan and see what it's like to own a car made in the current decade, which is something of a culture shock for me. Feels way faster than the numbers suggest and is far more refined than anything else I've had before, and so far is serving me more than well.
1st car - 1997 Toyota Starlet CD
Owned from: 24th of May, 2013 - 6th of February, 2015
My first car; went through numerous stages of being an unloved run-around, to a wannabe JDM/Glanza thing to a trusted, reliable (yet still very much my own) workhorse. It got some new wheels, a head unit, optional clear indicators, strut brace and a splitter. I would have gladly driven the wheels off this little trooper, but it was rear ended to a state which was beyond worth repairing and was sadly written off.
2nd car - 1991 Nissan Micra 1.2 GSX
Owned from: 14th of February, 2015 - 21st of March, 2015
This was an impulse buy/stop gap to replace my Starlet. The MOT inspection revealed a lot of cheap welds which were covering up rust on every suspension mountings as well as whole host of other issues. The cost of the welding alone was more than the car itself, so I cut my losses and got rid. Shame since there isn't all that many left out there.
3rd car - 1998 Toyota Starlet S
Owned from: 22nd of March, 2015 - October 2017
I'm quite a fan of the EP91 platform, and whilst several thoughts came to mind as a replacement for the replacement, another Starlet always stuck at the back of my mind. Then (almost as some kind of eerie coincidence), a red 3 door model cropped up for sale for a stupidly low price. Amazingly clean, well maintained and fun to chuck around; its everything my five door was and should've been. Lasted a good few years before everything but the kitchen sink went wrong with it and it was not economically viable to keep running, so it was sold for spares before presumably being scrapped.
4th car - 2005 Mitsubishi Lancer 1.6 Elegance
Owned from: October 2017 (forgot the exact date) - 5th of August, 2019
This was intended as a simple, 'grown up' choice to replace the Starlet, and on paper it seemed perfect. I've always had a minor affection for the Lancer of this period, and this particular one was a one owner, high-spec model with a full service history and only around 55,000 miles - plus it was cheap to boot. The reality was a miserable experience, with constant ignition and electrical issues, getting crashed into multiple times (only minor collisions) and just being such a woeful lump to drive; to the point where I never even took an actual photo of the thing. Does get the distinction of being the first car I've owned that wasn't a red, Japanese hatchback though, so... there's that. The thing was sold for a pittance, though thankfully my circumstances changed, and I was able to upgrade to...
5th car - 2010 Renault Sport Twingo 133 Cup
Owned from: 2nd of August, 2019 - 16th of August, 2022
Another car I've always had a soft spot for, and after cross-shopping with a closely matched rival (the Swift Sport), I was able to find this for an absolute bargain. Was the first performance oriented car I'd owned, though it is technically just a 'warm' hatch, yet it still had unreal levels of grip, and was more than quick enough on a B-road. Also has the distinction of being the rarest and most reliable of my cars so far; ironic given that it's a small French hatchback! Apart from cracking the two front wheels (and replacing them with aftermarket ones), the car was mechanically sound and never missed a beat. The only reason I replaced it was to enter the world of car loans in order to gain some credit history to help with adult life things... and because the suspension broke my spine every time I drove it to work.
6th car - 2020 VW Up! GTI
Owned from: 16th of August, 2022 - Present
The Up! was the first VW since the Lupo I really, really liked, and the GTI was one of the few new car choices I would consider, given the circumstances allowed for it. Wanting to trade up and get my crap together, I decided to jump in on a payment plan and see what it's like to own a car made in the current decade, which is something of a culture shock for me. Feels way faster than the numbers suggest and is far more refined than anything else I've had before, and so far is serving me more than well.
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