Practically Classics Forum

I think Tank is gonna be up for sale soon..... I've been offered something, erm rather newer but clearly too good to refuse. I need a barn .

Don't get a barn, you will only fill it with stuff. I have an open offer to have the in-law's hay barn but I have never taken them up on it as I know I would fill it full of range rovers and various BL products which I would never do anything with.
What newer thing have you been offered that is a substitute for a Volvo? is it an 850 T5?

Tis an Ovlov (of sorts) not T5 been there done that......

does that mean a bus / truck?

Haha, no Ovlov, but probably with some Ford stuff thrown in......

ahh, a Mondeo estate
Is it a diesel one or are you sticking with proper engines?

^^^^Indeed but proper engine, 2.4 170hp auto SE From 2004 , despite running cost I just can't warm to oil burners.
One owner ( an old Police crewmate) 92,000 miles FSH with recent cambelt and 1500 smackers to boot .

My daily is an oil burner. It currently needs injectors (£80 each exchange), glow plugs (£7.50 each) and a fuel pressure regulator (part of the injector pump of which a good used one is £350). Fuel costs are 25% lower but service items cost 10x more!
Can't grumble if the car has a known history at that price

Yeh, thanks.... I've never looked at them that way. My experiences were all during my time in the fuzz.

Fiesta Diesal (1.8?) drove like a tractor.
Pug 306 (I think). Now that was quite smooth and comfy in the usual French manner sort of like driving a mobile trampoline, lol. Give it some welly and the rev limiter almost stopped you dead!
BMW 325TDI Saloon manual. These were okay, luverly sound. 40k plus and became very rattly and smokey.
BMW 325TDI auto touring . As above, but floor it and then have a cuppa before the turbo decides it needs to wake up.....
BMW 330i Touring. These were okay. But the claimed 152 mph top end ( so faster by 1 than a T5 ) and acceleration to boot IMHO was never there. 135mph with a good wind aft' (on a quiet set of nights along the old HMS Daedalus runway when the car was quite new). Call that 120 once it had around 70k on the clock......

Last weekend I drove my 850 2.5 170hp (so same as my intended minus the ' Frod ' bits) . From here to Calais and onto Worthing and back over two days ( stopping over one night in Horsham) . 950 miles, I smiled all the way, even without T5 grunt, that 170 has long leggy gears and growls like a gooden when booted . That was with 192,000 miles on the clock. Only one thing went wrong..... The dreaded odometer cog failure during the return trip

58k until the end of the running in period. Only a couple of years driving then you can put your foot down