Author Topic: My Precious  (Read 2742 times)

Offline VWRed

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My Precious
« on: 23 January 2022, 20:34 »
Just wondering what the general feeling was regarding the use of their car. The reason I ask is that I think I'm beginning to worry too much about mine. It's in great condition but I worry about the paintwork getting scratched, adding too many miles to the odometer, hitting potholes in case it buckles a wheel, is their a huge repair due soon as the car is now 9 years old with 60k on the clock, etc, etc. This is almost taking the fun out of driving it, in which case I may as well sell it now. Am I going mad????

Offline Watts

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Re: My Precious
« Reply #1 on: 23 January 2022, 21:00 »
Yes, you are.

To appease your fears your only option is to stop driving the car and tuck it away in a heated garage. I suspect though that you don't want to do that. If you are going to drive it you have to accept that it's going to get stone chips, dirty and need maintenance which is yes, going to cost money. There might be an expensive job on the way at some point but chances are, there won't be. Not for some time anyway, 60k miles is nothing, I'd be willing to bet a well maintained car will do 2 or 300,000 miles. Just look after it, take precautions when you have to park it but most of all, drive and enjoy it!
2019 Oryx White 5dr TCR.

Was - 2015 Tornado Red 3dr GTI PP, manual, Santiagos, Audi short shifter.

Offline Guzzle

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Re: My Precious
« Reply #2 on: 23 January 2022, 21:45 »
The best way to enjoy a car is to go out and drive it.

Scratches, wear and tear, maintenance are just facts of life. If you've done 60k then that's about 50p per mile in depreciation from new assuming a residual value of £0. The more miles you do the cheaper they become.
7.5 GTD

Offline SRGTD

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Re: My Precious
« Reply #3 on: 23 January 2022, 22:12 »
Drive it and enjoy it and if it gets damaged or needs mechanical attention, it can be repaired. No one knows what may or may not happen and life’s too short to worry about these things.

As a friend of mine once said, you’re only here for a short while but you’re a long time dead. 
« Last Edit: 23 January 2022, 22:13 by SRGTD »
2020 Polo GTI Plus; Pure White, DSG (because they all are)
Gone but not forgotten;
2016 Polo GTI; Blue Silk
2011 mk6 Golf GTD; Carbon Grey
2007 mk5 Golf GT (2.0 170bhp TDI version); Deep Black Pearl
2002  mk4 Golf GTI (the 150 bhp diesel version); Deep Black Pearl

Offline joe6

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Re: My Precious
« Reply #4 on: 23 January 2022, 22:18 »
I'm on 95k in my 12 year old mk6. Only one repair bill of any size for a new dmf (also put in a new clutch just to be safe) and body and paint still in very good nick. Every day car. Drive it and enjoy it.
Mk6 GTI Carbon Grey, 2010 Bluetooth and voice fitted, a few VCDS mods still a comfortable family car. Red Scirocco 2011 twin charger stage 1 - enjoyable drive now gone.  White 2016 Polo GTI (roller skate on steroids) replaced with an Indium Grey 2019 7.5 GTI PP.

Offline VWRed

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Re: My Precious
« Reply #5 on: 23 January 2022, 22:56 »
My recent diagnosis from a main dealer during a routine service intensified my insecurities - a leaking thermostat/water pump housing (never needed to fill the expansion tank in a year), new front discs/pads (was going to get these done, routine maintenance), leaking front n/s damper (was told by another garage 2 months ago it was just misting and didn't need changing) and low voltage battery (no battery issues noted recently). Also found one of my newly refurbished Santiago alloys has a noticeable dink even though I can't recall touching a curb or likewise.

Not wanting to tempt fate but, what's the average cost to supply/fit a new clutch and exhaust (PP GTi), guessing these are the only other big items that'll need replacing in the next 40k miles or so.

Guess I need to put it down to a bad week at the office, book it in for the repairs to be done and just enjoy the drive!

Offline AGB

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Re: My Precious
« Reply #6 on: 23 January 2022, 23:47 »
Just wondering what the general feeling was regarding the use of their car. The reason I ask is that I think I'm beginning to worry too much about mine. It's in great condition but I worry about the paintwork getting scratched, adding too many miles to the odometer, hitting potholes in case it buckles a wheel, is their a huge repair due soon as the car is now 9 years old with 60k on the clock, etc, etc. This is almost taking the fun out of driving it, in which case I may as well sell it now. Am I going mad????

I think everyone here cares about their car and has the same sort of worries and anxieties but cars are meant to be driven. I've just had to renew insurance which for a week or two after has left me with the feeling of being defiled and wondering if it's all worth it. Go for a drive and remind yourself why you bought the car and those feelings will ease. And share a picture of your drive on here.  :cool:
MK7 Clubsport S, 981 Cayman GT4, MK7.5 GTI TCR

Offline Watts

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Re: My Precious
« Reply #7 on: 24 January 2022, 08:30 »
And share a picture of your drive on here.  :cool:

I'll second that!

That is an unfortunate list of things to be done. The leaky thermostat/waterpump is annoying but given there's no regular cambelt change to pay for, it evens out.

What tyres have you got? I ask as when I ditched the Pirellis on my Santiagos for Michelins, I never had any more alloy damage. Much better rim protection.
2019 Oryx White 5dr TCR.

Was - 2015 Tornado Red 3dr GTI PP, manual, Santiagos, Audi short shifter.

Offline VWRed

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Re: My Precious
« Reply #8 on: 24 January 2022, 08:55 »
I've new Goodyear Eagle F1's all round, fitted 1k miles ago. Think they call it 'sods law' whereby you can run old alloys for years without any damage and then, as soon as you get them looking factory fresh after a refurb, 'ding', a chip appears and looks worse as the rest of the wheel is gleaming! Strange though, as I can honestly say I've been obsessively avoiding kerbs!?

The list of work is more annoying as due to the car running perfectly prior to the main dealer service, I thought it was a gem. I know it's part of the job to point out every little fault they find, but I'm still a little dubious about the battery needing changing as my OBD11 says it's fine and the video of the leaking thermostat/water pump housing was dark and blurry to say the least - hope the service technicians mechanic expertise is better than their camerawork :grin: The leaking damper is a strange one too as another respected mechanic a few months earlier said that slight misting is normal and nothing to worry about but guess if it's misting or leaking, needs sorting.

Any idea of clutch and exhaust costs to supply/fit and anything else I should ask the mechanic to do whilst the thermostat/ water pump is being replaced such as belts and tensioners?

Offline GTIGeordie

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Re: My Precious
« Reply #9 on: 24 January 2022, 09:28 »
Just wondering what the general feeling was regarding the use of their car. The reason I ask is that I think I'm beginning to worry too much about mine. It's in great condition but I worry about the paintwork getting scratched, adding too many miles to the odometer, hitting potholes in case it buckles a wheel, is their a huge repair due soon as the car is now 9 years old with 60k on the clock, etc, etc. This is almost taking the fun out of driving it, in which case I may as well sell it now. Am I going mad????

I had very similar feelings. Every paint chip would give me an abnormal amount of stress. I put it down to the car being new and I was being too precious. Decided to sell the mk7.5 and buy a mk5 with 100k miles. I'm not bothered about the paintwork now on a 16 year old car!