A thread in praise of the private car!

[plurker]

My car is far from my primary means of transport. It's a plaything, which occasionally comes in handy as a form of transport.

This. Do <2000 miles a year.

Given most of the carbon-footprint of a car is from the manufacture, and my cars are is 26 and 33 years old, added in that having a camper means I don't fly for holidays, I'm feeling literally zero guilt about it.

When I have a garden of my own I'll plant trees and eat their fruit.

 

[SpineyNorman]

if that was racing green and a coupe i proper would.
on the side like. wouldn't leave the xjs.

XJS's are one of the finest things God ever invented. I had an XJS V12 for about a month once (bought it cheap off a mate who needed cash fast but soon realised that it cost more to run for a month than the Sierra I also had at the time cost in a year) and I actually cried when I sold it.

 

[SpineyNorman]

My car (330cd) is a pure indulgence. It pretty much only gets used at weekends (I live within a quarter mile of 3 tube stations), and for "fun blasts" here and abroad (France, Italy, and Switzerland this year, zooming around The Alps). It's handy to be able to jump in and go anywhere, anytime and not be reliant on PT, but I could easily do without it. But I don't want to. The fact is, I love cars and driving and it's a hobby of mine.

I've also sold cars for more than I've paid for them (most recently the Brera for £200 more after a year, and I reckon I could get a few hundred more for the BMW if I sold it now). Obviously, people who use cars to commute are unlikely to be able to do that but for leisure drivers it's not impossible with a bit of effort/luck.

On here, of course, the above makes me Urban enemy #1, but now that I'm emissions and fuel sharing with Orang Utan I expect that to change.

I already feel much greener and it's only been a day, so I'm going to propose that other U75 motorists do the same and team up with an Urban environmental type. Maybe we should start a thread in Science, Nature, and Environment for this but for now I propose the following teams:

DownwardDog and editor
Bahnhof Strasse and 2hats
discokermit and teuchter

Please propose any other Urban Emissions Unions here, by tagging the relevant Urbs to let them know that they are now doing their bit for the environment.

Can you find a car hating hippy to team up with me too please? 2ltr Mondeo and I do about 40k a year in it.

 

[Sweet FA]

Murca

 

[Spymaster]

Can you find a car hating hippy to team up with me too please? 2ltr Mondeo and I do about 40k a year in it.

We're running out of them, tbh, but it seems that DownwardDog's motors are off the road at the moment so I'll reassign editor to you for the time being.

 

[editor]

We're running out of them, tbh, but it seems that DownwardDog's motors are off the road at the moment so I'll reassign editor to you for the time being.

Please fuck off with this shit. Thanks.

 

[mauvais]

Who are you going to offset your grumpiness against?

 

[dessiato]

XJS's are one of the finest things God ever invented. I had an XJS V12 for about a month once (bought it cheap off a mate who needed cash fast but soon realised that it cost more to run for a month than the Sierra I also had at the time cost in a year) and I actually cried when I sold it.

I switched mine for a Bentley T2.

 

[SpineyNorman]

I switched mine for a Bentley T2.

Sierra 1.6GL

 

[dessiato]

Sierra 1.6GL

I think mine was the better swap.

 

[plurker]

Anyone got a spare XJS for swaps can have my Mk1 golf in return. 62k full engine rebuild and respray

 

[ViolentPanda]

i am actually considering planting some new trees in the garden as i feel guilty about all the eco unfriendly stuff i have done recently.

am torn between a couple of weeping willows or Ash. both will grow in different parts of the garden.

Ash can be pollarded and makes great firewood.

 

[existentialist]

Who are you going to offset your grumpiness against?

Editor's grumpiness is the engine that drives Urban...don't knock it!

 

[8ball]

Editor's grumpiness is the engine that drives Urban...don't knock it!

It is a fact of life that all valuable engines come with less pleasant emissions.

 

[moose]

Anyone got a spare XJS for swaps can have my Mk1 golf in return. 62k full engine rebuild and respray

They'd get the better end of the bargain

 

[Spymaster]

Please fuck off with this shit. Thanks.

Shit?

Why so shirty?

This project effectively assuages the impact of individual Urban75 drivers on the environment.

Look at the take-up it's had. Even BigTom's on board!

I'd have thought you'd be totally supportive.

 

[Orang Utan]

to be serious for just one second, it's a shit scheme, this offsetting business. the only way is to stop doing the dirty business that supposedly need offsetting.

 

[renegadechicken]

I am posting this just out of my sheer love of this machine...

 

[weltweit]

to be serious for just one second, it's a shit scheme, this offsetting business. the only way is to stop doing the dirty business that supposedly need offsetting.

My ex just bought a Kia eco something which is zero rated for road tax.
It is zero rated because it is very eco friendly whereas my last car attracted £230 in annual road tax.
I think incentivising people via road tax is good.

 

[renegadechicken]

My road tax is only £128 3lt bi turbo

 

[weltweit]

My road tax is only £128 3lt bi turbo

Must be a modern clean engine then, presumably with a cat.

 

[weltweit]

This morning I wanted to be somewhere before dawn.
Public transport just does not permit such adventures!

 

[Miss-Shelf]

This morning I wanted to be somewhere before dawn.
Public transport just does not permit such adventures!

Nightbuses

 

[weltweit]

Nightbuses

 

[Leafster]

Nightbuses

Do Nightbuses run outside major cities? I'm pretty sure there isn't one near me. I know I could get from central London to Croydon but that's not much help when I'm several miles further south.

 

[Spymaster]

to be serious for just one second, it's a shit scheme, this offsetting business. the only way is to stop doing the dirty business that supposedly need offsetting.

Don't be silly.

 

[felixthecat]

Nightbuses

My first reaction was to laugh hysterically and my second was annoyance that people assume EVERYONE has access to such wonders as a night bus. Last bus here is around 10:30 pm. Next one is 6:10am

 

[plurker]

^^ proof positive that everyone should buy a private car.

 

[Miss-Shelf]

My first reaction was to laugh hysterically and my second was annoyance that people assume EVERYONE has access to such wonders as a night bus. Last bus here is around 10:30 pm. Next one is 6:10am

I was on a Metropolitan wind up cos @weltweits post assumed pre dawn travel is only possible in a car

 

[twentythreedom]

Been browsing for the next Audi today fancy the A4 estate, or rather "shooting brake"