I feel exactly the same, my cars have all been 2005 or older, there's simply less to go wrong and far better value for money.

I'm facing the same dilemma with my car too now as it turns out it probably needs timing chain and valve stem seals doing sooner rather than later, I'm hoping I can get another 5-10 years out of it though.

5 years in Sydney and not needed a car yet


- Toll roads everywhere! IF you leave Sydney or enter Sydney by car you have to pay to get in.
- If you go anywhere longer than 20 minute drive in Sydney you are going to hit a toll.
- Parking, especially in the city you have to pay the council a fee so you are classed as a resident and can park outside your house if you do not have a garage.
- If you think London for example is bad in terms of parking fee's and lack of free parking - Sydney has most places beaten.


- Public transport is good, the trains go everywhere and are double decker
- Uber and others
- Taxis now competing with Uber pricing
- You have hire cars parked everywhere in the city, as a member you just book in a car, stroll up with a key fob and unlock the car to use for your booking
- Living close to city centre you can walk it to a lot of the places you need to be. Work is 15 minutes walk for example


Miss having a cart but also do not miss having a car. Once I need a bigger place with the family and move further out and as a family unit I am sure I will need one but even when people have cars they always train to work still

Got my car back yesterday, it's 21 now so old enough to drink world wide, it had a few bits done at the garage, here's the job sheet.

70pt vehicle inspection

Labour to remove the cam-belt and water pump and inspect the oil pump / leak issue
Labour to remove the exhaust flexi section ready to drop sump / repair exhaust

Labour to remove the exhaust silencer
Labour to cut off the corroded flanges and prep ready for welding on new
Labour to remove the sump pan sections and remove the oil pump
Labour to strip and inspect the oil pump - pump gears showing signs of wear
Labour to clean / prep the engine parts ready to re-assemble
Labour to install the new oil pump
Labour to install the new water pump
Labour to re-install the aluminium section of the sump pan
Labour to prep and paint the 'new' tin section of sump ready to fit
Labour to clean and re-seal the O/S inner CV joint inc replacing the clip
1x Toyota water pump front housing, 16100-79225
1x Toyota oil pump, 15100-88460
1x used Tin sump pan section

Labour to install the 'new' tin section of the sump
Labour to install the new cambelt etc
Labour to change the cam cover gaskets
Labour to re-assemble the engine ready to run
1x Gates cambelt kit inc idler bearings
1x set of cam cover gaskets
1x alternator belt
1x air-con belt
1x set of new cam seals
1x oil filter
Spark plugs

Labour to replace midpipe/backbox flange
Labour to repair snapped fasterners on the turbo downpipe
2x exhaust flanges

Labour to run through the rest of the service work
Labour to tension throttle cable
Labour to test drive car to determin if there is an issue with turbocharger - none found
Engine coolant
Gearbox oil
Clutch fluid
Top up PAS Fluid

Labour to clean inner arch areas, sill areas etc
Labour to cut out the O/S sill and wire wheel the inner sill areas
Labour to cut out the 'bad' material in the inner sill areas
Labour to make up and weld in 2x support plates to replace removed materials
Labour to fettle the new sill to fit correctly
Labour to remove the rear bumper, lights etc to access the required metal works underneath
Labour to wire wheel various areas on the rear of the chassis that are beginning to corrode
Labour to apply RC900 to the O/S sill areas, rear arch areas and boot areas
Labour to profile / trim the new sill to fit
Cost of 1x replacement sill

Labour to apply cavity wax to the inner boot seams etc
Labour to remove the rear suspension / dampers to access the full inner rear arch
Labour to wire wheel / clean up both inner arch areas
Labour to position and tack weld in place the new sill
Labour to seam weld the sill
Labour to make up and tack weld the end plate for the o/s sill
Labour to appy RC900 to freshly installed sill, including inner sill areas etc
Labour to apply cavity wax to the inner arch areas, boot seams etc, 2nd coat

Labour to make up and weld in the rear inner arch to sill plates
Labour to weld the sill edge to add strength
Labour to prep / clean up welds
Labour to apply Sikaflex to wheel arch areas where required

Labour to prep, mask and bag up the car ready for truck bed lining application
Labour to prep additional chassis areas, linish and apply final coats of RC900

Labour to apply 2x coats of polyurathane based underseal
Materials Cost

Labour to de-bag the car
Labour to re-install the rear suspension
Labour to re-fit boot vents, trims etc ready to re-fit the rear bumper

Labour to re-fit rear bumper, lights, rubbing trips etc
Labour to strip both doors to access internals
Labour to clean out the gutter in the base of the doors ready to treat
Labour to appy RC900 to internals of the doors

Labour to remove the front and rear suspension arms ready to change bushes

Labour to replace front dampers
2x Front Dampers - Yellow bilstein
1x A/C Condensor
Labour to replace Condensor rad

Labour to install the polly bushes in to suspension arms
Labour to re-install the arms to the chassis
1x Polybush kit

Labour to free off required wheel alignment componants
Labour to check and set vehicle geometry
Labour to investigate coolant drip at front of car inc pressure test
Labour to replace faulty O-ring on heater matrix bleed point
Labour to clean and re-fit undertrays whilst car is on a ramp
1x set of 15mm camber bolts

Paintshop costs
Prep and paint o/s sill
Repair and paint o/s front wing
Repair and paint o/s lower door
Repair and paint o/s door trim (satin finish)
Repair and paint n/s sill end and lower edge
Mop and polish car paintwork as requested
Paint and Materials

Labour to re-install the rear 1/4 vent panels, seat belts, rear bins etc
Labour to replace drivers seatbelt
1x Drivers Seatbelt
1x Rear Number Plate
Labour to replace rear number plate

Cost of MOT test inc delivery to and from MOT station
1x new battery

Cost to re-gass the Air-con

Christ, I thought I had a big bill (just shy of 6k)! That must have set you back, mostly labour I'd imagine? I had pretty much an engine rebuild before Christmas and mine was about 50/50 parts vs labour. Only 50k miles on the clock and it drives like new now though.

Yes it was eye watering Practically as much as the car is "worth" If not a bit more. It wasn't even worth switching to another mr2 though as it'd just have different and possibly more expensive work needing doing, mine is one of the "newest" ones at 21 Any parts at that age no matter how well they're initially made is potentially goosed, a lot of the parts would have still continued to function (oil and water pump) But they were showing significant signs of wear and if they failed it's another engine out job again. Like you I want another 5-10 years out of the car.

You got any rust issues on the BM?

that looks like a hell of a bill :-o   it should last forever now tho? - do you do many miles?

which engine do you have in the bmw nige?


I big factor for me getting the Jag was because it's all aluminium so no rust issues.... planned on keeping it for a long long time... but I'm a bit bored of it now

saying that... I get my license back on Wednesday so I'll probably just be too happy I'm driving again to care :-)

yeah 4.2 supercharged... but tbh it's overkill,  but when the hell do I ever floor it... it's too quick for that, kinda takes the fun/skill out of driving if you know what I mean?

kinda tempted by a 5 series, 7 series looks even better but a bit big for me, Jag pisses me off needing a massive space to park in

it least it was only a 6 month ban this time!

can a remap not do anything for you? - had a few vans done in the past and it made a massive difference (but they're kinda low mapped to start with)

yeah 4.2 supercharged... but tbh it's overkill,  but when the hell do I ever floor it... it's too quick for that, kinda takes the fun/skill out of driving if you know what I mean?

kinda tempted by a 5 series, 7 series looks even better but a bit big for me, Jag pisses me off needing a massive space to park in

it least it was only a 6 month ban this time!

can a remap not do anything for you? - had a few vans done in the past and it made a massive difference (but they're kinda low mapped to start with)

If you want fun and fast but not too big you should get yourself one of the older M3's/M5's, or even a 335d as they go like stink. I'm done with the diesels.

It's a naturally aspirated engine so I'd get bugger all out of a remap, maybe 5% extra hp if I'm super lucky? The cost of doing anything more significant to it means there's no point, it would be smarter to just trade it for something faster that's already tuned.

If you want fun and fast but not too big you should get yourself one of the older M3's/M5's, or even a 335d as they go like stink. I'm done with the diesels.
It's a naturally aspirated engine so I'd get bugger all out of a remap, maybe 5% extra hp if I'm super lucky? The cost of doing anything more significant to it means there's no point, it would be smarter to just trade it for something faster that's already tuned.

yeah it probably won't add much actual power... but it'll make it more responsive etc.   a decent remap - guy with a laptop sitting in the car writing the map is £200 ish, or you can get a cheap one where they just plug a thingy in and download a map from the next for £80 ish, cheap one might be worth it, it's only the cost of a tank of fuel?

M3/M5... tbh I don't need anything that fast, 'not slow' will do for me... I must be getting old, I'm more interested in a smooth ride :-o

Well I've had it back, driven ~100 miles (most of that was back from the garage) Now 2 warning lights on the dash, they're picking it up Monday on a trailer, mercifully for free

Sounds like it could be the alternator, we'll see.

fingers crossed that's all it is!

might just be a lose/bad connection somewhere after all that work done?