Benefits/costs of a car.

[Delphinus]

I currently have a company car, but also have the liberty of getting nearly $13,000 taken out of my pay because of it. Now I've got a bike I thought its about time I thought about getting rid of it.

I'd still use the company car when I need to cruise round Otago fixing machines, but wouldn't take it home each night, and wouldn't be able to use it for personal trips.

What would I actually use a car for?
Shopping can be done in flatmates... trips/Holidays done on the bike, random trips into town done on the bike... Delivering fixing/pc's and stuff which I sometimes do out of hours can be done on bike if its small, or I can prob either steal my flatmates car, or just use a taxi for the extra $ I'm saving.
Is there anything I'm missing?

2nd part...
If I was to get an el cheapo for when I need to deliver it or something... What would I need to spend to get a semi-shitter, Toyota or something?? that'll do its thing, not break down and... Yeah thats about it.

PS I know this is a bike forum, but you lot are a knowledgeable bunch :D

[McJim]

I just spent $2,000 on a 1990 Toyota Celica with 130,000km's on the clock.

Does me fine so I can afford to ride the Ducati :rofl:

[98tls]

You can get alot of car for $3000 these days,an older corolla is a pretty safe bet for sure,bulletproof motor and rust really isnt an issue..there just so damn good,boring but good,

[NotaGoth]

Toyotas are fantastic.. Picked one up for $3,500 manual with low k's.. Full service history from the last and only other person who owned it before me.. You get awesome mileage out of them if you look after them eg, get them serviced regularly.. Cheap to run to... Oh and fun to crash.. :shutup:

By the sounds of it if you are unsure of what you would need your own car for exactly then I don't really see the point in wasting money on one.. Its just another expense.. Unless you have money to just throw around so to speak..

I know up here its not often that you find a decent manual car for under 4k.. They are usually thrashed and ready to die.. Not sure what the cars are like where you are..

[NotaGoth]

Ok I guess the cars up north here are overpriced by alot :shit:

[Delphinus]

Hrrm, good to know.

$180 for rego, 40 odd for a warrant. At the rate I'd use it I'd only have to replace tires about once every 5 years :P
Fuel is meh. Any other costs?

Corolla boring, I thought almost any car is boring.. Thats why I have a motorbike!

[The Pastor]

my honda cost me $900 bux :D

[Delphinus]

By the sounds of it if you are unsure of what you would need your own car for exactly then I don't really see the point in wasting money on one.. Its just another expense.. Unless you have money to just throw around so to speak..


Thats exactly right. I'm just making sure that ditching the company car with all fuel/repairs/maint/rego/warrant paid is a good idea. What would I need a car for, and worst case scenario, if I had to buy one whats the cost?

[rudolph]

I can buy a set of lots for my car compeard to the price of one rear tyer for the bike.

[rudolph]

oh and being nice and warm driving at night in the rain and wind, heater on and the system up:yes:

[canarlee]

give the car back and take the money! looking at the thread so far, thats what i would do.

[Virago]

Where did I get the idea that you were self-employed? Oops...

$13K out of your salary is a major chunk. Are you sure you would get that back in your pocket if you gave up personal use? If you would, then it would be very tempting.

Okay, three options:

If you were a fair-weather rider who spends more time in a cage, like um, me, then I would recommend an ex-lease vehicle from Turners. You can get a late model, well serviced car, for about half its retail value.

A real bike enthusiast would go for the cheap but servicable old dunga, for emergency back-up. The down side - you may find yourself spending precious riding time under the said cheap car, trying to fix something for a WOF. Cheap old cars are great fun - until WOF time...

Lastly, the real hardcore bikers will have nothing but contempt for the suggestion that a car would be desirable...

Your choice, but a car around the $3-4,000 mark should be okay.

[Delphinus]

oh and being nice and warm driving at night in the rain and wind, heater on and the system up:yes:

Dry = Good coverall
Warm/Heater = Heated vest
Rain and wind... Small sacrifice for $13,000

Anything else I'm missing, advantages of a car?

[canarlee]

advantages of a car?


the back seat!

[Virago]

...Anything else I'm missing, advantages of a car?

It may be possible to drive one with a hand in a cast...:dodge:

[98tls]

cars save me building up huge milage on my bike doing mundane tasks,also i hate riding in town,slow boring and to many blind people driving cars.

[Delphinus]

Where did I get the idea that you were self-employed? Oops...

No no, you're correct. Work a full time job (where car comes from) but also run a business doing web design/hosting/pc repairs :D



$13K out of your salary is a major chunk. Are you sure you would get that back in your pocket if you gave up personal use? If you would, then it would be very tempting.
I'm 99% sure but will confirm that.



If you were a fair-weather rider who spends more time in a cage, like um, me, then I would recommend an ex-lease vehicle from Turners. You can get a late model, well serviced car, for about half its retail value.
Nup not me. I'd still use company car for long haul trips carting 5 printers to wanaka, but leave it at work at end of the day.



A real bike enthusiast would go for the cheap but servicable old dunga, for emergency back-up. The down side - you may find yourself spending precious riding time under the said cheap car, trying to fix something for a WOF. Cheap old cars are great fun - until WOF time...
Thats the plan... Will see if I need a car,then try and find a good line between cheap car and not-going-to-die-on-me.



Lastly, the real hardcore bikers will have nothing but contempt for the suggestion that a car would be desirable...
Isnt this what we all aspire to?

[rudolph]

Dry = Good coverall
Warm/Heater = Heated vest
Rain and wind... Small sacrifice for $13,000

Anything else I'm missing, advantages of a car?

Hoes in the front seat hoes in the back seat

[Delphinus]

advantages of a car?


the back seat!

That there is very true... But if I find the ideal woman - who would of course have her own bike - its kinda a moot point.

[Delphinus]

cars save me building up huge milage on my bike doing mundane tasks,also i hate riding in town,slow boring and to many blind people driving cars.

I hate taking cage into town. Gotta pay for parking, and takes twice as long to get through the place...

[peasea]

That there is very true... But if I find the ideal woman - who would of course have her own bike - its kinda a moot point.

Maybe we're lucky? We run a car and motorcycle each (V8 Berlina and a Corona) and my 17y/o runs around in a very tidy 1.6 Corolla that cost 500 dollars. Neither of our cars has had the back seat 'christened' but my bike's seat has......

That was a funny night.........

[peasea]

cars save me building up huge milage on my bike doing mundane tasks,also i hate riding in town,slow boring and to many blind people driving cars.

Bravo! Why wreck your favourite ride when import cars are so cheap? Why suffer wet/cold days, catch diseases and hang around in bus stops that reek of urine for the same reason?

[Virago]

...Neither of our cars has had the back seat 'christened' but my bike's seat has.....That was a funny night.........

Ah, the old "Milwaukee Vibrator", huh?...

[ynot slow]

Toyota celica 1990 $610 tardme buy,motor still good and 5sp manual cheap to run,no rust,uses little oil but still managed to get camera ticket at 116km over to Tauranga at easter,did about 1300km for $120gas.
Got a 1994 accord exi-s immaculate for $3100 and nz new off tardme,so depends on your budget but if you get $13grand extra per year,$3000 on a car $10000 is a good payrise to have.

[Delphinus]

$10000 is a good payrise to have.

Which could be well spent on a Dirty adventure bike.

[Virago]

Which could be well spent on a Dirty adventure bike.

Ooh, careful there - Bruce loves it when you talk dirty...

[peasea]

Ah, the old "Milwaukee Vibrator", huh?...

It wasn't even running!!!

[Delphinus]

If I really needed a car to take lady friend somewhere nice.... The $ i'd save could be spent on hiring something nice from hertz ;)

[peasea]

If I really needed a car to take lady friend somewhere nice.... The $ i'd save could be spent on hiring something nice from hertz ;)

Like a Mustang GT350H?

[98tls]

Like a Mustang GT350H? nice :yes:rent it friday,race it all weekend and return it monday.

[Delphinus]

Why the hell not! I do have an extra 13k in my pocket.

[rwh]

Don't you get snow and ice and stuff down there? Do you still ride in that?

I was at home sick today. Normally I'd drive to the local bakery for a pie for lunch in that situation, but having dropped off my car for a WoF, I only had the bike. I really didn't feel like getting all suited up for a 3 minute ride in the rain, especially while not feeling so good, so ended up staying home, and never got round to lunch at all.

I'd miss having a car.

Richard

[Delphinus]

yeah plenty of snow/ice etc. But in those conditions do I really need to go out that urgently? If its stuff in town I can either walk or take the bus.

RWH - If someone paid you $35 for taking bike out to shop instead of car, would you do it? Thats what it equates to...

[The Lone Rider]

I just got myself a nice european sports car with leather interior, electric windows seats etc and even wipers on the front lights. Why? Because with me using a car only for groceries and the occassional group car pool thing (ahem.. maids), the expensive assed car doesn't get used and therefore doesn't cost much to maintain when it's sitting idle 6 out of 7 days under a cover.

Women on the whole dig cars more then bikes. Strange, I know. But it seems to be fact. And you can carry more of them with a car.

But if you want a good cheap car, an ex corporate car is the way to go. They are maintained, well looked after, and usually they are being sold off not because they are breaking down but because it is company policy to sell them after X amount of kms or years or when the execs decide they need the latest who-dicky.

[rwh]

yeah plenty of snow/ice etc. But in those conditions do I really need to go out that urgently? If its stuff in town I can either walk or take the bus.

RWH - If someone paid you $35 for taking bike out to shop instead of car, would you do it? Thats what it equates to...

Maybe, if it was offered on the spot. Or I'd ask them if I could spend it on getting pizza delivered instead ... since the point is the lack of car.

On the other hand, mine isn't a company car that I could get $13k/year by not having. It's a 92 Nissan worth probably $2 - 3k. If you could really gain that much, then yes I'd probably give it up and get something like what I've actually got.

Richard

[NighthawkNZ]

13k a year cor a company car... errrr ditch it put it your back pocket... you can get a pretty tidy car for under 5g's (heck ours only cost 3) and it doesn't cost 10g to run a year...

I know Im not that good at math but...

On the other side... I haven't needed a cage for um.... 20 odd years..., the only time I ask for help is when moving house... and that hasn't been a problem... all the rest has been done on a bike, or walk or public transport... (mainly bike tho :D )

By the sound of it you have already made your mind up...

P.S as for lifts to KB functions since you just live around the corner me and paula can give you a lift to and fro...

[HRT]

Buy my bluebird :) Diesel is the way of the future haha