Hell of a decision Mike, with a car like yours but, common sense must prevail. Let's just hope it goes to a worthy custodian.
Family
- Thread starter mmikey82
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Sorn the Cougar Mike, give it a year or so of driving the Audi and you will be bored and longing for the feeling you get driving the Cougar, plus Audi's are a nightmare for maintenance not to mention expensive, just had to have my gearbox oils changed, Multitronic box equals 3 types of oil, special toolset lightened my wallet by £600 (for an oil change 
) got to save up for my cambelt next feb which is £900 as it cant be done with the engine in the car, stupid design
Whilst the Audi range are nice cars to drive your family have bought you a servicing and maintenance money pit
) got to save up for my cambelt next feb which is £900 as it cant be done with the engine in the car, stupid design Whilst the Audi range are nice cars to drive your family have bought you a servicing and maintenance money pit
special toolset lightened my wallet by £600 (for an oil change
Whilst the Audi range are nice cars to drive your family have bought you a servicing and maintenance money pit
Oh. My. God.
Listen to your heart Mike. With all the love and attention you've put into your cat, once you sell it you'll start regretting it.
Sell the Mini and use the proceeds to fund that respray.
Sorn the Cougar Mike, give it a year or so of driving the Audi and you will be bored and longing for the feeling you get driving the Cougar, plus Audi's are a nightmare for maintenance not to mention expensive, just had to have my gearbox oils changed, Multitronic box equals 3 types of oil, special toolset lightened my wallet by £600 (for an oil change
Whilst the Audi range are nice cars to drive your family have bought you a servicing and maintenance money pit
Paul is right, Audi's are horrendously expensive to maintain. My brother bought an A6 Avant 3.0TDI Quattro (57 plate) from new (he's quite well paid). After only 3 years and 30k miles it needed new brakes, tyres, shocks and springs - about £3000 worth of work. He decided to trade it in rather than repair it.
He now has 13 plate A6, similar spec but it's the newer generation with the newer 3.0TDI, also bought new.
He got a 3 year servcing deal included in the purchase price and intends to replace it before that becomes his responsibility.
Parts are very expensive and as Paul has written, the major servicing items will really bite you.
The mini is the wifes car so it is not mine to sell, the Audi is a present off my family and I would not dream of turning down their generosity despite what it may cost me in maintenance hence my only option is the cougar. I know i will regret it but on this occasion i have to do it.
I'd SORN the Cougar and just insure it with a "Laid Up" policy. That way you can fully use your NCB etc on the Audi. There are many ways and means to keeping a car OTR these days. As for going damp, if you've protected the sills from the inside, shouldn't be an issue really as you can still regularly start the car up and warm it through, roll it back and forth etc.
Worth looking in to. You could even enquire about a storage container, an 8' X 8' X 20' to park the car in? They can be rented quite inexpensively. That's gotta be better than the regret you'll feel selling it.
Also will give you time to get to know your Audi and see how it fares for you as a car and through the winter. There's every possibility you'll love it immensely and never want for another car. There's also every possibility that you don't get on with in a real world every day scenario and it gives you the need of a chiropractor or something lol.
Don't rush in to selling the Cougar is my point, not when you could easily lay it aside for a while. It'll understand. It loves you too [emoji6]
Worth looking in to. You could even enquire about a storage container, an 8' X 8' X 20' to park the car in? They can be rented quite inexpensively. That's gotta be better than the regret you'll feel selling it.
Also will give you time to get to know your Audi and see how it fares for you as a car and through the winter. There's every possibility you'll love it immensely and never want for another car. There's also every possibility that you don't get on with in a real world every day scenario and it gives you the need of a chiropractor or something lol.
Don't rush in to selling the Cougar is my point, not when you could easily lay it aside for a while. It'll understand. It loves you too [emoji6]
In that case still sell the Mini and share the Audi with the wife.
Also enquire about basic servicing costs/consumable parts on the big Audi. I'm sure Mark will have plenty of info on this.
You've said your head won over your heart - that means you'll be heart broken when the Cougar goes.
Do you really want that?
In all my years in this club, I've seen plenty of members regretting selling and with the age of these things and scarcity of parts it's difficult to rebuild what you had e.g MS Designs kit.
Seen a few return to the fold so to speak because they missed the feel of the car, unfortunately most left again cause they couldnt replicate their original car.
good luck with the Audi though Mike atleast in future your wife will be correct, It will be just a car
OMG this thread is really upsetting to read let alone for Mike to have to think about!!! Mikes cougar is in beautiful condition but i fully understand his dilemma :/ what ever you decide will be hard im sure, but good to read everyones different views.
This isn't a direct comparison, but I hope y'all will get my point...
Mako (my original Frosty Zetec for those that don't know) was very, very special to me. Her build date had particular relevance to me - for reasons that I won't go into here - and she was also my introduction to the finest group of people it has ever been my honour to call myself a part of.
But then I got Tiger as a project and fell in love. Since I really didn't need both and the situation was costing me a fortune - not to mention clogging the driveway - I went with my head. Sold Mako with much regret and tried to look forward instead of back.
With the benefit of hindsight, if I had my time over again I wouldn't have done it.
All that said, I realise that the practicalities of life have a habit of intruding on us. I hope that this isn't unwelcome, but I have left a very positive reply to your "for sale" thread because I feel you're a person who knows how to make up their mind and stick with it, and I want your Ebony to get absolutely the best exposure she can do. And I'd like her to stay in the club if possible.
Mako (my original Frosty Zetec for those that don't know) was very, very special to me. Her build date had particular relevance to me - for reasons that I won't go into here - and she was also my introduction to the finest group of people it has ever been my honour to call myself a part of.
But then I got Tiger as a project and fell in love. Since I really didn't need both and the situation was costing me a fortune - not to mention clogging the driveway - I went with my head. Sold Mako with much regret and tried to look forward instead of back.
With the benefit of hindsight, if I had my time over again I wouldn't have done it.
All that said, I realise that the practicalities of life have a habit of intruding on us. I hope that this isn't unwelcome, but I have left a very positive reply to your "for sale" thread because I feel you're a person who knows how to make up their mind and stick with it, and I want your Ebony to get absolutely the best exposure she can do. And I'd like her to stay in the club if possible.
For what it's worth, my Audi cabriolet is massively more comfortable than my Cougar. Both cars have 18" wheels with 225/40/18 tyres.
FWIW, there are several years, many miles between the 2 Audis and they are completely different models. Also you had yours new Rich. No real comparison there. Praising the brand doesn't really work either given the hundreds of oil pump, transmission and electrical failure stories around the Internet and on the Audi UK forums. Like any brand, there are good and bad motors. Real world experience can only be had by living with the car in question.
In any case, I'd still SORN the Cougar for a few months. Just to be 100%. As generous as the gift is, I'm certain that Mikes family want him to be happy with the car too. They wouldn't want him to drive a car he didn't enjoy etc. The reference to a chiropractor was merely an example. As also said, it could be the best built one ever.
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My 2p.
What a great family you have Mike, when i read post 1 i was expecting something bad....I can't really justify that comment
In terms of Audi's being needy....if you have the means to keep it going, then why the hell not enjoy something you have lusted after for so long.
If you are in a position, maybe sorning your cougar for a while then great, otherwise....go enjoy some open roads in what is an amazing gift and don't let anyone's opinion other than your own dampen a stunning gesture
What a great family you have Mike, when i read post 1 i was expecting something bad....I can't really justify that comment
In terms of Audi's being needy....if you have the means to keep it going, then why the hell not enjoy something you have lusted after for so long.
If you are in a position, maybe sorning your cougar for a while then great, otherwise....go enjoy some open roads in what is an amazing gift and don't let anyone's opinion other than your own dampen a stunning gesture
Lots of opinions. Everyone has one. I notice you didn't actually ask for anyones' Mike but I'm going to throw mine in anyway.
Sell the Cougar. Unless it's stored on a battery conditioner in a dehumidified environment it'll sit there and rot. You'll wash it for the first month then stop. You may start it when you remember, until the fuel light comes on. The brake discs will rot and pit. You'll get leaves and moss building up in the boot and bonnet shuts. It will deteriorate before your eyes. You'll see it every day and it'll eat you.
Flame suit on but Cougars really aren't hard to beat. I accept it's hard to see past it when it's what you have but there are loads of much better cars out there. It has some character, but so do many others if you give them a chance.
I believe that "character" has not a lot to do with the car and rather a lot to do with the memories associated with it. I wouldn't dream of buying another Cougar - I've moved on. I was very down when I sold mine. I thought I missed it immensely. I bought another (granted a crap one) and realised the mistake. The mistake wasn't selling the first - the mistake was confusing the feeling of being really excited about first getting A Cougar and thinking just having a Cougar would fill the gap.
Your family have made a wonderful gesture here and that in itself is enough to kick off an attachment to the new car. Audis aren't my thing to be honest but that's not relevant. My absolute favourite car ever is also the biggest money pit I've owned.
To put the Audi bills quoted above in to perspective, a clutch for my Cerbera costs £900 just in parts. Air con compressor - £500. Starter motor - £300. 12k service - £800. 6k service - £400. Chassis restoration ~ £8,000. Jag X-Type transfer box £900. Rebuilt myself for £150 in parts. X-type rear wheel bearing £80. X-Type dampers £100 each. S-Type rear lower wishbones £300 each. S-Type gearbox oil change £300 in parts. XFR-S rear tyres £215 each.
Cars are just expensive. Cougars are quite cheap because it's a Mk2 Mondeo.
This'll go down like a tonne of bricks in here but getting a ride in a Cougar after being away shows it up for what a clunky, clattery, crashy and uncomfortable thing it is nowadays.
I like this group of people a lot. The car is irrelevant though. It's the people. In many ways a Cougar is a millstone around your neck. For many here it's the first car they've had they've really liked and there's a fear of letting it go, or a denial that there could possibly be anything else out there that can be enjoyed.
My tuppence is cut it adrift. Let someone else enjoy it. Your 5 years' worth of memories are still yours and you can still talk to your friends here.
If the Audi doesn't work out, so what? You might miss the Cougar occassionally but let's be honest - it's not how you miss a person no longer with us. It's more like how you might miss someone you remember from school/college/uni and wonder briefly what they're doing now before something catches your attention back in the now.
There is life after Cougars. Ask John there.
Sell the Cougar. Unless it's stored on a battery conditioner in a dehumidified environment it'll sit there and rot. You'll wash it for the first month then stop. You may start it when you remember, until the fuel light comes on. The brake discs will rot and pit. You'll get leaves and moss building up in the boot and bonnet shuts. It will deteriorate before your eyes. You'll see it every day and it'll eat you.
Flame suit on but Cougars really aren't hard to beat. I accept it's hard to see past it when it's what you have but there are loads of much better cars out there. It has some character, but so do many others if you give them a chance.
I believe that "character" has not a lot to do with the car and rather a lot to do with the memories associated with it. I wouldn't dream of buying another Cougar - I've moved on. I was very down when I sold mine. I thought I missed it immensely. I bought another (granted a crap one) and realised the mistake. The mistake wasn't selling the first - the mistake was confusing the feeling of being really excited about first getting A Cougar and thinking just having a Cougar would fill the gap.
Your family have made a wonderful gesture here and that in itself is enough to kick off an attachment to the new car. Audis aren't my thing to be honest but that's not relevant. My absolute favourite car ever is also the biggest money pit I've owned.
To put the Audi bills quoted above in to perspective, a clutch for my Cerbera costs £900 just in parts. Air con compressor - £500. Starter motor - £300. 12k service - £800. 6k service - £400. Chassis restoration ~ £8,000. Jag X-Type transfer box £900. Rebuilt myself for £150 in parts. X-type rear wheel bearing £80. X-Type dampers £100 each. S-Type rear lower wishbones £300 each. S-Type gearbox oil change £300 in parts. XFR-S rear tyres £215 each.
Cars are just expensive. Cougars are quite cheap because it's a Mk2 Mondeo.
This'll go down like a tonne of bricks in here but getting a ride in a Cougar after being away shows it up for what a clunky, clattery, crashy and uncomfortable thing it is nowadays.
I like this group of people a lot. The car is irrelevant though. It's the people. In many ways a Cougar is a millstone around your neck. For many here it's the first car they've had they've really liked and there's a fear of letting it go, or a denial that there could possibly be anything else out there that can be enjoyed.
My tuppence is cut it adrift. Let someone else enjoy it. Your 5 years' worth of memories are still yours and you can still talk to your friends here.
If the Audi doesn't work out, so what? You might miss the Cougar occassionally but let's be honest - it's not how you miss a person no longer with us. It's more like how you might miss someone you remember from school/college/uni and wonder briefly what they're doing now before something catches your attention back in the now.
There is life after Cougars. Ask John there.
Mike, good luck with the sale, enjoy your new car but please don't become a stranger from here.
How true.
We like Cougars of course, but we like Mike more