172 Cup - centre of Ashton-under-Lyne

[Darren S]

You came down Oldham Road and I was at the lights, next to the baths. You looked at me and I let on. Didn't see a CS sticker - but your car was a damn-sight cleaner than mine!

This was Saturday afternoon - approx 2pm...

D.

 

[nickc]

I've only had the car 4 months and spotted already! She had a wash Sat morning as she was still dirty from the lakes the weekend before.

I make a point of looking out for 172/182's.

Your's looked good - all black is nice.

Are you local?

 

[Darren S]

Hi m8

I live just outside Bury now, but I was born & raised in Ashton and my parents still live there. I nipping down for a visit as I hadn't seen them for a few weeks... Do you live in Ashton yourself?

Trust me - the black looks a whole lot better when clean!

D.

 

[nickc]

I live in Stalybridge so you could say I'm a local.

The car looked OK - black always shows the dirt though.

 

[Darren S]

Yep - never again with black, I think - unless a cheap, decent V6 comes along!

Is your Cup standard? I was looking at a 12-month old one last year before I opted for a new 182. I really like the 'rawness' of them - not being bogged down with all fancy gadgets and stuff. What did you drive before the Cup?

D.

 

[nickc]

I thought white would be a hard colour to keep clean but my last car was white and it doesn't show the dirt.

When I bought the Cup it had a Magnex exhaust and was lowered on stiffer springs. I had the standard parts refitted as it was so noisy and the ride was so harsh the CD was jumping on normal smooth roads. So she's completely standard now.

My last car was a Phase 2 306 GTi6. The only things I miss are the seats and the sunroof. The Cup is much more "darty", seems to change direction more rapidly.

I also find it much easier to "negotiate" slower mortal cars around corners and roundabouts. Don't get me wrong, the GTi6 was the best car I ever owned...until I bought the Cup. Fuel economy is much better as well (40 mpg cruising)

 

[Darren S]

Bloody hell - you had a CD player in a Cup? Surely all that extra weight destroyed its handling?

Sounds like you had a decent enough car before the Cup already. I went from a Punto GT which I owned for six-and-a-half years before getting the 182. The difference was simply amazing. The GT was quick in a straight line, but couldn't turn for s**t. A strut brace up front helped massively, but still the handling was nothing on par with the 182. On top of that the brakes were made from the finest Italian fudge. I then made the further mistake of destroying its decent enough acceleration by fitting 17s in place of the standard 14s. It looked better, cruised at motorway speeds more smoothly, but its initial quickness had all but been lost.

Funny you should mention the sunroof - it was one of the things I missed the most when I got the 182. I also miss that turbo surge and whistle from the GT, plus the fact that the 182 doesn't really do much until 4,000rpm and above. Having said that, it is the best car I've owned to date - even if I do still get the pang of guilty envy when I see a tidy looking GT.

D.

 

[nickc]

I also bought a spare wheel - I felt that a bit of extra peace of mind was worth the bit of extra weight (I'm a bit of a skinny barsteward so don't didn't worry too much)

I keep my cars for 2 years and then move on. I always said I didn't want anything slower than the 6 and the Cup fitted the bill perfectly. Up to now I've always said I wouldn't buy the same type of car twice in a row, but now I keep thinking "in 18 months time I wonder how much a Trophy would cost?"

I'm getting on a bit now - I'm thirty eleven years old and I've done "family" cars, so I'm moving into better cars - the 6 then the Cup.

Obviously the Cup wakes up at 4000, but the difference was even greater in the 6, maybe because of the greater weight.

The automatic wipers in the 6 were good as well...but all that weight....

 

[Darren S]

LOL with the wipers - they are one thing I don't think I could do without now. That and the xenons...

I must admit, the Trophy's do look appealing. I don't mind getting the same make and model of car (I had a Sporting before the GT) but only if there is a significant difference between the two. Personally, I think 'upgrading' from a hardcore 172 Cup to a 182 Trophy isn't much of a move. I've never driven either car, so I can't really comment but both are pure, focused, cars for driving. However, I think switching from a 172/182 to a V6 is a significant change in a number of ways.... That's why that has more appeal to me.

Anyways, a Vee is a pipe-dream for me at the moment - still got over two years finance on the 182 left yet....

Nowt wrong being in your thirties - nearly 31 myself. Unless you live in the Shetland Islands, I just don't see how you can insure a car like a 172/182 without being 30+ anyway. Come to think of it, we visited Lerwick last year and there were quite a few mad Scoobies and Evos about. Mmmmm. It all makes sense now!

D.

 

[nickc]

The Trophy looks apealing enough for me to break my rule about never the same car twice, but on the other hand I'd have to think about what else would be a suitable replacement for the Cup.

I can't afford a Vee, and anyway it's not practical enough. The Cup may really be a 2+2 but my daughter is 10 so she fits in the back nicely.

Aaaah - you didn't really read my post did you.....I'm Thirty ELEVEN.......thirty eight, thirty nine, thirty ten........that's how I can afford to insure a Cup.....

 

[Darren S]

A Vee not practical enough? Who said anything about practical? Clearly your daughter is being very selfish about all this. Isn't their some salt-mine in Russia you can send her to or something? :clown:

DOH! - you're right, I didn't spot the age bit! Insuring a Cup shouldn't be a problem for someone of your years, then!

D.

 

[nickc]

Of course I could look at it another way and get a Vee then make two trips everywhere I go, once to take the wife and a second to take my daughter. That way I get to drive more often.

I dont use the f word (forty)...but at least I don't qualify for Saga insurance...

Maybe I got the 6 and then the Cup to help me feel younger. As as I said before I've done family cars - the worst was definately my G-reg Sierra Saphire 1.6