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AIBU?

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Original poster

AIBU over car DP got us?

289 replies

DrivingTat · 23/09/2019 11:30

Hi, all

I need to know how U you think I am over this.

So this Saturday my DP went to get us a new car (secondhand), I did not go with him as I had plans and was not that interested tbh. He sorted our last one out, which we scrapped last week as was too much to repair (head gasket)... It was a fiesta 54 plate.

So Saturday I went shopping with my friend, which was lovely! Had such a nice day as I had not seen her for awhile. Anyway half way through the day (about 1pm) I get a text from DP. "Got us a car sorted". I texted back without a thought to ask which one. I said "fab babe, we were just talking about you lol". That was it.

I get home about 8pm, feeling v relaxed and happy. So there I am telling DP about my day and he tells me about his. Yes the car I say let's see it!!

I go outside with DP and he points to it! I laughed my head off thinking he was taking the piss. He wasn't.

It's a blue 1989 escort, with one wheel trim and cassette radio. Why?! Just why?!

I don't like it, don't want it. It's my own fault for being so relaxed about buying a car and leaving it up to him, I know that but AIBU to be annoyed?

I have not said anything to him, because I don't know what to say. It's bought, taxed, insured. WWUD? Do I throw a fit and say take it back? Do I yell at him for not first asking to buy such a old car? Do I just live with it and get over it. It's been two days and I still feel so pissed off at him!! And myself.

We share one car, paid for out a joint account. We agreed on a budget, and yes he stuck to it. I really am not a car snob, I really did not think I cared as long as it got me from a-b but clearly I do. I just don't understand why that one. It's a tatty mess. How is it even still running!!!

OP posts:
GabsAlot · 23/09/2019 13:26

265 sorry if its over 1595 cc

Izzwizzo · 23/09/2019 13:27

I still have Now 11 on cassette tape if it’s of any use to you? 🤣😂😂😂. It’s about the same era as the car

AdobeWanKenobi · 23/09/2019 13:27

Au contraire. It was cars of that era being so easily nickable that led to massive improvements in car security

I drove a Morris Minor for many years. Bit of a standing joke that many of the keys to other mogs would not only open the doors but start the engines as well.

I'd suggest OP you invest in a steering wheel lock. You may find this hideous and annoying but there is a thriving market in stolen classics.

BarbaraofSeville · 23/09/2019 13:27

Lord help me in the winter mornings

Now that brings back memories of using the choke, flooding the distributor(?), using WD40 to get it going and if all else fails, parking downhill so I can do a bump start without needing someone to push it off for me.

AutumnCrow · 23/09/2019 13:28

I've got some old cassette tapes. But you really want the theme tunes from Minder and The Professionals playing, and I've only got Erasure.

MissConductUS · 23/09/2019 13:30

One thing to consider with a car that old is that the manufacturer is no longer supplying repair parts for it. Cars back then also we far less safe in a collision.

I'd be really unhappy about this too.

Juells · 23/09/2019 13:30

Not sure what else you expected for such a small budget though???

I bought a 2001 Mitsubishi Lancer three years ago for about the same money. It's been completely trouble-free, runs like a dream, passes every year after a service, have never had to replace anything.

Preggosaurus9 · 23/09/2019 13:33

You can't buy a car for £800 anymore OP! If it's worth anything it's worth £1,500 at least. Surprised you got a 54 plate for £800 last time!

I'd actually quite like to drive a 1989 car, there's something about the smell of an old car Grin

AnAC12UCOinanOCG · 23/09/2019 13:34

OP do you genuinely look at cars and think "Ha, that idiot is driving something from 1989!" ...because I never do, and I don't think most people do, so why are you embarrassed?

My first car was a 1989 Fiesta (at the time it was 20 years old). It ran fine, even on winter mornings. Only stopped driving it because it was stolen. Second car was a 1987 Fiesta. Likewise... including the stolen bit. Seriously, get yourself a steering wheel lock.

AnotherEmma · 23/09/2019 13:35

"You can't buy a car for £800 anymore OP!"

Nonsense. Plenty of cars for that price on gumtree and Facebook marketplace. In fact I just sold my old Ford Focus for £825.

5foot5 · 23/09/2019 13:36

No I don't have any tapes to play lol.

Does it have a radio and a cigarette lighter? If so then you need to get one of these:

Bluetooth FM Transmitter

Until I scrapped my old car earlier this year I used one of these. My old car was much newer than your Escort, but even so it was a 2002 reg. car and only played cassettes. However, if you have one of these it will pick up blue tooth and then transmit it on an FM frequency, so you just tune one of the channels on the radio to the frequency it is on and then you can play the music on your phone or iPod and hear it through the car's radio

Pieceofpurplesky · 23/09/2019 13:36

Please can we have a photo OP 🤣

Nanny0gg · 23/09/2019 13:37

What's the mileage???

SleepyKat · 23/09/2019 13:39

Well I once swapped a brand new Corsa for a 1972 Datsun on the spur of the moment.....obviously I got some cash as well as the Datsun.

I think you need to embrace the classic Escort. I love an old car! Has it got a manual choke? Grin

UnfamousPoster · 23/09/2019 13:39

I saw an Escort driving down the road the other day and came over all nostalgic for it! I think it's bordering on being "cool" again.

Using the link above, I found another 1988 Escort for sale - here. 74,000 miles - £2,495.

Buy some matching wheel trims (original if you can on eBay), give it a good clean and polish, make a profit and buy something you're happy with.

Or just go with it and pimp it out. In my day these had bass boxes in the boot and speakers in the rear parcel shelf. Add some XR3i style fog lamps on the front and some fluffy dice and you'll be away!

AdobeWanKenobi · 23/09/2019 13:40

This reply has been deleted

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Mythreefavouritethings · 23/09/2019 13:40

Izzwizzo - ah, Now 11, that was a good one! Oh OP, I honestly don’t know what to say, it sounds as though you have a good sense of humour anyway! Maybe there will be someone out there willing to take it on, in the interim I think I would just brazen it out. Swap your work bag for a Head hold-all, grab some cycle shorts with a fluorescent stripe down the side, and crank out International Rescue.

UnfamousPoster · 23/09/2019 13:41

Blimey. Manual choke. OP has said it stinks when you drive off, so I'm betting it has. I could never figure those bloody things out. Always had to get my dad to start my car for me in the winter or I flooded it constantly.

ThePooBus · 23/09/2019 13:41

Name changed for this....

I have twice made the mistake of leaving my supposed car enthusiast DH to buy a car without me. Because they were for him. Even he admits that he will now defer to my judgement....

First one was a calf scour brown LPG converted Land Rover. It has been used as a farm vehicle, was infested with fleas and stank of shit. Half the inside had been chewed out by the farmer's dog. It used to back fire when the gas was warming up, which was terrifying. And broke down regularly in inconvenient locations (Heathrow spur junction of M4 for example). In the end, I refused to ever go out in it again. It was always known as The Poo Bus.

The other one was less spectacular, but similarly unreliable, which was not great as we had two kids by then. And I had given him my old car to trade in along with his own cash to get a better car. He opted for a 15 year old Renault Megane Scenic, the engine blew, it was mouldy, the windows didn't shut properly. Etc.

Woahriver · 23/09/2019 13:42

Yanbu. You left it up to him with the thoughts that he would make a responsible choice on the purchase of the car. He went and bought an old car which is likely to be impractical and small for your family.

Original poster
DrivingTat · 23/09/2019 13:44

I don't know if it's tax free or not. I have not asked how much the tax was as I was so pissed off, I just changed the subject. Same with who he has insured it with. I can't really tell you have angry I am over this.

I know it's my own fault and I keep telling myself that but it's not helping. Just why, why not ask me if he wanted some old tat? Why not tell me if he wanted one to do up? We could have talked about it, agreed on one later on maybe. But this is our car shared, we both have to use it. I am now stuck with it too, yes I know I should have paid more of a interest but really I did not know he liked these old cars. We have been together years and never once has he told me, "oh btw I would love a old tat box on wheels" yes it's v bloody boxy.

As for the one wheel trim, it's still on. The tape player is going to have to come out though. If I have to live with a car that looks like I want to live in the late 80s, might as well have a cd player.

As for it being nicked, I don't care tbh. Oh and yes it came with a steering wheel lock and a pedal lock. How posh are we? Confused

OP posts:
Pinkyyy · 23/09/2019 13:44

If nothing else, you should be annoyed that he massively overpaid for it.

AdobeWanKenobi · 23/09/2019 13:47

I don't know if it's tax free or not

From 1 April each year, vehicles manufactured more than 40 years before 1 January of that year are automatically exempt from paying Vehicle Excise Duty.

So no, it won't be tax exempt.

BarbaraofSeville · 23/09/2019 13:49

Well as we haven't seen the car, we don't know if the price was fair.

There are Ford Escorts of that era out there that would be a stonking bargain at £8k never mind £800.

Tax will be either about £160 or £260 pa depending on engine size. Insurance could be cheap on a classic policy.

AdobeWanKenobi · 23/09/2019 13:49

If nothing else, you should be annoyed that he massively overpaid for it

Has he?
We don't know model or mileage and all OP has actually said is it's blue and 1989.

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