V8 as a Daily Driver

[mamovaka]

Just out of curiosity,

who here uses their v8 as a Daily Driver? is so how many miles per day? and per year?

I searched this and didn't see anything.

Pano

[Pred247]

Yep, I'm an every day V8 driver. I have a second car but I enjoy the Esprit too much!

I probably do about 30 - 40 miles per day.

John

[arbell9]

I drive my GT3 every other day, sorry I knows it not a V8 but I just wanted to say Whoo Hoo, I drive mine plenty.

Alex

On the milage front:

i got it last Nov with 19300 on the clock, it now has 21700 so thats 2400 in winter months. I will ride my motor bike in summer too + volvo for family stuff so I reckon 7000-8000 will be about right.

Edited February 21, 2007 by Alex --GT3--

[williamives]

mine's a daily driver, and my only car. But I can borrow a car off my dad which helps when its broken. I've done about 20K miles in 3 years. I would have done about 30-40K miles had it been on the road for all that time

saying that, I've not had any major problems for about the last year (except 6 months without a heater until I found the vacuum pipe had come off the solenoid valve!)

So... hopefully now I have a heater, I'll be racking up the miles

Will

[Fred Basset]

The current one, no it's a pampered toy. The previous one I did nearly 20k over 18 months. Generally it was fine, especially when Lotus replaced the engine with a later GT spec one. I had a heater cable break, needed some new bushes in the front lower arms and worringly had the front bolt drop out of the rear passenger side arm on a motorway at speed.

It caught on the thread and got me home - I did not realise what had happened at the time.

Before that I ran a GT3 everyday and before that a 12 year old 85 turbo.

Regards

Fred

[Zhastaph]

Yup, 20 miles a day and I wouldn't have it any other way.

She needs the occasional thing replacing and tightening, but in 2.5 years has never once needed to be towed home

[mamovaka]

wow even for you daily drivers it's not driven that much daily, I mean your only car and driven only 20k miles in 3 years is only 7k miles a year! I purchased mine in julyish and I have already put on around 6k miles, haven't even hit the year mark yet oh, and I don't daily drive it.. at all..

[Guest Troy Halliday]

My 1983 S3 is my daily drive and my only car. Just thought I'd chime in

[BadJelly350]

Well in 2000 I drove my first Sport 350 about 19,500 miles in the first 6 months of ownership between collecting it (new) in October and writing it off the following May.

Most fun I've had in a car ever (the driving, rather than the writing off)

Current 350 was bought in 2003 with 19,500 miles on it, now has 46,000 miles. There have been weeks (when the weather has been good) where it's been a daily drive doing 200 miles / day.

really, the problem I find is coming up with arguments for NOT using it every day

Andy

[MGFCrasher]

I Drove my 350 everyday for the first 3 months that it was on the road again up to Christmas and put 3500 miles on it.Unfortunately by then so many things had fallen off or gone wrong its now sorn again.

Not the cars fault I hasten to add.I had an exhaust made at a place called RS Fabrications in Banbury who managed to cook the ECU and do untold damage whilst either jump starting or welding the ehaust in situ.

I am now looking at a bill for 2k to put it right!!

Other than that the car was a pleasure to use everyday if a little lively in the wet on country roads!!

[superdavelotus]

I thinking of using my V8 as a daily driver as I only do a couple of thousand a year. Problem I have is I've just changed my daily driver from a Saab 9-3 1.8T to a Saab 9-3 Aero convertible for a bit of fun etc. I've only had it for 6 days and I'm bored with it already! I've let my wife use it now and I drive her Megane 1.4 around. It seems that most cars I get bored with and keep spending money to only find this out.

This is why I may use my Esprit this year everyday as i still get a buzz every time I drive it. Need to weigh up figures etc.

[Jukka]

Last summer when I purchased my Esprit I used it almost daily. During winter I don't drive it. Roads are covered with ice, it's not an 'Esprit weather' just now. Fortunately it's not my only car. I have Rover 75 and Landrover Discovery also.

[williamives]

wow even for you daily drivers it's not driven that much daily, I mean your only car and driven only 20k miles in 3 years is only 7k miles a year! I purchased mine in julyish and I have already put on around 6k miles, haven't even hit the year mark yet oh, and I don't daily drive it.. at all..

yea. sounds a bit rubbish only doing 7K a year.....

I did 35K miles in one year in my elise S1 back in 99

Unfortunately my esprit's often got a few minor 'problems'... and I don't need to do as many miles for work anymore...

Will

[Rob]

I ran both a GT3 and V8-GT as daily drivers (my only transport). Did 50k miles in the V8 over five years although most of this was done in the first three.. taking into account all the costs of fixing it, servicing, tyres, fuel, insurance etc etc it worked out at

[Winter]

My 1999 V8SE has been my everyday transport for the last seven years. I do 11,000-12,000 miles per year.

I bought the car with 18,000 on the clock and it's now done 90,000. I had a new engine at 33,000 - under warranty - various sets of tyres, radiator, most of the air-con system replaced, plus various other bits and pieces. It's been trailered home at least three times - I don't like to count - and I can't say it's all been reliable motoring.

When it goes though . . . well, we all know how good that is. The Esprit contrasts nicely with the JPS Europa I have - and have had for thirty years. A nice brace of cars.

[MufflerMan]

Five days a week in mine when it's not broken. About 120 miles a day, currently 37K and some change on the clock. It is actually a great daily for a sports car, much better than the Elise I used to own.