www.integralingham.com/another-visit-to-keighley

Another visit to Keighley

With our young un's E36 M3 soon going away for the winter, a new car was required for his young family. What better place to start than

Motorhub in Keighley!

Volvo 850R estate

Our John had owned a Volvo T5R estate before, and enjoyed its mad dual purpose nature. Motorhub were advertising a yellow 850R estate, and the same model and colour saloon car equivalent, these needed looking at. I went along for the ride, and to report on the now familiar 'Ginster Yellow' Evo2 Motorhub have in stock.

The two Volvos were fresh Japanese imports, as most of Motorhub's stock looks to be. On inspection the Volvos weren't good enough, the estate was on aftermarket suspension and had a variety of different yellows on it's panel work. The car was locked up, and the dark windows made it difficult to look inside, although that Volvo estate in original yellow is a rare and iconic car, without an understandable service record it just wasn't worth the asking price. The 850 car was the same condition, looked good from a distance, but again disappointing and not really suitable for a family car.

After rejecting the two Volvos, John's attention turned to Mitsubishi Evos and Escort RSs, and how he could pass them off as 'family cars'!

There's a big selection of powerful JDM hardware on display at Motorhub, some quite unusual Japanese home market models. Many of these are rear wheel drive, and would be ideal drift cars.

If you like that kind of thing!

In case you'd forgotten!

A selection of the interesting and varied

vehicles for sale at Motorhub

Volvo 850R saloon

Downstairs again I was looking at the Ginster Evo2, this is a solid car from Japan, and is priced at the top end. It's the correct yellow, but it has been repainted in a typical Japanese export car way, that is a flash over with no trim removed.

Pulling the screen rubber and headlight trim back showed a masked paint edge, and a gloss on gloss repaint with no primer. So a purchaser will have strip this car and start again to guarantee a durable finish.

The car's interior has been stripped out with racing seats fitted, it has no back seats or trim, and the door cards are replaced with alloy panels. Aftermarket suspension and the usual JDM bits and bobs are fitted also. A purchaser will have to budget for a complete strip and repaint, and a complete interior and parcel shelf, which we all know will be very difficult to find.

The Ginster car has been on sale for a long time, and until the values of Deltas increase stock at the Ginster car's condition and price will remain unsold. There is a red Evo2 advertised by Motorhub also, but it's been sold, that looked a better car.

We left Keighley a bit disappointed, there are several Lamborghinis and other exotics for sale, but stock on the upper floors featured a lot of ex Japan vehicles, which would require a dedicated ownership.

After a family conference, it was decided to fall back on an old favourite, and look for an Audi A8, we are familiar with this car having owned a few. The early A8s are solid and reliable and one was selected on Ebay, our bid won the car and we went way down south to collect it. The car was as described, and heading back up north the hot Friday afternoon jam on the M25 put the car's cooling to test.

The car did well, the aircon worked a treat too, after a good clean at home and a professional 'sealed for life' gearbox oil refill, the A8 is as good as a new car.

The early A8 is a great car, the 2.8 petrol engine is smooth and economical, and fast enough for our crowded roads, the lower power is gentler on the Quattro transmission and auto box, the drive train can suffer on the higher power models with enthusiastic driving. The A8's styling is discreet and ageless, the interior is hardwearing with electric everything and heated seats, the controls are simple too, ours has a full service record with a not too long ago new cam belt. The car is of course completely aluminium, so will always be rust free.

This A8 cost John a little over £2k, which is a true bargain.

Here's the new family car, a handsome Audi A8 Sport.

It's comfortable and relaxing to drive, quite economical, warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

It's safe, has 4 wheel drive, and it's made from aluminium so will never rust.