The Joy of Running an Old Shed (Vol 2)

[James_N]

Well last week my shed 106 passed over 80k miles - 14k of those in my ownership.

Despite very little actually being needed (I’ve had it serviced, camber and water pump previously), it’s kicked my arse a bit this past few weeks.

Needed a new middle and rear section of the exhaust £130 fitted - didn’t think this was too bad)

My washer pump has died so no windscreen washers now!

Knocking coming from the car when accelerating round corners. Not sure what this is, ball joint or cv joint maybe? Passenger side arm was changed at the last MOT (cheaper labour wise to just buy the whole arm) but now I think this might be a drivers side issue but it knocks accelerating round a corner no matter if it’s a left or right hand corner.

Suggestions welcome. Washer pump I’m guessing is a case of jacking the car up, drivers side front wheel off, wheel arch liner peeled back and go from there.

Still, as I regularly do 100 mile round trips at weekends to see family and do the school run a few times a week, i do like it to be bulletproof reliable, which it has been up until now!

[RenesisEvo]

bearman68 said:

But I put £7 in yesterday before driving it 55 miles - the gauge must be wrong.

There are so many things wrong in those words. For a start who only puts £7 of fuel in an empty tank? You'll use a fair proportion just going to/from the petrol station. I can feel your frustration from here. I'll never comprehend some people.

[bristolracer]

RenesisEvo said:

There are so many things wrong in those words. For a start who only puts £7 of fuel in an empty tank? You'll use a fair proportion just going to/from the petrol station. I can feel your frustration from here. I'll never comprehend some people.

She probably hasn't worked out that the price of fuel has rocketed , £7 is now what £4 would have bought 3 months ago.

[Ouroboros]

RenesisEvo said:

There are so many things wrong in those words. For a start who only puts £7 of fuel in an empty tank? You'll use a fair proportion just going to/from the petrol station. I can feel your frustration from here. I'll never comprehend some people.

go in the morning, give it a good shake, got to worth a few pence.

[anonymous-user]

RenesisEvo said:

bearman68 said:

But I put £7 in yesterday before driving it 55 miles - the gauge must be wrong.

There are so many things wrong in those words. For a start who only puts £7 of fuel in an empty tank? You'll use a fair proportion just going to/from the petrol station. I can feel your frustration from here. I'll never comprehend some people.

Reminds me of my ex wife's family who were moaning about the brand new Motability car they had been given because the fuel economy was terrible. Turns out they put £5 of petrol in it at a time.

My shed died so I borrowed it for a month when it had 200 miles on the clock and it was already filthy inside. I brimmed the tank, hoovered out the inside and marvelled at how much tread the tyres had. It was only an Astra but it was absolutely heavenly to drive compared to what I was used to.

But no, all they did was moan about it.

[COM31E]

aaron_2000 said:

For a £350 PD130 I really have no complaints at all. The gearbox is appalling and not suited to the engine at all but it still drives really well, doesn't even have any warning lights on. If it had a senor manuel box I'd be keeping this one without a doubt, but the Tiptronic and short MOT seal its fate, scrap is being booked tomorrow for collection on the 30th. I'll be putting 1500 miles on it between now and Thursday so hopefully it remains trouble free as it has for the 300 I've done so far.

Saw this for sale in the PD owners group this morning.

I'd have it in a heartbeat but I've already got a PD Golf, alas with the spanish gearbox and it's a hatch.

[aaron_2000]

RenesisEvo said:

bearman68 said:

But I put £7 in yesterday before driving it 55 miles - the gauge must be wrong.

There are so many things wrong in those words. For a start who only puts £7 of fuel in an empty tank? You'll use a fair proportion just going to/from the petrol station. I can feel your frustration from here. I'll never comprehend some people.

I usually fill a shed up £20 from empty, mainly because if it goes bang I don't wanna scrap it with a full tank in it. £7 is a weirdly specific amount to fill at

[Hoofy]

aaron_2000 said:

I usually fill a shed up £20 from empty, mainly because if it goes bang I don't wanna scrap it with a full tank in it.

Never thought of it like that! Damn.

[COM31E]

aaron_2000 said:

RenesisEvo said:

bearman68 said:

But I put £7 in yesterday before driving it 55 miles - the gauge must be wrong.

There are so many things wrong in those words. For a start who only puts £7 of fuel in an empty tank? You'll use a fair proportion just going to/from the petrol station. I can feel your frustration from here. I'll never comprehend some people.

I usually fill a shed up £20 from empty, mainly because if it goes bang I don't wanna scrap it with a full tank in it. £7 is a weirdly specific amount to fill at

To be fair, it took me over a year and an MOT before I ever filled the tank on my Golf. I keep it full now.

[W00DY]

Hoofy said:

aaron_2000 said:

I usually fill a shed up £20 from empty, mainly because if it goes bang I don't wanna scrap it with a full tank in it.

Never thought of it like that! Damn.

The shed gods will punish your lack of faith. You can always pump the fuel out of the scrap shed when necessary.

[RenesisEvo]

aaron_2000 said:

RenesisEvo said:

bearman68 said:

But I put £7 in yesterday before driving it 55 miles - the gauge must be wrong.

There are so many things wrong in those words. For a start who only puts £7 of fuel in an empty tank? You'll use a fair proportion just going to/from the petrol station. I can feel your frustration from here. I'll never comprehend some people.

I usually fill a shed up £20 from empty, mainly because if it goes bang I don't wanna scrap it with a full tank in it. £7 is a weirdly specific amount to fill at

Indeed it is an odd figure. I try to strike a balance between not filling it to the brim unless I actually need to (carrying dead weight) vs having enough range for the task in hand / not having to fill-up too often. Having said that, the wife's Jazz has such a tiny fuel tank its brimmed every time. This year marked the first time it ever cost more than £40 to fill it up.

[cedrichn]

bearman68 said:

She had trouble with her car going into limp mode, due to EGR issues as it turned out, which was fair enough. She had a courtesy Yaris 1.4d off me to run around in for a few days while I sorted the EGR. She called me a few days later to say the Yaris had broken down.
It took me a moment to process what car she had, and when I realised she had the Yaris, I was full of disbelief. I've only ever know a Yaris breakdown due to running out of fuel, or having a flat tyre. As it turned out after a stressful recovery, this one was the former. Ho Hum, say nothing, and grit the teeth.
Having swapped the lady and her family back into her original car, I was a bit perplexed when she phoned me a few days later to say her car had broken down AGAIN, and what was I going to do about giving her a reliable car, and one that works, and I had let her family down by abandoning them on a busy road, with my deathtrap cars that breakdown every week, and so on ad infinitum.
Anyway, after attending the scene - it took me about 2 minutes to diagnose the issue - the bloody thing had run out of fuel again. I just couldn't believe it. But I put £7 in yesterday before driving it 55 miles - the gauge must be wrong. In fact, everything was wrong except for her. I was soooo cross. Anyway, I am now not her favourite mechanic / service provider / etc etc, and to be honest, I'm glad to be shot of her. You just can't help some people.

This topic would not be the same without someone having a business based on the subject, and telling us the story of running it

God bless people living with/around her...

[cedrichn]

RenesisEvo said:

Indeed it is an odd figure. I try to strike a balance between not filling it to the brim unless I actually need to (carrying dead weight) vs having enough range for the task in hand / not having to fill-up too often. Having said that, the wife's Jazz has such a tiny fuel tank its brimmed every time. This year marked the first time it ever cost more than £40 to fill it up.

I now reach the maximum amount of £99 at Tesco before the gun click in my hands: I feel like a Jaaaaag or Rolls Royce owner Without the stress of devaluation or big bills

[greenarrow]

My car is in the garage at the moment and they've lent me this 19 year-old Peugeot 206 1.4. Ahh, as soon as I set off I realised how much I've missed sheds. Never driven a 206 before but ooh the ride! After a run flat shod bmw it's like a cushion. Roly poly handling but sharp turn in and light steering. It's why low end shopping trolleys have always been some of my favourite cars! All you need for run around motoring tbh!!

Good shed these I'd imagine. No rust issues unlike typical Ford of the era. (I'm a Ford fan but the rust gets wearing!!)....

[bungz]

206 is only really let down by the stupid rear beam bearings which is a bit of a faff.

Other than that they are great.

[RenesisEvo]

bungz said:

206 is only really let down by the stupid rear beam bearings which is a bit of a faff.

Other than that they are great.

I found the driving position utterly dreadful, but that won't be the case for everyone. Long legs rule me out of a number of cars, including sadly the Up/Mii/Citigo, and both Mk1 and Mk2 Focuses (Focii?) I moved on because they were uncomfortable over longer runs.

[andrebar]

W00DY said:

Hoofy said:

aaron_2000 said:

I usually fill a shed up £20 from empty, mainly because if it goes bang I don't wanna scrap it with a full tank in it.

Never thought of it like that! Damn.

The shed gods will punish your lack of faith. You can always pump the fuel out of the scrap shed when necessary.

Last weekend I was offered some diesel for £1 a litre. Was expecting something either nicked or home brewed from chip shop oil, but it turned out to be a lad wanting to sell what was left in the tank of an Astra he was scrapping.

[aaron_2000]

I shifted the Golf tonight, I got offered £100 over asking price for it so I let it go a day early. Worked out a hell of a lot better than renting a van for a week that's for sure.

[magpie215]

W00DY said:

The shed gods will punish your lack of faith. You can always pump the fuel out of the scrap shed when necessary.

Exactly when shed Galaxy 1 died I bridged the fuel pump relay and pumped the fuel into Galaxy 2.

Fortunatly Galaxy 2 had a planned trip over the bridge and was on fumes when collected.

[James_N]

I'm guilty myself of only sticking a tenner a week fuel in mine, for the same reasons, if it breaks, its not full of fuel!

A tenner a week gets me to work and back for the four days a week I need. If i'm going to see my father which is 100 mile round trip, of course i'll stick a bit more in, but if not, tenner a week max!!