The Joy of Running an Old Shed
Discussion
tomble22 said:
Has anybody run an Alfa 156 2.4 JTD as a shed?
I've recently decided to alter my work situation which will result in me doing quite a few more miles than I do now. Hence I'm going to sell the Panda 100hp and get something a bit bigger etc.
This has popped up local to me, good history, tidy enough, has a Traction control fault but i can sort that out myself, long MOT up for £750, and i really fancy an Alfa. Realistically at £650 say, I think it's worth a go!
Ignoring the obvious stereotypes around reliability, is there anything in particular about these that needs some thought?
And if anyone is after a Panda 100hp, let me know!
Do they suffer from rust on the floorpans? Does the MOT flag up any rust issues? I've recently decided to alter my work situation which will result in me doing quite a few more miles than I do now. Hence I'm going to sell the Panda 100hp and get something a bit bigger etc.
This has popped up local to me, good history, tidy enough, has a Traction control fault but i can sort that out myself, long MOT up for £750, and i really fancy an Alfa. Realistically at £650 say, I think it's worth a go!
Ignoring the obvious stereotypes around reliability, is there anything in particular about these that needs some thought?
And if anyone is after a Panda 100hp, let me know!
Looks lovely though. That colour is really nice on these.
Challo said:
Do they suffer from rust on the floorpans? Does the MOT flag up any rust issues?
Looks lovely though. That colour is really nice on these.
Reg is MF54 FXO, doesn't appear to be anything obvious. It's also only had 3 owners and this owner since 2014, so would suggest it's been looked after.Looks lovely though. That colour is really nice on these.
He said the rear bumper paint is a bit crap, but not worried about that really. Going to pop down tonight and have a look, tempted also because it's only about 15 minutes away from my house!
EDIT: It does have some corrosion noted in 2018 (light corrosion) but nothing since, so might have been scrubbed back and treated maybe.
Baked_bean said:
On a maths basis a shed will nearly always be cheaper unless you are trying to run an old Range Rover, S class etc.
A lot of people want a fuss free experience and fixed costs which is why it’s so popular. Coming from having new company cars for 9 years and buying a shed this month, I can confirm that a new car is a nice thing even if I enjoy my A2.
Someone I work with leases a BMW M140 and decided to have a bit of fun in the snow with the inevitable consequences. He is currently going through all sorts of hassle and grief as he also went for the biggest insurance XS he could find as he couldn't afford it otherwise.A lot of people want a fuss free experience and fixed costs which is why it’s so popular. Coming from having new company cars for 9 years and buying a shed this month, I can confirm that a new car is a nice thing even if I enjoy my A2.
If it was a shed you would shrug your shoulders, get it weighed in and get straight on Facebook Marketplace or eBay for something else.
This to be is the major plus of shedding, the utter freedom it gives you and lack of potential hassle. Let's be honest, most people on here could afford to buy or lease something decent but prefer a car that costs nothing and they don't have to care about.
jeremyh1 said:
dunc01965 said:
Right then, so over 3 years it's around 12 grand for a car you don't actually own. I presume as well that there are clauses written into the agreement to cover excess mileage and damage to the car in the way of parking dings and scratches? Hell of a lot to pay not to be sneered at. So my friend with the new Audi Q5 must be paying double that.
Imagine what you could drive around in for a fraction of that, it doesn't even need to be a shed!! I would estimate at a worst case scenario that my shed would cost me, excluding fuel around a grand in parts, MOT and servicing if I'm really unlucky over a similar time period.
I've read posts on other topics some trying to say that buying new can work out cheaper than running a shi##er, from those figures I fail to see how unless I'm missing something.
I agree with you but the difference is Imagine what you could drive around in for a fraction of that, it doesn't even need to be a shed!! I would estimate at a worst case scenario that my shed would cost me, excluding fuel around a grand in parts, MOT and servicing if I'm really unlucky over a similar time period.
I've read posts on other topics some trying to say that buying new can work out cheaper than running a shi##er, from those figures I fail to see how unless I'm missing something.
I love the people on this site they really know about cars .
They dont however know anything about money and I worry about a lot of them because this are living above their means in a period of economic uncertainty
It had to have a near rear window about 15 years ago for about £350 as it had a fault in the alarm sensors. Fuel pump went I think a couple of years ago I think about £400 (but it was on about 200k by then). A couple of weeks ago required a new lower wishbone. I just fitted it's third battery yesterday for £85 (that's about all my mechanical skills). It has had it's usual disc's, pads and bulbs for a car of 251k and age.
It is still on first clutch despite me trying to kill it for several years towing a caravan around that was on it's towing limit. But we enjoyed cheaper holidays as a result. It copes being filled to the brim going to the dump, provided the security of being in a very comfortable car, and safety aspects of a Volvo with 2 little un's who are now in their 20's.
It still fetches near on 50 mpg, but I have noticed a little drop off in the HP department, so what ? it's Old!
Many of my friends/colleges laughed at me for buying an oil burner back in the day, but I still have it, it's the wife's daily driver (when not in lockdown), and does not owe us a penny. Most of my friends still can't believe we still have it, most have had 3,4,5 cars in that time, none as nice in my view, but spent far more I suspect.
Front drivers seat has a couple of seams starting to part, which I may have to try and sew myself. (I have asked the wife to lose some weight , but still recovering from the broken nose )
Now it is starting to show it's age, it is surprising how some don't like parking their new cars close to it.
If you are feeling lucky, a new or second hand decent car if intended to keep for some time, can be worth while. Maybe I was lucky in this one? no accidents, or proper breakdowns other than the fuel pump a few yards from the front door.
When it eventually "retires" I shall really miss it, it has served us well. I don't get bored like some do wanting new/change of cars on a regular basis. Just as well really cause the initial outlay was more than I really wanted to pay for a car. But, had my monies worth, In return it's gets a service every year/10k, so in return for that keeps on going. I believe every car likes regular oil/filter change
I really enjoy this thread, the best one in PH, and now my car is classed as a "shed" feel I can enjoy your story's. Love photo's of rubble, mixed painted doors etc...
jeremyh1 said:
F20CN16 said:
There are people leasing cars that earn enough money not to care that it costs more. You can’t take it with you. It’s their choice too. Are you sure they’re living beyond their means? I’m going to say no, you don’t have access to the full finances of others 
Some people are happy doing maintenance on cars themselves, constantly monitoring the next fault etc. as their hobby (I am). But some (I’d actually argue the majority of adults) don’t want to and/or don’t have the time with families, houses to work on, or frankly just doing anything else they’d rather do.
Don’t forget there is also a middle ground; it isn’t a choice between shedding or buying new. I’ve got a 6 year old, £7k ish Civic that still has a factory warranty until mid 2022. Current overall cost to me is £120 ish per month (with depreciation). That works for me. Pretty much trouble free motoring leaving me time to do all the stuff I’d rather be doing. Like working on my S2000...
The reason I said this is the fact there was a member on here last week with a young family a big mortgage and two cars belonging to the bank and he was in hock to them Some people are happy doing maintenance on cars themselves, constantly monitoring the next fault etc. as their hobby (I am). But some (I’d actually argue the majority of adults) don’t want to and/or don’t have the time with families, houses to work on, or frankly just doing anything else they’d rather do.
Don’t forget there is also a middle ground; it isn’t a choice between shedding or buying new. I’ve got a 6 year old, £7k ish Civic that still has a factory warranty until mid 2022. Current overall cost to me is £120 ish per month (with depreciation). That works for me. Pretty much trouble free motoring leaving me time to do all the stuff I’d rather be doing. Like working on my S2000...
I dont get it and I am somebody making decent money
slightly older , been in business all my life with no debts I dont know how they do it
I've run sheds for the last few years but generally a £1000 car tends to last 3 years before something major happens before it's either a big DIY or a bill worth more than the car - the last two cars were scrapped. Economically I was still ahead of the game but if I'd gone to the garage for the gear linkage on the Mazda it would have been an expensive job (manual says 6 hours plus £350 for part) - I did myself with a second hand £50 part.
If you get the right deal and mileage on a lease you may never need buy tyres and not have to replace a cambelt. Certainly not a clutch, exhaust or battery. On sheds these all represent potentially big bills.
There are some fantastic leasing deals out there so I can really understand why some people do it. I'm considering a Leaf or similar if I have to commute as the fuel savings would more than make up for the extra cost.
Majorslow said:
Lovely story about a V70...
That's a nice story and similar to my experience (albeit yours is an extreme version of mine!).Back in 2007 I was trawling eBay for a diesel BMW 5 series estate when I found a 525d about 12 miles away at a dealer, pictured with snow all around their forecourt. Long story short I bought it for £7,800 on 97k miles and had it for 11 years. When it sold in the summer of 2018 it was sitting on 207k miles and in that time I'd spent under £1,000 on repairs beyond normal servicing/tyres. It was without a doubt the best car I've ever owned and I really wish I hadn't sold it.
So much so that in October last year I bought another one, with 115k miles, and I now plan to keep it until it retires itself.
It's not quite a shed because I paid £3k for it, but it's as lovely as the previous one and I'm fully back to the refreshing feeling of not having to care about parking dents or depreciation
Blu3R said:
It's not quite a shed because I paid £3k for it, but it's as lovely as the previous one and I'm fully back to the refreshing feeling of not having to care about parking dents or depreciation
That's still the essence of shedding. Besides spending a little more for a good example makes economic sense for those who can afford it.My £8000 8 month old 14,000 Vectra was bought as a shed. Sold at 13 years old for £150 with 172,000 trouble free but largely miserable miles on it and only spending on consumables. It had started going into limp mode for a year and Vauxhall dealer the garage couldn't find out why but kindly didn't charge for the half day on diagnostics looking. Combined with need for an exhaust and a few other odds it was getting very tired and I could buy a replacement for less than what I'd have to pay to get the work done (a job, two contracts and a baby on the way at the time).
yellowbentines said:
mercedeslimos said:
Hippea said:
Do you know what engine variant you have, BXE etc?
Given it's 2008 (Euro 4 - no DPF) I'm betting on it being a BKE. BXE was 105bhp. Also, the Superb Mk1 was a longitudinally-mounted installation like me and greenarrow mentioned a couple of pages back, BXEs were all transversely-mounted.It's an 85KW BPZ according to the paperwork. My Dad bought it at a year old in March 2009 at 2436 miles for the ridiculously low price of £9499, and I inherited it a few years back so know it's history. He couldn't believe it wasn't snapped up by a cab driver as not many were bought for private use at the time.
It's rough around the edges, but it's on all season tyres and a valuable asset in winter as my wife is a nurse that needs to get to a hospital at 6:30am and our other car is a Merc CLS that's hopeless in the snow.
The engine had it's cambelt and water pump changed at around 75k and a radiator at around 90k so with regular oil and filter changes it should be good for a few years under the bonnet, as long as the rest of it holds together!
ooid said:
I remember the days, old rusty air-cooled 911's were quite proper shed territory (5k or less sometimes). Any one remember's Gary's 911 thread would remember that.
Remember them well. My 1972 2.4 S in metallic blue was around five. Used to throw amps and guitars in it and generally treat it extremely badly. I think I swapped it for a Golf. Those old 911s really were awfully unreliable cars when not pampered. £150,000 now. Laughable. They are still sheds.Edited by 993kimbo on Monday 15th February 18:36
tomble22 said:
Has anybody run an Alfa 156 2.4 JTD as a shed?
I've recently decided to alter my work situation which will result in me doing quite a few more miles than I do now. Hence I'm going to sell the Panda 100hp and get something a bit bigger etc.
This has popped up local to me, good history, tidy enough, has a Traction control fault but i can sort that out myself, long MOT up for £750, and i really fancy an Alfa. Realistically at £650 say, I think it's worth a go!
Ignoring the obvious stereotypes around reliability, is there anything in particular about these that needs some thought?
And if anyone is after a Panda 100hp, let me know!
Tom, Did you go and see it? Any good?I've recently decided to alter my work situation which will result in me doing quite a few more miles than I do now. Hence I'm going to sell the Panda 100hp and get something a bit bigger etc.
This has popped up local to me, good history, tidy enough, has a Traction control fault but i can sort that out myself, long MOT up for £750, and i really fancy an Alfa. Realistically at £650 say, I think it's worth a go!
Ignoring the obvious stereotypes around reliability, is there anything in particular about these that needs some thought?
And if anyone is after a Panda 100hp, let me know!
300sl-24 said:
tomble22 said:
Has anybody run an Alfa 156 2.4 JTD as a shed?
I've recently decided to alter my work situation which will result in me doing quite a few more miles than I do now. Hence I'm going to sell the Panda 100hp and get something a bit bigger etc.
This has popped up local to me, good history, tidy enough, has a Traction control fault but i can sort that out myself, long MOT up for £750, and i really fancy an Alfa. Realistically at £650 say, I think it's worth a go!
Ignoring the obvious stereotypes around reliability, is there anything in particular about these that needs some thought?
And if anyone is after a Panda 100hp, let me know!
Tom, Did you go and see it? Any good?I've recently decided to alter my work situation which will result in me doing quite a few more miles than I do now. Hence I'm going to sell the Panda 100hp and get something a bit bigger etc.
This has popped up local to me, good history, tidy enough, has a Traction control fault but i can sort that out myself, long MOT up for £750, and i really fancy an Alfa. Realistically at £650 say, I think it's worth a go!
Ignoring the obvious stereotypes around reliability, is there anything in particular about these that needs some thought?
And if anyone is after a Panda 100hp, let me know!
I did indeed, it's now parked up in my carport!!
Apart from the rear bumper and the VDC fault its a well looked after car, had a new clutch and DMF last July and cambelt was done in November. Has a big brake upgrade from a Mito, Koni shocks and springs all round (rides well actually) and a remap up to 233bhp and 380lb/ft torque, it certainly shifts!!
Paid £650 in the end, really pleased with it. Will give it a clean at the weekend and then I might get the rear bumper resprayed in a couple of months, if it doesn't destroy itself in that time. Also need to sort out the traction control error!!
Shedtastic!!
tomble22 said:
Hi Ray,
I did indeed, it's now parked up in my carport!!
Apart from the rear bumper and the VDC fault its a well looked after car, had a new clutch and DMF last July and cambelt was done in November. Has a big brake upgrade from a Mito, Koni shocks and springs all round (rides well actually) and a remap up to 233bhp and 380lb/ft torque, it certainly shifts!!
Paid £650 in the end, really pleased with it. Will give it a clean at the weekend and then I might get the rear bumper resprayed in a couple of months, if it doesn't destroy itself in that time. Also need to sort out the traction control error!!
Shedtastic!!
Looks like a cracking buy congratulations, those power figures are very impressive. Having the cambelt sorted is a great result. good luck with it. I need to pick up a Fiat like yours for about £750 to compete with that! I did indeed, it's now parked up in my carport!!
Apart from the rear bumper and the VDC fault its a well looked after car, had a new clutch and DMF last July and cambelt was done in November. Has a big brake upgrade from a Mito, Koni shocks and springs all round (rides well actually) and a remap up to 233bhp and 380lb/ft torque, it certainly shifts!!
Paid £650 in the end, really pleased with it. Will give it a clean at the weekend and then I might get the rear bumper resprayed in a couple of months, if it doesn't destroy itself in that time. Also need to sort out the traction control error!!
Shedtastic!!
dunc01965 said:
Because I've never done it before what is the going rate to purchase or lease a car, say for example a VW Golf? What are the monthly payments? As previously mentioned it's not something that I know about because I only buy sheds
The last time I looked in my local free paper, the cheapest new car was £150 per month,.mileage limit would suit some one who did 150.miles a week, and the car was erm...no.idea...The cheapest car new car that I would be happy to drive. Was £250 A month, again not many miles. Was it a kia? Or a Vauxhall? Can't remember. For some reason, I priced up a cab crew transit custom, for purchase by a vat registered company, and by the time I'd added the extras, like cruise control and aircon, and a colour that wasn't white, I was up to.£25k and a lease over 4 years of £8k deposit, plus £290 A month. Or £480 HP
Well I dropped my shed at my father in law's unit the other day, left the keys in it and came home. He did the cambelt, water pump, and a full service and probably in the nick of time as he said the old water pump had a small leak on it. Total cost was around £66 in parts and a £30 bottle of whiskey for the labour! Hopefully that will keep me going for the rest of the year now if I'm lucky!
The Alfa wagon is a cracking bargain by the look of it. I considered one before I got my 9-3 but my sensible head told me it would be a pain in the arse to run as a shed and higher running costs than I want at the moment. Lovely looking thing in that colour and I hope it serves you well and that my concerns are misplaced.
Well, there is a moral to the story of the Alfa Romeo......don't buy a car in the dark and the rain, and go with your gut!!
Went down to view it and looked round it with a torch....seemed ok, few marks here and there. Got in, looked ok, bit grubby but nothing major. Gearknob spins round....started it up, sounded a bit tractor like......drove it down the road, bit of a clunk from the front end......oooooh, lots of power.......would you take £650 mate.....ok!!
Anyway, went out to have a look this morning, bodywork is pretty crap, both bumpers need a respray, patches of peeling lacquer all over, bit of rust on the arches and along the top of the windscreen, interior is absolutely stinking and to top it off i drove it to a site in Newquay (about 20 miles of A road and it averaged 22mpg.
So, it's going again, I've got someone coming to see it tomorrow and will let it go for scrap if needs be. After buying way too many cars previously you would think I'd have learnt my lesson!!
But, here doth not the new shed experience end......
Went down to view it and looked round it with a torch....seemed ok, few marks here and there. Got in, looked ok, bit grubby but nothing major. Gearknob spins round....started it up, sounded a bit tractor like......drove it down the road, bit of a clunk from the front end......oooooh, lots of power.......would you take £650 mate.....ok!!
Anyway, went out to have a look this morning, bodywork is pretty crap, both bumpers need a respray, patches of peeling lacquer all over, bit of rust on the arches and along the top of the windscreen, interior is absolutely stinking and to top it off i drove it to a site in Newquay (about 20 miles of A road and it averaged 22mpg.
So, it's going again, I've got someone coming to see it tomorrow and will let it go for scrap if needs be. After buying way too many cars previously you would think I'd have learnt my lesson!!
But, here doth not the new shed experience end......
Because, today i went out and bought another shed!!
A 2006 Honda Civic i-CDTi in that grey gold colour, 120,000 miles on the clock, MOT until October. Relatively clean and tidy for the princely sum of £600!
I turned up to view it in a car park opposite the chaps house in the beat up Alfa (which is still there as i couldn't get a lift over earlier), proceeded to do my usual shed checks (yeah, looks ok), drove it round the car park a couple of times (drives very much like a small version of my Accord Tourer funnily enough) and transferred the money in a heartbeat.
A humorous thing occurred during the transaction. I opened the oil cap while the engine was running, as you do, and felt a spit of oil come towards me. Didn't think anything of it. As it happened the bank transfer took about 25 minutes to go through (cue us sitting the car awkwardly waiting for the money to go across). After about 15 minutes i happened to catch myself in the mirror....I had oil all over my bloody face, and he didn't even tell me!!
Anyway, a new shed experience begins.....I'm sticking with Honda from now on!!
A 2006 Honda Civic i-CDTi in that grey gold colour, 120,000 miles on the clock, MOT until October. Relatively clean and tidy for the princely sum of £600!
I turned up to view it in a car park opposite the chaps house in the beat up Alfa (which is still there as i couldn't get a lift over earlier), proceeded to do my usual shed checks (yeah, looks ok), drove it round the car park a couple of times (drives very much like a small version of my Accord Tourer funnily enough) and transferred the money in a heartbeat.
A humorous thing occurred during the transaction. I opened the oil cap while the engine was running, as you do, and felt a spit of oil come towards me. Didn't think anything of it. As it happened the bank transfer took about 25 minutes to go through (cue us sitting the car awkwardly waiting for the money to go across). After about 15 minutes i happened to catch myself in the mirror....I had oil all over my bloody face, and he didn't even tell me!!
Anyway, a new shed experience begins.....I'm sticking with Honda from now on!!
tomble22 said:
Has anybody run an Alfa 156 2.4 JTD as a shed?
I've recently decided to alter my work situation which will result in me doing quite a few more miles than I do now. Hence I'm going to sell the Panda 100hp and get something a bit bigger etc.
This has popped up local to me, good history, tidy enough, has a Traction control fault but i can sort that out myself, long MOT up for £750, and i really fancy an Alfa. Realistically at £650 say, I think it's worth a go!
Ignoring the obvious stereotypes around reliability, is there anything in particular about these that needs some thought?
And if anyone is after a Panda 100hp, let me know!
Of course, see here:I've recently decided to alter my work situation which will result in me doing quite a few more miles than I do now. Hence I'm going to sell the Panda 100hp and get something a bit bigger etc.
This has popped up local to me, good history, tidy enough, has a Traction control fault but i can sort that out myself, long MOT up for £750, and i really fancy an Alfa. Realistically at £650 say, I think it's worth a go!
Ignoring the obvious stereotypes around reliability, is there anything in particular about these that needs some thought?
And if anyone is after a Panda 100hp, let me know!
https://www.alfaowner.com/threads/diesel-dogwagon-...
Mine is a good old fashioned 10v, which I like because they are very analogue and simple. Per the thread, the only real problem with these is floor pan rust.
Seeing your update - body work is just bodywork. Clonk from the front is probably an upper arm (£40 easy). Nice leather interior is easy on eBay. The real problem is that making them sharp again involves doing the sort of work I did to mine. At 15 years old, they are all a bit baggy and knackered.
Edited by rxe on Wednesday 17th February 16:37
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