The Joy of Running an Old Shed (Vol 2)

[A500leroy]

If anyone wants a oddball shed, mathewsons have an unsold zx coming up in the timed auction valued at £900.

[BenS94]

ooid said:

I'm in the process of ordering a new electric Lexus, properly abused by my family and parents due to shedding. They hate me cuz I drive cheap, old and somehow reliable cars and make them embarrassing in the public (my mother and wife's words ). Anyway, the ordering EV process not quick so I found this little fella.

2005, petrol, manual. CAT D due to cosmetic issue (I've seen the documents and damage, body scratch big time). Two previous owners, first owner a priest thanks to Church of England a decade of neat Mercedes maintenance. 2nd owner, nicest fella, been using for years really.

All in all, 1200 GBP, wish me luck as usual!

I can see the bonnet has been badly painted - but for the price, who cares!

[georgeyboy12345]

ooid said:

I'm in the process of ordering a new electric Lexus, properly abused by my family and parents due to shedding. They hate me cuz I drive cheap, old and somehow reliable cars and make them embarrassing in the public (my mother and wife's words ). Anyway, the ordering EV process not quick so I found this little fella.

2005, petrol, manual. CAT D due to cosmetic issue (I've seen the documents and damage, body scratch big time). Two previous owners, first owner a priest thanks to Church of England a decade of neat Mercedes maintenance. 2nd owner, nicest fella, been using for years really.

All in all, 1200 GBP, wish me luck as usual!

Don’t C of E call them Vicars? A Priest is Catholic

[martin mrt]

Yesterday the Astra went in for MOT, it was meant to be next week but my mate said leave it on sat morning.



Not a bad fail in all honesty, I’ve left him to do the repair as it’s one of those electric handbrakes and he’s fitting the 4 tyres I have for it in the boot.

Advisory free test result on Monday or Tuesday, I’m looking forward to embracing care free daily motoring

[anonymous-user]

martin mrt said:

Not a bad fail in all honesty, I’ve left him to do the repair as it’s one of those electric handbrakes and he’s fitting the 4 tyres I have for it in the boot.

Probably find the rear caliper has seized and hence worn out the pads and is why the handbrake doesn't work.

Stupidest invention ever, give me a manual handbrake any day of the week.

[Gordon Hill]

Try doing a hill start in a manual Merc with the foot operated
parking brake, glad mine's an auto, I only use it when I park up.

[martin mrt]

Joey Deacon said:

martin mrt said:

Not a bad fail in all honesty, I’ve left him to do the repair as it’s one of those electric handbrakes and he’s fitting the 4 tyres I have for it in the boot.

Probably find the rear caliper has seized and hence worn out the pads and is why the handbrake doesn't work.

Stupidest invention ever, give me a manual handbrake any day of the week.

Possibly, I’m usually quite up to speed with things such as this, never noticed anything untoward and the car has always held find on the handbrake.

If it needs a caliper and pads, it’s still a winner in my eyes

[bearman68]

martin mrt said:

Possibly, I’m usually quite up to speed with things such as this, never noticed anything untoward and the car has always held find on the handbrake.

If it needs a caliper and pads, it’s still a winner in my eyes

Might be the cable sticking. Usually is on the calliper hand brakes. Probably more difficult to do than the caliper.

Is it calliper or caliper BTW? I live in Wales so tend to the former, with double LL everywhere, I naturally assume this is always the case.

[Davie]

My now relegated to shed status XC70 managed to drag its sorry arse through another MOT relatively unscathed. Actually to be fair it passed with minimal advisory items which is a minor miracle given it's had another 12 months of neglect and utter abuse. Granted it has a sizeable "to do" list mounting up that I'm continuing to ignore for the time being as I'm torn between spending "a few quid" and nurse it on in the knowledge it does all that's asked and needed of it with minimal f**ks given on my part... or accept it's at the age / mileage stage where it could easily consume lots of money then still bite me and thus, maybe it's time to move it on and move on. But unsurprisingly I've been procrastinating that for months.

[Pit Pony]

Joey Deacon said:

martin mrt said:

Not a bad fail in all honesty, I’ve left him to do the repair as it’s one of those electric handbrakes and he’s fitting the 4 tyres I have for it in the boot.

Probably find the rear caliper has seized and hence worn out the pads and is why the handbrake doesn't work.

Stupidest invention ever, give me a manual handbrake any day of the week.

Astra J rear caliper is the same whether the other end of the hand brake cable goes to a lever in the cabin or a sinple solenoid in front of the rear bumper. Pad change looks easy according to the YouTube video I watched. I did the pads on my GTC in the summer which is manual handbrake , and am planning to do my wife's 5 door shortly., which is electric.

[greenarrow]

martin mrt said:

Yesterday the Astra went in for MOT, it was meant to be next week but my mate said leave it on sat morning.



Not a bad fail in all honesty, I’ve left him to do the repair as it’s one of those electric handbrakes and he’s fitting the 4 tyres I have for it in the boot.

Advisory free test result on Monday or Tuesday, I’m looking forward to embracing care free daily motoring

Too right, that's a good result on a car which cost less than a bang of sand.

Good to see the Vauxhall corner of this thread soldiering on. We've an Astra H, Astra J and Veccy C featured on here regularly, we just need an Astra G owner now for the Astra set

[7 5 7]

greenarrow said:

Too right, that's a good result on a car which cost less than a bang of sand.

Good to see the Vauxhall corner of this thread soldiering on. We've an Astra H, Astra J and Veccy C featured on here regularly, we just need an Astra G owner now for the Astra set

Another 1000+ miles to add, this week and into next.



Had a 20 minute pitstop last week, a new tyre due to a stty nail, the single tyre cost more than the WBAC offer I got a few weeks back!! .

Also, had the offending knocky drop link replaced, all is quiet (as it can be) again.

Edited by 7 5 7 on Monday 20th November 08:48

[Ryyy]

greenarrow said:

Too right, that's a good result on a car which cost less than a bang of sand.

Good to see the Vauxhall corner of this thread soldiering on. We've an Astra H, Astra J and Veccy C featured on here regularly, we just need an Astra G owner now for the Astra set

Dont forget the insignia



Never really much to report on it, it just does its thing

[7 5 7]

Ryyy said:

Dont forget the insignia



Never really much to report on it, it just does its thing

of course! Great sheds, I am glad your Siggy is doing well! This is the 1.8 VVT engine in this too isnt it, I rate it very highly

[greenarrow]

7 5 7 said:

Ryyy said:

Dont forget the insignia



Never really much to report on it, it just does its thing

of course! Great sheds, I am glad your Siggy is doing well! This is the 1.8 VVT engine in this too isnt it, I rate it very highly

Yes 100% I forget that Insignias are cheap enough to be on this thread. In my muddled mind they are still fairly new cars Glad its a reliable servant. With hindsight, I think mine would've been too if I hadn't bought one with the 2 litre diesel engine! I do remember it as a great winter car. Absolutely solid on all roads, very predictable and surprisingly fast along a switch back B road.

[martin mrt]

greenarrow said:

martin mrt said:

Yesterday the Astra went in for MOT, it was meant to be next week but my mate said leave it on sat morning.



Not a bad fail in all honesty, I’ve left him to do the repair as it’s one of those electric handbrakes and he’s fitting the 4 tyres I have for it in the boot.

Advisory free test result on Monday or Tuesday, I’m looking forward to embracing care free daily motoring

Too right, that's a good result on a car which cost less than a bang of sand.

Good to see the Vauxhall corner of this thread soldiering on. We've an Astra H, Astra J and Veccy C featured on here regularly, we just need an Astra G owner now for the Astra set

It most definitely is, I actually really like the thing I just hope it soldiers on reliably for the foreseeable

Had I been told a month ago that I’d be running a sub £1k Astra as a daily I’d have laughed at it.

[ST565NP]

From Best smoker barges 1-5 large [Vol 21]

wadely said:

Not sure of the links policy, but here's an unusual one I saw on Reddit. A Chevrolet Epica turbo diesel manual that he can't seem to shift. Trying to sell it for £1500 but apparently hasn't had an offer above £250.

Worth a punt for anyone here?!

https://www.reddit.com/r/CarTalkUK/comments/17z2kt...

[Mr.Nobody]

Managed to find an Jag X Type 3.0 Sovereign spec for £1000.

[Ryyy]

greenarrow said:

7 5 7 said:

Ryyy said:

Dont forget the insignia



Never really much to report on it, it just does its thing

of course! Great sheds, I am glad your Siggy is doing well! This is the 1.8 VVT engine in this too isnt it, I rate it very highly

Yes 100% I forget that Insignias are cheap enough to be on this thread. In my muddled mind they are still fairly new cars Glad its a reliable servant. With hindsight, I think mine would've been too if I hadn't bought one with the 2 litre diesel engine! I do remember it as a great winter car. Absolutely solid on all roads, very predictable and surprisingly fast along a switch back B road.

Yes its the 1.8, moves quite well too. It defi itely was cheap enough, paid £1350 for it. Id have preferred the diesel but petrol suited my immediate needs and also heard the horrors of the oil pick up is it??

[7 5 7]

Ryyy said:

Yes its the 1.8, moves quite well too. It defi itely was cheap enough, paid £1350 for it. Id have preferred the diesel but petrol suited my immediate needs and also heard the horrors of the oil pick up is it??

Well yeah, not just the oil pickup issue - just any diesel related issue, would soon make the £1350 you paid, not so cheap! There is just very little to go wrong engine wise with these, but you have the normal 'car related' stuff plus the 'diesel related stuff' on the CDTI's.

Apart from the tax, pretty much by the by now, I am quite happy in my 1.8 VVT to pay the more tax, knowing that is all I really to pay for and know...and plan for its arrival.

In terms of performance on these petrol's, they are pretty good if you wind them up, I enjoy the engine more than I really should in mine, very smooth.

Edited by 7 5 7 on Tuesday 21st November 12:40