Attention shed drivers! Question about your shed spending.
Discussion
I was pondering this today as my trusty MX5 shed has failed its MOT, welding, low/no front brakes etc. 
I started looking around for a replacement and noticed that realistically for a car with 12 months MOT I will need more that £500 odd and even then I wont 'know' it. SO in the end I told my mechanic to check the MX5 over and as long as it didn't need more that £3-400 spending, do the work.
So the question is, how much do you spend come MOT time, if any?
Or on the other hand do you enjoy the search for a new car every time the MOT puts your current shed into the great scrap heap in the sky.
I started looking around for a replacement and noticed that realistically for a car with 12 months MOT I will need more that £500 odd and even then I wont 'know' it. SO in the end I told my mechanic to check the MX5 over and as long as it didn't need more that £3-400 spending, do the work.
So the question is, how much do you spend come MOT time, if any?
Or on the other hand do you enjoy the search for a new car every time the MOT puts your current shed into the great scrap heap in the sky.
iva cosworth said:
My theory on this is.
It is normally always cheaper to repair what you have than buy another car.
Assuming we are not talking basket case.
This for sure.It is normally always cheaper to repair what you have than buy another car.
Assuming we are not talking basket case.
I think I've been pretty lucky in that all my old Volvo's I've owned have flew through the MOT, but then again, anything that needs doing throughout the year gets done. Its all bloody cheap maintenance anyway. Just had it serviced + cambelt/tensioner before le mans for £150 all in including parts.
Certainly better the devil you know, as you could buy another shed, and immediately have to spend £500 on it for things you didn't know were wrong with it when you bought it.
My 600 quid Mercedes flewthru MOT, no advisories. I have never spent anything on it since I bought last Novemeber, not even been serviced yet, done about 6000 miles in it so far.
I agree with a previous poster, its usually better to repair the car you have as its a known quantity rather than buy something else, providi ng its in decent shape of course.
I agree with a previous poster, its usually better to repair the car you have as its a known quantity rather than buy something else, providi ng its in decent shape of course.
I use a general rule of thumb for my sheds, I spend upto the value of the car (with 12 months MOT) to keep it on the road. Unless I really dislike the car.
Luckily I have MOTed three cars this month and all passed first time (for £29!!)barring a fuse for the horn on my T25 campervan.
However, I did spend approx £700 getting my Alfa 156 through its last MOT, which TBH was touch and go whether to save it.
I agree with others that quite often it is better the devil you know and the grass is not always greener.
Mike
Luckily I have MOTed three cars this month and all passed first time (for £29!!)barring a fuse for the horn on my T25 campervan.
However, I did spend approx £700 getting my Alfa 156 through its last MOT, which TBH was touch and go whether to save it.
I agree with others that quite often it is better the devil you know and the grass is not always greener.
Mike
this mot cost 700, which was a bit of a shocker.
But it was nothing I could begrudge the car though, all consumable stuff. Brakes all round inc a new caliper and flex hose, a couple of tyres, a bit of exhaust and a man to fit them. First money it's cost since buying it for a grand over 3 years ago - flown the previous MOTs.
Good value motoring set fair to amble through another year!
But it was nothing I could begrudge the car though, all consumable stuff. Brakes all round inc a new caliper and flex hose, a couple of tyres, a bit of exhaust and a man to fit them. First money it's cost since buying it for a grand over 3 years ago - flown the previous MOTs.
Good value motoring set fair to amble through another year!
iva cosworth said:
My theory on this is. It is normally always cheaper to repair what you have than buy another car.
Agreed. I tend to say "it's virtually impossible to save money by buying a new car".At MOT time I try to use places that can actually fix it if it fails. This means they need to be trustworthy!
Unless I know the car is getting kept I always get rid a couple of months before mot time or at least put it in for the test well ahead of time to leave room for a quick exit if needed.
Variety is a big point of shedding for me so a lot of the time its buy a car with 12 months ticket,keep it for a summer or winter then sell it on with 6 months ticket and buy something else.
Variety is a big point of shedding for me so a lot of the time its buy a car with 12 months ticket,keep it for a summer or winter then sell it on with 6 months ticket and buy something else.
I spend whatever it takes to get through the MOT, and I have a full service at the same time. Usually doesn't cost too much, never seem to get much in the way of failures to be honest, except for on wear & tear items. Last time was new rear discs, pads and handbrake shoes. No advisories. Not bad for an eight year old car with 120k. A car which many would assume to be prone to lots of MOT issues simply because it's an MG Rover, and of course they were all very poorly built using kleenex and spit...
I run an old MK3 golf and all repairs are done by myself, parts are either sourced of ebay or the scrappy. I can't think of any job on the car that would cost more than a couple of hundred to fix. Gearbox failed not so long ago, took it out stripped it down and it needed an £18.00 bearing from VW, but if it had gone into a garage for this work then it would have been uneconomical to repair.
The thing that gets on my tits with running a banger as a second car is insurance, Car cost £300, insurance is £200 and excess is £400
The thing that gets on my tits with running a banger as a second car is insurance, Car cost £300, insurance is £200 and excess is £400
The old battle bus just got mot'd today. 400 quid. Lower front suspension arm, front arb, brake hoses all round, headlight bulb, numberplate bulb and a few advisories.
Ouchy after spending 700 on a new clutch and dmf a month or so ago. Cars worth feck all.
As ever where do you stop. With todays mot a lot of the things should have been advisoried at mot a year or two ago meaning they could have been dealt with one at a time making the overall cost lower.
However the car is absolutely bullet proof and has only let me down once in 350k miles.
Ouchy after spending 700 on a new clutch and dmf a month or so ago. Cars worth feck all.
As ever where do you stop. With todays mot a lot of the things should have been advisoried at mot a year or two ago meaning they could have been dealt with one at a time making the overall cost lower.
However the car is absolutely bullet proof and has only let me down once in 350k miles.
calibrax said:
I spend whatever it takes to get through the MOT, and I have a full service at the same time. Usually doesn't cost too much, never seem to get much in the way of failures to be honest, except for on wear & tear items. Last time was new rear discs, pads and handbrake shoes. No advisories. Not bad for an eight year old car with 120k. A car which many would assume to be prone to lots of MOT issues simply because it's an MG Rover, and of course they were all very poorly built using kleenex and spit...
Not sure it was spit on the kleenex... 
As a rule when shedding, I try to get a 12 months mot'd shed then flog them with six to run as most people will be glad of six months and you get mostly what you paid back out on the shed.
Also, to call yourself a proper shedder, you should really help yourself by checking things like the brakes before the mot so you only have to worry about the stuff you can't easily do like the welding.
I'd suggest £490 for a shed and £10 for a Haynes manual next time
edit: Sausage finger tablet typing
Also, to call yourself a proper shedder, you should really help yourself by checking things like the brakes before the mot so you only have to worry about the stuff you can't easily do like the welding.
I'd suggest £490 for a shed and £10 for a Haynes manual next time
edit: Sausage finger tablet typing
Over the years of shedding I have learnt:- Never look for a car when you need one there won't be any, always buy it when you see it. It will always break when its most inconvienient and it will be the most expensive things just when you can't afford it.
My solution is to always have a shed in stock ready to go.
My solution is to always have a shed in stock ready to go.
I've had my £330 325 for just over 12 months and all it's needed it a tyre. MOT doesn't run out until next March. If the body work was tidy(er) I'd consider keeping it indefinitely/until it dies but there's a long list of niggles and I suspect the gear box will give in before the rest of the car does. Most annoying thing is the drivers window doesn't work, luckiy I don't go to drive throughs too often..........
I'm always on the look out for a shed replacement but at them moment as you're finding there isn't much (if anything) going for sub £500.
I'm always on the look out for a shed replacement but at them moment as you're finding there isn't much (if anything) going for sub £500.
Our shed MGF died a few years ago. The engine was cooked. Top and bottom end.
Since everything else was in good shape we decided to spend a few grand to keep it.
Its been worth it. Never let us down
In honesty its all a bit of a gamble. If I had bad vibes about the car it would have been retired.
Since everything else was in good shape we decided to spend a few grand to keep it.
Its been worth it. Never let us down
In honesty its all a bit of a gamble. If I had bad vibes about the car it would have been retired.
thescamper said:
Over the years of shedding I have learnt:- Never look for a car when you need one there won't be any, always buy it when you see it. It will always break when its most inconvienient and it will be the most expensive things just when you can't afford it.
My solution is to always have a shed in stock ready to go.
Dosen't an unused shed just deteriorate, making it useless when you want it?My solution is to always have a shed in stock ready to go.
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