Getting out of shed mentality
Discussion
Long time lurker but thought I'd ask if anyone's had similar.
I've always ran lowish value cars (mostly sub 3k). Initially due to necessity but now more down to habit. I like working on anything mechanical so maintenance/fixing and reliability have never been an issue but I'm now looking to get something special but struggling to set a budget.
3k obviously doesn't get you anywhere near what it used to so I thought do I go for 5k, 10k, 15k... I don't know where to set the bar! My fear is that the more I spend the more critical I'll be and then more likely to regret the decision. Maybe I'm overthinking it but I'm struggling to get beyond shed life.
Anyone else experienced similar? If so what was the outcome?
Thanks!
I've always ran lowish value cars (mostly sub 3k). Initially due to necessity but now more down to habit. I like working on anything mechanical so maintenance/fixing and reliability have never been an issue but I'm now looking to get something special but struggling to set a budget.
3k obviously doesn't get you anywhere near what it used to so I thought do I go for 5k, 10k, 15k... I don't know where to set the bar! My fear is that the more I spend the more critical I'll be and then more likely to regret the decision. Maybe I'm overthinking it but I'm struggling to get beyond shed life.
Anyone else experienced similar? If so what was the outcome?
Thanks!
I have been thinking this exact same thing.
At nearly 50 the fun is wearing off being under my car at the weekend, and my aging beemer seems to have an endless list of niggles.
Going up "a bit" doesn't seem to guarantee reliability though, but i prefer others ie company drivers to take the lions share of depreciation.
At nearly 50 the fun is wearing off being under my car at the weekend, and my aging beemer seems to have an endless list of niggles.
Going up "a bit" doesn't seem to guarantee reliability though, but i prefer others ie company drivers to take the lions share of depreciation.
In my mid-40s to mid-50s I ran nearly new cars with a car allowance for business use, but then I moved onto running sheds and a decade later I still am.
I had Service Packs on the nearly new ones and don't fix the Sheds myself, but even when they throw up the odd unexpected bill it's still much cheaper than the depreciation I used to suffer!
And after 6 years my last nearly new car started throwing up bills as well as depreciating.
So in your position I would be concerned about getting bills but also depreciation which is likely to be more painful the more you spend. It's a tricky balance but I'm sticking to my Sheds.
I had Service Packs on the nearly new ones and don't fix the Sheds myself, but even when they throw up the odd unexpected bill it's still much cheaper than the depreciation I used to suffer!
And after 6 years my last nearly new car started throwing up bills as well as depreciating.
So in your position I would be concerned about getting bills but also depreciation which is likely to be more painful the more you spend. It's a tricky balance but I'm sticking to my Sheds.
Gtcomet said:
Long time lurker but thought I'd ask if anyone's had similar.
I've always ran lowish value cars (mostly sub 3k). Initially due to necessity but now more down to habit. I like working on anything mechanical so maintenance/fixing and reliability have never been an issue but I'm now looking to get something special but struggling to set a budget.
3k obviously doesn't get you anywhere near what it used to so I thought do I go for 5k, 10k, 15k... I don't know where to set the bar! My fear is that the more I spend the more critical I'll be and then more likely to regret the decision. Maybe I'm overthinking it but I'm struggling to get beyond shed life.
Anyone else experienced similar? If so what was the outcome?
Thanks!
What do you need the car to do?I've always ran lowish value cars (mostly sub 3k). Initially due to necessity but now more down to habit. I like working on anything mechanical so maintenance/fixing and reliability have never been an issue but I'm now looking to get something special but struggling to set a budget.
3k obviously doesn't get you anywhere near what it used to so I thought do I go for 5k, 10k, 15k... I don't know where to set the bar! My fear is that the more I spend the more critical I'll be and then more likely to regret the decision. Maybe I'm overthinking it but I'm struggling to get beyond shed life.
Anyone else experienced similar? If so what was the outcome?
Thanks!
What do you want from the car?
Drivetrain?
Answer those & you'll get a better idea of what your expenditure could be.
Whether shed or expensive the thing that I always try to do is buy things at the bottom of their curve, that way if I have to spend money on them I can justify it with the fact that the car/van/bike isn't getting any cheaper.
I decide what I want out of it and what I want to use it for and then go searching for things that fit that criteria. Then I'll stumble across something that I think will never get any cheaper and if I don't buy it now I'll never have one.
I do tend to have a few things at once though and hold on to them for a while, 3 of our current cars I could never justify paying what they're worth now.
I decide what I want out of it and what I want to use it for and then go searching for things that fit that criteria. Then I'll stumble across something that I think will never get any cheaper and if I don't buy it now I'll never have one.
I do tend to have a few things at once though and hold on to them for a while, 3 of our current cars I could never justify paying what they're worth now.
I bought a nice car (4 years old at the time) 10 years ago and drove it until it became a shed.
I recently spent over £20k on a new one and massively regret it.
The shed had become an inconvenience to keep repairing but at approx £500 - £1000 a year in repairs I could have gone at least another 5 years if not 10 and still been financially better off. It had also reached the point where I'd just started to not worry about where I parked it or if the pesky neighbourhood kids went near it. In recent years I never cleaned it and no longer felt guilty about that. It's up for sale at the moment but I keep toying with the idea of just keeping it.
I recently spent over £20k on a new one and massively regret it.
The shed had become an inconvenience to keep repairing but at approx £500 - £1000 a year in repairs I could have gone at least another 5 years if not 10 and still been financially better off. It had also reached the point where I'd just started to not worry about where I parked it or if the pesky neighbourhood kids went near it. In recent years I never cleaned it and no longer felt guilty about that. It's up for sale at the moment but I keep toying with the idea of just keeping it.
s p a c e m a n said:
Whether shed or expensive the thing that I always try to do is buy things at the bottom of their curve, that way if I have to spend money on them I can justify it with the fact that the car/van/bike isn't getting any cheaper.
I decide what I want out of it and what I want to use it for and then go searching for things that fit that criteria. Then I'll stumble across something that I think will never get any cheaper and if I don't buy it now I'll never have one.
I do tend to have a few things at once though and hold on to them for a while, 3 of our current cars I could never justify paying what they're worth now.
Good point and weirdly not something I'd considered tbh! Always wanted (and still kinda do) an e46 M3 or Impreza or the like 10 years ago in my early 20s when they were much cheaper but unaffordable (to me inc insurance etc), now I can afford but they're way more expensive which makes them seem like poor vfm. I'd probably be happy spending more thinking it's at the bottom of its price point. I decide what I want out of it and what I want to use it for and then go searching for things that fit that criteria. Then I'll stumble across something that I think will never get any cheaper and if I don't buy it now I'll never have one.
I do tend to have a few things at once though and hold on to them for a while, 3 of our current cars I could never justify paying what they're worth now.
I'd keep my old Mondeo for daily/practical stuff so something purely for fun - petrol, new enough not to be rotten but simple enough to be diy friendly. Never driven anything over 200hp so would be easily pleased power wise!
Shed mentality doesn t work anymore.
In 2018 I bought a 2008 Skoda superb for the sum of £800
That s a 10 year old car.
Today. A 10 year old Skoda superb could cost you anywhere between £5000 and £15,000
Anything older and the maintenance costs and frequency increase sharply.
I ve spent the shed budget (3k) on a lease deposit. Once you take away the road tax and the maintenance costs of a shed the new car costs about £50 per month more to run.
I started a group of Mk4 Megane RS owners in the local area. Everyone that bought 2nd hand paid much more per month on PCP than I did having bought brand new. Their warranty ran out and had to replace things like fuel pumps and headlight units.
In 2018 I bought a 2008 Skoda superb for the sum of £800
That s a 10 year old car.
Today. A 10 year old Skoda superb could cost you anywhere between £5000 and £15,000
Anything older and the maintenance costs and frequency increase sharply.
I ve spent the shed budget (3k) on a lease deposit. Once you take away the road tax and the maintenance costs of a shed the new car costs about £50 per month more to run.
I started a group of Mk4 Megane RS owners in the local area. Everyone that bought 2nd hand paid much more per month on PCP than I did having bought brand new. Their warranty ran out and had to replace things like fuel pumps and headlight units.
Edited by smallpaul on Thursday 4th December 22:24
Gtcomet said:
...
My fear is that the more I spend the more critical I'll be and then more likely to regret the decision. Maybe I'm overthinking it but I'm struggling to get beyond shed life.
..Thanks!
^ ThisMy fear is that the more I spend the more critical I'll be and then more likely to regret the decision. Maybe I'm overthinking it but I'm struggling to get beyond shed life.
..Thanks!
I was going up the scale a couple of decades ago, then I had 2 poor brand new cars in succession, so that stopped me in my tracks, I went back down to a 6-year old Japanese car, and basically never looked back.
Recently had use of a very new lease car, and it wasn't great, so gave me a good boost that I was still doing the right thing.
For reference it was a Golf, would have cost me £28,000 but I'd have been utterly disappointed if I'd paid for it.
Gtcomet said:
Good point and weirdly not something I'd considered tbh! Always wanted (and still kinda do) an e46 M3 or Impreza or the like 10 years ago in my early 20s when they were much cheaper but unaffordable (to me inc insurance etc), now I can afford but they're way more expensive which makes them seem like poor vfm. I'd probably be happy spending more thinking it's at the bottom of its price point.
I'd keep my old Mondeo for daily/practical stuff so something purely for fun - petrol, new enough not to be rotten but simple enough to be diy friendly. Never driven anything over 200hp so would be easily pleased power wise!
If you are keeping an old Mondeo for daily use it changes the scope for a second car in my opinion. Theres plenty of reasonably low cost cars that can be had for £5-10k or even less but the question is are they worth keeping as an occasional drive, you could look at something like a Mk7 Fiesta ST which is 180bhp as standard but will give you a lot of fun for the money and easily mapped over 200bhp if that's the magic number for you, they are relatively easy to work on too. I'd keep my old Mondeo for daily/practical stuff so something purely for fun - petrol, new enough not to be rotten but simple enough to be diy friendly. Never driven anything over 200hp so would be easily pleased power wise!
I think though that the answer is the same as always on PH- MX-5
I got a 14 year old golf and a 1 year old EV. Good combo. I always like the idea of keeping an old car racking up the miles. I still think it makes sense if you buy well or you have had the car for 10 plus years. If you know the car is mostly solid the repairs on a shed are just normal costs due to age. If rust is not there than it’s a good one.
Gtcomet said:
Long time lurker but thought I'd ask if anyone's had similar.
I've always ran lowish value cars (mostly sub 3k). Initially due to necessity but now more down to habit. I like working on anything mechanical so maintenance/fixing and reliability have never been an issue but I'm now looking to get something special but struggling to set a budget.
3k obviously doesn't get you anywhere near what it used to so I thought do I go for 5k, 10k, 15k... I don't know where to set the bar! My fear is that the more I spend the more critical I'll be and then more likely to regret the decision. Maybe I'm overthinking it but I'm struggling to get beyond shed life.
Anyone else experienced similar? If so what was the outcome?
Thanks!
As you say, £3K doesnt get you much these days, so a more reasonable budget is likely to be £5K.I've always ran lowish value cars (mostly sub 3k). Initially due to necessity but now more down to habit. I like working on anything mechanical so maintenance/fixing and reliability have never been an issue but I'm now looking to get something special but struggling to set a budget.
3k obviously doesn't get you anywhere near what it used to so I thought do I go for 5k, 10k, 15k... I don't know where to set the bar! My fear is that the more I spend the more critical I'll be and then more likely to regret the decision. Maybe I'm overthinking it but I'm struggling to get beyond shed life.
Anyone else experienced similar? If so what was the outcome?
Thanks!
In that realm theres quite a few nice motors, albeit some will be well down the years.
I've seen some very nice IS250, BMW 6 series, BMW 330i coupes, etc at that money which is where my money would be (and was in the recent past when i did that end of the market).
Problem when moving up to £10K or even £15K is you likely still have all the same running costs but then you've notable depreciation to factor in.
Case in point - i've a 2019 C43 now, and before it i'd a 2018 M2 costing £22K and £32K respectively. Now, both are lovely cars, but i've spend more on maintenance on those two than i did on the 2006 R32, 2006 630i, 2006 330i, 2006 Z4 coupe, Volvo S40 T5, Focus 2.0 ST, that i ran across the few years before them BUT i've now sizeable depreciation to factor in too - whereas the older stuff was pretty much depreciation free.
£3k easily gets you a car, maybe not the car you really want, that ticks every box - it will certainly get you reliable transport though. You need to venture over to the Joy of running a shed thread and peruse what many buy and run....
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
My car budget is £2k max these days (out of choice, not necessity), often look to replace my ageing daily leggy petrol shed (18 years old) but it keeps plodding along. I can certainly get a car way below £3k that will suit my needs though for ploughing up the motorways doing 15/16k a year
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
My car budget is £2k max these days (out of choice, not necessity), often look to replace my ageing daily leggy petrol shed (18 years old) but it keeps plodding along. I can certainly get a car way below £3k that will suit my needs though for ploughing up the motorways doing 15/16k a year
I am only partly out of shed mentality.
I ran under £1000 cars from 2015 to the middle of this year.
They all started showing their age rather too badly - cars bought at 10-12 years old had becone 20-23 years old and were beginning to cost too much to run.
After one memorable journey home from Oulton Park, towing my track day TVR on a trailer behind my 20 year old X Trail, I had a "sod this" moment and started looking for a better tow car.
I started asking about Range Rovers on the various forums and was still in two minds, when along came someone who lurked rather than posting and emailed me to see if I wanted to buy his car, as he was actually going to part-ex it for a newer one that coming Saturday.
We arranged to go and see it on the Friday , and came home with it (having taken the sensible of step of insuring it the previous evening - I know myself, and "no" is not in my vocabulary when faced with a lovely shiny car I could afford).
It cost £5,500, is a 2011 L322 (TDV8 4.4 Vogue SE in gangsta black on black) and is a lovely place to be.
So far the only trip to the garage was for a precautionary oil change.
It will need new tyres in the next 12 months, but I don't do a huge mileage.
It also throws up occasional alarming messages on the dash, but turning it off and turning it on again seems to solve most of them.
So far no big bills, but my turn will come, I am sure.
The only shed we have kept is my wife's 26 year old Saab 9-5 estate, because she loves it. £895 in 2015, and has just cost £700 to get it throuhg its MOT.
Photo of Range Rover non-shed to tempt enyone else who like me feels that if I don't do it now (I'm 72) I never will.
I ran under £1000 cars from 2015 to the middle of this year.
They all started showing their age rather too badly - cars bought at 10-12 years old had becone 20-23 years old and were beginning to cost too much to run.
After one memorable journey home from Oulton Park, towing my track day TVR on a trailer behind my 20 year old X Trail, I had a "sod this" moment and started looking for a better tow car.
I started asking about Range Rovers on the various forums and was still in two minds, when along came someone who lurked rather than posting and emailed me to see if I wanted to buy his car, as he was actually going to part-ex it for a newer one that coming Saturday.
We arranged to go and see it on the Friday , and came home with it (having taken the sensible of step of insuring it the previous evening - I know myself, and "no" is not in my vocabulary when faced with a lovely shiny car I could afford).
It cost £5,500, is a 2011 L322 (TDV8 4.4 Vogue SE in gangsta black on black) and is a lovely place to be.
So far the only trip to the garage was for a precautionary oil change.
It will need new tyres in the next 12 months, but I don't do a huge mileage.
It also throws up occasional alarming messages on the dash, but turning it off and turning it on again seems to solve most of them.
So far no big bills, but my turn will come, I am sure.
The only shed we have kept is my wife's 26 year old Saab 9-5 estate, because she loves it. £895 in 2015, and has just cost £700 to get it throuhg its MOT.
Photo of Range Rover non-shed to tempt enyone else who like me feels that if I don't do it now (I'm 72) I never will.
Gtcomet said:
Good point and weirdly not something I'd considered tbh! Always wanted (and still kinda do) an e46 M3 or Impreza or the like 10 years ago in my early 20s when they were much cheaper but unaffordable (to me inc insurance etc), now I can afford but they're way more expensive which makes them seem like poor vfm. I'd probably be happy spending more thinking it's at the bottom of its price point.
I'd keep my old Mondeo for daily/practical stuff so something purely for fun - petrol, new enough not to be rotten but simple enough to be diy friendly. Never driven anything over 200hp so would be easily pleased power wise!
Some performance options that can be maintained by you:I'd keep my old Mondeo for daily/practical stuff so something purely for fun - petrol, new enough not to be rotten but simple enough to be diy friendly. Never driven anything over 200hp so would be easily pleased power wise!
C55:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202406291...
C/CLK 63:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202511067...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202503049...
Jaguar XE S, a very underrated steer.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202511177...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202511097...
E92/3 with the rod bearings & actuators sorted, this may well tick your boxes:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202512048...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202504141...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202507104...
You can now by a clean E46 for the top end of your budget & they won't be dropping much now.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202509086...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202509076...
The nicer something is the more it hurts when someone else flings a door into the side of it or a stone flicks up and chips the bonnet.
Warranties are barely worth the paper there written on too. It's rare that something significant goes wrong and getting niggles fixed it's often easier to do it yourself than spend multiple weeks and several visits getting the dealer to do it.
Warranties are barely worth the paper there written on too. It's rare that something significant goes wrong and getting niggles fixed it's often easier to do it yourself than spend multiple weeks and several visits getting the dealer to do it.
ChocolateFrog said:
The nicer something is the more it hurts when someone else flings a door into the side of it or a stone flicks up and chips the bonnet.
Warranties are barely worth the paper there written on too. It's rare that something significant goes wrong and getting niggles fixed it's often easier to do it yourself than spend multiple weeks and several visits getting the dealer to do it.
This 100%. I currently drive a 2011 Renault Megane that I paid £4K for three years ago. In that three years I have had it, other than oil changes the only maintenance I have done is replace a CV boot, and that wasn't that bad it was just an advisory.Warranties are barely worth the paper there written on too. It's rare that something significant goes wrong and getting niggles fixed it's often easier to do it yourself than spend multiple weeks and several visits getting the dealer to do it.
Every now and again I think "It would be lovely to own a brand new car that nobody has put their dogs, children, takeaways, garden rubbish in and that is perfect. The car I have been thinking about recently is an MG3 Hybrid Trophy.
I got offered one on Carwow recently for £16700, if I put down £6700 it would cost £70 a month for four years. In my head I justified this as I would spend £6700 on a second hand car anyway, and £70 a month is negligable, not even a tank of few. Using man maths this is as cheap as running a shed.
Obviously ignoring the £9500 balloon payment after 4 years...
I looked into servicing costs, and the total for five years of servicing is £2850! This is a shock to someone who buys oil and a filter from ebay for less than £40 a year.
Then I think how annoyed I will be when someone damages, and in my experience brand new cars are damage magnets.
So I just go back to thinking keep your current shed, put the money in an ISA and enjoy having nothing to worry about and no monthly payments.
ChocolateFrog said:
The nicer something is the more it hurts when someone else flings a door into the side of it or a stone flicks up and chips the bonnet.
Warranties are barely worth the paper there written on too. It's rare that something significant goes wrong and getting niggles fixed it's often easier to do it yourself than spend multiple weeks and several visits getting the dealer to do it.
Hurts? It's a car. You take precautions but ending up with dings or stone chips is part of life. What's the point of having a car if you are too afraid to use it?Warranties are barely worth the paper there written on too. It's rare that something significant goes wrong and getting niggles fixed it's often easier to do it yourself than spend multiple weeks and several visits getting the dealer to do it.
I disagree about warranties. I've found that factory and manufacturer extended warranties have been brilliant, especially when it's as simple as getting them to collect it, give you a loaner and you get on with your daily life, with minimum hassle.
We've sort of gone for it by stealth with one car, the other may get the same treatment in due course.
Bought a 2.5yr old high spec, but higher mile BMW M135i in 2018 for £16k. 7.5 years later it's now sat on 135k miles. It has nearly new-tyres all-round, but a list of other foibles and a whole host of marks on the corners from on-street parking. Our daughter came along and we got a new car, an X5, 3.5yrs ago but kept the M135i (then 128k miles) as it owed us nothing but knowing that we'd shortly need another run around when one of us did things independently.
It's now used for golf, tip runs or making her giggle from flooring the throttle!
There is a half way house, especially if you choose a higher mileage car from a long-term owner selling for the right reasons!
Bought a 2.5yr old high spec, but higher mile BMW M135i in 2018 for £16k. 7.5 years later it's now sat on 135k miles. It has nearly new-tyres all-round, but a list of other foibles and a whole host of marks on the corners from on-street parking. Our daughter came along and we got a new car, an X5, 3.5yrs ago but kept the M135i (then 128k miles) as it owed us nothing but knowing that we'd shortly need another run around when one of us did things independently.
It's now used for golf, tip runs or making her giggle from flooring the throttle!
There is a half way house, especially if you choose a higher mileage car from a long-term owner selling for the right reasons!
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