Car pickup for service in the south
Car pickup for service in the south
Author
Discussion

big_treacle

Original Poster:

1,727 posts

289 months

Tuesday 19th September 2006
quotequote all
Morning.
My Cerb needs a good service but it's also unconveniently decided to have a dodgy clutch situation happen which makes it a bit tricky to get to a garage. So being based in Poole & not liking the most local garage, I'm trying to figure out a plan. I know that Peninsula can pickup & they did some good work on my old Chimaera about 2 years ago. Are they a good garage for Cerb work? Alternative is to hire someone to pickup the car to take to APM who is about the same distance the other way. Alternative alternative is to try and drive to the garage & either make it or breakdown more than a mile from home and get AA'd with associated hassle of getting myself home etc etc etc but possibly save a few quid.
What would anyone else do? And anyone know the price people might charge to lowload a car 80miles?
Cheers

gazzab

21,639 posts

311 months

Tuesday 19th September 2006
quotequote all
I take it you dont have the home start option?
If they take your car to APM then you dont need to be with them?! If you want to go along then you can get a lift back or a train from Liphook to Bournemouth (OK it takes 2hrs).

big_treacle

Original Poster:

1,727 posts

289 months

Tuesday 19th September 2006
quotequote all
gazzab said:
I take it you dont have the home start option?
If they take your car to APM then you dont need to be with them?! If you want to go along then you can get a lift back or a train from Liphook to Bournemouth (OK it takes 2hrs).


Yeah, I've got home start but if they can't fix, they'll only recover you locally & that's not really an option I want to take.

oli_quick

380 posts

258 months

Tuesday 19th September 2006
quotequote all
I 'think' Austec offer a pick up...within a certain no. of miles

give them a call...they are highly recommended

[url]ttp://www.austec.co.uk/[/url]

RUSSELLM

6,002 posts

276 months

Tuesday 19th September 2006
quotequote all
big_treacle said:
Alternative alternative is to try and drive to the garage & either make it or breakdown


This is half the fun of the car, A bit like when I was younger & constantly running out of petrol, due to being skint.

If it helps, I've just been to Italy & back with a knackered clutch (fingers ok, springs were both in pieces)

trackcar

6,453 posts

255 months

Tuesday 19th September 2006
quotequote all
If its servicing and clutch issues then tvr craft in salisbury have their upgrade clutch version out already, and can do the servicing for you too .. may well be the fastest option if tvr clutch supply is still sporadic

andy at apm is a demon cerbie guy too so the decision may well come down to who can get your clucth issues sorted soonest.

you can't really go wrong with either outfit thumbup

gazzab

21,639 posts

311 months

Tuesday 19th September 2006
quotequote all
Speak to Andy at APM. Agree approach.
Drive your car late at night, break down in Winchester. That is 30 miles from APM and is 45 mins by train to BMouth. So they can take the car from you and you have the option of a train home. They can take car to APM (the nearest TVR place?) and leave the keys under the wheel arch. Sorted.

Cerby4.5

1,643 posts

270 months

Tuesday 19th September 2006
quotequote all
I had a similar problem when my clutch went (am in North West London); and both Austec or Fernies are a fair distance away!
I ended up getting the car transported to Fernies (FOC) as had full AA cover, but I had also heard that Austec may be able to provide a collection service in an emergency. Would be worth calling them to see what the cost would be.
Although if you have AA/RAC cover it may be a cheaper option to simply upgrade your cover??
I toyed with the idea of driving the car down there (and hope for the best), but am glad I didn't as don't reckon I would have made it!
Cerby4.5

Scrooloose

888 posts

245 months

Tuesday 19th September 2006
quotequote all
I'm in Poole, when i needed to get my clutch done i did the following:

Carefully drove it the few miles to work (not during rush hour)

Called the RAC, told them that the clutch had gone and that I had spoken to my TVR service centre who had said it needed to be recovered to them.

They took my word for it and contacted Castle Recovery, who duly turned up with a very low-loader - which I drove onto.

They then took it to APM for me. All very painless. (apart from the bill)

I then got the train up to Liphook and drove it back

big_treacle

Original Poster:

1,727 posts

289 months

Tuesday 19th September 2006
quotequote all
Good thoughts all! OK, I think I'll investigate the upgraded AA route. Then go with the 'agree approach with APM.'

Now to plan things to get done vs. current bank account situation.

Cheers

jon h

863 posts

313 months

Tuesday 19th September 2006
quotequote all
What is the nature of the "dodgy clutch"

I have just had a clutch go, with the symptoms being soft pedal eventually leading to a total dis-ability to get any gear. I found that there was no fluid in the clutch master cylinder reservoir. Once fluid was replaced and the clutch bled (all a very easy job) it has been OK for the 2 occasions I have used it since. Now, I know that there should be an underlying problem, probably failing seals, but if you are in the same situation, it may get your clutch working so you can drive it to the garage.

The clutch fluid reservoir is hidden away under 2 covers, so I suspect it does not get checked often...

Jon H

adetuono

7,626 posts

256 months

Tuesday 19th September 2006
quotequote all
big_treacle said:
So being based in Poole & not liking the most local garage...


Surely you don't mean W**t***r? You surprise me. rolleyes ****s!

big_treacle

Original Poster:

1,727 posts

289 months

Tuesday 19th September 2006
quotequote all
adetuono said:
big_treacle said:
So being based in Poole & not liking the most local garage...


Surely you don't mean W**t***r? You surprise me. rolleyes ****s!


mmm. its a shame really innit.

big_treacle

Original Poster:

1,727 posts

289 months

Tuesday 19th September 2006
quotequote all
jon h said:
What is the nature of the "dodgy clutch"

I have just had a clutch go, with the symptoms being soft pedal eventually leading to a total dis-ability to get any gear. I found that there was no fluid in the clutch master cylinder reservoir. Once fluid was replaced and the clutch bled (all a very easy job) it has been OK for the 2 occasions I have used it since. Now, I know that there should be an underlying problem, probably failing seals, but if you are in the same situation, it may get your clutch working so you can drive it to the garage.

The clutch fluid reservoir is hidden away under 2 covers, so I suspect it does not get checked often...

Jon H


Yeah, soft pedal, not a lot of travel, dodgy bite point, difficulty getting in and out of gear. I had my master cylinder go about 2-3 months ago. checked the fluid level - seemed not too low. topped it up. i'm thinking either slave leaking or clutch itself has gone.