The Joy of Running an Old Shed
Discussion
Our shed (2006 1.4 Fiesta) failed its MOT today, on the top mounts. Advisories on discs and all four tyres. Bought for £800 a few years back and had to spend a bit for last few MOTS while wife learning to drive. Now she's passed, and we're thinking of upgrading (to an Impreza WRX). Hoping to get it through again with minimum spend. WBAC only offered £200!
mercedeslimos said:
JaredVannett said:
One for the shedders - taken from another thread:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1AeAY8nn_s
Challenge is to find a car for £250 that isn't 'common'.
Budget must also be used to fund fuel to get to the destination.
Loved that. Loved their series on the big mileage Octavia. My kinda car buying.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1AeAY8nn_s
Challenge is to find a car for £250 that isn't 'common'.
Budget must also be used to fund fuel to get to the destination.
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Currently running a '04 Corsa C. Paid £450, the previous owner put it through an MOT in June and paid for everything. new clutch, driveshaft bits and a battery. In my eyes, I got a free car! Loving not caring about it. Very liberating.
I think everyone needs to experience a good Shed.
I think everyone needs to experience a good Shed.
Currently on 119,000 miles in our family Honda FR-V .... just passed MOT needing a new rear suspension drop link.
The thing just keeps on going and going. We treated it to a 'garage' service at a trusted local backstreet indie, up until now I've been doing all the oil changes.
My wife is the least mechnically sympathetic person I've ever met, this thing leads a very hard life yet still just takes it in its stride.
I was totally ambivalent about it as a car when we bought it but have rather grown to love it.
The thing just keeps on going and going. We treated it to a 'garage' service at a trusted local backstreet indie, up until now I've been doing all the oil changes.
My wife is the least mechnically sympathetic person I've ever met, this thing leads a very hard life yet still just takes it in its stride.
I was totally ambivalent about it as a car when we bought it but have rather grown to love it.
My Old Shed (2002 Focus Estate. 1.8 Petrol) is being let go this weekend. My wife had it since new, I took it over about 7 years ago. Only 120,000 miles on the clock but it now needs a new clutch, the rear drums are rusted beyond being serviceable, there is a fist size hole in the drivers side sill and the fuel pump sucks air if the tank gets below about 1/4 tank. The bodywork is in an appalling state, interior trim is scuffed, missing or broken & the fabric seats are shiny or stained or shiny & stained.
I'm gutted. It goes like a train and I love having a car that I can dump anywhere, stick anything in & drive anywhere without a care in the world.I reckon for £600 and a few days work I could get another few years out of it. But it has now been deemed to be an embarrassment and surplus to our needs ( 5 cars - 3 drivers in the family). Tomorrow is going to be a sad day, I think I will be genuinely upset!
My 'new' car is my wife's Mondeo Saloon. 2011 plate. 2 litre Titanium X. It's a big old bus that goes well but I think it's going to be hard not to round the corners off...
I'm gutted. It goes like a train and I love having a car that I can dump anywhere, stick anything in & drive anywhere without a care in the world.I reckon for £600 and a few days work I could get another few years out of it. But it has now been deemed to be an embarrassment and surplus to our needs ( 5 cars - 3 drivers in the family). Tomorrow is going to be a sad day, I think I will be genuinely upset!
My 'new' car is my wife's Mondeo Saloon. 2011 plate. 2 litre Titanium X. It's a big old bus that goes well but I think it's going to be hard not to round the corners off...
giblet said:
Had a sub £2k Saab 9-3 estate for 9 months now. Used for plenty of tip runs and Ikea trips, had it washed about 3 times in total. There is something brilliant about having a car that owes you very little.
Side note, it’s funny how shedding values change as you get older. When I started driving my sheds were sub £500
Do we have an upper value limit for shedding or is it an attitude thing?Side note, it’s funny how shedding values change as you get older. When I started driving my sheds were sub £500
Integroo said:
Do we have an upper value limit for shedding or is it an attitude thing?
Bit of both. I’d say anything up to £2k, with the proviso that it has to be massively depreciated; a £2k Micra is just a runabout, a £2k E-Class wearing 150k miles with an original price of £45k ...... that’s a shed.Acid test for a shed:
Can you walk away without checking you locked it and without worrying where you parked?
If it breaks down with a major fault could you collect your belongings, get a taxi and leave it for the scrapman without worrying about it's value?
If you drop McDonald's fries down the side of the seat can they be safely left without concern?
Finally, can you take it to the kosovan car wash or drive thro without bothering?
Regardless of value it's a shed if you say yes to the above :-)
Can you walk away without checking you locked it and without worrying where you parked?
If it breaks down with a major fault could you collect your belongings, get a taxi and leave it for the scrapman without worrying about it's value?
If you drop McDonald's fries down the side of the seat can they be safely left without concern?
Finally, can you take it to the kosovan car wash or drive thro without bothering?
Regardless of value it's a shed if you say yes to the above :-)
200Plus Club said:
Acid test for a shed:
Can you walk away without checking you locked it and without worrying where you parked?
If it breaks down with a major fault could you collect your belongings, get a taxi and leave it for the scrapman without worrying about it's value?
If you drop McDonald's fries down the side of the seat can they be safely left without concern?
Finally, can you take it to the kosovan car wash or drive thro without bothering?
Regardless of value it's a shed if you say yes to the above :-)
Oh dear, my "shed" doesn't do too well on this scale.Can you walk away without checking you locked it and without worrying where you parked?
If it breaks down with a major fault could you collect your belongings, get a taxi and leave it for the scrapman without worrying about it's value?
If you drop McDonald's fries down the side of the seat can they be safely left without concern?
Finally, can you take it to the kosovan car wash or drive thro without bothering?
Regardless of value it's a shed if you say yes to the above :-)
Can you walk away without checking you locked it and without worrying where you parked?
No to the first, and maybe (but slowly heading to yes) to the second.
If it breaks down with a major fault could you collect your belongings, get a taxi and leave it for the scrapman without worrying about it's value?
No
If you drop McDonald's fries down the side of the seat can they be safely left without concern?
My daughter does this a lot, and apple cores, peach stones etc, and it doesn't bother me at all.
Finally, can you take it to the kosovan car wash or drive thro without bothering?
Never.
But it's definitely my latest shed now. Had it 5 years (cost £2000) and must be worth £200; but being Japanese it still gets around and feels like it will last another 5 years. Problem is it needs a big service (including coolant, fuel filter and transmission fluid). May just drive it till it stops.
M4cruiser said:
Oh dear, my "shed" doesn't do too well on this scale.
Can you walk away without checking you locked it and without worrying where you parked?
No to the first, and maybe (but slowly heading to yes) to the second.
If it breaks down with a major fault could you collect your belongings, get a taxi and leave it for the scrapman without worrying about it's value?
No
If you drop McDonald's fries down the side of the seat can they be safely left without concern?
My daughter does this a lot, and apple cores, peach stones etc, and it doesn't bother me at all.
Finally, can you take it to the kosovan car wash or drive thro without bothering?
Never.
But it's definitely my latest shed now. Had it 5 years (cost £2000) and must be worth £200; but being Japanese it still gets around and feels like it will last another 5 years. Problem is it needs a big service (including coolant, fuel filter and transmission fluid). May just drive it till it stops.
I think that no matter how cheap my car I would always get the maintenance done that needs done...wouldn't let it pass a service date without one!Can you walk away without checking you locked it and without worrying where you parked?
No to the first, and maybe (but slowly heading to yes) to the second.
If it breaks down with a major fault could you collect your belongings, get a taxi and leave it for the scrapman without worrying about it's value?
No
If you drop McDonald's fries down the side of the seat can they be safely left without concern?
My daughter does this a lot, and apple cores, peach stones etc, and it doesn't bother me at all.
Finally, can you take it to the kosovan car wash or drive thro without bothering?
Never.
But it's definitely my latest shed now. Had it 5 years (cost £2000) and must be worth £200; but being Japanese it still gets around and feels like it will last another 5 years. Problem is it needs a big service (including coolant, fuel filter and transmission fluid). May just drive it till it stops.
200Plus Club said:
Acid test for a shed:
Can you walk away without checking you locked it and without worrying where you parked?
If it breaks down with a major fault could you collect your belongings, get a taxi and leave it for the scrapman without worrying about it's value?
If you drop McDonald's fries down the side of the seat can they be safely left without concern?
Finally, can you take it to the kosovan car wash or drive thro without bothering?
Regardless of value it's a shed if you say yes to the above :-)
Never worry about where it’s parked but I do check if it’s locked. Don’t want my possessions getting pinched Can you walk away without checking you locked it and without worrying where you parked?
If it breaks down with a major fault could you collect your belongings, get a taxi and leave it for the scrapman without worrying about it's value?
If you drop McDonald's fries down the side of the seat can they be safely left without concern?
Finally, can you take it to the kosovan car wash or drive thro without bothering?
Regardless of value it's a shed if you say yes to the above :-)
Depends on how major the fault is. Anything over 1/2 the value of the car would see me get rid of it
With the amount of tip runs I’ve done in it, Maccies Fries are the least of my concerns
Always taken it to the local hand car wash, even treated it to a mini valet there a few times!
Did a late night run from Leeds to Heathrow in the shed last weekend. Managed 40mpg! Probably basic by modern standards but good for a 11 year old 2.0T with a 5 speed auto box and 113k on the clock.
I have run all sorts of cars from exotic expensive, classics, very fast to slow honest and plodding, scrapyard finds and rescues. A recent one was a car I was given, a diesel Citroen Berlingo Multispace. Cavernous load carrier and brilliant for collecting the kids from playing rugby covered in mud opposed to using a nice car. It’s amazing how on exactly the same journeys across the city you are treated differently too. The nice cars I drive, no one lets you in, getting out of junctions, filter lanes, it’s amazing how people behave accelerating and closing gaps consciously or subconsciously, forcing you to be more aggressive. In the Berlingo people slow down and you are flashed in with friendly wave. In a throw away society an afternoon with a socket set and a bit of remedial work, tidying up, its good for the soul. Running it on vegetable oil! When you do get back into a nice car, you really appreciate it opposed to taking it for granted. So there is more to it than satisfyingly cheap motoring.
Some additional shed tests (based on experience with a leggy Renault Fuego some years back):
When parking, do you use the bumpers as distance indicators ie continue until there is a bump?
When merging in slow moving traffic, do you never bother giving way, because it’s obvious the other person will want to collide less than you?
Do you tend to avoid wearing light coloured trousers when you know you’ll be driving it?
Do you find you apologise to the old mechanic at the MOT garage for how dirty the car is?
Does it surprise you people buy new spare parts for this model, because your approach tends to start with glue and gaffer tape?
When parking, do you use the bumpers as distance indicators ie continue until there is a bump?
When merging in slow moving traffic, do you never bother giving way, because it’s obvious the other person will want to collide less than you?
Do you tend to avoid wearing light coloured trousers when you know you’ll be driving it?
Do you find you apologise to the old mechanic at the MOT garage for how dirty the car is?
Does it surprise you people buy new spare parts for this model, because your approach tends to start with glue and gaffer tape?
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