The Joy of Running an Old Shed

[anonymous-user]

Joey Deacon said:

I got bored of my Megane Diesel shed that I have owned for two years so three months ago I bought a petrol Civic. It's a great car, but the Megane just feels a smoother, more modern car and I am ruined by the 60MPG and £30 road tax so I went back to using it.

The Civic has to go, so I got it MOT'd and it is now on eBay as an Auction. I am not bothered about getting the best possible price so I thought auction it, someone will hopefully think they got a good deal and it will be gone.

I have already had someone email to tell me it is really bad on fuel and that they will travel from Leeds (the car is 240 miles away) to collect it, but they only have £700.

Another guy with very poor English emailed to say what is my best price and he would collect it today. Looking through his feedback half of it is from people saying he won the auction and never collected the car.

He just sent a third message, literally "400 in cash for hand?"

I can see why people just scrap sheds.......

Fingers crossed there are some people interested who drive sheds because they want to, not because they literally only have £700........

Edited by Joey Deacon on Wednesday 13th November 12:21

I can't stand it when someone asks for my best price on something. It's so rude, and really makes them look like a thicko. I've put an asking price on it, so my current "best price" is the asking price until a counter offer is made. It's the lowest form of negotiation (if it can even be called that). They get a very swift response back from me.

[Demelitia]

mstrbkr said:

I can't stand it when someone asks for my best price on something. It's so rude, and really makes them look like a thicko. I've put an asking price on it, so my current "best price" is the asking price until a counter offer is made. It's the lowest form of negotiation (if it can even be called that). They get a very swift response back from me.

I have to say, I take a sort of morbid pleasure in replying to those sort of messages.

I once had a mountain bike up for sale on gumtree, firm price, no offers.
‘I’ll swop bike 4 a hoverboard, can pic up now’.
‘Unless the hoverboard has £400 taped to it, I’ll have to say no’.

In other news, I put a new wiper arm and washer nozzle on the back of the Passat shed tonight. Saves me forgetting it fell off and cleaning the bonnet of the car behind me all the time.

Turbo vanes are sticking, and I know for a fact the egr and intake manifold are gunked up with 110,000 miles of easy driving residue. I know it needs cleaning out but I really can’t be arsed at the minute, especially until I know I can get the cheapo catch can I’ve bought installed so it doesn’t immediately start undoing any improvement I make.

[Salmonofdoubt]

My Kia ceed shed has just passed 30,000 miles in my hands, had it 14 months so it's done well. Still has some niggles and probably needs top mount bushes to sort a knocking front end.

I'm currently ignoring the number plate light that's needs soldering (it passed the MOT), Blocked or dead rear washer, non working passengers window and the fact the AC needs a regas. I'd like to chop it for something with cruise control but while the only impending bills are front pads and then rear discs and pads I'm going to keep enjoying 50mpg and my ISA being fed with what a PCP would cost me.

[magpie215]

Davie said:

Brilliant..... I would definitely drive that:-)

[greenarrow]

Salmonofdoubt said:

My Kia ceed shed has just passed 30,000 miles in my hands, had it 14 months so it's done well. Still has some niggles and probably needs top mount bushes to sort a knocking front end.

I'm currently ignoring the number plate light that's needs soldering (it passed the MOT), Blocked or dead rear washer, non working passengers window and the fact the AC needs a regas. I'd like to chop it for something with cruise control but while the only impending bills are front pads and then rear discs and pads I'm going to keep enjoying 50mpg and my ISA being fed with what a PCP would cost me.

That's interesting feedback as my local indie garage recommended the Kia C'eed as a potential choice for cheap second hand car. Assume your car is a diesel? If not, the economy is very good indeed. I recommended a ten year Hyundai i30 to a friend and he is enjoying it very much.

[cml24]

I thought I'd join the thread!

To commute to work I bought a £500 Clio, with 11 months MOT. 53,000 miles, same owner for last seven years. All servicing completed as per schedule.

My options were a bit limited as I've recently returned from abroad I have no no claims bonus so it needed to be cheap to insure and good on fuel as I do 100 miles a day.

Ive had it a few months now and done about 4000 miles in it, and it's been ok. A couple of times it's not started and I think it's either the fuel relay or the crank sensor (which is a common problem apparently and an easy cheap fix).

[Challo]

The Volvo shed is booked in for an MOT on Saturday. It still has 4months left on the old ticket, but need to shift it on now I have a newer car and thought 12months is better than 4.

Its a Volvo S60 if anyone knows of someone looking for cheap motoring.

[BrewsterBear]

I'm now a member of the shed club. With my Civic gone and the Aston up for sale I have ordered the new CLA45S+ Shooting Brake. Unfortunately it's likely to be January or February before it arrives. Not wanting to drive the old 911 through the winter I needed a car.



1.8 TDCi Zetec. 137k miles, MoT until April, all 4 unmatched tyres have excellent tread. Puts out a big sooty cloud with a shove of the throttle. Once moving it's not as slow as you'd think. I've given it an oil and filter change plus replaced a defective headlight bulb. I'm hoping that's it before it gets punted on in the New Year. It's a joy to have a car where you can park anywhere without any care over damage from the ignorant masses.

[Pothole]

I know it's a long shot, but are there any shedders near Edinburgh who travel to Birmingham/Cannock/Stafford on a regular/semi-regular basis? I might have found a door...

[Davie]

Pothole said:

I know it's a long shot, but are there any shedders near Edinburgh who travel to Birmingham/Cannock/Stafford on a regular/semi-regular basis? I might have found a door...

A door for what in what colour? Bound to be something in a breakers locally if it's fairly normal shed you have?

[Pothole]

Davie said:

Pothole said:

I know it's a long shot, but are there any shedders near Edinburgh who travel to Birmingham/Cannock/Stafford on a regular/semi-regular basis? I might have found a door...

A door for what in what colour? Bound to be something in a breakers locally if it's fairly normal shed you have?

1998 civic 5 door hatch, not fussed about the colour although this one is the correct green. There probably is one in a local breakers, yes ETA: but if I get a friendly shedder to cart it down to me from the far North for a few bottles of a recommended Black Country brew, that's a much better story!

[Davie]

This may be a fine line between unnecessary polishing and actually being able to see more then 20ft in front of the car...





Either way, shockingly bad headlights now less shockingly bad and needless to say, to reward me for my efforts the car is now happily telling me I have a dipped bulb failure when I don't...

Edited by Davie on Thursday 14th November 15:47

[Superchickenn]

mstrbkr said:

Joey Deacon said:

I got bored of my Megane Diesel shed that I have owned for two years so three months ago I bought a petrol Civic. It's a great car, but the Megane just feels a smoother, more modern car and I am ruined by the 60MPG and £30 road tax so I went back to using it.

The Civic has to go, so I got it MOT'd and it is now on eBay as an Auction. I am not bothered about getting the best possible price so I thought auction it, someone will hopefully think they got a good deal and it will be gone.

I have already had someone email to tell me it is really bad on fuel and that they will travel from Leeds (the car is 240 miles away) to collect it, but they only have £700.

Another guy with very poor English emailed to say what is my best price and he would collect it today. Looking through his feedback half of it is from people saying he won the auction and never collected the car.

He just sent a third message, literally "400 in cash for hand?"

I can see why people just scrap sheds.......

Fingers crossed there are some people interested who drive sheds because they want to, not because they literally only have £700........

Edited by Joey Deacon on Wednesday 13th November 12:21

I can't stand it when someone asks for my best price on something. It's so rude, and really makes them look like a thicko. I've put an asking price on it, so my current "best price" is the asking price until a counter offer is made. It's the lowest form of negotiation (if it can even be called that). They get a very swift response back from me.

Im fully with you on this... my pet hate is "best price" or "final price" ... im not going to barter with myself ..... but i usually refrain from retaliation and just say im looking for ££££ and will consider sensible offers.

[aaron_2000]

Superchickenn said:

mstrbkr said:

Joey Deacon said:

I got bored of my Megane Diesel shed that I have owned for two years so three months ago I bought a petrol Civic. It's a great car, but the Megane just feels a smoother, more modern car and I am ruined by the 60MPG and £30 road tax so I went back to using it.

The Civic has to go, so I got it MOT'd and it is now on eBay as an Auction. I am not bothered about getting the best possible price so I thought auction it, someone will hopefully think they got a good deal and it will be gone.

I have already had someone email to tell me it is really bad on fuel and that they will travel from Leeds (the car is 240 miles away) to collect it, but they only have £700.

Another guy with very poor English emailed to say what is my best price and he would collect it today. Looking through his feedback half of it is from people saying he won the auction and never collected the car.

He just sent a third message, literally "400 in cash for hand?"

I can see why people just scrap sheds.......

Fingers crossed there are some people interested who drive sheds because they want to, not because they literally only have £700........

Edited by Joey Deacon on Wednesday 13th November 12:21

I can't stand it when someone asks for my best price on something. It's so rude, and really makes them look like a thicko. I've put an asking price on it, so my current "best price" is the asking price until a counter offer is made. It's the lowest form of negotiation (if it can even be called that). They get a very swift response back from me.

Im fully with you on this... my pet hate is "best price" or "final price" ... im not going to barter with myself ..... but i usually refrain from retaliation and just say im looking for ££££ and will consider sensible offers.

My reply depends on my mood, if I'm in a good mood I'll tell them I'm open to offers, if I'm in a bad mood I'll tell them I'm not gonna knock myself down on price. Sometimes I'll just tell them a number for a quick sale if I want one and tell them not to come if they're gonna try and get more off. My biggest hate is "Is this still available?". I don't bother responding to that.

[rich12]

Superchickenn said:

Im fully with you on this... my pet hate is "best price" or "final price" ... im not going to barter with myself ..... but i usually refrain from retaliation and just say im looking for ££££ and will consider sensible offers.

If i'm selling something for say £2k and I get a 'best price', I just reply with something like "My best price is £5k, please let me know if you can pay that much as i'd love to get the best possible price for it".

Proper winds them up.

[aaron_2000]

rich12 said:

Superchickenn said:

Im fully with you on this... my pet hate is "best price" or "final price" ... im not going to barter with myself ..... but i usually refrain from retaliation and just say im looking for ££££ and will consider sensible offers.

If i'm selling something for say £2k and I get a 'best price', I just reply with something like "My best price is £5k, please let me know if you can pay that much as i'd love to get the best possible price for it".

Proper winds them up.

I'm stealing that. Depends if I've got a car that's easy to sell or not, E46's are the worst to sell. It's why I'll never run another E46 shed unless it's really tempting.

[Pothole]

Davie said:

This may be a fine line between unnecessary polishing and actually being able to see more then 20ft in front of the car...





Either way, shockingly bad headlights now less shockingly bad and needless to say, to reward me for my efforts the car is now happily telling me I have a dipped bulb failure when I don't...

Edited by Davie on Thursday 14th November 15:47

Good work, that's a great job.

[Lemming Train]

aaron_2000 said:

My biggest hate is "Is this still available?". I don't bother responding to that.

It's a genuine question and one of things I ask because on many occasions the car has long since sold but they haven't bothered to take down the advert. Saves wasting a whole bunch of time. If you don't respond then it's your loss.

[aaron_2000]

Lemming Train said:

aaron_2000 said:

My biggest hate is "Is this still available?". I don't bother responding to that.

It's a genuine question and one of things I ask because on many occasions the car has long since sold but they haven't bothered to take down the advert. Saves wasting a whole bunch of time. If you don't respond then it's your loss.

Except it isn't. Anyone genuinely interested should bother to send a message; not the same accidental click message that 99% of them are. Out of 30 of those template messages, I'd say only 2 or 3 were genuine, so yeah, my loss. I don't give my time to people who can't be arsed to say "Hey you still got the car?", anyone who takes 5 seconds to actually type something shows they're interested; anyone who sends "iS tHiS sTiLl AvAiLaBlE?" is more often than not someone who clicked it by mistake and never responds again.

[Demelitia]

aaron_2000 said:

Lemming Train said:

aaron_2000 said:

My biggest hate is "Is this still available?". I don't bother responding to that.

It's a genuine question and one of things I ask because on many occasions the car has long since sold but they haven't bothered to take down the advert. Saves wasting a whole bunch of time. If you don't respond then it's your loss.

Except it isn't. Anyone genuinely interested should bother to send a message; not the same accidental click message that 99% of them are. Out of 30 of those template messages, I'd say only 2 or 3 were genuine, so yeah, my loss. I don't give my time to people who can't be arsed to say "Hey you still got the car?", anyone who takes 5 seconds to actually type something shows they're interested; anyone who sends "iS tHiS sTiLl AvAiLaBlE?" is more often than not someone who clicked it by mistake and never responds again.

There’s two characters difference between the response you won’t entertain and the one you will...

Last thing I bought, my opening question was ‘is this still available?’ The answer was yes, so I bought it.
Other times I’ve asked the same question and the answer has been ‘no sorry, sold’.
Seems like a perfectly valid question to me.