The Joy of Running an Old Shed
Discussion
Starjet99 said:
Well, first breakdown today. Battery light came on, followed by a lack of PAS and a short while later the dash lit up like a Christmas tree with all sorts or systems failed, deactivated or beeping away.
Green Flag have been excellent and despite it being dark, windy and altogether rather wet, the mechanic is under the car in a school carpark, 70 miles from home, fitting a new alternator as I type. Fingers crossed I don't need to rely on the train to get me home this evening.
What was the final outcome? - Did you make it home in the car or catch a bus full of window lickers?Green Flag have been excellent and despite it being dark, windy and altogether rather wet, the mechanic is under the car in a school carpark, 70 miles from home, fitting a new alternator as I type. Fingers crossed I don't need to rely on the train to get me home this evening.
v15ben said:
There have been a few mentions of wanting more photos of our sheds, so I've put together a potted shed history if anyone is interested. 
My shedding career began in 2011 after I sold this lovely Clio 182 and moved to South Korea for 2 years.
After a year on Korean public transport, I was desperate for my own car.
Desperate enough in fact to splash £300 on this majestic '95 Hyundai Avante, seen here with door broken by a malfunctioning car wash machine!
It lasted just 5 weeks as the auto box broke and wasn't worth fixing.
I didn't fancy going back to the bus, so bought the first car I could find, an '03 Matiz Auto nicknamed 'The Fridge' for obvious reasons.
It's still the slowest thing I've ever driven, yet we went all over South Korea in it, covering over 13K miles.
Fast forward 3 years, I was back in the UK and needed a cheap shed.
I went for an '06 Micra, but very quickly got bored of not having an automatic for city traffic.
Next stop was easily my best shed purchase to date, an '03 Yaris that had been cared for by the world's most fastidious old bloke.
We did nearly 40K miles in the Yaris over 2 and a bit years including a 5K mile roadtrip around Norway and Sweden.
Unfortunately an idiot who wasn't paying attention pulled out on me and wrote it off.
The next shed was an '05 Jazz, which did nearly 12K miles, but had a dodgy auto box so went off to We Buy Any Car.
At this point I needed whatever was cheap, reliable and local.
Enter the 2010 'Granny spec' purple Nissan Pixo with massive scrapes on both sides.
It did the job though, 26K miles in just over a year including a winter road trip to the Isle of Skye.
Amazingly after buying it from an 89 year old, I sold it to a 91 year old fella - just shows the target market I guess.
Finally we arrive at the current heap on my driveway, an '07 Micra Auto.
Fancied going back to an auto for city driving and found this locally.
Same owner for 9 years, loads of history, well cared for etc.
It's done 8K miles since August including floods, snow and plenty of off-roading and is still going strong.
Interested to see anyone else's shed history too.
My shedding career began in 2011 after I sold this lovely Clio 182 and moved to South Korea for 2 years.
After a year on Korean public transport, I was desperate for my own car.
Desperate enough in fact to splash £300 on this majestic '95 Hyundai Avante, seen here with door broken by a malfunctioning car wash machine!
It lasted just 5 weeks as the auto box broke and wasn't worth fixing.
I didn't fancy going back to the bus, so bought the first car I could find, an '03 Matiz Auto nicknamed 'The Fridge' for obvious reasons.
It's still the slowest thing I've ever driven, yet we went all over South Korea in it, covering over 13K miles.
Fast forward 3 years, I was back in the UK and needed a cheap shed.
I went for an '06 Micra, but very quickly got bored of not having an automatic for city traffic.
Next stop was easily my best shed purchase to date, an '03 Yaris that had been cared for by the world's most fastidious old bloke.
We did nearly 40K miles in the Yaris over 2 and a bit years including a 5K mile roadtrip around Norway and Sweden.
Unfortunately an idiot who wasn't paying attention pulled out on me and wrote it off.
The next shed was an '05 Jazz, which did nearly 12K miles, but had a dodgy auto box so went off to We Buy Any Car.
At this point I needed whatever was cheap, reliable and local.
Enter the 2010 'Granny spec' purple Nissan Pixo with massive scrapes on both sides.
It did the job though, 26K miles in just over a year including a winter road trip to the Isle of Skye.
Amazingly after buying it from an 89 year old, I sold it to a 91 year old fella - just shows the target market I guess.
Finally we arrive at the current heap on my driveway, an '07 Micra Auto.
Fancied going back to an auto for city driving and found this locally.
Same owner for 9 years, loads of history, well cared for etc.
It's done 8K miles since August including floods, snow and plenty of off-roading and is still going strong.
Interested to see anyone else's shed history too.
Respect to you're ability to put up with some seriously tedious sheds! Dont know why but I struggle to think of Jap cars that sort of age as sheds. Seem way to reliable and efficient.
Bumblebee7 said:
Hello! I'm looking for some shed related advice, so hope you don't mind me posting here.
Following on from my post a few days ago about the catalytic converter getting nicked off my MX5 I'm now going up to Nottingham to collect an entire MX-5 with an intact cat and decent alloys/tyres. It's an MOT fail all day long with heavily rusted chassis arms, but MOT is still valid for another 6 days.
I've never bought a car privatley from someone I don't know before so seeking the infinite wisdom from the forum:
Should I run a HPI check (for things like adverse finance against it etc) or is that not the done thing for such a cheap car?
Second question, as I only need to do one journey in the car before it gets back home onto the driveway to be ripped apart for parts/scrap would you:
a) ask the seller not to transfer title straight away so I can drive it down whilst legally still in their name. That way it's still taxed by them and I'm covered 3rd party under my own insurance.
b) transfer the sale straight away in the hope it won't change on the database immediately so hopefully I won't get pulled over on the way home. If I do though, do I run the risk of getting done for no insurance and tax?? I'm sure my third party cover won't include a car I now own...
c) do a postal transfer, so bring envelopes and stamps etc which would be a slight delay on the DVLA system so I'm safe if I get stopped as it will show as the previous owner still for a few more days.
d) or be super cautious, tax the car for the month and get some temporary insurance for the drive down.
Thank you!!!
Do it by post (assuming seller is happy)Following on from my post a few days ago about the catalytic converter getting nicked off my MX5 I'm now going up to Nottingham to collect an entire MX-5 with an intact cat and decent alloys/tyres. It's an MOT fail all day long with heavily rusted chassis arms, but MOT is still valid for another 6 days.
I've never bought a car privatley from someone I don't know before so seeking the infinite wisdom from the forum:
Should I run a HPI check (for things like adverse finance against it etc) or is that not the done thing for such a cheap car?
Second question, as I only need to do one journey in the car before it gets back home onto the driveway to be ripped apart for parts/scrap would you:
a) ask the seller not to transfer title straight away so I can drive it down whilst legally still in their name. That way it's still taxed by them and I'm covered 3rd party under my own insurance.
b) transfer the sale straight away in the hope it won't change on the database immediately so hopefully I won't get pulled over on the way home. If I do though, do I run the risk of getting done for no insurance and tax?? I'm sure my third party cover won't include a car I now own...
c) do a postal transfer, so bring envelopes and stamps etc which would be a slight delay on the DVLA system so I'm safe if I get stopped as it will show as the previous owner still for a few more days.
d) or be super cautious, tax the car for the month and get some temporary insurance for the drive down.
Thank you!!!
Use Cuvva/Lenny to insure it fully comp for the necessary number of hours until you get it home
SORN it when you get home using the reference number on the new keepers supplement
Yes, you should tax it in your name online before you drive it away, but if you do the V5 by post, the car is still taxed and the seller is still the registered keeper until the DVLA process the V5 so you’d probably be alright I’d have thought. Those temporary insurance apps don’t even ask (or care) who the owner/keeper is so you wouldn’t be breaking any laws this way.
thiscocks said:
Respect to you're ability to put up with some seriously tedious sheds!
Dont know why but I struggle to think of Jap cars that sort of age as sheds. Seem way to reliable and efficient.
Fair point on the tediousness of Japanese sheds.Dont know why but I struggle to think of Jap cars that sort of age as sheds. Seem way to reliable and efficient.
Exciting they're not, but as tools for the job of daily driving they're ideal.
I treat them very much like sheds and they seem to mostly soldier on without issue.
STIfree said:
When in Syndey, Australia with friends we needed a car. With most backpackers defaulting to minivans or Subaru Liberty's or some boring estate, I managed to find a Ford Falcon to satisfy my urges for something interesting.
It was a 4.0 straight 6 auto. Around 250hp, it wasn't really fast, but driving round Gold Coast on the street circuit part of the Gold Coast 600, over the red and white curbs, I felt like I was in the supercar race.
We drove it from Sydney up to Cairns, about 2000 miles and then back to Sydney. It hit a kangaroo on the way back and damaged a few things.
The car was purchased between 3 of us, I left to NZ for a few months and left the car with them. When I came back I found that the registration had ran out and my friends had just dumped it in Syndey somewhere. It had been spray-painted on "TOW AWAY" as it was parked where roadworks were due to be carried out. By the time I got back from NZ and found out what'd gone on, the car had been towed. Lesson learnt, don't leave the responsibility of a car with non-car friends.
A picture sent to me from another friend before it was towed -
I like that. Would be fun driving it in the UK, except for filling it up. What size tank did it have?It was a 4.0 straight 6 auto. Around 250hp, it wasn't really fast, but driving round Gold Coast on the street circuit part of the Gold Coast 600, over the red and white curbs, I felt like I was in the supercar race.
We drove it from Sydney up to Cairns, about 2000 miles and then back to Sydney. It hit a kangaroo on the way back and damaged a few things.
The car was purchased between 3 of us, I left to NZ for a few months and left the car with them. When I came back I found that the registration had ran out and my friends had just dumped it in Syndey somewhere. It had been spray-painted on "TOW AWAY" as it was parked where roadworks were due to be carried out. By the time I got back from NZ and found out what'd gone on, the car had been towed. Lesson learnt, don't leave the responsibility of a car with non-car friends.
A picture sent to me from another friend before it was towed -
v15ben said:
thiscocks said:
Respect to you're ability to put up with some seriously tedious sheds!
Dont know why but I struggle to think of Jap cars that sort of age as sheds. Seem way to reliable and efficient.
Fair point on the tediousness of Japanese sheds.Dont know why but I struggle to think of Jap cars that sort of age as sheds. Seem way to reliable and efficient.
Exciting they're not, but as tools for the job of daily driving they're ideal.
I treat them very much like sheds and they seem to mostly soldier on without issue.
Ongoing shed diary...
2007 Volvo V50 2.0D
Bought about 2yrs ago for £1450 and my wifes car / go to family car since but having had yet another electrical failure about 6 weeks ago, which "appears" cured for the time being... or perhaps cured full stop... by cleaning the electrical connections at the CEM, however she still refuses to drive it so I'm piling on the miles and loving it. No issues to report despite now approaching 220,000 miles and continuing to be used rather hard in rural life. Cross Climates doing well, no complaints. Slight clunk developing from the rear, possibly shock absorber but MOT in March so will investigate in due course. Quick check of the history suggests it's done about 19,000 miles this year... God knows how.
2005 V70 D5
Bought in October for £1000 and now on its way to quarter of a million miles, still not been washed since about November and appears fine. I say appears fine as I haven't been in it for about 6 weeks given her refusal to drive her car. From what I gather, it's fine and continues to battle through wind, hail, snow and trial by toddler, mechanically unsympathetic wife and all she throws at it. Running in Dunlop Ultragrip, wear rate seems rather quick so new tyres looming... let's not open that can of worms! Appears to have picked up a few more scars... wife in denial. Highly likely it'll be the next to be moved on and the V50 will take second car duties and this will be replaced in due course.
2005 V50 1.8
My sisters but left to me to resolve. Bought for £500 as a cheap, no f**ks given tool to cart around a new child and only now on the road having suffered a master cylinder failure but new one fitted, brakes all stripped and cleaned, new discs and pads on the front, some mild fettling resolving a few niggles courtesy of the last custodian and Cross Climates also fitted however pedal travel is long and the handbrake poor so have two "new" rear calipers to fit then re-bleed the brakes again tomorrow. Currently owes here about £750 including purchase, tyres and all brake work.
Keep up the strong work gents!
2007 Volvo V50 2.0D
Bought about 2yrs ago for £1450 and my wifes car / go to family car since but having had yet another electrical failure about 6 weeks ago, which "appears" cured for the time being... or perhaps cured full stop... by cleaning the electrical connections at the CEM, however she still refuses to drive it so I'm piling on the miles and loving it. No issues to report despite now approaching 220,000 miles and continuing to be used rather hard in rural life. Cross Climates doing well, no complaints. Slight clunk developing from the rear, possibly shock absorber but MOT in March so will investigate in due course. Quick check of the history suggests it's done about 19,000 miles this year... God knows how.
2005 V70 D5
Bought in October for £1000 and now on its way to quarter of a million miles, still not been washed since about November and appears fine. I say appears fine as I haven't been in it for about 6 weeks given her refusal to drive her car. From what I gather, it's fine and continues to battle through wind, hail, snow and trial by toddler, mechanically unsympathetic wife and all she throws at it. Running in Dunlop Ultragrip, wear rate seems rather quick so new tyres looming... let's not open that can of worms! Appears to have picked up a few more scars... wife in denial. Highly likely it'll be the next to be moved on and the V50 will take second car duties and this will be replaced in due course.
2005 V50 1.8
My sisters but left to me to resolve. Bought for £500 as a cheap, no f**ks given tool to cart around a new child and only now on the road having suffered a master cylinder failure but new one fitted, brakes all stripped and cleaned, new discs and pads on the front, some mild fettling resolving a few niggles courtesy of the last custodian and Cross Climates also fitted however pedal travel is long and the handbrake poor so have two "new" rear calipers to fit then re-bleed the brakes again tomorrow. Currently owes here about £750 including purchase, tyres and all brake work.
Keep up the strong work gents!
thiscocks said:
STIfree said:
When in Syndey, Australia with friends we needed a car. With most backpackers defaulting to minivans or Subaru Liberty's or some boring estate, I managed to find a Ford Falcon to satisfy my urges for something interesting.
It was a 4.0 straight 6 auto. Around 250hp, it wasn't really fast, but driving round Gold Coast on the street circuit part of the Gold Coast 600, over the red and white curbs, I felt like I was in the supercar race.
We drove it from Sydney up to Cairns, about 2000 miles and then back to Sydney. It hit a kangaroo on the way back and damaged a few things.
The car was purchased between 3 of us, I left to NZ for a few months and left the car with them. When I came back I found that the registration had ran out and my friends had just dumped it in Syndey somewhere. It had been spray-painted on "TOW AWAY" as it was parked where roadworks were due to be carried out. By the time I got back from NZ and found out what'd gone on, the car had been towed. Lesson learnt, don't leave the responsibility of a car with non-car friends.
A picture sent to me from another friend before it was towed -
I like that. Would be fun driving it in the UK, except for filling it up. What size tank did it have?It was a 4.0 straight 6 auto. Around 250hp, it wasn't really fast, but driving round Gold Coast on the street circuit part of the Gold Coast 600, over the red and white curbs, I felt like I was in the supercar race.
We drove it from Sydney up to Cairns, about 2000 miles and then back to Sydney. It hit a kangaroo on the way back and damaged a few things.
The car was purchased between 3 of us, I left to NZ for a few months and left the car with them. When I came back I found that the registration had ran out and my friends had just dumped it in Syndey somewhere. It had been spray-painted on "TOW AWAY" as it was parked where roadworks were due to be carried out. By the time I got back from NZ and found out what'd gone on, the car had been towed. Lesson learnt, don't leave the responsibility of a car with non-car friends.
A picture sent to me from another friend before it was towed -
It was a great car to do big smokey burnouts in, I know that much. I worked at a car scrap yard for a period whilst owning it which entitled me to as many free tyres as I liked!
orangesrule said:
The neighbours parents were offered 1k px...so gave me first refusal. First thoughts are that it's a really bloody nice car. We were going to buy a van for a euro road trip over the summer. But the e class is so nice, we're going to take it instead!! Goes really well
My last two sheds have come about as a result of failed part ex’s! Looks a nice bit of kit for a grand!Thanks for all the helpful comments, I bought the car yesterday! £270 negotiated for it over the phone, no further haggling when I got there as it was pissing with rain and I just wanted to get home. I barely looked at the car, just so much to check it started and the VIN matched the V5C. Comes with a brand spanking set of Toyo TR1's that have only done 600 miles so far.
I did a basic HPI check on it for my own peace of mind, which came back clear. Turns out the seller was a fellow countryman (Polish) so when I explained the insurance/tax situation he was totally amenable. We signed an AA car sale agreement with the time for his protection in case I fancied racking up some points on the drive home and he'll transfer title online this morning.
Was absolutely pouring the whole 3 hour drive back to Surrey, but otherwise journey was uneventful. Car is far too good to strip so I'm going to take the bits I need off it, and swap them for spares I already have. Will try and get the rust welded on the cheap by my friendly mechanic and will flog it in a few months. Body work is mostly perfect, decent mohair roof so would be a shame to see it scrapped. It's a trilogy limited edition, but the .25 diamond keyring it supposedly came with is missing...
I did a basic HPI check on it for my own peace of mind, which came back clear. Turns out the seller was a fellow countryman (Polish) so when I explained the insurance/tax situation he was totally amenable. We signed an AA car sale agreement with the time for his protection in case I fancied racking up some points on the drive home and he'll transfer title online this morning.
Was absolutely pouring the whole 3 hour drive back to Surrey, but otherwise journey was uneventful. Car is far too good to strip so I'm going to take the bits I need off it, and swap them for spares I already have. Will try and get the rust welded on the cheap by my friendly mechanic and will flog it in a few months. Body work is mostly perfect, decent mohair roof so would be a shame to see it scrapped. It's a trilogy limited edition, but the .25 diamond keyring it supposedly came with is missing...
STIfree said:
I wonder how long it will take for the prices of clean Mk2 MX5's to go the same way as the Mk1's have.
Interesting question -- guesstimate is that they will never quite reach the levels of the NA, but that prices will pick up. If it's any indication, I always despised the NB's look, but with time passing it's finally growing on me. Probably the contrast with all of the new stuff getting bigger and uglier 
. And since one is never so special as one thinks -- this change in perception could be a general trend?At any rate -- 270 GBP?! What a steal. Well done!
JaredVannett said:
Let's just think about this for a minute... there are options on new cars that cost more than this
Thanks for all of the comments everyone! Very chuffed with it, and just as promised by the seller the transfer of title was confirmed by DVLA first thing this morning.In a development, a mate of mine is interested so I've made a deal with him that he can have it for £300 (which covers car + train fair) on the proviso I keep the wheels/tyres and the catalytic converter. He's going to let me know in the next day or so. Car would get exported to the EU so MOT and required work would get sorted there.
If he doesn't want it, I will keep it as a project car for a few months and hopefully sell for a profit when it's sunny. This would ordinarily have been the preferred option but with an imminent big house purchase (with associated even bigger refurbishment) I think I need to consider the benefits of the easy option as well.
Will keep the thread posted with some updates when I know more.
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