The Joy of Running an Old Shed

[boma]

Bullet-Proof_Biscuit said:

Horsey McHorseface said:

boma said:

Out of interest, where do we submit Shed of the Week contenders?

If I was in the UK, I would be beating this man's door down with a shed size wad of notes:

(Gumtree Advert)

Honda prelude 2.2 vti 4ws,
https://www.gumtree.com/p/cars-vans-motorbikes/hon...

Price: £ 1,500

Advert removed. What was it like?

Square that's what.

Looked to be blooming tidy in a clean light silver. Manual, with a few very minor, honest sounding gripes listed, nothing major, and only 140k from a genuine sounding seller. Might have even had a Motegi kit on without being listed...

Suspect there's a happy new shed owner somewhere, or he's revised his plans after taking 10 calls an hour.

[aaron_2000]

The spinner of plates said:

twenty21 said:

aaron_2000 said:

I'm thinking of selling my MK4 Golf 1.9 TDI once the lockdown is lightened and going for a MK5 instead. I do love the MK4 though

Don’t!!!

The Mk5 handles better, but that’s it.

I done the same as your thinking a few years ago and instantly regretted it. Mk4 TDis are fantastic sheds, mk5s are just not as robust and are more complex

Agreed, the mk4 is a bit stodgy, but better put together.
Same as that era B5.5 Passat, make bloody good sheds.

I find it's got the same issue as most VAG cars in that it's nice to drive with a great engine but completely lacking in any character. I do like it though, it's only got 90bhp but it pulls well.

[Jimmy Recard]

CX53 said:

STIfree said:

A simple solution, should you wish to try it -

Go give it a wash, take some pictures, spend 20 minutes writing a decent advert and putting it up on free sites, Gumtree/FB marketplace for £2999

If no one bites, no harm. If someone does and offers you £2500+ (they'll think they've got a bargain getting £500 off it) then let it go. Take that, spend £1000 buying a nice shed, pocket the other grand and leave £500 in the rainy day fund for any potential shed issues that may arise.

You know what, that's a good shout. I've just given it its first ever wash so its an ideal time to take some pictures...

Yep, nothing to lose there! Good luck.

Now we need to find CX a good shed

[Touring442]

Jimmy Recard said:

I feel that you did the wrong thing in August, as you're right, an Astra/Focus/Golf for £800 would've done the job just as well.

I think that it gets more complicated 9 months later as you can trust the car and you might struggle to sell the car for a reasonable amount (relative to what you paid), especially since it's not a desirable spec and Covid-19 has happened in the interim

Well, your 3 grand Astra is now worth 2 grand, realistically. It's a modern reliable car that's decent to drive doesn't piss oil out and they're not in scum territory just yet.

You could sell it, buy an 800 quid example and then spend ££££ fixing it. 800 quid Golfs are invariably ste, Mark 5 scrap with rusty wings and most other ailments. 800 quid Focusessses are the old Mark 2 which is about as appealing to sit in as a Belgian roadside bog. 800 quid Astra - you will be stopped every day by the plod and searched for weed/stolen appliances.

[STIfree]

Touring442 said:

Jimmy Recard said:

I feel that you did the wrong thing in August, as you're right, an Astra/Focus/Golf for £800 would've done the job just as well.

I think that it gets more complicated 9 months later as you can trust the car and you might struggle to sell the car for a reasonable amount (relative to what you paid), especially since it's not a desirable spec and Covid-19 has happened in the interim

Well, your 3 grand Astra is now worth 2 grand, realistically. It's a modern reliable car that's decent to drive doesn't piss oil out and they're not in scum territory just yet.

You could sell it, buy an 800 quid example and then spend ££££ fixing it. 800 quid Golfs are invariably ste, Mark 5 scrap with rusty wings and most other ailments. 800 quid Focusessses are the old Mark 2 which is about as appealing to sit in as a Belgian roadside bog. 800 quid Astra - you will be stopped every day by the plod and searched for weed/stolen appliances.

a little pessimistic

[A500leroy]

STIfree said:

Touring442 said:

Jimmy Recard said:

I feel that you did the wrong thing in August, as you're right, an Astra/Focus/Golf for £800 would've done the job just as well.

I think that it gets more complicated 9 months later as you can trust the car and you might struggle to sell the car for a reasonable amount (relative to what you paid), especially since it's not a desirable spec and Covid-19 has happened in the interim

Well, your 3 grand Astra is now worth 2 grand, realistically. It's a modern reliable car that's decent to drive doesn't piss oil out and they're not in scum territory just yet.

You could sell it, buy an 800 quid example and then spend ££££ fixing it. 800 quid Golfs are invariably ste, Mark 5 scrap with rusty wings and most other ailments. 800 quid Focusessses are the old Mark 2 which is about as appealing to sit in as a Belgian roadside bog. 800 quid Astra - you will be stopped every day by the plod and searched for weed/stolen appliances.

a little pessimistic

But hes right on it being a 2k Astra now IF anyone is buyingg at the moment, playing the long game may be cheaper

[CX53]

I hear you, and you may be totally right, however....

It probably is worth at least 2.5k, as you say, as long as someone is willing to buy it... Perhaps someone who can no longer afford their better car might be looking for something like this to downgrade, who knows... But it very well could be hard to move on.

If I do advertise it though, and someone bites for around the 2.5k mark, then a carefully chosen shed could well be just the ticket. A while back I ran a £800 corolla that needed nothing but brake pads in 15000 miles and I sold it for 850 9 months later...

I'll give it some more thought on whether or not its worth the hassle. The astra is fine and perfectly adequate, and I wouldn't look to replace it with a complete knacker, but i just don't see the benefit of driving it when a £1500 cheaper Focus or similar doesn't look any worse, drives probably better, and will likely be better on fuel as well. It's in that awkward territory where if the clutch went I'd probably have to get it done because its worth too much, even though Its a rubbish car which, and that would be annoying.

Edited by CX53 on Friday 8th May 16:43

[Jimmy Recard]

I think the viability depends on what you can get for the Astra. So that should definitely be the starting point. If you get £2500 or so, I think it's definitely worth it

[W00DY]

Lots of VW guys here so thought I'd ask for opinions on my first real Golf Fault.

Cruising along at 50 and suddenly cruise cuts out and "engine Fault. Workshop!" appears with a flashing glow plug light. Happily made it home 70 miles, but it feels like it's making no boost (could be limp mode, never experienced it before) codes are P161A P161B P161C P161D glow plug open circuit on all of them which I guess means it's likely a wiring fault? It's a Golf mk5 Bluemotion 1.9

[Jimmy Recard]

First things first, are you able to check the glow plugs?

Disclaimer: I don't know if this is a typical indicator of another fault - I don't know these cars well

[mercedeslimos]

W00DY, those the only fault codes?

Have you a multimeter?

[mercedeslimos]

2 possible causes here, on the BKC/BXE, etc MK5 platform. Glow plugs are dead (open circuit/short to ground) or relay.

Plugs are easy. Pull off the plug wiring on the front of the engine, plugs there in front of you. Deep 1/4" socket, pull out and check resistance. 1.0 to 1.5 ohms checked between the centre pin and the body of the glow plug. anything out of that showing a failing or dead plug. Good hot plugs should have slight white ash on the tip showing burning off. Any oil or residue shows they are not working.

I would check these first.

The relay sits inside the engine bay fuse box on the right of the bay. Pull the cover with the 2 slide clips, the relay is numbered 461 on the top.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VW-Golf-Mk5-Glow-Plug-R...

These very very rarely give trouble though, so I would check the plugs first. they don't last forever. The eBay ones are junk too. Bosch or Beru only.

[PartOfTheProblem]

W00DY said:

Lots of VW guys here so thought I'd ask for opinions on my first real Golf Fault.

Cruising along at 50 and suddenly cruise cuts out and "engine Fault. Workshop!" appears with a flashing glow plug light. Happily made it home 70 miles, but it feels like it's making no boost (could be limp mode, never experienced it before) codes are P161A P161B P161C P161D glow plug open circuit on all of them which I guess means it's likely a wiring fault? It's a Golf mk5 Bluemotion 1.9

I recall a link between the brake pedal switch being faulty and the glow plug warning light on VAG cars of this era. Well worth a google.

[Jimmy Recard]

PartOfTheProblem said:

I recall a link between the brake pedal switch being faulty and the glow plug warning light on VAG cars of this era. Well worth a google.

I've heard of that too, but here it's the check engine light and actual codes, isn't it? So I think that's a different thing

[CinnamonFan]

My 07 shed avensis estate just reached 180k. Bought at 162k.

Battery and a host of other dash lights appeared. 9 volts from the battery. Suspected alternator.

Friendly mechanic pal agreed. So it got replaced. I took one look at the alternator being down the back of the engine with a driveshaft in the way. I paid a friend of my friend to change it. £384 for a new unit & belt fitted.

Paid £1250 for the car and its had 2 tyres and 2 oil changes in 18k miles. No other issues with it, apart from some squeaking suspension from the rear when i go over bumps.

Would you have paid to change it or scrapped and bought another?

[jamesson]

CinnamonFan said:

My 07 shed avensis estate just reached 180k. Bought at 162k.

Battery and a host of other dash lights appeared. 9 volts from the battery. Suspected alternator.

Friendly mechanic pal agreed. So it got replaced. I took one look at the alternator being down the back of the engine with a driveshaft in the way. I paid a friend of my friend to change it. £384 for a new unit & belt fitted.

Paid £1250 for the car and its had 2 tyres and 2 oil changes in 18k miles. No other issues with it, apart from some squeaking suspension from the rear when i go over bumps.

Would you have paid to change it or scrapped and bought another?

Sometimes it's better the shed you know than the shed you don't. If you like the car and it suits your needs and there's not a lot else wrong with it, then you probably did the right thing.

[Bonefish Blues]

My view too

[Jimmy Recard]

Agreed. You did the right thing

[STIfree]

jamesson said:

CinnamonFan said:

My 07 shed avensis estate just reached 180k. Bought at 162k.

Battery and a host of other dash lights appeared. 9 volts from the battery. Suspected alternator.

Friendly mechanic pal agreed. So it got replaced. I took one look at the alternator being down the back of the engine with a driveshaft in the way. I paid a friend of my friend to change it. £384 for a new unit & belt fitted.

Paid £1250 for the car and its had 2 tyres and 2 oil changes in 18k miles. No other issues with it, apart from some squeaking suspension from the rear when i go over bumps.

Would you have paid to change it or scrapped and bought another?

Sometimes it's better the shed you know than the shed you don't. If you like the car and it suits your needs and there's not a lot else wrong with it, then you probably did the right thing.

This ^

If it gets you another 18k then that cost 2p a mile to sort.

[Stuart p k]

jamesson said:

CinnamonFan said:

My 07 shed avensis estate just reached 180k. Bought at 162k.

Battery and a host of other dash lights appeared. 9 volts from the battery. Suspected alternator.

Friendly mechanic pal agreed. So it got replaced. I took one look at the alternator being down the back of the engine with a driveshaft in the way. I paid a friend of my friend to change it. £384 for a new unit & belt fitted.

Paid £1250 for the car and its had 2 tyres and 2 oil changes in 18k miles. No other issues with it, apart from some squeaking suspension from the rear when i go over bumps.

Would you have paid to change it or scrapped and bought another?

Sometimes it's better the shed you know than the shed you don't. If you like the car and it suits your needs and there's not a lot else wrong with it, then you probably did the right thing.[/quote

I would have paid for the repair also... I’d out with with the squeaks over bumps and see what happens at the MOT - great cars