The Joy of Running an Old Shed

[monthou]

NorthernSky said:

Dude, just use RAINX - here's a link;

https://www.rainx.co.uk/

You're not an MOT inspector, are you?

[cedrichn]

magpie215 said:

stanglish said:

services almost never catch the thing that eventually kills the shed dead

That was my rational over 2 sheds I've avoided 8 annual services with one dead shed from a waterpump failure.(also has a rattling DMF)..I think I'm winning.

Might be, might not be. I see the point that oil change will not stop the rust or the suspension bushing perishing... But for £40 per year, regardless of the mileage, I don't see it as a "big cost" of car ownership, even if it only gives a placebo effect.
And again, for me, it is one of the pleasure of shed ownership: don't need to pay dealer's price for a stamp, I do it in the street, look like a homeless, smile at people looking at me with wide open eyes, spend a sunny(ish) afternoon under the car, and come back as a (dirty) winner in front of the OH

But yes, it is not saving the water pump...

[Digby]

I tend to change the oil when I get a car if it looks like it has been in there a while and always do on diesels. Mind you, the last change I did I didn’t bother with the filter and just sucked the oil out. I did order a filter but the wrong one arrived so I thought sod it!

[gman88667733]

JDB96 said:

Yes I’d avoid the diesel V50s, Ford lumps which are not terribly reliable by all accounts. What you want is a Euro 3 163 bhp (black engine cover) V70 D5 with a manual box.

This is what i'm thinking. I'll probably have to travel to find the best one I can, but I don't mind.

[gman88667733]

Jimmy No Hands said:

I worked for a Volvo specialist and we had a V50 2.0D courtesy car on 240k +. While it's true I'd rather have a V70, with correct maintenance, they can last.

Tricky, the V50 I drove was great to drive, felt fine. But i'd just be a tad more worried about reliability than one of the older V70's. For the right price, I'd consider one though.

[cedrichn]

Digby said:

I tend to change the oil when I get a car if it looks like it has been in there a while and always do on diesels. Mind you, the last change I did I didn’t bother with the filter and just sucked the oil out. I did order a filter but the wrong one arrived so I thought sod it!

I am thinking of it, on every other oil change... Less painful for sure!

But then, I have the image of the kitchen sink after you clean the dishes: if you just suck out, then all the dirt stay at the bottom. If you empty from under, some dirt will stay, but much less... Emptying from under is definitely more efficient.

But, again, on a good and healthy recent engine, it is more about keeping/renewing the oil characteristics needed for the best performance of the engine and depollution system, rather than removing the "worn metal bits"

[irish boy]

cedrichn said:

What happened to this 508 Mr Nodoby? 407 worth pennies too... Avensis are cheap as chips: how are Toyota diesel engines ?
Are you looking and searching, or just posting...?

Toyota diesels are generally good. The old carina and early avensis td’s are bomb proof. The throttle cable is prone to stretching meaning it’s not getting full power.

The avensis then went to d4d around 00, the 1cd-Ftv. Again bomb proof, a fair bit quicker and 58mpg. Needs the belt done every 60k and has a duel mass flywheel so listen for a rattle on idle but they take a single mass conversion well. Plenty of half million mile taxis still running around here.

The next shape of avensis (t25) had that engine for the first 2 years then went to the chain driven 1Ad around 06. It had its problems with head gaskets, this was sorted by late 08/09 by the time the t25 shape came out. The only thing to watch on it is the electronic hand brake.

The 2.2 is to be avoided.

I love this era of Toyota having been in Africa and seen the ridiculous abuse they can take and just keep going. I’ve had my 01 shed diesel for 4 years now, does loads of miles and had zero expenses bar servicing and the flywheel. The a/c is still ice cold and never been looked at or charged. I change the oil every 6k as per hand book, and warm/cool the turbo as per the sticker on the sun visor. Funny the later shape almost doubled the service intervals on the same engine. Part of the problem when the accounts get involved setting this stuff rather than the engineers who would know better.



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[Eyersey1234]

Shed Focus failed its MOT today, needs a new front suspension arm. Not too bad considering it's 14 years old with over 200k on the clock

[Captain Answer]

irish boy said:

Toyota diesels are generally good. The old carina and early avensis td’s are bomb proof. The throttle cable is prone to stretching meaning it’s not getting full power.

The avensis then went to d4d around 00, the 1cd-Ftv. Again bomb proof, a fair bit quicker and 58mpg. Needs the belt done every 60k and has a duel mass flywheel so listen for a rattle on idle but they take a single mass conversion well. Plenty of half million mile taxis still running around here.

The next shape of avensis (t25) had that engine for the first 2 years then went to the chain driven 1Ad around 06. It had its problems with head gaskets, this was sorted by late 08/09 by the time the t25 shape came out. The only thing to watch on it is the electronic hand brake.

The 2.2 is to be avoided.

I love this era of Toyota having been in Africa and seen the ridiculous abuse they can take and just keep going. I’ve had my 01 shed diesel for 4 years now, does loads of miles and had zero expenses bar servicing and the flywheel. The a/c is still ice cold and never been looked at or charged. I change the oil every 6k as per hand book, and warm/cool the turbo as per the sticker on the sun visor. Funny the later shape almost doubled the service intervals on the same engine. Part of the problem when the accounts get involved setting this stuff rather than the engineers who would know better.



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Have the 2 litre d4d engine in the RAV4 shed, seems a nice unit & no issues with it as yet..... def not hitting that MPG tho in that car

[anonymous-user]

I thought everything was going all too well with the Yaris, and it turns out this is the case. Got back knowing something wasn't right, assuming either wheel bearing related or rear brakes maybe catching a bit, whipped the wheel trims off to see if one of the wheels had got a bit too warm, only to then discover a deep cut in the sidewall which looks like it could let go at any moment - scary to think I'd stuck my foot down to pass a couple of trucks earlier in the day, if that was present...

I know it's a fairly minor, easily rectifiable thing, but it really makes you feel uneasy seeing it!

[sgtbash]

What are the sheds to buy at present? I'm looking for something reliable and which I wouldn't care about.

[bearman68]

sgtbash said:

What are the sheds to buy at present? I'm looking for something reliable and which I wouldn't care about.

Yaris of any age, fiestas are pretty good, Mk1 Focus is pretty decent, Avensis is fine, especially with the petrol engine, but not the 2.2 d4d, I personally rate the 1.7 astra H, (some don't), and I like late >2010 Peugeots, even with the 1.6 DV6 (8v is better). Or the 1.4 diesel in any guise in most things is pretty good. Dead cheap, Xsara Picasso with the 2.0 hdi engine. Volvo S60 / V70 manual with the Euro 3 2.4 D5 engine (very very good engines), Mondeo Mk4 is a good shed, with either of the diesel motors. Renault laguna 3 with a 2.0 diesel is excellent, and cheap. Very well built and spec'd. The Mk3 Megane with pretty much any of the engines is excellent, but the pick is the dci 106.
Apart from that, there's hardly anything out there.

Note the lack of German marques, Fiat, and Landrover.

[Eyersey1234]

sgtbash said:

What are the sheds to buy at present? I'm looking for something reliable and which I wouldn't care about.

Mk2 Focus is a good shout as well.

[Majorslow]

gman88667733 said:

Been away from the forum for a while.

Coming up to changing my current shed, 2002 petrol auto Honda CRV. Mainly because of the 20mpg i'm getting and heavy steering and lack of power, mostly. (Sadly rust is setting in too, which on an old car, I don't want to be chasing. I don't mind on my Campervan, but not my car!)

I reckon with an MOT (booked for 2 weeks time), i'll get £1500 for it as it's low mileage for the age and in pretty good condition.

My ideal next car is an old Volvo, diesel manual. Absolute ideal would be a high spec, old V70. Are these economical to run on a budget? My CRV has been pretty faultless overall, so I wouldn't really want to be at the garage every other week!

I looked at a 2008 V50 2.0 diesel. Lovely looking car, comfy too. Problem was, air con didn't work, cambelt was due, needed a few other jobs as well. It was up for £2295 with 126k miles, but I offered £1700 + the air con working, to allow for work, the guy said it was a bit too low - fair enough.

I have since done a lot of research on the V50 and older Volvo's and it seems the V50 may not be the best choice at that price range? Most say an older V70, although probably more expensive, would be more reliable.

Edited by gman88667733 on Thursday 24th June 07:30

Edited by gman88667733 on Thursday 24th June 07:37

Hey Gman, I have a 1999 V70, have had it from new (so not really a shed....however still got it) Had it's MOT last month with no advisories. i have had it serviced every 10k or year what ever came first. Had the fuel pump die about 18-24 months ago, other than that only costs have been discs, pads, timing belts every 80k and a couple of bits on front suspension which were cheap to fix, (apparently they are prone to front suspension wear) but then it is now on 246k. Love it, still does 45-50 MPG on a run (2.5 diesel)

[aaron_2000]

sgtbash said:

What are the sheds to buy at present? I'm looking for something reliable and which I wouldn't care about.

1.6 MK1 Focus is always my go to if I have about £400 to spend on a cheap shed. Never had anything go wrong that cost more than about £20, very easy to work on and dirt cheap to maintain if anything goes wrong which in my experience nothing really does

[anonymous-user]

bearman68 said:

sgtbash said:

What are the sheds to buy at present? I'm looking for something reliable and which I wouldn't care about.

Yaris of any age, fiestas are pretty good, Mk1 Focus is pretty decent, Avensis is fine, especially with the petrol engine, but not the 2.2 d4d, I personally rate the 1.7 astra H, (some don't), and I like late >2010 Peugeots, even with the 1.6 DV6 (8v is better). Or the 1.4 diesel in any guise in most things is pretty good. Dead cheap, Xsara Picasso with the 2.0 hdi engine. Volvo S60 / V70 manual with the Euro 3 2.4 D5 engine (very very good engines), Mondeo Mk4 is a good shed, with either of the diesel motors. Renault laguna 3 with a 2.0 diesel is excellent, and cheap. Very well built and spec'd. The Mk3 Megane with pretty much any of the engines is excellent, but the pick is the dci 106.
Apart from that, there's hardly anything out there.

Note the lack of German marques, Fiat, and Landrover.

Avensis is a cracking car, best low cost vehicle I've ever had as it did everything brilliantly and nothing badly, aside from being exciting, although IMHO you can have fun in any car as it's how and where you drive rather than what you drive.

[Richiepg25]

R50 BPS said:

Richiepg25 said:

Romford4 said:

I don't usually read Pistonheads... too many Billy Big bks bragging about their PCP'd-up M4 or whatever. However this topic caught my eye a few months ago and I've read every post from the OP's first on page 1 through to now. Do I get a medal or any kind of prize?

I tend to find sheds to be far more interesting than the latest whiz-bang M-series/AMG/RS whatever. And anything that plays sports exhaust noises from speakers under the car is beneath contempt in my book . I'd take a 10 yr old Aygo with 100k on the clock over a sporty 'prestige' German anony-box any day of the week. I'm not into track-days and drive/ride only on the public roads. I've frittered £1000+ per month away on expensive cars in the past and very quickly realised that for me personally, I have more fun hustling an old shed along a country road than any overly complicated, under-engineered & over-priced status symbol. There's a lot to be said for a car in which you need to be able to plan your overtakes carefully, to build and keep momentum going, to reach the limits of grip without going over them on some worn budget tyres, to learn some basic mechanical skills, to be able to park anywhere without worrying that some neerdowell will damage your finance company's property, to not be a worrier about breakdowns and being 'stranded', and to not give two sts about what your neighbours in the 'Who's got the newest, highest-specced Range Rover club' think (Yep, that's my street... lots of anonymous identikit new-build houses, with heavily financed identikit new 'prestige' cars parked outside).

Magpie, I saw a competitor to your Grot-box Galaxy near the Queensferry Crossing near Edinburgh about a month ago. Various coloured panels (and wheel-trims), but then I realised the owner had deliberately gone to the time and effort (& minor expense) of painting it in various bright (non-Ford) colours to create the look. Nil points from me..... a shed should be an organic evolvement, not an imposter. Maybe he just wants to annoy his neighbours?

Anyway, I'm driving a 5 year old bottom spec Civic, so currently WAAAAY off shed territory and not worthy of inclusion on this thread, but it's a keeper will one day achieve shed greatness!... maybe even with mis-matched panels . Had to check myself a few weeks ago when some lacquer was peeling off one of the alloys and corrosion had set in. I was contemplating blowing £800 on some new wheels . Soon put that idea to rest though. Overall living a fairly frugal life with some pretty cheap cars (bar the occasional stupid, but usually short-lived, splurge) has put me in the position whereby I'm able to retire when I turn 48 in a few months time. I'll likely still do plenty of work but it'll be 0-hours or contracting, entirely on my terms, and I won't be a wage-slave or answerable to 'the man'. I would never have been able to achieve that if I'd lived the life most of my neighbours seem to live and that buys me some serious peace-of-mind which no flash car could ever come close to.

Look forward to reading more of this thread and seeing pics of your various sheds.

Well said, I myself follow this topic regularly, I too got out of the rat race keeping up with the neighbours, chopped in my nice shiny bit of metal and downgraded too pay my mortgage off as soon as I can, ok I bought a 2009 CRV 18 months ago for £2000 with full honda history, not exactly shed but soon will be, I will and I am regularly servicing it, no monthly payments and park it up with no care in the world feels great, currently on 130,000 miles and and goes great, hope it stays that way. Keep the posts coming

Would love to know where you picked up an 11 year old CR-V for £2,000.... they command quite a premium.

I picked it up in Ayr in Scotland was advertised for £2350 I went and viewed it, bought for £2000 cash, the women selling it inherited her farthers brand new car as he passed away. There's the odd wee scuff on the body work but yes it was a cheap buy at the time.

[texaxile]

Richiepg25 said:

I picked it up in Ayr in Scotland was advertised for £2350 I went and viewed it, bought for £2000 cash, the women selling it inherited her farthers brand new car as he passed away. There's the odd wee scuff on the body work but yes it was a cheap buy at the time.

Yep, Mate of mine just paid £1300 for an 07 (pre facelift) Top of the range model with 114k.

Came with 4 worn out linglongs on it, but history, bodywork, interior and condition checks out. I told him it was a bargain, we're giving it a full service this weekend, couple of niggling issues but overall a decent motor for shed money with another 150k left in it if treated properly.

Actually, looking around it I'm a bit annoyed he saw it before I did. A hoover out, wash / wax service and set of new, half decent tyres and could have flipped it for a bit of profit (although Avons are coming in at £70 each!!, so add £280 to the purchase price)

[Richiepg25]

Yip they do pop up every now and then, the one I got had the clutch and all just replaced, folder full of recipts, it had £1800 spent on it at a dealer 6 months before I got it. It did smell of dog, a day or 2 scrubbing it and it cleaned up nicely. I had to replace a relay(£3) to get the aircon and fans going again and also a top up of aircon gas which was around £40.

[captain.scarlet]

sgtbash said:

What are the sheds to buy at present? I'm looking for something reliable and which I wouldn't care about.

Don't know if anyone shares my view, but the Toyota Corolla (2002-2007) is a cracking car.

I had a 2003 T2 1.6 petrol on a 53 plate to get me to and from work 20 miles away. Was only supposed to keep it for a few months.

Ended up keeping it longer than planned and I came to love it. Ice cold air conditioning, fantastic torque and acceleration, spacious and great handling. Seriously fun car.

And of course, Japanese quality. I left it standing outside for 7 months when I was done with it. Reconnected the battery when I came to sell it and it fired up as though it had still been in daily use, without any tired turning or cranking.

What a car.

I did have two Citroen C5s as well. I took the hydropneumatic suspension for granted. Everyone who sat in it remarked how comfy it was. Both had velour interiors. One passenger said it was like driving around in an armchair. The second one I had was a 2.0l SX petrol. Came with some decent options by then-standards like automatic headlights, wipers, dual climate control...I wouldn't mind another. The HDIs were always the pick of the bunch.

So that's another shed to consider, from the more quirky days of Citroen, purely for the comfort.

Sadly the Corolla seems to always be too sought after to be found as a cheap shed. I think finding a C5 is the same, what with everyone being a used car flipper and that.