The Joy of Running an Old Shed (Vol 2)

[Gordon Hill]

Sods law. Don't bother with the AA or RAC due to bad past experiences and insane renewal prices, I get it with my insurance for around a quid a week but insist on a policy that takes the car home instead of to garage that will write it off with all of the "vital" work that it will need doing.

[Mr Tidy]

7 5 7 said:

Sheds you don't wash....don't care where you park it..don't care if you keep the car unlocked...don't care if you come back to more dents or dings...I can go on, if it breaks and isn't worth fixing or labour rates cripple it if you can't DIY, you swap it and roll the dice again.

My shed is all the above, it will get a cambelt etc (it's cheap as it's a petrol) engine oil every so often, and wear n' tear consumables if it keeps it rolling...it pays it's way, it earns me business miles, it's a tool that is it! So, mechanically that's is all I care about.

The time I start washing and polishing it and spending my valuable time swooning over it, it's not the way I see it...the interior is hoovered every month, as i dont sit in st.

It will get what it wants if it's a safety issue unless it's corrosion in it's bones (basically MOT rules), nothing else! I am very strict.

I am borderline shed/bangernomics now, leaning more towards banger territory, and it's a friggin' brilliant freeing attitude.

Edited by 7 5 7 on Sunday 21st July 13:10

I think you are heading more towards bangernomics to be fair.

I maybe wash my shed twice a year, hoover it to keep the interior pleasant (I hate sitting in cars that are like mobile bins), don't worry about where I park or the odd scuff or ding but keep it serviced and mechanically sound. As it has a camchain I don't need to worry about belt changes.

But I do like everything to work properly so when my A/C was struggling in May I made a diagnostic visit to my regular Indy and luckily it was just a lack of gas so only cost £70.

However after enjoying it for over 5 years I've got quite attached to it, so might struggle to do the "swap and roll the dice again" part!

[Pit Pony]

r3g said:

captain.scarlet said:

DIY change of a crankshaft position sensor on a 1.6 petrol Ecotec and changing a water pump with a timing belt, shedders?

You may well find that a new sensor doesn't resolve the issue. Often it's an error in the circuit / wiring rather than the sensor itself. Check all your connectors and particularly the wiring to the injectors. The wires are known to break where they connect to the injectors.

On a vauxhall theme, when my 210k 3.2 V6 omega wouldn't start after 3 months sitting in lockdown, the omega owners forum told me that it was definately the crank position sensor, and I should replace it with a bosch one. Because.....they ALL do that sir. Some bloke I hardly knew other than via the forum came with a second hand one and helped me fit it on the drive.
And it started first time. I bought a bosch one and left it in the glove box just in case.

[captain.scarlet]

Pit Pony said:

r3g said:

captain.scarlet said:

DIY change of a crankshaft position sensor on a 1.6 petrol Ecotec and changing a water pump with a timing belt, shedders?

You may well find that a new sensor doesn't resolve the issue. Often it's an error in the circuit / wiring rather than the sensor itself. Check all your connectors and particularly the wiring to the injectors. The wires are known to break where they connect to the injectors.

On a vauxhall theme, when my 210k 3.2 V6 omega wouldn't start after 3 months sitting in lockdown, the omega owners forum told me that it was definately the crank position sensor, and I should replace it with a bosch one. Because.....they ALL do that sir. Some bloke I hardly knew other than via the forum came with a second hand one and helped me fit it on the drive.
And it started first time. I bought a bosch one and left it in the glove box just in case.

Cheers Both for the advance warning and tips. Sounds dramatic if it's because of the circuit - the engine is silky smooth with no lumpiness and idles completely silently. It's what makes it a decent enough shed I don't otherwise mind spending on.

It does sometimes lurch when letting go of the accelerator or changing gear.

And in the run-up to the fault code the engine when idling has simply cut out.

Like the Omega above It is parked up most of the time but since I bought it I have noticed a steady reduction in power until I got the fault code. Then again it's only a 1.6 petrol with 111 hp.

[BricktopST205]

Mr Tidy said:

I think you are heading more towards bangernomics to be fair.

I maybe wash my shed twice a year, hoover it to keep the interior pleasant (I hate sitting in cars that are like mobile bins), don't worry about where I park or the odd scuff or ding but keep it serviced and mechanically sound. As it has a camchain I don't need to worry about belt changes.

But I do like everything to work properly so when my A/C was struggling in May I made a diagnostic visit to my regular Indy and luckily it was just a lack of gas so only cost £70.

However after enjoying it for over 5 years I've got quite attached to it, so might struggle to do the "swap and roll the dice again" part!

Yeah middleclass shed is where it is at. My Saab 9-5 Aero has working AC and not a single fault electronically. Suspension has been refreshed and is on Goodyear Eagles on all four corners. It drives fantastically well for a 20 year old car. Has at least one wash a month with a good hoover. It has dents and scratches but is good at 1 meter. I bought a tin of 2k Silver to redo the wheels as they were last done in 2016 and I kerbed one of the wheels earlier in the year.

Just because something is old and isn't worth a lot doesn't mean you do not have to look after it. It is also great as if I am going to a hospital appointment or something I just grab the keys to the Saab and leave the nice cars at home. No worrying about some Karen opening her door into your car.

Coming up to my 10th year of ownership and I paid £1900 quid back in 2015. Likewise to yourself we have become quite attached to it.

[captain.scarlet]

Mr Tidy said:

7 5 7 said:

Sheds you don't wash....don't care where you park it..don't care if you keep the car unlocked...don't care if you come back to more dents or dings...I can go on, if it breaks and isn't worth fixing or labour rates cripple it if you can't DIY, you swap it and roll the dice again.

My shed is all the above, it will get a cambelt etc (it's cheap as it's a petrol) engine oil every so often, and wear n' tear consumables if it keeps it rolling...it pays it's way, it earns me business miles, it's a tool that is it! So, mechanically that's is all I care about.

The time I start washing and polishing it and spending my valuable time swooning over it, it's not the way I see it...the interior is hoovered every month, as i dont sit in st.

It will get what it wants if it's a safety issue unless it's corrosion in it's bones (basically MOT rules), nothing else! I am very strict.

I am borderline shed/bangernomics now, leaning more towards banger territory, and it's a friggin' brilliant freeing attitude.

Edited by 7 5 7 on Sunday 21st July 13:10

I think you are heading more towards bangernomics to be fair.

I maybe wash my shed twice a year, hoover it to keep the interior pleasant (I hate sitting in cars that are like mobile bins), don't worry about where I park or the odd scuff or ding but keep it serviced and mechanically sound. As it has a camchain I don't need to worry about belt changes.

But I do like everything to work properly so when my A/C was struggling in May I made a diagnostic visit to my regular Indy and luckily it was just a lack of gas so only cost £70.

However after enjoying it for over 5 years I've got quite attached to it, so might struggle to do the "swap and roll the dice again" part!

Me being me and tending to look after things, I'm of the type who doesn't want to see their shed, regardless of age or condition, getting damaged. No eating or smoking inside. There's already a fag burn in the passenger seat from before and I don't need anyone adding more, or turning it into a mobile sewer. I have been using it as a workhorse more recently but still taking precautions like covering the seats, careful loading/unloading etc.

Likewise even though the bodywork isn't mint, I'd happily stand my ground if, for example, another motorist thinks they can bully my shed into the shrubs and take the rap on a narrow country road because it's somehow a lesser car.

It's one reason why I park in the isolated parking spaces. I don't want my car bodywork made worse. We're talking about another person's personal property and respect. Sadly there are some who think that if an owner doesn't treat their belongings (car) with respect then why should anyone else - hence not giving a damn when opening their car doors soissons against another person's car.

I gave my anecdote above about the recent handbrake failure that now means a new tail light, bumper repair/replacement and paint job needed. Gutted really that it happened but I'm not too fussed about having to pay to repair
In any situation spending for the love of the car rather than how much the car is worth is a necessary consideration when shedding.

So much so I'm actually looking forward to finishing using the car as a workhorse and full interior detail and hygienic deep clean.

[James_N]

I like my Pug 106, purely because it got me out of a hole when I needed some really cheap wheels. I said if it lasts me 6 months, i'll be happy. That was 4 and a half years ago now and I am rather attached to it.

I look at swapping it purely because I would like some PAS and Aircon but the 106 has been looked after mechanically and had a lot done to it, so reluctant to change.

Outside, the lacquer is peeling on the roof (they all do that!), the rear bumper is scratched to bits from lugging stuff about but i'm not fussed on paintwork.

I do hate a messy interior however. The second hand carpets I purchased, came with a hole in the driver side, which has been getting bigger, this annoys me, but I still can't find the source of the leak of water into the drivers footwell. Not sure if its the drivers door seal, or something to do with the roof.

Speaking of the roof, it does and has leaked in the past - drain holes. This has made the headlining go mouldy in the corners. Wiped the best of it away but its stained the headlining. This annoys me and looks minging so have been thinking of changing it.

If anything, it gives me something to tinker with. MOT looming in 6 weeks or so, so I'll wait that out and make sure it passes. It should do, no mechanical issues, no suspension noises and no rust so I'm optimistic!

I figure it cost me £250 years ago, so owes me nothing and i don't mind spending a bit to keep it going, especially as a decent replacement 107 or something would be at least £2k

Edited by James_N on Monday 22 July 11:47

[r3g]

James_N said:

I do hate a messy interior however. The second hand carpets I purchased, came with a hole in the driver side, which has been getting bigger, this annoys me, but I still can't find the source of the leak of water into the drivers footwell. Not sure if its the drivers door seal, or something to do with the roof.

ChecK underneath the scuttle panel under the bonnet. Not familiar with the 106 engine bay but I have an annoyong leak on my Nova (!) once and it was a small area of rot in the bottom of the scuttle panel, which is pretty much above the bulkhead. Rain water was draining into the scuttle panel, but not making it as far as the drain holes, instead coming into the cabin through the hole in the rust and filling the passenger footwell with water. Was quite a simple fix, just got an 8" rubber pad, laid it over the rust spot and sealed round the edges, problem solved!

Edited by r3g on Tuesday 23 July 00:49

[Mr Tidy]

BricktopST205 said:

Mr Tidy said:

I think you are heading more towards bangernomics to be fair.

I maybe wash my shed twice a year, hoover it to keep the interior pleasant (I hate sitting in cars that are like mobile bins), don't worry about where I park or the odd scuff or ding but keep it serviced and mechanically sound. As it has a camchain I don't need to worry about belt changes.

But I do like everything to work properly so when my A/C was struggling in May I made a diagnostic visit to my regular Indy and luckily it was just a lack of gas so only cost £70.

However after enjoying it for over 5 years I've got quite attached to it, so might struggle to do the "swap and roll the dice again" part!

Yeah middleclass shed is where it is at. My Saab 9-5 Aero has working AC and not a single fault electronically. Suspension has been refreshed and is on Goodyear Eagles on all four corners. It drives fantastically well for a 20 year old car. Has at least one wash a month with a good hoover. It has dents and scratches but is good at 1 meter. I bought a tin of 2k Silver to redo the wheels as they were last done in 2016 and I kerbed one of the wheels earlier in the year.

Just because something is old and isn't worth a lot doesn't mean you do not have to look after it. It is also great as if I am going to a hospital appointment or something I just grab the keys to the Saab and leave the nice cars at home. No worrying about some Karen opening her door into your car.

Coming up to my 10th year of ownership and I paid £1900 quid back in 2015. Likewise to yourself we have become quite attached to it.

That sounds very much like my experience!

I want it to perform properly, and for over 5 years it has done exactly that. Conti summer tyres that I swap every year for Hankook winters - it just works.

Even if it has less than perfect bodywork!

[r3g]

funinhounslow said:

I thought looking after your older car was the difference between a “shed” and “bangernomics”…?

The original thread seems to have been specifically for people driving "bangernomics" style and not giving a crap if it breaks, just scrap it and go buy another one, but has since morphed into a thread for anyone driving an old car and the trials and tribulations that come with owning and running old cars. I like the mix of stories.

[captain.scarlet]

r3g said:

funinhounslow said:

I thought looking after your older car was the difference between a “shed” and “bangernomics”…?

The original thread seems to have been specifically for people driving "bangernomics" style and not giving a crap if it breaks, just scrap it and go buy another one, but has since morphed into a thread for anyone driving an old car and the trials and tribulations that come with owning and running old cars. I like the mix of stories.

Ditto.

IMO today's bangers and sheds are tomorrow's classics.

It's also admirable to see people who will be prepared to spend on keeping a car going - everything can be fixed rather than simply scrapped. They do it in other countries where you'll still see plenty of older vehicles still going.

Sadly a mixture of shame in owning an older car, owner carelessness potential mechanic incompetence, labour costs and road tax rates are causing many decent old cars off the roads altogether, and that's not including corrosion issues.

[Hoofy]

r3g said:

The original thread seems to have been specifically for people driving "bangernomics" style and not giving a crap if it breaks, just scrap it and go buy another one, but has since morphed into a thread for anyone driving an old car and the trials and tribulations that come with owning and running old cars. I like the mix of stories.

That's the bangernomics threads which died a few months ago.

[r3g]

Hoofy said:

That's the bangernomics threads which died a few months ago.

Nope. https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

[7 5 7]

Think we need a (Vol 3) setting up OP

[greenarrow]

captain.scarlet said:

Ditto.

IMO today's bangers and sheds are tomorrow's classics.

It's also admirable to see people who will be prepared to spend on keeping a car going - everything can be fixed rather than simply scrapped. They do it in other countries where you'll still see plenty of older vehicles still going.

Sadly a mixture of shame in owning an older car, owner carelessness potential mechanic incompetence, labour costs and road tax rates are causing many decent old cars off the roads altogether, and that's not including corrosion issues.

I agree and the people running bangers and sheds should be saluted, because they are ensuring there remains at least some supply of older cars to evolve into classics for people to buy and enjoy further down the line. So few 90s modern classics around these days I feel due to the scrappage scheme which removed many perfectly serviceable and usable cars. Ironically one of the benefactors of the scheme was the original Hyundai i10 which in turn is now in the shed/modern classic territory itself....

[Hoofy]

r3g said:

Hoofy said:

That's the bangernomics threads which died a few months ago.

Nope. https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

Right - but it's not the proper ethos of buying a £500 banger and binning it as soon as it plays up, which is what I was doing until my latest shed for which I keep throwing money at (because I cba to pick up a spanner).

[bodhi]

For me the difference between running a shed and running a banger is what happens when things go wrong. A banger will probably be instantly junked, even for a fairly trivial problem, whereas a shed will get fixed, typically on the owner's drive.

[r3g]

bodhi said:

For me the difference between running a shed and running a banger is what happens when things go wrong. A banger will probably be instantly junked, even for a fairly trivial problem, whereas a shed will get fixed, typically on the owner's drive.

The problem is that since the covaids, "bangers" have gone from being £500 quid to £1500-2000 and £1000 "sheds" are now £2500-3000 so only those with money to burn are going to be instantly junking them when they go wrong.

Unfortunately with the cost-of-living 'squeeze' I think the prices at this end of the market will continue to be high as people are forced out of their rented £250 a month Audi A3 S-Lines in white with black wheels and just need a cheap set of wheels to get them to work.

[Hoofy]

r3g said:

The problem is that since the covaids, "bangers" have gone from being £500 quid to £1500-2000 and £1000 "sheds" are now £2500-3000 so only those with money to burn are going to be instantly junking them when they go wrong.

Unfortunately with the cost-of-living 'squeeze' I think the prices at this end of the market will continue to be high as people are forced out of their rented £250 a month Audi A3 S-Lines in white with black wheels and just need a cheap set of wheels to get them to work.

Yep. £1.5k would have got you into a fairly reliable car 5 years ago, £700 was a punt. Nowadays, £700 is scrap, £1.5k is a punt. Your reason certainly makes sense so there are more buyers at this end of the market than before.

[QBee]

I bought an 8 year old Audi A8 back in 2012 with reasonable mileage from a dealer for £7,000.
Driving past the local second hand forecourt this morning, that would get you 12-14 year old non-descript family car.
So I am sticking with my 22 year old Saab until it dies.