The Art of Shedding
Discussion
andy43 said:
I wish...Excellent thread. I’m hoping you’ve got traders insurance - or you’ll easily be on first name terms with most of the insurers call centre staff.
I ended up taking out a traders policy for me and the Mrs, it works out about the same but makes buying cars too easy.
The funny thing is I'm not buying with the intention of selling on at a profit, what happens is I see something I fancy and sell something I've got to make room for it.
Brilliant thread !!
You must have a lot of faith in the seller to do a trip like that !!!
Re the Chevette, I bought a 1978T reg Opel Kadett 1.2 off a pal as a "Stop Gap' car when I stored my 1973 MGBGT because I did not know whether to keep the MG or not.
Drove the Opel as a daily for about a year, hammered it up and down the A1 on my commute, only issues were the indicator/washer stalk packed up ( got a scrap one to replace it ) and the manifold ( cast IIRC) broke and the car sounded like a tank !
Other than that, it was a great wee car, superb gearbox and handled well.
I would be tempted to sort your Chevette out, maybe drop a bigger engine in it ( I seem to recall they did an HS version with a 2.3 ?) and keep it as a 'sleeper ' with those cool black steelies on it.
The design still looks OK even now....IMO of course.
You must have a lot of faith in the seller to do a trip like that !!!
Re the Chevette, I bought a 1978T reg Opel Kadett 1.2 off a pal as a "Stop Gap' car when I stored my 1973 MGBGT because I did not know whether to keep the MG or not.
Drove the Opel as a daily for about a year, hammered it up and down the A1 on my commute, only issues were the indicator/washer stalk packed up ( got a scrap one to replace it ) and the manifold ( cast IIRC) broke and the car sounded like a tank !
Other than that, it was a great wee car, superb gearbox and handled well.
I would be tempted to sort your Chevette out, maybe drop a bigger engine in it ( I seem to recall they did an HS version with a 2.3 ?) and keep it as a 'sleeper ' with those cool black steelies on it.
The design still looks OK even now....IMO of course.
Retros
te said:
te said:andy43 said:
I wish...Excellent thread. I’m hoping you’ve got traders insurance - or you’ll easily be on first name terms with most of the insurers call centre staff.
I ended up taking out a traders policy for me and the Mrs, it works out about the same but makes buying cars too easy.
The funny thing is I'm not buying with the intention of selling on at a profit, what happens is I see something I fancy and sell something I've got to make room for it.
Hub said:
Wow, some ratty motors there - that Sierra!
Quite a few now rare cars too - most are at the age of increased rarity and value rather than bottom of the depreciation curve 15 year old cars of the typical shedder. Are many restored?
I try and avoid cars made after 2000, I'm regularly finding 20-40 year old cars for not much money that apparently don't exist these days. I'm not practicing bangernomics or anything like that, I just prefer cars from a certain era.Quite a few now rare cars too - most are at the age of increased rarity and value rather than bottom of the depreciation curve 15 year old cars of the typical shedder. Are many restored?
None of them are restored but some of them have likely had a bit of welding over the years.
I think typical shed drivers driving 15 year old bargain basement cars aren't doing so out of choice, I buy cars I like, use them for a while and sell them on to make way for something else.
DSC_0809 by srblythe, on FlickrThe Last car I bought in 2017 was this Peugeot 406 turbo diesel estate, it was a bit of a shed but the fuel economy was decent and it was a comfortable mile muncher.
I swapped if for a Volvo 340 Variomatic with the rubber band gearbox which was my first car of 2018.
RJC_9871 by srblythe, on FlickrIt was quite a clean car but didn't run all that well so I sold it on a while later.
I didn't buy anything in February but had fun taking my sheds out in the snow, the W123 went everywhere.
w123 by srblythe, on Flickr
RJC_0253a by srblythe, on Flickr
w123 by srblythe, on Flickr
RJC_0283 by srblythe, on Flickr
RJC_0284 by srblythe, on Flickr
RJC_0286 by srblythe, on FlickrWith a set of winter tyres fitted it performed faultlessly in the snow and didn't manage to get stuck once.
RJC_0295 by srblythe, on FlickrMy 190E and L200 were hopeless so they were abandoned until the snow cleared.
RJC_0302 by srblythe, on Flickr
RJC_0308 by srblythe, on Flickr
RJC_0313 by srblythe, on FlickrThe Lada had a new set of winters but it was hopeless compared with the W123 so I didn't drive it much in the snow.
RJC_0396 by srblythe, on Flickr
RJC_0406 by srblythe, on FlickrThe 305 van with a pair of winters up front was pretty good too.
It wasn't until March I found something else worth buying.
RJC_0524 by srblythe, on Flickr
RJC_0526 by srblythe, on FlickrA 1.8 Audi 80 B2 with an mot measured in days, 30 miles north of Inverness and in need of some welding.
I spent a bit of time welding it and replacing lots of parts and used it for a few months including a trip around the north coast 500, I sold it on in the summer.
The route by srblythe, on Flickr
RJC_1560 by srblythe, on Flickr
RJC_1537 by srblythe, on Flickr
RJC_1484 by srblythe, on Flickr
RJC_1397 by srblythe, on Flickr
RJC_2063 by srblythe, on Flickr
RJC_2050 by srblythe, on FlickrApril saw me swap my L200 for a 4x4 Mazda which I kept for a couple of months.
I sold the 305 van
RJC_1177 by srblythe, on FlickrAlso in April I bought another 305 estate
RJC_1181 by srblythe, on Flickr
RJC_1184 by srblythe, on Flickr
RJC_1185 by srblythe, on Flickr
RJC_1296 by srblythe, on FlickrI bought it from the Morris Leslie classic action and had to do a bit of welding to get it through its mot. I'm still using it daily.
RJC_1349 by srblythe, on FlickrMay saw the arrival of a Citroen C15 van
RJC_1696 by srblythe, on Flickr
RJC_1699 by srblythe, on Flickr
DSC_0731 by srblythe, on FlickrI welded the sills and sold it on.
DSC_0771 by srblythe, on FlickrJune saw me buying a Proton Jumbuck I had previously owned sight unseen on eBay.
It was a lot more f
ked than I anticipated so I sold it on and bought a nicer one.
RJC_2175 by srblythe, on FlickrThat guy who ended up with my L200 also took the C15.
RJC_2353 by srblythe, on Flickr
RJC_2351 by srblythe, on FlickrI spotted a total f
king shed of a Ranger (which I still have) so promptly got the red Jumbuck away to fk to make way for the Ranger.
DSC_0850 by srblythe, on FlickrI changed the look of the Ranger from biker gang wanabee to cowboy builder with some badly applied paint.
DSC_0856 by srblythe, on FlickrJuly saw this cool old Polo saloon arrive.
DSC_0866 by srblythe, on Flickr
RJC_2715 by srblythe, on Flickr
RJC_2718 by srblythe, on Flickr
RJC_2765 by srblythe, on FlickrI spent quite a lot of time and money sorting out a lot of issues and getting it through an mot. As I discovered, Polo's are actually just s
t so I sold it on breaking even.
RJC_2837 by srblythe, on Flickr
RJC_2835 by srblythe, on Flickr
RJC_2833 by srblythe, on FlickrMy Proton's head gasket blew and I spent a considerable amount of time and money fixing it, I had the head skimmed, new head bolts, gaskets, water pump and timing belt installed then sold it on for less that I'd just spent on fixing it. I didn't want to be responsible for sending it to the scrappers so wanted to make sure it stood a chance of being preserved by the next owner.
August saw a poverty spec Renault 19 arrive, I used it for a couple of months and sold it on for what I'd paid for it.
RJC_3520 by srblythe, on Flickr
RJC_3522 by srblythe, on FlickrSeptember saw me buying a Proton from a scrapyard in Paisley for £200, it reeked of pish inside and I had an unpleasant drive back to Fife in it. I spent hours welding up the rear arches and got it through an mot.
RJC_4719 by srblythe, on Flickr
RJC_4539 by srblythe, on FlickrIn October I bought a 1998 Mazda 323
RJC_4862 - Copy by srblythe, on Flickr
RJC_4859 - Copy by srblythe, on FlickrI really didn't like it at all so only kept it for a few days.
Also in October I bough an Estelle
RJC_4906 by srblythe, on Flickr
RJC_4909 by srblythe, on Flickr
RJC_4912 by srblythe, on FlickrTried and failed to get it going and sold it in December
I occasionally hire my cars out for films and got word of one being shot in Edinburgh and Glasgow which they were giving £400 per car per day.
RJC_5342 by srblythe, on Flickr
RJC_5340 by srblythe, on FlickrI provided the 305, Proton and 190E on one of the days and borrowed a pals Honda Ballade for filming on another day and split the money with him.
RJC_5718 by srblythe, on FlickrI knew the production company were still looking for 90's cars for another date so scoured eBay for suitable candidates, I figured if I could get a car for less than £400 use it in the film and be paid for it the car essentially becomes free...
RJC_5744 by srblythe, on FlickrI ended up buying a Felicia for £275 and actually it isn't bad at all, I still have it!
November I bought another Audi 80, this one with the smooth 5 cylinder engine and auto gearbox.
RJC_5553 by srblythe, on Flickr
£15 car by srblythe, on FlickrI won an Avensis for £15 and gave it away to my dad.
End of November I bought a Mercedes 280CE
RJC_5703 by srblythe, on Flickr
RJC_5705 by srblythe, on FlickrIt was a bit of an impulse buy having sold the mk2 Polo the day before and having money to waste. I ended up selling it on to a friend for a little bit more than I paid for it.
Mid December saw a shed of a Mazda 323 turn up.
RJC_5940 by srblythe, on Flickr
RJC_5941 by srblythe, on Flickr
RJC_5943 by srblythe, on Flickr
RJC_5950 by srblythe, on FlickrThe 323 was a complete shed, it broke down multiple times on the way home from buying it, I later found out that the tank was full of sugar. I think it got scrapped eventually.
RJC_6158 by srblythe, on Flickr
RJC_6154 by srblythe, on Flickr
Oh dear! by srblythe, on Flickr
RJC_6149 by srblythe, on Flickr
RJC_6148 by srblythe, on FlickrLast car of the year was an executive shed Hyundai XG30, bought for around £300, it had a couple of warning lights on the dash but drove fine. I swapped it for the horrible Sierra estate with the 2.3 diesel indenor engine at the start of 2019...
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