When do you let your car become a shed?
Discussion
Hi fellow PH’rs,
Having owned a variety of nice cars in the past (classic Mini, ATR, S-Type V8 etc) I now find myself as a father of 2 small boys driving a family workhorse. It’s definitely on my to do list to purchase something nice to tinker at (E36 is in the lead at the minute), but for the meantime I’m stuck with this; a Mazda 6 TS diesel, pictured below when I borrowed my parent’s driveway (mine is on an incline) to re-spray some badly corroded alloys.
My question is as the title suggests but is more about your attitude towards a car I.e. you try to keep everything as nice as possible and give the car what it needs, or you just don’t care and only fix what breaks a la shedding.
It’s a 2005 – 88,000 on the clock – full service history – lots of dents and dings (previous owner of course) – rust on all 4 arches – rust around rear window – using a bit of oil (maybe valve stem seals as only smokey on start up?) – you get the idea. Purchased 18 months ago for £2,300.
So, I’m at a bit of a crossroads - do I keep the service history intact and put a bit of money into sorting some of the issues? Or let it slide, become a bit of a shedder, service it myself, not really care about aesthetics and just keep running it until it dies (or maybe sell it before then)?
It’s not a total turd but I think it’s now reached a point in its life (and monetary value) where this decision has to be made.
Hope the above makes sense. What would you do?
Having owned a variety of nice cars in the past (classic Mini, ATR, S-Type V8 etc) I now find myself as a father of 2 small boys driving a family workhorse. It’s definitely on my to do list to purchase something nice to tinker at (E36 is in the lead at the minute), but for the meantime I’m stuck with this; a Mazda 6 TS diesel, pictured below when I borrowed my parent’s driveway (mine is on an incline) to re-spray some badly corroded alloys.
My question is as the title suggests but is more about your attitude towards a car I.e. you try to keep everything as nice as possible and give the car what it needs, or you just don’t care and only fix what breaks a la shedding.
It’s a 2005 – 88,000 on the clock – full service history – lots of dents and dings (previous owner of course) – rust on all 4 arches – rust around rear window – using a bit of oil (maybe valve stem seals as only smokey on start up?) – you get the idea. Purchased 18 months ago for £2,300.
So, I’m at a bit of a crossroads - do I keep the service history intact and put a bit of money into sorting some of the issues? Or let it slide, become a bit of a shedder, service it myself, not really care about aesthetics and just keep running it until it dies (or maybe sell it before then)?
It’s not a total turd but I think it’s now reached a point in its life (and monetary value) where this decision has to be made.
Hope the above makes sense. What would you do?
With my own I just spend enough to keep it healthy mechanically. Home servicing and repairs where possible. The little niggles I don't bother about, it's just not worth it. Especially on those Mazdas, it's shocking how badly they rust for something still I consider to be quite modern.
I'd start to self service if you're capable. Just keep all receipts and write the date, mileage and a brief description of work done on each on. I would consider that to still be FSH on an older cheaper car as many cars of that age will be run on a shoe string by people who don't care.
@ Pickled Piper – I always have done, which is why this is a difficult decision. The Mazda is currently in better nick mechanically than it was (new pads disks tyres fuel pump etc) but the smoking on start up and rust are more recent developments.
@ A.J.M. – Potentially, who knows. Trying to diagnose oil burning issues on a 9 year old diesel alone, could be worth half the value of the car, never mind rust etc I know people who have spent hundreds on replacing turbos, injectors etc and have not solved problems.
@ Stenn and MJK 24 – Yes this is probably where I’m at right now. I did replace a faulty suction control valve recently. Servicing and general maintenance is within my skill set – bigger jobs probably aren’t but I’d like to learn and this might be a good way to do that.
I have noticed on a few classified adverts “dealer serviced until 2009 and maintained by myself since” and I don’t think this would put me off particularly – depends on my impression of the seller and the condition of the car.
I don’t want to throw good money after bad. I could easily chuck a grand at the car and it’s only worth 2 on a good day. I’ll spend money on maintenance and save the rest.
£1k saved is £1k to spend on another car...right!?
[browses E36 in classifieds]
@ A.J.M. – Potentially, who knows. Trying to diagnose oil burning issues on a 9 year old diesel alone, could be worth half the value of the car, never mind rust etc I know people who have spent hundreds on replacing turbos, injectors etc and have not solved problems.
@ Stenn and MJK 24 – Yes this is probably where I’m at right now. I did replace a faulty suction control valve recently. Servicing and general maintenance is within my skill set – bigger jobs probably aren’t but I’d like to learn and this might be a good way to do that.
I have noticed on a few classified adverts “dealer serviced until 2009 and maintained by myself since” and I don’t think this would put me off particularly – depends on my impression of the seller and the condition of the car.
I don’t want to throw good money after bad. I could easily chuck a grand at the car and it’s only worth 2 on a good day. I’ll spend money on maintenance and save the rest.
£1k saved is £1k to spend on another car...right!?
[browses E36 in classifieds]
Edited by nm121 on Thursday 8th May 10:00
I take the approach that as long as it is financially justifiable then I keep on top of the stuff that needs doing as I want the car to be 'right'
My current daily is an '04 Toledo 1.8T with 95k on it but it still gets washed and polished and any bits done that need doing, properly serviced and all that. It still needs to be reliable and I don't really like driving around in something that might let me down so until the point comes along that its not sensible to throw any more money at it, I'll keep on top of it.
My current daily is an '04 Toledo 1.8T with 95k on it but it still gets washed and polished and any bits done that need doing, properly serviced and all that. It still needs to be reliable and I don't really like driving around in something that might let me down so until the point comes along that its not sensible to throw any more money at it, I'll keep on top of it.
A shed should still be safe, though! No excuse for neglecting brakes, tyres and suspension and keeping those tip top. Personally at £2000 value with rust forming I think I would let the cosmetics slide into shed territory.
£2000 is still a fair amount of money so it still deserves routine oil changes. It's also a difficult value as well because it's in the middle ground of too much value to just write off and scrap, yet not valuable enough to spend any real amount of money fixing. At least with a £1000 car it becomes easier to make the fix/scrap decision.
£2000 is still a fair amount of money so it still deserves routine oil changes. It's also a difficult value as well because it's in the middle ground of too much value to just write off and scrap, yet not valuable enough to spend any real amount of money fixing. At least with a £1000 car it becomes easier to make the fix/scrap decision.
Yes, Mazda's do suffer the tin worm.
Seen a 05 Mazda 3 with rust on all 4 arches, all door bottoms, sills, boot and bonnet.
Smokey start up could cost more than the car's worth to put right. I would leave it be.
Keep it serviced and safe to drive, if you have young kids then the interior will take a pounding anyway so something like this car could be ideal for you for a few years till the kids grow up a bit.
Seen a 05 Mazda 3 with rust on all 4 arches, all door bottoms, sills, boot and bonnet.
Smokey start up could cost more than the car's worth to put right. I would leave it be.
Keep it serviced and safe to drive, if you have young kids then the interior will take a pounding anyway so something like this car could be ideal for you for a few years till the kids grow up a bit.
Bennet said:
2005 and rusty?
Mental note made never to buy an old Mazda.
My 1999 Mondeo shed is only just going rusty on one arch.
Do you live near the sea?
Plenty of Mk3 Mondeo's went rusty due to a fault with door seam sealant. I still wouldn't class my Mk1 Mondeo (1996) as a shed. It has a lot of rust underneath but is part of the family. MOT tomorrow actually Mental note made never to buy an old Mazda.
My 1999 Mondeo shed is only just going rusty on one arch.
Do you live near the sea?
Last year cost an arm & a leg with a new steering rack, brake lines & handbrake cable. Anyone with any sense would have got rid years ago!If it is light rusting, and no holes appearing, see if you can get it sorted out. If you decide to let it go, it'll turn into a much bigger problem.
With the oil burning issue, is it worth trying a differant grade of oil? Might be a dodgy route to take, speak to the opie oil man?
How much would a car in good condition (subjective to the individual here) cost you? And would you be likley to have to carry out some of the same repairs and larger maintainence that you have already done on the mazda?
I keep threatening to sell my shedanomics motorcycle for something newer. But I'd have to go about doing lots of things to a newer bike that I've already done with my bike e.g. chassis servicing and some things I'll have to do regardless of what bike I have e.g. valve checks. So i'm keeping it until it does something really catastrophic
With the oil burning issue, is it worth trying a differant grade of oil? Might be a dodgy route to take, speak to the opie oil man?
How much would a car in good condition (subjective to the individual here) cost you? And would you be likley to have to carry out some of the same repairs and larger maintainence that you have already done on the mazda?
I keep threatening to sell my shedanomics motorcycle for something newer. But I'd have to go about doing lots of things to a newer bike that I've already done with my bike e.g. chassis servicing and some things I'll have to do regardless of what bike I have e.g. valve checks. So i'm keeping it until it does something really catastrophic
Isn't it covered under the manufacturers corrosion warranty?
Unless its caused by stone chips etc..
If its corroding from under the paintwork then its covered....isn't it?
Personally I wouldn't pay for a service anymore.
Its probably worth £1500-1800?
When you are ready to sell pop it on Ebay and it will easily go
Unless its caused by stone chips etc..
If its corroding from under the paintwork then its covered....isn't it?
Personally I wouldn't pay for a service anymore.
Its probably worth £1500-1800?
When you are ready to sell pop it on Ebay and it will easily go
I'm incapable of letting my car become a shed. I've owned plenty of older cheapish cars but I can't stop myself from maintaining them regardless of cost. It doesn't make any kind of financial sense but I can't stop myself from using OE parts for everything and fixing the most minor problems.
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