Reverse man maths - return to shedding - Page 1 - Car Buying

Pieman68

Original Poster

4,291 posts

262 months

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Monday 2nd August 2021

Afternoon all

Currently have a Renault Kadjar 1.5dci on PCP with £7k owing at £130 a month

Now permanently home based and mileage over the last 19 months has been under 10k (was 12k a year). I can't help thinking that (a) I'm paying out for nothing, and (b) the lack of mileage is not good for a diesel and I could end up with big bill from the DPF

Used stock at high prices mean I could sell to WBAC and come out with £2k after finance settled, so would be £7k less debt, £130 a month better off and a car owned outright. Will then use the £130 a month to clear debts down before converting to additional pension contributions (I'm 46)

The question is what would your choice be if you were in the budget market? I quite fancy a Civic or a Golf but mileages are high at those prices. Would you just buy on condition and history rather than a specific model

As I'm a not unsubstantial chap my target genre is the mid size family hatch

Cheers all smile

JeremyH5

1,833 posts

163 months

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Monday 2nd August 2021

There’s a Honda Civic for £2k with 39,000 miles on it in Blackburn on AT. Win!

voram

9,402 posts

62 months

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Monday 2nd August 2021

I'd be looking for something Japanese and with limited demand. The only catch is parts prices can be higher than the normal Euro-trash but hopefully good reliability should mean you don't need many parts in any event.

randlemarcus

13,646 posts

259 months

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Monday 2nd August 2021

The only problem I can see in the logic is that the £2k budget is going where a lot of people are also searching, so realistically it's going to buy you £1600's worth of car today? That's not shedding, that's your only car, with all the risks that entails. Sticking two grand in the shed fund, and buying a snotter for 500 is shedding smile

Pieman68

Original Poster

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262 months

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Monday 2nd August 2021

JeremyH5 said:

There’s a Honda Civic for £2k with 39,000 miles on it in Blackburn on AT. Win!

That's a nice looking little motor and only just the wrong side of the hills. Only downside that I can see it the auto as I've never driven one smile

Pieman68

Original Poster

4,291 posts

262 months

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Monday 2nd August 2021

randlemarcus said:

The only problem I can see in the logic is that the £2k budget is going where a lot of people are also searching, so realistically it's going to buy you £1600's worth of car today? That's not shedding, that's your only car, with all the risks that entails. Sticking two grand in the shed fund, and buying a snotter for 500 is shedding smile

Fair point. I was originally thinking of buying a snotter around the £800 mark and sticking a timing belt and service on top

Wife's car is also there in case of emergencies and is big enough for all the family (although at 19 and 17 it's rare we all end up in the car together any more)

I've actually seen a Civic with 89k on for about that money on a 55 plate

surveyor

18,680 posts

212 months

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Monday 2nd August 2021

I'd go Swede. Saab or Volvo...

CO2000

3,177 posts

237 months

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Monday 2nd August 2021

Toyota Corolla, stand out as normally clean older cars that go on for ever!

JeremyH5

1,833 posts

163 months

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Monday 2nd August 2021

Pieman68 said:

JeremyH5 said:

There’s a Honda Civic for £2k with 39,000 miles on it in Blackburn on AT. Win!

That's a nice looking little motor and only just the wrong side of the hills. Only downside that I can see it the auto as I've never driven one smile

That’s not a downside. And the car looks brand new. It will feel it too. Just pop over the hill and post the forecourt shot laugh

Baldchap

9,618 posts

120 months

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Monday 2nd August 2021

I like to keep a shed for use as a PubKa. Recently bought a £1500 Citroen C4 on a 2005 plate.

I think it's averaging about £200 per month in odds and sods.

Conversely, the £300 Focus I had before it needed a coil pack, two droplinls and a suspension arm (and I manufactured an undertray in my workshop as the whole bumper/light area was wobbly and MOT-faily as hell) in two years.

Cosmetically the C4 is way better. It's better equipped and for some reason I like its quirkiness. Being the 2.0 it's actually reasonably brisk (for what it is). But I never forget that it's a warning light away from a £XXXX bill.

My old £250 K11 Micra cost me nothing beyond servicing until I put a lift through the floorpan.

So yeah, if you're buying a shed for financial reasons, get a Japanese one, or at least something reasonably well regarded. Don't buy French or Italian...

Pieman68

Original Poster

4,291 posts

262 months

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Monday 2nd August 2021

Baldchap said:

I like to keep a shed for use as a PubKa. Recently bought a £1500 Citroen C4 on a 2005 plate.

I think it's averaging about £200 per month in odds and sods.

Conversely, the £300 Focus I had before it needed a coil pack, two droplinls and a suspension arm (and I manufactured an undertray in my workshop as the whole bumper/light area was wobbly and MOT-faily as hell) in two years.

Cosmetically the C4 is way better. It's better equipped and for some reason I like its quirkiness. Being the 2.0 it's actually reasonably brisk (for what it is). But I never forget that it's a warning light away from a £XXXX bill.

My old £250 K11 Micra cost me nothing beyond servicing until I put a lift through the floorpan.

So yeah, if you're buying a shed for financial reasons, get a Japanese one, or at least something reasonably well regarded. Don't buy French or Italian...

Certainly wouldn't go Italian but I must have been lucky with French as I've had a Renault 19, 2 x Meganes (Mk1 and Mk3), a Scenic, the Kadjar and 2 x Pug 306s over the years and never had one go wrong

Alex_225

7,675 posts

229 months

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Monday 2nd August 2021

I can't comment from a hatchback perspective as it's not a market I've gone into from a budget perspective.

I'm definitely all in favour of cheaper/older cars though, especially for daily use. I had sold an E Class Merc last year for £1,500 which was the going rate. It had a 3.2 diesel, was mapped so went extremely well, leather interior, electric heated seats etc. Was overall the best car I've ever owned. Something to be said for buying a good condition, older car. smile

ZX10R NIN

30,462 posts

153 months

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Tuesday 3rd August 2021

Pieman68

Original Poster

4,291 posts

262 months

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Tuesday 3rd August 2021

ZX10R NIN said:

Thanks for your input

Off to look at a Mazda 3 tomorrow smile

tedman

381 posts

132 months

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Tuesday 3rd August 2021

Pieman68 said:

Thanks for your input

Off to look at a Mazda 3 tomorrow smile

Had same gen 2 Mazda 3 in Sport trim with 1.6 petrol. Nice handling a good to drive. Only issue I had was with the intake manifold gaskets which were made of cheese. Other than that completely bullet proof.

georgeyboy12345

4,581 posts

63 months

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Tuesday 3rd August 2021

Civics are good buys at this price point, Golfs not so much

Honda Civic 1.4 i-DSI
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202107285...

Honda Civic 1.8 i-VTEC
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202106113...

Hyundai i30 1.6 Style
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202106284...

Kid Ceed 1.6 GS
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202107014...

Mazda 3 1.6 TS2
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202108035...

Nissan Note 1.6 16v
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202106304...

If you must have a Golf, I'd go for an old mk4 with the basic 1.6 like this (EA827 engine, dating back to 1972) to mitigate against the risk of bork. Make sure the timing belt has been changed though.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202107285...

Pieman68

Original Poster

4,291 posts

262 months

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Wednesday 4th August 2021

georgeyboy12345 said:

Civics are good buys at this price point, Golfs not so much

Honda Civic 1.4 i-DSI
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202107285...

Honda Civic 1.8 i-VTEC
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202106113...

Hyundai i30 1.6 Style
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202106284...

Kid Ceed 1.6 GS
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202107014...

Mazda 3 1.6 TS2
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202108035...

Nissan Note 1.6 16v
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202106304...

If you must have a Golf, I'd go for an old mk4 with the basic 1.6 like this (EA827 engine, dating back to 1972) to mitigate against the risk of bork. Make sure the timing belt has been changed though.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202107285...

Yeah I've discounted the Golf as costing too much for what they are tbh

I've decided to go full shed and buy something up to and around the £1k mark and stick a couple of hundred into a timing belt/service tbh.

Pieman68

Original Poster

4,291 posts

262 months

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Thursday 5th August 2021

Bought this bad boy in the end. Unbelievably tidy for it's age and had a clutch in Feb

Little blow on the exhaust and needs a couple of tyres at the front. Going to get those sorted and get a service done and timing belt changed so reckon I will be all in for about £900. Think I might save my first couple of finance payments and get the brakes done as well in the near future

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202108015...

CO2000

3,177 posts

237 months

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Thursday 5th August 2021

Wow very clean! Amazing value too

Pieman68

Original Poster

4,291 posts

262 months

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Thursday 5th August 2021

CO2000 said:

Wow very clean! Amazing value too

Yeah - just decided to go down the best condition for the money and don't think I will find better - showed me receipts for clutch in Feb and new coil springs about 18 months ago

Fingers crossed it's a decent buy. Not many 3 doors about and think it looks good for that as well