Bangernomics: the art of free (or cheap) car ownership

[StevesTruck]

I'm coming to the conclusion bangernomics doesn't work as well any more now there aren't really any £50 cars and scrapyards where you can wander round and pay cash for parts. So bearing in mind what a liability the felicia pickup was, I've done a bit of a departure from bangernomics.

 

I'd got a couple of grand kicking about, but I spent £2000 on a van years ago and came to the conclusion it was no better than any £1000 van I could have bought.

 

Now I'm working on the theory that the best way to buy a £2000 car is to buy a £1000 car and have £1000 in your pocket for when it ****s up.

 

I bought the Ibiza in August last year for £700-odd. It's now had winter and summer tyres, battery, brakes, a few services (mileage), a new driver's seat, driveshaft, radio, and a few tools I bought specifically to do jobs on it.

 

Including the MOT, I think I'm about £1500 into it, and it could do with the cambelt doing, so that's probably £1800 if I get someone else to do it. For that, I've (hopefully) got myself something that's got a few years of life as my work car in it.

[Toxicvrs]

I'm coming to the conclusion bangernomics doesn't work as well any more now there aren't really any £50 cars and scrapyards where you can wander round and pay cash for parts. So bearing in mind what a liability the felicia pickup was, I've done a bit of a departure from bangernomics.

I'd got a couple of grand kicking about, but I spent £2000 on a van years ago and came to the conclusion it was no better than any £1000 van I could have bought.

Now I'm working on the theory that the best way to buy a £2000 car is to buy a £1000 car and have £1000 in your pocket for when it ****s up.

I bought the Ibiza in August last year for £700-odd. It's now had winter and summer tyres, battery, brakes, a few services (mileage), a new driver's seat, driveshaft, radio, and a few tools I bought specifically to do jobs on it.

Including the MOT, I think I'm about £1500 into it, and it could do with the cambelt doing, so that's probably £1800 if I get someone else to do it. For that, I've (hopefully) got myself something that's got a few years of life as my work car in it.

Does out here [emoji48] last week - 05 Astra 1.7CDTI £120 had 80k on the clock and in limp mode, back here and the EGR was clogged. Cleaned it out and went like a champ. Drivers seat was badly torn. 20 minutes up the road to a breakers. Walk in, get the seat, dispose of old one at same time - £20 sold it on Friday, new buyer absolutely delighted and as am I with the profit that's given me more time to work on this van.

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[Bonhoff]

Brought a 13 year old Favorit in 2006 in a rush and as a temporary measure as my Astra had snapped its cambelt.

 

Car cost £250 and had 12k on the clock - OAP owner used it to collect pension once a week - It had had so little use the tyres had been replaced previously as they'd perished!

 

Over the next 6 years (Temporary measure?) it did 113k using mostly what I'd term consumables - 4 Tyres, 5 oil changes, 2 headgaskets (it's an alloy blocked Skoda after all - As far as I'm concerned headgaskets are consumables :p ) Exhaust and 2 no. CV joints.

 

Do all my own work so nothing spent at garages except for MOT tests

 

Eventually chopped it in and got £75 towards a Peugeot 306.

 

Doubt anything else I own will ever beat that....

[StevesTruck]

Does out here [emoji48] last week - 05 Astra 1.7CDTI £120 had 80k on the clock and in limp mode, back here and the EGR was clogged. Cleaned it out and went like a champ. Drivers seat was badly torn. 20 minutes up the road to a breakers. Walk in, get the seat, dispose of old one at same time - £20 sold it on Friday, new buyer absolutely delighted and as am I with the profit that's given me more time to work on this van.

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Fair play, maybe I'm just not as good at finding stuff, or I avoid modern stuff a bit too readily.

[Toxicvrs]

Fair play, maybe I'm just not as good at finding stuff, or I avoid modern stuff a bit too readily.

Biggest thing out here is picking up on when people are going to get a new car.

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[Wile7]

The small ads, from my experience when we were in the UK, used to offer the best private bargains. Preloved, Gumtree, Loot, Vivastreet etc.

 

Just had a look now and some crackers on there if you have the cash and cajones to take the risk 

 

E.g. http://www.preloved.co.uk/adverts/show/113428157/audi-a4-28-quattro-avant.html

[WoodieGuthrie]

Been dragracing for the 2nd time in my 200 quid octavia. cannae beat it!

[mender]

Well the new owner totalled the Myvi into a parked car, sniff.

 

The Ignis has been gone through now and should last a while but has has a lot of works; brake pipes, gearbox bearings done, new clutch, two new keys, mega service, air-con top-up etc.

At least I got it for a giveaway price after heavy renegotiation and I am now up to top retail sale price so should not lose money and get some decent reliable use out of it.  Apart from having a stupid aftermarket immobiliser which has been disabled but remains cut into the wiring and locks the doors when you move off and unlocks when you turn the ignition off (wearing out the door motors unnecessarily), the car seems to run well and is likeable.

 

Managed to find the exact Thule lockable cross bars for the Ignis on a boot sale for £10, result-they look good.

Just needs the final third rapid succession oil change (after injector cleaner use and two flushes) to make it 100%, plus find the missing detachable towbar neck/ball off ebay.

 

Hopefully it will give a good year of hard use and sell for cost.

Haha, the family who bought the Perodua Myvi off me and wrote it off looked at dozens of others cars and travelled 200 miles to buy......another Myvi!

 

Bizarrely, I sold the previous Myvi to a lady, who also wrote it off and also could not find anything she liked better so traveled miles to buy.....another Myvi!

 

So it is not just me that likes them!

 

 

The Ignis still runs and runs but has niggly faults; no remote locking, a stupid aftermarket auto-lock system which effectively just wears out the door lock motors for no benefit, a droopy sun-visor and awful radio reception even after a new aerial and powered signal booster.  It drives well but the little faults irritate me.  Shame we can't run to a new Panda with AC at £6299.

[Lofty]

I paid £230 for a 1994 Nissan Primera eGT 5dr, with broken power steering, The waterpump had seized, throwing the pas / aux belt off. Cost me £17 for a pattern water pump, re-used the old belt and did dozens of trackdays in it all over the uk and Europe. Never ever let me down.

 

Was thrashed beyond belief, often spending 40 mins at a time on track during open pit lane days. Truly the best VFM car I ever had.

 

Went to Lemans for a trackday back in 2010, got to the tunnel at Folkstone and got selected for the full search, the customs guy couldn't believe the inside as it had no door panels, carpets, headlining, seats just an empty shell LOL

[Volvomeg]

Done a few in passed,

 

Am a volvo tech by trade so it does have its advantages,

 

Used to buy dead volvo's, mostly classic s/v40's as i had one at time, also had a 2001 V70 that i made a killing on,

 

My current XC90 i bought as a non runner and put a low mileage secondhand lump in it with the intention of keeping it a few months and selling it but ended up keeping it as it tows my car trailer fantastic and for what it stands me i could keep it until it dies

 

My little corsa i bought with a smashed screen and no MOT, got a screen fitted and did a couple of bits for MOT and have run it for a year and half and never missed a beat

Edited 25 September, 2015 by Volvomeg

[Sad555]

My wife bought an old Volvo 340 with 2 prev owners 16000 miles for about a £1200 used and abused it for about six years but changed the oil every year ,somebody at work started a car in the carpark with their foot on the throttle in gear whilst stood at the side,which then made its way around bumping on and off other car ,hers included,which due to the value f the car would make it a write off,but we got £450 off the insurance company beat out and bodged the rear wing back into a shape and used and abused for a few more years with very little needed for repairs ,bit of a pig to drive but what a great little runner.I also had many years ago a mk1 cortina £250 worth a great little runner and had a caring garage nearby to weld up bits every few years to get in thro the feared MOT as no money to get a better car and this was really reliable and easy to work on,anyway when I came to sell got £175 it would have been easier to sell for scrap but was so reliable didn't want that to happen so I guaranteed it for 6 months to the local buyer for any mechanicle problems,and saw him on several occasions and he was more than happy,wish I still had it now for the value it would be worth now and apart from an old Chevette have lost money on every car since but I have enjoyed the last 27years trouble free if not cost free.

[mender]

Quick update on this; sold the Ignis GLX for £1450, more or less breaking even.

 

Since bought another Ignis GL which was in a very poor state for a few hundred quid and have given it a mega-birthday so it now looks brand new inside and out.  The ABS was fixed with a £2.80 reluctor ring, gearbox made happy with a £25 oil change and gear treatment, noisy steering sorted with a £17 top mount and with a set of used mats and wheel trims I had in the van, it looks and drives as new again.  That's now up for sale.

 

Just bought a mint 2008 Renault Scenic 1.6 16v Dynamique with 49k miles; expecting loads of trouble but provenance is spot on, MOT shows advisories for front brake pads only (£15), it has full history, new tyres, new battery, recent service and is spotless with all books and two key cards.  It has had mats and liner in since new and has four proper Renault mudflaps which is a really good sign that someone loved it.

This is a late, facelift car in the best colour they did (IMO) Iceberg Blue with the decent alloys; I went to quote for repairing a scuff to the wheelarch as the lady wanted it perfect to sell it, ended up buying it as it felt right and the lady seemed very genuine and was selling due to company car arrival.  In file, receipt for £3995 for it, 2 years back......

Let's hope the Renault usual gremlins have missed this one (dephaser, dead dash, keycard issues etc).

 

It will replace the Ignis as the second car, ultimately replacing the Zafira as the family car.

Arriving Monday......hoping the Ignis sells by then, but should do as only asking £799 and it looks new inside and out.

if all goes well, the swap will cost a couple of hundred quid (plus I need to paint the arch; easy job) which seems amazing!

 

Will the Renault surprise me.....or bankrupt me...?  :|    

['daiking']

Quick update on this; sold the Ignis GLX for £1450, more or less breaking even.

Since bought another Ignis GL which was in a very poor state for a few hundred quid and have given it a mega-birthday so it now looks brand new inside and out. The ABS was fixed with a £2.80 reluctor ring, gearbox made happy with a £25 oil change and gear treatment, noisy steering sorted with a £17 top mount and with a set of used mats and wheel trims I had in the van, it looks and drives as new again. That's now up for sale.

Just bought a mint 2008 Renault Scenic 1.6 16v Dynamique with 49k miles; expecting loads of trouble but provenance is spot on, MOT shows advisories for front brake pads only (£15), it has full history, new tyres, new battery, recent service and is spotless with all books and two key cards. It has had mats and liner in since new and has four proper Renault mudflaps which is a really good sign that someone loved it.

This is a late, facelift car in the best colour they did (IMO) Iceberg Blue with the decent alloys; I went to quote for repairing a scuff to the wheelarch as the lady wanted it perfect to sell it, ended up buying it as it felt right and the lady seemed very genuine and was selling due to company car arrival. In file, receipt for £3995 for it, 2 years back......

Let's hope the Renault usual gremlins have missed this one (dephaser, dead dash, keycard issues etc).

It will replace the Ignis as the second car, ultimately replacing the Zafira as the family car.

Arriving Monday......hoping the Ignis sells by then, but should do as only asking £799 and it looks new inside and out.

if all goes well, the swap will cost a couple of hundred quid (plus I need to paint the arch; easy job) which seems amazing!

Will the Renault surprise me.....or bankrupt me...? :|

Good luck with that!

I could do with some Ignis wheel trims and mats myself. Mine needed 2 reluctor rings and front pads to get through its MOT and now need 4 tyres. She completely lunched a good tyre by driving on it for over a mile when flat.

So not exactly cheap at the moment.

[mender]

Good luck with that!

I could do with some Ignis wheel trims and mats myself. Mine needed 2 reluctor rings and front pads to get through its MOT and now need 4 tyres. She completely lunched a good tyre by driving on it for over a mile when flat.

So not exactly cheap at the moment.

Rings £2.80 each plus fitting, pads £8.28pr front, tyres £15ea fitted part worns or £80 set new ditchfinders fitted.

14" wheel trims £15 set, winter rubber mat sets in Aldi or Lidl £9.99

 

All in all, cheap enough-compared to depreciation on other stuff.....!

['daiking']

Rings £2.80 each plus fitting, pads £8.28pr front, tyres £15ea fitted part worns or £80 set new ditchfinders fitted.

14" wheel trims £15 set, winter rubber mat sets in Aldi or Lidl £9.99

All in all, cheap enough-compared to depreciation on other stuff.....!

I supplied the ebay rings but the rest was done by a garage. £230 for oil change, MOT, front pads and reluctor rings labour it was.

Getting proper tyres so looking at £200.

[mender]

I supplied the ebay rings but the rest was done by a garage. £230 for oil change, MOT, front pads and reluctor rings labour it was.

Getting proper tyres so looking at £200.

I'm in the trade so fitting is done favour for favour!  £230 doesn't sound too bad, though.

 

Decent tyres always worth it!!

[Toxicvrs]

Quick update on this; sold the Ignis GLX for £1450, more or less breaking even.

Since bought another Ignis GL which was in a very poor state for a few hundred quid and have given it a mega-birthday so it now looks brand new inside and out. The ABS was fixed with a £2.80 reluctor ring, gearbox made happy with a £25 oil change and gear treatment, noisy steering sorted with a £17 top mount and with a set of used mats and wheel trims I had in the van, it looks and drives as new again. That's now up for sale.

Just bought a mint 2008 Renault Scenic 1.6 16v Dynamique with 49k miles; expecting loads of trouble but provenance is spot on, MOT shows advisories for front brake pads only (£15), it has full history, new tyres, new battery, recent service and is spotless with all books and two key cards. It has had mats and liner in since new and has four proper Renault mudflaps which is a really good sign that someone loved it.

This is a late, facelift car in the best colour they did (IMO) Iceberg Blue with the decent alloys; I went to quote for repairing a scuff to the wheelarch as the lady wanted it perfect to sell it, ended up buying it as it felt right and the lady seemed very genuine and was selling due to company car arrival. In file, receipt for £3995 for it, 2 years back......

Let's hope the Renault usual gremlins have missed this one (dephaser, dead dash, keycard issues etc).

It will replace the Ignis as the second car, ultimately replacing the Zafira as the family car.

Arriving Monday......hoping the Ignis sells by then, but should do as only asking £799 and it looks new inside and out.

if all goes well, the swap will cost a couple of hundred quid (plus I need to paint the arch; easy job) which seems amazing!

Will the Renault surprise me.....or bankrupt me...? :|

bought a Laguna, had keycard issues, Dephaser issues and then all discs and pads were shot, most balljoints have detonated in mileage done since purchase, not cheap.

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[Toxicvrs]

I'm in the trade so fitting is done favour for favour! £230 doesn't sound too bad, though.

Decent tyres always worth it!!

Had a look over the Ignis GLWTS tidy car IMO,

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[mender]

Had a look over the Ignis GLWTS tidy car IMO,

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Nice enough car and would probably outlast much lower mileage cars......

 

Not much interest though

[Toxicvrs]

Nice enough car and would probably outlast much lower mileage cars......

Not much interest though

Thought you had issues with land owner when trying to sell in current location? I do still smile at the advert when I drive past, very good idea.

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[mender]

Thought you had issues with land owner when trying to sell in current location? I do still smile at the advert when I drive past, very good idea.

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They don't seem to mind temporary car sales on there and don't seem to have linked the van and car.... So it is still there!

['daiking']

Nice enough car and would probably outlast much lower mileage cars......

Not much interest though

I really really want to like our Ignis but I just can't. Utterly charmless compared to the K11 micra it replaced.

The only redeeming feature is the 1.5 engine which makes a great noise even if it doesn't do much else when attached to the auto box other than drink lots of petrol.

[mender]

I really really want to like our Ignis but I just can't. Utterly charmless compared to the K11 micra it replaced.

The only redeeming feature is the 1.5 engine which makes a great noise even if it doesn't do much else when attached to the auto box other than drink lots of petrol.

The best model is the 2003 or 2006-7 1.3 petrol with 14" wheels and optional AC.  The auto drinks and the box is dim, the 4Grip is mega thirsty and rock hard and the GLX versions have huge wheels which upset the ride.

 

They're a bit charmless, but the M13a chain driven 16v engine is excellent, the seats upright and the boot decent.  Best thing is the re-inforced body and underside resist rust and the plastics are tough as nails inside and out so if you look after the weak points (gearbox bearings, strut top mounts, ABS rings etc) they do 200k easily.

 

As a durable, reliable if serviced, go-anywhere (good ground clearance) second car that shrugs off modern life, they are a decent find.  That said, I would not have the auto...!

 

A low mile, minter for £1000-odd fitted with winter tyres is worth a punt.

[mender]

Just a quick return to this oldie

 

My own Perodua Kelisa has done another year of short stop start journeys, the odd backroad thrash and a few long distance motorway events and passed the MOT no advisories, no costs again.

 

So this year the cost has been 2 tyres (£22 each fitted/balanced) and I put a £38 (540cca total overkill!) battery on it as the original battery, although perfect was 12 years old.

With £110 tax, 50-55mpg and no depreciation (I was bought so cheap I could sell at a profit) it has been another very cheap year of really enjoyable motoring.

 

My wife's Perodua Myvi just sold for £2k, giving zero costs, even a decent profit after 5 months of use, a great car but a colleague took a fancy to it so off it went.

 

The Myvi needs replacing now; we are on the lookout.

It'll be another Myvi probably, our 7th.  We'd have another 05-13 Sirion but the electronic power steering is notorious for issues and this writes the car off when it goes.

 

On the shortlist of £750-1250 cars with air-con that will be nice to own and reliable:

09-13 Perodua Myvi; just finding a decent one at the right money (had 7)

08-12 Daihatsu Sirion; if one felt right I'd risk the EPS (had 3)

06- Hyundai Getz; stupid cambelt put me off one great deal (had 1)

07- Chevrolet Kalos; poor economy, high tax, flawed but a lot of car for sub-£1k and they ride so well (supplied a 55 1.4SX for a neighbour and they adore it) (had 2)

06-09 Hyundai Amica; oddball but painless and endearing in their own strange way, we'd get a mint 20k miler for the budget, only 4 seats though (had 3 Atoz)

04-07 Suzuki Ignis GLX; getting old now but after a few fixes (ABS rings, strut mounts etc) these are bomb-proof but high tax and lower mpg (had around 8)

 

We source low-mile, full history, pensioner specials that no youth would be seen dead in and get 100% reliable motoring for peanuts or free.

There's a certain joy in driving an underdog and having fun for beans.

 

Anyone spotted a must-buy?  Cash waiting!

[Ttaskmaster]

The Mrs fancies herself a money-savvy type, since almost all her family are financial peeps - Dad worked for the FSA, brother is an actuary, sisters are in accountancy, etc...

She tried a bit of this and kept showing me all these spreadsheets, with how much she'd save... the kicker was that most of the savings would be eaten up by the insurance companies in 'admin fees', every time she had to change her policy for a new vehicle!!