Cheap run abouts ?? worth it ??

[W.olly]

Hi all. Sat here thinking what to do with my life. Work wise that is.
Many moons ago i used to by and sell cars. MOT failures mainly, one in need of welding and mechanics. I am thinking on aswell as doing the boat works which i did until just after lockdown ill start again with cars, boats in the mix aswel.
The thing is that cars these days are so tech. ill not touch a car that has engine problems or electrical work. Just mechanical and welding. What is on my mind though with this working at all is the cost of cars,, the cost to keep them on the road that is.
Its crazy how much they cost for young folk, anybody actually.


So how has the market changed on low price cars say around a £1k-£1500 for one with new MOT ?

Myself personaly think its crazy to pay less than a couple grand for a car and maybe 3x to keep it on the road.

 

[Nomad]

I tinker with older cars (putting older cars back on the road for fun / to use as my own transport).

With a cheap project it's very easy to spend more in parts than you paid for the car. Some of my projects: small Citroen, bought cheap then spent more again on driveshafts & tyres, VW Golf2 - needed special tools for the headbolts, Alfa - some parts are impossible to find, Peugeot 106 4 door with broken window - all in scrapyards were 2 doors so impossible to find new glass, my latest is a small Nissan - it has fueling problems and parts are difficult / impossible to find it then needs new tyres £££. Emissions are often a problem for a car that's been standing and are difficult to DIY test & fix. Add your time / labour and it's very easy to end up working for nothing or losing money...

Beware welding on modern cars. A friend has been running a small car repair workshop for many years, he now refuses to do welding (risk of destroying sensitive electronics, also high cost of insurance for "hot works").
He calls in a mobile electrician for anything more than simple electrical faults as modern cars are so complicated. My post-2000 BMW often had a warning on the dash computer saying rear foglight bulb had failed - bulb was always ok so it was a wiring fault or a bad contact in the bulb holder???

 

[colnerov]

I agree with Nomad, in short 'the games dead'.

 

[brightspark]

the days of welding and fixing 50 quid bangers up is well gone most of the problems is computer related and big ££££££ so realy decent cars are being scrapped because of it

 

[Barking Mat]

Most cheap bangers I see either need a clutch or won't start, and then they'res usually a list after that.

 

[W.olly]

As i thought then, vehicle tech and so called improvments have ruined this trade. Ill see if i can get into classic car groups and offer a service. I will be joining more anyway as i have my Vette so word could get about. Not after earning a wage. more a top up to the boats.

 

[W.olly]

I was looking at like 08 plate VW`s and the likes for around £500 with welding needed and bits.

 

[brightspark]

As i thought then, vehicle tech and so called improvments have ruined this trade. Ill see if i can get into classic car groups and offer a service. I will be joining more anyway as i have my Vette so word could get about. Not after earning a wage. more a top up to the boats.

as long as they fork out on an hourly rate or you will be on to a looser

 

[bricol]

From watching from the sidelines of a few forums, it looks to me being an owner/enthusiast as well as someone who works on the same cars for reward, is a hiding to nothing.

You will be too expensive, not good enough, not fast enough, not as good as xyz, ruined it, it works fine until you worked on it . . . to the point on a couple, legal people were involved. Hassle enough to put you off the car you liked in the first place.

 

[winchman]

I feel there is still good market for welding Land Rovers and some campers Talbots etc

 

[Migmac]

My run about cost me 1k. Spent another £300 getting it through its mot, if I went to sell it I might get my money back.

 

[Morrisman]

I tinker with older cars (putting older cars back on the road for fun / to use as my own transport).

With a cheap project it's very easy to spend more in parts than you paid for the car. Some of my projects: small Citroen, bought cheap then spent more again on driveshafts & tyres, VW Golf2 - needed special tools for the headbolts, Alfa - some parts are impossible to find, Peugeot 106 4 door with broken window - all in scrapyards were 2 doors so impossible to find new glass, my latest is a small Nissan - it has fueling problems and parts are difficult / impossible to find it then needs new tyres £££. Emissions are often a problem for a car that's been standing and are difficult to DIY test & fix. Add your time / labour and it's very easy to end up working for nothing or losing money...

Beware welding on modern cars. A friend has been running a small car repair workshop for many years, he now refuses to do welding (risk of destroying sensitive electronics, also high cost of insurance for "hot works").
He calls in a mobile electrician for anything more than simple electrical faults as modern cars are so complicated. My post-2000 BMW often had a warning on the dash computer saying rear foglight bulb had failed - bulb was always ok so it was a wiring fault or a bad contact in the bulb holder???

As I discovered when the body control module failed on my Mondeo, car electrics have taken off into the space shuttle category nowadays. Why the actual heck does a car need a mega complicated circuit board to simply switch lights, wipers, fans etc in and off?

Whatever was wrong with switches, a few relays, and fuse boxes, one might ask?

Well, they still have all of them, but they’re now all interconnected by mega complicated circuit boards.

2012 Ford Mondeo BCM

 

[Barking Mat]

As I discovered when the body control module failed on my Mondeo, car electrics have taken off into the space shuttle category nowadays. Why the actual heck does a car need a mega complicated circuit board to simply switch lights, wipers, fans etc in and off?

Whatever was wrong with switches, a few relays, and fuse boxes, one might ask?

Well, they still have all of them, but they’re now all interconnected by mega complicated circuit boards.

2012 Ford Mondeo BCM

View attachment 484270




View attachment 484269

I so agree.

 

[colnerov]

From what I understand, it's to protect the vehicle electrical systems. If the alternator can't cover the load, the BCM starts dumping load by switching off 'non-essential' items. Whereas in the past, the battery would cover it, but then you end up with a flat battery. You don't even get the choice now.

 

[Danez]

I feel there is still good market for welding Land Rovers and some campers Talbots etc

can confirm
spent hours removing the rear shock on my talbot camper due to bolt seized in the bush only to be rewarded with my work by this:

that white stuff you see is the shower tray

 

[RWD3M]

can confirm
spent hours removing the rear shock on my talbot camper due to bolt seized in the bush only to be rewarded with my work by this:
View attachment 484291

View attachment 484292

that white stuff you see is the shower tray

Rust! The gift that keeps on giving!

 

[Danez]

Rust! The gift that keeps on giving!

it sure is!

If you don't laugh you'll cry

 

[Nomad]

the days of welding and fixing 50 quid bangers up is well gone most of the problems is computer related and big ££££££ so really decent cars are being scrapped because of it

Sadly very true I've scrapped 2 lovely clean cars because they had ABS lights on and would fail the next MOT ( very nice Peugeot 206 "Roland Garros" glass sunroof special, also a mint 2007 BMW confirmed as needing a £2k ABS pump + fitting + dealer recoding. Fault was caused by worn £2 carbon brushes in the ABS motor "They all do that Sir") ABS should never be needed !

My winter project is a 1990s Renault Traffic, I'd ordered £200 of engine rebuild parts before finding it has wet liners and cannot realistically be rebuilt. I also had to spend a long time finding a new "Unobtanium" indicator lens - and arranging for a passing forum member to collect it and post it as seller was insisting "collection only". It's Sunday and I've just been out to do a bit more work on it, tomorrow I need to find out why the starter motor stopped working yesterday. In cash terms it's should end up being a good project but that won't pay for the many hours I've spent on it...

 

[Danez]

I think your best bet for making money on fixing old cars these days is to start a youtube channel!

 

[dobbslc]

I agree with Nomad, in short 'the games dead'.

Agree again.
I used to do it with motorcycles buying from MCN, Loot etc but then Ebay got big and everyone thought they could buy cheap then have the skills to fix the problems, the result was very few cheap real bargains out there that needed a bit of knowledgeable work to fix them and make some good money.
I also started to worry about the scumbags coming round to look at the bikes or any comeback.
I had one women screaming down the phone to me saying her husband had nearly died etc etc after I sold a nice old Kawasaki ZX4, I went over to Essex for a look and it turns out he's had the seat and tank off and trapped the forking fuel pipes pizzing petrol everywhere
It was good while it lasted and I made a good few grand to spend on bikes, tools, racing etc but it's no good anymore