By a decent garage I mean one that can also do a habitation service for a motorhome and give you a price for sorting out the habitation bit that makes it safe to live in. If it's too expensive to sort it all out then sell it being honest about what needs doing. That way you're more likely to get a decent and honest price for it.
How to get van serviced without getting fleeced?
- Thread starter Stig
- Start date
Innit! You could probably got not get a more common vehicle - apart from maybe a Mondeo.
Changing power steering fluid isn't mechanically difficult, it just takes a bit of buggering around and repetitive actions. If you can do homebrew, you can do that, for sure! Actually, that probably applies to 60% of car work - the trick can also be when to recognise that a job is in that 40% it's better to pay someone to do, and to accept that when you do something yourself, it'll take a lot longer.
Also - you should consider doing a night school course in car maintenance - my brother from another mother did one at Brixton College (as it was then?) on Kennington Road, and got a lot out of it.
Stig
Condimentalist
I'm fairly sure the habitation bit is safe. The gas is fine, and rich! knows about electronics so the 12/250v set up should be fine too. The only thing I'm not sure of is if the fridge works as they're silent and I've not had it on hook-up mains long enough to be able to tell yet.
There's even a microwave in it ffs. That's got to go.
Stig
Condimentalist
Nothing to do with me guv, I was in the pub all night, I have witnesses.
I think _pH_ was thinking along the lines of you and him standing around doing plumbers sharp intake of breath noises while pointing at bits of engine and drinking home brew. I'd be standing nodding wisely and taking it all in. That's the sort of thing I had in mind, anyway. rich! will be health and safety officer, and will let us know when it's time to retire to the local.
...These car maintenance courses aren't very cheap, are they
I think _pH_ was thinking along the lines of you and him standing around doing plumbers sharp intake of breath noises while pointing at bits of engine and drinking home brew. I'd be standing nodding wisely and taking it all in. That's the sort of thing I had in mind, anyway. rich! will be health and safety officer, and will let us know when it's time to retire to the local.
...These car maintenance courses aren't very cheap, are they
Nothing to do with me guv, I was in the pub all night, I have witnesses.
I think _pH_ was thinking along the lines of you and him standing around doing plumbers sharp intake of breath noises while pointing at bits of engine and drinking home brew. I'd be standing nodding wisely and taking it all in. That's the sort of thing I had in mind, anyway. rich! will be health and safety officer, and will let us know when it's time to retire to the local.
That sounds like my idea of van maintenance.
Stig
Condimentalist
That sounds like my idea of van maintenance.
Are you coming on the Hampstead walk this weekend? That's when plans will be hatched.
So, after last night's barrage of PMs about greasy Trannies, is there anything I can do to help?
I had nothing to do with that, it was all stig's fault
I'm fairly sure the habitation bit is safe. The gas is fine, and rich! knows about electronics so the 12/250v set up should be fine too. The only thing I'm not sure of is if the fridge works as they're silent and I've not had it on hook-up mains long enough to be able to tell yet.
There's even a microwave in it ffs. That's got to go.
OK I'll stop banging on about selling it, even though everything I've read tells me you should.
Get a Haynes book for it and learn how to look after it properly. It doesn't matter what the conversion is there's still a basic van underneath.
Stig
Condimentalist
I don't understand why I'm getting such a hard time on this thread.
Should all first time buyers only be allowed a brand new smart car? Or only buy a vehicle after becoming a trained mechanic? I'm getting quite depressed by the whole thing now tbh, since everyone's told me I bought completely the wrong thing and shouldn't have bothered.
Should all first time buyers only be allowed a brand new smart car? Or only buy a vehicle after becoming a trained mechanic? I'm getting quite depressed by the whole thing now tbh, since everyone's told me I bought completely the wrong thing and shouldn't have bothered.
ignore it stiglet! buying a motah is one of those things where everyone and his dog has an opinion
ignore it stiglet! buying a motah is one of those things where everyone and his dog has an opinion
This.
If you ask me, you've got the right attitude - yeah, you've bought a "challenging" vehicle, but you're clearly not afraid to get your hands dirty trying to find out how it all works, and there's an obvious sense of pride in the discoveries you've made so far!
Go for it.
Stig
Condimentalist
Cheers you two, that's more like it
For a 17 yr old vehicle, I think it's in great condition for a 2ish-k spend, and if I have to spend another 2k on it fine, still better than buying a 6k vehicle.
I don't want a brand new shiny unfixable thing, can't afford one anyway. I don't want a boxlike coachbuilt barratt home style identikit camper that you can't swing a rat in.
I wanted an ambulance for roominess. Check.
Petrol ambulance for London emission tax compliance. Check.
Fibreglass for no rust bonus and everlasting rebuildability. Check
These things are remarkably hard to come by, you know.
For a 17 yr old vehicle, I think it's in great condition for a 2ish-k spend, and if I have to spend another 2k on it fine, still better than buying a 6k vehicle.
I don't want a brand new shiny unfixable thing, can't afford one anyway. I don't want a boxlike coachbuilt barratt home style identikit camper that you can't swing a rat in.
I wanted an ambulance for roominess. Check.
Petrol ambulance for London emission tax compliance. Check.
Fibreglass for no rust bonus and everlasting rebuildability. Check
These things are remarkably hard to come by, you know.
(((((stig)))))
It doesn't sound like there's much wrong with it so far. Don't worry too much about the virtual tutting noises.
Cheers you two, that's more like it
For a 17 yr old vehicle, I think it's in great condition for a 2ish-k spend, and if I have to spend another 2k on it fine, still better than buying a 6k vehicle.
It looked in very good nick to me the other week.
None of the problems you've mentioned on here sound very serious, and once they're sorted out you should have a serviceable vehicle for a long time to come.Can I come and polish it in exchange for lots of homebrew?
Stig
Condimentalist
It looked in very good nick to me the other week.
Well, that's what I thought, until everyone went 'OMG a wreckage, run away" etc...
Maybe it's what you're used to... I'm used to dad and some old traveller mates who wouldn't even look at anything under two decades 'seasoned', and spend happy weekends covered in oil with bits of metalwork spread around the drive, chatting to the neighbours/fellow travellers about their latest engine rebuilld.
My mum on the other hand buys brand new and anything goes wrong it's straight down the garage and throw money at it until it's better, until buying a new one.
I'd like to try for a happy medium between those two, please.
yeah. this. and being ex-ambulamance it should have been well looked after anyway
Can I come and polish it in exchange for lots of homebrew?
you already are, did you not notice?
*starts upping the brew making rate*
Edit:
The Chaos Porter has just become ready. Slighty liquorice on the tongue, but a pleasing porter overall. Still have lots of (very hoppy) Banshee Gold and toungue-shrinkingly dry 'Happy Bat the First'.
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.................
oh, sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet beeeeeeeeeeeer...........
I don't think anyone's giving you a hard time, I think people are just concerned for you taking on too much! But if anyone can, you can - I've seen your gaffer tape wallet
Yep I've not been trying to give Stig a hard time at all. I've been trying to offer some practical 'objective' advice. I know it might have sounded a bit cold or negative but I think we all need that kind of advice sometimes.
Are you getting enough skulls painted in the interior, though? http://liquidcustoms.spaces.live.com/ (pic 29 especially)
