Date: 28-03-24  Time: 23:17 pm

Author Topic: Buying (shhh!) a used car  (Read 2069 times)

Grahamm

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Buying (shhh!) a used car
« on: 24 June 2022, 07:13:50 pm »
A question for the FOC-U Fount of All Knowledge...

Although I'm a Dyed-in-the-Wool biker, it does have certain drawbacks when it comes to another of my hobbies, ie surfing.

At the moment, if I'm going to to East Wittering, I'm limited to when the surfboard hire shop is open and, of course, also limited to their hire boards.

As such, I was thinking of the possibility of picking up a cheap car that I could keep parked outside and, when the surf is running, chuck my own board inside (or on a roof rack) and head down to catch some waves.

The basic criteria I'm looking at are:

1) Cheap. Probably around the £2-3000 mark at most

2) Low insurance/ VED

3) Not prone to needing expensive repairs

4) Capable of carrying at least a 7'6" surfboard or maybe a 9' longboard either inside or on a roof rack.

5) Reliable enough that I can leave it outside, unused, possibly for several weeks, but that will start when needed.

I know little to nothing about this, hence why I'm asking, so if anyone has some suggestions that will help me get a better idea of what I need and how much it's going to cost to run (and anything else I need to know) that would be great.

BBROWN1664

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Re: Buying (shhh!) a used car
« Reply #1 on: 24 June 2022, 08:00:43 pm »
this would work

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/325239849572?hash=item4bb9ce4264:g:52YAAOSw4Mlis01Z

tax is about £250 a year I think but 50mpg  and cheap to buy in the fist place means fec all depreciation.
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Grahamm

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Re: Buying (shhh!) a used car
« Reply #2 on: 25 June 2022, 10:38:44 am »
Thanks for the suggestion.

Mostly, at the moment, I'm trying to get an idea of what I *haven't* thought of, and any possible pitfalls and drawbacks.

BBROWN1664

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Re: Buying (shhh!) a used car
« Reply #3 on: 25 June 2022, 11:48:06 am »
pitfalls like all vehicles, they need to be used occasionally to make sure brakes/bearings etc dont seize etc.
need to find somewhere to park it that wont be in the way
will get depreciation even if you dont use it
will still need to be serviced/insured/taxed/MOT etc even if you dont use it
pay a high price, depreciation is higher. pay peanuts and ignore servicing etc - when it dies, replace it.

Benefits - when the weather is really sh!te you will keep drier
If you need to pick up something big or heavy you dont have to worry about it fitting in the top box
You can sleep in it if you need to
you can do a tip run in the car/van but cant on the bike
you can take old relatives to appointments
you can turn up at a wedding/funeral without having to get changed again

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Grahamm

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Re: Buying (shhh!) a used car
« Reply #4 on: 25 June 2022, 11:59:49 am »
pitfalls like all vehicles, they need to be used occasionally to make sure brakes/bearings etc dont seize etc.
need to find somewhere to park it that wont be in the way
will get depreciation even if you dont use it
will still need to be serviced/insured/taxed/MOT etc even if you dont use it
pay a high price, depreciation is higher. pay peanuts and ignore servicing etc - when it dies, replace it.

Ok, that's some good points.

I can park it on the street outside my house, not a problem and I suppose I'd need to take it around the block occasionally just to make sure everything stays working.  I was thinking of getting a simple solar panel charger to keep the battery topped up.

Depreciation isn't an issue, nor big servicing, if I can't fix it myself and I've done more than about 30 trips in it (assuming it costs around £2k), that would pretty much cover the costs, so I'd dump it and get another one.

Insurance would be through a 6 wheel policy, I'd be looking for something in a low insurance group and I wouldn't be doing many miles in it. I may have an issue in that I've never actually passed a car test, but I have 15 years of bike experience and plenty of NCB (apparently bike NCB counts towards cars, but car NCBs don't count towards bikes!)

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Benefits - when the weather is really sh!te you will keep drier
If you need to pick up something big or heavy you dont have to worry about it fitting in the top box
You can sleep in it if you need to
you can do a tip run in the car/van but cant on the bike

All good points again :thumbup

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you can take old relatives to appointments

Don't have any of those (old relatives, not appointments, that is ;) ) but still useful.

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you can turn up at a wedding/funeral without having to get changed again

Done both of those not really an issue :lol

BBROWN1664

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Re: Buying (shhh!) a used car
« Reply #5 on: 25 June 2022, 12:08:13 pm »

Insurance would be through a 6 wheel policy, I'd be looking for something in a low insurance group and I wouldn't be doing many miles in it. I may have an issue in that I've never actually passed a car test, but I have 15 years of bike experience and plenty of NCB (apparently bike NCB counts towards cars, but car NCBs don't count towards bikes!)


Only having a provisional licence wont stop you getting insured but will stop you driving it on your own :pokefun
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Grahamm

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Re: Buying (shhh!) a used car
« Reply #6 on: 25 June 2022, 12:28:01 pm »
Only having a provisional licence wont stop you getting insured but will stop you driving it on your own :pokefun

Passing the Test would probably be dead easy, I did take it once back when I was 21, but, after a neat Reverse Around the Corner manoeuvre, I turned just a bit too quickly as I pulled away and went over the curb, so failed :(

15 years of biking including my Advanced Test should deal with the majority of what I would need, it's just the vehicle handling itself that I'd have to get used to again.

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Re: Buying (shhh!) a used car
« Reply #7 on: 25 June 2022, 01:17:13 pm »
Think you can still drive one of these without passing your car test  ;)




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Re: Buying (shhh!) a used car
« Reply #8 on: 25 June 2022, 02:57:52 pm »

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Re: Buying (shhh!) a used car
« Reply #9 on: 25 June 2022, 04:17:27 pm »
"you can do a tip run in the car/van but cant on the bike"

Haha lol - did a tip run on the Fazer a few years ago! Certainly made everyone stop and look.

Grahamm

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Re: Buying (shhh!) a used car
« Reply #10 on: 25 June 2022, 04:36:36 pm »
Think you can still drive one of these without passing your car test  ;)

Reaches for Ban Hammer...  :pc

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Re: Buying (shhh!) a used car
« Reply #11 on: 25 June 2022, 04:38:21 pm »
Buy a trail Bike and do this

I've seen a guy down at Croyde village with a moped and a rack to carry a 5'6" shortboard, but I wouldn't want to try that with a 7'6" mid-length on the A27...  :eek

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Re: Buying (shhh!) a used car
« Reply #12 on: 26 June 2022, 01:49:19 pm »
Hmm, I've just had an email from my sister, apparently my nephew has a VW T4 he wants to move on, although apparently it needs some work to get through the MOT.

I'm going to give him a call later to see what needs doing and how much it would be, because that would be a nice option :thumbup

SmuttyHutty

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Re: Buying (shhh!) a used car
« Reply #13 on: 27 June 2022, 01:04:10 pm »
As someone with two RX8s I can certainly attest to the ridiculous expense of running two or more vehicles. I now SORN one car as I drive the other and then alternate throughout the year. I used to pay around £1000 in road tax/VED but now it's down to about £500. Both need MoT so my £50 becomes £100 and I have already splashed out on all of the obvious things that might need attention so the annual repair maintenance costs are down to about £50 for each car for oil and filter. I do about 3000 miles in each car - maybe a bit more in my good weather one compared to the bad weather one.


When I retire I am seriously considering selling both cars, moving to a town centre house or flat and then hiring a car each time I need to go any sort of distance. Everything else will be within walking distance or can be delivered. I might trade in my wife for a newer model but last time I did that it cost quite a bit!


So, in your position, I'd work out the annual costs of car ownership including depreciation/write off and compare it to the cost of car rental for those weekends when you'll be hanging ten.

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Re: Buying (shhh!) a used car
« Reply #14 on: 27 June 2022, 05:43:12 pm »
So, in your position, I'd work out the annual costs of car ownership including depreciation/write off and compare it to the cost of car rental for those weekends when you'll be hanging ten.

Unless you rent a van though you may struggle to get a board in the car unless you rent something bigger. With your own car, if its a bit small, you can get a roof rack.
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Grahamm

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Re: Buying (shhh!) a used car
« Reply #15 on: 27 June 2022, 11:49:33 pm »
So, in your position, I'd work out the annual costs of car ownership including depreciation/write off and compare it to the cost of car rental for those weekends when you'll be hanging ten.

I've looked at that, but the cost of rental would rapidly approach or exceed the cost of ownership if I start making semi-regular trips.

Plus it's not going to simply be weekends, if there's a reasonable chance of a swell running, I wake up early, check the webcams and, if it looks reasonable, jump on the bike, head down to East Wittering, rent a board, surf and be back home by 1pm.

If I had to faff around with booking a rental, then getting to the pickup place, driving back home, picking up the board, then going surfing before repeating the process in reverse, it would just start being a nuisance.

Additionally, if I were to get a some form of camper, that would increase the opportunities for overnight trips (a sundowner and a dawnie, for example) in places further afield.

I'd hope to get something that will last me for a few years before it falls apart (or I fall apart, being 57 now...!) without costing too much to run/ repair along the way.


Grahamm

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Re: Buying (shhh!) a used car
« Reply #16 on: 27 June 2022, 11:53:24 pm »
Something which I hadn't considered, but which was pointed out to me elsewhere...

Apparently there is currently a massive backlog of Driving Tests because of all the 17-18 year olds who were unable to take theirs during the various Lockdowns.

Now what's happening is that grifters are using bots to skim the Test Centre websites constantly looking for cancelled slots, then grabbing them and offering them for sale for up to £300!  :2guns

https://metro.co.uk/2022/06/01/dvsa-driving-test-slots-sold-online-for-profit-amid-national-shortage-16748293/

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Re: Buying (shhh!) a used car
« Reply #17 on: 28 June 2022, 07:59:40 am »
Having just been through the process for the motorcycle test, 35 years after passing my car driving test, I can pass on some nuggets from the theory and practical test centres in Suffolk....


1. massive increase in ringers attending theory tests. I was told of one the day before where a woman did the theory test in Newcastle in one name in the morning, drove down to Norwich and then took it in another name in the afternoon. Hence why all bracelts/watches/wrist ornaments were removed, sleeves rolled up, shoes removed and socks lowered, hood checked, ears inspected and hair rummaged through looking for comms equipment. I was told that ladies were also instructed to raise skirt hems to mid thigh to see if anything was written on the upper leg as a crib sheet.


2. Londoners buying driving tests in Suffolk thinking they can get away with friends or relatives to take their driving tests. My motorcycle instructor told me of an incident the week before where two police cars raced and boxed in a lad about to take his test and dragged him out of the car. The examiner had no idea what was going on until it was explained to him that the person taking the test was not the person on the application.


The other issue, particularly in Bury St Edmunds, is that they have strange priority systems and in places you get no warning that you're in a left turn only lane until you are right upon a roundabout, so if you don't know the local area then you're going to get surprises. Hence why Bury St Edmunds has one of the lowest pass rates in the country.


Back to car/camper - definitely sounds like fun to be able to escape for a weekend. I know West Wittering quite well from the couple of years I spent around Worthing and Findon. It is beautiful.


I also had a friend in Sevenoaks who used a Grand Cherokee as his station car (the one he didn't mind being scratched in the station car park) and he kept his windsurfing kit in there as well. he kept an eye on the wind speeds from his office PC and would create an important meeting if the winds turned in a friendly direction.


It all worked well until the day the car burst into flames in the car park as he was on the train into his office in London.....

Grahamm

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Re: Buying (shhh!) a used car
« Reply #18 on: 28 June 2022, 12:45:28 pm »
1. massive increase in ringers attending theory tests. [...] Hence why all bracelts/watches/wrist ornaments were removed, sleeves rolled up, shoes removed and socks lowered, hood checked, ears inspected and hair rummaged through looking for comms equipment. I was told that ladies were also instructed to raise skirt hems to mid thigh to see if anything was written on the upper leg as a crib sheet.

Ye gods, what's next, strip searches...?!

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I know West Wittering quite well from the couple of years I spent around Worthing and Findon. It is beautiful.

I have no interest in how it looks, only what the waves are like :thumbup


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Re: Buying (shhh!) a used car
« Reply #19 on: 28 June 2022, 09:32:43 pm »
To be fair most mainstream marques Ford, vauxhall. Peugeot, vw etc are all pretty reliable and much of a muchness for your needs, but all will have model specific endemic  issues which you would need to research before viewing for example corsa d models camchain tensioner packs up every 60k so check service history, if you're after cheap motoring you should get 50mpg out of the smaller engines and more if its deisel. With a roof rack even the smallest car will get a surfboard on plus a 1m overhang is legally permitted.


As for road tax again check the model specifics due to the government diesel initiative in the 20's some vehicles are as little as £20-30 Road tax. A decent battery should be OK to he used every 2-3 weeks but over a period will need a long run or a charge. Bike maintenance knowledge is easily converted to cars so I'm sure you will have no problems in that regard.


T4's are good vans and pretty cool to boot but insurance will be classed as commercial even if your use isn't so be prepared for a higher quote, as with all vans everything is more expensive,  tyres, parts, etc especially being a vw. Road tax for a big van is the higher bracket £275 from memory. On the plus side you can get loads of stuff in them maybe even your fazer.


I've been sold some right old dogs in the past, there are so many things that aren't immediately obvious it may be worth a RAC inspection if you're spending up to 3k

In the last 3-4 years I have got 3 of my kids through thier car test, 2 of them during lockdown, yes there was a backlog but if you've got half a day to sit on your phone refreshing the booking page a cancellation can be got easily enough.

Good luck and happy shopping 👍
« Last Edit: 28 June 2022, 09:50:50 pm by beuleux »
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Nothing I say should in any way be taken as a good idea 😄

Grahamm

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Re: Buying (shhh!) a used car
« Reply #20 on: 29 June 2022, 01:40:53 am »
T4's are good vans and pretty cool to boot but insurance will be classed as commercial

Interesting point and, again, one I'd not been aware of, so I'll have to look into that.

I've been thinking more about it and a small camper would be very useful if I wanted to stay overnight somewhere. I'm aware that (legally) you're not supposed to sleep in one on a public road, but it's possible to find a car park, service area or even an A road where a layby is divided from the main carriageway by an island is permissible.

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On the plus side you can get loads of stuff in them maybe even your fazer.

A tempting idea, but probably not one that I'd be going for :)

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it may be worth a RAC inspection if you're spending up to 3k

Oh, definitely! I've already planned for that, because they know much better the things that you need to look for (and *how* to spot them!)

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In the last 3-4 years I have got 3 of my kids through thier car test, 2 of them during lockdown, yes there was a backlog but if you've got half a day to sit on your phone refreshing the booking page a cancellation can be got easily enough.

Whilst I have considered that I might have to bite the bullet and pay some grifter if necessary, I'd much prefer not to.

Thanks, that's been very helpful :thumbup