Beautiful South Martin

Yes totally agree I work on a £100 a panel. I pay about £60 for bumper corner or £100 full bumper, odd wing mirror scuff a £10, full side £250. Alloy wheel refurb £35. When I worked at a main dealer it was exactly the same, bodyshop stiff you whenever they could and don't get me started on the parts department charging full retail internally. Its all down to everyone chasing that month end bonus I suppose.

No noise from cold start, just when you put the revs on.

My guy has stripped down all the pulleys etc and says its not them. Its noise is coming from around the sump area, he thinks possibly oil pump? or timing chain? although would the timing chain be more of chatter/rattle rather than a whistle noise?

VTi 120 bhp

Just bought a 207 CC 1.6 Petrol, 2009 model only 49k miles. It has a rather high pitched whistling noise when you put the revs on, fine on tick over. My mechanic has had a look for anything obvious but to be honest we are all scratching our heads a bit. Just wondering if anyone has had a similar problem and hopefully a cure......Thanks

Hi Jimbo, Not sure how you are planning to do your accounts, either yourself or via an accountant, but my advise would be to get yourself a cash book ledger and keep your own records whilst your are in the early stages of growth. If you message me I can give you the name of the people I get mine from, its about £30 and lasts a full accounting year. Firstly you need to record every single purchase you make i.e. Recon costs, RFL, Fuel, stationary, warranty etc and break the VAT down on each entry. Then you need to record all monies received each month against sales. You then balance all this (to the penny) against your bank statement every month, known as a bank rec, its sounds complicated but its not after you've done it a few times. Secondly you need a stock book, in here you record, on the left hand side, all details of the car stock you have purchased including the purchase price. On the right hand side you record the details of who purchased the car together with the sale price. It is hear you have a VAT column where you record the VAT on the margin, you can do it the way Jim mentioned, personally I take my margin, say £1000 and times it by 16.667%, giving a VAT margin of £166.67. Every quarter you tot up all the VAT you owe HMRC from your stock book and then tot up all the VAT you claim back off HMRC from your cash book, the difference is how much you owe them. The only thing you need to be aware of is there are certain things you can't claim VAT back on, stamps from the post office is one thing (not sure why?), you may want to check with your accountant or contact HMRC direct on this, Ive always found them very helpful. If you need anymore help please get in touch....Hope this helps.

I started using them about 2 years ago after someone cloned a Honda Jazz I had and was driving around Bradford going through speed cameras, I got 15 speeding tickets in the space of 6 weeks, nightmare to sort out, only after a very strongly worded letter to their local chief of police were they quashed. I have a couple of clips that slot on the end of the plates and the cover up plate just slots in, sometimes if the plate is on so tight you can't get the clips down the ends I use velcro. I think it looks more professional as well, and I agree with the above, if a potential customer is interested they just ring up and ask for the reg number.

Exactly the same issue, in fact were off to Mexico next May as well. I normally only take a week off at a time, normally 1st week of the month so at least I have 3 weeks to salvage something when I get back. But our niece is getting married in Mexico so Ive been pushed into going. Its a long way to go for a week so 2 weeks it is. My plan is to leave half a dozen cars at a few mates pitches when I'm away so hopefully some profit will be generated. I agree with everyone else whats the point of grafting your buns off 7 days a week if you can't enjoy yourself.

Fasthosts are ok. I used them for a while before I moved over to Motors. Its nothing flash but you can have yourwebsite.co.uk email address which looks a lot more professional than yourwebsite@yahoo.com. or something similar. And I had about 3 pages of cars at 4 a page. Under a £10 a month as well.

Im well aware of the price of pads from Lawgistics but that wasn't really the question was it.

In the process of re ordering my used car sales invoice pads and the guy who does my printing has asked if I want any Terms and Conditions on the back for a small additional fee. Does anyone know where I can get hold of a template that I can forward to him. I'm not a member of Lawgistics. Ive googled Used car sales Terms and conditions but there is nothing suitable coming up. Any advice would be appreciated.

Absolute dross....... and I bet that kid who bought the 51 plate Clio with the tiny mileage was over the moon to find out they had 3 large out of him and don't get me started on the 2 clowns chained together....I won't be watching next week..... Ive got more important things to do like arranging my takeaway menus in alphabetical order!

2 today so far. Little 09 4x4 to local retired couple with a very nice 207 1.4 HDi in swop. And an appointment from earlier in the week. They drive 3 hours to view a 38k Seat Diesel then after a test drive said can we have ten minutes to think and chat about it. Goes back in my office still no sign after 15 minutes goes outside thinking they are sitting in their car still chatting.....NO SIGN OF ANYBODY...Unbelievable..Drives 3 hours and doesn't even have the courtesy to say I'm not going to bother...Pulls the car back in puts the price back on and head board....Makes myself a cup of tea..another half an hour passes...said customer pulls up, walks into office says "Ive got the cash from the bank...can I take it now please?"......Happy days

Rang DVLA today, I just need to pay my £25 at Post Office along with V62 when Ive found a home for it. After some investigation turns out last owner bought it when it was 3 months old so probably 1 owner + supplying Honda main dealer, well that's what' s going in my advert anyway....lol. Not as painful as I thought, many thanks for everyone's input, very much appreciated.

Dropped a bit of a clanger today and bought a 2 owner car out of the auction with no V5, which is something I never do, my mistake didn't see it on the catalogue. Just wondering what the procedure is now. Do I have to get one from DVLA in my name which is going to make it a 3 owner car. My initial thought was I could show potential customer the HPi report showing it is 2 former and then apply to put his/her name on as next keeper, but how do I get around taxing it with no green slip? Thanks

Picked up a very very clean Toyota Corolla yesterday from the block, FSH, Mint inside and out. Driving it back and the gear box is howling its buns off in 4th and 5th...Great I was only going to mark it up with £600. Rings me gearbox man...."Heh I only did one of them last week" he says...£245 + VAT for bearings and labour + a £100 for my mechanic to take the box in and out....Fantastic £250 left to play with....And to top it all off.....Filing away the V5/MOT etc and what is attached....only the purchase invoice from the main dealer signed by the customer to verify the miles and guess what?....I'd paid £500 more than the SIV!!! Some days I hate the F%*!&ING MOTORTRADE !!!!

In nice and early this morning to study Manheim auction catalogue. Im short of about 7 cars at the minute so defo had me buying head on. Earmarked 8 nice low milers. FOUR CANARIES !! all brought £4-£500 into Cap clean + out the door money ! + online fees !. WTF are these cars going to retail for a £500-£1000 over CAP retail?? not in my neck of the woods they ain't. Hope things calm down next month as its doing my head in at the minute. On another note got a good shout on a Suzuki Alto 63 plate one lady owner car I own. Love these things cheap as chips in the book. Been backwards and forwards all week with a woman on the phone looking for a low mileage Micra for £3k with £30 Tax. I explained there is no such thing why don't you consider my Alto Mrs Customer, Zero Road Tax, Group 1 insurance Japanese reliability etc etc. Bid her over the phone on her old Nissan Micra, very little test, coming up tomorrow with other half 90% there...hurrah. She has just rang me asking could I give her another £90 for her car because that's what its going to cost her to change her insurance over. UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!

I use Next Gear and it has happened to me a few times. I explain to them how a stocking plan works and as soon as they drive off the car will be paid off immediately and if they contact me a week later I will HPi the car again and send them a copy showing it cleared. Also if you ask your customer to ring NG direct the girls are very helpful and they will explain that its not like a normal HP deal and the debt is with the dealer rather than the car.

Just had an email from Auto Trade Associates offering 6 months Free subscription for first hundred members and then 50% of next years subscription. Has anybody signed up with them and if so what do you think? value for money? is the membership worth it? or are you just paying to have the nice membership certificate on the office wall?

Agree totally all my sheds go on ebay auction, as long as they are described a 100%. Start them off at £99 with no reserve if they are particularly unpleasant. Fees are around £26 so much cheaper than auction fees.. Don't get me wrong you will you more than your fair share of people emailing " I'll give you £101 hard cash now!" just ignore them and watch the bids come in. I also make them sign a disclaimer to say they are buying an unroad worthy vehicle mileage not verified etc etc. Works for me.

Mini today but only 2 on for the month so far so hopefully a busy weekend coming up and get them out the door before xmas kills the month off!

Hurray 1st deal of the month Honda Jazz ive had a while and we burgled the swopper!

Getting more than my fair share of dreamers, timewasters and chucky duffers at the minute! They always seem to come out the woodwork this time of the year or is it just me?

We are as dead as Donald Trumps Toupee

Next Thursday 10.30am bring your driving licence!