Mat C

Thanks, Do you have to pay for this service?

Hi, I'm looking for a decent ( if it exists ) drive home insurance partner? In a past life we used the manufacturer one and before that we used Aviva, via HPI, but they tell me now they don't do it anymore?? Any help / contacts would be much appreciated. Cheers in advance Mat

Ill stick to em if you all aren't bothered! :-)

MJ Ouch Guess i've been lucky - so far!

Just has a 2008/58 Cooper S Clubman done 46k with rattle at 2000rpm - was a big end bearing £450 fix - but i did £1000 on a timing chain and a cam shaft pulley first!

HI, I have found a few of them tricky, but easily sortable. Avoid pre 2007 basically. Common problems I have found - Thermostat usually needs replacing ( fan stays on for ages after car only been running a few mins ) however most minis I have run hot and the fans kick in really early especially indoors as its really muggy - Clutch & Gearbox usually OK on R56 onwards ( 2007 facelift on Hatch 2009 on cabrio ) Check for the usual grinding box / high clutch - Vanos timing unit - I've replaced one at a cost of c £500 on a 2007 1.6 Cooper - Timing chain replacement is relatively easy - You'll hear the 'death' rattle when started from cold, I have only had this on cooper S. I've changed 2 in 9 months - O2 sensors - Changed 3 - Rear suspension, Knocking from top mounts £400 job but i've not paid for one yet as I claim all mine back through BCA on the assured programme - Tailgate handle button stops working - £70 new handle - Armrests top snap off - EVERY ONE - Sun visor covers snap - 5/10 cars - Bonnets chippy and screens nearly always chipped - Key replacement £150 I research each one I buy, MOT history etc and I only really ever buy an assured BCA car, or one i've driven. But I still make mistakes every now and then. Spec, Mainly go for a cooper / cooper d with Chili Pack / MF steering wheel and the bigger the wheels the better. You'll always shift it at a later date Check my website for my stock, www.superminiuk.com Ta Mat

Neil, Cheers, things are ticking along, which is great. I used Close to start with, rep came in ( a lad i used to work with way back when ) and he sorted my FCA in a flash, all going great but then 6 weeks on I still haven't been set up, called, emailed and keep getting the same answer, 'we are working on it' Its starting to cost me money now, so I made a call to MotoNovo - 3 days later i'm set up, have a quoting system and i can now offer funding - a week in and I have price boards, pull up banners, stickers, mugs and even pens! Brilliant. Also signed up with Evolution, who were equally as impressive in their speedy set up and looks like I might have had my first acceptance with them this morning! Mini's are great, old people, young people, girls, boys everyone loves a mini - there's loads out there so you can be choosy and they aren't that expensive to fix - I tend to stick with the R56 and onwards though, the early ones fall to bits to easily! Anything you need, give me a shout. Mat

Hi, I have done a similar thing, small unit 3 months ago, 12-15 cars ( Mainly Mini's ) Sunk my life savings/begged/borrowed/looked under the mattress etc.... I went Ltd and Vat straight away as from home I was turning over 15/20k per month and now that's risen to 60/70k Few things i've found.. I started using IWOCA who were very helpful and allow me to draw down on a pot of £££ as and when I need it for short term funding. I borrowed £10k from them last week and paid it back within a week and it cost me around £50 in interest. Most stock funders wont look at me until i have 2 years trading. Just signed up with MotoNovo finance, who have been great, and I can definitely see my profits increasing by being able to offer funding. I self warrant with Lawgistics warranties, I find this has saved me over £500 already in 3 month warranties. I sell £4-8k cars that I source myself, so i'm rather picky in what I sell and like to think that I do the job properly so haven't had much trouble ( touch wood!! ) Got an accountant, £50 a month and she does my payroll ( sends me a payslip each month! ) Vat return and Accounts. Saves me a headache as I hate admin. I just keep all my receipts and send them to her each month. my first VAT bill was for £1500 for the 1/4 so i didn't think that was too bad. I use this forum for advice, which is great, there's a lifetimes worth of experience on here and I have alsways been a big believer in sharing knowledge ( and also taking other peoples!! ) Good luck for the future. Mat

Cheers Rory. Meeting tomorrow with MotoNovo

Hi Everyone, Having recently set up ( 10 months ) I approached Close Brothers to speak about using their funding for my customers, as I seem to be losing 4/5 opportunities a month as I cant offer funding. Close rep came in 2 days later ( lad I know from way back when ) and sorted my FCA with me in a flash - 10 days later I am FCA accredited and i'm ready to go. That was 6 weeks ago! - I have chased each week as to when we can get set up and i'm still waiting! I feel slightly obliged as he helped me so much with my FCA but I feel its now costing me business as I am telling customers ' i'll have a quoting system ready next week' Who do you guys use? I have had a (semi) positive interaction with carfinance24/7 but just because the customer used them to buy a car via me. I earned nothing from it. Was thinking maybe MotoNovo or anyone got a great company out there that supports a small (12/15 car) business selling 10/12 cars a month, average value £6k Cheers everyone Mat

July 8th 1998 Started at Citroen in Nottingham as a trainee sales exec on £4k a year basic + a 10 year old £100 Metro as a Company car 18 Years Later ( TO THE DAY! ) I have worked for Bristol Street / Pendragon / Inchcape / Pendragon ( Thought i'd have learnt from the first time! ) / Vertu / Inchcape / Myself :-) I've been around the world for free, driven supercars, stayed at the Shard, had £100k company cars, earnt a fortune, lost a fortune andI now earn less and have a £400 15 year old Audi to kick about in! but I can honestly say I have never been happier. I lost my GM job at Lexus in Sept Last year and thought about a change - 2 days after watching Jeremy Kyle and sitting in my PJ's I gave up thinking about a change - Sank my life savings - Girlfriends life savings - Borrowed - Begged and here I am now 10 months later in my little unit, Vat reg'd, Ltd company, stocking 15 cars, selling 12/13 a month and loving every minute. I want to run before I can walk and get frustrated at times, but I wouldn't change a thing other than I wish i'd left PLC world 10 years ago, however I learned how to do the job properly and look after people. I love my job. I meet so many different people, I get the buzz out of doing a deal ( high 5'ing myself ) I sit here with my little dog Malcolm and its great. My kids come on a Saturday and help wash the cars, they love it. I have never felt so free in my life. This forum really helps and its great to see so many people actually wanting to help each other - there's nothing better than free advice! This time next year................ :-)

(Plus Vat! ) And thanks a million for the 'thank you' I'll keep singing your praises!

Started the month off brilliantly - Done 8 by the 13th ( best month so far has been 10! ) went away for a week on Holiday and did one via text/email so sat on 9 now. Hopefully get into the teens for the first time!! fingers crossed, However after my horrendous journey home I seem to have lost all brain power and still have no idea what i'm doing this week!

Good luck fella. Any Mini Stock you need to dispose of - give me a bell!

Mine came through in 11 days!! I was astounded! To be fair though, I had the chap from Close Brothers come in and he whizzed through the application which would have taken me a half day to complete, in about 2 hrs. He was very helpful and hoping that by the end of the week i'll have terms in place to be able to offer funding myself. Seems i'm missing 3/4 deals a month as I cant offer at the mo.

I have a similar problem moving trade stuff on. sub £1k cars Any ideas where we can get rid - i have a trial with cartotrade however they want £40 a month! At the minute I advertise them as trade cars on AT/Website/Gumtree & Ebay I give no warranty ( which is legal ) and any issues found on safety check ( which we do to every car ) are listed, the car is priced according to its faults / condition and that's that. However we ensure its roadworthy, so brakes/tryres/MOT failure Items are sorted. Our cars are fit for purpose ( they start, stop, run and drive ) Satisfactory quality ( based on asking price ) As described ( if anything i'm too honest and show people every nick, scratch, broken trim etc ) I had a Punto 4 weeks ago - 2 days in, gearbox smashed to bits in 5/6th, it worked when I drove it, when he drove it on test drive and for the previous owner had it for 6 years - However being a realist, I didn't want to see a young lad with a £1000 gearbox bill, I found a box, had it fitted and he contributed £150 to the bill. We spoke about it like grown ups and hes driving his car now with a smile on his face. I lost £200 overall on the deal but it was a px for a deal that I made £800 on, so i'm still up. I think with these things, if it breaks, fix it or give them their money back. I use Lawgistics for their self underwritten warranty product ( which works for me ) and they are always very helpful by the way. Mat ( sorry about all the brackets, i have no idea why I do that! )

Yes, Max per claim! Total claim limit is the value of the car! I'm not that tight!!

And there's still plenty of them about!! Ha ha

Lawgistics write warranties for self underwriters. Provide a nice glossy booklet that you fill in. I pay around £8 per book and then run a pot of £1000 for any repairs with a £500 claim limit. I sell the 12 mth for £350 and every time I do, I add it to the £1000 pot, after 12mths can drop it into profit? I originally set up with Warrantywise, however have heard horror stories about claims and also I dont want pictures of Quentin Wilson all over my unit!

I joined a couple after your advice!! Mini Owners Group have 15,000 members!! I reckon I can buy a years stock from there!! :-)

Nowt stranger than folk Last week I had a guy come on the train from Sussex ( 2 1/2 hr train journey! ) come to see a BMW estate I have, again, lovely car, he was over the moon with it, drove it, loved it, but his 'gut' told him is wasn't the car from him. Dropped him off at the station and off he went never to be heard from again! I sometimes don't get how people have the time! I certainly don't have 6 hours of a day that i just 'fancy' looking at a car! I treat everyone as a buyer though, after 18 years working for PLC's you quickly realise everyone who's made the effort to call/email/get off their ass to come and see you is worth speaking to. When I first started out, there was a chap walking around our Lexus showroom, sweat pants, sandles with socks, bum bag, T shirt with a picture of Alaskan wolves on it, - you get the picture. Everyone else ran a mile, reception came over and said to me, Lord Turner wants to look at a new RX300 ( £50k odd at the time ) He dealt on the car with me there and then, and subsequently bought 3 more cars from me in the following 12 months. Never judge a book!! :-)

Steve, Thanks for the feedback, however I'm not sure where you are looking? Can you snip and paste it? Thanks Mat

Hiya, Last week i updated my rubbish website and went with car dealer 5 ( helpful chaps by the way ) www.superminiuk.com if you want a look at their handywork Since going live and my stock now being shown on gumtree/ebay and Autotrader, i have mysteriously been getting leads via Carguru? I have checked their site and it seems genuine, however of the 5 leads i've had this week, not one of them has replied to my return email to them? Strange, I know there are those odd bods who love to make an enquiry and then completely ignore you, but 5/5? Am I missing something here or are they just dross? Thanks, Mat

Hi, I have just had to set up my first combined policy ( which was a NIGHTMARE ) I tried 5/6 brokers including premier and initially was very impressed with them, however 2 weeks of chasing up a quote and to be told cant get flood cover i ended up going with someone else. I then received a rather snotty email saying i'd chosen the wrong company ( sour grapes ) I went with Firth & Scott based in Nottingham ( Stevie sorted mine out ) 0115 840 0300 Wasn't the cheapest quote but i believe sometimes you get what you pay for ( especially with insurance ) Just over £3k PLI, business interuption, contents, £100k stock cover and road risk for me and the mrs + FLOOD COVER! More than I wanted to spend, but hey ho. Ta

Hi, Close rep told me a few he's done have taken 3/4 weeks. Guess its luck of the draw. I'm not holding my breath to be pinging out finance quotes this time in 4 weeks though! Hopefully will be a little quicker than 3 months. Got the keys today, so all hands on deck now. Thanks Mat