A Bad Day

[trade vet 704]

3 hours ago, BHM said:

 I don’t think you’re helping!

I do find it funny,we have all been there.With friends and family or ‘charity deals’ ( my wife’s description) you cannot win,even if you have given them a free car.

 

[NOACROSS 414]

True. Remember:‘No good deed goes unpunished!’  

[Mark101 536]

I feel shit for my dad to be honest.  I bought him as a gift a Disco at the thick end of £30k and he was beside himself with happiness and gratefulness.

Fast forward almost 6 years and he now lives back in UK and is 79 - doesn’t do the mileage, car is starting to need some £ spending (EGR, timing belt overdue, major  service etc), RFL is over £500 and it does about 27mpg.  Dad is no way skint but because he doesn’t earn a wage anymore, he hates to spend unnecessarily, despite still owning a number of properties which he rents out (I think asset rich cash poor is his favourite expression).

So the solution is a 116D BM, £30 RFL 50+ mpg all sorted and ready to his spec (tow bar for his little trailer etc)

We just agreed a straight swap, it suits me because a good Land Rover does everything I need and will tow 3500kg, fit the dog in the boot for muddy walks, get me anywhere if ever we have any snow (oh I hope we do) and is generally a nice place to be.

My point is, no money is changing hands - I just wanted to get him a car that more suits his life style and one that suits mine - I just can’t quite believe how it has turned to such rat shit.

[David Horgan 564]

26 minutes ago, Mark101 said:

I feel shit for my dad to be honest.  I bought him as a gift a Disco at the thick end of £30k and he was beside himself with happiness and gratefulness.

Fast forward almost 6 years and he now lives back in UK and is 79 - doesn’t do the mileage, car is starting to need some £ spending (EGR, timing belt overdue, major  service etc), RFL is over £500 and it does about 27mpg.  Dad is no way skint but because he doesn’t earn a wage anymore, he hates to spend unnecessarily, despite still owning a number of properties which he rents out (I think asset rich cash poor is his favourite expression).

So the solution is a 116D BM, £30 RFL 50+ mpg all sorted and ready to his spec (tow bar for his little trailer etc)

We just agreed a straight swap, it suits me because a good Land Rover does everything I need and will tow 3500kg, fit the dog in the boot for muddy walks, get me anywhere if ever we have any snow (oh I hope we do) and is generally a nice place to be.

My point is, no money is changing hands - I just wanted to get him a car that more suits his life style and one that suits mine - I just can’t quite believe how it has turned to such rat shit.

Hope Monday is a less troublesome day for you . What can go wrong after that lot ? Nothing  hope . 

 

 

[trade vet 704]

27 minutes ago, Mark101 said:

I feel shit for my dad to be honest.  I bought him as a gift a Disco at the thick end of £30k and he was beside himself with happiness and gratefulness.

Fast forward almost 6 years and he now lives back in UK and is 79 - doesn’t do the mileage, car is starting to need some £ spending (EGR, timing belt overdue, major  service etc), RFL is over £500 and it does about 27mpg.  Dad is no way skint but because he doesn’t earn a wage anymore, he hates to spend unnecessarily, despite still owning a number of properties which he rents out (I think asset rich cash poor is his favourite expression).

So the solution is a 116D BM, £30 RFL 50+ mpg all sorted and ready to his spec (tow bar for his little trailer etc)

We just agreed a straight swap, it suits me because a good Land Rover does everything I need and will tow 3500kg, fit the dog in the boot for muddy walks, get me anywhere if ever we have any snow (oh I hope we do) and is generally a nice place to be.

My point is, no money is changing hands - I just wanted to get him a car that more suits his life style and one that suits mine - I just can’t quite believe how it has turned to such rat shit.

You are lucky Mark,with my in laws,I would be expected to buy back the Disco and do the 1 series for free.!

[stockedup! 63]

8 hours ago, Mark101 said:

Long story but I need to share yesterday’s events.

Regulars will recall that I have taken my Dad’s Disco 3 in PX against a BMW 1 Series.

Having bought him the Disco about 5-6 years ago, I knew I would struggle meeting his expectations of a new smaller, more economical car vs. The comfort of the Disco HSE.

When I say no expense spared, I have done everything to this BM ready for him to receive on Saturday.  New MOT, New Full Service, New Towbar, New Streaming Parrot Kit, New and Boxed Tom Tom, Taxed - ready to go.

I travel home in the car on Friday night and the next morning, the wife, me and the dog set off for North Wales.  I get about half way and suddenly, that doesn’t feel right - I pull over and it feels like it’s thrown a DMF.

I call my Dad to explain and that I will go back to the unit in Worcester and loan him my Citroen DS3 for a week whilst I get the DMF replaced providing he will insure it - he does.

I drive to the unit, dig out the DS3, swap all the stuff between the cars, refuel and start again.  (Time is now 1.30pm, we were due at their house at 12.00pm). My Mrs drives because I am pissed off, I say let’s go a different way because I am so fed up with this same road and I am sure we can cut a corner - blind lanes for 30 miles but eventually end up back on the same A5 road heading towards North Wales - Nikki says this car drives so nicely (it does/did) get within 35 miles of their home (almost exactly the same location as the BM) - car goes into limp mode - engine fault, traction control - max revs 2,000 and rough.

I didn’t think to bring my reader but decided (as we are closer to their new house to ours) to limp it to Dads and then call AA for a diog (don’t have relay). Most stressful shitty limp along dual carriageways for 35 miles ever.  Get within 3 miles and spot a sales pitch - I ask the guy if you could help a fellow trader and lend me a code reader just to see if I could reset the fault and at least know that it is nothing serious and whether it would drive back etc.

The result - it has thrown number 3 injector.

I now have a Disco, a broken BM in Worcester needing DMF and a broken DS3 in North Wales needing transporting.

What are the chances.

When it goes wrong....it goes wrong, rough day by anyones standards. Hope you get it sorted.

 

[Tim H 16]

22 minutes ago, trade vet said:

with my in laws,I would be expected to buy back the Disco and do the 1 series for free.!

They don't sound like in laws... they sound more like outlaws.. !!

 

Mark it does sound like a very testing day...there's no doubt you'll get it resolved, and hopefully it's easier than first thought..

Good Luck.

 

 

 

 

[Mark101 536]

44 minutes ago, David Horgan said:

Hope Monday is a less troublesome day for you . What can go wrong after that lot ? Nothing  hope . 

 

 

Thanks David

23 minutes ago, stockedup! said:

When it goes wrong....it goes wrong, rough day by anyones standards. Hope you get it sorted.

 

Thank you Stocked Up

[Mark101 536]

13 minutes ago, Tim H said:

They don't sound like in laws... they sound more like outlaws.. !!

 

Mark it does sound like a very testing day...there's no doubt you'll get it resolved, and hopefully it's easier than first thought..

Good Luck.

 

 

 

 

Thanks Tim

It looks like I will get the award for bad run of luck from current runner EPV.

After all this shit yesterday - get to work to a message from the winning bidder on my truck pulling out because it won’t carry his choice of cars. And, after many many emails, videos spent on Friday to a Polish buyer on a 325 coupe - he arrives, spends 2 hours crabbing followed by a test drive (which I explained twice the rules) only to be told he loves it and is going away to have a think.

2 minutes ago, tradex said:

These things come in threes... 

So best go out and slash a tyre on a stock car just to get the third one do e n dusted

If Carlsberg did shitty days..... 

You’re right Tradex - I’m not worried about what the fix is - I will do whatever it takes, my only issue is pushing the garage to do something tomorrow when I spent last week backing them up after a good run.

I will hopefully be laughing about it with you all by Wednesday.

Thanks for all your kind words - not one bit of abuse 

[Dave2302 387]

17 minutes ago, Mark101 said:

not one bit of abuse

Oh, here ya go then ........................

Must be buying shit stock or shit preparation 

Happy to oblige 

[stockedup! 63]

Just now, Dave2302 said:

Oh, here ya go then ........................

Must be buying shit stock or shit preparation 

Happy to oblige 

A bit harsh Dave 

[Dave2302 387]

He begged for some abuse honest 

[Nick M.K. 574]

2 minutes ago, stockedup! said:

A bit harsh Dave 

Wait until BHM wakes up from his afternoon nap. Then he'll redefine harsh. Although seems to have become somewhat mellower as of late...

[NOACROSS 414]

I resisted my usual ‘German crap, what do you expect’ statement :o)

[grant8064 219]

1 hour ago, Mark101 said:

So the solution is a 116D BM, £30 RFL 50+ mpg all sorted and ready to his spec (tow bar for his little trailer etc)

He must be bloody agile at 79 climbing down into one of those...does my back in at less than half his age!

We've all been there...one thing after abloodynother, everything you look at breaks and the phone just rings with screamers...soon enough you'll have forgotten all about it, moan you can't get stock quick enough because you could sell ice to an eskimo and joke about how ridiculous/funny the whole situation was.

It's a funny game really.

 

[mike101 8]

Hard luck. Friends and family curse!

Do it for nothing and watch it bite you. I say no to friends now (they’ll be telling you a year later that they just had to replace a bulb on THAT car you sold me!)

Family is tricky - just had to do a HG on a farm truck I sourced for my mum 6 months ago so I share your pain. 

[Mark101 536]

I agree with all that apart from prep - notwithstanding this was for Dad, I go well OTT on prep but yes, quite often stock can be shit.

I often think, if a car is absolutely perfect why would someone be changing it (in the price range I deal in, run of the mill stuff approx £4-8k on average).

That doesn’t bother me because often I can fix them relatively cheaply (trade actual vs. Private perception) and get a good return.

lately DMF 1 Series (LUK with clutch kit too - £460 punters think it’s a grand and get rid quick)

MX5 - hunting like a bastard - split pipe and short MOT - under £300

Timing Belts due - quite inexpensive 

My cars then look good value with full MOT, up to date Service, Valet, PDI and all faults fixed.

 

[Nick M.K. 574]

2 minutes ago, Mark101 said:

I often think, if a car is absolutely perfect why would someone be changing it

That's the reason why I change my personal cars. Run them for a few months, do everything that needs doing on them, advertise them at above market price and when someone finally turns up with the money (or even better without them and wants finance) the car is "let go". At a small profit. Much better than "drive a new one for £399 a month" and initial rental of £6500. 

[Mark101 536]

For the record, I will fix my dads car for ever without any complaints.  He bought me up as a single dad from the age of 5 whilst running a successful business and gave me a childhood some people can only dream of - he truly is the nicest, gentlest, kindest most humble person you could ever meet (and people continue to tell me how much they love him)

He is my hero but he is fucking irritating now he has gone deaf.

[Dave2302 387]

Pardon?? Eh ?? What ?? Half past 3 

BTW I am only teasing ya

[grant8064 219]

5 minutes ago, Mark101 said:

He is my hero but he is fucking irritating now he has gone deaf.

[stockedup! 63]

7 minutes ago, Nick M.K. said:

That's the reason why I change my personal cars. Run them for a few months, do everything that needs doing on them, advertise them at above market price and when someone finally turns up with the money (or even better without them and wants finance) the car is "let go". At a small profit. Much better than "drive a new one for £399 a month" and initial rental of £6500. 

I have a trader pal who runs a new RR Autobiography with a lump of deposit and about 1500 quid a month, seems like a huge waste of poke to me especially when it spends a load of time in the garage being repaired and he ain't that flush. I have just bought a 9 year old S class with full dealer history to smoke, a big luxury but one must treat oneself every now and then 

[Mark101 536]

16 minutes ago, grant8064 said:

It’s like a mad house now (dad and step mother’s house).  She’s mad, he’s deaf and it’s almost as if they have a script of everything they need to say and you’ve little to no chance of getting a word in - TV (not our colleague) is on super loud and my head is spinning by the time I leave. Mind you, they love a drink and I would hate to offend.

 

19 minutes ago, Dave2302 said:

BTW I am only teasing ya

I know mate but many a true word and all that.  Of course the cars are shit - for example I’ve got an E280 sport arriving this week - the equivalent would cost you £50-60k new, so one for sale at £4000 is going to be shit (by comparison).

11 minutes ago, stockedup! said:

I have a trader pal who runs a new RR Autobiography with a lump of deposit and about 1500 quid a month, seems like a huge waste of poke to me especially when it spends a load of time in the garage being repaired and he ain't that flush. I have just bought a 9 year old S class with full dealer history to smoke, a big luxury but one must treat oneself every now and then 

I would love a big old S Class - I think they’re great.  Shit off road though and winter is coming.

[stockedup! 63]

26 minutes ago, Mark101 said:

It’s like a mad house now (dad and step mother’s house).  She’s mad, he’s deaf and it’s almost as if they have a script of everything they need to say and you’ve little to no chance of getting a word in - TV (not our colleague) is on super loud and my head is spinning by the time I leave. Mind you, they love a drink and I would hate to offend.

 

I know mate but many a true word and all that.  Of course the cars are shit - for example I’ve got an E280 sport arriving this week - the equivalent would cost you £50-60k new, so one for sale at £4000 is going to be shit (by comparison).

I would love a big old S Class - I think they’re great.  Shit off road though and winter is coming.

They are a cracking car mate, I love them. A8 also are great value, I always find that I can smoke them for a while and there is always someone(Rig worker or long distance wagon driver)who wants a big lump of flash for not crazy money to drive when they are at home. Correct in saying they aren't great off road though, mind you can always raise the suspension

[andymc1973 199]

can I ask if any of you still like cars? This job has killed the love of them for me