My Car - an update

Shirley · Post: # 26705Post **Shirley** » Mon Jul 17, 2006 4:58 pm

Hello everyone....

Some of you will remember that my car recently failed it's MOT and that it was going to cost silly money to get it fixed up again......

Well... it's still failed it's MOT and is still sitting outside on my drive... the good news is that there is another one sat right next to it. Same type of car, but with smaller engine and a manual gearbox (yuk!!!) - Story is that a friend of David's from school (he's a teacher) had a sister who had a car sitting on her driveway that wasn't working... they were fairly sure that it was just the alternator... they didn't bother to get it fixed and bought a new car instead. Anyway - they said we could have this one for free otherwise it was going to the scrapper. We hired the trailer and David picked it up for me... a long day for him as he did it after work (thanks David).

We asked the local mechanic to look it over and he said it would cost about Ã‚Â£400 to fix it... ouch... still, we thought we'd just let him do the work and get it on the road (it being a younger car than mine and cheaper on fuel too!) - in the end it cost Ã‚Â£310 to get it fixed up and through the MOT and today I picked it up from him.

Very odd to drive a manual car again that's for sure but I'm sure I'll get used to it.

So.... watch out Aberdeenshire... I'm back on the road YAY YAY YAY!!!! Hoooorah.

Many thanks to everyone who offered their support when Stonehead made that exceptional post of his.... thanks to Jo & Nick for looking over the car for us... and thanks to all for the offers of Ã‚Â£20 each... don't need it now but I'm eternally grateful to you all for offering... just one of the reasons I love Selfsufficientish and all who sail in her!!!!!!!

Boots · Post: # 26829Post **Boots** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 8:40 am

Woooo Hoooo! Great News Shirley!

[insert funky party emoticons here]

So glad it is sorted and you can start cruising the boulevardes of Aberdeenshire again.

Wombat · Post: # 26841Post **Wombat** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 10:03 am

Onya mate!

Glad to hear you back amongst it again!

Nev

glenniedragon · Wed Jul 19, 2006 4:42 pm

Good to have your wheels back! we have a mechanic friend who phoned up a guy who's car had just failed the MOT and would cost about three hundred to fix and they said keep it! it was a 'new' Y reg!, he managed to fix it for a lot less using reclaimed bits and now his wife has a beautiful yellow. manual car thats about 6 years younger than her last.....wierd disposable mindset that I find really hard-I drive mine 'til thay can go no longer! good news on the wheels Shirlz, you'll have to build up your left leg!

kind thoughts
Deb

Chickpea · Post: # 26912Post **Chickpea** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 7:25 pm

I find it a tough decision - is it better to drive a clapped out old banger until all the bits fall off, or is it better to scrap it and get a shiney new car with a hybrid engine and a catalytic converter and a gazillion miles to the gallon?

glenniedragon · Wed Jul 19, 2006 7:37 pm

I come down in favour of driving the clapped out banger, as resources are used to make all the car, and as long as emissions are kept within reasonable limits, best to keep driving than let it rust in a scrapyard, but each to their own! may your car be many years 'til the scrapyard Sirlz!

kind thoughts
Deb

shiney · Post: # 26915Post **shiney** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 7:40 pm

Well it must be great to have wheels again!

I am sure the clutch will be second nature in no time.

Millymollymandy · Thu Jul 20, 2006 12:27 pm

Glad you got that sorted then Shirlz!

Shirley · Post: # 27070Post **Shirley** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 2:41 pm

Thanks everyone...

Re the old banger bit... now I've got two old bangers on my drive. One I'll drive and the other I'll pass on to someone else... it's not reached the end of it's life.. it just requires more money spending on it than I can afford at the moment. Definitely won't be sent to scrap - good mileage.