Bargain Basement Motoring

[NewcastleFalcon]

I think mine's a Mackem Micra K12

Can't complain 14,000 miles so far, £100 purchase price, and just those jobs listed which are basic maintenance on any older vehicle.

Regards Neil

[andy5]

I have watched the odd "remove a rusty bolt" video but when I saw this bloke and the position he was in, and realising that on occasions I have done exactly that sort of thing myself, I thought think once think twice, pay someone to do it!

That's my feeling about some jobs, if it needs expertise, special tools, or a professional could do it in a third of the time I'd be not earning, messing about, wondering what I'm doing.

A simple example was when I came back to my Xantia after not using it for a year and a half the battery had failed. Ordered a new one, then sheared off the battery clamp bolt. I no longer have a set of easyouts, and if I bought a set it's not unknown to break one anyway. Changed battery, and it can only rock half an inch, should be OK for a mile. Booked MOT, it failed on the clamp bolt and a suspension bush, and I got them to do it.

[NewcastleFalcon]

To recap...Last Wednesday the BB Micra had two jobs to do on the MOT failure sheet. Coil Spring, and Ball Joint.
Today a week and a day later it got retested and has a Pass Certificate.

Its amazing how much time can be consumed when you tot it up, and the reality that if you have a good local garage like I do it is so much less hassle and good value for money to just get the jobs done. Reckon I would have had it back last Friday at the latest if I had just got them to do the job.

Thanks for the bits and pieces of assistance. Its got new bolts all round now.

Regards Neil

[NewcastleFalcon]

BB Micra was out and about today, and I put £20 of BP Petrol in it. I did think, £20? That's as much as we had spent for 7500 miles and 8 months of EV usage. Been a bit more cavalier with the pay for chargers recently for convenience and time-saving.

So the BB micra has its MOT, and no doubt is expecting the traditional treat of an oil and filter change. What £50 in one day....its going to have to wait. ECP can deliver the oil/filter in September plenty soon enough

I dont think you could get ICE motoring on a much more economical basis than the BB Micra, but it still racks up the normal maintenance costs. Exhaust £120, MOT £45, MOT Parts £130, Airbag sorting £40 ish, Tyres coming up and the usual insurance and tax. Still I regard it as very much worth keeping going. Its too useful to ditch and put all our eggs in the electric basket just yet.

REgards Neil

[CitroJim]

I dont think you could get ICE motoring on a much more economical basis than the BB Micra, but it still racks up the normal maintenance costs. Exhaust £120, MOT £45, MOT Parts £130, Airbag sorting £40 ish, Tyres coming up and the usual insurance and tax. Still I regard it as very much worth keeping going. Its too useful to ditch and put all our eggs in the electric basket just yet.

My Saxo and Pixo come very close!

I agree on the electric topic... I've considered it given my meagre use of a car but the economics just don't work - yet...

I can run the Pixo and Saxo for many years on what it would cost me to go electric...

[NewcastleFalcon]

Its too useful to ditch and put all our eggs in the electric basket just yet.

My Saxo and Pixo come very close!

I agree on the electric topic... I've considered it given my meagre use of a car but the economics just don't work - yet...

I can run the Pixo and Saxo for many years on what it would cost me to go electric...

You may not have caught up on it Jim, but I do have some of my eggs in the electric basket as the sister thread to Bargain Basement Motoring, Bargain Basement Electric testifies.

Joined the FCF Electric club, back in November buy buying a Nissan Leaf. My tab-packet calculations based on doing around 15,000 miles a year if the assumptions prove correct mean that buying an running that £10K car for 4 years is actually cheaper than my Bargain Basement £100 Micra

Currently I am outperforming the assumptions 7,500 miles for £20 "fuel" costs. The Micra would have cost at 10 miles/litre 750 litres * £1.10 (yes it was about £1.30+ before the recent fall) at least £825 in fuel alone.

If you do decent regular milage, but not a lot of longer distance motoring second hand electric is a good choice. Like you say if you only do small milage, bargain basement ICE is currently the cheapest way to go.

Regards Neil

[CitroJim]

Neil, that's incredibly interesting I do apologise as I've not see that thread... The forum is now so huge it's taking me a long while to catch up with what's going on...

[admiral51]

I have spent a good few weeks reading not only this thread but also the associated threads regarding electric vehicles and they are very very informative so i am going to ask a few questions as i am looking to get some more info.
So my expenditure on my Xantia first
Owned for 2 years, spent £650 to buy it, disregarding insurance as that is variable, i have spent
Tax £560
Mot and service items £ 1200
Fuel based on £1.30 a litre ( £6 a gallon as easier for calcs ) @ 50 MPG and 14500 miles per year = £1740 x 2 = £3480( 70 miles day round trip to work )
So in total inc purchase price =£6430.
If my calcs are correct it has cost me £0.22 per mile so far. ( open to being corrected )
So if my calcs are correct the car has cost me £6500 give or take to earn £90k before tax over 2 years.
So i earn good money but do not have cash to splash, so i need to take a loan out or spend savings to get an EV and i am talking no more than £4k tops.
Yes EV range is good for me on a daily commute but what can i get for my budget?
My big question is what are the service costs, if i spend less in fuel but i spend more in service then what do i gain, yes i mean I as no matter how much i agree with and want to go electric i still need to be able to run and maintain the vehicle
Colin

[NewcastleFalcon]

The forum is now so huge it's taking me a long while to catch up with what's going on...

Dont bother Jim too much effort.....new posts, new pictures, forward we go.

Spoiler: show

Have to say there has been such excellent stuff accumulated on the forum, that its a shame not to bring forward some old gems. I have a thread entitled "The answer is in the FCF" which I post from time to time to dredge up some of the old stuff.

Just last week we dredged this character up in what was a totally random selection of the 5,325 posts on POTD at the time

Well my random selection turned up with page 30 and this gentleman needs no introduction.
For newer members of the forum this chap is a legend!

Me, on Friday, in another form of transportation I rather enjoy



I really do love it

This coming Friday I'm doing a kayak triathlon to raise a bit of money for our local hospice. A 1.5 mile paddle around a course set out on the lake, a 3 mile run around the lake and then a swim across the lake!

I originally posted this in my blog and now posting it here on Neil’s orders

regards Neil

[NewcastleFalcon]

I have spent a good few weeks reading not only this thread but also the associated threads regarding electric vehicles and they are very very informative so i am going to ask a few questions as i am looking to get some more info......

One thing which I have come across if you are interested in getting an electric car, are the salary sacrifice schemes offered by many employers. No reason why they shouldn't do it, they benefit and you pay for a vehicle out of pre-tax income. Some electric cars which may seem out of reach could be acquired for a monthly salary sacrifice less than you imagine. You do not own the car and hand it back or get a different one when the lease term finishes.

But on to your questions

None of us are complete experts on this but this was my take when buying the Leaf. The reality is if you want a second hand electric car in the Uk the choice is basically a Leaf or A Zoe. This link may lead you to the same conclusion as me, ie the choice is...a Leaf. Can a case be made for buying a second hand renault zoe?

If we separate out the EV part of it.

Service items should be just the usual running gear items and tyres, no exhaust/oil filter changes. You make a choice whether you want a nice set of dealer stamps in your book, and pay for the dealer services where I suspect they do very little if anything you couldnt easily do yourself, but are probably pricy.

I didnt really bring maintenance/repairs into my calculations, assuming for an ev its going to be less than for an ICE.

I simply over a four year period assumed that the £10k car I bought would be worth around £5k after 4 years.
I do a milage similar to you at 15,000 a year.
Petrol costs at the time i assumed at £1.25/litre
and my bargain basement Micra I asssumed to be 10 miles/litre (45mpg)

Cost over 4 years (petrol) 6000 litres * £1.25 £7,500
Assumed Electricity cost 1/4 of petrol cost £1,875

£5,625 contribution towards financing costs of an initial £10k over 4 years, and a residual value of £5000 coming in at the end of year 4.

I concluded rightly or wrongly, after years of bargain basement motoring, bargain basement electric of a £10K car, was as cheap if not cheaper than running a £100 Micra.

The assumptions are more than holding up so far.

REgards neil

[admiral51]

Thanks Neil for the detailed reply.
This forum is great for honest advice and opinions, no hidden agendas to try and push you one way or the other ( Inc French Cars lol )
I have looked into the costs of taking out a loan to purchase a vehicle as the leasing option has worked out more than what i am paying now and i have no asset at the end of it.
I will be looking into the help to buy for want of a better term to see if it will help the figures add up.
Thanks again for the honest input
Colin

[NewcastleFalcon]

Here's one of the fleet of BB motors off for recycling today as reported on Scrapyard Tales.

Served us well. Here she is in the Scottish Borders surveying the wide horizon...

BB little Blue Corsa

Regards Neil

[NewcastleFalcon]

Too much wrestling with rusty nuts and getting dirty and wet recently in the BB Micra motoring world.

Time to do what we all faf about with our cars for....a bit of a trip out, a thermos of boiling water, the mugs, instant coffee and a Lindt chocolate bar to share.

A walk down to a castle and viaduct, a video filmed of labrador hide and seek in a ruined castle to amuse the younger generation.

Bring back old fashioned motoring for pleasure, cruisin and playing the radio with no particular place to go.

nf video screenshot

REgards Neil

[NewcastleFalcon]

The BB Micra is taxed, MOT'ed and insured so it deserves a little day out in the sunshine.

Allendale Brewery, and a very nice little watering hole Coffee and Kuriosities. Normally the ridiculous us of the "K" would annoy me so much I would boycott the business altogether, but really it was totally excellent, a real family start-up, and a gorgeous day to sit outside with our coffee and kake (and the kakes were excellent! home made by the mother of the owner!)

BB Micra on a jaunt

ABS light came on on the journey home but I knew what it was and pulled into a layby and put the sensor connector back into its little socket in the hub carrier. One of the consequences of the spare axle stand and the hub, not being the finest balancing partners when I was doing the lower arm the other week in less than ideal conditions, causing a bit of a yanking out of the abs sensor wire.

Probably need to see if a better wedging in can be achieved with a suitable bodge.

Regards Neil

[CitroJim]

Bring back old fashioned motoring for pleasure, cruisin and playing the radio with no particular place to go.

I agree

Looks like a lovely place you and the BB Micra went today Neil