A good deal fell in my lap today which I didnt want to turn down.
I was mulling over whether or not I should change my car at the two year mark of ownership and hadnt decided.
Today my dad announced that after my sister pays a month long visit from OZ in May, for which he is MOTing and taxing my sisters Grand Vitara, plus a big service after its lay-up for the last year, he is intending on selling it.
And of course it occurred to me that this was a rather good example of the breed plus my wife likes the idea of us buying it so its all arranged that I will take it over at the end of May. Its a 2001 and only done 60k so hardly any more than mine, plus my dad is letting me have it for £1500 - I couldnt find a similar one for less than £2000 and some a fair bit more than that so Im more than happy with this deal.
It also means an instant bit of cash for my sis to help pay for her wedding to her aussie fella. They bought a '98 CRV today aswell, must be something in the air.
Should give me time to get my car sold without any time without a car. Sorted.
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Sounds like a bit of a bargain Stu. Probably more suitable for lugging your work kit around too. Hope you enjoy it.
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So will I become one of the evil sinning off-roader owners now then? I hadnt considered the terrible social stigma :-)
Only minus i sthe £230 odd a year for road tax as opposed to £35 on my car, but then Im getting it so cheap, mustnt grumble!
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Dont worry, as its a hairdressers car, the vitara has no social stigma. ;-)
Edited by rtj70 on 21/02/2010 at 15:05
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I better get some bullbars and strap some roadkill to them, man it up abit ;-)
It is metallic black though, so its more manly than a lilac Charade - anything is!
Luckily it doesnt have alloys even so its not in the least bit showy.
Edited by rtj70 on 21/02/2010 at 15:05
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I imagine your lilac Charade will sell quite well Stu, that VED is a bit of a sting in the backside mind after the £35er.
Bargain price the Suzi though and you know it's history.
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Yeah my cars value right now is something of a deciding factor as its the one type of car that is in demand right now so im selling high and buying low - rare opportunity really. Im hoping ill get around £2k for my Charade - seems attainable.
My dad is throwing all sorts of money at the GV - new battery as the one on it is done for having sat around for a year, new MOT, full service, 6 months tax and all niggles fixed. The irony with this car is that its load bay with seats down is STILL smaller than my Charade. Im trying to reduce what I carry though, Im sure I carry alotta junk.
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I've always thought a good sturdy securable box trailer would have been your ideal Stu, i suppose the winter weather prevents you setting up a fixed hot power washer in such a thing.
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Window cleaners use Transit or slightly smaller sized vans with an on board tank, pump, hose outlets, etc.
Alternatively, a secondhand fire engine would do the job.
Drifting back to Stu's new car, the fact the Suzi has no alloys is probably a good thing.
I read somewhere oversize wheels and tyres on these often leads to steering rack problems.
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>>the fact the Suzi has no alloys is probably a good thing. <<
I like cars in their most basic form, theres something more honest about them and alloys are the opposite of the image I like to have for my cars. Id have loved a Landrover, but I know they drink diesel and Im not wealthy enough for that lavish lifestyle just yet :-) I dont own half of Northanmptonshire, although a I know a man who does!
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>> I dont own half of Northanmptonshire, although a I know a man who does!
would that be my friends ex hubby, Mr W. or does your acquittance own the other half?
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Tbh, the costs of a van or extra equipment dont really stack up against the extra work having them could bring so ive never bothered. I stick to profitable work now, no two day full valets thx, eek.
Most people just want their car cleaned and dont care who you are or what you drive so long as you are honest and do the job well - I charge prices of a guy who works from the back of a car and people like it. Im happy with what I do now - Im actually very busy workwise in between this darned snow, jobs are piling up, mainly Jaguars for some reason.
I was checking out the costs on the Vitara today - 35 or so mpg and a £3 a month increase in insurance. Road tax is the only stinger really as Ive reduced my mileage alot recently so petrol use is down nearly 30%.
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Expect closer to 30mpg.
I presume you keep under the VAT threshold - a lot of people love employing guys who don't need to charge VAT on labour... especially the Tax Office workers I know!
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Way under yeah, theres no money in valeting really, I run it as something of a hobby job in some ways as Im also a full-time househusband to my wifes career and I have numerous wear and tear issues from 13 years of working too hard ( valeting ruins knees, neck and lower back after 5 or so years ).
The thing I always say to people who ask why I havent got a shiny sign written van is always the same - ' its YOU that will be paying for that van - how important is it to you?'. Usually quietens people down :-)
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Stu,if you don't mind me asking, what is the ball-park price for man in van to turn up in the street and wash someone's car, and dry it down?
Reason I ask is there is an S Reg Hyundai Accent that parks outside my office and the guy comes every couple of weeks or so and washes and dries it. This is a typical S reg car, missing wheeltrims, rust in bits so obviously not a great car lover but obviously finds it cost effective to do this than wash himself or go to one of the many car washes in disused space throughout Glasgow.
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If someone had it done weekly, id charge them £8 a pop. Usually £10 for one offs. Seems fair to me.
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