Have you always run your car yourself?

[Lis]

I mean by way of running costs?

Have you always coped by yourself or have you had to borrow money from people to cover the costs?

Personally, have always covered costs myself from age of 18.... my OH on the other hand... well.... :confused:

[Captain Answer]

Yes, not that it really matters

[Clinterous]

"Have you ever drunk Baileys from a shoe"

No, but it tastes like shoes smell.

[Dudey Head]

"Have you ever drunk Baileys from a shoe"

No, but it tastes like shoes smell.

Is that in the same way that sprouts taste like farts smell & celery tastes like headaches feel?? This deserves to be a thread in it's own right - sensory crossovers! I'm gonna start it right now. :p

[Dudey Head]

This deserves to be a thread in it's own right - sensory crossovers! I'm gonna start it right now. :p

'tis done http://www.vwaudiforum.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?p=207080#post207080

[Col]

But on topic and I think it is a very valid question.

Early days it was tricky, very tricky.

My first car was a Vauxhaul Chevette, terrible terrible thing but I loved as you do with your first car.

Anyway, the starter motor packed up on it, so in it went to the garage.

They kept it for a whole week, which is a long long time when you are 17 and have just got used to having your independance.

The biggest hit was it cost me almost two weeks wages ! (about £100, I was on about £56 a week as a trainee site engineer back in 1988)

For that day I made a point of making sure I learnt how to do it myself. Problem almost solved financially.

Over the years I've saved myself thousands of pounds looking after mine and the Mrs cars. I've done clutches/gearboxes, numerous cambelts, a few head gaskets, loads of suspension work along with all the routine stuff, all self taught and all successfully. Doing plenty of research and planning is the key to success (which is easy these days with the internet).

So in a round about way, my answer is;

Yes I would have struggled years ago if I had done what most people do, that is put the car into the garage.

Getting lazy now though and quite happily put the Passat in for it's cambelt last year and will also put it in for the clutch and DMF. If cash was tight though, my spanners would be out.

[MalcQV]

I have had loans to cover at least half of the cars I have bought. I do a mixture of DIY and professional repairs. By that I mean I leave the hard stuff to the pros, but will do brakes, suspension such as replacement springs or shockers, but all the other stuff including replacement of bushes and some wheel bearings and definitely cambelts (though have done them myself in the past) to the pro's

The Passat I only bought because of a Building society demutualisation, and a permanent loan from Mrs QV :p.

Planning a change next year and will loan at least 50% of the car cost.

[Dudey Head]

But on topic and I think it is a very valid question.

Yup, you're right, I was just too tired to think about it last night & the sub-topic amused me too much! :D

I'm lucky on the maintenance front, a friend of my dad's has been a mechanic for 30 odd years & used to have his own garage. He's saved me £1000's over the 11 years that I've had my own car. He's virtually retired now but still doesn't mind servicing & repairing mine & Mrs. Dudey's cars & doesn't mind waiting till pay day to cover his costs.
I paid for a custom built Jetex exhaust with high-flow cat on my coupe with my credit card, it was too physical a job for my dad's mate at his age! The original Audi exhausts for coupes' are horrendously expensive so I thought I may as well upgrade for not a lot more & the whole thing was rotten. To be fair I think it was all the original exhaust so it had lasted about 12 years!