Ms Zippy - rear bushes quote was £87. Total work required was for new discs/pads, replace front links and replace rear bushes.

Dave - got a quote of £700 for a second hand ABS controller unit and £135 to fit (the car is worth £700 max).

I've decided just to walk away from the car. I could part-ex it but I can get more discount from not having a trade-in Went down to the garage last night and asked about 58 plate Astra/1.6 petrol or 1.7 diesel. Ideally I would like an estate but circumstances don't allow for any sort of delay in finding the right car. Hunting on Network Q there are quite a few available but my local garage can't seem to source any (Network Q dealers eh?).

Anyway, off now to phone Aberdeen/Inverness and see if they can act like they want to sell me a car.

A

Good luck!

I thought somebody mentioned, that the car wasn't that old? What do you have? That said, I was disappointed to only get 7K for my 2004 Mondeo...

It's a 02 plate Dave so just over 8 years old. The story behind the useless Elgin Vauxhall dealership appears to be that the apprentice salesman (I use that term because he has to have his hand held for him) has a script to follow which is basically 'sell the cars we have at our own garage first'. I've had a few offers for new and almost new cars but not the type and spec I'm after.

Al

Better suggestion yet:




What you do is walk in and simply state that if he mentions any form of finance prodcut, you shall dip your knob in his coffee. Watch him take your hand off to make the deal in cash.

Al if its any help I can ask my dad to do the rounds whos selling what? at his workplace up in dyce/aberdeen, you can get some REALLY tempting deals as these buggers are so rich they sell these cars at an absaloute bargain price, I nearly got a Honda CRV 4x4 for a measly £2000 might think its steep but It was in absaloute mint condition and it was worth a lot more, it had all the major parts replaced, he even left in the £400 cd player that he left in (the cd player that lets u plug in ipod etc) an offer I coudn't turn down so I was wanting that but then the owner realised that the car really was too good to sell and changed his mind I got my first car from these people too (that little saxo for a measly £500 with 37k miles on it) then I got the 406 for 1000 at my dads work but it was meant to be sold for £1500 so I saved half a grand hope you get the idea

I'd have to check the temperature first.

Don't forget about the potential export tax to move between foreign and native Scotland (8-p)

He should keep quiet about it in case they hit him for import duty into Scotland from England.

I dont understand your eccentric post, me and Al live in the same town

I know. But he's still foreign, right? We're all foreign, non?

I am........... onemac

Al

PS - foreignisity (say it out loud) is a vocation.........

Wowzers!! Bushes are really easy to replace, you can buy new pads for £40 and fit them yourself without even needing to bleed the brakes and I would estimate that the entire job should cost no more than £100. It just reinforces the reasons I do all the work on Horace myself (with the help of my lovely Mister) a Haynes BOL is my first investment with any new (different) car.


Ooh, I'm going to forgive you that noobish wordsmithing. Everyone knows it should extend as "Foreigniocity"

We've always subscribed to that view. Sadly, our Foxhall is older than Al's and most of the Haynes manual refers you to a service provider, or to acquire expensive tools, to do many of the tasks that would have been viewed as a Sunday morning job by your Dad.

I swear my next car will be something from the 1960s.

Appreciate what you're saying but there are rules governing my car with regard to work use. It basically states all work should be done by qualified mechanics and our legal bods even went as far as to say the work should be carried out at the dealership of the car's make. And trust me when I say that even with a Haynes manual and supervision by the most qualified specialist in the land, I would manage to screw up - it's in my genes

Al