Stinkwheel Posted September 17, 2018 Share Posted September 17, 2018 I'll be honest, I have no idea. The whole thing is a bit stressful as the garage seem to be relying on me for the bits... and the original tensioner is apparently toast.They keep mentioning that it's rusty, and it did seem sat at a very funny angle when I saw it a week or so ago, so I'm hoping that's not a sign the rear subframe is wrecked. Do these suffer odd rear wheel lean when rotten? No, if the rear wheels lean, it will be rear suspension arm bearings. Not a hard job for a garage with a lift. Arm bearing kits are about 40 quid per side last time I got some. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schaefft Posted September 17, 2018 Share Posted September 17, 2018 You would be so much better off with a trade policy. As has been said you are ultimately trading them on regardless of whether they are profit/loss. To give you some idea I pay £1100 fully comp WITH nationwide breakdown recovered back to home (included this just incase anything were to happen to the truck) this also includes high performance so am covered on anything from a beetle to a Bugatti Veyron. I am 28 More importantly you will be saving admin fees everytime you add/remove cars. I am able to text the reg and a car is added in under 30 seconds Dont you need to be a business owner to get a trade policy? Sorry for hijacking the thread btw. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sporty-shite Posted September 17, 2018 Share Posted September 17, 2018 Dont you need to be a business owner to get a trade policy? Sorry for hijacking the thread btw. No. Declare yourself as part time trading from home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Bell Posted September 17, 2018 Share Posted September 17, 2018 Whs^ but trade policies are through the roof these days too. For me anyway. I get quoted around 2 grand for no high performance, no trade plates, under 12 cars a year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wingz123 Posted September 17, 2018 Share Posted September 17, 2018 I am a business owner but all you would state to them in your case would be that you are a part time trader from home. If they ask for proof of sales then get creative with a pad and pen... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bramz7 Posted September 22, 2018 Author Share Posted September 22, 2018 19 gone to a new home this afternoon and another Italian on its way to me... Sadly the garage XM is at have quoted me £1300 in labour (not bits, just labour!!!) to get it mended, which is way beyond what I expected. I already owe them £470 for the timing and waterpump! It's now up for grabs for £200. Low mileage but it will need some work doing to it. Still has MOT for a few weeks...so you could drive it if you wanted. Nothing they've told me needs doing is dangerous. Probably worth it as a breaker for a better, less ruined one. To top this all off I accidentally* bid on a working and tested XM on eBay and won it for far less than this one would cost to get sorted. RobT 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wingz123 Posted September 22, 2018 Share Posted September 22, 2018 Bramz, One of these days, I am going to take one of these cars you own, take it away and have it repaired at a fraction of the price this garage quotes you. It really is paining me to see money lost on car after car. The offer is there again for the XM. I want nothing for it. Lacquer Peel, DVee8 and Scruffy Bodger 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
500tops Posted September 22, 2018 Share Posted September 22, 2018 You are something else, Bramz... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bramz7 Posted September 22, 2018 Author Share Posted September 22, 2018 I know. It's not ideal is it? I appreciate the offer Wingz but I get a bad feeling about this particular car. £150 for the XM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uk_senator Posted September 22, 2018 Share Posted September 22, 2018 Brammy, please do an evening class in motor vehicle studies, & another in welding. I feel the same as Wingz. flat4alfa 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dean36014 Posted September 22, 2018 Share Posted September 22, 2018 Bollocks I've agreed to buy a rather nice bx and definitely have no where to put this. I'm racking my brains on how to get them all in Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bramz7 Posted September 22, 2018 Author Share Posted September 22, 2018 Brammy, please do an evening class in motor vehicle studies, & another in welding. I feel the same as Wingz.I've already done two years on motor vehicle tech. It's just a confidence thing really, as soon as I pop my car taking apart and fixing cherry it'll no doubt be a lot easier. However I don't fancy attempting to sort an XM. All the tools I'd have to buy as well. The XM I accidentally* won is less than half the cost the garage would want in labour alone. uk_senator 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dean36014 Posted September 22, 2018 Share Posted September 22, 2018 I think I spent 50 quid on a full set of factory manuals for mine. I know I'm going to need them at some point Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skattrd Posted September 22, 2018 Share Posted September 22, 2018 Whats the work being done for £1300 labour. Alternately, what actually needs doing? oh and does it have turbo? Jim Bell 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wingz123 Posted September 22, 2018 Share Posted September 22, 2018 No turbo but the leather is lovely Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bramz7 Posted September 22, 2018 Author Share Posted September 22, 2018 So, from a vague recollection of today:- Welding along the passenger side sill. 7 points they said. -Rear arm bearing. Noticeable lean.- Drop links. - CV boot-ABS light- Engine mount Plus more. I should have taken a photo really. I trust the place...but they're just a bit expensive. No turbo. Interior is very nice though. New waterpump and cambelt just fitted and it's done a smidge below 63k. skattrd 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flat4alfa Posted September 26, 2018 Share Posted September 26, 2018 Thats probably my fault. I must have started more than 10 policies with them and cancelled them in the cooling off period. Legend. BorniteIdentity 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pillock Posted September 26, 2018 Share Posted September 26, 2018 I doubt an XM cost £1300 in labour to build from scratch! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chodweaver Posted September 26, 2018 Share Posted September 26, 2018 Bramz, I do sympathise. I find myself trying to spend my way out of trouble far too often. Today's example is however only 65quid on vehicle dollies so I can move one beleaguered omghgf voyager enough to fit another beleaguered lumpy running SORNd voyager on the drive. Danger of me learning/not losing money on every vehicle that passes through my hands any time soon: nada. Good luck! Jim Bell 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gadgetgricey Posted September 26, 2018 Share Posted September 26, 2018 An XM has always been on my bucket list.....The wife will probably kill me, but whereabouts are you again? chodweaver 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bramz7 Posted September 26, 2018 Author Share Posted September 26, 2018 What's happened then? Well.... I bought the now ex Outlaw118 2004 Alfa 156 last weekend. The estates are better looking, although the jury is still out on whether the facelift is an improvement, quite nice to have those Giugiaro badges on it. The 2.4 JTDm may be 5 cylinder but it sounds like a regular Italian diesel to me, although I think there is an exhaust blow near the top. It's bleedin rapid mind you, and it feels dynamically a tad different to the V6, which doesn't have a sledgehammer of torque like this does. It's going to get it's (very) grumbly bearing sorted out soon as well. I won a XM Turbo a few weeks back, which is pending collection. I threw in a last minute bid for £666 (why not) and ended up winning it, which kind of unwound the whole XM project....it's apparently got a service and history file a few inches thick, great! I also just left a deposit on a Marea 20v 155. Leather, AC, ABS....basically as high spec as they go. I have, of course, always wanted a warbling 5 cylinder, so this will be a delight. So the 156 V6 has found a new home, the XM project has been paid up and is off to pastures new tomorrow, and the R11 and E36 are meant to be doing the same this weekend....at least I hope, as both the prospective parties are members on here. Lacquer Peel and RobT 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Bergerac Posted September 26, 2018 Share Posted September 26, 2018 I also just left a deposit on a Marea 20v 155. Leather, AC, ABS....basically as high spec as they go. I have, of course, always wanted a warbling 5 cylinder, so this will be a delight. Think I might be the only person in the world to have gone "oof" at this news, as if the piece of Italian exotica you had purchased was some kind of Lamborghini. Amazed someone bought such a thing in that spec when they were current, let alone for it to still be around now. Lacquer Peel and rantingYoof 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loserone Posted September 26, 2018 Share Posted September 26, 2018 Oof. Estate? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bramz7 Posted September 26, 2018 Author Share Posted September 26, 2018 It's still on t'bay. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fiat-Marea-155-HLX-20v-Aircon-Leather-88k-miles-12m-MOT/202445970454?hash=item2f22b85c16:g:T8IAAOSwfr1bpokB I'll be honest...I didn't want it. But as soon as I told myself that, I ended up buying it. Dave_Q and The Moog 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephen01 Posted September 26, 2018 Share Posted September 26, 2018 Can't wait until the Marea is for sale! BeEP 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobT Posted September 26, 2018 Share Posted September 26, 2018 Think I might be the only person in the world to have gone "oof" at this news, as if the piece of Italian exotica you had purchased was some kind of Lamborghini. Amazed someone bought such a thing in that spec when they were current, let alone for it to still be around now.Nope, me too, so that's two of us. Impulse buying with the odd set back (in this case the silver XM) is simply 'the way of things', so keep up the good work. Dibs on the soon to be collected XM. And the Marea if it's classic insurable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bramz7 Posted September 26, 2018 Author Share Posted September 26, 2018 I have a suspicion the leather won't be amazing but the velour seats in my old Brava weren't that bad to be honest. Unfortunately not classic insurance friendly yet. It's made me renew the soon to be departed E36 insurance, suppose a normal spare policy isn't a bad thing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chodweaver Posted September 27, 2018 Share Posted September 27, 2018 Did I miss where the current XM is going? Is it staying in the fold, or meeting James Brown? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brownnova Posted September 27, 2018 Share Posted September 27, 2018 Ooh I always liked the Marea. My uncle had one, I thought it was ace! Sadly i doubt I’ll be in a position to purchase in 2weeks and 4 days when this comes up for sale.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr_Bo11ox Posted September 27, 2018 Share Posted September 27, 2018 Reading this thread is like watching someone take £3-400 out of a cash machine once a fortnight and immediately burning it! leanycan, wuvvum, egg and 23 others 26 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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