Ask a Shiter

[Kiltox]

I'm hoping to list me wife's Megane on here soon. It's been absolutely ages since I've sold anything, not since the tax changes. I see most adverts list as 'taxed to get you home', how does that work?

Means “I’m not going to tell the DVLA it’s sold until you’ve made it home”

 

Personally I don’t bother and just tax before driving away, saves any confusion over nudge nudge wink wink bollocks

[Lacquer Peel]

I've seen a cheap engine crane used to pull a Hilux engine with cast iron head and block out complete with gearbox, it was fine.

[Tickman]

Has anyone ever used one of these?

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AUTOVIP-1400-CHASSIS-CAR-TILTER-CAR-ROLLER-CAR-JIG-LIFT-NBN-CJAUTOS-CT02/332419663149?hash=item4d65c1852d:g:9YMAAOSwll1W0xN7

 

My advancing years, back problems and hatred of being underneath cars getting metal in my eye and red hot welding slag* in my ears is making me think one of these would be a GR9 investment for me.

 

*not a porn site but if it was I'd defo watch it.

 

I have something like that which I shall be using for the first time within the next couple of weeks. 

If you check 'my stuff' I shall leave a suitable title to make it obvious when used.

[Talbot]

'taxed to get you home', how does that work?

Means “I’m not going to tell the DVLA it’s sold until you’ve made it home”

If you get a GR11 seller, they will wait until the last day of the month to send off the V5 to tell the DVLA of the change of registered keeper, meaning you can then tax it from the first day of the next month, and the DVLA can get in the sea for their double-dipping of that month's tax. (Works because you tax the vehicle on the new keeper suppliment before the DVLA receive the V5 back. Although technically the vehicle was untaxed for one night, in practice they don't/can't make an issue of it because it was untaxed for less than one day, and they only discovered this retrospectively)

 

Done it twice now. Once by accident as I really did buy the car on the 31st of the month, and then again on another car when the vendor offered to delay the change of responsibility for a week.

 

The DVLA make something like £30M annually by double-dipping on the month of transfer. That is somewhat fraudulent IMO.

[Kiltox]

Make sure the seller is GR22 though - Sir_Ballaeux got done for being taxless

[Des]

Has anyone ever used one of these?

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AUTOVIP-1400-CHASSIS-CAR-TILTER-CAR-ROLLER-CAR-JIG-LIFT-NBN-CJAUTOS-CT02/332419663149?hash=item4d65c1852d:g:9YMAAOSwll1W0xN7

 

My advancing years, back problems and hatred of being underneath cars getting metal in my eye and red hot welding slag* in my ears is making me think one of these would be a GR9 investment for me.

 

*not a porn site but if it was I'd defo watch it.

I bought one about 15 years ago after spending the best part of a week on one side of a pile of shit I should have scrapped if I'd an ounce of common about me, I think it was Liqui Tilter or something like that, winds up and down on a drill, anyways, casually knocked off the other side of the shit box to a better standard in a couple of days, working upright rather than spreadeagled in cat piss puddles, pinned down worse than fucking Gulliver getting welder-boarded, gassed and all the other niceties that piss off the Geneva Convention. Definitely worth having one. Battery out, cling or poly under master caps, drain rear axle if it's going to be days and days and hope for best with the engine / box, enjoy all the biros and coins rattling out of the interior. If there's a down side, it's the slight enticement to allow the spread of rot until bad enough to justify all the faff of setting up.

[dave21478]

Has anyone ever used one of these?

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AUTOVIP-1400-CHASSIS-CAR-TILTER-CAR-ROLLER-CAR-JIG-LIFT-NBN-CJAUTOS-CT02/332419663149?hash=item4d65c1852d:g:9YMAAOSwll1W0xN7

 

My advancing years, back problems and hatred of being underneath cars getting metal in my eye and red hot welding slag* in my ears is making me think one of these would be a GR9 investment for me.

 

*not a porn site but if it was I'd defo watch it.

 

 

I have always fancied one and have added various types to my ebay basket over the years but always chickened out. It would have to be a fair bit of work to justify the faff of setting it up, IMO.

 

When I did the Panda in a more brutal style....

 

It pissed every fluid from every orifice. Typically I hadnt thought things through or planned in advance, so ended up pissing engine oil out, gearbox oil out, battery acid out and all the brake fluid out too. The lawn is proper fucked there.

[HillmanImp]

I rolled my Imp many moons ago to do the floor and it made such a difference. Am thinking this is the same result just easier.

 

Think i will have a word with the neighbours as will have to use their drive to do it and probably get one.

[Des]

If I'm honest, I've rarely had a car that would leak all that much more in fluids on its side than on its wheels, they just leak differently.

[Tickman]

I rolled my Imp many moons ago to do the floor and it made such a difference. Am thinking this is the same result just easier.

 

Think i will have a word with the neighbours as will have to use their drive to do it and probably get one.

 

Could you get a rotisserie for about the same money? 

Then you can set it up and do all the work within the same footprint.

[HillmanImp]

Could you get a rotisserie for about the same money? 

Then you can set it up and do all the work within the same footprint.

I looked at these years ago but you you seem to have to strip the car down. The appeal of the rollers is being able to just empty the fluids and roll it with the car intact. I'm sure the neighbours will be fine with it, I'm always straying onto their half of the drive but had best clear it with them to appear polite.

[Dick Cheeseburger]

Dick Longbridge - I doubt there will be much mark up - even if it is on the road again legally Cat B will have people running a mile.

Fine if you want to use it but not if you’ve dreams of being Mike Brewer.

Hmm, hadn’t thought logically about the fact that it’ll remain logged as a Cat B. It’s a 10k classic, but I’d have thought there’s an easy 2k minimum profit if the Cat B marker was wiped and it was road legal again.

Obviously it’ll always have a Cat B marker though. Bugger!

[DodgeRover]

Hmm, hadn’t thought logically about the fact that it’ll remain logged as a Cat B. It’s a 10k classic, but I’d have thought there’s an easy 2k minimum profit if the Cat B marker was wiped and it was road legal again.

Obviously it’ll always have a Cat B marker though. Bugger!

 

 

Put original number on retention, export it on paper & get it registered in the EU, then bring it back.

 

Have you actually HPI'd it?

[Dick Cheeseburger]

Put original number on retention, export it on paper & get it registered in the EU, then bring it back.

 

Have you actually HPI'd it?

I've just asked the seller if he has any details of it's original reg number. Reading between the lines, I'm thinking probably not. He's a seller of damaged cars, so I'd assume he knows his shit. Small chance he doesn't though, I guess.

If it were to surface, is the export on paper thing costly, and is it seriously likely that DooVLA will have forgotten it's a Cat B upon it's 'return'?

[DodgeRover]

It's been done before with export to Ireland, which to be honest isn't a bad idea for a sale location...

[dieselnutjob]

I just broke my bench vice and so I need to buy another.

 

I was putting a Z bend into some flat bar.  I put a piece of metal on one side of the bar, and another on the other side a bit further up (not over lapping).  Then I stuffed the whole lot in the vice and cranked it closed.  The bar is forced to go on one side past one piece and then cross over to pass the other piece on the other side.

 

Anyway I was stuggling a bit so I put a tube over the T handle of the vice to help a bit.

 

It actually did the job and then I guess bottomed out.  There was a bang and the vice jaws went all floppy.

 

So I over abused it; I accept that.  I'm an idiot.

 

So what's the most idiot proof bench vice that I can buy to replace it?  used is fine as well?  If I buy some cheap thing presumably it won't stand up to the same abuse?   or does it not matter?

[dieselnutjob]

so looking at machinemart I see that cast iron=cheap and "forged heavy duty steel"= expensive

 

so I guess I need the forged one if I am going to abuse it?

[mitsisigma01]

Dieselnutjob, what size of vice are you needing and whereabouts are you?

[dieselnutjob]

No idea, a mediumish one I guess.  Whatever I need to restore a Peugeot 604. Nothing else matters any more.

Usually when I have resorted to the vice it means I'm beating or crushing the crap out of something

 

Ruislip, west London, but I do travel about a bit for work.  I have trips to Bristol, Hatfield and Ipswich and visit to mum in Norwich possibly.

[mitsisigma01]

I'm darn sarfth near Gatwick, I know I've got 1 around coz I kicked the fkin thing in the dark the other day and I'm sure that I've got a couple of others out there somewhere. Will let you know what I find . Reasonable price for a Autoshiter. Do you ever get down Gatwick /Horsham way?

[Des]

I broke my cheapo vice similarly many years ago, the boss with the female thread broke away but was easy to fix with a nut and bolt. Next time instead of scaffold pole, bat the jaw with a hammer while tightening.

[adw1977]

I'm darn sarfth near Gatwick, I know I've got 1 around coz I kicked the fkin thing in the dark the other day and I'm sure that I've got a couple of others out there somewhere. Will let you know what I find . Reasonable price for a Autoshiter. Do you ever get down Gatwick /Horsham way?

I live near Gatwick (on the other side at Horley, but I seem to end up in Crawley at least once a week for something or other) and commute by car to Morden in South London, if that's any help for getting a vice a bit nearer to Ruislip.

[Fat_Pirate]

I need to change the brake fluid on the 2002 Merc CLK.  Apparently it's just DOT4 but the fluid is a lovely blue/green* colour - is it OK to mix with ordinary stuff?

 

*the brakes work so it's not screenwash 

[sierraman]

I couldn't recommended anything other than a Record 21 Fitters Vice or failing that a Paramo, but definitely a Record if you can find one, get an old one, that the important bit. Reckon on £60-70

[sierraman]

What sort of economy might I expect from a Mk3 Mondeo V6?

[davehedgehog31]

Recommendations sought chod fans. 

 

Room at the Inn for a workhorse diesel commuting chod. 

 

Economy and probable dependability are the name of the game. Budget of around £700. Really hoping for something that's been well looked after and quite easy to work on. It will do around 400 miles each week but will have Rover McRoverface for backup should it shit the bed. 

 

The immediate car that springs to mind is the Peugeot 306 1.9 TD. I'm struggling to find many good ones though. I think they had the right balance of economy, complexity and shunt. So probably something in that mould. Wouldn't really be interested in anything that much larger than the 306, it's almost always just myself in the car.

 

Would consider something smaller and normally aspirated like a 106 but not sure if that would destroy my soul doing 450ish miles a week. 

[sierraman]

Focus 1.8TD, if you can find one that the pump isn't about to crap out. Rough though.

[Anthony]

The immediate car that springs to mind is the Peugeot 306 1.9 TD. I'm struggling to find many good ones though. I think they had the right balance of economy, complexity and shunt. So probably something in that mould. Wouldn't really be interested in anything that much larger than the 306, it's almost always just myself in the car.

Don't rule out the later 306 HDi - I've had a couple now and providing that they've seen a degree of care and servicing during their lives, the oily bits will rack up big mileages without issue. Yes they're slightly more complex than the earlier XUD engine, but still simple enough that they don't have the usual modern diesel woes with DPF, DMF etc.

 

Plenty of shabby and over-priced examples of course, but £700 is plenty to find a cared-for example with sensible mileage and history. Aim for Meridian trim level if you a comparatively plush spec or DTurbo (3dr only) if you want better handling, as they were basically as per a GTi-6 suspension wise. Check the rear beam is in good order (excessive camber, squeaking or knocking spells problems), belts are easy enough if you're handy with a spanner (no special tools needed) and it's accept that it's almost a given that the AC will be dead - it won't be "just a re-gas" but rather a failed pipe and almost certainly the rest of the system if it's been left empty for a long period. A late (Y-2001 on) example is cheaper tax, and a sub-£100 remap considerably improve performance.

 

My current one I bought for £400 odd with 125k miles on the clock and it's now at 205k. Previous one I eventually called time on at 250k and all the oily bits were still in good order, tired injectors aside.

[davehedgehog31]

Focus 1.8TD, if you can find one that the pump isn't about to crap out. Rough though.

I actually had a MK1 Focus 1.8 TDCi, I totaled it into a big tree. I do like them, they all seem pretty rotten though.

 

The MK2 does seem to fare a bit better though.

[sierraman]

Mk2 a better car I think, plenty of 1.8td knocking about. They do rust but usually its only cosmetic stuff. If it starts and runs well and doesn't suffer a catastrophic breakdown upon booting it it should be OK. Run it until it drops then start again.

 

Also Astra 1.7d can be OK if the oil pump isn't on its way out or the injector seals pissing diesel everywhere. Alternators can fail as well, job a bit of a PITA if you aren't on a ramp.