Bangernomics

[Chopper the ex Copper]

My take on bangeromics is to not own a car.

The savings are massive!

 

[Chopper the ex Copper]

Yeah a fella who runs the workshop next door (bikes), was a car mechanic for 25 years. One of the reasons he left the trade was he got so frustrated not being able to fix certain cars because modern electrics.

What he really means is that he doesnt know how and doesnt want to learn.

Im good with electronics and have an anaylitical, logically ordered mind (ha ha!) and find jt so much easier than deeking around with carbs and mechanical distributors. Many a family member's or friend's car has found its way to me where non dealer spanner sheds have simply held up their hands in surrender without even really trying.

When people say its impossible/difficult to repair modern tin they are wrong. Its no easier or harder than days of yore - its simply a different skillset and toolkit.

 

[Joe_Rides]

97 Toyota Starlet 'stopgap' car bought in 2017 for £300. Been through most MOTs since with little trouble, just serviced by me once a year on the drive. Most reliable car I've ever owned. Its a keeper until the rust takes hold underneath eventually.

On the other hand I've an 03 passat as my family wagon which, although very reliable, it eats money whenever MOT or repairs are due.

Neither cost me £500 per month on finance though.........

 

[pigman]

When people say its impossible/difficult to repair modern tin they are wrong. Its no easier or harder than days of yore - its simply a different skillset and toolkit.

Talking to my mechanic, he tells me with modern cars, engines are sealed and any repairs have to be undertaken by the manufacturer. Plus he says cars now need special tooling only available to dealerships. Looks like they have the modern motorist by the balls

Don't know if it's true, as mine is 15 years old and has only 40k on it since new. Sometimes wonder why I own a car

 

[Sundayjumper]

Don't know if it's true...

It's not.

 

[albash82]

Got the grill fitted...
Still not washed it yet. Just inside spruce so far.

 

[Jamesbike]

Talking to my mechanic, he tells me with modern cars, engines are sealed and any repairs have to be undertaken by the manufacturer. Plus he says cars now need special tooling only available to dealerships. Looks like they have the modern motorist by the balls

Don't know if it's true, as mine is 15 years old and has only 40k on it since new. Sometimes wonder why I own a car

Yeap defo sealed otherwise they piss oil and water everwhere!!

Our 1.2 polo cost £600 and has been amazing for past 2 years.

Son has yet to pass test due to covid delays so I'm still driving it!

 

[legrandefromage]

I am an Auto Electrician - there, I said it.

So, as an automotive sparky:

Many parts are sourced from Ukraine which means waiting times of 5 weeks to 6 months

Some manufacturers have parts on 'back-order'- this usually means they no longer manufacture it or have the part available - 2nd hand parts are the only option

Many 2nd hand parts may be faulty themselves leading to different faults over the original when installed

Many of the newer modules are multilayer PCBs which means that if a surface mount component has burnt off the board, its has also killed the board/ module

When parts are available, they can be deliberately expensive to discourage their purchase and to force the customer into either scrapping the vehicle or buying new

Main dealers are now pretty much just parts fitters without any actual skills in fault finding or repair of existing electrics

We get sent a lot of vehicles from local garages and the recovery companies such as the RAC / AA because they can no longer find the staff to perform diagnostics and / or repair.

What count as recalls in the USA where the law has more clout are often downgraded to service bulletins here in the UK and very often missed.

Cars are genuinely worse than they used to be,

https://car-recalls.eu/recalls-stat...oen_c4_s_wheel_can_detach&utm_term=2022-09-06


so there.

 

[Chopper the ex Copper]

Talking to my mechanic, he tells me with modern cars, engines are sealed and any repairs have to be undertaken by the manufacturer. Plus he says cars now need special tooling only available to dealerships. Looks like they have the modern motorist by the balls

Don't know if it's true, as mine is 15 years old and has only 40k on it since new. Sometimes wonder why I own a car

The tools I can believe. Its been largely that way since the 90's.

The sealed bit, he's simply wrong. Broken engines, by and large, still get taken apart and mended quite happily by a dealer or anyone with the knowledge, such as marque specific independents.

Even in 2022 its the exception that a car simply has a new engine dropped in instead of the old one torn down and mended.

The only ones who might genuinely sugfering are the bottom of the pile spanner jockeys, Freds In Sheds, Bombsite Motors, Phil down The Arches, the real low rent backstreet outfits that don't have the wherewithall to invest in the gear or the inclination to acquire the knowledge.

Their business model was fine in 1960 when the same hammer could be used to repair anything, but theyve always lived on a bit of a commercial knife edge and they arent keeping with the times. They are the dinosaurs of the trade, and we all know what happened to the dinosaurs.

 

[albash82]

You're right.... I have to have a selection of hammers now