Clean It Up
UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: M.Acorn on August 18, 2009, 03:59:24 pm
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Having brake probs now in the van,had been getting progressivly worse over the last week or so,so got it booked into ats for new shoes,and poss new drums,on Monday.Went back a couple of hours later,they had checked it over,and said it didn`t need new shoes !! sure i can here them binding,they said it`s prob the M/C or the servo,and it would amount to hundreds ! So bought a new m/c £46,not put it on yet.
What are the symptoms of a bust servo ? Have put my foot hard on the brake,and started it up,pedal didn`t change ? Van also has a vac pump,so i suppose it could be either,but does that sound like the servo ?
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The servo will make the effort of your right foot so much easier.
To get the same braking effect if the servo has gone would mean you really really have to press hard, and I mean hard.
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sounds like the vac pump on the engine - easy to test ,all you do is pull the air pipe off the servo when engine is running and put your thumb over the end to see if its sucking
if youve no vac ,the effort needed to stop is incredibly high , and the pedal is hard ,doesnt move hardly at all
a duff servo on the other hand usually results in a lot of pedal travel and you can hear them hissing when theyre duff ,air leaking noise
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Pedal just feels soft,foot going most of the way down,just to stop it .Will go put my thumb over the pipe ;D
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Just tested the vac pump,it`s sucking ok,so looks like i will be spending tomorrow putting the new m/c on,and crossing everything it sorts it.
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just get a new van, yours is proving more trouble than it is worth!
Cheers Goron
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Old fluid with Air/Water contamination, renew brake fluid and bleed.
Matt
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Will be using the ezi bleed once i get the new m/c on,wish i had the £ for a new one.
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Well i had the van booked in today to sort my non existant pedal out + leaking rear cylinder,just drove 10 mile to collect it after i was told it would be ready.
He had the cap off the master cylinder ready to start bleeding them,called me over and asked if i had topped the fluid up at all,nope not touched it ! He said stick your finger in there and feel it,i did and it was water not brake fluid !
I explained it had been overheating and the matrix blew last week,must have been getting hot and water condensed in the fluid res,gotta re book my jobs now as i wont be ready until lunchtime >:(
Darn it !
Had also bought a new master cylinder as ats assured me it was that that was causing the non existant pedal,but the mechanic said he had never ever heard of one going on an astravan,well that was a waste of money too then,cheers ats ! How am i going to sell it on if they never go >:(
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Might be time to upgrade mate as its letting you own and you have to rearange with clients also with the winter months to come ???
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Yeah i know , it`s worrying !
Bloke at the garage said it`s a good van ! prob as they keep seeing it,trouble is i could only really afford to spend a grand on one,and i could be in the same position all over again !
It`s had new turbo,new shocks,new matrix,4 new tyres,new brakes now.
It needs asap a new water pump and cambelt change,and have been advised on last mot,about front struts,and hoses,and ats said wishbones are getting a bit ropey,not that i will listen to another word anyone from there says !
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I know where you are coming from. When I first started out I was running a heap.
Get yourself a Haynes manual on the van. And devote your weekends to slowly rectifying all the faults. Don’t go in hammer and tong striping things down without first taking pictures and cataloging the stages of dismantle, this will aid reassembly.
Go for genuine Vauxhall part as they are not a lot more expensive than the cheaper quality pattern parts.
Get that unused part on ebay.
Matt
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Cheers for the input Matt ;D It`s not that much of a heap :( Just a bit unloved.i spend my spare time tinkering with the roc,don`t really know that much about the oil burners,and can claim back all the garage bills on my tax,so would rather just let them do it,well brakes anyway,did the matrix myself,which was a pig.have changed the cam and cam belt on the roc,but that is a non interference engine,so wouldn`t have done damage if i had timed it up wrong.
Just a bit annoying,as i know how long it takes to change a couple of cylinders and a few pipes,but then on the flip side i have spent hours just trying to get a single bolt out.
Yeah will try and recoup the £46 i spent on the m/c on the bay
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What earns the money so you can spend it on the roc?
Got to look after tools of the business.
Mess the customers around too much and no repeat business.
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£££ jobs for the roc ;D cheques for the business.
But yeah i get where your coming from Joe,if it`s not the machine packing up it`s the van ! Happy that i am healthy really
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think its time the roc went mark, you can always buy another one when your mint from all the jobs you don't have to cancel. ;)
family first
business second
pleasure third
all in that order, its the law
derek
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sorry to be blunt but you have been running for long enough now that you should have enough work to pay finance on a van! it doesn't have to be a new one.
we just bought a 56 plate citreon berlingo 2.0 hdi with side loading door and just 35000 on the clock in mint condition for 3500 plus the vat.
you could put a grand down and finance the rest prob work out at about £90 a month for 3 years!
get it signed with something striking and memorable and watch your business grow!
Cheers Goron
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Don`t have family / dependants,only a wife and 2 cats,and my wife earns her own money ;D
Don`t really spend that much money on the roc,get stuff from the forums,not like its flash or owt !
I don`t do finance,i got in trouble with a loan when i was 18 guess what i took out a 3 grand bank loan to buy a mk 1 scirocco gti,could only afford the 3rd party ins at £980.Samcked it up after 3 months,was paying for it for 3 more years ,went from that to a mk 4 cortina :( So i vowed that i would never ever get a loan again.
Didn`t cancel any jobs,just moved it back a couple of hours,the 2nd job is an empty 3 story for the letting agy,so not too bothered when i start that one
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Mark the guys are right bout getting a new van , its an investment in the future of your biz
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mk.1 sciroccco gti ;D ;D ;D eh, happy days !!!
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Very happy days ! all 90 of them,Was way to quick for an inexperienced 18 yr old,had Koni`s all round,and had been seen to by a company called gti engineering,and had regular visits to the rolling rd,was as quick if not quicker than my current 3rd scirocco gtx.
will have another one one day,they are worth quite a bit now though .
Got the van back ,cost me £160,2x cylinders 2 x brake pipes 1 x flexi hose, few pipe ends 1 x litre of fluid labour and vat ,had to drain out all the old fluid as it was mostly water :( Water pump and cam belt next ,goin to see what happens when it gets put in for mot in Jan,then decide if it`s time for another one
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Very happy days ! all 90 of them,will have another one one day,they are worth quite a bit now though .
Got the van back ,cost me £160,2x cylinders 2 x brake pipes 1 x flexi hose, few pipe ends 1 x litre of fluid labour and vat ,had to drain out all the old fluid as it was mostly water :( Water pump and cam belt next ,goin to see what happens when it gets put in for mot in Jan,then decide if it`s time for another one
how many new parts?
are you sure it wasn't a different van with the same wheels on it ;D
derek
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Mark
I would get rid and get better van mate asap.
A really good sign written van will get you work and look much more profesional.. :)
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well,i for one like hearing marks van tales , long may it live !!! ;D
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well,i for one like hearing marks van tales , long may it live !!! ;D
Well I second that. Jonny you beat me to it.
Having said that I could never exist the way Mark operates, but each to their own.
Mind you, pots and kettles spring to mind. My ambulance celebrates it's 10th birthday in just over a month's time. there's quite a bit of rust showing. It's certainly dirty and the power assist is making one hell of a noise and isn't working.
that said I've always known that my service and MOT will cost me about £800 a year and thereafter I'll have trouble-free motoring again for another year. I have a wonderful ex-Ford mechanic who looks after my transit and he's fantastic-always happy for you to look under the "bonnet" with him and allows you to watch him work (if you wants to) and to inspect his work.
It's so much easier to earn the money to pay somebody else to do the repairs/servicing than trying to do it yourself to save a few quid but losing out on lost income from cc in the meantime.
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I hate the fact that I've spent my hard earned and also time and effort trying to get customers that I have to then let them down because I can't get to them so I prefer to get a reliable van then the bloody TM breaks down :o well I prefer to get both new but that's my way of spending (did I really say spending?)
Shaun
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Was ok moved one job to next week,the other job was through the agy ,picked the van up at 11,home by 3 with £190 in my pocket,been an expensive day today,yellow pages payment £531. plus the van,glad i am chocca all week.
Pete tong at ministry of sound on Sat night,theatre sunday ;D
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But Mark
Moving jobs back to next week means you have less time available next week to book in jobs. Unless you are that quiet that you can afford that type of slack then there is still a big opportunity cost as Shaun was pointing out.
Roger
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Asking for our opinion is one thing but we don't want to endorse getting you into debt which is not for everyone some people may have a good week and then a poor one but to move your business forward and you believe that you can service a loan then I would recommend a new or newer van.
I personally like controlled debt as it keeps me hungry and focused to make the payments others are different, there is a tax benefit but you have to be making money to pay tax so you have to make the decission not us.
With the way the media tell us how the credit crunch started wih spiralling unpaid debt then I don't want to be recommending a debt you may live to regret.
Shaun
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Mark, you are quite right to not use loans and finance. I used to think the same when I started in Ariel’s and Coms. In fact I was probably much worse, I used to pay annual insurances in one payment, same applied to all insurance I had. Everything I had was mine and owned, other than my house obviously.
In the end I was wedging it away quite nicely because I had none of the little "Ankle Biters" attacking my account every month that most men have.
Things are totally different for me now because my circumstances have changed, I now have staff to pay and all the other overheads of a modern business. I even use factoring for outstanding invoices, this is a credit finance for late payers. In other words I have to borrow from John in order to pay Paul whilst I wait for Luke to pay what he should have paid 6 months ago to Peter!! :o I have outstanding invoices totalling the value of a moderate house and date back to start of the financial crash (2007), I have still had to pay the workers and contractors for their time, not to mention electrical and cabling equipment fitted.
It hacks me off to think that the people who have written off my debt due to bankruptcy are now resurfacing wealthier and healthier than ever before and I am left to pick up the pieces. The law needs to change. I could have sat on my arse, not done these contracts and bought a yacht and sailed the family for 2weeks and still been better off.
Rant over ;D
Matt
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I started off with an ex post office combo did me proud while was testing the water never bothered to get it signed just got few cheap magnets.
Soon got fed up witht he lack of space and getting called post man pat. decided to upgrade got myself a trafic 52 reg paid just over 3k for it spent 400 getting it signed with some nice graphics.
the importance of a prof image really matters and have got so many jobs because of the new van have lost count and had very few when i had the combo.
but you are right to not get into finance unless you feel comfortable with it. i sacrificed my car to get the new van but hey one day in the future i can get a new better car.
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Good to hear you doing well richard and by the sounds of it i think you will be succesfull..
Must say the image it gives you pulling up in a nice vehicle will always help and give you confidence :)
Keep on rolling ;D
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I've got an ex post van and seem to do alright, get the gear in (Including the dip tank and oven cleaning equipment) no bother at all.... I "Have" got it sign written, up to the ying yang in fact and I get plenty of jobs from it. So it's not so much the van, is it ???
Anyway, we have talked about selling the Disco to finance a VW Transporter so we still have a family vehicle, but as I am still looking at buying a TM in the future (Couple of years or so) I feel I'll be better off getting a brand new van then ;)!
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As Richard and Clinton say, image is important.
5 years ago i was one who always saved and paid for everything i wanted, bit old fashioned that way.
Then i bit the bullet, traded 2 vans i had for 2 new ones, good deposit too, the rest over 3 years. 18 month ago i bought another new van, same again good deposit and the rest on 3 years.
In the last years since when i look at my accounts motoring repairs have been nil, except for a droken window and a wing mirror, yes i have been lucky and my staff have been carefull.
Many have commented on my vans, abought newness and clean, and setting right image, as Shaun says they all tax deductable, even the interest on the loan.
Replacement parts are exspensive, i remember getting a quote for an exhaust for a 4 year old fiat doblo was over 300 plus the vat, to me that is 2 months payments, getting any work done by a garage can be 100/hr plus parts and vat. New vans are much more reliable than they where, and you have the warranty and much more peace of mind to fall back on.
My advice is buy new, you wont look back, obviously set your budget.
Andrew
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I don't disagree at all about image, but in the first couple of years it's obviously unwise to commit yourself to a finance when you don't know what's around the corner. To be honest, once I've shook YP's monthly expenditure off and a couple of other "Unnecessary Outgoings" I could possibly be interested in a bigger van with new livery. But I just won't buy second hand again, for the very reasons you mention Andrew!
I'll stick with the Combo for now and put up with being called a postman ;D
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I have just bought an 02 Relay, well i swapped it for a m/bike, but it has a truckmount in the back and will be coming out and van sold ;)
Andrew
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Presumably bought it for the machine then Andrew? Upgrade or robbing for parts?
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Taken all comments onboard folks ;D i started off 5 years ago with a knackered sieara diesel estate,used that until it got written off,have had the van coming up for 4 years now,and if i added everything up i spent on it it wouldn`t be that much.
Got hit in the back,so got new rear door from that,got hit twice in the same place,got new drivers side wing for that.
The only thing that lets it down looks wise,is the usual rust spots around the rear arches,which i was planning on doing myself.
Monday was only the second time it`s been in the garage,other than when i fitted the new clutch and turbo,as i did that in a mates garage over a weekend.
It`s never been unreliable really,turbo going was my own fault for tanking it back from Yorkshire,while my wife was sleeping.
As Colin says,i also think i am going to knock yellow pages on the head,next time around,then use the money i was paying them to possibly finance a newer one,also need to look into taking on a mortage,as i am 40 in april.
But hey ,it could be much much worse,i could still be working as a chef,doing stupid hours,for little money and being unhappy.
I earn a decent living,my quality of life is much much better than it ever was,i enjoy my free time more.
I don`t want to get to the point where i am employing more staff,my wife used to have about 15 staff on her books until the revenue screwed them over,just don`t want the stress.
I get home on an eve / afternoon,knowing i have done a good days work,and i can relax without stressing about tomorrow !
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Mark.... It's a good life isn't it mate... Being a carpet cleaner!!!!
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Yes very much so,when i was working as a chef,getting paid monthly,most of my wages were gone about a week after being paid,now i always have a few hundred quid in my pocket ;D
Being made redundant was the best thing that happened to me.
My wife was always saying why don`t i start up my own business,she was subbing to another carpet cleaning business,i went to Barclays with a business plan,but as i was also working as a chef at the time,they wouldn`t go for it,as they didn`t think i would,put enough time into the business to make their money back,even though i was working 6- 2 most days.
So my redundancy money paid for me to start up + a grand i borrowed from my wife.
Would not go back to being employed ,that is for sure
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Presumably bought it for the machine then Andrew? Upgrade or robbing for parts?
yep, bought it for the truckmont, steamway machine with tanks hoses reels etc :)
Andrew
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Mark
Dont give up your van yet mate :)
Love all the stories you bring to us ;D
Might ask you to run my new van in for me ;D
cheers
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Mate the saga continues ! Have been using my heater to keep it cool,as the water pump is not working ( waiting for that to sieze and snap my cam belt ) had the heater on today,stopped to get chems,turned van off,got back in turned it on,no heater,looks like it`s burnt the motor out ( my 3rd heater motor) so back to using the hard wired fan on the rad ! Really starting to get to me now :( got another 4 jobs to fit in before my break,going to think long and hard about my options ,and prob speak to my accountant about my best options.
1) PCP ?
2) Lease ?
3) another van for around £1500. ish
3) bank loan,no no no
:(
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Loads of bargains on e-bay at the moment if you don't want to go new.
Steve
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Mark
Might ask you to run my new van in for me ;D
What! You'd trust him with your new vehicle, you'd be lucky if the exhaust hadn't fallen off by the time you get it back 8)
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Not being funny Mark, but your posts about your van make me tired just reading them. Get yourself something half decent for the long run, you will have more time and energy to make far more money. I only say this because I have been in the same situation and struggled on with my Combo for ages, when I finally bit the bullet I realised it was a smart move. ;)
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Mike
I remember that ;D
Neil ;D
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Mike is right you just need to work out which van and how much you want to spend.
Shaun
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2) Lease ?
:(
I've thought about this option recently... If you do decide to go down this route, would you let me know how you got on?
£240+ VAT for a Renault Traffic is the best I've found so far.... 3 years lease! £750 Deposit....
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Pete tong at ministry of sound on Sat night,theatre sunday ;D
So thats where all the £££ GOs
Cant Fault ya ................ Back in the daY
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When Clinton and Steve were young it was the Palais where they did thier music.
Shaun
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Shaun
More like rotters in donny ;D
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Same haircut though. ;D
Sorry mate, couldn't resist. LOL
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2) Lease ?
:(
I've thought about this option recently... If you do decide to go down this route, would you let me know how you got on?
£240+ VAT for a Renault Traffic is the best I've found so far.... 3 years lease! £750 Deposit....
col
thats £11000
you could buy one new with a 4 year loan on roughly the same payments, and after 4 years use it as your next deposit.why do people lease?
derek
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Re pete tong,my wife tells me it`s tech house :( which is a bit too slow to get me moving ! could go on holiday between beats.
Leasing is out then ! My wife quite rightly pointed out that i should get a loan,just to improve my credit rating,for the eventual mortgage,not got bad credit rating,but i should demonstrate i can pay stuff off.
My next dilema is what the heck do i get ! I like the astravan as it`s quite like a car to drive,and is big enough to get all my gear in,but this one has put me off them a bit !
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When Clinton and Steve were young it was the Palais where they did thier music.
Shaun
Oi Ashmore - I'll have you know it was the Eclipse in Coulsdon where I shook my funky stuff ! ;D
Steve
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How about the theatre in stockton,tall trees in Yarm,Philmores in Saltburn,Sugar shack in Middlesbrough ,all my old haunts when i lived up north
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Marc,
With respect you are pouring money away and just getting stressed about the van.
I have had transits, midis, sherpas, the list is endless, that allways let me down, wouldnt start etc etc. Like you it allways seemed to be up on blocks or I was shaving my knuckles down the back of the engine every weekend. Brill eh.
In the end I went retail and bought(invested) in a 2 year old VW Transporter.
I went for it because we had a family car, a Golf that I often used when the van wouldnt start, because it allways did, and pulled like a train even when loaded.
The van cost me 8k even then, but Marc it was the best thing I did, reliability, it started, never let me down, warm in winter, looked good, painted and sign written etc etc.
Its your life and your money but there are so many deals out there at the mo, think of it as an investment. And it goes against tax. Wahey!
Good luck this weekend, while we are having a beer round the barbie, I suppose you will be up the breakers looking for that whatsit to put on the matrix.
Murkie
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Oh no i won`t ;D spending a long weekend in the big smoke,nice posh hotel,freemasons grand lodge on fri,tongy on sat,theatre and comedy store Sun ! no scrap hunting for me,well not until i get back anyway ! Have just been using the van with the rad fan on from the moment i start it,it`s just about keeping out the red if i drive below 70 ;D
And yes thinking of vw,as my roc is very reliable,starts first turn of the engine,can`t beat the old dx lump,and i am well clued up on that engine as i built it myself ,wife is not happy that i have a spare stripped down cylinder head in my studio though,waiting for ,porting and bigger valves, yours was prob a pb lump though ? unless it`s the 2 ltr 8 valve.
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Mate the saga continues ! Have been using my heater to keep it cool,as the water pump is not working ( waiting for that to sieze and snap my cam belt ) had the heater on today,stopped to get chems,turned van off,got back in turned it on,no heater,looks like it`s burnt the motor out ( my 3rd heater motor) so back to using the hard wired fan on the rad ! Really starting to get to me now :( got another 4 jobs to fit in before my break,going to think long and hard about my options ,and prob speak to my accountant about my best options.
1) PCP ?
2) Lease ?
3) another van for around £1500. ish
3) bank loan,no no no
:(
4. Torch the bloody thing. ;)
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JOKE! ;D
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Mike
Going to send the boys round ;D
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That's alright Clinton while I was laughing at your hairdo I twisted my ankle and it's blown up like a balloon. :'( Bad Karma to dis the hairdo. ;D
Mark
You don't need a new one, get one 2 years old where the dep. has taken the hit.
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Yeah would not buy new new,but few years old new,lose about 30% just driving out the showroom ;)
Nearly done now 1 more job tomorrow,but i will be going to that one in the roc.
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Mike
Listen to the john lennon track instant carma ;D
Time to get the straightners out ;D
Hope your ok as i did mine a few years ago in my mates house ::)
Was going down the stairs and shouted to him its ok i dont need the light on and i missed the last 3 steps ;D
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Hurt your pride more probably ;D
Heard a click but I can stand on it so can't be that bad.
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Mike ;D
Also helped the recovery when i realised i had to go back in the room full of people asking what was that loud thud asking me if am ok;D
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Marc,
Just seen your post, well if you went to a Lodge dinner there must have been a mason (fellow perhaps) who would have helped you out.
Isnt that what you (they) do.
I'll scratch your hand if you'll scratch mine eh!
Murky