[Matt Lindus]

I have a little 1300 Suzuki Carry which I bought new exactly 4 years ago for less than £6k. It's had 2 new tyres @ £50 ea, serviced at around £70 per year, brake disc pads and shoes @ around £90 last year and a new starter motor.

I carry a Bane machine and either a Sabrina or CFR, plus 100 feet of hoses, wands and the usual buckets and periphery. If I'm using my rotary I leave out one of the extraction machines.

This van is used by several Chemdry operators and a multitude of trades because it copes very well and is not only easy to park, but gains access where others can't.

Yes but you'll look like Matthew Corbett in that thing. A bit like giving a munter a portion, great fun but you wouldnt want your mates to see.

[Shaun_Ashmore]

I had 4 new tyres put on my van mid range quality £240 I don't think tyres are that badly priced, depends on what you are looking for, don't like buying the best tyres for my van I have a habit of finding nail and glass in the road side when I buy Michelins, my BM has the best on though they are £250 each.

Shaun

[robert meldrum]

Matt

Don't know who M Corbett is but most of the people I see driving these look no different than anyone else................and as I said that includes Chemdry operators.

Like I said ........they carry an amazing payload, hold their own in traffic, ( usually away quicker than the rest at lights ) and have access to places others are denied.

I've used dozens of vans in my life up to 7 tons and got more fun and profit from little micro vans like the Suzuki 1300, Diahatsu 1000 and the amazing little Honda Acty 500 twin cylinder which went up a 1 in 8 hill in Glasgow full of tools, driver and passenger.

Don't give a monkey's about van or car snobs, they're the clowns, chucking away their earnings.

[Matt Lindus]

Robert,
Good logic. I was only pulling your leg, Mathew Corbett drove a Bedford Rascal and was the guy who had his hand up sooty.
We were considering the Diahatsu you mentioned for tuning jobs on the aerial side of our business but unfortunately not big enough for ladders and gear. May look into this again, what with fuel prices rising all the time.

Regards
Matt

[M.Acorn]

Well there goes another £651.59p...New mot,it failed on split cv boot,not very good handbrake,and a bulb gone.
Then new timing belt,tensioner,water pump,pulleys etc,anti freeze,fixed my bonnet pull.hand brake cable,stripped rear brakes and fixed them.Van now feels like new,got a lot of good contacts from him,and the offer of his garage if i want to work on the roc.

[Adam P]

just found it the problem. fuel pump has gone so needs replacing along with everything else in it's path clearing out and hopefully not replacing. about £500 plus the loss of money as i'm still subbing carpet cleaning out rather then earning it myself

[wynne jones]

Mark from previous posts that's just a days work for you ain't it.

[M.Acorn]

The way it`s going at the moment,yes luckily !! Over £500 tomorrow,but £400 of that will be paid after 28 days

[wynne jones]

I thought my tm was a gonna the other day, smoking like a chimney, it would have been a grand for an engine and back up and running in 3 days.

Turns out something simple but when you are earning these annoyances are just that. If you are having a hard time it's huge stress because you can't just throw money at the problem to go away. Similar to the divorce courts I suppose.

[M.Acorn]

There was an o6 van in the garage,1 of the injectors was stuck in the head,it cost over a grand in labour to remove it,they had a chain attached to the injector,onto a hoist,and the lifted the front of the big high top van up and left it over night,it was still stuck in solid in the morning,i didn`t want to risk doing my belt myself,only a couple of deg out and it would run really bad

[M.Acorn]

Also just thought ,if i had bought say a ten grand new ish van,i would get tax released over 10 years,so say a grand per year.
As i bought it for £1200,that will come out over 10 years,but the 3 grand i have spent since will come out all at once.
Is that right ?