I'm having

[Workingman]

Ton, I have bought and sold cars nearly all my life...... call it a 'Lad's thing' and for me there are three ways to go.

Buy new and keep it till it falls off the axles.

Buy a banger for a ton and run it into the ground. Scrap it for £40, then get another.

Go secondhand for the best you can get for a reasonable price, then spend a few quid bringing it up to scratch, but only if it is worth it.

Sometimes you and the seller get lucky, as I did buying Agger's Nissan NOTE. Hopefully we are both happy, I know I am.

What you not do, unless you are rich, is buy new car and sell to get the next new number plate - depreciation on the first year costs a fortune.

Don't buy a mid-life car for a premium price. When one thing starts to go so do a lot more things, so you end up doing repair after repair.

However, If you do buy a mid-life car that is sound and for a reasonable price, and you sort the minor problems out - brake pads, oil and air filters, alternator, then you should be OK.

Ton, you look to have bought a runner, not brill and not bad, and it should last a few years, but don't spend too much on it. TBH I would be looking at a lesser marque a few years younger and doing a swap. Sorry, but that's me.

[tonicha]

WM, it's a 1998 Honda crv. Everything on it is fine apparently, the mechanic is happy with everything else, apart from this wheel thing. Not sure how much of it I understood, but he reckons about 500 should cover the cost and his labour.

That particular car, over here, that year, on a good km, as this is, is going for about 5,000, so the extra 500 is not a big problem. Body work is immaculate, inside is immaculate. The previous owner (not our friend ) had it from new, we have the fsh for 10 years and Jose (mechanic) said he's probably had all the servicing done on time, after that too.

I've bought - apart from a brand new Jimny, second hand, Audi GT (pants) Augi 100GLS superb, just fell to bits , Vauzhall Senator, ditto and over here we bought a Citroen Xsara, which was brilliant too.

So just a bit unlucky, this time round.

But Hiho is a lovely car to drive, even with the slight blip. Once that's done, it'll last us for years yet.

[Workingman]

Ton, the bodywork being immaculate would be the key for me - everything else can be changed. If any spend keeps you below the market price for a similar car you are still on a winner.

500 inc labour is not bad.