Shirlz's car - can we help?

[Stonehead]

I'm off out for the last time in my car - tax runs out today and then the MOT on the 16th June... can't find the £600 + to get it through the mot so it seems pointless spending out on the tax for 6 months... gawd only knows what we will do though as I don't really want to be without a car... could drive David to work in the morning in the landie and then collect him again in the afternoon after I collect Chris... but that would mean driving 70 miles each day - which seems a bit stupid!

Hmm, I've been thinking about this. Shirlz has a little one and being without a car out here is not good. So, could we help as a group?

Hillbilly's OH is helping us by rebuilding our trailer, so we no longer need to buy a new one and while some of the cash really has to be put back to other uses, we could also free up £80 toward Shirlz's car repairs.

I've talked it over with my OH and she's happy that we make the offer.

So, if we kick the ball off, would anyone else feel like kicking in a few quid as well? If 30 people kicked in an average of £20 that should see her back on the road again.

And a final thought - if we aspire to making an good online community, then surely it should carry into the offline world as well?

Stonehead

PS Shirlz - hope you don't mind, but as I said, you were a big help and support to us when the trailer broke and we'd like to help.

[grahoom]

And a final thought - if we aspire to making an good online community, then surely it should carry into the offline world as well?

i am new here, but i think you're spot on with this.

i'd be up for helping.

[Hillbilly]

We'll put in £20 and if you guys can help with getting the bits - we'll check it over, fit the bits and get it ready for the MOT.

[Wombat]

I'm in, how do we collect the cash?

[Stonehead]

Sorry, I've overstepped the mark. Please ignore my suggestion.

Stonehead

[Shirley]

Stonehead... and All

I'm humbled... and taken aback by your generosity. I really am at a loss for words.

THANK YOU for thinking of us - you are truly wonderful people and even though you can ill afford it yourself you are entirely unselfish - I hope that we will be friends for a LONG long time.

I've been thinking and thinking of what to say - and I really don't know what to say.

This post and the offer has touched me greatly and I won't ever forget it. This forum has the best people on it in the world....

[ina]

It's a brilliant idea, I'm in!

Furthermore - maybe some of you guys out there (male and female) with more technical knowledge than myself could help with doing some of the necessary repairs ourselves, so that the total bill comes down? I'm perfectly willing to do a bit of the general holding of things and getting filthy, and making tea to keep everybody's spirits up...

[Wombat]

Please forgive me if I ignore you Stoney!

How about we approach Andy to coordinate?

Nev

[Millie]

Good idea Nev. I often collect via paypal on our forum, but I hate to line their pocket, so cheques might be better. Im in

[Boots]

Sorry Folks. Been head down, bum up for a few days, and have missed all this... (No luck with the leak Muddy *mutter mutter*)

Anyway, what's this about then and where's it all at?

On? Off? What's happening?

[Wombat]

Nothing has happened so far, Boots.................Andy, are you available?

Nev

[Boots]

Is the 600 for the certificate, or for work required for it to get passed? Will 600 actually cover it? It would be awful to get caught a few pounds short.

Sorry, not sure of the process over there, Shirlz. MOT is registration, is it? Living rurally without transport, can very quickly turn a pleasant lifestyle into a struggle.

The 16th of June is fast approaching. Being international, I will have to go through paypal, I think... Have had trouble buying stuff from the UK, as they have some massive changeover charge from memory. So all us international folk would need a paypal account, I think. Otherwise you only get a bit of what we send. Do you have one Shirlz? It would have to be easier than someone co-ordinating too, wouldn't it? We just give what and when we can before the 16th?

[ina]

MOT is registration, is it?

MOT is the regular check-up for roadworthyness.

They are trying to sort something out - doing at least some of the repairs themselves - I think Hillbilly's guy Nick is good at that - and shopping around for spares. The £600 was the quote from the garage.

The actual MOT test and certificate costs a lot less - I believe it's around £40. So in the end it might all not be so bad! Keep fingers crossed!

[Shirley]

You are all great you know... I had a long chat on the phone to Stonehead because I'm kind of taken aback and embarrassed by all this. All part of being british I suppose and not used to people wanting to help.

I'm more than happy to get my hands dirty if there is anything I can do myself on the car... of course N might say it's not even worth repairing but I do hope not.

Yeah you are right about it being a struggle without a car - the only time I get to see my 12 year old these days is when I pick him up from school. He's supposed to live with me but stays with his dad about 8 miles away instead. Easy to see why - he gets sweets by the bucketload and is spoilt rotten as his dad has plenty of money, whereas when he's here he gets offered fruit and isn't allowed to watch telly til all hours etc... in a nutshell there are rules here! Anyway - I did ask his dad to help me out but he wsn't interested. He said he could work from home in the afternoons and collect Chris himself...

The situation is far from ideal - but obviously I do like to have every opportunity to see Chris. School is a 10 mile round trip.

There is also Jonathan to think of - yes I know we can go for walks locally but he doesn't go to nursery anymore because we couldn't afford to pay for it... he will start in August though and get 5 paid sessions a week...but each of those 5 sessions will mean a round trip of 25 miles - and mummy will just have to hang around for two and a half hours - don't suppose I could get a job for those hours ( I'm going to ask whether they can put two lots of two sessions together though as it seems more likely that I can get some work for maybe 2 and a half days than 2.5 hours don't you think.

I'm rambling... am going to ask on freecycle for any of the parts and look on ebay and ring the scrappy - any way to save money! Will report more tonight after Jo's fella has had a look at the car.

[Martin]

having run ancient motors for years, often the price quoted by garages for MOT work is greatly inflated by the welding needed for the rust holes- the welding is fairly straightforward, but it takes forever stripping out carpeting etc so it doesn't catch fire!
Another way to go would be if the repairs do look like costing that much, give up with your present car, and buy something else - if you hunt around, you should be able to pick up someting like a Metro for around £300 with a new MOT 8)