16 replies to this topic

[r3k1355]

My mate is a painter/decorator, he uses estate cars as his work vehicle currently.

 

Pretty much packs out a Volvo or Passat size estate vehicle with kit, and obviously the interior is completely ruined.

[Cooperman]

There are some low-cost and very reliable cars which would suit a painter & decorator.

As an example, I bought my Land-Rover just over 2 years ago for £650. It is a 1997 Discovery 300Tdi and it currently has 123,000 on it from new. I bought it at 106,000 and it didn't have an MoT. It passed without any work and I spent around £20 on some new brake pipes and £20 to get a chip removed from the front screen.

I had to replace a clutch arm at 112,000 miles (£30) and decided to change the clutch plate and slave cylinder for reliability. I fitted a new cam belt at 118,000 miles which cost me £25. That model is becoming a classic and values are now starting to go up. If you do a very low annual mileage a classic insurance is available.

Apart from that it has been totally reliable and I reckon it is now worth c.£1400. So that is like free motoring. It tows my trailer with my classic Minis and other cars on and it also tows my glider trailers. It is huge, especially with the seats down, and now tend to use it more than my normal road car (a BMW 730D).

It is not fast, but it will cruise all day long at 75 to 80 mph at under 3000 rpm and gives around 34 mpg. It will go anywhere too.