Running costs

[Foeux]

Dear pals,

I have been figuring out running costs for the volvo 940 I've got. This is not a 'look how cheap' or a 'see how I lavish my car with attention', it is simply what it has cost me to run a 2.3 non turbo volvo estate to a safe and legal standard without going nuts on cosmetics etc. Perhaps it is interesting? Perhaps you've figured your running costs? Perhaps you'd share them?

Cost per mile calculations assume (wrongly) a residual value of £0 but if we wanted to guess the value of a 940 estate with 204000mi and leather seats, then cost per mile is significantly reduced.

Not included tax and insurance as you'd pay that on any car; it is broadly the same for the age and engine size of cars I like running.

£561.00 - original sale price
£182.00 - first MOT
£38.00 - Service (had oil 'in stock')
£20.00 - Roof Rack
£76.00 - Water pump and gubbins
£135.40 - 2x tyres
£7.00 - exhaust paste
£200.00 - leather seats
£286.00 - front calipers, discs, pads, hoses, fluid
£135.40 - 2x tyres
£30.00 - ARB pins and bushes
£103.00 - MOT 2
£80.00 - DAB and aerial

£1853.80 - total spend
12,000 - Total mileage
£0.15 - per mile

If you include fuel price and assume residual value of £0.00, then £0.37 a mile. If you assume the vehicle has some value then these values tumble, even when fuel is included.

I don't know if this is good or bad or even makes sense. Happy to be set right.

F

[john.wigley]

Good evening, 'Foeux', I ran an '87 745GLE 2.3 Auto from 1998 to 2016 and kept detailed running costs on an XL spreadsheet - yes I am another Volvo anorak!

I'm afraid I don't have access to the figures on my tablet, but will dig them out (probably) tomorrow. I won't go into the level of detail that you have - I could, but it would take forever! - but have summarised everything under four headings:- Fuel, Repairs, Servicing and Fixed Costs. Depreciation was calculated separately.

I believe my figures will bear comparison with yours - watch this space over the next day or so!

Regards, John.

[volvo always]

Not worked my car and maintenance costs of my 1996 940 LPT Auto estate over the years.

I bought it for £250 nearly 5 years ago with 8 months MOT. From memory around 183,000miles.

Spent around £1400 on parts and labour in that time. Battery. 2 used tyres, disks/pads all round, new radiator, water pump cambelt, tensioner, brake hoses, FRF cambelt, ignition parts, plugs,leads dis/rotor arm etc.

Had Volvo specialist fit the Brakes, cambelt, tensioner, water pump, brake hoses. New drive belts. Gearbox drain refill and Axle drain/fill and oil/filter.
Full exhaust inc downpipe.

Nothing much in the last 4 years apart from oil/filter changes and gearbox drain/refill. Bought 2 new Michelin tyres last Autumn as on Winter tyres.
Most recently new in tank fuel pump, Crank sensor, Ignition module and Pump relay. Swapped recently bought front seats to full leather.

This summer going to try again to get AC working and sunroof non leaking and fit new front disks and pads.

A good car, that's easy to work on. Do about 5k a year in him. Now on 205,000
Cambelt due this year as 5 years due.

James

[Foeux]

John, the really attractive boxes are the ones that leave you close to free motoring 8f you assume the vehicle has residual value. A bit of a moot point here as I will keep it bit maybe useful to someone looking to turn a profit or do some 'free motoring'...

Has got me thinking what the best shoestring cars would be (excl financed new ones). Probably something like a Peugeot 205D or a polo or yaris diesel.

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by Foeux

Dear pals,

I have been figuring out running costs for the volvo 940 I've got. This is not a 'look how cheap' or a 'see how I lavish my car with attention', it is simply what it has cost me to run a 2.3 non turbo volvo estate to a safe and legal standard without going nuts on cosmetics etc. Perhaps it is interesting? Perhaps you've figured your running costs? Perhaps you'd share them?

Cost per mile calculations assume (wrongly) a residual value of £0 but if we wanted to guess the value of a 940 estate with 204000mi and leather seats, then cost per mile is significantly reduced.

Not included tax and insurance as you'd pay that on any car; it is broadly the same for the age and engine size of cars I like running.

£561.00 - original sale price
£182.00 - first MOT
£38.00 - Service (had oil 'in stock')
£20.00 - Roof Rack
£76.00 - Water pump and gubbins
£135.40 - 2x tyres
£7.00 - exhaust paste
£200.00 - leather seats
£286.00 - front calipers, discs, pads, hoses, fluid
£135.40 - 2x tyres
£30.00 - ARB pins and bushes
£103.00 - MOT 2
£80.00 - DAB and aerial

£1853.80 - total spend
12,000 - Total mileage
£0.15 - per mile

If you include fuel price and assume residual value of £0.00, then £0.37 a mile. If you assume the vehicle has some value then these values tumble, even when fuel is included.

I don't know if this is good or bad or even makes sense. Happy to be set right.

F

I just worked mine out, including purchase and several things for its first MoT in my ownership and running repairs over the past 4.5 years, it came to £931 during which time i've done 14k miles so £0.0667/mile for mine.

I haven't included the replacement stereo or toher things i've had to replace because the perviousowner removed them through bad diagnosis or the upgrade/replacement of parts not needed for the normal running.

[Foeux]

Glad to see this is generating some discussion.

Did a bit more looking last night. If the car's residual value can 'beat your running costs, you have free or even profit making motoring.

Does anyone know how much a decent sized estate car is on finance per mile?

Cheers,

F

[360beast]

I have never looked in to it TBH.

I bought mine for £700 and have roughly spent

£290 on polybushes
£410 on tyres
3 x services so about £120
£9 cambelt
£20 auxiliary belts
Parts for modifications comes to about £600

So I'm well and truly down the rabbit hole with mine.

However if you consider that I bought a couple of cars to break to get decent spare parts for mine and an M90 manual to convert it, if you include the sales from those cars then I'm actually on a profit with it.

[Foeux]

Originally Posted by 360beast

I have never looked in to it TBH.

I bought mine for £700 and have roughly spent

£290 on polybushes
£410 on tyres
3 x services so about £120
£9 cambelt
£20 auxiliary belts
Parts for modifications comes to about £600

So I'm well and truly down the rabbit hole with mine.

However if you consider that I bought a couple of cars to break to get decent spare parts for mine and an M90 manual to convert it, if you include the sales from those cars then I'm actually on a profit with it.

Woof! Neutral cost or even profit motoring is where it's at...

I'd love to hear from someone with a minter. Do they actually change hands for £7000+ or is that just a bit of ebay poetic license? If they do, I suppose the residual value is an important consideration.

[360beast]

Originally Posted by Foeux

Woof! Neutral cost or even profit motoring is where it's at...

I'd love to hear from someone with a minter. Do they actually change hands for £7000+ or is that just a bit of ebay poetic license? If they do, I suppose the residual value is an important consideration.

I have never seen one of these ebay cars sell, they just sit on ebay for month after month, some have been on there for over a year maybe two! The prices have gone up, but not £5k for a 2.0 non turbo automatic Japanese import. If I have learnt one thing from watching Might Car Mods it is that cars in Japan suffer just as badly for rust as cars over here due to the snow they get.

[Foeux]

Originally Posted by 360beast

I have never seen one of these ebay cars sell, they just sit on ebay for month after month, some have been on there for over a year maybe two! The prices have gone up, but not £5k for a 2.0 non turbo automatic Japanese import. If I have learnt one thing from watching Might Car Mods it is that cars in Japan suffer just as badly for rust as cars over here due to the snow they get.

I've spotted a few poeple bringing in Japanese imports and asking pop-star money. They definitely need to cover their costs, make a profit etc but I don't know whether £7995 is a reasonable price for a 100kmi 960...or is it?