For Work?

[Ian B Walker]

What does the panel think?
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=4646647031&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT

Could be plan B

 

[lotusmark2]

Good BUT
You would need to really run through that front to back includind a full respray..ask yourself would you let someone touch your beloved MB if he turned up in a rusty van?
does look a real option though mate
P.S need you to wip off the sump on the beast and clean it out soon mate

 

[grober]

Too Expensive!

Condition: Used

Model 600-Series
Number of Previous Owners: 3

Type: Commercial Vehicle
Warranty: --

Number of Doors: 5
Engine Size: 3,972 cc

Mileage: 25146

Independent Vehicle Inspection: --

Model Year:1995
MOT Expiration Date: --

Date of 1st Registration: 12 May 1995
Road Tax: --

Colour:White
V5 Registration Document:--

Metallic Paint: --
Previously Registered Overseas:--

Transmission:Automatic
Right-hand drive/Left-hand drive: right-hand drive

Options: AM/FM Stereo, Cassette Player, Power-assisted Steering (PAS), Sunroof, Tow Bar
Safety Features: --

Dont like:- no v5, no MOT, no tax, 4 litre engine , Direct from airport but 3 owners??
This vehicle may never have run on the public road so all the normal documentation doesnt exist which makes it difficult to assess in the usual way. Ditto on the remarks about appearance for business purposes. 4 litres would tend to drink the diesel a bit if you were driving round the country.

Inside -nice BIG bench BUT is there room for anything else??

For £800 I would expect a vehicle thats totally roadworthy documentwise, mechanically and MOT,d. For a £200 restoration project maybe. But you really want to be sorting other peoples cars Ian not your own. Sorry mate.

 

[garystu1965]

"Interior - vice" Sounds a bit dodgy to me

 

[bolide]

I predict no bids and that the first £500 cash will win the day. Nice piece of kit if it's not too shagged out - it's not too obvious

A Splinter or a Vito would be nicer but 10 x the money. An ex-AA van would be good, too, but you can't run one of those if you're specialising in Mercs!

Nick Froome
www.w124.co.uk

 

[Rob77]

It looks like it might be worth a look anyway. Assuming its sound and wouldn't take much to put on the road, then it could be a good start.

For a customer base of mainly enthusiastic 124 / 201 owners, I doubt anyone is going to care what your van looks like provided it goes and carries a reasonable set of tools and spares, etc. If its clinical workshop facilities they want they'll go to a dealer.

If it could be got up and working cheap, it could be ideal as somewhere to begin. And if you intend carrying a load of stuff around you'd probably need the 4l motor.

You can easily improve on equipment as the money starts to come in.

 

[SG CL500]

No way - if you turned up in a van that looked that tired you'd start losing customers - sorry.

May be an idea to buy it for the interior if it has 'all the kit' to transfer to a standard van?

 

[Will]

I'd say that it looks ideal! It's probably newer than most of the cars Ian will be working on, it's kitted out with a lot of useful gear that would cost a fortune new, and it's a Mercedes.

For the kind of money that it's currently going for you could afford to get the body blown over to make it look smart and presentable.

Remember guys, Ian has yet to get this business off the ground - it's probably not the best idea to pump too much cash into an expensive vehicle until he's got enough work coming in to cover the costs.

As has been said - the kind of people who are after clinically-clean workshop conditions are not Ian's target customer base anyway. It's not a 'mobilo life' van turning up to repair a £70k S-class.

Will

 

[GRAV888]

A respray is no problem
Just give me a shout if and when Ian

 

[glojo]

Sorry Ian,
The van is a dog, you are a skilled mechanic, the van has allegedly only done 25,000 miles it's had new axles front and back, there is surely more to this van than meets the eyes? It looks like a new age travellers vehicle that should be sprayed in green's or red. Image, image and image. If it is so good, why is it being sold?

Just had a quick giggle thinking of a certain International Trader that had a smokey old yellow Reliant Robin Dell Boy!!

Plan C???

Good luck with the venture,
John

 

[GrahamC230K]

If it were smart enough to represent your business, it COULD be a useful asset to compliment your premises. However, I feel you will spend more time working on the van than customer's vehicles and it's not in a suitable state.

If things take off and you need a van, I say start with a reliable smart looking van and adapt it to your needs as and when you find out mainly what you are using it for.

Prior to selling my MB I changed from using an established one man band MB specialist to a larger garage for a few reasons. Mostly the reasons were organisation, documentation and trust. Please consider how you will be invoicing and supplying documentation to your customers. When will you find time to do this and what wil the priority be? Someone to help with this side could be essential if things take off even moderatly.

 

[Ian B Walker]

Thanks everyone, Ok I have put this idea out of mind, due to advice here.

 

[GRAV888]

Even if you don't use it on the road, buy it for the compressor.
These are well over £1500 fitted

 

[nick mercedes]

What does the panel think?
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=4646647031&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT

Could be plan B

It's cheap and with a lick of paint impressive.

It might be a bit rough around the edges, but clearly no expense has been spared on it if it has 6 new tyres, new brakes allround and a new axle...

 

[glojo]

Even if you don't use it on the road, buy it for the compressor.
These are well over £1500 fitted

That is what I was thinking, there are certainly a good few spares and nic nacks on the beast.

I think there has also been an excellent point made about paperwork. Any service history is better than no history. Nice, professional stationary is a very worthy consideration.

These threads have made me realise just how much thought is needed into setting up a business.

As a side issue it highlights the huge jump Mercedes made when they realised how bad that particular model was. The slightly newer 212/312 Sprinter is a flying machine with the very latest 20th century technology.

Good luck,
John

 

[nick mercedes]

Thanks everyone, Ok I have put this idea out of mind, due to advice here.

The biggest drawback is that you'd need an O licence for it, since it's way over 3.5 tonnes...

So that's £600 before you've even driven anywhere, and then there's tacho issues.

 

[GRAV888]

The biggest drawback is that you'd need an O licence for it, since it's way over 3.5 tonnes...

So that's £600 before you've even driven anywhere, and then there's tacho issues.

£600
I wish it was.
The current financial requirement for 1 vehicle is £3100 for a restricted vehicle + the cost of applying, the newspaper advert, cost of the licence and disc if granted.
I've just applied to upgrade mine from 1 vehicle and 1 trailer to % & 5.
This is £19800 as I need a standard international.
Can't see why that van is an LGV though.
My LGV fitter has an Iveco LWB HR van fully kitted out and doesn't need one

 

[nick mercedes]

£600
I wish it was.
The current financial requirement for 1 vehicle is £3100 for a restricted vehicle + the cost of applying, the newspaper advert, cost of the licence and disc if granted.
I've just applied to upgrade mine from 1 vehicle and 1 trailer to % & 5.
This is £19800 as I need a standard international.
Can't see why that van is an LGV though.
My LGV fitter has an Iveco LWB HR van fully kitted out and doesn't need one

Aren't 609s 6.5 tonne? While most Dailys are 3.5?

Still if people wonder why the UK is littered with Polish trucks the £20k cost for UK operaters might help explain it...

 

[GRAV888]

Still if people wonder why the UK is littered with Polish trucks the £20k cost for UK operaters might help explain it...

That's only for 5 vehicles and 5 trailers
Current requirements are £6200 for the first vehicle and £3400 for each additional vehicle.
The company I contract for in Scotland have over 250

 

[Rob77]

I know the majority here appear to suggest a vehicle that is more representative of a blue chip company because you would be dealing with quality cars. But, do you see your role as being primarily entrepreneur, accountant or engineer?

If either or both of the first two, then get top premises, loans and equipment, then hire staff and consultants and attend the monthly board meetings, where safety, policy and interest rates can be discussed.

If your intention though is to start a business you will carry out yourself then surely it would be best to start in some basic form with something like that van (and you would be well qualified to check it out in person) and go from there.

You have a good reputation on here as an engineer and came across in the couple of short conversations I have had with you as an honest and enthusiastic fixer of the older Mercs. Presumably, you would keep prices reasonable in working that way too. That would be what I would look for, not Tom Cruise arriving in a van converted from an SLR, wearing Gucci and with a well deserved reputation for invoicing and customer relations but little else.

Just my 2p worth, now I'll shut up