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Post by Martin on Mar 12, 2024 14:56:04 GMT
My 18 year old has decided he now wants to learn and is a couple of weeks into lessons. £80 a week for a 2 hour session….
They need a a reason to do it. For us it was just wanting to behind the wheel! For my eldest, he was never the designated driver as all his mates drove and he kept fit by cycling to work and when he was accepted into police training that it because urgent as you need a full driving licence. Son number 2 was a bit worried about driving and doesn’t mind public transport, but is on a management development programme at work and knows he’ll have more opportunities to progress when he can travel around more easily, so is now really keen.
It’s a little annoying that he wasn’t given chance to strip the car….his personal stuff was taken out, but I’d spent a couple of hundred £ on new bits such as genuine gearknob / gater, nice leather edged carpet mats, wipers, headlight bulbs, phone holder etc. He’d only just put two new tyres on it and it was nearly full of fuel…. I’m up to £130 in the last hour buying some of that stuff again.
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Post by racingteatray on Mar 12, 2024 15:29:52 GMT
You are an exemplary father. Mine would have had me on the bus for the foreseeable at this point.
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Post by Martin on Mar 15, 2024 11:20:08 GMT
Collected it this morning, its scrubbed up pretty well. I'm getting two new (proper BMW * rated) front tyres fitted later this afternoon, as the dealer could only source budget tyres in time for some reason. It's off to Swindon about 4pm to collect the two eldest boys, then North to Cheshire, as we're all with my parents this weekend for their 55th anniversary.   |
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Post by PG on Mar 15, 2024 13:16:25 GMT
Collected it this morning, its scrubbed up pretty well. I'm getting two new (proper BMW * rated) front tyres fitted later this afternoon, a s the dealer could only source budget tyres in time for some reason.Call me a cynic but I expect the profit margin on budget tyres is higher and most people probably go "oh I can't be arsed to get my own tyres, go ahead...". |
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Post by Martin on Mar 15, 2024 14:09:34 GMT
Collected it this morning, its scrubbed up pretty well. I'm getting two new (proper BMW * rated) front tyres fitted later this afternoon, a s the dealer could only source budget tyres in time for some reason.Call me a cynic but I expect the profit margin on budget tyres is higher and most people probably go "oh I can't be arsed to get my own tyres, go ahead...". Quite possibly. New wipers fitted and 45mins spent doing a better job of cleaning some bits such as the leather seats, steering wheel and black trim. The leather has come up nice and matt. It needs a proper clean and polish really, but I’m not doing it…. Headlight bulbs and replacement gear lever / gaiter will get done tomorrow, I know my Dad will absolutely love supervising him! |
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Post by alf on Mar 19, 2024 10:09:09 GMT
Children: causing tonnnes of work for parents since the dawn of time!
On the budget tyres, yes I have the pleasure of sometimes meeting the largest UK tyre dealers and wholesalers, and they typically make vastly more on budgets. The example I was given (from the mouth of the MD of a major UK tyre wholesaler and dealer) was a premium selling for £160, they made £10. In the same size a budget selling for £80, was £40 profit. And they generally "drum test" examples before taking them in volume as so many explode at high speed.
So think about that, the next time you buy a budget tyre for £60. Which the dealer bought for £30, and which was probably sold from the factory in China for £10-20 originally. Sitting as the only contact between your car and the road on the motorway........... Tyres are actually quite a high-tech product, in the materials and construction - or they can/should be anyway.......
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Post by Martin on Mar 19, 2024 10:19:14 GMT
Children: causing tonnnes of work for parents since the dawn of time! On the budget tyres, yes I have the pleasure of sometimes meeting the largest UK tyre dealers and wholesalers, and they typically make vastly more on budgets. The example I was given (from the mouth of the MD of a major UK tyre wholesaler and dealer) was a premium selling for £160, they made £10. In the same size a budget selling for £80, was £40 profit. And they generally "drum test" examples before taking them in volume as so many explode at high speed. So think about that, the next time you buy a budget tyre for £60. Which the dealer bought for £30, and which was probably sold from the factory in China for £10-20 originally. Sitting as the only contact between your car and the road on the motorway........... That was exactly my thought, hence replacing two nearly new tyres with BMW * rated ones rather than putting them on the rear and hoping for the best. |
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Post by PG on Mar 19, 2024 12:56:23 GMT
On the budget tyres, ...... In the same size a budget selling for £80, was £40 profit. And they generally "drum test" examples before taking them in volume as so many explode at high speed. So think about that, the next time you buy a budget tyre for £60. Which the dealer bought for £30, and which was probably sold from the factory in China for £10-20 originally. Sitting as the only contact between your car and the road on the motorway........... Tyres are actually quite a high-tech product, in the materials and construction - or they can/should be anyway....... The "cynical view" so often turns out to be right one. Sad isn't it that a car dealer would rather sell you cheap shit at a great profit than a quality product.  |
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Post by Martin on Mar 19, 2024 13:04:06 GMT
To be fair to this one, he did say they could only get a budget tyre so I should go with my Plan B. I’d told him he needed to let me know what he could do by Thu am, was able to get them fitted at my normal place on Friday.
The difference in profit margin is surprising.
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