Author: Declan

Using a local garage for servicing verses using a dealership

Written by Declan
It is of utmost importance to keep our vehicles in a good roadworthy condition making sure that it has an up to date MOT certificate and that it is serviced regularly but how important is it that we use one of the large car dealership service centres for these services? Is it equally as good to use a smaller local garage for our services? If you do not feel capable of carrying out minor maintenance work on your vehicle yourself then you will need to employ the services of a mechanic to do this for you. Shopping around for a good deal on servicing is a must as prices vary considerably. Local garages are a good place to start and are usually a lot cheaper than car dealership service centres....
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Are you being quoted a fair price for car repairs?

Written by Declan
Car repairs are something that none of us like forking out for and often they can spring up from nowhere and usually at the time that is most inconvenient. Unfortunately, some garages will take advantage of the fact that many of their customers do not know a lot about the internal workings of a car and therefore trust that what the garage says needs to be done is correct. Although this is against the law, some garages will quote for additional work that does not really need doing. They may also quote for work that does need doing but at a lot higher price than you may expect. If you use a chain garage such as QuickFit or National for example, they are often a bit more expensive than an...
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Changing your steel wheels for alloys on your car

Written by Declan
Most modern cars now come with Alloy wheels as standard but other times you must pay extra when the car is new to have them fitted at the factory. Often alloys are the more sporty options, so if you opt for a model of vehicle that is sporty or the higher end version you will most likely have alloy wheels on it. There are advantages and disadvantages of having alloy wheels over steel wheels and often people go for them purely for the look and style that they add to the car. If you damage a steel wheel, you may find that if you were considering putting alloy son then this would be a good time to replace your steels with a full set of alloys. Alloys wheels can be...
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How much should you invest in a second-hand car?

Written by Declan
Buying a second hand car can always be a bit of a worry. You never quite know what exactly you are buying even if you do all the research. If you are buying or have bought a second hand car in the region of £1500 or less then research shows that you can expect to have to spend a similar amount of money again on it over the next year or so. It is important to do some checks before committing to the purchase of a second-hand vehicle. Firstly you should ask to see the HPI certificate which is a check to show that the car has not been subject to a write-off, have outstanding finance on it or plate changes etc. It can also sometimes show you mileages taken...
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Where is the best place to purchase a used car from?

Written by Declan
Many of us would love to be able to buy a brand new car but simply cannot afford too. For every new car sold in the UK there are about three used ones sold. Buying a used car always carrys an element of risk. You may be buying a car off a complete stranger and have no idea of the history, if it has been looked after or even if the mileage is accurate. You will have to rely on the information you have such as service history and previous MOT’s. Even if you buy a car off someone you know and trust, they may not be aware of an outstanding issues which could only arise after you have purchased the vehicle. Ideally, you want to try and buy a...
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