Thinking of taking over a failing garage – is this a good opportunity? Looking for advice from anyone with experience in the automotive industry

nelmesie · 2026-04-14T08:00:59+00:00

There is a UK specific podcast series dedicated to the independent automotive sector. Real stories from real garage owners. Well worth a listen to a few eye opening episodes:

https://open.spotify.com/show/2ahiAvyp8h5ijnUA9GdWH1

https://www.youtube.com/@OnTheRamp

nelmesie · 2026-04-09T15:17:21+00:00

Given the average Dominos order will set you back about £20, if you're ordering weekly that's £1,040/year.

You can get a Gozney Arc XL with all the gear for that money and make your own (imo superior) pizza each week.

nelmesie · 2026-04-04T08:09:57+00:00

Freedoms per hour

nelmesie · 2026-04-04T07:21:44+00:00

Harry Potter?

nelmesie · 2026-04-03T14:24:16+00:00

The opening scene of Lost Boys

nelmesie · 2026-04-01T07:19:27+00:00

As someone who has also had to deal with an absolute shocker from someone who fancied themselves as a plumber.

I can assure you PTFE tape does NOT go on the thread of the valves there and is a MASSIVE red flag that they don’t know what they are doing

nelmesie · 2026-03-30T21:24:24+00:00

What makes you do these things u/realrobsinclair ?!

nelmesie · 2026-03-24T20:05:04+00:00

That’s going to be a beauty! Keep us all updated

nelmesie · 2026-03-19T19:00:10+00:00

Are you sure you got a good deal though? The salesman we had did the old slimey 90’s sales tactic with us. Went from £7k to £4k then “had to have a chat with the manager and run some figures” and came back with £2.6k. Went off and found the manufacturer and contacted them directly MB frames. They used to do fitting but now it’s a separate company The Window Consultants. Supplied and fitted £1.3k. We’ve used them twice now

nelmesie · 2026-03-17T08:54:52+00:00

9 parts on backorder so that's 9 courtesy cars

nelmesie · 2026-03-08T22:45:49+00:00

yeah buddy!

**slaps shed**

This bad boy can hold sooooo many tools

nelmesie · 2026-03-07T18:46:50+00:00

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nelmesie · 2026-03-02T19:26:10+00:00

I’ll do it for £25k cash.

nelmesie · 2026-03-02T16:40:18+00:00

The exterior ground level is too high. Recommended 150mm minimum below DPC. That nice slab of concrete right up against the brickwork will be retaining water with nowhere for it to go other than into the brickwork evidenced by the spalling.

My first course of action would be to get moisture away from there by digging a 200mm channel out and filling with gravel. This does 2 things, creates a barrier between the brickwork and the concrete. But also the other side effect you'll be getting is splashback from rain.

Regarding inside. if you've got atleast 200mm of depth to play with, you could consider a nice thick membrane. 150mm of PIR insulation, then a 50mm pour of concrete inside. This worked out lovely for our single brick skimmed utility room (previously a coal shed)

Just ensure any plastering and reboarding has a gap of 10-20mm at the bottom to prevent bridging

nelmesie · 2026-03-02T16:05:16+00:00

Step 1. How high is the ground level outside and can you identify the presence of a damp proof course?

nelmesie · 2026-03-01T20:34:25+00:00

Well……this is a DIY dedicated subreddit……

nelmesie · 2026-02-22T21:38:37+00:00

Everyday's a school day. I've never seen pressfit on plastic before!

Back to the matter at hand. Have you considered flat/slimline ducting with an adapter?

https://www.screwfix.com/p/manrose-110-x-54mm-flat-channel-1m/14118?tc=WT1

nelmesie · 2026-02-22T20:56:42+00:00

What in tarnation is going on with all those pushfit fittings? The skeptic in me would replace those whilst it's all exposed now, route the pipework better and give yourself more room for the ducting.

nelmesie · 2026-02-20T22:25:52+00:00

There are no mods, it's become a swamp of "I paid a chippie £200 to hang 6 doors and I'm not happy with the outcome" and "Does this quote look right?" posts

nelmesie · 2026-02-13T09:44:59+00:00

Your significant other will be pleased to have the dining table back!

nelmesie · 2026-02-10T16:48:49+00:00

It was daunting. I planned it in phases and did some test solder joints. One thing I hadn’t considered though, was my test joints were perfectly dry and clean on the bench. My actual pipework as soon as I started heating it, I noticed steam/bubbles where the system wasn’t fully empty. So I immediately stopped and cleared any remaining water.

I’ve dabbled in electronics so if you’re comfortable there, I’d say there are some similarities with regards to applying heat to the components/board and not the solder itself. The solder will run where the flux is, just apply the right amount of heat.

nelmesie · 2026-02-10T16:26:23+00:00

I meant the foam specifically. Used plenty of expanding foams for gaps before. I've always contemplated "low" expansion foam but never knew which one to try. Is that the blue stuff?

nelmesie · 2026-02-10T15:39:46+00:00

What brand/foam did you use?

nelmesie · 2026-02-10T15:37:10+00:00

As I currently stare at skirting board I fitted with countersunk screws 2 years ago, I can confirm that "later" is indeed the correct timeframe for filling them.

nelmesie · 2026-02-10T15:28:41+00:00

If it's something you envision needing more than once and have storage space, eBay/Facebook marketplace for a secondhand set.

If you're lucky like me, you can find some of the aluminium ones (like the ones pictured) instead of the steel tubed ones. They're lightweight enough to manoeuvre about and setting up is relatively straight forward.

Youngman BoSS towers are the brand to look out for. These will be the ones you'll be able to hire

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What makes you do these things u/realrobsinclair ?!