Vehicle Sales – What We Do
Posted on 15 February, at 10 : 50 AM Print
Mel & Carole Elkins purchased the garage just over 25 years ago in January 1986 when they were then selling petrol for around 38p a ltr, now look at the cost of fuel!
We refurbished the property first , had gas installed, got ourselves connected to mains drainage, re – plastered the exterior & re- slated the roof. We added a small utility at the back, completely stripped out the bathroom and the kitchen and renewed it all.
With the out side (being on a slope) we basically terraced the garden, added a few steps here and there and created a smallish patio to the rear installing patio doors from the dining room.
NOW FOR THE BUSINESS SIDE OF LIFE !
With the forecourt, we removed the petrol pumps and built an office and block-paved the car display area. At the rear, we demolished a couple of outbuildings and built a workshop. We then demolished the existing workshop (only one car size ) and created a much more modern 4 car unit which can be seen in many of our pictures with the brown double doors. Then we finished off the parking area by laying new tarmac.
WORKSHOPS
We have two workshops on site, one used mainly for vehicle preparation / light vehicle servicing and the second workshop is successfully run as PORTON GARAGE by Neil Hawker (01980 611411) and is mainly used for servicing, MOT repairs and sometimes more serious misdemeanours!
We are pretty well equipped with 3 two post lifts, 2 inspection pits, 2 compressors, 3 different diagnostic kits & air con machine facilities.
WHAT GOES ON WITH THE CAR SALES THEN ?
Firstly we try to select mainly bread and butter cars. We tend to chase after low mileage well kept vehicles. We sell around 150-200 used vehicles per year of which we are very proud of, not bad going for a small operation!
In the vehicle preparation side of the business, we do the following:-
- Power wash the engine bay , door shuts, wheels & wheel arches
- Refurbish the paintwork , then dive inside, polish the interior windows , scrub the seats , carpets etc
- Vacuum using a wet ‘n’ dry valeting machine. This tends to leave the car slightly damp so we cheat by drying them out using a dehumidifier!
- Power polish, the exterior. This takes us about two hours but we feel well worth it
- Finally we hand polish the vehicle for protection
THEN DOWN ON THE FORECOURT.
Once the vehicle has been sold , the car is taken for its MOT test using an independent garage. Back again, then straight up on the lift, wheels off , check around brakes, tyres, exhaust etc. then order in the service kit and any other bits ‘n’ bobs, carry out the service, strip down and service brakes renewing any necessary parts as we go. Back on the ground, our last job torque up wheel nuts, check tyre pressures. Finally we bomb round the inside, check the radio, cd, a/c, electric windows etc. rectifying problems if any as we go . Check spare tyre, tools etc. So, you can see, we certain don’t scrimp on the job and we make sure our cars are ready to go in the best possible condition.
OK, SO WHAT ABOUT CAMBELTS?
Cambelts are very important. They connect the lower half to the top part of the engine. Not all engines have belts, some are chain driven. As part of our major service and included in the screen price, we fit new cam belt kits provided they fall due within the next 20,000 miles or two years.
AND FINALLY
The last thing we need to do is a road test, then park it up ready for a re-clean prior to collection.
We don’t claim to be the cheapest around but as you can see from the above, we feel we offer a ‘top class’ service representing excellent value for money for your next vehicle purchase.
NB: Purchasers of PX/CLEARANCE vehicles unfortunately do not receive the above package.