S40 seeks loving home and tlc - £500
 

Hello All

Please read this post fully if the title has caught your attention - I don't want anyone feeling misled!

My mum has decided to give up driving, which means she has asked me to sell her car for her. It is a 2005 S40 2.4i geartronic, base model.

The car is ruby red pearlescent, has done 90,000 miles, and is a shiny clean example. Base spec nonetheless includes electric windows all round, cruise control, ECC, steering-wheel controls for radio etc. The car also has the winter pack (heated seats and headlamp washers) and a sunroof. Fabric interior in a light colour scheme.

So far so good...

Life, unfortunately, has not been kind to this car - even before mum had it. It has a fair number of minor dings, scuffs and scratches, and the N/S rear door has a shallow dent in it, with corresponding minor denting to the rear wheel arch. Inside is generally in good condition except the N/S front door card, which looks as if something with sharp claws has attacked it.

During the 3 years she has owned it, mum (fairly gently!!) backed the car into a wall denting the rear bumper. Then, in a final insult, a freak hailstorm hit, and the flat surfaces of the car have dents in them.

I have maintained the car for her during this time - services, plus new brakes, wishbones, headlight etc. It has an MOT until May 2017, which it passed with no advisories. Excellent condition tyres - the rears are virtually brand new.

However, it is now due another service and needs a cam-belt change.

I have sourced a replacement rear bumper (in black) and bonnet and boot-lid (in pale blue) which simply need a re-spray and can then replace the damaged panels. I have been quoted around £500 for the paint job. The door dent can probably just be pulled out by one of those "remove a dent" services for relatively little cost. Even with a garage doing it, a cam-belt service ought to be under £500.

At present life is too busy and I am not particularly well. If I did the necessary cam-belt service and got the panels sorted, this car would be a much better sale prospect I know, and I think it would be worth around £1,500. In time, I may well do all this. However, if someone else is willing to take it, I believe this S40 would serve them well. I am driving it on occasion to keep it ticking over and it runs and handles very nicely; it has lots of life left in it yet.

Hence the car is on offer, as it stands, for £500. That price includes the replacement bumper, boot-lid and bonnet, of course.

Happy to answer any questions, provide more photos etc, as necessary.

Thanks for looking!

David

im very very tempted to take this off your hands but would i be tempting fate taking some of my old car parts back lol

Ha - the boot-lid's still got your number plate on it!! Obviously that'll be coming off before it goes anywhere...

Please do feel tempted! I've been as honest as I can be and I have seen your skills and abilities at work. This car could really use them!

Hope you're keeping well!

David

Hi, how overdue is the cam belt change and where in York are you from?

Hi

I believe the cam-belt interval on these is 8 years or 96,000 miles. In the three years or so mum has had it the mileage will have increased by only 1000 miles or so.

Accordingly (and I know you shouldn't) I took a calculated gamble on leaving it, always intending to do it this summer - it's over on time but under (just) on mileage. I certainly wouldn't leave it long if you started using the car a bit more than mum has done!

As for location, I am north of York in Alne on the A19. Happy to arrange to meet part way if that helped you? Unfortunately I have just bought the car down from mum's in Toft Hill near Bishop Auckland which would have been closer for you!

David

The V40 I had was over on time (had been changed once already on time) but under on miles and on a couple of occasions was taken up to illegal MPH and only the HG failed. I am interested in this its just a matter of when or how I can come to have a nose around it.

Happy to meet you at York station with the car if that helps you? As for when I can be pretty flexible over the next few days (I work for myself from home)...

David

Very kind of you, by no means hold on to it for me as I'm waiting to see what my pay is like from my new job and just done an insurance quote on it (over £900 fully comp £600 TPFT) its a lot of car for little money, obviously timing belt needs doing as you say and I'll get a quote for that off a local garage, it is a good offer though! PM me a contact number please, I'll give it some thought and if I decide on buying it I'll call or text you!

Thanks for so honestly explaining your position - and ouch, that's a lot of money for insurance!

It is a lot of car for little money, but obviously that is to reflect the various issues with its condition. At present I have only advertised it on here because I don't want the tyre-kickers who'll look and then mumble and haggle over the scratches and dents that the likes of ebay might bring...I have tried to be open and honest and have faith in the people on here appreciating the situation properly!

I'll PM you details, no worries. The offer to collect from York station stands, for you or anyone else as appropriate.

All the best

David

I'm not going to bid here but I wanted to say the Cambelt on the 5-Cylinder engines appears to fall into the "very unlikely to fail" category. I'm sure it was member Clan on here who's in the trade and reported never seeing one fail.