Fix it or bin it?

[CPH]

Car went in for its MoT test today. I knew it wouldn't pass but didn't expect such a massive list of failures.

Parts alone, not including tyres that it also needs, comes to £430.00 so far.

I don't really have the time to fix it myself so I'm looking at a garage bill of about £600.00 plus tyres to get it through the test this year. All on a car that's almost 20 years old.

Is it time to accept that nothing lasts forever and put that money towards something a bit newer?

Really torn and don't know what to do. If I sold the car with a new ticket I wouldn't get the money back that it cost to put the ticket on this year.

If I kept the car there's always that risk that I'd spend all the money and then something terminal happens a week later on such an old car.

The other alternative is to break it for parts?

[martin_r_smith]

Oh bugger.

I'd personally still keep it and do the work that's needed. What car will you get for £600 that will be as reliable and practical? or even £1200?? I agree it is a risk, but the risk of terminal will be the same on any used car you buy.

If you do decide to break it though talk to me first

[CPH]

I hear what you say Martin, but it's not just the cost for the MoT that's ****ing me off, I always seem to be having to do something to it recently and I keep having to throw money at it.

If I added up everything I've spent on it in the last 18 months I could have bought myself something really quite nice. Has it got to that point now where I just say enough is enough and stop throwing good money after bad?

Plus I know there's more work that needs doing if I do keep it on the road, it still needs a cambelt for starters.

Maybe I'll sleep on it and see how I feel in the morning.

[martin_r_smith]

Originally Posted by CPH

If I added up everything I've spent on it in the last 18 months I could have bought myself something really quite nice. Has it got to that point now where I just say enough is enough and stop throwing good money after bad?

I know what you mean! If i added what id spent on mine then I could have bought a very nice car indeed. But for me it was never about that, my car is my hobby and i enjoy fiddling around with it.

It sounds to me like you have lost that enjoyment so maybe you're right and a change might be the thing to do. If you have space why don't you just wrap it up for a few months and come back to it? Try something new in the meantime and you'll know if it's the right thing to do then.

[cyclogenesis]

What car is it? An 850?

It is always a debate whether or not to keep a car. I made the decision long ago to keep mine and spend what was needed. If you buy a new car, you will lose much more than £600 as soon as you move off the forecourt.
If you buy second hand, it is likely that in six months you will have an even bigger bill as the person that sold it, probably held back on stuff that needed fixing or indeed something was fundamentally wrong with it.
The only truly cheap way of motoring is to go to auction and get yourself a banger with an MOT. Drive it until it fails, then sell it and repeat.
A good friend of mine said to me once that for any car, you need to put aside about £2000 to cover costs every year, including tyres etc. Anything you have left over is a bonus.
The benefits of fixing it, are that you know the provenance of the car and in all likelihood it will keep on going for another 20 years.

What did it fail on by the way?

[volvoid]

I think its time to part company . If youre always mending it and its getting expensive, as you said, time for something nice. The hard bit is finding its replacement before the mot runs out. Many cars offered for sale need a few bob spending on them.

[volvoid]

Im keen on having mots done in summer, so you have warmer weather and daylight in wgich to fix things.

[CPH]

Originally Posted by cyclogenesis

What car is it? An 850

What did it fail on by the way?

It's a V70 TDi Auto
List of failure is as follows.

Offside rear disc needs replacing (that's a pair to me, plus pads)
Offside rear calliper seized (could be why my fuel consumption is high)
Both rear tyres need replacing.
Front near side suspension arm needs replacing.
Both outer CV joints are shot (only failed for CV boots but the joints are FUBAR'd so see no point in fighting to take them off and not putting new ones on)
Handbrake cable snapped during the test.
Both front indicators aren't orange enough.
Fuel tank is leaking.

On top of all that I have an awful noise coming from the front offside corner. Every time I turn left and all the weight is thrown onto the opposite corner there's a horrible noise and acoustic vibration. Thought it was the bearing but I replaced that last weekend and the noise persists and is steadily getting worse.

Chap at the garage said it could be the gearbox. If that goes south it really is lights out.

[CPH]

Originally Posted by volvoid

Im keen on having mots done in summer, so you have warmer weather and daylight in wgich to fix things.

Yes mate, I concur but this had a December MoT since I bought it - I did often consider having it redone in the summer but too tight to part with another fifty quid when I didn't really need to.

[V70Zig]

As in your last post........Maybe I'll sleep on it and see how I feel in the morning.
We all get a bit miffed when things get worse....some good advice above, but it's all down to you in the end.........

When my V70 went terminal (cambelt tensioner let go) I purchased (through the nose.....a V70 D5 185 P3) from a main dealer with a 6 month warranty.....new autobox fitted under warranty. Would have been in the region of 5k if out of my own pocket. Any which way you decside to to go ££££££££££, but which way ?
Off topic....did you sort the ABS ?

Looks like my typing finger is a bit slow....last post ha ha,