96 850 Tdi - spares, probably not repairs

[kardanaxel]

A few months back a bought a -96 850 diesel estate on a punt, it already had 230,000 miles on it, but I was hoping to drive it for a year or so without having to spend to much money on repairs. Well, I was wrong. Brought it to the garage for routine service and to get the brake discs replaced. Turns out there is an oil leak from the engine that I hadn't noticed and things went downhill from there. The cambelt is apparently slightly off on one of the pulleys, which has caused a fair bit of damage - I've been quoted £1500 for parts and labour. On top of this, I would be looking at close to another £1400 to fix all the other little things that need fixing on an old car, including the brakes, new front tyres, new cv joint boot, and a few suspension-related things I won't even try to describe. (You understand by now my car-knowledge is limited...)

At this point the only realistic alternative for me is to let it go, but I think it is a shame to scrap it if it can go to someone with the resources to break it for spares or maybe even repair it. Currently still partially dismantled in garage in north Oxfordshire, so would need to be transported from there.

Any interest?

[RF82]

Hi,

I could be interested in it for parts. What price are you looking for?

Thanks,

Rob

[kardanaxel]

I'm open to offers, but should revise some of what was written above.

Plan now is to ask garage to put everything back where they found it so I can drive the car home again. Apart from the brakes that are close to the limit, the car ran just fine (but obviously won't do so forever, given the issue they found with the oil leak). Engine started without hesitation after over a week covered in snow this winter and if it hadn't been for the brakes I probably wouldn't have thought about taking it to the garage before MOT-time in May. Bottom line: hopefully no need for whoever is interested in the car to tow it from the garage.

I may also have been a bit pessimistic in the subject line. The price quoted for the repairs include labour and original parts. Perhaps someone with the time and skill/will to do this themselves and with access to cheaper parts can actually make it worthwile repairing the car. But I'm definitely not that person.

[kardanaxel]

Back to square one - garage is unwilling to put engine back together, and will charge me lord knows how much for doing so. (Possibly holding out for me to pay them to do the repairs...) So it is a non-runner at the moment.

[kardanaxel]

To those pm:ing me re. the car - I still don't have 30 posts so can't reply to your messages, I'm afraid...

[kardanaxel]

Right. I've had a second opinion on the car from someone who, not surprisingly, believes the garage has been honest but way over the top in their quote, basically estimating the cost of fixing everything that needs fixing to the highest possible standard, ignoring the fact that it is a -96 with 230,000 miles on it.

So by using not necessarily brand spanking new original parts and not paying a garage to do it, it seems as if the car can be up and running again without breaking anyones bank (someone even expecting to be able to resell it with a profit). As much as I'd love to keep driving this car, I don't have time to wait for someone to do it for me though. So unless someone on here is interesting in making an offer, it will go as p/x giving me a couple of hundred off my new car.