When do you decide to draw the line with a car?

[CortinaDave]

So... my 2002 ZT V6 has about six weeks ticket left. I paid £350 for it a year and a bit ago. its been faultless bar needing a thermostat back in september.

 

BUT... do I bin it when the test ends?

 

Here's where its at. I did twat a kerb which set off the seat airbags last year. I've replaced the seats and the wheel I cracked but getting the airbag system working again means a new airbag ECU and replacing the 3 rear seatbelts and pretensioners.

 

Theres a clunk from the front end - i suspect it needs 1 possibly 2 front arms.

 

2 tyres need changed.

 

the back box is knackered

 

It could do with front discs and the pad warning light has just come on.

 

And its developed a leak from what seems to be the water pump. Its minor but obviously its going to need done sooner rather than later and its a good few hundred quid as its an arse of a job.

 

Other than that it runs and drives brilliantly, is only on 108k and looks great.

 

So....bail out now when its been perfect bangernomics or spend the cash to get another year?

[fatharris]

You need to price everything up really, and use second hand eBay parts where you can before you can make a decision!

[paulscavalier]

Mine is generally if you're heart isn't really in it. Conversely I have spent more than it's worth on a couple of cars because I actually really liked them

[jon.k]

I have this with my golf. It cost me a couple of hundred quid, it’s done 7000 miles trouble free, but how much am I prepared to spend come mot time? I’d like it to fail properly so the matter is taken out of my hands, because it just refuses to die at the moment.

 

Meanwhile I have other cars that are constant money pits but which I keep going because I like them.

 

Bangernomics and liking a car aren’t really compatible in my experience, I become attached.

[Rusty_Rocket]

Bin it.  Get half your money back over the bridge.  The airbag shenanigans alone will give you sleepless nights...

[purplebargeken]

What is a line? I am unfamiliar with this term.

[MikeR]

once the rust gets hold ........ and its the last mot

[sierraman]

Bail out while your ahead.

 

I tend to get out just before serious expense is round the corner or several PITA jobs need doing.

 

Thinking back I sacked the 00’ Mondeo off due to a failing crank end seal pissing oil onto the clutch plate estimated cost to mend probably £400.

 

04’ Mondeo diesel the injectors were starting to piss their chips again not a cheap repair.

 

03’ Focus was a multitude of several jobs and being offered a car at a price I couldn’t turn down.

 

04’ Mondeo petrol failing clutch again a good £4-500 job

 

01’ Focus sacked off due to needing a starter motor, fuel pump and was knocking from the steering rack. Again PITA on a £300 car.

[catsinthewelder]

If you like it then you need to find someone whos breaking one.  You could potentially fix 90% of that for a couple of hundred quid if you found a breaker with fresh brakes and 2 decent tyres.  The question is finding one though as that perfect donor will only turn up the day after you've either spent £500+ on parts or scrapped it.

 

I'll just wait for the flaming shall I?  Yes I would reuse brakes if they were in very good condition and could make sure I put the pads and discs back together in the same order.  Years ago I'd have just reused the discs and bought new pads but these days the pads seem to last longer than the discs.

[Daviedv]

When it costs more in money than time. If you can get everything you need cheap/second hand and its just time needed to do things i would keep it going. if its going to cost x times more than the cars worth to just get the bits i would move on.

[sierraman]

Nothing wrong with swapping the discs and pads from one to another if they’re good. t’s a world away from picking up some rusty discs in a breakers and some 50% worn Eichers.

[beko1987]

When you haven't got the time to fix it, and need the car for work. The mot on the 406 would have run out yesterday and I might have just about got the front end back together if all went to plan, which it probably wouldn't have done... Then it would be time to rebuild the rear brakes and probably replace the discs and pads, again using money I haven't got. All the while cadging lifts into work, and the person who offered me said lifts hasn't been in every day which would have been a big problem!

 

Instead, scrapyard and hello little zx! I do feel bad, but not too bad now!

[FakeConcern]

I'm the worst to give advice on this topic as I always keep a car well past its sell by date!

 

My previous C4 VTS was written of at 180k miles. I had it repaired (bad paint job as it turned out) at 197k miles the clutch went so I had it changed. At 197500 miles the gearbox went & I scrapped it. I would have repaired it again if the new paint had been good!

 

About two weeks after getting the Moodus for Mrs Concern, the timing belt broke with the usual result. I paid to have it rebuilt!

 

So my advice is if you know and love it, get it fixed, if you don't really like it, bin it.

[Timewaster]

 

I suppose the question is, how much would a replacement car with its unknown foibles cost Vs cost of repairs.

 

I suspect the scales will not tip in the cars favour.

[purplebargeken]

However, as mentioned above, if you really like the car and it is in decent condition it may well be worth spending a few quid on it, after all, you'd probably end up spending more on something else that may well not be quite as nice.

[eddyramrod]

About 500 quid too late, in most of my cases.

 

Don't spend a wedge of cash on a dull modern car (anything FWD or built after about 1986) because it'll never repay you.  While it keeps passing the MoT for little cost, fine, but if there's a big bill looming, get out.  For what that will cost, you can get something else from here with a load of MoT on it, that you can throw away next MoT time should you wish.  If you're not fussy what you drive then you'll do even better.

Another consideration is, how much work are you able and/or willing to do yourself?  Labour charges will push up any bill and may need to be factored in.  Or, if you're doing the work, will the rest of the household support you with tea and bacon butties, and possibly trips to the motor factors, or will they whinge at you for using up yet another precious weekend under that fucking car?  Marital harmony cannot be overestimated!

[strangeangel]

Bangernomics and liking a car aren’t really compatible in my experience

 

This. I liked my old C15, but not that much... bought unseen for £400, ran it for five years for pennies till the rot became terminal and punted on for £100. Now the BX, well... I've spent easily 10x the original purchase price in repairs, and I've done that with a smile on my face and a song in my heart (well, OK, not the song).

 

Your situation sounds like a load of grief for a not particularly likeable car (unless, of course, you particularly like it!) and, on that basis, I would concur with this advice.

 

Bin it.  Get half your money back over the bridge.  The airbag shenanigans alone will give you sleepless nights...

[CortinaDave]

I do like it. Theres not much around under a grand that floats my boat as much as the ZT's do.

 

It blats up and down the 200 mile round trip to my missus house at the weekend without issue, and its run all year on fuel from the scrappy.

 

I think though the water pump is the tipping point. That involves doing all the timing belts and even at mates rates from my local tame mechanic itd be hundreds.

 

As it stands I'll keep running it as is til may and probably bail it, albiet with regret, 20k miles for 350 quid has been one of my best cars to date

[sierraman]

Most cars when all said and done are lumps of metal. When it’s times up don’t feel sentimental about sending it on it’s way. Unless that is it’s something rare or ridiculously scarce and sacred like a Lonsdale YD41 or a base Sierra or whatever.

 

The Mondeo Saloon I bought last Sept case in point, I needed the bits off it, it was tested, I could have probably put it through another test, cleaned it up a bit and flogged it on for a few hundred more but quite frankly you’ve got to sort the wheat from the chaff and I’ve better things to do at a weekend.

[Split_Pin]

I paid £300 for my first 75. I loved that car.

 

But it needed:

A clutch

A steering rack

2 bottom arms

4 tyres

 

I already replaced the rear upper arms, starter and fuel tank.

 

Another forum member bought it as a stopgap but the MOT ran out in September. I can't see it being on the road again but you never know. It just needs that bit too much work

 

I'd love a ZT and will have one someday.

 

What are the rear arms like? They are pricey if rotten and an MOT fail.

 

If its otherwise good, and it's too easy for me to spend your money, I would suggest speaking to a specialist.

 

Duncan (cossie Dunc) in Whitburn (bit of a trek from Fife I know) will do V6 belts for £250 labour. He will almost definitely have everything several times over that you need to sort your SRS system out. He goes under the aforementioned user name on the 75 and ZT forum or can be found on Faceboom under CDL Autotec. I think there is a specialist in Dundee as well?

 

Easy for me to spend your money of course.

[loserone]

I reckon a V6 ZT could be a pretty cracking car, and if you can get it back properly with second hand parts (yes, even brakes) you'll continue to love it and it will remain cost effective.

 

I'd like one.

 

Fix it.

[Bradders59]

Given the airbag problem I would imagine your insurance may well be null & void. 

[Schaefft]

Or you don't draw a line at all and just fix what needs to be fixed while completely ignoring what the car cost initially. If you like the car and buy smartly, its worth it. I've been on both sides: the 528i was cheap yet I've pretty much invested money wherever it was needed. At this point probably only 50% are still the original car. On the other side I drove my Xedos6 and invested absolutely nothing at all, not even an oil change. Same with the Audi A6, only that I sold it with a profit in the end. I drew the line very early when I had my Audi S8 because I knew what costs were involved, and sold that with a healthy profit as well. That car was amazing. It all depends on how much you really like the car, and whether you can save money by doing repairs yourself/buy parts used as cheaply as possible where sensible (non-wear items).

[Roostybroon]

I've got a spares car here you can have bits off for free if you're ever north of Aberdeen. Seatbelt gubbins would all be there and if I remember correctly it has a stainless exhaust, brakes are knackered on it though.

[tommotech]

In my view it’s a purely personal decision, that’s the beauty of bangernomics.

 

If you decide that the car is worth spending on then so be it, whatever anybody else thinks. Conversely, if you think it’s not worth spending anymore money on and decide to send it over the bridge then that is the right decision for you.

 

Personally I weigh up what the vehicle is worth to replace, Mrs T’s Scenic is a case in point. I’ve definitely spent more than it’s resale value in the last two years, but I would have had to spend more to get a decent replacement. In truth most of the spend was service items, alternator and tyres. The alternator nearly killed it off but I managed to get an exchange unit for cost. That car is definitely worth more to us than it’s value.

 

What car would you need to replace yours with and what sort of spend do you need to consider?

[lesapandre]

Keep it if you can and store it, buy another and use this one for spares. You need the space of course but a garden full of old cars keeps away canvassers and friends I find - I'm not joking. Once you have a few you have enough bit to last a long long time.

[Tadhg Tiogar]

When the MoT fail list is longer than my arm..

[Broadsword]

I think between the airbag issue, which is just a heap of trouble, and needing to do the water pump, I would definitely bridge it. There some amazing bargains out there these days even for a few hundred quid so I would definitely go on an adventure on finding one. There are good cars are out there for under £500 which will give trouble free motoring for much longer than you think.

 

However, if it is a very rare in interesting car, then everything changes...

[chatsharris]

I'm sympathetic to your plight.  At the moment, the Moleman project (Saab 900) is completely dead in the water.  The cooling issue isn't totally resolved, the rot may be terminal, it's still leaking through the sunroof, it's just generally knacked beyond my capabilities.  The Prelude coming into the fore as a much more manageable project totally diverted my attention, in fact I've even taken a few speedo cluster bulb holders out of Moleman to put in the Prelude. I will offer it up as spares or repair but I think the likely destination will sadly be the bridge.

 

The 93 is proving to be troublesome over the last year too though, it's burst a power steering pipe, knackered the bottom pulley, had two oil pressure sensors,an issue with the EGR/MAF sensor (finally fixed yesterday though, woo!) and blew up a brake pad. These have all been sorted, but there's still at least one driveshaft that needs replacing and possibly a new wiper motor required (although I'm putting new wipers on first). The handbrake will need it's annual adjustment for MOT and it'll probably need a bit more tickling with a sparkly stick.

 

The 93 will get sorted, it's a brilliant car and apart from the PAS pipe and bottom pulley, it still kept going.

[dean36014]

I'm a bit at this stage with the C4. It was cheap and gets me around. However the turbo is seized solid so it's as slow as hell. I can put a decent quality cartridge in and replace all the pipework so hopefully it will last for a few years, but it will be around 200 quid. Then there's the fact it's had a crap respray and has no paint on the bonnet at all and the front of the roof. Do I fix it and drive it or run it to the not expires and scrap it or just buy something else and put it over the bridge? It actually is a nice car to drive and the interior has cleaned up great and the seat doesn't aggravate my back. Dilemma, dilemma.