When do you decide that enough is enough?

[NorfolkNWeigh]

This time last week I spent £500 on my everyday Merc, an engine mount , 3 tyres and 4 wheel alignment . At the weekend it started squeaking and creaking from the n/s/f suspension or steering. This was the final straw, it's replacement is actively been searched for - logically I should have made this decision 2 weeks ago , just one of many reasons I'll never be rich.

[stephen01]

​Just spent £300 on my £50 clio, something I don't need, and don't have the money, space for! I must be off my cracker and this was just because I didn't want to see the car go to the scrapyard. It's not like I have a sentimental attachment to it, I've only had it for a few weeks..

[stripped fred]

I get rid just after I've spent a lot on the car and then realise I shouldn't have as there's still more to fix.

[Captain Furious]

Normally when I really really don't want to do the job myself and paying someone to do it exceeds the value of the car.

 

As I get older the magnitude of jobs I'm willing to do myself gets lower and lower, but I've not sent that many cars over the bridge, yet.

[surprisingskoda]

It's really got nothing to do with the value, or whether the repairs cost more than the car is worth. This isn't a business we are running with each of our dailies.

 

It's when you get fed up with it. And that can be at the end of a short road or long.

 

If it was anything to do with the value I doubt I would have fixed any of the cars I've been driving for years. The regata certainly wouldn't be waiting for a paint job and those zender wheels under the table would still be in Romania.

[For Fiats Sake]

On some cars I regret spending tuppence and others don't blink spending hundreds, I suppose it's down to what it is worth to me personally, if I have long term plans for it etc.

 

I sort of wish I'd not bought certain cars at all to start with, but that's not the question is it?

[Split_Pin]

One thing I won't do is spend a lot of money on a car and then let someone else take advantage of that. If I can't get at least a reasonable proportion of my money back then I'll keep it or break it.

 

Again, doesn't make sense but I guess it's a pride thing.

[gordonbennet]

Wish i could say the same, every car i sell the buyer gets a vehicle that has been overmaintained to the nth degree, brakes which are my OCD as new etc.

Can't help it, just have an OCD about proper maintenance, probably always will.

[Junkman]

Depends on the car.

 

^^

This.

And this only.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

When I've had enough of the ungrateful old heap.  Then I have a sit down and a bit of a cry and do it all over again until I've had enough of the ungrateful old heap.  I'm a slow learner.

 

 

I sacked one off 3 months ago. The bastard just did not want to be fixed - I spent so many hours 'fixing' it only for it to misfire, misbehave and generally be a disappointing let down. As I reversed it into the garage, turned it off for the last time and started breaking it up I did utter the words 'you thought I was kidding, didn't you?'.

 

It's so satisfying when a car like this is hauled to its death on the back of a scrap truck.

[chatsharris]

I would spend over the odds on the Saab, because when I work on it myself it's pretty easy and it never fails on me. 

 

On the flip side, I am bitter about spending anything on her Fabia, it's most things I don't like about cars (Gutless, tinny, niggly awkward problems).

[anonymous user]

Most mornings, then I realise I don't have many alternatives so I get up anyway.

[sierraman]

On sub £1000 stuff, changing clutches etc is a slippery slope. You start throwing money at it as you think it's better than replacing it.

[catsinthewelder]

I'm having these problems at the moment.  I'm happy to spend time and money on the 405 but the problem is a part made of unobtainium so it's sat abandoned on an axle stand waiting for something to happen.  The Discovery needs work on the brakes which will be expensive and I have better things to spend the money on.  The Austin has consumed many many hours of my time and is now officially an abandoned project.  The Astra is more shit than shite but I've still bought a clutch kit for it for when the inevitable slipping starts even though it's a £200 motor that will need welding soon..

[Bobthebeard]

Many interesting and varied replies. Thanks! What prompted me to start the thread was both the Oldsmobile and the MG ZT. The Oldsmobile was purchased for £100 plus the £200 Shiply delivery, now stands me at around £900 ( rear almost unobtanium transverse leaf spring from Canada, new front grille, boot lock, transmission gasket and fluid, brake pads etc) and still needs work rather than money) getting there though. The MG ZT cost £375 and now stands me at roughly £1200 with the suspension work, tyres, timing belts kit etc. Other cars have been and gone but am reluctant to give up on these two for reasons mentioned by others. The MG feels just right and has got to me, It is my daily car. The Oldsmobile is a challenge that needs to be taken up. It is a good car that has been massively neglected in the past but survives with a still beating healthy V6 heart. Deserves to live on the roads again. So heart over head really.

[stephen01]

Wish i could say the same, every car i sell the buyer gets a vehicle that has been overmaintained to the nth degree, brakes which are my OCD as new etc.

Can't help it, just have an OCD about proper maintenance, probably always will.

 

This. I don't like the idea of sticking someone with something that I know is going to explode any day now. or a known big bill coming up. I wouldn't even entertain selling the panda as it was fucked beyond belief, so it went to the scrappy. shame as it ran lovely but I swear to god it had been sat in the sea for a few years..

[fordperv]

i have not found that point yet, i am well into 5 figures and countless hours (over a few years so not all in one go) on my mk1 sierra that cost £150 in an attempt of creating my perfect car but when i put it into the perspective i dont smoke or really drink so thats the money most people would spend and have nothing at the end to show for it, thats how i look at the spending on all my cars

[sierraman]

It depends how you look at things, something like a Sierra that's becoming a rare sight it's worth spending the money to preserve it. I'd have no qualms about moving an old banger on. With old bangers you have to be ruthless, not letting emotions cloud your judgement.

[vulgalour]

With old bangers you have to be ruthless, not letting emotions cloud your judgement.

 

*Looks at Rover.  Looks at quote above.  Looks at Rover.*

 

Oops.

[mercrocker]

I do lament the passing of the "old banger" actually....Everything is either now too rare, interesting or likeable to throw away.   Anything less desirable or not worth keeping is quite frankly of no interest to me.   When I first met Mrs Rocker she had a five year old K12 Micra, now I know there is plenty of love for these on here but not from me.  I hated the bastard and begrudged every litre of supermarket unleaded (something I would NEVER put in my cars) that went in it.    When you feel like that its time to kill it.    

 

In the days when £200 bought a low mileage, low ownership RWD Cavalier, Mk2 Granny or Metro VDP with no rust then I did watch the pennies because it was so easy to go and find something as good for the same cost as a moderately major repair.    

[danthecapriman]

i have not found that point yet, i am well into 5 figures and countless hours (over a few years so not all in one go) on my mk1 sierra that cost £150 in an attempt of creating my perfect car but when i put it into the perspective i dont smoke or really drink so thats the money most people would spend and have nothing at the end to show for it, thats how i look at the spending on all my cars

^ This!

I was talking about the expenditure on my Capri with someone recently, conversation then got onto 'I wonder how much I've spent on the car since I bought it in 2001?'.

I couldn't possibly say but it'll be a significant figure. But I don't smoke, don't drink, don't go out and don't waste money on other crap really. Pouring the money into a car I really like instead is what I'd happily do instead. Personally (many will disagree I'm sure!) it's a far better use for the money than smoking it or drinking it, and at the end I'll have a really nice car out of it. You get nothing after the other things.

[vaughant]

I went through this when the autobox in my 75 went bang. I was ready to sack the car off, however a browse of eBay / Autotrader / Gumtree assured me there was nothing else I wanted, and if I bought another 75 what's to say something else won't go bang?

 

Decided it was better to pay the ££££ and keep the car. Since then it's had a new sill & will be going for a suspension overhaul soon.

 

Recepts for work already totalling more than the car's worth - but who cares?

For me I think this is spot on.

 

I got to a point about 4 years ago with my ML where the turbo went after injector work, I found a bolt in the airbox sans washer so my guess is that got sucked into the turbo and toasted it. I couldn't 100% prove it was the boy who repaired it as he'd done it " on the obble MUSH" anyway (lesson learnt). I had just paid out £500 for the injector repairs* so the prospect of shelling out a further £8/900 on a turbo filled me with dread.

I ended up looking about and saying " right, it's a £2000 vehicle that your bunging another grand into, what can you get for the money?" and this ended up being things like fronteras, discovery's, even heaven forbid freelanders, basically, stuff far worse than what I had.

Decided to revisit it all and fuck it put a new blower on, I got it through turbotechnics up in Northampton via a guy on Passionford (which proved a shrewd move), with all associated gubbins it actually came to about £650/700 and was pretty easy to fit even out in the street.

That was my last major expense on it and it drove like a good un, TT were a bit naughty when the bearing failed on the turbo again but when I proved via their own photos it was a manufacturing defect they sent me a new one out and it's been like a new vehicle ever since, driving really like it should have from day one, loads of power and much better on fuel.

I'm glad I've stuck with it, it pisses through the mot most years with only really minor stuff like bushes and pads, always starts, is OK on fuel and feels very very safe. We've had 4 yrs since then of relatively trouble free motoring (this will come back to haunt me of course) and it should do another 2 or 3 until it goes to the great Merc garage in the sky.

 

Conversely I've had cars in the past that have failed on very minor issues and I've binned them or passed them on, I do agree there's an emotional attachment certainly, if you like the car you'll tolerate a lot more than if you don't.