Ridiculous parts prices

[IronStar]

5 minutes ago, sierraman said:

Having spent last hour chiselling rust scale off a Focus subframe I’d disagree on that front. They’d resist rust for a significant time but 20-25 year old examples will mostly have succumbed to corrosion on the backs of the sills and from the boot floor right round to the rear seatbelt mounts which isn’t a straightforward job to repair tidily. 

Probably should've added a disclaimer - compared to what would be expected for a 20yo car in 1995. Most of them would be completely dissolved by the time they reached that age.

[chadders]

At one stage I seem to remember Mercedes offering a 30 year warranty which slightly influenced us into buying a new A140 in 1999. It didn't make 20 due to rust.....

[Dyslexic Viking]

Classic Mercedes ownership can be painful at times.

£430 for a front wing that needs welding and paint.

 

Or £2400 for a rear axle in unknown condition.

 

An example of new  rear brake shoes.

 

But as mentioned here, a lot of the blame for this is probably that some of the cars these parts fit are expensive and the owners can afford it. But for a normal person with a car like mine which is lower value, this is not so nice.

[chaseracer]

9 minutes ago, Dyslexic Viking said:

Classic Mercedes ownership can be painful at times.

£430 for a font wing that needs welding.

 

Or £2400 for a rear axle in unknown condition.

 

An example of new  rear brake shoes.

I will never complain about W203 parts prices again...

[comfortablynumb]

3 hours ago, High Jetter said:

Re-runs frequently on Yesterday

If it was on yesterday, there's not much point in telling us today!,🙄

Oh, yeah, right....😁

[sheffcortinacentre]

10 hours ago, danthecapriman said:

That’s actually one of the reasons I stopped my subscription to PC and no longer buy it.

Anyone remember that episode of whatever it was called with Mathewsons classic auctions where they dragged that Mini out of the garage with the collapsing roof? It was so rotten it had to be strapped to a pallet to move it so it didn’t completely collapse or tear in half! The bloke payed a ridiculous price for it but looked like restoring it for him was a case of opening his cheque book. I’m sure he mentioned values and all that other crap when the camera crew asked him wtf he was doing!

All this is why I've little interest in the classic world I have my cars because I like them not because they're assets.

[2flags]

All my cars are at least 22yrs old. They are used daily and live outside. They are brilliant, especially when compared to cars of the 70's and 80's. Mk1 Ford Escort. 10 yrs old, rusted arches, sills, floors and flitch plates. Welded it back together then px'ed it for a Rover P6. Much better, resisted the rust better as well. [I know not all did, I have seen some horror stories. My brother bought one even after I told him not to. 😞] Newer cars are much better built, more rust resistant and last so much longer.

[comfortablynumb]

7 hours ago, 2flags said:

Newer cars are much better built, more rust resistant and last so much longer

Which I guess is part of the reason that when a rust free, or not too bad classic panel arrives on the market, it commands a good price 

[DavidB]

“It’s a bargain at £800, there’s one on eBay for £1,100”

 

 

[Matty]

19 hours ago, chaseracer said:

I don't do 'shiny'.  

All my cars look like shit heaps, but are mechanically and structurally bob-on.  Seems to me this is the better option, if a choice has to be made.

Full body restoration is what it is when a cars too far gone. It's criminal doing it when the need isn't there. Old cars should look old. Mechanically bob on is right otherwise they don't get used but a big no to paint jobs on shit that doesn't use.

[Metal Guru]

On 11/06/2025 at 07:31, comfortablynumb said:

MK2 son could use a pair of wings for his cortina GT project.

Guess we'll be repairing the old ones then

Quite pleased with the two front wings I got for the Impreza in the right colour for £50 each.

[sierraman]

1 hour ago, Matty said:

Full body restoration is what it is when a cars too far gone. It's criminal doing it when the need isn't there. Old cars should look old. Mechanically bob on is right otherwise they don't get used but a big no to paint jobs on shit that doesn't use.

Problem is scabs round window pillars become holes and then it pisses water in and you have wet carpets and holes in the floor. I get why people want to get something into top condition otherwise it just continually deteriorates. 

[Matty]

49 minutes ago, sierraman said:

Problem is scabs round window pillars become holes and then it pisses water in and you have wet carpets and holes in the floor. I get why people want to get something into top condition otherwise it just continually deteriorates. 

Yeah but that's a fucked car. Not something structurally sound with old tired paint and chrome in fairness

[chaseracer]

4 hours ago, sierraman said:

Problem is scabs round window pillars become holes and then it pisses water in and you have wet carpets and holes in the floor. I get why people want to get something into top condition otherwise it just continually deteriorates. 

Maintenance is the key here.  Don't let the scabs become holes.

[chaseracer]

5 hours ago, sierraman said:

Problem is scabs round window pillars become holes and then it pisses water in... 

This happened with the Dyane around 2002.  The holes were laboriously repaired/filled/repainted - then six months later, the full screen pillar repair panels became available!

[comfortablynumb]

8 hours ago, Metal Guru said:

Quite pleased with the two front wings I got for the Impreza in the right colour for £50 each.

We got gifted a pair of wings for MK1 sons disco 2, in the right colour.

Thing was, it wasn't the wings that were the problem with the car. No amount of wings is going to cure a non start fault which doesn't register on a code reader.

It, and the wings, went over the bridge 

[Urko]

This throbber has been adverising this for at least 10 years.  It's half of the least popular engine options for make of car that's not exactly common in the USA, and fucking rare and not worth much over here.  I tried to buy if off him ages ago when he wanted £1k and I offered him about £600 if memory serves.  He will die before it sells at this price.

 

 

[chaseracer]

28 minutes ago, Urko said:

This throbber has been adverising this for at least 10 years.  It's half of the least popular engine options for make of car that's not exactly common in the USA, and fucking rare and not worth much over here.  I tried to buy if off him ages ago when he wanted £1k and I offered him about £600 if memory serves.  He will die before it sells at this price.

 

 

How long has he been using that as an anchor?

[sheffcortinacentre]

1 hour ago, Urko said:

This throbber has been adverising this for at least 10 years.  It's half of the least popular engine options for make of car that's not exactly common in the USA, and fucking rare and not worth much over here.  I tried to buy if off him ages ago when he wanted £1k and I offered him about £600 if memory serves.  He will die before it sells at this price.

 

 

Obviously been lovingly stored

[Urko]

48 minutes ago, chaseracer said:

How long has he been using that as an anchor?

Not sure, I tried to buy it off him in 2012

This was him trying to sell it in 2015

Entirely logically he has been steadily increasing the price........

This is definitely not a case of something for a £20k,£30k etc car and therefore being worth it 

[danthecapriman]

Just now, Urko said:

Not sure, I tried to buy it off him in 2012

This was him trying to sell it in 2015

FFS! Credit where it’s due I suppose, at least he’s persistent! 
Anyone in their right mind would have offloaded that at the first offer after that long.

[Urko]

He is one of those "I know what I've got" throbbers

[mat777]

13 hours ago, DavidB said:

“It’s a bargain at £800, there’s one on eBay for £1,100”

 

 

To be fair in this case, spare parts manufacture for VX220s always was very limited, and  thanks to a combination of its performance, handling and the average owner, *so many* of them have since become acquainted with roadside furniture that there's now a large pool of unusable cars all needing a front or rear clamshell and lights. I'd dread trying to to get insurance on one....

[Mrcento]

2 hours ago, Urko said:

He is one of those "I know what I've got" throbbers

'Why has it not sold, then?'

Can't lie, any time i've had to deal with someone like that, there's a tiny sense of satisfaction to be had when you know you made a really good offer for it that anyone who truly knew what it was worth would have ripped your arm off for, and they still knocked back because 'i know what it's worth' and see the thing is still for sale several months later 😅

[Urko]

1 hour ago, Mrcento said:

' the thing is still for sale several months later 😅

Or several years in this case 🤣

[Laney]

On 11/06/2025 at 08:12, Kiltox said:

A single lower pinch bolt and nut for a Nissan Leaf is £20

I got a pair on Amazon for £15 which was a touch less painful 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/ASC-Suspension-Wishbone-Pinch-Bolt/dp/B0CMDC7ZMJ/ref=asc_df_B0CMDC7ZMJ?mcid=2792c1e0a9243541ad77900ec2fcddca&hvocijid=6270770239870906263-B0CMDC7ZMJ-&hvexpln=74&tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=696285193871&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=6270770239870906263&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1007409&hvtargid=pla-2281435177178&psc=1&gad_source=1

The price of this pair Leaf Struts on eBay took me by suprise a bit though

Thankfully I found someone selling good quality used Japanese ones for just over £100 each.

[Kiltox]

7 minutes ago, Laney said:

I got a pair on Amazon for £15 which was a touch less painful 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/ASC-Suspension-Wishbone-Pinch-Bolt/dp/B0CMDC7ZMJ/ref=asc_df_B0CMDC7ZMJ?mcid=2792c1e0a9243541ad77900ec2fcddca&hvocijid=6270770239870906263-B0CMDC7ZMJ-&hvexpln=74&tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=696285193871&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=6270770239870906263&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1007409&hvtargid=pla-2281435177178&psc=1&gad_source=1

The price of this pair Leaf Struts on eBay took me by suprise a bit though

Thankfully I found someone selling good quality used Japanese ones for just over £100 each.

Assembled struts like that always cost a fortune. You can buy the components for a lot less. 

[Dyslexic Viking]

I need to buy new wheel bearings for my fintal Mercedes and only want to buy something that is quality and from a place were there is hope that the parts are correct.

And I think I'll cry, and can add 25% Norwegian VAT and customs fees on top of this.

[Dyslexic Viking]

At least I can take comfort in the fact that I don't need new front brake drums yet.

[Matty]

8 minutes ago, Dyslexic Viking said:

I need to buy new wheel bearings for my fintal Mercedes and only want to buy something that is quality and from a place were there is hope that the parts are correct.

And I think I'll cry, and can add 25% Norwegian VAT and customs fees on top of this.

Any decent engineering factors will be able to measure and match them bearing assemblies pal. Then you can buy relatively local.