been an idiot!!!

pyjamadays

hi,
as title says, been an idiot and needing some advice.
last week I privately advertised my car for sale on a site for my area. a guy that I know through people (and used to own my car a few years ago) messaged me offering a swap. both cars are old, mine needed work done which I couldn't afford,relatively small things like brakes and tyres but I didn't need such a big car anymore. he's asked a few times to buy it off me but I wasn't wanting to sell it then.
The car he had was a couple of years older and smaller but all I needed and cheaper to run. he assured me verbally and through messages that the car was fine, mot for another 9 months and tax for 2. he said it didn't always start first time and needed 2 heats, I thought I could deal with that. I took the car for a short drive and thought it would do. he said that because his car was in good condition and mine needed things done he would swap if I taxed it for 6 months (it was due that day).....so I did and we swapped.
THEN 2 days later I took it for a proper drive, further than the 10 mins previously and the cooling fan came on really loud and heating cut out plus the engine was over heating.took it to a garage and they say the cylinder head gasket has gone and that's why it doesn't start properly!!!!! they said it's not worth fixing, and I should get my car back. Ive been totally screwed over & have no car is there anything I can do about it?! I can't afford another one.
he is claiming the car was fine and says he'll give me back the money I paid in tax at the end of the month but not the car,I don't think I'll ever see it!

the only possible good thing out of this is the car has a personalised number plate, I thought about selling it but have no idea how to or how to get a new plate and re register the car? is this likely to cost more than the plate is worth? (a website valued it at £216)
ANY advice would be good please

Sgt_Pepper_2

Scrap the car and sell the plate.

curlycabbage

I feel sorry for you. Sadly the world is made up of a wide spectrum of characters and you've been unfortunate to encounter one of the more unsavoury types. You've been conned and that's for sure. What can you do? If you have a bill of sale you can make a case for the car not being suitable for purpose. If not, you may have to take the hit and learn a valuable lesson. Sorry.

pyjamadays

It was private so no bill, feeling very stupid and angry :-(
if I sell the plates dont I need to buy another basic one for it to be scrapped otherwise it'll be unregistered?

s_b

the plates are only worth something if someone wants it so its probable they are worthless in the current clime
you have been stitched up like a kipper it seems and not a lot you can do
take the tax money as offered and see if anyone can give a decent quote to fix your head gasket in your locality even if it means paying someone in the black economy on this occasion

Norman_Castle

the only possible good thing out of this is the car has a personalised number plate, I thought about selling it but have no idea how to or how to get a new plate and re register the car? is this likely to cost more than the plate is worth? (a website valued it at £216)
ANY advice would be good please

You can scrap the car and keep the plate on retention but this costs £80. My plate has been for sale for five years after a website valued it at £750. I have lowered the price repeatedly and will now be leaving it on the car when I scrap it. If you continue to own and use the car it may be worth offering it for sale but I would not pay to hold on to it.
Edit http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/PersonalisedRegAndNumberPlates/DG_4022575 Retention cost between £105 and £155

Wig

It might not be repairable, mine wasn't.

You don't say what car year/model you had & what you thought it's value was.
And what year/model the new car is.

Take the tax refund [if it ever comes] scrap the car for atleast £100 (maybe more)

Don't know about selling plates but hopefully someone else will know.

patman99

Depending on the car, you may be able to get an engine off ebay for it. Cheaper to get an engine swapped than get the head gasket replaced.

pyjamadays

the car i had was an R reg Audi A4 TDI and the one i swapped with was a Preg peugeot 306 TDI....
where i live they don't give you money for scrappage, they take it away for free then crush it and ship it to the mainland. it seemed to be leaking oil too, the first garage i took it too thought it was the power steering leaking, the 2nd garage i took it too when i realised the overheating didn't mention that so even if i did find another engine theres probably still other things going to go too. all these things (the leak, the heater stopped working, the overheating and the engine fan coming on) all seemed to happen at the same time so im not sure if the leak is connected with that. the mechanic said it wasnt worth fixing and id be better getting another car, he also said that the car turning over a few times before starting was due to a blockage caused by the gasket and thats why there was a puff of steam coming out the exhaust when it did start.

pyjamadays

the guy i got i swapped with said he had just gotten it a month ago from someone else and they had bought a lot of new parts for it to get through the mot and that it has just been serviced, i asked to see the advisory list from the MOT (i thought there must have been something from a car that age) but he said there wasn't one as the car had 'come back clean' and that he'd been driving it the 30 miles to work everyday and had no problems. so everything seemed to be fine...if only id known the truth!

lesalanos

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/OwningAVehicle/Mot/DG_10020539

you can check MOT history here