Car needs more work than it is worth :(

Badgergal

I recently found out my car needs £450 worth of work done on it (they are a good fair garage so I trust them) and as it is a H reg Micra, I am reluctantly drawing the conclusion that the car will have to be scrapped. Most of the work is just to get it though the MOT.

I don't think selling is an option as no one would want it in its current state and I'm not about to put one over on anyone (it still drives ok, current MOT runs til end of month - but I have stopped driving it due to damning failed MOT report). This leaves me with

a) leaving it parked outside until tax and ins runs out (same time) then deciding what to do (means I would get my 4 year no claims bonus for any future car ins as not getting another car in near future so can't transfer policy)
b) taking it to a scrap dealer (would I get anything for it? Some of the parts are fairly new eg, it only had a new starter motor last year).
c) getting the council to tow it away for free, which I know they do

I'm so, so sad about this, and desperately wish I could keep my little car, it was my first ever car and I cannot afford another so will have to try and be carless for a while. Just appreciated anyone's advice as I have no experience of this.

steveo3002

£450 will get you another years motoring or more...why not have it repaired if cant afford a newer one

maybe a friend can diy some jobs to keep the cost down

ariba10

Would you be able to get a comparable car with 12 months M O T for £450 ?. I doubt it.

On the other hand if you can afford to go a bit upmarket you might be better off.

Only you know what you can afford.

nu1isit?

If it's parts you need...Have you tried seeing if any of the parts you may need for the mot, can be sourced from somewhere else cheaper? For example your local car parts shop, scrapyard, the internet (24/7 spares, find a part, and parts gateway). Sometimes garages will fit a refurbed part for you at a small price!!!
It may be worth a try - rather than losing your car and your no claims.
Hope this is of some help.:D

steveo3002

post up what it needs , if the car has sensible milage and needs bolt on parts like brakes/tyres id go for it as chances are it has a few more years in it , if its very rusty and needs lots of welding maybe find a cleaner car to replace it

rdwarr

If you do decide to get rid of it then consider donating it to the local Fire Brigade. They use scrap cars to practice cutting open, rescuing people from etc.
Our H-reg Clio ended up there last year.

If you're sure that £450 will keep the car going for a year then it may be money well spent but sometimes cars reach a point when everything starts to break and it's time to do the decent thing.

Badgergal

Hi all, many thanks for your replies. I should say I don't exactly have the £450going spare, I budget every year for a certain amount on the car and that takes it over what I can afford. The work I have had to have done on my flat (see sig) has left me rather skint and that is not even paid off til May so I am trying to avoid yet more debt. I absoutely cannot afford to go out and buy a new car.

This is what it needs for the MOT:
Nearside rear shock absorber has neglible damping effect
Offside stop lamp not working
Offside front position lamps not in good working order
Nearside rear brake pipe excessively corroded (this is the one that makes me want to stop driving!)

Advisory items:
Front number plate damaged
R/o/s lamp damaged
Gear lever rear mounting rubbers badly perished
r/o/s tyre badly perished

I think that the £450 also included a minor service (oil change etc) and the cost of the original MOT (which obviously I had to pay).

I have to say every year it is something else that needs replacing and I am aware of what rdwarr has suggested - what if next year it needs yet more work, where do you draw the line?

Its mileage is low - about 70,000.

I'd appreciate your opinions, thanks.

MORPH3US

Badgergal wrote: »

This is what it needs for the MOT:
Nearside rear shock absorber has neglible damping effect
Offside stop lamp not working
Offside front position lamps not in good working order
Nearside rear brake pipe excessively corroded (this is the one that makes me want to stop driving!)

Advisory items:
Front number plate damaged
R/o/s lamp damaged
Gear lever rear mounting rubbers badly perished
r/o/s tyre badly perished

Quite a bit of that sounds easy enough to DIY mate. Get yourself a haynes manual, best £20 you will ever spend!!

Badgergal wrote: »

I have to say every year it is something else that needs replacing and I am aware of what rdwarr has suggested - what if next year it needs yet more work, where do you draw the line?

Thats the beauty of motoring, its not cheap!!!

You didn't say what you need your car for? If its possible that you could do without your car then the cheapest option would probably be to sell / scrap it, cash in the tax, if the insurance doesn't have long left then let it run to get the extra full year no claims.

M

Badgergal

I have a Haynes manual but wouldn't attempt the majority of those things. I could sort out the lamps no problem, I know that's easy, and use etyres to sort out the tyre, and possibly replace the number plate (where on earth do you buy number plates?!) but that's about it.

The car is not an absolute necessity as I don't use it for work in central London for obvious reasons, but it's very nice to have when visiting family which I do a couple of times a month, as I often take my pets with me if I'm staying a couple of nights, and they sometimes get a bad reaction on public transport were I to get a train so it's much easier to stick their carrier in the car where no one can make comments. I also use it for things like vet appts as vet is nowhere near a tube so things like that will become more difficult.

It's just nice to have the flexibility but I know I could do without if I absolutely had to. I am just thinking perhaps I need to accept that I can't afford to run a car at the moment.

nu1isit?

Hello again!

Regarding below:

"I could sort out the lamps no problem, I know that's easy, and use etyres to sort out the tyre, and possibly replace the number plate (where on earth do you buy number plates?!) but that's about it".

Number plates can be done in most good car parts/accessories shops; failing that half*rds:eek: . Price up everywhere else before Half*rds, they're normally more expensive for parts.

You can also get your brake pipe from these places - you have to remove it first though (irratating job, even with a haynes manual); they use your original brake pipe as a template to cut a section for you. I got my rear brake pipe section (copper) for just over a pound.
If you do decide to tackle the rear brake pipe - follow the haynes manual and be very very careful. You don't want to muck up and have c**p brakes that won't work properly when you need them...:eek: The money saving wouldn't be worth your life, or health...:eek:

Hope that's of some help.:D

saintjanet

I am sorry you don't live in the northwest,although you may not be:D ,if you were, i could suggest a self employed mechanic who would get you back on the road for much less than you have been quoted,in fact i could do it myself on the cheap.

Please don't attempt to do anything with the help of a haynes manual,they are great, as an aid ,if you have mechanical knowledge but not for a beginner.

I would try to find a cheaper mechanic in your area,perhaps someone on here could suggest one,either that or as suggested enlist the help of a friend who KNOWS what they are doing...Good luck

edit..my husbands mate messed about with his brakes....oh dear!!!