Auction or not to auction

sort_me_own_yard_out

Apologies in advance if this is long winded....
At the moment I drive an 06 Megane. It is overdue its cambelt by 19k miles and 2 years. I know this is not a good move but money has been very tight it also keeps cutting out when I slow down and go into second gear, rather dangerous when committed myself at give way junctions. It has a rattle when in a low gear that makes people turn and look when i drive past, and its fan has packed up for the second time which i can live with opening windows in the summer but defrosting the inside of my car in winter is a nightmare!

I need a family size car for transporting myself and two children around an on the rare occasion my dog.My dad at the weekend offered to buy a car up to £6k so debating whether or not going to auction would be the best move for me. I do around 15k miles a year and thought about a high mileage ex fleet diesel car. Qashquai, BMW 1 series or 3series, Audi A3 or honda civic all on my wish list and although I could be punching above my weight normally thought an auction may make my money go further.

Can anybody offer advice on my situation.

thanks in advance

Happychappy

What will be your option if your Cambelt goes tomorrow, really living on borrowed time, have you checked if it is a belt or chain, because if it is a belt, which I believe it is...................best of luck

Reality http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=78887

mattyprice4004

Why go for something flashy if you're bankrupt? Ignore your wish list, and work within your boundaries for now.

You need something reliable and cheap to fix, which the Qashquai, BMWs etc are not. Ignore the flash image, and pick something with a solid history.

Think Skoda Fabia / Octavia, Mondeo etc

System

why wont your dad pay for the cambelt change instead of 6k??

sort_me_own_yard_out

Happychappy wrote: »

What will be your option if your Cambelt goes tomorrow, really living on borrowed time, have you checked if it is a belt or chain, because if it is a belt, which I believe it is...................best of luck

Reality http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=78887

it is a belt and I am fully aware that i am on borrowed time and being stupid hence why i am wanting to sort this asap.

sort_me_own_yard_out

mattyprice4004 wrote: »

Why go for something flashy if you're bankrupt? Ignore your wish list, and work within your boundaries for now.

You need something reliable and cheap to fix, which the Qashquai, BMWs etc are not. Ignore the flash image, and pick something with a solid history.

Think Skoda Fabia / Octavia, Mondeo etc

it wasn't the flash image! I drive because I have to no other reason than that, I was thinking Japanese and german reliability and I know the civic has a chain rather than a cam belt. My dad likes honda, hates ford!

But I am still wondering if auction is the better option!

sort_me_own_yard_out

the_r_sole wrote: »

why wont your dad pay for the cambelt change instead of 6k??

I paid £340 to get it thru its MOT in January, it has quite a few niggles as well as the cam belt as i listed and my dad is very much in the mind set of how much money do you throw at a car before you say enough is enough.

System

sort_me_own_yard_out wrote: »

I paid £340 to get it thru its MOT in January, it has quite a few niggles as well as the cam belt as i listed and my dad is very much in the mind set of how much money do you throw at a car before you say enough is enough.

as little as possible to keep the car going until you can afford to buy a new one!

TradePro

sort_me_own_yard_out wrote: »

At the moment I drive an 06 Megane. It is overdue its cambelt by 19k miles and 2 years. I know this is not a good move but money has been very tight (now bankrupt)

My dad at the weekend offered to buy a car up to £6k so debating whether or not going to auction would be the best move for me. I do around 15k miles a year and thought about a high mileage ex fleet diesel car. Qashquai, BMW 1 series or 3series, Audi A3 or honda civic all on my wish list and although I could be punching above my weight normally thought an auction may make my money go further.

Can anybody offer advice on my situation.

Yeah, here's some great advice - you are being ridiculous, sorry.

You have bankrupted yourself (maybe by buying 'flashy' stuff?), and your Dad is being good enough to give you a lifeline, and you plan to go and blow it on a million-mile moneypit at the auctions!?

You have to totally forget what the car looks like, and find something that will do a good honest job for you, rather than bleeding you dry.

I'm not particularly a Ford fan, but your Dad is wrong about them. They are pretty good nowadays, and certainly a safer bet than a high mileage Audi or BMW. A Civic wouldn't be a bad choice, but again go for maybe an older lower mileage one, rather than the one that 'looks the part' but has visited Saturn!

Hope that helps.

vaio

and, check the fees if you buy from auction....last time I looked the fees (on a van) for one off private punter purchases meant that total cost was not low enough to make it worthwhile.

sort_me_own_yard_out

the_r_sole wrote: »

as little as possible to keep the car going until you can afford to buy a new one!

so now is the time to change it then as my dad happier to purchase a car than to throw money at this one