This is an ex-Vauxhall - Best value disposal

mark55man

Sadly my OH car (Y Reg 1.8 petrol Zafira, 134000 miles, which I bought for £4K 9 years ago) has 2 weeks to live - it has just had an MOT which revealed too much work for it to be viable(£900 at a usually reasonably priced garage)

Even if I looked around I cant see this bill below £600 which is too much.

So given that what is the best way to get the best value from its disposal

* Use it as part ex
* Is there a scrappage scheme still running (I thought it had stopped)
* £100 from scrapyard (a local one guarantees this)
* Ebay
* Autotrader

Cheers Mark

(PS Should say I have not the slightest intention of trying to dupe someone into buying this as a going concern - its much more about whether it may have more value to someone else than the scrappers

jimjames

£600 to keep it going for another 12 months doesn't sound too bad if everything else is ok. Buying a new car will cost far more than that.

What exactly are the faults? If consumable type items then once they're done you have a while before needing to do again.

AdrianC

You say it has two weeks to live - if the fail list is THAT bad, should you really still be driving it?

Put it on eBay, with fail list, and a reserve of the scrap yard's price.

mark55man

Hey Jim

One reason not to pay is we have a cheap alternative option. My OH is going to share DD's car while she is at UNI.

What was wrong -
* Rear brakes (discs pitted)
* Steering Wheel Gaiter Split
* Handbrake calipers need replaced
* Engine warning light on (been on ages)
* Tracking rods bent and one newish tyre was worn on the inner side

+ Not Mot but service Timing belt 60000 past due service
+ tyres near to replacing

So I think I am looking at quite a bit more over the year and given we have a partial solution I am tempting to let this one go

mark55man

AdrianC wrote: »

You say it has two weeks to live - if the fail list is THAT bad, should you really still be driving it?

Put it on eBay, with fail list, and a reserve of the scrap yard's price.

Yes agreed about not driving it

As per my other answer - we do have an alternative, which may become a permanent alternative at least until summer holidays

motorguy

mark88man wrote: »

Hey Jim

One reason not to pay is we have a cheap alternative option. My OH is going to share DD's car while she is at UNI.

What was wrong -
* Rear brakes (discs pitted)
* Steering Wheel Gaiter Split
* Handbrake calipers need replaced
* Engine warning light on (been on ages)
* Tracking rods bent and one newish tyre was worn on the inner side

+ Not Mot but service Timing belt 60000 past due service
+ tyres near to replacing

So I think I am looking at quite a bit more over the year and given we have a partial solution I am tempting to let this one go

Theres nothing there that you couldnt be up against with any car of that age and in fairness a fair bit of your bill is down to lack of ongoing maintenance.

Personally i'd be doing the work, otherwise you're going to be spending thousands to "save" £600-700.

You'll lose 2-3 times that amount the day you buy your new car in depreciation.

vansboy

If the car runs OK, then the items listed, as mentioned already, are NOT drastic failings, more like maintainence issues.

Think I'd be inclined to get the work done, then look around for a newer car, without putting yourself under pressure to buy one straight away.

VB

sh0597

I'd just buy a new car.

jayjay21

These kind of costs occur on every car and need to be done, you're basically throwing away a good car that needs some of its perishables replacing. If the car otherwise runs, keep it.

mark55man

OK Thanks everyone


Interesting observations - was only 12 months / 10000 since last service but I see where you are coming from regarding cars of that age


I will look around again and see if we cant reduce the bill a little

fishpond

Put your overalls on and get dirty, nothing there that is not due to lack of maintenance in the past.
Go to a garage to get tyres and possibly tracking done.
Simples!
You know that car, another one could be a lot worse.
Cars do have feelings