Advice needed - sell or fix...

Hebrews12

Hi all.  We bought a car just over a year ago for £6K and it recently started making a loud rattling noise from the engine.  Had quotes from 2 garages both saying it's a 20 hour job and will cost between £2.5 and £3K.  One garage said they wouldn't even want the job.  Apparently it's the timing chain and it's on a Zafira Tourer 1.6 diesel (15 plate, 80K miles) and apparently the timing chain is an absolute nightmare to get to but only on some models - ours for instance!!!  One garage suggested I just sell it to webuyanycar.  Anyway, I got valuations from WBAC and Motorway.  WBAC said £4.3K (although that's gone down by a grand for some reason since that valuation 3 weeks ago) and Motorway said £4.6K.  I'm guessing that either way, that price would go down - especially when they hear it - and we'd get, at best £4K. To get another car that would suit us, we'd probably have to look at one between £6 and £7K.  So the question is, do I try and get as much for it as I can and then buy another one and fork out £3K or get it fixed and spend up to £3K?  I know it's all very 6 of one and half a dozen of the other but any advice would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks for reading.

Herzlos

You'll lose a lot of money selling that one and then probably pay over the odds for a replacement that might need work anyway.

Anyone buying it as is will want it for a steal as fixing it is a gamble in case it's not just the timing chain.

Do you otherwise like the car? If so I'd get it fixed. I'd shop around a bit more but 20 hours labour is going to be at least £1000 on it's own.

caprikid1

" and we'd get, at best £4K." I would be surprised if they didn't turn you away or offer you a nominal amount to be honest.

They are not in the business of getting stitched up.