Salvage option after engine overheated on 69 plate Qashqai

Morricar

My qashqai suffered engine failure ( thermostat housing unit split without warning.) A new engine is going to cost the same as the finance I have outstanding so feels like a bad investment.
Drawing a line and looking to get best price I can for salvage to try to pay off some of the loan that remains outstanding.
 Prices vary on quotes I'm receiving via online searches (from 1k to almost 3k)- does anyone have good experience they can share or a company they recommend? Thanks

CliveOfIndia

Does it need a whole new engine, or can it be repaired?  I appreciate that overheating can cause quite major damage, but have you had it confirmed that it needs a complete new engine?  If you have a decent independent mechanic locally, it could be worth asking them - they may be able to do something for you at a significantly lower cost than a main dealer.

If it does need a complete engine, it's worth considering a reconditioned rather than a brand new one - I'm not saying it'll be cheap, but it may be financially viable.

Last resort, if you do want to "scrap" it then advertise it on Facebook, Gumtree, eBay, etc.  Make sure you describe it honestly, specify the known faults, advertise it for "spares or repair".  You may be lucky and find someone who's willing to buy it either to strip for parts or repair themselves if they're handy with a spanner.

I did this about a year ago, ended up getting almost twice what I'd been offered by an actual scrap dealer, and the buyer seemed very happy with it - reckoned he could fix it up and sell it on for a small profit, so fair play to him.

chrisw

It might also depend on how it's financed. Personal loan no problem, but the car could be owned by the finance company so you would need their agreement to get rid of it. Repair costs exceeding the outstanding finance isn't necessarily a reason to scrap it, cars (with a few exceptions) aren't investments and are likely to cost you money.

Morricar

Thanks, no financing company involved. 
Was towed to a local garage so after dismantling timing area they can see the extent of the damage and its beyond repair. They did give option of reconditioned engine but still in the 5k bracket once fitted which isn't feasible for me and still seems high risk.
Hadn't thought of the option of private sale, will have a look into although would involve paying to tow it somewhere to private property from garage. Thanks for the idea 

CliveOfIndia

Morricar said:

They did give option of reconditioned engine but still in the 5k bracket once fitted which isn't feasible for me and still seems high risk.

Yes, a reconditioned engine is less than a brand new one, but I know it's still not a cheap option - there's a lot of parts and labour costs that go into properly reconditioning an engine.  Having said that, a properly reconditioned engine should be almost as good as new, so there's very little risk, assuming it's been done by someone who knows what they're doing.

Morricar said:

Hadn't thought of the option of private sale, will have a look into although would involve paying to tow it somewhere to private property from garage. Thanks for the idea 

I'm not making any guarantees of course, but very often the sort of person who wants to buy a non-runner for spares or repair will have their own trailer or other means of transporting a dead car.  So that in itself needn't be a major concern - though if it's currently sat in the mechanic's premises, I'm guessing they'll be wanting it shifted sooner rather than later?

Mildly_Miffed

£5k to get it back on the road in working order.

Cheapest 2019/20 Qashqai on Autotrader is £8k, only 80 of 1,400 are <£11k.

You might get a grand or two for it as a non-runner.

It's a no-brainer.

Morricar

Hadn't looked at autotrader, was using valuation from webuyanycar.  I've no knowledge of reconditioned engines so was just comparing to buying reconditioned electrical goods. Sounds like it's possibly less of a risk than I was considering. If I can trouble you again- what steps would you take to source a reconditioned engine or would you leave it to the garage? 

CliveOfIndia

Morricar said:

If I can trouble you again- what steps would you take to source a reconditioned engine or would you leave it to the garage? 

Let the garage find one for you.  It's far simpler, they'll already have contacts/suppliers, and it's altogether less hassle for you.  A reconditioned engine from a kosher supplier will usually come with some sort of guarantee as well (perhaps not as long as a brand new one, but worth having nonetheless).

Hopefully the garage it's with are a local trusted place with a decent reputation?  I'd be a little wary if it's a main dealer - purely because there's a lot of labour involved in fitting a new engine, so if you're using an independent place that charges lower labour rates than a main dealer, you should save yourself a decent amount.  And fitting an engine is a straightforward job for an experienced mechanic, you don't need any make/model-specific knowledge.  I'm not saying it's a quick job, but it's relatively routine stuff for a decent experienced mechanic.

Morricar

I've used this local garage over the years for MOTs, services and repairs like brakes so I'm happy to stick with them. Thanks for sharing your advice, really appreciate an independent view on such an expensive decision. 

Username03725

Does it need to be a recon? Scrap yards aren't the oily & muddy pits that they used to be, instead they've gone high[er] tech and now stack cars in storage racks and have decent stock control so it might be worth checking that option out to see what an engine from a write-off is worth. You'd obviously need to find one that's been written off without harming the engine so rear-end damage only maybe, but it's worth a look.

Ger103

Contact Nissan , known fault on 1.3 engines lots of problems on the Nissan internet forums and Facebook groups, might get some help on them regarding your rights , good luck