s reg 1.25 zetec fiesta - repair or scrap

tiredmummy_3

Hi

Can anyone give me some advice please.
The car needs a new engine and is off the road at the moment. I am unsure whether to try and get a 2nd hand engine from maybe a breakers yard and get that fitted does anyone know what i should expect to pay?

Or getting a cheap runabout for £500 am worried that for that kind of money I could be buying another problem.

I need something cheap to run and reliable.

Can anyone help please

movilogo

Engine (good condition) will cost £200-£300.
Labor charge £300 appx.
Look forward for a bill of £600-£700.
I'm sure mechanics will push you to change cam belts, clutch etc. as well.
Usually, in this situation it is better to get rid of the car altogether. You can never be sure if the car will perform good again.

Get another one in your budget.

RichTeaBiscuit

If you decide not to repair the Fiesta don't scrap it.. A neighbour had the same car in a tatty condition plus a blown engine and stuck it on Ebay with a starting price of his listing fee plus 50quid for a few pints. He accepted an offer outside Ebay of £300, for the backgarden car dealer cars like these are money earners with a bit of effort.

jay_cee_2

Back in the UK I have a s reg fiesta zetec, fab little car, nippy when it needs to be too. But the cost of the replacement parts and labour may not be worth it, depends on the condition of the rest of the car etc.

tiredmummy_3

Thanks for the replies both, have made some calls and found an engine for £275(supposedly done 41k miles) and they will charge £150 to fit it, this sounds pretty cheap.
Am a bit unsure still, the fact that the engine has gone on my car could this have affected other parts as you said movilogo could I now get problems with cam belt etc.

sorry to sound so dim but really am clueless re cars

RichTeaBiscuit

The rest of the car should be fine, it's just if you decide to have a cambelt fitted to the new engine whilst it's out of the car. Doing this now costs but it's sods law that in 6 months it will fail and doing it now could save a few quid in labour. It's really your call, are you intending on keeping the car for a few years or are you gonna fix and get shut in a few months.

tiredmummy_3

I am planning on keeping the car as long as possible, we use it to get to work and back and it is pretty economical in petrol etc.

May well look into getting new cambelt fitted will give some piece of mind for a while.
Am coming to the conclusion that better the devil you know and may be better to stick with this car than chance another.

hartcjhart

if you go for the exchange engine option get them to change the cambelt and water pump while the engine is out it wont add too much to the cost but better done now

goldspanners

hartcjhart wrote: »

if you go for the exchange engine option get them to change the cambelt and water pump while the engine is out it wont add too much to the cost but better done now

here here.

vaio

changing the clutch & maybe any oil seals that are difficult to get to might be an idea too

RichTeaBiscuit

Personally I'd skip swapping the clutch, you can get a bit too involved.. it is a 40k mile unit so it shouldn't have too hard a life. Stick a cam belt on it and get it fitted.
Tiredmum, if the car has passed it's previous MOT's ok and has never cost you much in the past you're making the best decision... fingers crossed. Why did the first engine expire btw, lack of oil or something?