To scrap or not to scrap

tomas311311

Hoping to get some advice on what to do with my 09 Ford Focus.

It’s been utterly reliable since I bought it, just the standard wear and tear. It’s now at 140k miles.

At the last MOT it passed(!) but with a few advisories around shocks, suspension and brakes. Nothing critical, but will likely need addressing this year.

On top of that, it’s due a cam belt replacement (on time, rather than mileage).

All in all I think I’m looking at £1500 bill to keep a pretty old (and more or less value-less) car on the road. Obviously much less than replacing it with new, but I’m not sure at what point to give it up, as it’s been so reliable for so long.

Would appreciate any opinions - thanks!

facade

You would be lucky to buy an MOT'd 09 plate car for £1500, and then you'd end up spending to keep that on the road.

As long as yours doesn't have any rust issues (Focuses rot the rear wheel arches out, easily bodgeable, but a sign The End is coming) I'd stick it in for MOT and see if the advisories have turned into fails.

If they haven't just drive it for another year.

If they have, then I'd get them done, get the MOT and do the cambelt. (If you've put money into it, it will be a waste if the cambelt snaps and scraps the car before you recover your investment)

On the other hand, if you are actually looking for an excuse to swap a reliable older car for some fragile newer one that can be a lot of trouble, and lose a great deal of money on depreciation to do so- then go for it!

tomas311311

Thanks @facade! I’m doing the very opposite of looking for an excuse to get rid, I’m tempted to keep it, but wanted to see if anyone would tell me I’d be a fool to do that!!

Mark_d

tomas311311 said:

Thanks @facade! I’m doing the very opposite of looking for an excuse to get rid, I’m tempted to keep it, but wanted to see if anyone would tell me I’d be a fool to do that!!

£1500 is a lot to spend on a 15 year old car with 140k miles on the clock.  I was in a similar position about 5 years ago.

I'd take the opportunity to get rid of the old car and spending maybe £5k on something at least 5 years newer.

facade

Mark_d said:

tomas311311 said:

Thanks @facade! I’m doing the very opposite of looking for an excuse to get rid, I’m tempted to keep it, but wanted to see if anyone would tell me I’d be a fool to do that!!

£1500 is a lot to spend on a 15 year old car with 140k miles on the clock.  I was in a similar position about 5 years ago.

I'd take the opportunity to get rid of the old car and spending maybe £5k on something at least 5 years newer.

That is effectively spending £1000 a year until the "new" car is the same age as the "old" one, and doesn't account for the myriad faults it may have (people usually "get rid" when there is an expensive bill looming)

£1500 seems a lot if you are used to doing the work yourself for just the price of the parts, but when you are paying garage rates it doesn't buy much.

Cars regularly last 20 years if looked after, and the Zetec engine that was fitted to 2nd gen Focus can run to 200K plus if serviced regularly (unlike the ecoboom fitted to a 5 year younger car...).

Obviously I haven't seen the rest of the OP's car, but £1500 ought to keep it going for a few years yet.

Herzlos

£1500 will barely get you a car that'll pass an MOT these days. 

If you like the car and it's been reliable, it's much better to stick with what you know, because you could buy a replacement for £1500 and then find you still need to spend £1500 to get it through it's next MOT anyway. 

ontheroad1970

As Kylie Minogue once sang, better the devil you know

Mildly_Miffed

tomas311311 said:

Hoping to get some advice on what to do with my 09 Ford Focus.

It’s been utterly reliable since I bought it, just the standard wear and tear. It’s now at 140k miles.

At the last MOT it passed(!) but with a few advisories around shocks, suspension and brakes. Nothing critical, but will likely need addressing this year.

On top of that, it’s due a cam belt replacement (on time, rather than mileage).

All in all I think I’m looking at £1500 bill to keep a pretty old (and more or less value-less) car on the road. Obviously much less than replacing it with new, but I’m not sure at what point to give it up, as it’s been so reliable for so long.

Would appreciate any opinions - thanks!

So scrap it.

Let's say you get £250 for it. Put that with the £1,500. Can you get a better car that you have as much confidence in, for £1,750?

I would say it's vanishingly unlikely.

Dampers, bushes, brakes are all service consumables, so is cambelt. Why would it "give up" in the near future, given the basic routine maintenance every car is going to require?

chrisw

Depending on the overall condition of the rest of the car, I'd probably sort the advisories as they become issues and not bother with the cam belt, with the expectation of scrapping it if the belt snapped.

WellKnownSid

chrisw said:

Depending on the overall condition of the rest of the car, I'd probably sort the advisories as they become issues and not bother with the cam belt, with the expectation of scrapping it if the belt snapped.

Worth whipping the cover off and taking a look at the condition.  My son bought a 120k mile 10 plate Focus to flip a while back - still on its original belt - not yet due on mileage but way over on time.  Once he saw the cracks he didn't risk starting the engine after that and just changed it!

They're dead-easy belts to change - doable on the drive so shouldn't be too pricey if you have a tame mechanic in mind.

B0bbyEwing

Right now I'm having a headache buying a car to replace either of our 2 cars.

In your position I would personally keep the car & pay what it costs to maintain. That's based on how reliable you're saying it is.

The alternative is move it on & now you need another car. If you're going new then that's a lot more than £1500. If you're going old-ish then unless you're buying off someone you know & trust then how reliable is this next car? May be super reliable. May be a money pit. Who knows?