disposable cars, maintain or give it the boot ?
Discussion
volvo cost me 1300 6 months ago
2 months ago i paid out 450 quid for a new throttle body
very soon its going to also cost me another 500 quid to get through the MOT and another 6 months road tax
so better the devil you know ? or would you ebay it as a SORN'D car, get whatever you can get for it and put the 500 quid toward another ~1500 disposable estate ?
2 months ago i paid out 450 quid for a new throttle body
very soon its going to also cost me another 500 quid to get through the MOT and another 6 months road tax
so better the devil you know ? or would you ebay it as a SORN'D car, get whatever you can get for it and put the 500 quid toward another ~1500 disposable estate ?
You paid £450 for a throttle body?! Don't you know what scrapyards are for?! I'd suggest you're in the wrong game with the whole 'bangers' thing...
but now you've spanked that much money on it, you may as well keep it. And find a cheaper garage if you can't do the work yourself.
edit, just so I'm not being completely useless and harsh...people like this are good if you're not up for wondering round a scrappy....
http://www.1stchoice.co.uk/UOrder2.aspx?CT=1
oh, and if you still have that numberplate, flog it in the very near future, unless you're keeping hold for some reason.
...half a bag on a TB...
but now you've spanked that much money on it, you may as well keep it. And find a cheaper garage if you can't do the work yourself.
edit, just so I'm not being completely useless and harsh...people like this are good if you're not up for wondering round a scrappy....
http://www.1stchoice.co.uk/UOrder2.aspx?CT=1
oh, and if you still have that numberplate, flog it in the very near future, unless you're keeping hold for some reason.
...half a bag on a TB...
Edited by shalmaneser on Wednesday 26th November 00:58
The problem is, while you paid fairly little for the car, the running costs are the same as when it was an expensive new car. What i mean is if you are in that end of the market steer clear of the big cars, because they are expensive to repair/maintain. Unless you need that type of car i would go for a smaller car in the same price band.
That £450 for the throttle body, I presume it's the ETM that has been replaced?
Did volvo do it? If so it should have either have had a software upgrade or a reduced cost ETM replacement as it was subject to a watchdog investigation which Volvo UK gave the following statments... Link here
If volvo didn't do it though, there's not a lot that can be done now I don't think
Did volvo do it? If so it should have either have had a software upgrade or a reduced cost ETM replacement as it was subject to a watchdog investigation which Volvo UK gave the following statments... Link here
If volvo didn't do it though, there's not a lot that can be done now I don't think
I always stick below £600, and a car I know is as common as muck and there are hundreds in the scrappy.
I think £1300 is quite a lot to be calling disposable.
What requires doing for the MOT?
I usually find it's usually simple stuff with cheap replacement parts, but a days labour at £40 an hour can add up to make it economically unviable unless you do the work yourself.
Lee
I think £1300 is quite a lot to be calling disposable.
What requires doing for the MOT?
I usually find it's usually simple stuff with cheap replacement parts, but a days labour at £40 an hour can add up to make it economically unviable unless you do the work yourself.
Lee
welshbikerduck said:
The problem is, while you paid fairly little for the car, the running costs are the same as when it was an expensive new car. What i mean is if you are in that end of the market steer clear of the big cars, because they are expensive to repair/maintain. Unless you need that type of car i would go for a smaller car in the same price band.
Or buy a car which you can be fairly certain will not go wrong (although you can never be completely certain)shalmaneser said:
You paid £450 for a throttle body?! Don't you know what scrapyards are for?! I'd suggest you're in the wrong game with the whole 'bangers' thing...
Took the words right out of my mouth! You don't spunk that sort of money on parts for a throwaway car, that's what Ebay and scrappies are for.And how, exactly, does a throttle body wear out??
shalmaneser said:
You paid £450 for a throttle body?! Don't you know what scrapyards are for?! I'd suggest you're in the wrong game with the whole 'bangers' thing...
but now you've spanked that much money on it, you may as well keep it. And find a cheaper garage if you can't do the work yourself.
edit, just so I'm not being completely useless and harsh...people like this are good if you're not up for wondering round a scrappy....
http://www.1stchoice.co.uk/UOrder2.aspx?CT=1
oh, and if you still have that numberplate, flog it in the very near future, unless you're keeping hold for some reason.
...half a bag on a TB...
the throttle body is a very common fault (it involves other parts as well IIRC)but now you've spanked that much money on it, you may as well keep it. And find a cheaper garage if you can't do the work yourself.
edit, just so I'm not being completely useless and harsh...people like this are good if you're not up for wondering round a scrappy....
http://www.1stchoice.co.uk/UOrder2.aspx?CT=1
oh, and if you still have that numberplate, flog it in the very near future, unless you're keeping hold for some reason.
...half a bag on a TB...
Edited by shalmaneser on Wednesday 26th November 00:58
and yes, I paid the reduced 'watchdog' volvo cost for the part
its only free if its just a clean or an upgrade but mine was totally gone
there is labour on top and the software had to be uploaded
also has the brakes bled and some new spark plugs so it couldn't have been cheaper
Edited by jackal on Wednesday 26th November 07:50
NiceCupOfTea said:
I think you made the decision when you spent the 450 quid on the throttle body!
Will it really cost 500 to get through the MOT? 1300 quid seems a lot of money for a disposable car.
yep, cost of MOT, 2 numberplates, track rod end, new front windscreen, road tax, an exhaust braket (if it cant be welded it will mean a whoel new backbox so make that 600 quid!)... it all adds up seeWill it really cost 500 to get through the MOT? 1300 quid seems a lot of money for a disposable car.
windscreen is the real bugbear ... you could argue that I saved the money on teh insurance but hey, maybe its an opportunity to trade up to a V70r
http://search.autotrader.co.uk/es-uk/www/cars/VOLV...
I notice you have a high mileage V70. If you truly want to go the Bangernomics route my advice is to steer clear of the FWD Volvos (850 + V70) and go back to a lower mileage 940. Have had numerous Volvo estates and the 940 series was and still is by far and away the most cost effective to own.
Rear wheel drive as well!
apprentice
Rear wheel drive as well!
apprentice
apprentice said:
I notice you have a high mileage V70. If you truly want to go the Bangernomics route my advice is to steer clear of the FWD Volvos (850 + V70) and go back to a lower mileage 940. Have had numerous Volvo estates and the 940 series was and still is by far and away the most cost effective to own.
Rear wheel drive as well!
apprentice
Rear wheel drive as well!
apprentice
BMW go E34 not E39
Mercedes go W124 not W21*
... hmmm anyone spot a theme???
Doesn't sound that bad.
Can the MOT cost and Tax not be taken out of the equation? As they would apply to any car you were moving on to (eventually).
National autocentres are doing a half price MOT offer.
2 numberplates - £15?
track rod end - £20. Easy to fit.
New front windscreen. Does your insurance cover this?
an exhaust bracket - a local welding firm may sort it or find a scrap exhaust on ebay.
It all hinges on the screen I suppose. Have you had a quote for a new one.
I am in the same boat, gonna go for the sell option as I fancy a change.
Can the MOT cost and Tax not be taken out of the equation? As they would apply to any car you were moving on to (eventually).
National autocentres are doing a half price MOT offer.
2 numberplates - £15?
track rod end - £20. Easy to fit.
New front windscreen. Does your insurance cover this?
an exhaust bracket - a local welding firm may sort it or find a scrap exhaust on ebay.
It all hinges on the screen I suppose. Have you had a quote for a new one.
I am in the same boat, gonna go for the sell option as I fancy a change.
Edited by Dave80s on Wednesday 26th November 10:01
jackal I see you are just up the road from me;
re your windscreen
Give these guys a call for the windscreen quote, they seem to much cheaper than their bigger competitors (just get a basic sreen)
MOTOGLASS on 0800 731 4463
They did my MR2 Mk2 last month, they came and did a great job for £140.(meanwhile autoglass quoted £820 !!)
re your windscreen
Give these guys a call for the windscreen quote, they seem to much cheaper than their bigger competitors (just get a basic sreen)
MOTOGLASS on 0800 731 4463
They did my MR2 Mk2 last month, they came and did a great job for £140.(meanwhile autoglass quoted £820 !!)
This is really not bangernomics, in fact it is the worse of all worlds, your paying new car maintenance on an old car.
First off the MOT really won't cost £1300, if your fully comp I will be amazed if your policy doesn't include windscreen replacement for a £40-70 excess, this doesn't affect your insurance at all by the way. The rest of the jobs like plates and TR ends get down to your local motor factors and order some and fit them yourself, find a back street garage to weld the exhaust up and the whole process should cost less than £200.
Even then true bangernomics is buying a banger for a few hundred with tax and long MOT running it till it disintegrates and then weighing it in at not far off what you paid resulting in free driving. I tend to do something similar buying nice but uncared for cars, rolling retorations and sell resulting in profit, but bear in mind I restore cars for a living so it costs me next to nowt.
First off the MOT really won't cost £1300, if your fully comp I will be amazed if your policy doesn't include windscreen replacement for a £40-70 excess, this doesn't affect your insurance at all by the way. The rest of the jobs like plates and TR ends get down to your local motor factors and order some and fit them yourself, find a back street garage to weld the exhaust up and the whole process should cost less than £200.
Even then true bangernomics is buying a banger for a few hundred with tax and long MOT running it till it disintegrates and then weighing it in at not far off what you paid resulting in free driving. I tend to do something similar buying nice but uncared for cars, rolling retorations and sell resulting in profit, but bear in mind I restore cars for a living so it costs me next to nowt.
Mustard said:
apprentice said:
I notice you have a high mileage V70. If you truly want to go the Bangernomics route my advice is to steer clear of the FWD Volvos (850 + V70) and go back to a lower mileage 940. Have had numerous Volvo estates and the 940 series was and still is by far and away the most cost effective to own.
Rear wheel drive as well!
apprentice
Rear wheel drive as well!
apprentice
BMW go E34 not E39
Mercedes go W124 not W21*
... hmmm anyone spot a theme???
Bangers should be the simplest, strongest, and most durable models in their history. Market pressures turned the major presige players attentions away from the unburstable mechanics that they built their reputations on, and towards loading with technology built to a shrinking margin as the "lesser" players began to compete on quality.
Arguably Mercedes dropped the ball the worst.
As for the OP, get a good assessment from a knowledgable friend / mechanic as to what COULD fail in the next 12 months .... If you spend £500 to get it through the MOT, and it comes with a dozen advisories on shocks, tyres, brakes, exhaust, then the car is gonna become a money pit!
I'd say it depends on how much it's costing to repair and how much it has cost you so far.
I have a Volvo 850 that's run on the basis of bangernomics but that doesn't stop me repairing it. It needs some attention to the gearbox, a good service and a new cambelt in the short term but in the long term I can ultimately see it lasting a long time. The only problem I've had in the last 7 months of owning it have been the radiator splitting and one of the headlamp bulbs going.
I don't see that the pre-S60/S80/S40 FWD Volvos have had that much in the way of trouble. On the contrary, there are a few about with very high mileages and the only reason that they've not done as many as some of the RWD models is because they just haven't had time.
I have a Volvo 850 that's run on the basis of bangernomics but that doesn't stop me repairing it. It needs some attention to the gearbox, a good service and a new cambelt in the short term but in the long term I can ultimately see it lasting a long time. The only problem I've had in the last 7 months of owning it have been the radiator splitting and one of the headlamp bulbs going.
I don't see that the pre-S60/S80/S40 FWD Volvos have had that much in the way of trouble. On the contrary, there are a few about with very high mileages and the only reason that they've not done as many as some of the RWD models is because they just haven't had time.
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