Bought an unroadworthy car - advise please
Discussion
Question for OP in your capacity as a car dealer.
You inspected the car before you bought it and seem happy that it was road legal. You were happy to drive around in it.
The day before the water pump failed, if someone had offered to buy it for a serious profit, would you have sold it to them?
You inspected the car before you bought it and seem happy that it was road legal. You were happy to drive around in it.
The day before the water pump failed, if someone had offered to buy it for a serious profit, would you have sold it to them?
tomglibbery said:
I was simply seeing if anyone else had a similar issue and if they had any luck in seeking resolution.
I did, I bought a Mk1 Discovery unseen off ebay for twice what it was probably worth*, and it turned out to be the rustiest Disco to ever have successfully negotiated the trials of an MOT test.My f
kup, I sucked it up and dealt with it. Made a start on fixing it, just kept finding more rot, so I broke it for parts and made back what I paid. Did the seller know what they were selling? Most likely, but I'm the one who was stupid enough to buy it.An aging £700 sportscar. I don't know what you were expecting, but if it is something other than what you got, then you need to recalibrate said expectations.
- If you immediately think "you must've been drunk or stupid", then I can tell you right now, your inclusion of "or" quite possibly softens that assessment far more than I deserve.
tomglibbery said:
I recently (26th September) bought myself a Enos Roadster from an eBay classified advert, I agreed to pay £700 for the car.
the car has been bought as a project for track use and summer commutes (or when I'm sick of the pathetic fuel consumption from my daily AMG and fancy a cheap drive somewhere!)
Yeah, a 'daily' AMG but love a summer commute in a 700 pound car. As you do. the car has been bought as a project for track use and summer commutes (or when I'm sick of the pathetic fuel consumption from my daily AMG and fancy a cheap drive somewhere!)
I'm not having a go at you, in case you burst into tears, but it's a very common mod on Eunoseses to convert the centre brake light to be the fog light. Have you checked?
Is your garage an insurance assessor ("arguably should have written the car off") and an MOT test station ("should have at the very least been an advisory on the mot, if not a fail") ? Otherwise, it's just opinion.
Is your garage an insurance assessor ("arguably should have written the car off") and an MOT test station ("should have at the very least been an advisory on the mot, if not a fail") ? Otherwise, it's just opinion.
Walford said:
tomglibbery said:
When I heard from them the news was not good. It appears as though the car has had a significant front end collision which arguably should have written the car off.
If it was covered 3rd partyhow would that work?
Well, like others here I'm finding it hard to say that you have much of a case.
You bought a £700 sports car, 22 years old, knowing that they generally go for twice that and more. Turns out it's been in a bump and "possibly written off". So far not unique, whether it is OK to drive following this depends on the quality of the repair. It's got some rot in the sills that was successfully covered up for the test. That's not a first. Yet you're going to seek "vindictive revenge" on the person who put it up for sale? Nice.
Practically, I think you have precisely no comeback at all. The car's got to be fit for purpose, which within the scope of a £700 sports car means that it goes. So far it's wanted a water pump (no biggie) and otherwise it works. It seems to me that the thing could quite easily go as far as the next test without incident. At the next test they may pick up on the sills, they may not. If they do, you have a 22 yr old car that needs a pair of sills for the test. Is this a first?
So live and learn. Maybe you aren't as goos as you though when it comes to inspecting a car. Buy a magnet to test for filler. Engage a local expert. Meanwhile tool around in your cheap sports car until the MoT comes up, and if it all goes wrong then part it out and weigh the rusty remains in at £150 a tonne. Dry your eyes. It's a cheap lesson for a man who drives an AMG. Better luck next time.
You bought a £700 sports car, 22 years old, knowing that they generally go for twice that and more. Turns out it's been in a bump and "possibly written off". So far not unique, whether it is OK to drive following this depends on the quality of the repair. It's got some rot in the sills that was successfully covered up for the test. That's not a first. Yet you're going to seek "vindictive revenge" on the person who put it up for sale? Nice.
Practically, I think you have precisely no comeback at all. The car's got to be fit for purpose, which within the scope of a £700 sports car means that it goes. So far it's wanted a water pump (no biggie) and otherwise it works. It seems to me that the thing could quite easily go as far as the next test without incident. At the next test they may pick up on the sills, they may not. If they do, you have a 22 yr old car that needs a pair of sills for the test. Is this a first?
So live and learn. Maybe you aren't as goos as you though when it comes to inspecting a car. Buy a magnet to test for filler. Engage a local expert. Meanwhile tool around in your cheap sports car until the MoT comes up, and if it all goes wrong then part it out and weigh the rusty remains in at £150 a tonne. Dry your eyes. It's a cheap lesson for a man who drives an AMG. Better luck next time.
Gassing Station | Speed, Plod & the Law | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff