when do yo you "call it a day"?
Discussion
you hear a lot of people saying "run a car until it dies" but so long as you keep fixing it, a car will go on forever. when do you call it a day?
my 728i will soon be due a service (£100-150 or so), some tyres (£500 all round or so), an MOT plus anything that goes wrong.....potentially new brakes etc etc so we're talking almost £1k.....i'll pay it because it's all "wear and tear" and general stuff. but when would you call it a day when the costs start spiralling?
it's never so simple is it; if you spend £500 fixing something then 2 months later it needs another £500 is it "bin it as it's costing too much" or "i've just spent £500 so may as well fix it again"
for the record, my E38 is fine
just a curious question!
Ross.
my 728i will soon be due a service (£100-150 or so), some tyres (£500 all round or so), an MOT plus anything that goes wrong.....potentially new brakes etc etc so we're talking almost £1k.....i'll pay it because it's all "wear and tear" and general stuff. but when would you call it a day when the costs start spiralling?
it's never so simple is it; if you spend £500 fixing something then 2 months later it needs another £500 is it "bin it as it's costing too much" or "i've just spent £500 so may as well fix it again"
for the record, my E38 is fine
just a curious question!Ross.
Similar thought with my '98 R reg 318is - worth no more than £500 now.
Cost me £400 a couple of weeks ago to have the brakes done. Thought for a few moments that i should get rid of it rather than spend almost what it's worth to sort it out.
Then decided that as it in superb condition for its age (no rust anywhere, goes like a train, starts first time every day, etc etc) I should spend the money as I know what's wrong with it (nothing) whereas if I buy another car I don't really know what it might cost me over the next 12 months.
So spent the money knowing that she should get the MOT next February as I have spent money on her all year.
Daft? Maybe but it's a very good car so this is the one car I will probably keep until she cries enough.
Unlike the X Type which will probably go soon. Maybe in the next week or so as I have seen a rather nice V8 powered MGZT that I rather the look of.
Just need to convince swmbo that we should chop the Jaguar for an MG.......
Also got to convince myself as well!!!
Cost me £400 a couple of weeks ago to have the brakes done. Thought for a few moments that i should get rid of it rather than spend almost what it's worth to sort it out.
Then decided that as it in superb condition for its age (no rust anywhere, goes like a train, starts first time every day, etc etc) I should spend the money as I know what's wrong with it (nothing) whereas if I buy another car I don't really know what it might cost me over the next 12 months.
So spent the money knowing that she should get the MOT next February as I have spent money on her all year.
Daft? Maybe but it's a very good car so this is the one car I will probably keep until she cries enough.
Unlike the X Type which will probably go soon. Maybe in the next week or so as I have seen a rather nice V8 powered MGZT that I rather the look of.
Just need to convince swmbo that we should chop the Jaguar for an MG.......
Also got to convince myself as well!!!
You'll get to the point where you either want to run the car for the immediate future and take whatever costs that might incur, or just think "move-on". Previous costs are history, can't do anything about them.
Alternative is clean break.
Bit like with women, but with cars.
Edit- better with a different car than with stagnant old reliable car which does nothing for u any more and has run it's course. One life.
Alternative is clean break.
Bit like with women, but with cars.
Edit- better with a different car than with stagnant old reliable car which does nothing for u any more and has run it's course. One life.
Edited by quiraing on Monday 10th December 21:06
Having a similar dilema. I think there comes a point you can't justify a big spend anymore.
Running a skip £800 a year running costs are acceptable. After that I have second thoughts.
Our MGF has just had £800 spent on it, for what was meant to be another years use. It may now have HGF again. That's a grand. That's a day.
I still really like it, and enjoy being in it. But, i've been looking for snotters to replace her for around the £3-4k mark. There's not much that I'd prefer to be in. But, enoughs enough. Its worthless. It can't keep taking the piss out of me.
Running a skip £800 a year running costs are acceptable. After that I have second thoughts.
Our MGF has just had £800 spent on it, for what was meant to be another years use. It may now have HGF again. That's a grand. That's a day.
I still really like it, and enjoy being in it. But, i've been looking for snotters to replace her for around the £3-4k mark. There's not much that I'd prefer to be in. But, enoughs enough. Its worthless. It can't keep taking the piss out of me.
If the cost of an MOT notably exceeds the cost of an equivalent car with a years MOT and you don't really like it I suppose. If you do like it then it depends if you can justify to yourself keeping it when you know you would save money by changing cars.
I certainly wouldn't class some new tyres and possibly some brake discs and pads as spiralling costs though, they are just consumables.
I certainly wouldn't class some new tyres and possibly some brake discs and pads as spiralling costs though, they are just consumables.
its a funny question, which I may need to face over the next couple of weeks.
I recently acquired an old merc for a winter runabout, to save winter mileage from my P&J. the plan being to sell or scrap when its done its job. But over the last 5 weeks and 2k miles, I have taken a shine to the old girl, there were some advisories on the mot, and I wasn't really planning to fix them, just sell as is if she failed.
But now I'm thinking about fixing the old girl up, and even attending to bodywork issues to keep hold long term.
I recently acquired an old merc for a winter runabout, to save winter mileage from my P&J. the plan being to sell or scrap when its done its job. But over the last 5 weeks and 2k miles, I have taken a shine to the old girl, there were some advisories on the mot, and I wasn't really planning to fix them, just sell as is if she failed.
But now I'm thinking about fixing the old girl up, and even attending to bodywork issues to keep hold long term.
MOT, can't do that much about it. But no car dies because it is "due a service" - just don't service it. Similarly, you can bung some cheap part worns on rather than £500 worth of new tyres if you want.
Expensive MOT failure, expensive component failure (headgasket, auto gearbox etc.) which stops it actually working as a car, some other failure (such as leaking fuel tank on E38) or the car just getting to the point it is too knackered for you to face driving it any more even though it technically goes are all things which sends it to the car park in the sky.
Expensive MOT failure, expensive component failure (headgasket, auto gearbox etc.) which stops it actually working as a car, some other failure (such as leaking fuel tank on E38) or the car just getting to the point it is too knackered for you to face driving it any more even though it technically goes are all things which sends it to the car park in the sky.
Shame as it was a lovely car.No such thing as an expensive MOT failure when you get to my end of the market (12+ year old Astras). I just get on with it.
I've just spent £3k restoring from the ground up my 1.3 Astra I've had for over 13 years. No, it doesn't really make financial sense, but I know the car inside out and getting the rot sorted properly is so much better than patching away at it. Not to mention the satisfaction of seeing a rather tired 24 year old, 213k car go in, and a nearly new looking car come back. Not to mention I have 3 spare carbs, a spare gearbox, a spare gearbox, wishbones and struts and various switches and trim panels in stock. Even current Vaux engines will fit and all 4 of my cars use the same oil and filter. So in theory, unless someone squashes it, there's no reason I can't get another 24 years out of it.
I did think enough was enough a few times, but the wife is hopelessly attached to it (took her to our wedding) and £3k, in the real scheme of things, is nothing.
I've just spent £3k restoring from the ground up my 1.3 Astra I've had for over 13 years. No, it doesn't really make financial sense, but I know the car inside out and getting the rot sorted properly is so much better than patching away at it. Not to mention the satisfaction of seeing a rather tired 24 year old, 213k car go in, and a nearly new looking car come back. Not to mention I have 3 spare carbs, a spare gearbox, a spare gearbox, wishbones and struts and various switches and trim panels in stock. Even current Vaux engines will fit and all 4 of my cars use the same oil and filter. So in theory, unless someone squashes it, there's no reason I can't get another 24 years out of it.
I did think enough was enough a few times, but the wife is hopelessly attached to it (took her to our wedding) and £3k, in the real scheme of things, is nothing.
When you can upgrade to the next level IMO. If you run a £500 car and get rid when it throws up a £500 bill and then buy another £500 car the likelihood is that this one will also require some spending. If you have a spare £2K and the same dilemma then sell and upgrade.
It also depends what the car is, the OP's car much like mine will fetch almost the same broken as a working unit.
It also depends what the car is, the OP's car much like mine will fetch almost the same broken as a working unit.
Pick-up will go when it breaks down more than once despite thorough maintenance, or it needs more than scheduled service work more than twice in a row. Can't afford to have it break down at all really carting the horses about.
So far, zero breakdowns, but last one went when wifey broke both rear leaf springs (one at a time over about 6 months).
Run-about goes when Emma gets bored with it, or the current one is going because the family doesn't fit in the "+2" any more
John
So far, zero breakdowns, but last one went when wifey broke both rear leaf springs (one at a time over about 6 months).
Run-about goes when Emma gets bored with it, or the current one is going because the family doesn't fit in the "+2" any more
John
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