Bangernomics advice?

[Deluded]

I've been playing bangernomics for a fair while now.

Landed a very good car a few months ago and have been running it into the ground since. A 1999 Rover 214i 8v (bubbleshape) which cost me £350. Suprisingly nice car. Arches are a bit rusty and the body has seen better days but it's a nice place inside and is a cracking steer. Really underrated considering how it holds the road. Really chuckable.

Anyway, MOT is up at the end of the month. It needs 2 new front tyres. It may need more but I think it will pass ok with just the tyres.

Looking at around £38 per tyre including fitting so including the MOT, looking around £130, if not more if it fails on anything else. Plus, it needs Tax which is £70 these days, so looking at around £200+ to keep it on the road.

Would you try and get it through the MOT and spend the money or weigh the mother in and buy another sub £500 banger with MOT & Tax.

Having a tough time deciding. Was planning on buying a newer car (and do actually have the £3k budget in the bank) but due to a change in circumstances, I want to hold onto that budget for the time being as I night need to dip into it for the foreseeable future.

So do I sort it for the MOT and get new Tax, bearing in mind it is a good car that has been very reliable, or do I get rid and use some of my newer car budget to get another banger with MOT and Tax?

[thinfourth2]

What does an MOT cost?

Put it through the MOT and you will have a much better idea.

Also i would rather buy a car with an MOT fail sheet then 4 months MOT

[Deluded]

It definatly needs the tyres, not a matter of might, so thats already £80. The MOT is £35. Might need other stuff doing, but seems ok to me.

Then it will need tax which is £70 so getting on for £200 to keep it on the road.

[Private Pile]

No brainer - put it in for an MoT ( at an independant garage ) and then decide.

Pile

[thinfourth2]

Spend £35 and you have much more knowledge in your hands or spend £500 on a unknown.

If it fails only on the tyres then replace tyres and you have 12 months of MOT

[MartyPubes]

You can discount the tax - as you'd be very lucky to find someone willing to leave £70 of tax on a £300 car. So really you're talking about spending £500 on an unknown to avoid putting £80 worth of tyres on your car?

Stick it in for the MOT, if nothing else needs doing then stick two tyres on and away you go.

[Rich1973]

Part worn tyres at £10 each from your local scrappy will reduce the bill considerably.

[Jayho]

Rich1973 said:

Part worn tyres at £10 each from your local scrappy will reduce the bill considerably.

4 out of 5 cars in the scrappy are because of spending too little on tyres.

I'd say put it in for an MOT and if all thats needed is two new tyres then just put two new tyres on and keep it for another year. The way I see it, you already know the car and you know how reliable it is going to be. Things like tyres are consumables and you might be in the same situation very quickly again with the new bangeromic. Then you dont know of any problems which may come with the car.

[BDR529]

Put a new MOT on it, keep it running. It's a car you know well. Better than buying another banger and finding it has a whole list of problems.

[Deluded]

Rich1973 said:

Part worn tyres at £10 each from your local scrappy will reduce the bill considerably.

I would do this if I knew I was definatly selling it soon and just wanted to get an MOT on it but if I'm going to be using it for the foreseeable future, I would rather have a semi decent pair on. The place I use specialise in Khumo which I rate very highly considering they are mid-range.

Cheers for the replies. It's booked in for MOT on Tuesday anyway and I originally said to put the tyres on before the MOT but I think I'll get them to do the MOT first and then decide if its worth getting everything sorted.

Cheers!

[Arthur Daley]

Whats the spare on it like?

[Caruso]

If you're still enjoying it and it's been reliable, then I'd stick with The Devil You Know and MOT it.