What to do with these 2 cars that I've knackered.

[alienmuppet]

I have a 1999 Audi A3 (1.8 SE) that has been sat in my drive for over 2 years now even since it broke down. We aren't really sure what happened, but basically I was driving to London, and the oil light would occasionally come on and then go off. I had just topped it up with oil so it seemed odd. Now being complete prat, and not wanting to be late to my mum's birthday surprise, I kept going. When I got to the roundabout in London, it sounded like a tractor, and then it just died. It isn't seized up, but it does seem the oil pick up pipe was caked up with carbon, and eventually we found that the key-way had sheered on the cog on the cam, so the timing kept slipping out every time we tried to get it working.

Long story short - we concluded the valves were bent up and left it, much to my dismay, but there's only so much time I can get off friends who know more about fixing engines than me. So, reluctant to give up especally since I loved the car and had just spent £1000 on it (stainless steel exaust, new tyres, new cam belt, new starter motor), it just sat their, but now the time has come to do something with it because it is just silly.

It seems a shame to just scrap it, so maybe stick it on eBay for parts. Here are some photos.

http://www.marks.myzen.co.uk/BrokenCars/Audi_Front...
http://www.marks.myzen.co.uk/BrokenCars/Audi_Rear....
http://www.marks.myzen.co.uk/BrokenCars/Audi_Rear2...
http://www.marks.myzen.co.uk/BrokenCars/Audi_Side2...
http://www.marks.myzen.co.uk/BrokenCars/Audi_Inter...
http://www.marks.myzen.co.uk/BrokenCars/Audi_Inter...

I was luckily given a Rover 216 GSi that had been sat in a garage most of its life, and had only done 26K miles. Now, 30K miles later, that too broke down and the engine in that also appears to be kaput. It seems the timing belt slipped as the tensioner is broke, and the valves on that too we assume are bent up. This one though is probably destined for scrap, even though it has only done about 58K miles.

More pics:

http://www.marks.myzen.co.uk/BrokenCars/Rover1.JPG
http://www.marks.myzen.co.uk/BrokenCars/Rover4.JPG
http://www.marks.myzen.co.uk/BrokenCars/Rover_Inte...
http://www.marks.myzen.co.uk/BrokenCars/Rover_Mile...

Now I've not scrapped a car for a long time, and I hear there can be money made. I don't want to be ripped off, so how do I go about it? Should it be worth say over £100 in metal alone?

Any advice would be appreciated... I'm driving everybody mad turning the front of my house into a scrap yard! And being in the market for a new car I need as much money as I can. As much as I'd like to salvage the A3, I'm really not sure I can :-(

Thanks all.

Edited by alienmuppet on Saturday 16th June 22:32

[Krikkit]

I'd break the Audi for parts (since there is some good stuff on it), leave it a rolling shell and then put it on eBay. The Rover I'd just go straight to the bay - you'll get a bit more than just weighing it in.

[YoungOne]

Ebay with a low reserve on both would be the best bet. And keep an eye on timing belt and tensioner intervals on your next car

[alienmuppet]

What should be the minimum I should ask for on eBay? I'm not sure what the scrap value is for the Rover, even roughly speaking. £50? £100?

Cheers!

[Cemesis]

Stick them both up for 99p. You won't need a reserve as both will go for hundreds.

[LaurasOtherHalf]

the standard pistonheads answer is to break it for parts.




i suspect that many of the people who suggest this haven't ever tried it......

tow them to a scrappy & have a good night out on the wonga

[rvrrob]

From memory that age 216 Rover had the 1.6 Honda engine which is a non interference engine, therefore the valves won't hit the pistons if the cambelt goes.

Could therefore be worth realigning the cam timing and putting a new belt and tensioner on it.

[alienmuppet]

@rvrrob: from what I can tell there are 2 versions of the engine, single and dual overhead cam. Apparently one of them was not interference and one wasn't - though I don't know how accurate that is. We did try timing it up again, but it just wouldn't start, didn't even seem to try. There's a spark (though it looks a little feeble), and petrol, and it feels a bit difficult in places to turn over by hand. Doesn't help that some mobile mechanic turned up and turned the engine over by hand without first checking it was in the position where no interference happens. I'm no expert though!

Oh almost forgot... we did a compression test too, and it was practically zero! Unless the test gauge was screwed :-(

Just wish I had a garage and some time as I'd love to take both of these engines apart and see what has really happened, but without a garage it is so difficult to do anything.

[TTmonkey]

I have a 1999 Audi A3 (1.8 SE) that has been sat in my drive for over 2 years now even since it broke down. We aren't really sure what happened, but basically I was driving to London, and the oil light would occasionally come on and then go off. I had just topped it up with oil so it seemed odd. Now being complete prat, and not wanting to be late to my mum's birthday surprise, I kept going. When I got to the roundabout in London, it sounded like a tractor, and then it just died. It isn't seized up, but it does seem the oil pick up pipe was caked up with carbon, and eventually we found that the key-way had sheered on the cog on the cam, so the timing kept slipping out every time we tried to get it working.

Long story short - we concluded the valves were bent up and left it, much to my dismay, but there's only so much time I can get off friends who know more about fixing engines than me. So, reluctant to give up especally since I loved the car and had just spent £1000 on it (stainless steel exaust, new tyres, new cam belt, new starter motor), it just sat their, but now the time has come to do something with it because it is just silly.

It seems a shame to just scrap it, so maybe stick it on eBay for parts. Here are some photos.









I was luckily given a Rover 216 GSi that had been sat in a garage most of its life, and had only done 26K miles. Now, 30K miles later, that too broke down and the engine in that also appears to be kaput. It seems the timing belt slipped as the tensioner is broke, and the valves on that too we assume are bent up. This one though is probably destined for scrap, even though it has only done about 58K miles.

More pics:






Now I've not scrapped a car for a long time, and I hear there can be money made. I don't want to be ripped off, so how do I go about it? Should it be worth say over £100 in metal alone?

Any advice would be appreciated... I'm driving everybody mad turning the front of my house into a scrap yard! And being in the market for a new car I need as much money as I can. As much as I'd like to salvage the A3, I'm really not sure I can :-(

Thanks all.

Edited by TTmonkey on Sunday 17th June 00:02

[TTmonkey]

that wasn't too hard.

[Blib]

alienmuppet said:

When I got to the roundabout in London, it sounded like a tractor, and then it just died.

That roundabout in London is a bugger.

[PhillipM]

You'd get about 400 quid for scrapping them, much better on ebay for the Audi.

[OzzyR1]

Ebay for the Audi - non-runner, spares or repairs, you will probably get more than a scrapyard.

This site for the Rover, guaranteed prices and they collect. Used them myself for an old Mondeo station hack I had SORN then gave up on - guy turned up, loaded it onto his flatbed and gave me £160 just as the quote on the site said.

No affiliation but was surprised how little hassle it was - no haggling with the scrapman like the old days

http://www.cartakeback.com/

[m1dg3]

SOHC D16 is definitely non-interference. I had a 216 GSI which let go in the outside lane of the M1 - one rather embarrassing rolling road block and a cambelt later and it started first turn of the key. I'd even been trying to bump start it as it coasted to a stop.

Don't know about the DOHC version though.

[alienmuppet]

@TTmonkey: Thanks ;-) I was just worried about spamming the forum with loads of photos but I guess it doesn't matter!

@OzzyR1: Thanks for that, they quoted me £169 too. Good to know, and that'll go nicely towards new car.

@m1dg3: Interesting.. I think it is single overhead cam. Will check. In which cos I have no idea what could be wrong with it. Thing is, I then have to ask myself is it worth the cost of having it looked at again, against just cutting my loses and grabbing myself £169. On the other hand, it does have about 8 months MOT left on it!!

[marmitemania]

I see the Rover is an auto, in which case it will definitely be the honda engine which is non interference so just stick another belt on and off you go, very easy job and the engines are indestructable.

[CAPP0]

LaurasOtherHalf said:

the standard pistonheads answer is to break it for parts.




i suspect that many of the people who suggest this haven't ever tried it......

I broke a bike and that was hassle enough - I still have plenty of bits left over but at least they take up less space. You'll end up with a hulk housing all the bits which won't sell/won't sell for enough to make it worth selling them.

[NadiR]

If the engine is fked in the Rover, just get another D16 lump from the scrappy for under a bill.

[LuS1fer]

I got £150 for a 96 Golf GTI. Worth more as parts but who can be arsed making their house look like a scrapyard?

[northandy]

Blib said:

That roundabout in London is a bugger.

The one just off the high street, near the newsagents ?