MOT Failure

[jrallye]

swagmeister said:

Brake pipe excessively corroded offside front (to rear) [1.1.11 (c)
This isn't as bad a problem as it sounds, brake lines are very easy to make up yourself you just need some brake line and a flare kit (~ £30-£40)

Yes very good, the OP has already said she knows nothing about cars, have you actually read her post ?and you expect her to make up a new brake line and presumably fit it ?

Poorly quoted..
Took that line out of context to make your reply more meaningful..
Did you even read the end of my reply..

"The only issue is whether or not you can manage without the car whilst you're looking for second hand bits alongside whether or not you can find a friend with tools to fit the parts for you"

[jrallye]

mbwoy84 said:

Because you can get a brand new pair of rear shocks and springs for less than £80. For the hassle of going second hand with no warranty, what's the point?

Solely to save money which is what this whole post is based around

[Cclairlouise]

the mechanic who contacted me via facebook is going to give me an a price , fingers crossed it will be cheaper , otherwise ill have to find the money to pay the garage , because i am too worried to buy a car , what with my insurance charging me another £25 to change my car as i had to pay £25 to change my address , i only pay £42 a month for fully comp , and i have to pay £75-£100 for the windscreen to be replaced which i did this morning

[calletso]

Crowdfunding anyone? Id stick a tenner in!

[HustleRussell]

Keep it simple, you have a reasonable quote. Find a way to pay it and proceed.

It's all very well and good finding cheap eBay counterfeit or used parts, but who is going to be willing to fit them for you?

[anonymous-user]

As everybody else has said, if a garage is prepared to do the work and guarantee a pass for £450 then that seems very fair to me. You are not going to get a better car from eBay for £500 and it is better the devil you know when it comes to bangernomics.

It will need another two tyres on the back pretty soon which is going to be another £100 or so.

Oh, and washer pumps do fail on these, I had to replace one on my parents Mk2 Scenic (essentially the same car)

And rear brake discs are more expensive than you think as they have integral wheel bearings.

Edited by anonymous-user on Wednesday 1st May 17:11

[mbwoy84]

jrallye said:

Solely to save money which is what this whole post is based around

What are you going to buy second hand ones for? £40? Don't think £40 off the bill is going to make that much difference. A decent part worn tyre might, getting someone to do the labour will, but apart from that, parts-wise that work looks pretty cheap to me, so no sense in putting rusty old parts on.

[Alucidnation]

Wow, that is some failure sheet.

And one seriously neglected car.

[andymc]

calletso said:

Crowdfunding anyone? Id stick a tenner in!

count me in, can you say where you are located? Most of us know cheap mechanics

[Section 8]

Wow a female comes in asking for some car advice and people are chucking tenners like she needs a brain op or something.

Seriously..pay the mechanic to do the work. It’s a good price and you need the car.

[AdeTuono]

Section 8 said:

Wow a female comes in asking for some car advice and people are chucking tenners like she needs a brain op or something.

Seriously..pay the mechanic to do the work. It’s a good price and you need the car.

Odd that it never happens when blokes have a similar tale of woe, isn't it?

[hutchst]

Without wishing to compound your money problems, but is the quote you got inclusive of VAT, or are you looking at another £90 on top?

[swagmeister]

Totally sympathise with the OPs situation. Life has its peaks and troughs and you will bounce back. Car ownership comes with a cost - a big cost these days. You may have to cut your losses and do without a car until things improve. Millions of people in the UK manage without a car - you just need to learn to adapt and overcome the challenges that would come with that.
Throwing more money at this car isnt the answer - nor is getting a 0% credit card as has been suggested. Firstly youd be lucky to get accepted and secondly speaking as someone who has been through tough times myself, at one point having less than £1 to my name - even if you did get a 0% card, you wouldnt pay it off - Ive been there.

I wonder how many of the people ready to chuck in a tenner passed a beggar on the way to work this morning without giving a seconds thought ? but are more than happy to contribute to MOT a strangers car. Some people have no shelter, no food, no money, the OP is in a bad situation and money is tight - however in comparison to others . . . . . .

[bungz]

Crap situation to be in.

But without a car your snookered ( I live in the sticks and have two old cars just in case )

Find the 450 and crack on, that seems a very very reasonable quote for all the work tbf.

[Cclairlouise]

Hi ,

Just an update , a mechanic is fixing it right now ,I found a mobile mechanic and he said he would do everything minus the tyre for £300 , and I found someone who has part worn tyres so ive got to pick them up this afternoon he's doing me 2 for £30 , relief

Thanks for your advice as I was considering scrapping it and getting a car which I've always been against as for me any car under £1000 could be as someone said "a money pit"

I know this car isn't going to run long , but it hopefully will bide time for me to drive looking for work and start saving

Thanks again everyone

[HustleRussell]

Cclairlouise said:

Hi ,

Just an update , a mechanic is fixing it right now ,I found a mobile mechanic and he said he would do everything minus the tyre for £300 , and I found someone who has part worn tyres so ive got to pick them up this afternoon he's doing me 2 for £30 , relief

Thanks for your advice as I was considering scrapping it and getting a car which I've always been against as for me any car under £1000 could be as someone said "a money pit"

I know this car isn't going to run long , but it hopefully will bide time for me to drive looking for work and start saving

Thanks again everyone

Good price and sensible approach

[anonymous-user]

swagmeister said:

I wonder how many of the people ready to chuck in a tenner passed a beggar on the way to work this morning without giving a seconds thought ? but are more than happy to contribute to MOT a strangers car. Some people have no shelter, no food, no money, the OP is in a bad situation and money is tight - however in comparison to others . . . . . .

I wonder how many will be going out for a pricey meal over the weekend when the money they spend could feed a starving African family for a month?

Just saying.... priorities and perspective and all that!

[J4CKO]

Cclairlouise said:

Hi ,

Just an update , a mechanic is fixing it right now ,I found a mobile mechanic and he said he would do everything minus the tyre for £300 , and I found someone who has part worn tyres so ive got to pick them up this afternoon he's doing me 2 for £30 , relief

Thanks for your advice as I was considering scrapping it and getting a car which I've always been against as for me any car under £1000 could be as someone said "a money pit"

I know this car isn't going to run long , but it hopefully will bide time for me to drive looking for work and start saving

Thanks again everyone

That sounds like a good result, I think on PH we can forget that everybody isnt flush all the time or trying to give the impression they are

I would suggest doing a bit of learning, not really so you can do the work but understand what can go wrong, sounds like you have learnt a bit already !

Also, and I appreciate it may not be possible, but if you can, put a little away each month to cover some basic maintenance, so when the need arises you have the money, or something towards, cars are terrible at costing nothing, for ages, then all of a sudden you get a big big bill. Regardless of whether you are able to save, if you use the car it will still wear out consumables (Brakes, tyres, clutch, cam belt etc) and other parts can die as well.

I dont know your situation but I would see this as a temporary fix to buy you a few months, another option that may work out cheaper in the long run, or at the very least more predictable, is to get together a deposit, say £800 - £1000 and lease a small, basic car like an Aygo or Fiat 500 for £120 a month.

That may sound daft but, you wont have any surprise bills as its under warranty, most are zero VED and low insurance, will most likely be better on fuel and no MOT to worry about.

You are probably going to get to the end of the life of your current car in the next 12 months, before the next MOT, may well be fine but pound to a penny it will throw up more bills, try not to just forget about it after this minor issue, make some plans, if you want to remain mobile, its the harsh reality of driving I am afraid, been there in the past and its hard.

[RB Will]

Obviously no help needed anymore I just want to say I'm very impressed you managed to find a mechanic (including all parts and labour) and get this sorted for about £430! Good work! Might pay you a commission to get my stuff done in the future

Just checking as I don't think I saw it in the thread. Have you checked if you need road tax any time soon? can be chacked online here
https://www.gov.uk/check-vehicle-tax

Also might be worth popping on to one of the comparison sites for insurance as I think you said you were paying nearly £500 a year. I don't know if others feel the same way but that sounds really high to me. I'm only 34 and insure 3 cars in our household for less than that combined, even my stupid heavily modified car with an agreed value and trackday cover is only in the £500s.

[Cclairlouise]

I wanted to be a mechanic when I was leaving school but the careers advisor said it wasn't a good idea as women have it harder etc

I've ALWAYS wanted to be able to fix my car or do my own service and I didn't have a drive until now ,

So I'm thinking when I get spare money I'm going to get the things I need and YouTube the videos what to do , obviously little things , I want to be one of those woman when there car breaks down I pop the bonnet and know what I'm looking for :-)