Do I repair scratch or not?

As the family grows, so must the car, so we're looking to sell ours and replace it with a people carrier. Thing is, my wife scratched it over the nearside rear wheel arch (only top layer of paint - not down to bare metal) so I can't decide whether to go to the expense of having it repaired ourselves or to sell it as it is and take a lower price.

Any thoughts as to which to do? What would it cost to repair / how much should I knock off the asking price - although as yet, I haven't got a clue as to what it's worth or what I should be asking for it (with or without scratches :o)) If anyone can give me some idea, it's a Mitsubishi Carisma

Here's a couple of pictures:

A good repair will be in the hundreds, so polish it up, maybe touch it in with a brush. Damage is expected on a vehicle that old.

EEK!!!!!

Good suggestion, thanks :o)

John

"John" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@bt.com:

A little T-cut and a colour polish will make that look a lot less worse. Don't worry about affecting selling price.

People are such tarts these days! My first cars were 50:50 filler to metal :)

Si

In news: snipped-for-privacy@bt.com, John wittered on forthwith;

This is something I'll never understand. Unless you have more than 3 kids, all under about 10 there's no reason why most people need a people carrier.

I know plenty of people who've got the bloody things and most of the time they're nearly empty. Maybe 2 kids in the back and the driver.

So you're buying a bigger car.

Sell it as it is, it's worth about £7-800 as it is and about £750-850 fixed.

The repair will probably cost around £100-150.

If you really want a good repair, try Chips Away

I used to DREAM of filler!

Personally I think it would tee cut out.

Bollocks. £100 at the very most.

He's wrong - way wrong. Around here, that'd be no more than £100.

"Pete M" wrote in message news:f88j96$e30$ snipped-for-privacy@registered.motzarella.org...

Yebut, nobut, there's many other reasons for wanting a people carrier with plenty of space. Easier to carry flat-pack or other furniture when the need arises, easier to take *any* load in fact, but *especially* lots and lots of booze when coming back from France :o)

John

I'll let them give us a price for it and take it from there, thanks.

John

The message from "John" contains these words:

I've a trailer for that sort of thing. 8x4 sheets of MDF were £24 in Telford and £11 in Wednesbury and I'd still have had to pay to have them delivered if I bought them locally. So I bought a 6x4 trailer (the sheets overhang the back) for £75. It payed for itself within days, and over the last few years has payed for itself many times over. From time to time I think about getting rid of it, but then a neighbour wants it, or the parents in law want to collect half a ton of topsoil or a lathe....

I wish. Unfortunately to do that I'd have to buy a towbar as well - and thanks to all the new regs you can't just bolt one on like you used to, AIUI.

The message from PC Paul contains these words:

Can't you? I did.

Well, IUI better now - for cars registered after 1st August 1998 you

You can buy and fit a type approved towbar yourself. You can't make your own or reuse an older one though, like you used to.

Plus storing a trailer if you don't have off street parking is trickier.

The message from "Duncan Wood" contains these words:

I just park mine out the back of the garage. It's never locked, but so battered that no one's ever tried to nick it. The local kids sometimes play in it, but I had a word with them and said they could as long as they didn't tread on the light-board and they've been fine about it. A friend borrowed it the other day and I got two calls from neighbours telling me someone was stealing my trailer!