Crunch Time!

- L
- Les Hemmings
  
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posted
18 years ago

Wed, Oct 12, 2005 7:57 PM

Well, E reg Volvo 240 2.3 petrol Estate (176,000 miles) went for MOT today and it looks like £400 of welding plus some ball joints and a few niggly bits to get it through... Paid £800 three years ago and it's cost us nothing in repairs up to now...

Do I get the thing patched up and hope that's it for another few years or scrap it and get a £500 - £600 motor to replace it?

I'm split here.. thinking it could turn into the car version of painting the Forth Rail Bridge and start costing every year from now on. Or take the views of the garage on board that it will stop the rot in it's tracks and I'll have a solid car for only £500 without the hassle and risk of another second hand motor.

Any thoughts? Any favourite cheapies out there to look out for? Perhaps I could get something a tad quicker that doesn't roll like a cross channel ferry at every bend.. :o)

Les

- J
- James Sweet
  
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posted
18 years ago

Thu, Oct 13, 2005 3:16 AM

Welding? Is it rusting? As much as I like to fix up older cars and keep them running, if there's any serious rust (as in holes) in non-removable body panels the car is scrap. For every patch of rust you find there's at least that much hiding elsewhere and once that happens it spreads like cancer and the car is never nice again.

- M
- m-gineering
  
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posted
18 years ago

Thu, Oct 13, 2005 6:32 AM

You must live in a nice climate, to be able to nurture this viewpoint. It's certainly possible to prolong the life of a car with some strategic welding. Certainly with older Volvo's where bad patches are always surrounded by sound metal. Now if it was an Alfasud...

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- David Balfour
  
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posted
18 years ago

Thu, Oct 13, 2005 1:15 PM

Personally I'd patch it up, buying a £500 car is always an unknown risk. You could be lucky, but the two friends of mine that went down that route in the last month have had much more serious problems with the new vehicle that they would have otherwise had in my opinion.

At least you know your current cars history. The only thing I'd be warned of is that I've had two Auto boxes fail in 240's at about 200,000 miles. Manuals tend to go on forever.