How to get rid of a car..

manti452

Ok, so brief backstory.. I bought a 99 Pug 306 with low mileage in 2004. Since then I have put about 2K into keeping it running (suspension parts, complete brake overhaul, timing belt, cat converter etc). However now the radiator inside the dash for heating the air is leaking, blowing some oil based fluid on the inside of the windows. As you can imagine it makes driving hard, as I cannot clear the window. I am using alcohol based aftershave to keep them clear at the moment.

Other than a trade in, finance is a bit steep at the mo from the places I've checked, how can I shift this car. Bearing in mind someone has already suggested the buy and sell, let it go cheap and say nothing. Personally I have some ethical qualms about selling the car and not being open, morally if that person had an accident due to not being able to clear the windows with the heater.. I'd be gutted to say the least, if not partially responsible.

What are my options in terms of shifting it? Scrap it (how much do they pay?) Try and break it for spares?

any ideas welcomed

overdriver

Ultimately, you may lose LESS money if you simply repair it using parts from a scrappers, and sell it on, safe in the knowledge it won't kill someone.
Both problems solved.

They're asking between 3 and 6k on Carzone for the same car.

pburns

Scrapping a '04 car does not seem a viable option!

The worst of all evils I think would be to say nowt, trade it in with a dealer and run. It's then THEIR responsibility to make sure the car is roadworthy. If it's a nail, better to lumber a dealer with it than some average Joe...

(And next time don't buy a French car!)

overdriver

It's a 99, and he's said he can't afford to buy another from a dealer.

manti452

Thanks over

the prob is not so much getting parts, my mechanic works for Peugeot and reckons the job will cost abut €350. You have to rip out the entire one piece dash to get to it and replace it.

I would like to do the dealer thing but it's getting a decent enuff price for mine and finance I can afford, while trying to get on the property ladder, you know yourself

Will have to keep looking for a dealer

Kimbot

Best bet is to repair it TBH!! If its €350 to repair then when its finished to sell it on will keep good value on the car!!

Anan1

Why not just get the heater matrix repaired and keep the car? 306s are a lovely drive.

bazz26

Anan1 wrote:

Why not just get the heater matrix repaired and keep the car? 306s are a lovely drive.

Yes but the OP says he has already spent €2k on repairs for the car before this latest problem. It sounds like this car in particular is a money pit.

To the OP worst case you could try and sell it at an auction. The downside is that you will not get anywhere near it's market value at auction plus you have to pay the auction house a commission.

On the plus side though all cars at auction are sold as seen so it is up to the bidder to spot any problems prior to the auction afaik.

manti452

Money pit is right.. I think I've done enought to try and keep this one on the road.. I'm not going to go on indefinitely.. was a great first car to have tho!

thanks Bazz.. I had never considered an auction. I knew boards would once again come up with something I'd not considered

To Anan - I'd love to keep my car, to get a spec level similar to what I have (half leather seats, walnut panels, 6 cd changer) I'd have to spend more money than I currently have. I have my eye on another 306 but the garage won't take a trade so I'm left trying to shift my bucket

: goes to look for auctioneeers:

overdriver

Why would you buy another 306 if this one broke the bank?
I wouldn't trust the marque, never mind the model or the specific year if I'd had that much financial hassle.

If you repair it, you can sell it privately. If you buy your next car the same way - privately- you won't be too out of pocket.

unkel

Auction is the easy option, but that won't even net you 2 grand. I would consider having it fixed and selling it privately. Then get something reliable and cheap (Japanese) that won't give you any nasty surprises you cannot afford while buying a house

prospect

overdriver wrote:

Why would you buy another 306 if this one broke the bank?

Quite simple, just because one second hand car is troublesome, doesn't mean they all are.

want2play

€350, is that all. what are you moaning about?
Thats a full tank of super plus and an oil change for me, i have a 98 306 sitting at home if you need parts, it just has a hole in the back box - must get selling it.

overdriver

Of course not, but the reviews of the 306 are very mixed in general, with lots of peoplke describing expensive persistent niggles, along with satisfied buyers. Not what I like to see, to be honest.

manti452

@ want2play : if this was the only €350 I'd have spent I'd have no qualms about splashing the cash. but as bazz pointed out to someone else, I've already spent 2k plus in under 3 years. (gearbox, suspension parts, complete brake overhaul (front pads and back calipers & bit i can't remember name of found to be needed, timing belt, cat converter, exhaust back and middle boxes).

Before you go off on one telling me that's just maintenance, I know! A lot of what I've replaced is wear and tear, but with big stuff like gear box, cat and now this going wrong this is not what I feel I should have to be spending on. It's an older car so I think it may be just time to cut my losses. About the parts offer, can you leave that with me ? I will check with my mechanic and get back to you if I can use it maybe I can throw you a few quid for it. Not sure you'll sell it any quicker than mine with a missing heater LOL

@over : I get your point about buying another, I bought this one private.. I'm being warned away from the pug/citreon marque and renaults.. alfas get little love from ppl it seems too. Saw a nice MG ZR but am worried its still rover and support will dry up

Want2play.. can I get back to you later?

overdriver

Here at carsurvey, there are 13 reviews of the 99 Pug, and 6 reviewers out of that would not buy the Marque again. That says it all.

http://www.carsurvey.org/othermodelyear_Peugeot_306_1999.html

manti452

fair point over

I alsoam a member of a few pug 306 forums such as pug306.net and they love the model, but you'll usually find fans of most cars these days and forums to support them.

Mechanic has said he can bypass the heat setting and leave only cool air coming out. Means at least I could use the fan to clear the windows and flog it myself.. seems like my best option.

Anan1

OP - Just because you've spent a lot on the car so far doesn't mean things will keep going wrong. €2,000 in 2 years isn't the end of the world, it's a fraction of the amount that most cars depreciate by. Just a thought.

overdriver

Enthusiasts tend to overlook a car's niggles because they just love it. You will find enthusiasts for some of the world's most wretched automobiles.

It's not the "real world" as it were, and with your house purhcase, you don't need any more extra expense.

Fix it, sell it, buy an old jap and enjoy your house.

manti452

If I had the house LOL .. am trying to get there

thanks for all the input guys, am always impressed by the fair points on this forum.

prospect

overdriver wrote:

Enthusiasts tend to overlook a car's niggles because they just love it.

By the same rationale, enthusiasts tend to take every opportunity to knock every other brand except the ones the enthuse over.

netwhizkid

tbh I see things haven't improved with the newer models either. Those crazy French, good for wine however don't touch their cars with a barge pole.

overdriver

prospect wrote:

By the same rationale, enthusiasts tend to take every opportunity to knock every other brand except the ones the enthuse over.

Really?
What's mine then?

I was merely pointing out that if the car's been trouble, and half the reviews are terrible, that stands up for itself.

prospect

overdriver wrote:

Really?
What's mine then?

I was merely pointing out that if the car's been trouble, and half the reviews are terrible, that stands up for itself.

Bit defensive eh!

Half the reviews? You take one site with 13 reviews of a car that sold in millions and consider that a solid method to research & to recommend a car!

I am not a Peugeot fan, I did own a 306 once, and TBH I am sorry I sold it, it was a lovely car. I have also pointed out before, my family and my in-laws have had over 20 peugeots in their time, and only one gave trouble. This is not the blinkered view of an enthusiast, but rather a real world, personal experience of the brand.

I agree re the 307 being worse, but I don't like it for asthetic reasons.

Anan1

overdriver wrote:

Enthusiasts tend to overlook a car's niggles because they just love it. You will find enthusiasts for some of the world's most wretched automobiles.

It's not the "real world" as it were, and with your house purhcase, you don't need any more extra expense.

Fix it, sell it, buy an old jap and enjoy your house.

Assuming, of course, that the OP is not not an enthusiast who has somehow wandered in here by mistake.;)

SonOfPerdition

manti452 wrote:

If I had the house LOL .. am trying to get there

thanks for all the input guys, am always impressed by the fair points on this forum.

Hey Manti, out of curiosity what milage did you do in the car since you bought it in 04? was the work you did an upgrade or was it repair work?

edit: i just reread your first post . . i assume it was all repair work.

overdriver

prospect wrote:

Bit defensive eh!

Half the reviews? You take one site with 13 reviews of a car that sold in millions and consider that a solid method to research & to recommend a car!

reasons.

I did a search on reviews of the 99 306. Half of the available reviews were bad. Surely that's not an isolated few?

manti452

Sorry for the late reply, I thought the thread was dead :P

I got it with 37300 pm it and there's 53400 now.. Not that much but I've been averaging I guess 150-170 miles a week. Not enuff for a diesel but what can you do. Someone did ask to buy it but thought I was over charging at 3 grand :S

Should I generally get less in private sale than a trade in?

overdriver

You should get ORE for a private sale.
Someone may have just been bargaining hard with you. Did you get the problem fixed?

manti452

Yeah .. I told him as much so. I'm up for hard bargaining but not when its just silly.

I'm getting it half fixed.. I'll have the heat link disconnected, so the air inside the car can be used.. but cold air only