NCT Bodywork Advice

GrumPy

Hi guys, have a 1 litre, 2001 Ibiza I got as my first car. Still going strong (after a few problems mind you) 5 years now since I bought it. However, it's showing it age, and there is some bad rust on one of the wheel arches and slap bang on the front of the bonnet.
It failed the NCT today on bodywork complaints alone, and apparently some filler was used on a repair on the underside (passenger side chassis at the front). This one was a surprise, as previous tests never noticed this one. :rolleyes:
There is also corrosion apparently behind the front bumper.

I am a recent college grad currently only working part time and I'm in a real bad spot. Cant afford much at all and have no idea how much this type of work would cost, and more importantly; if it's worth doing at this stage of the cars life? It will have to be retested every year from now on cause of it's age, and I have had to get some big work done on it since I was 18 (23 now).

Was wondering if anyone can advise what kind of money I could be looking at and if you guys would bother? I hear the market is quite good for buying second hand lately, maybe a car-van or something in decent nick could be picked up for not much more than the repairs may cost!

Any pointers would be great!

biko

Without pics it's impossible to say imo.
Take it to two or more local autobody shops with the NCT papers and ask for a quote?
Then look for used recently NCTd cars and make a decision.

You'd replace it for less than a grand

Idbatterim

would you be able to go to scrap yard and just get the panel and bonnet and replace them? even if they are not same colour, I doubt you can be failed on aesthetics!

cargo

GrumPy wrote: »

Hi guys, have a 1 litre, 2001 Ibiza I got as my first car. Still going strong (after a few problems mind you) 5 years now since I bought it. However, it's showing it age, and there is some bad rust on one of the wheel arches and slap bang on the front of the bonnet.
It failed the NCT today on bodywork complaints alone, and apparently some filler was used on a repair on the underside (passenger side chassis at the front). This one was a surprise, as previous tests never noticed this one. :rolleyes:
There is also corrosion apparently behind the front bumper.

I am a recent college grad currently only working part time and I'm in a real bad spot. Cant afford much at all and have no idea how much this type of work would cost, and more importantly; if it's worth doing at this stage of the cars life? It will have to be retested every year from now on cause of it's age, and I have had to get some big work done on it since I was 18 (23 now).

Was wondering if anyone can advise what kind of money I could be looking at and if you guys would bother? I hear the market is quite good for buying second hand lately, maybe a car-van or something in decent nick could be picked up for not much more than the repairs may cost!

Any pointers would be great!

Any repairs to the sill underneath would need to be done with metal rather than fillers. That maybe be the case here (doubt it though) and they repairer just covered over with fillers to tidy up the work. If you do get the sill repaired only prime it and sent it back through the test so the examiner can see the repairs without any disguising fillers etc and they can satisfy themselves as to the structural repair.

If you can't get bodywork don't for a reasonable price you'd be better ff replacing the car.

GrumPy

Thanks guys, worth mentioning the repair with the filler went un-noticed in a previous two NCT tests the car passed! (I knew the previous owner)
That means this "unacceptable" repair is at least 7 years old, and the car would be about 70,000 km younger when it was carried out. :rolleyes:

Maybe it got worse, I'm not convinced though. Will take the advice and get a quote.