Fix or destroy

TallGlass

Just wanted to put this one out there, I will do a quick post.

Basically, Skoda Fabia 00 failed NCT, big things below;

Bodywork (damage to front wing, previously passed NCT with this but that's another issue). Got a quote from dent pro today, 360€ to fix excluding me supplying the wing.

Emissions, high idle co2 high. Figures off top of my head 0.32% for pass NCT reading 0.48%. Car is consuming a lot of petrol so I assume a good service will sort it out as I think it seems to be running quite rich.

Needs four new tyres.

Outside of that it needs parts fitted total around 100€, good wack of work in fairness I can all of it myself.

Another issue it has, I think it has a crack in the engine somewhere as it seems to be an issue around coolant. Oil cap has white gunk on it, and coolant level keeps on dropping off, has to be topped up every 3/4 weeks.

What would people think?

CianRyan

White cap on your oil cap could just be condensation with coolant leaking elsewhere, still something is get checked, the price for a new wing seems extremely expensive as I had a wing replaced on my own Almera, parts supplies and painted for less than €300.
I'd give the car a service, replace the spark plugs and fuel filter, put a full tank in and some fuel additive and drive the rocks off it, that will probably help with the emissions.

Tyres are to be expected.


If it was me, if get a cheaper job done on the wing, something just to straighten and secure it, get the rest of the jobs done and drive it till it breaks completely.
That, or grab an old Almera, Corolla or similar for the price of fixing your yoke.

colm_mcm

I'd walk away

Leonard Hofstadter

I'd see what's wrong with the engine first of all, if it can be cheaply fixed, I'd get it done and then the other things aren't anything major. No point in doing anything else to it unless you can get the emissions sorted out, though. If it's going to cost more than say €300 to sort the emissions out, I wouldn't bother, we're talking about a car that's nearly 17 years old after all.

drunkmonkey

Considering you can buy one with a NCT for about 300 it's time to walk away, see will someone give you 150 for it.

Jesus.

Scrap

johndaman66

If I were a betting man I'd lay a wager on the head gasket needing to be done.


By the way OP what does a "good service" entail as opposed to a bad service?... Sorry, its just that its an expression I see bandied about so often when there is something badly amiss with a car that has being badly maintained and quite frankly it tends to annoy me.


To answer your question I'd destroy. Theres a certain amount of pot luck when buying a car of that age but you'd most likely get a good one for less than the cost of putting your own right...

Jesus.

johndaman66 wrote: »

By the way OP what does a "good service" entail as opposed to a bad service?... Sorry, its just that its an expression I see bandied about so often when there is something badly amiss with a car that has being badly maintained and quite frankly it tends to annoy me.

I suppose he means the whole shebang as opposed to the bare essentials.

Rackstar

Destroy ASAP

johndaman66

Jesus. wrote: »

I suppose he means the whole shebang as opposed to the bare essentials.

Service an appropriate word so?

Giacomo McGubbin

johndaman66 wrote: »

Service an appropriate word so?

i think he means a full service as apposed to a quick paddy oil change with cheap oil, which irish people optimistically claim is the car being serviced

johndaman66

Giacomo McGubbin wrote: »

i think he means a full service as apposed to a quick paddy oil change with cheap oil, which irish people optimistically claim is the car being serviced

Possibly..... either way I would suggest that something more than a "good" or full service is required at this stage. Depends what way you look at it but in my mind service refers to scheduled and routine maintenance work. Something more than scheduled maintenance work is most likely required here... quite possibly due to scheduled maintenance work not being completed or at least on time in the past.

kippy

Giacomo McGubbin wrote: »

i think he means a full service as apposed to a quick paddy oil change with cheap oil, which irish people optimistically claim is the car being serviced

Why exactly do you limit this to Irish people only?

For the record, I would probably walk away at this point OP.

Giacomo McGubbin

I live in Ireland and use Irish owned cars. Where do you live and what cars do you use ?

johndaman66

Giacomo McGubbin wrote: »

I live in Ireland and use Irish owned cars. Where do you live and what cars do you use ?

To play devils advocate I'd imagine kippy took from your post that you are insinuating that a "quick paddy oil change with cheap oil" is an Irish only phenomenon. Personally I have seen the same done on the UK and would suggest that no less such a culture exists over there... Mightn't be appropriate to call it a "quick paddy oil change with cheap oil" there.... "quick blighty oil change with cheap oil" maybe?

Giacomo McGubbin

johndaman66 wrote: »

To play devils advocate I'd imagine kippy took from your post that you are insinuating that a "quick paddy oil change with cheap oil" is an Irish only phenomenon. Personally I have seen the same done on the UK and would suggest that no less such a culture exists over there... Mightn't be appropriate to call it a "quick paddy oil change with cheap oil" there.... "quick blighty oil change with cheap oil" maybe?

maybe if you currently live in the uk, but i currently live in ireland and experience paddy services
As for the uk, if you wan't to bring them into it, most uk cars have fully documented fsh, whereas in ireland most don't, and the uk cars i've imported were always in better nick than any of the equivalent irish cars I looked at.

oh btw you are also way off topic.

TallGlass

Thanks for the replies. I also meant to say full rather than good.

Jesus.

Giacomo McGubbin wrote: »

i think he means a full service as apposed to a quick paddy oil change with cheap oil, which irish people optimistically claim is the car being serviced

Doubt its a uniquely Irish thing tbh

johndaman66

Giacomo McGubbin wrote: »

maybe if you currently live in the uk, but i currently live in ireland and experience paddy services
As for the uk, if you wan't to bring them into it, most uk cars have fully documented fsh, whereas in ireland most don't, and the uk cars i've imported were always in better nick than any of the equivalent irish cars I looked at.

oh btw you are also way off topic.

Oh right whatever. Why even say "paddy services" or insinuate it is an Irish only phenomenon when clearly it isin't. There is a considerable culture of services being missed and skimped on in the UK also and I would urge you to take a look underneath some cars coming from the UK that are 10 years old or more, in particular coming from London... not that the owners can always do a lot about that (but debatable)...seen as you allude to UK imported cars being in better nick.


Debatable who brought the topic of course but thanks for putting it right back on course anyway

Giacomo McGubbin

Jesus. wrote: »

Doubt its a uniquely Irish thing tbh

Never said it was, these forums are for Ireland, and it is very prevailent here including a lack of any service history, but carry on pretending.

johndaman66 wrote: »

Oh right whatever. Why even say "paddy services" or insinuate it is an Irish only phenomenon when clearly it isin't. There is a considerable culture of services being missed and skimped on in the UK also and I would urge you to take a look underneath some cars coming from the UK that are 10 years old or more, in particular coming from London... not that the owners can always do a lot about that (but debatable)...seen as you allude to UK imported cars being in better nick.

Debatable who brought the topic of course but thanks for putting it right back on course anyway

Sorry to burst your bubble, but Irish local authorities have switched to widespread regular road salting during winter since the 80's. I don't care where a car is from, i'm only interested in condition, but I've inspected and imported many's a car from the UK and when comparing like for like, in general they are much better cared for, from bodywork, to servicing to interiors.

You are still way off topic again btw.

johndaman66

Giacomo McGubbin wrote: »

Sorry to burst your bubble, but Irish local authorities have switched to widespread regular road salting during winter since the 80's. I don't care where a car is from, i'm only interested in condition, but I've inspected and imported many's a car from the UK and when comparing like for like, in general they are much better cared for, from bodywork, to servicing to interiors.

No worries your not bursting any bubble for me and I sure do know Irish local authorities salt the roads.... regularly?... depends what you consider regularly and depends on the local authority and depends on the roads your on. Absolutely to no extent do Irish cars be as rusty underneath as cars in the UK...seen too many in London and Newcastle to know this. How many cars did you import from the UK out of curiosity? Seen as you seem to mention and in your own words that "a quick paddy oil change with cheap oil, which Irish people optimistically claim is the car being serviced" would certainly imply that you are benchmarking to other nationalities. How would we compare to say Indian people or Russian people in this regard?

Giacomo McGubbin wrote: »

You are still way off topic again btw.

One of us, two of us so I guess...

Esel

Scrap the scrap, lads.

Giacomo McGubbin

johndaman66 wrote: »

No worries your not bursting any bubble for me and I sure do know Irish local authorities salt the roads.... regularly?... depends what you consider regularly and depends on the local authority and depends on the roads your on. Absolutely to no extent do Irish cars be as rusty underneath as cars in the UK...seen too many in London and Newcastle to know this. How many cars did you import from the UK out of curiosity? Seen as you seem to mention and in your own words that "a quick paddy oil change with cheap oil, which Irish people optimistically claim is the car being serviced" would certainly imply that you are benchmarking to other nationalities. How would we compare to say Indian people or Russian people in this regard?

All winter during low temperatures, all national primary and secondary roads and most regional roads, and it doesn't have to be sub zero, only a possibility of sub zero, which is most of the winter. I've imported dozens of UK cars, from all over the UK, and all of them were in better condition and better cared for that the equivalent Irish cars with the same mileage I looked at, and all of them had much better fully traceable service documentation than Irish ones. As for setting the bar at Russia and India, some of us think Ireland should be striving for, and is capable of, and worth, higher standards and continual improvement to eventually surpass the UK. Of course any cowboys would be dead against any mention that standards should be improved.

Yet again you are way off topic btw.

The lad should scrap his car.

johndaman66

OP you quote the following figures:


€360 to get the front wing sorted excluding fitting (seems extortion by the way);


around €100 for other parts that need to be fitted requiring a good deal of your time (will you be able to fit these parts);


You also need 4 new tyres - that'll be at least €160 upwards assuming it has standard Skoda fabia steel wheels from that era. That's a conservative estimate and you wouldn't be talking fantastic rubber at that money.


That's a total of €620 before the emissions are sorted which may end up costing €€€€ and the head gasket may also be croaked (quite possible I'm thinking) which will also cost €€€€.


Its a no brainer. Try sell it on cheaply as for parts and if nobody bites after a month or so or you don't have the space sell it onto a cash for cars type place (expect a pittance).


Here's a 2000 Fabia with circa 9 months test for €550. It really does highlight how yours is an economic write off I'm afraid.


https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/skoda-fabia-car/13364843

J.pilkington

Giacomo McGubbin wrote: »

uk cars i've imported were always in better nick than any of the equivalent irish cars I looked at.

That's a ridiculous comparison, of course the car you import is going to be in better nick than an average Irish car, you are hardly going to travel to the U.K. to import a car you can get here!

UK has a larger stock of cars so finding a car in good condition is always going to be easier. Your initial standard which you would have set when looking for your car eliminates the poor uk ones so you never got to see them!

Giacomo McGubbin

J.pilkington wrote: »

That's a ridiculous comparison, of course the car you import is going to be in better nick than an average Irish car, you are hardly going to travel to the U.K. to import a car you can get here!

UK has a larger stock of cars so finding a car in good condition is always going to be easier. Your initial standard which you would have set when looking for your car eliminates the poor uk ones so you never got to see them!

Actually I have always primarily travel to UK to get the same car for cheaper, and as a bonus, in much better condition compared to the equivalent Irish motor.

Again you're way off topic.

johndaman66

^^^I see that was J.pilkingtons first contribution to the thread that you commented on by the way.


TallGlass - did you get a garage to check out the problems with the engine?.... its possible the emissions; white gunk around oil cap and consumption of coolant may all be the same issue or at least caused by the same problem....

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime

Tallglass.

Is this the 1.4 petrol model ?

Im wondering if the white gunk is head gasket related myself.

Also if it is that engine im wondering again is it the same one that is in the VW Golf of similar years that had terrible problems with oil stem seals which would cause emission problems and is a mighty repair job.

Im with the majority on this one, car wont be worth fixing,

TallGlass

Hi guys, yeah going to cut the loses on the Skoda, so did not get anymore quotes. What would be a good buy for around 1000-1500€, hatch, preferably 1.4 and in around 04/05 upwards, low insurance (lol)

Only other thing is the car was just taxed for six months.

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime

TallGlass wrote: »

Hi guys, yeah going to cut the loses on the Skoda, so did not get anymore quotes. What would be a good buy for around 1000-1500€, hatch, preferably 1.4 and in around 04/05 upwards, low insurance (lol)

Only other thing is the car was just taxed for six months.

If you do scrap the car and get an end of life cert , you can claim that vehicle tax back from the motor tax office.

Google it there and it will give you the instructions.

Just has to have more than 3 months on it.

Good luck !

Esel

TallGlass wrote: »

Hi guys, yeah going to cut the loses on the Skoda, so did not get anymore quotes. What would be a good buy for around 1000-1500€, hatch, preferably 1.4 and in around 04/05 upwards, low insurance (lol)

Only other thing is the car was just taxed for six months.

Look at the latest pages on the Bangernomics megathread. Ask there.

You can get a refund of the unused tax if you can produce an end-of- life cert or whatever it's called.