Car failed test. Recommend a reliable car with a year's nct.

gooner99

My 04 golf failed the test. Parts and tyres will be approx 600 plus labour. Big miles too for a 1.4 petrol. Base model, so really not worth much I guess.

I have an agreement to buy companies car at a good price, but lease is not up till feb.

So thinking of buying something with a years nct and flogging the golf for what I can get.

Criteria would be..... 1 years nct or more. Reliability essential as don't want to be spending the next year repairing it, so thinking petrol. Easily sold on next year without losing too much capital.

My thinking is a 1.4 02-07 corolla hatch or saloon or a 1.6 03-08 avensis. My thoughts are that they are plentiful, so good chance of pucking up a decent one. Known reliability. Everyone can repair them and parts are plentiful. Engines are reliable, well at least I believe the 1.4 of that vintage is. Chain driven, so no worries there once its been well serviced and not rattly. Thinking about it the 1.4 corolla is probably ideal for us as it's big enough and should be a good mix of efficiency, tax and insurance.

Thoughts?

demanufactured

An auld bluebird....be grand.

colm_mcm

You're bang on the money with your own suggestions.

Pkiernan

Fix current car and sell it for cost of repairs next Feb.?

beauf

600 is cheaper than changing the car.

I wouldn't change the car unless there was some other problem with it, or an expectation of more problems.

You would want to check insurance. Everyone I know has good bizarre quotes this year.

colm_mcm

600 plus labour.

.........

hyundai getz - it'll getz you from a to b

gooner99

Cheers guys. Looking on Donedeal and a 04 Corolla with a years test would be 1600+, 05 or 06 even more.

Without test the Golf is probably only worth a few hundred, if it could be shifted at all (base model, no rust but not mint). So indeed it may be worth fixing up and running for the year.It needs two springs, wishbone, cv boot, wheel bearing, new number plate and four tyres for the re test. Oil and filters need done. I guess every car will need oil and filters along with tyres. Hmmm.

colm_mcm

Bin it!

gooner99

Thanks Colm. What do you think of this corolla. Looks genuine?

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/toyota-corolla-t2-1-4vvti/15255749

pablo128

No one sells a cheap car with test that is in perfect condition. If it was perfect, they wouldn't be selling it in the first place. Whatever second hand car you buy, you will have to put money into it. Mark my words.

James Bond Junior

You would surely get your car back in good nick for less than the price of an unknown Avensis or corolla. For the sake of a years driving it maybe worth it and if you do that much work chances are it will pass again next year meaning you may get your money back when you sell it.

mikeoneilly

Fix it up if it's running reliably

You could could end up with a lemon if you buy another car

gooner99

Cheers guys. My thinking was to fix. That corolla looks clean though. Engine has never given any problems. But its got 205k miles. Most say thats asking for trouble on a 1.4 vw engine.

colm_mcm

pablo128 wrote: »

No one sells a cheap car with test that is in perfect condition. If it was perfect, they wouldn't be selling it in the first place. Whatever second hand car you buy, you will have to put money into it. Mark my words.

It's a garage selling it.

pablo128

colm_mcm wrote: »

It's a garage selling it.

Sold as seen. No warranty due to age. That's the last line on the ad.

They are fine cars. My sister had one for 6 years trouble free. Well apart from the engine seizing from only getting serviced once in that time.:pac:
That wasn't the cars fault though.

Could the OP elaborate on what work the Golf needs?

colm_mcm

pablo128 wrote: »

Sold as seen. No warranty due to age. That's the last line on the ad.

Yes, but your point was if it was perfect then they wouldn't be selling it. If you were a betting man, would you say that once the OP pumps €800-1000 into the Golf that that's it for the next year?
Corolla 1.4s are much less likely to need repairs or expensive maintenance (suspension etc) than 1.4 Golfs.

gooner99

Yeah that was my thinking Colm. Garage selling it. Looks pretty clean.Its not 3 door and no alloys so not as desirable?

pablo128

colm_mcm wrote: »

Yes, but your point was if it was perfect then they wouldn't be selling it. If you were a betting man, would you say that once the OP pumps €800-1000 into the Golf that that's it for the next year?
Corolla 1.4s are much less likely to need repairs or expensive maintenance (suspension etc) than 1.4 Golfs.

I'd want to know what work the Golf needs first. The Golf would make 500 euro at most without a test. The Corolla would cost 1500 I would guess. If the Golf could be patched up on a shoestring, it might be worth doing.

gooner99

pablo128 wrote: »

I'd want to know what work the Golf needs first. The Golf would make 500 euro at most without a test. The Corolla would cost 1500 I would guess. If the Golf could be patched up on a shoestring, it might be worth doing.

Earlier post....

Without test the Golf is probably only worth a few hundred, if it could be shifted at all (base model, no rust but not mint). So indeed it may be worth fixing up and running for the year.It needs two springs, wishbone, cv boot, wheel bearing, new number plate and four tyres for the re test. Oil and filters need done. I guess every car will need oil and filters along with tyres.

I've owned the golf from new. Base model.

grogi

pablo128 wrote: »

No one sells a cheap car with test that is in perfect condition. If it was perfect, they wouldn't be selling it in the first place. Whatever second hand car you buy, you will have to put money into it. Mark my words.

Don't judge others by your own habits. I sold a car last week with 725 days of test, months of tax and without any problem.

People get bored with things, cars included.

pablo128

gooner99 wrote: »

Without test the Golf is probably only worth a few hundred, if it could be shifted at all (base model, no rust but not mint). So indeed it may be worth fixing up and running for the year.It needs two springs, wishbone, cv boot, wheel bearing, new number plate and four tyres for the re test. Oil and filters need done. I guess every car will need oil and filters along with tyres. I've owned the golf from new. Base model.

Ok. I do all my own work (former mechanic) so I sometimes don't realise the price of getting someone else to do that work. IF..... it was my car I would put a second hand pair of shocks/springs on, along with a s/h hub, and a new wishbone as they're not too expensive just to get the year out of it. While it was all apart the boot could be done then.

Anyway I had a look and there's a lot of 1.6 Avensis's on donedeal for around 1200 or thereabouts. I wouldn't be spending any more than that for the year. (04/05)

gooner99

my guess was that (maybe naive) is that it was taken as a trade in and is not overly desirable?

BorneTobyWilde

Could buy same golf with low miles and a years test and keep your other golf for parts.

BorneTobyWilde

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/vw-golf-1-4/15151306

grogi

BorneTobyWilde wrote: »

Could buy same golf with low miles and a years test and keep your other golf for parts.

Gosh, running scrap yard in your garden is hardly anyone's dream.

acronym Chilli

grogi wrote: »

Gosh, running scrap yard in your garden is hardly anyone's dream.

It's also one of those things that always turns out worse, and more hassle, in reality than you dreamt it would be (bad as that might have been)!

KevinJTC

gooner99 wrote: »

Cheers guys. Looking on Donedeal and a 04 Corolla with a years test would be 1600+, 05 or 06 even more.

Without test the Golf is probably only worth a few hundred, if it could be shifted at all (base model, no rust but not mint). So indeed it may be worth fixing up and running for the year.It needs two springs, wishbone, cv boot, wheel bearing, new number plate and four tyres for the re test. Oil and filters need done. I guess every car will need oil and filters along with tyres. Hmmm.

Id fix it if its new shape. buy second hand parts where possible. I can only make it up to cost 400-500 including labour.
High mileage is going to devalue it either way, but they are very low insurance catagory and are appealing to first time drivers. you know this car engine is running fine, not showing signs of failure. You wont be able to tell if a 1200 corolla or equivalent is running ok by a 20 minutue test drive, there are ways of temporarily disquising problems.there is risk a involved

KevinJTC

gooner99 wrote: »

Cheers guys. Looking on Donedeal and a 04 Corolla with a years test would be 1600+, 05 or 06 even more.

Without test the Golf is probably only worth a few hundred, if it could be shifted at all (base model, no rust but not mint). So indeed it may be worth fixing up and running for the year.It needs two springs, wishbone, cv boot, wheel bearing, new number plate and four tyres for the re test. Oil and filters need done. I guess every car will need oil and filters along with tyres. Hmmm.

Id fix it if its new shape. buy second hand parts where possible. I can only make it up to cost 400-500 including labour.
High mileage is going to devalue it either way, but they are very low insurance catagory and are appealing to first time drivers. you know this car engine is running fine, not showing signs of failure. You wont be able to tell if a 1200 corolla or equivalent is running ok by a 20 minutue test drive, there are ways of temporarily disquising problems.there is risk a involved, the devil you know id say. it could be good with nothing wrong with it (like yours). fix yours and risk more problems arising (no warning signs to indicate). or risk buying an old car from someone you dont know. if the latter was the prefered choice then buy a micra with new nct and deal with it for the year until you can upgrade.

KevinJTC

KevinJTC wrote: »

Id fix it if its new shape. buy second hand parts where possible. I can only make it up to cost 400-500 including labour.
High mileage is going to devalue it either way, but they are very low insurance catagory and are appealing to first time drivers. you know this car engine is running fine, not showing signs of failure. You wont be able to tell if a 1200 corolla or equivalent is running ok by a 20 minutue test drive, there are ways of temporarily disquising problems.there is risk a involved, the devil you know id say. it could be good with nothing wrong with it (like yours). fix yours and risk more problems arising (no warning signs to indicate). or risk buying an old car from someone you dont know. if the latter was the prefered choice then buy a micra with new nct and deal with it for the year until you can upgrade.

and send me a link if your selling the golf

gooner99

Thanks all for the replies. Decided to give her another chance. Re-tested Today and passed with flying colours. 370 + tyres.