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What should I do with my car?

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  • 11-08-2020 8:46pm
    #1
    MrMiata
    Closed Accounts Posts: 393 ✭✭


    Alrighty.

    I've an 04 1.4 Petrol VW Golf.
    It failed the NCT on a few small things, from a quick look online I was expecting around €150, no more than €180 for the work.

    I sent the car down to my local mechanic (a fella who's done a small fortunes worth of work on that car, as well as others of ours), and he's after charging me €270 for some bearings, a shock absorber and some other micky mouse ****e.
    He also did the brake pads, which were only an advisory.
    He also went at the tracking, which I had not found any issue with, charged €60 for both of those.

    I've already bought another car, a Mazda Mx-5, I've been planning on using that as my daily for work and college..
    I had just hoped to do the bare minimum on the golf to get it passed the NCT and then sell it on..

    But now it stands me more than the car is actually worth (€800 worth of work done last Xmas, I was stuck for the car), and I wouldn't mind it's a great little car.

    Should I just keep it as a back up? Taxed till April too..
    Should I sell it for what it's worth?

    I'd love to get into motorsport/racing, I'm so tempted to set the Mx-5 up as a track car now.. but it's almost too good, would I be better off even selling that to put money into a track car like a Sheane or just a Ford Zetec?

    What do you think?
    I know this is a bit of stupid question but well... here we are..


«1

Comments

  • Options
    #2
    Heres Johnny
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,738 ✭✭✭Heres Johnny


    Pretty shocked you're upset at a mechanic doing brake pads as they were advised by test centre.

    At this stage it looks like you're going to resent putting money into it and it has an nct every year now, you may well have to, brakes, tyres, servicing, wear and tear parts plus age related problems too.

    I'd say move it on and take what you can get for it. Running an older car is not cheap.


  • Options
    #3
    colm_mcm
    Registered Users Posts: 73,382 ✭✭✭✭colm_mcm


    Car was worth shag all before you did the work, it’s worth more than that now. NCT it, Sell it and move on.

    Do some track days in the mx5 and revisit the whole idea of a dedicated track car if you feel you need to at that stage. The Golf isn’t gonna two a trailer and a track car either way.


  • Options
    #4
    MrMiata
    Closed Accounts Posts: 393 ✭✭MrMiata


    Heres Johnny wrote: »
    Pretty shocked you're upset at a mechanic doing brake pads as they were advised by test centre.

    At this stage it looks like you're going to resent putting money into it and it has an nct every year now, you may well have to, brakes, tyres, servicing, wear and tear parts plus age related problems too.

    I'd say move it on and take what you can get for it. Running an older car is not cheap.

    They were advised, I had a look at them, they'd need changing sooner rather than later but the mechanic said 'well jasus you wouldn't get 10 miles out of them', they'd have been good for another 2 months of solid driving.

    I'm running two older cars!

    I told him when I went down, I just want the bare minimum for it to pass the NCT, he didn't do that and he charged well for what he did do.


  • Options
    #5
    MrMiata
    Closed Accounts Posts: 393 ✭✭MrMiata


    colm_mcm wrote: »
    Car was worth shag all before you did the work, it’s worth more than that now. NCT it, Sell it and move on.

    Do some track days in the mx5 and revisit the whole idea of a dedicated track car if you feel you need to at that stage. The Golf isn’t gonna two a trailer and a track car either way.

    Exactly, I'd be lucky to get a 1000 out of it..
    There was no need to go above and beyond the basics for the NCT.. when I specifically asked he didn't.

    It's just a pain in the hole knowing it's money I'm throwing away to the next fella who buys it.

    We've already got something to tow a trailer.
    and I'd sooner cry than track that boring old Golf.


  • Options
    #6
    colm_mcm
    Registered Users Posts: 73,382 ✭✭✭✭colm_mcm


    You got a lot done for the money.


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  • Options
    #7
    enricoh
    Registered Users Posts: 4,824 ✭✭✭enricoh


    colm_mcm wrote: »
    You got a lot done for the money.

    I thought so too, the joys of being a mechanic!!


  • Options
    #8
    MrMiata
    Closed Accounts Posts: 393 ✭✭MrMiata


    colm_mcm wrote: »
    You got a lot done for the money.

    Every person I've asked said it shouldn't have run me any more than €200 at most, that's coming from other mechanics (not local, relatives) and they all told me he was taking the piss at that price.


  • Options
    #9
    colm_mcm
    Registered Users Posts: 73,382 ✭✭✭✭colm_mcm


    Was that price including parts?


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    #10
    MrMiata
    Closed Accounts Posts: 393 ✭✭MrMiata


    colm_mcm wrote: »
    Was that price including parts?

    1 shock absorber, 2 lower ball joints, 2 rear brake pads (not needed) and tracking (also not needed).


  • Options
    #11
    hurikane
    Registered Users Posts: 688 ✭✭✭hurikane


    270 quid sounds reasonable to me.


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  • Options
    #12
    Doctors room ghost
    Registered Users Posts: 4,799 ✭✭✭Doctors room ghost


    Sounds like a good and thorough job that mechanic did,at small money and if I was him I’d be telling you to do your own spannering anymore if you and the lads know so much about it.


  • Options
    #13
    hurikane
    Registered Users Posts: 688 ✭✭✭hurikane


    MrMiata wrote: »
    Every person I've asked said it shouldn't have run me any more than €200 at most, that's coming from other mechanics (not local, relatives) and they all told me he was taking the piss at that price.

    So what’s the break down for parts and labour?


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    #14
    colm_mcm
    Registered Users Posts: 73,382 ✭✭✭✭colm_mcm


    MrMiata wrote: »
    1 shock absorber, 2 lower ball joints, 2 rear brake pads (not needed) and tracking (also not needed).

    Sounds like you need a reality check. Where were all these experts when you needed the work done?


  • Options
    #15
    L-M
    Registered Users Posts: 23,694 ✭✭✭✭L-M


    If you went to a main dealer you’d pay a grand or more for that worth.

    €270... jaysus


  • Options
    #16
    Andrewf20
    Registered Users Posts: 3,187 ✭✭✭Andrewf20


    The problem with older cars is that a 30 min job could end up being a knuckle busting 2hr ordeal due to various unforeseen problems cropping up. That may be a part of the equation too.

    Tbh, the price doesn't seem too crazy to me.


  • Options
    #17
    AndyBoBandy
    Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 14,897 Mod ✭✭✭✭AndyBoBandy


    MrMiata wrote: »
    he's after charging me €270 for some bearings, a shock absorber and some other micky mouse ****e.
    He also did the brake pads, which were only an advisory.
    He also went at the tracking, which I had not found any issue with


    What was the ‘some other Micky mouse sh1te’?


  • Options
    #18
    Toyotafanboi
    Registered Users Posts: 12,917 ✭✭✭✭Toyotafanboi


    Yeah, madness, Ted. Imagine the audactiy of the mechanic, "charging well" for the work that he did :rolleyes: and the worst of it is he was too cheap IMO.

    If you dont want the Golf, you have two choices, sell it or scrap it. What it "stands you" is fairly irrelevant as it doesn't change its worth.


  • Options
    #19
    Rows Grower
    Registered Users Posts: 7,822 ✭✭✭Rows Grower


    MrMiata wrote: »
    Alrighty.

    I've an 04 1.4 Petrol VW Golf.
    It failed the NCT on a few small things, from a quick look online I was expecting around €150, no more than €180 for the work.

    I sent the car down to my local mechanic (a fella who's done a small fortunes worth of work on that car, as well as others of ours), and he's after charging me €270 for some bearings, a shock absorber and some other micky mouse ****e.
    He also did the brake pads, which were only an advisory.
    He also went at the tracking, which I had not found any issue with, charged €60 for both of those.

    I've already bought another car, a Mazda Mx-5, I've been planning on using that as my daily for work and college..
    I had just hoped to do the bare minimum on the golf to get it passed the NCT and then sell it on..

    But now it stands me more than the car is actually worth (€800 worth of work done last Xmas, I was stuck for the car), and I wouldn't mind it's a great little car.

    Should I just keep it as a back up? Taxed till April too..
    Should I sell it for what it's worth?

    I'd love to get into motorsport/racing, I'm so tempted to set the Mx-5 up as a track car now.. but it's almost too good, would I be better off even selling that to put money into a track car like a Sheane or just a Ford Zetec?

    What do you think?
    I know this is a bit of stupid question but well... here we are..

    Unless you're thinking about the XBox version you better lose that though.

    "Very soon we are going to Mars. You wouldn't have been going to Mars if my opponent won, that I can tell you. You wouldn't even be thinking about it."

    Donald Trump, March 13th 2018.



  • Options
    #20
    SwissToni
    Registered Users Posts: 146 ✭✭SwissToni


    MrMiata wrote: »
    1 shock absorber, 2 lower ball joints, 2 rear brake pads (not needed) and tracking (also not needed).

    If a mechanic replaced two ball joints and a shock absorber on my car and DID NOT do the tracking after it I’d be annoyed.

    If you think that’s a lot of money I think getting into motorsport is not for you.


  • Options
    #21
    hurikane
    Registered Users Posts: 688 ✭✭✭hurikane


    Can you PM the mechanics details? Need to get work done.


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  • Options
    #22
    Wildly Boaring
    Registered Users Posts: 3,629 ✭✭✭Wildly Boaring


    SwissToni wrote: »
    If a mechanic replaced two ball joints and a shock absorber on my car and DID NOT do the tracking after it I’d be annoyed.

    If you think that’s a lot of money I think getting into motorsport is not for you.

    Also do not buy a newer car.
    270 hardly put a spanner on the suspension of an f10- 5 series


  • Options
    #23
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 14,344 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    hurikane wrote: »
    Can you PM the mechanics details? Need to get work done.


    Was thinking the same! Sounds very reasonable.





    OP, if it were, id probably hold onto it for another 6 months. Could be worth it's weight in gold if you get up for work one morning and the MX5 doesn't start or some other unforeseen issue puts it off the road.


    If you're not stuck for the cash, i'd hold onto it as a spare for a few months. Once you're sure you don't need it, sell it on. You won't make money off it, but people buying cars for 1k are probably stuck for cash, and you will have inadvertently done someone out there a favour by selling a genuine motor to them.


  • Options
    #24
    Rows Grower
    Registered Users Posts: 7,822 ✭✭✭Rows Grower


    Deleted User wrote: »
    Was thinking the same! Sounds very reasonable.





    OP, if it were, id probably hold onto it for another 6 months. Could be worth it's weight in gold if you get up for work one morning and the MX5 doesn't start or some other unforeseen issue puts it off the road.


    If you're not stuck for the cash, i'd hold onto it as a spare for a few months. Once you're sure you don't need it, sell it on. You won't make money off it, but people buying cars for 1k are probably stuck for cash, and you will have inadvertently done someone out there a favour by selling a genuine motor to them.

    Oh no we're not.

    "Very soon we are going to Mars. You wouldn't have been going to Mars if my opponent won, that I can tell you. You wouldn't even be thinking about it."

    Donald Trump, March 13th 2018.



  • Options
    #25
    MrMiata
    Closed Accounts Posts: 393 ✭✭MrMiata


    Okay I'll hold my hand up and say I'm wrong.

    I'm going off what others have told me.

    I've dealt with this fella for years, never had an issue with him, this just seemed a little steep as he was saying it's not a big job.
    So I asked a few relatives when I got the price and I was told it's expensive.


  • Options
    #26
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 14,344 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    Rows Grower wrote: »
    Oh no we're not.


    I buy bangers myself, and I'm not overly tight for money. But a lot of people are. I doubt you can speak for anyone other than yourself..


  • Options
    #27
    monkeysnapper
    Registered Users Posts: 2,575 ✭✭✭monkeysnapper


    Christ.....

    A 2004 1.4 petrol golf with all that work done could last another few more years .... I garantee once you have a full NCT and give her a good clean and polish and show work done that car will sell no bother....

    I had a 2006 citroen c4 that I had all work done like urs and polished it to **** and the phone was hopping .... I advertised it on friday evening and I had 1200 in my ars pocket monday evening ....

    Theres always people looking for older well maintained cars ...


  • Options
    #28
    Back Home
    Registered Users Posts: 121 ✭✭Back Home


    Heres Johnny wrote: »
    Pretty shocked you're upset at a mechanic doing brake pads as they were advised by test centre.

    At this stage it looks like you're going to resent putting money into it and it has an nct every year now, you may well have to, brakes, tyres, servicing, wear and tear parts plus age related problems too.

    I'd say move it on and take what you can get for it. Running an older car is not cheap.
    Not really, get and old toyota it will go forever.


  • Options
    #29
    PsychoPete
    Registered Users Posts: 8,572 ✭✭✭PsychoPete


    MrMiata wrote: »
    So I asked a few relatives when I got the price and I was told it's expensive.

    There is the problem


  • Options
    #30
    Heres Johnny
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,738 ✭✭✭Heres Johnny


    Back Home wrote: »
    Not really, get and old toyota it will go forever.

    Maybe in Africa it will, in Ireland it will fail nct like anything else and incur bills to put it right which people, like OP, will not want to pay and the car is done for.


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  • Options
    #31
    9935452
    Registered Users Posts: 2,749 ✭✭✭9935452


    SwissToni wrote: »
    If a mechanic replaced two ball joints and a shock absorber on my car and DID NOT do the tracking after it I’d be annoyed.

    /quote]

    I was thimking the exact same.

    Op you got a lot of work done to the car cheap.


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