Broken timing belt destroyed engine. Worth doing an engine swap or should I scrap?

Mr Rhode Island Red · 21-08-2018 12:53am #1

Looking for a bit of advice

Bought a 2005 Mk1 Seat Leon 1.4 petrol in April for €1000, it was well looked after but last week the timing belt gave in while on the motorway and this has killed the engine. Particularly sickening considering I hadn't the car long and had to pay €200 to get it towed home.

I have bought another car in the meantime, and don't intend to drive the Seat again myself, but I want to try and recover as much funds from it as I can.

A few have told me that it's not worth fixing, that I should scrap it, get maybe €100 from it and cut my losses.

The other option is getting a mechanic to swap or rebuild the engine and then trying to sell the car.

How much would a job like this cost roughly?

Following this, could the car be sold at a price that would warrant getting it done in the first place?

So should I scrap it, or get the engine swapped and then try to sell?

Any and all advice appreciated

johnayo · 21-08-2018 12:56am

Cut your losses now and leave it off. It's not going to be economically viable.

Mr Rhode Island Red · 21-08-2018 1:07am

johnayo wrote: »

Cut your losses now and leave it off. It's not going to be economically viable.

So you're saying I wouldn't be able to make any real money back if I swapped the engine and tried to sell?

the_syco · 21-08-2018 1:17am

Mr Rhode Island Red wrote: »

So you're saying I wouldn't be able to make any real money back if I swapped the engine and tried to sell?

I did a search for Seat Leon's on DoneDeal. All private 1.4 Leons were €1,000 and below.

The cost of the engine itself, plus the labour fitting it; I'd say you'd get little (if any) profit.

V8 Interceptor · 21-08-2018 1:23am

Mr Rhode Island Red wrote: »

So you're saying I wouldn't be able to make any real money back if I swapped the engine and tried to sell?

Not a hope.

Scrap it.

johnayo · 21-08-2018 2:34am

Mr Rhode Island Red wrote: »

So you're saying I wouldn't be able to make any real money back if I swapped the engine and tried to sell?

Highly unlikely you'd make it back,

kindalen · 21-08-2018 8:34am

If you have the time, space and are bothered you could part it out.

Lord Nikon · 21-08-2018 10:51am

For the money you would spend on fixing it, you may well have another Leon for the same money. People selling motors for €1000 probably do very little repair/maintenance, and have got to the stage where their driven into the ground. Saying that, I have sold cars for less which were driving fine when I sold them.

Interslice · 21-08-2018 12:19pm

You would be taking a punt at the replacement engine working properly and passing the emmisions test

Scrap it and steer clear of 1.4 VAG engines of that era.

TheBoyConor · 21-08-2018 12:22pm

Not a hope in hell you'll be able to repair it and sell it without losing money.

Just sell it for parts or scrap it for whatever money you can get and move on.

Gregor Samsa · 21-08-2018 3:17pm

I've had to replace engines in two cars. Cost a grand each time (engine and labour). Given the car cost a grand with it's original engine, and you're already down €200 on towing costs, I can't see how replacing the engine would be worthwhile. Personally I wouldn't bother doing it again even on a car that was worth 5K.

Mr Rhode Island Red · 21-08-2018 5:05pm

Looks like I'll be advertising it for spares or repair and then scrapping it. Going to empty the fuel tank to recover whatever petrol is left and then throw up an ad on donedeal and a few car buy/sell groups on facebook to see if anybody wants parts out of it, then scrap whatever is left.

It's annoying but at least I hadn't too much money sunk into it before it died

Thanks for all the advice

TheBoyConor · 21-08-2018 5:09pm

...to see if anybody wants parts out of it....

No.
Why would you do that? It's hassle and more importantly, you'll end up with a carcass that has all the desirable pieces taken out of it and it'll be hard to shift without paying someone to take it away.

Just sell it to take away as a whole for whatever you can get. €100 or even €50.

Selling bits is a nightmare because it's hassle. You'll have to take time out of your day to come meet fellas who want an alternator or whatever and then they either don't show up or they do show up only to say "aww, crap, that's a bit different to the one I need, sorry mate". Why would you bring that level of hassle on yourself?

Water John · 21-08-2018 5:13pm

Similar did mine two months ago. €1,100 incl 2nd hand head. Scrap it.

TheBoyConor · 21-08-2018 5:16pm

Could you take the number plates off of it and just leave it somewhere?

firstlight · 21-08-2018 5:22pm

Take the headlights,taillights and anything else decent of it
Ring any scrapyard and ask to get it taking away
Should be free
Mine was for a shell

Water John · 21-08-2018 5:25pm

Wouldn't bother unless you have the same make replacement car. They'll be there in your way for years.

firstlight · 21-08-2018 5:31pm

That's true
70% of my car shifted
Still a corner in shed with tdi parts
Your not looking for injectors by any chance haha

selectamatic · 21-08-2018 5:51pm

firstlight wrote: »

That's true
70% of my car shifted
Still a corner in shed with tdi parts
Your not looking for injectors by any chance haha

Its all about knowing whats in demand. If your injectors were arl 150bhp ones they'd be long since sold. Whereas 100bhp ones aren't wanted by anyone really. All depends on the part.

Its a tricky one op.

If you've the space and time there's no harm in breaking a car and it will return money. But if you don't view it as a hobby or a pastime then its really not worth the hassle.

Parts for mk4 golf's, bora's, Octavia's, leon's and toledo's are always somewhat in demand but it has slackened considerably the last while.

If you simply want rid try and trailer it to a local scrappage co. Prices aren't too bad at the moment depending on who you go to.

firstlight · 21-08-2018 6:10pm

selectamatic wrote: »

Its all about knowing whats in demand. If your injectors were arl 150bhp ones they'd be long since sold. Whereas 100bhp ones aren't wanted by anyone really. All depends on the part.

Its a tricky one op.

If you've the space and time there's no harm in breaking a car and it will return money. But if you don't view it as a hobby or a pastime then its really not worth the hassle.

Parts for mk4 golf's, bora's, Octavia's, leon's and toledo's are always somewhat in demand but it has slackened considerably the last while.

If you simply want rid try and trailer it to a local scrappage co. Prices aren't too bad at the moment depending on who you go to.

Well said
Their avb 100 bhp injectors 3 left
Like u said even avf or Awx would be quicker sellers
Exactly what u said about the hobby or past time too
I would do more myself but just don't have the space

Gregor Samsa · 21-08-2018 6:29pm

TheBoyConor wrote: »

Could you take the number plates off of it and just leave it somewhere?

That would be a pretty scummy thing to do.

V8 Interceptor · 21-08-2018 6:51pm

selectamatic wrote: »

If you simply want rid try and trailer it to a local scrappage co. Prices aren't too bad at the moment depending on who you go to.

I've an old Hyundai to get rid of that runs but needs a good bit of work to get her roadworthy. Do you get more if you drop it off at the yard?

I got rid of a Civic earlier in the year & had it collected and got I think 40 quid.

firstlight · 21-08-2018 6:55pm

V8 Interceptor wrote: »

I've an old Hyundai to get rid of that runs but needs a good bit of work to get her roadworthy. Do you get more if you drop it off at the yard?

I got rid of a Civic earlier in the year & had it collected and got I think 40 quid.

Ring around your local places and get a price for collection or delivery

Del2005 · 21-08-2018 6:55pm

V8 Interceptor wrote: »

I've an old Hyundai to get rid of that runs but needs a good bit of work to get her roadworthy. Do you get more if you drop it off at the yard?

I got rid of a Civic earlier in the year & had it collected and got I think 40 quid.

If they collect they have to take the cost of the trip out and back to you from the scrap value as there's no margin in scrap. If you get it to them then they can't charge for collection. Just make sure you get a legit Vehicle End of Life Cert.

selectamatic · 21-08-2018 7:08pm

It's really down to the place you're dealing with but yes more often then not you'll get more if you can get it to the yard. If you can gather up a full load for collection then usually they'll give ya a good price too.

Ringing around is the only way to know for sure.

There's been an increase in the we'll collect your scrap car for free crowds on DD so that's usually a sign prices are fairly decent.

Broken timing belt destroyed engine. Worth doing an engine swap or should I scrap?

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