Is it worth repairing ??????????

I have a 96 P reg 300tdi. I bought her in Dec 07 for £2,000 with 11 months mot, 106,000 miles on the clock & she had just had a top end rebuild . She has lived on my caravan site since doing an 800 yard tow to launch my boat about 20 times. Other than that the only mileage she has done was to a garage for an mot & service at the end of last year so she has done less than 200 miles since I"ve had her. The mot is due again in about 7 weeks & this time I think she"ll need some work. Although she has been thoroughly hosed off after each trip to the beach 3 of the brake cylinders are now seized & the rear arches (the bit that"s just covered by the rear doors) are rusted through & who knows what the mot will find underneath. The engine, gearbox, transfer box, hi-lo, all electrics etc are fine.
My dilema is that to get her to an mot station the brakes will have to be sorted, the cylinders are very rusty looking where they have been dipped in the sea so don"t know if it"s a seal kit or new cylinders. The caravan site will not allow me to do any work on her on site due to health & safety reasons & site insurance. I have enquired about having her transported to my home so that I can sort the brakes myself but the cost is extortionate (120 miles)
Any thoughts/advice gratefully recieved or if anyone wants to take her off my hands get in touch (taxed till end of Oct, mot"d till end Nov).

headlight

headlight said:

I have enquired about having her transported to my home so that I can sort the brakes myself but the cost is extortionate (120 miles)

headlight

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Whether you get her fixed up or scrap her, ultimately you'll need to move her from the site so it may be a cost you have to bear. Hopefully seeing as you hosed her down, it might only be a bit of welding on top of the brakes to do.

headlight said:

I have enquired about having her transported to my home so that I can sort the brakes myself but the cost is extortionate (120 miles)

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If you don't mind me asking, what sort of price were you quoted for transportation?

Kraig said:

If you don't mind me asking, what sort of price were you quoted for transportation?

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£296 plus VAT so about £340. Then I"d have to sort the brakes, possibly another £200 if it needs 3 new calipers. So that"s £540 to take it to fail an mot plus whatever it"s going to cost to get through the mot.
Other than the brakes mechanically & electrically everything seems ok & it is a much better drive than my previous L plate Disco. I just feel that she may need some serious welding which won"t be cheap !

headlight

headlight said:

£296 plus VAT so about £340.

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Thats very excessive for a 120 mile trip. Have you tried shiply.com? I ended up with a quote of around £240, to bring a P38 up from Devon to me in Scotland, worked out around 488miles! Might be worth a try to see if you can get it cheaper, to save yourself a few quid?

Kraig said:

Thats very excessive for a 120 mile trip. Have you tried shiply.com? I ended up with a quote of around £240, to bring a P38 up from Devon to me in Scotland, worked out around 488miles! Might be worth a try to see if you can get it cheaper, to save yourself a few quid?

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I tried Shiply a few weeks ago but have not had a quote. They work on making up a load & having deliveries/collections in the area where the vehicle is. Unfortunately mine is 20 miles from the nearest town down country lanes & some single lane track. The chances of a lorry having a collection or pick up in the vicinity are slim.
If she just needs a couple of hundred quid spent to get through the mot plus transport & brakes I am still looking at about spending about £750 on her minimum.
I would of thought that mot"d she"s worth £1,200-£1,400 (although you see p regs advertised for £2,000 !).
If I had the room at home I would think that the most cost effective option would be to break her for spares myself but unfortunately that is not an option.


headlight

sounds like a lot of work and hassle to sell it at the end of it, consider selling as is

nathan5346 said:

sounds like a lot of work and hassle to sell it at the end of it, consider selling as is

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That"s what I"m leanining towards. Sell as is & buyer collects from caravan site. Any idea what she is worth as she is ?

headlight

ive seen a few sheds go on ebay for 300-400 spares/repair

nathan5346 said:

ive seen a few sheds go on ebay for 300-400 spares/repair

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Believe or not she"s not a shed. Bodywork & interior are good everything works fine, hi-lo, dif-lok, no clunks, no smoke, the engine is really good. She"s been in the sea half way up the wheels no deeper & thoroughly washed after. There dosen"t seem to be any noticeable rust on the chassis or underbody (although I"ve only had a quick look & not had a good prod). Other than the brake calipers & rear arches there may well not be a lot wrong with her. It just an awkward situation having her somewhere I can"t work on her & a chunk of cash to bring her home.
If I can get someone to bring her back a lot cheaper I may see if I can get away with a set of caliper seals & see how she does on the mot.
If not bad I"ll mot her & sell as I would prefer an old series for what I use her for.

headlight

Hiring a trailer might be cheaper ...

Tiltbed Trailer CT166 Hire at UVR (Usk Valley Rentals)

For £300 I'd be tempted to hire a trailer myself and move it for you ..

Join the AA (if not already a member, or have a friend on site who is a member), "find" a transmission fault and call the AA to recover you home.

Can't you join the RAC then drive her to the edge of the caravan site then get her towed home - you may need to do something like remove some crital part that the RAC man can't see so he can't fix her but it would get her home.

austen said:

Join the AA (if not already a member, or have a friend on site who is a member), "find" a transmission fault and call the AA to recover you home.

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I believe the vehicle would need to be taxed and motted for the AA to tow you

Sirus said:

I believe the vehicle would need to be taxed and motted for the AA to tow you

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First thread says taxed and MOT until end of Oct/Nov

Well...That'll teach me to read propper......why dont he drive it to a very very local to the caravan site garage to sort the brakes out then.

Yup AA is the bestest option....dont even need to damage it....just tell them your brakes are dodgy and you are on your way home....free recovery

Sirus said:

Yup AA is the bestest option....dont even need to damage it....just tell them your brakes are dodgy and you are on your way home....free recovery

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same if you mention gearbox, they will send a low loader straight away, no need to wait for the silly van to come out just to call the lowloader.

Mention yer steerin went all funny an slack a swivel bearin joint off so you got sum play innit

Sirus said:

Well...That'll teach me to read propper......why dont he drive it to a very very local to the caravan site garage to sort the brakes out then.

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Unfortunately the nearest garage that does repairs is 20 miles away & the lanes to it are very very hilly otherwise I would do that. I have thought about hiring a trailer but don"t think my Fiesta would tow a trailer with the Disco on.

headlight