Is my 300Tdi worth saving?

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TskLandyLady

New Member
Posts
6
Location
Berks/Bucks
It's been a leech since about day 3 when the gearbox died (2.5k to recon it and do other "stuff" :rolleyes:). That was Dec 2005 and I dare not total up what we have spent on in since (in for a penny, eh?) but it always made more sense to fork out the few hundred/odd grand here and there :)doh: mugged) as it was worth more to us than what it was worth to sell. Last straw is it's failed it's MOT on welding (2nd time - last time was about 4 years ago) For it's last MOT we spent about 1400 (don't ask me what on, my husband knows more about this sort of stuff) but I am sure that included another new clutch. MOT station have said it would be about £950 and to scrap the car, but... what can you buy for £950 nowadays? Probably get £50 scrap, so it makes more sense to weld it, no? The main thing is will it be safe with alot of welding? At what point is it just too much of a patch up? I love the ol' banger (my first car and was my wedding car!) and don't want to replace it with another dud (better the devil you know etc etc)

Anyone know a good welder in Berks/Bucks? :D
 
What needs welding?

£950 sounds a bit steep, it better be a lot or somewhere really hard to get to for that money.

Fleebay as a spares vehicle. If you've spend that much, the running gear must be in reasonable nick and will be worth more that £50 to someone. You should be able to get a ton for the engine on it's own.
 
just a thaught but your local college may be able to help, speak to the head of mecanics/fabrication and see if they can use it as a teaching aide.

or use an agricultural engineer as they normally do welding for far less than a car garage or if your really lucky one might offer you to do it on the weekend ;)
 
Lyndon said:
just a thaught but your local college may be able to help, speak to the head of mecanics/fabrication and see if they can use it as a teaching aide.

or use an agricultural engineer as they normally do welding for far less than a car garage or if your really lucky one might offer you to do it on the weekend ;)
Click to expand...


I'll ask the local college, thanks. I read about someone doing that and was planning to ask them to use husbands v12 banger, er, Jag as a practise car already :rolleyes:

Is that a typo? I am not welding my own car. Ikea flatpack is the peak of my skills. I think you meant someone might do it on the weekend for me... not sure of the ;) though, am I missing a trick here? :D:confused:



I will get the MOT failure essay in abit and type out what it says, I am sure it's the seatbelt points again in that list.

I am reluctant to sell, even if it's for all of £600 :banana: ,if it's not a really stupid idea to get it fixed.

I don't want the bottom to fall out on me or anything!
 
I should add the welding is the tip of the iceberg - the rooflining is like a mexican hat on my head, my husband tried to fix the central locking and broke a door card and the boot door card, I need the small glass pane replacing of the rear door (cheaper to get a whole door it seems from "fleabay") :5bwilly_nilly: and I am sure it must need a new timing belt by now.... :beer2:
 
if you give us the exact wording on the fail sheet and maybe some pics of the rust wed have a better idea

at the very least get some more estimates... 950 sounds a lot for a car that passed 12 months ago.

if its welded properly for mot , the tester is certifyin that its as strong as new..in the testable areas

my h reg has been welded and will need more so ive bought a welder cos i dont like giving the garage money...
 
Sounds to me like you have been rather over charged by this garage for a while. Mind you as someone who does all their own work, I might be out of touch with prices. But even so £950 for welding !!! You could get a copy of the Blackpool tower made for that. As to scrap value, Steel is making around £150 per tonne at our local scrappy, so that would be around £300 for starters, or as has been said would be a fair bit of dosh in it for spares. But I'd rather cut off my left leg than give a garage £950 for doing some welding, the entire body would have to be hanging around the wheels on the ground to warrant that sort of cash.
 
TskLandyLady said:
It's been a leech since about day 3 when the gearbox died (2.5k to recon it and do other "stuff" :rolleyes:). That was Dec 2005 and I dare not total up what we have spent on in since (in for a penny, eh?) but it always made more sense to fork out the few hundred/odd grand here and there :)doh: mugged) as it was worth more to us than what it was worth to sell. Last straw is it's failed it's MOT on welding (2nd time - last time was about 4 years ago) For it's last MOT we spent about 1400 (don't ask me what on, my husband knows more about this sort of stuff) but I am sure that included another new clutch. MOT station have said it would be about £950 and to scrap the car, but... what can you buy for £950 nowadays? Probably get £50 scrap, so it makes more sense to weld it, no? The main thing is will it be safe with alot of welding? At what point is it just too much of a patch up? I love the ol' banger (my first car and was my wedding car!) and don't want to replace it with another dud (better the devil you know etc etc)

Anyone know a good welder in Berks/Bucks? :D
Click to expand...

Think I would get several quotes for the welding, prices will vary drastically from £20 per hour to over £50 per hour!
You are allowed a certain percentage of welding on your vehicle before the MOT inspector will not issue a ticket, this is normally because by welding plate on plate you make the vehicle too strong and in an accident it will not crumple like it is designed to, however you can have complete panels welded in removing the old panel and thus irradiate the problem with plates.
If the car has sentimental value I think you should keep it, I doubt you can replace it for £950?
 
Fan Cooled MIG Welder 150A | Screwfix.com

MIG welding—The basics and then some - Arc Welding Tech Cell - TheFabricator.com

Buy some sheet steel and get hubby practising, found that a staple gun is good for rooflinings (not pretty, but effective) without pictures I cant say much about doorcards see a rear glass on ebay recently

have a word with any mechanics in the local area if they fancy a bit of "on the side work" (I used to jump at the chance) As mechanics dont get payed overly well and may well be able to do the welding for you (depends on how much and access)

Timing belt is not an MOT failure though I would get it sorted ASAP if you have not had it replaced since you bought it.

Or you could sell it on fleabay as spares and repair!

hope this helps:D
 
PickUp90 said:
Think I would get several quotes for the welding, prices will vary drastically from £20 per hour to over £50 per hour!
You are allowed a certain percentage of welding on your vehicle before the MOT inspector will not issue a ticket, this is normally because by welding plate on plate you make the vehicle too strong and in an accident it will not crumple like it is designed to, however you can have complete panels welded in removing the old panel and thus irradiate the problem with plates.
If the car has sentimental value I think you should keep it, I doubt you can replace it for £950?
Click to expand...


Exactly, £950 (well, not £950 because that seems to much) should "buy" me a newly welded LR. That's what I've been saying for years! :D


I am not letting my husband loose with a welder, I'd be better at it than him ! :mil90: Tempting....

I was afraid someone would say staple gun the lining - I have tried all sorts of glue so I suppose it's the only way now...
 
Lyndon said:
just a thaught but your local college may be able to help, speak to the head of mecanics/fabrication and see if they can use it as a teaching aide.

or use an agricultural engineer as they normally do welding for far less than a car garage or if your really lucky one might offer you to do it on the weekend ;)
Click to expand...


Ha ha:hysterically_laughi, sorry i ment one of the garage boys might do it on the weekend/evenings for you for cash as wages are by no means reletive to how much the buggers charge for work!

although as any disco owner will tell you its wel worth learning to weld for yourself!
 
Lyndon said:
Ha ha:hysterically_laughi, sorry i ment one of the garage boys might do it on the weekend/evenings for you for cash as wages are by no means reletive to how much the buggers charge for work!

although as any disco owner will tell you its wel worth learning to weld for yourself!
Click to expand...



I would learn myself, but I know nothing about cars. Anyone around Berks/Bucks who knows how to weld - I make a mean bacon sarnie! :D

Seriously though, how would I get under the car? One of those skateboard things?
 
ricc said:
if you give us the exact wording on the fail sheet and maybe some pics of the rust wed have a better idea

at the very least get some more estimates... 950 sounds a lot for a car that passed 12 months ago.

if its welded properly for mot , the tester is certifyin that its as strong as new..in the testable areas

my h reg has been welded and will need more so ive bought a welder cos i dont like giving the garage money...
Click to expand...

No he's not, all he's saying is it hasn't got a rust hole in a prescribed area
 
PickUp90 said:
Think I would get several quotes for the welding, prices will vary drastically from £20 per hour to over £50 per hour!
You are allowed a certain percentage of welding on your vehicle before the MOT inspector will not issue a ticket, this is normally because by welding plate on plate you make the vehicle too strong and in an accident it will not crumple like it is designed to, however you can have complete panels welded in removing the old panel and thus irradiate the problem with plates.
If the car has sentimental value I think you should keep it, I doubt you can replace it for £950?
Click to expand...

Do you actually know what your talking about or are you another one of those eggspurts who actually knows **** all about the advice your giving out :(
 
just by reading your post and the cost.... have you always been to the same garage?

it looks to me like they found someone with a load of cash and just been ripping you off over the years... 2,5k for a recon gearbox and more bits?????
 
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