Sigh...I hate cars...

[robmac]

I had a similar story and just got rid.i needed a car quickly and so i bought a car local to me that was on eBay and I won it for 240 quid.i bought it intending to use for the remaining 6 months mot/tax and then get a newer car but 3 years later it's been through 3 MOT's with only needing 3 new tyres and wiper blades!
I'm now intending to keep it as long as I can as an experiment!

 

[Raymond Lin]

I'm going to play devils advocate here.

The £1100 accident damage, why didn't you get that repaired on your insurance?
either way that's your fault and you need to take that out of the equation.

Reverse into the grass bank, your fault and you need to also drop that off the grid.

so basically you are looking at an expensive exhaust on an old car=maintanace
and 4 new tyres=service costs.

yes you can buy a new car and dump the cost but what if you just keep smashing your cars up?

Well, this is the breakdown.


The deer incident. Picture this.


Driving at night, 10pm, dark, in a country lane on a road that rise and dips with hedges on both sides. It is a national speed limit road, it was dry and I know the road, there are no houses either side, no cross roads so I do 60mph.


I see oncoming traffic and I slowed down to about 50mph, dipped my headlight for the car coming.


Then due to the combination of just gone over a rise in the road and on the way down a deer jumps out from a bush on my left, I BRAKED hard and just hit it. There was no way I could see it because A) the road rises and dips, B) it came out of the bushes C) I had to dipped my headlight so my viewing distance is limited which point A covers already also. This isn't a driving problem, anyone in the world would have hit that deer.


(not to mention 4 weeks prior the car has on 4 sets of brake pads and discs and also 2 new callipers) so there is no question on the car's mechanical aspect in braking. It also had MOT and service.


I did well to stop the car to a point where the bumper only had 2 cracks, lost the Toyota badge and cracked my number plate.


Why didn't I claim that on the insurance? Well, it did cross my mind, I do have comprehensive. But I didn't want to affect my premiums so I left it plus it looks fine on the outside and the car drives fine.


As for the reversing into a grass bank. Well, you couldn't see the bank in the mirror because it is so low, it is my fault but it was fixed for £50 and that welding job still holds.


The rust is just rust, not sure how that is my fault.

So no, I don't go around smashing my car up. The car has never been kerb, or has any parking scrapes or door dings.

 

[Mr Bump]

Yes but choosing to not claim on your insurance does not absolve you of the fact that the car is now worth less.
If you had taken the hit on your policy and had your car repaired you would be in a better position is what I am saying.

Your car is worth less because you chose not to get it fixed which is what you pay insurance for.
regardless of the possible increase in premium.

all the things you have listed amount to your own decision, accidents and service costs.
these items could easily happen to your next car.

I would suggest not bothering with tax , mot or insurance and go the whole hog and save loads.

 

[Raymond Lin]

Yes but choosing to not claim on your insurance does not absolve you of the fact that the car is now worth less.
If you had taken the hit on your policy and had your car repaired you would be in a better position is what I am saying.

Your car is worth less because you chose not to get it fixed which is what you pay insurance for.
regardless of the possible increase in premium.

all the things you have listed amount to your own decision, accidents and service costs.
these items could easily happen to your next car.

I would suggest not bothering with tax , mot or insurance and go the whole hog and save loads.

I am not bothered about the car worthing less, in fact, it could be worth zero for all I care (bought it for £6,500, 5 years, people buy a new car and lose that the minute they drive it out the door so I got my money's worth so to speak). I went into the decision of not claiming on the insurance with my eyes open knowing that my premiums got lower as a result, and money saved that way in the long run, it went down £200 last year. The moan isn't about the car worth less, it's more about the money needed to spend on it all in 1 go (MOT, Service, Tyres, Exhaust) which will equate to a large sum of money, and surprising to find rust on a 8 year old car too.


p.s. this discussion doesn't really bring the matter forward, other than you trying to tell me what I already know.

This is the car after I replaced the plate and put a new badge back on.

 

[Mr Bump]

You have already lost money on the car, get it fixed, serviced and replace the tyres and run it for as long as you can then.

 

[wyx087]

It's the pot holes! My car had to change front coil spring previous year MOT, and left suspension control arm this year's MOT. It has to be the pot holes.

Blame everything on the pot holes! OP's rust, pot holes! The deer must have came from the pot holes too!

 

[dejongj]

I am not bothered about the car worthing less, in fact, it could be worth zero for all I care (bought it for £6,500, 5 years, people buy a new car and lose that the minute they drive it out the door so I got my money's worth so to speak). I went into the decision of not claiming on the insurance with my eyes open knowing that my premiums got lower as a result, and money saved that way in the long run, it went down £200 last year. The moan isn't about the car worth less, it's more about the money needed to spend on it all in 1 go (MOT, Service, Tyres, Exhaust) which will equate to a large sum of money, and surprising to find rust on a 8 year old car too.


p.s. this discussion doesn't really bring the matter forward, other than you trying to tell me what I already know.

This is the car after I replaced the plate and put a new badge back on.

As highlighted, it really doesn't have to cost you as much money as you seem to think it does. A bit savvy on the shopping front and you can save hundreds.

 

[welshwizard645]

All the tyres above are XL - unless your Yaris is the size of a Lexus LS or you carry dead bodies or bags of concrete you don't need XL - unless that size tyre comes with that label as a default.

 

[mogsman]

Look around for places that can fabricate exhausts. They will use your old one as a template. You should be able to replace the rusted sections in stainless steel cheaper than you think. I have done this on a few cars, even my daily drive Rover. All I replace these days are the rubber exhaust hangers for a few quid. Most budget tyres are made by the big companies, so not much to worry about, unless your car has sports car performance.

 

[Raymond Lin]

All the tyres above are XL - unless your Yaris is the size of a Lexus LS or you carry dead bodies or bags of concrete you don't need XL - unless that size tyre comes with that label as a default.

I guess it is ?

 

[Peteaud]

Just before xmas i spanked over £1000 on a 3 year old Honda civic in service, mot, and tyres x 4, breakdown ins etc

Just blew another £102 on another tyre as a pot hole shredded one, the ins is due in march etc etc etc.

Cars are just cash cows, always will be.

 

[Peter B]

I just had a pair of 17inch Goodyear F1 tyres from Black Circles fitted last week for £151, so I'd maybe check that again. A Yaris with a 1.8 engine??? Madness. My 7 seat Verso only has a 1.6 engine and it's OK for a 7 seat family car, so a 1.8 in a Yaris seems like real boy racer territory, and the Yaris has no street cred with boy racers .......

 

[dejongj]

I just had a pair of 17inch Goodyear F1 tyres from Black Circles fitted last week for £151, so I'd maybe check that again. A Yaris with a 1.8 engine??? Madness. My 7 seat Verso only has a 1.6 engine and it's OK for a 7 seat family car, so a 1.8 in a Yaris seems like real boy racer territory, and the Yaris has no street cred with boy racers .......

hmmm it forms the basis of a special edition Aston Martin version. Engine 'size' really doesn't mean that much these days, you can have much more powerful smaller engines, and likewise sluggish larger engines. Toyota's hybrid setup uses their 1.8 vvt in combination with the batteries....

 

[Deleted member 49549]

My car, which the engine is sound, the gearbox is sound, it starts first time every time. It has only done 64k on the clock and just had 4 new brakes and pads and 2 pairs of callipers on less than 6k miles ago. It is a 2008 1.8L Toyota Yaris, it has climate control, keyless entry, iPod input. and if in good condition, it is worth £3k.

However, last May I hit a deer, there is a crack on the bumper, and the impact has pushed the radiator unit back about an inch into the chassis. The car drives fine, I mean I drove it up and down the country for the past 9 months. Got a quote for £1,100 to get a new bumper, respray, radiator unit rebuilt but since the car is drivable and you can't really tell on the outside I left it.

Then in July I reversed into a grass bank and snapped the catalytic converter off which the mechanic did a good welding job and put it back on.

Today I found 2 holes in the mid section of the exhaust and the rust is so bad, it looks like I need to replace the whole thing. The car also has a weird design that the mid section is a REALLY long one so it is estimated it will be about £600 to £700 in parts that needs to be imported in from Japan (because the model that I have is a bit rare). The holes being before the catalytic converter means it will fail the MOT.

It also needs 4 new tyres soon (I have already rotated them), and because it is on 17" alloys, they costs about £100 each for anything half decent. It is also due a service as well.

I am basically looking at £2k in work done minimum for a car that is worth £3k if mint...Everything is due in 2 months....I guess it's fate.

Sounds like a right PITA.

It seems that no matter what you spend on the car now, future bills may well be enormous due to the cars weird build. Time to get another one, see if a dealer will take it in part ex.

 

[Nod]

hmmm it forms the basis of a special edition Aston Martin version. Engine 'size' really doesn't mean that much these days, you can have much more powerful smaller engines, and likewise sluggish larger engines. Toyota's hybrid setup uses their 1.8 vvt in combination with the batteries....

Yup! The local dealer had a Cygnet in 2nd hand and wanted about £30,000 for it... IIRC, they introduced it to appease the powers that be who wanted all manufacturers to produce low emission vehicles alongside their flagship models.
High power from small engines is best shown in motorcycles - the Suzuki Hyabusa puts out 150 or so at the back wheel, having lost 25ish between the end of the crank and the rubber. From a 1300cc engine, out of the delivery crate... Early examples were capable of a touch under 200mph, again, out of the crate. Chuck on a couple of extras and it's a 200mph vehicle - if you've got massive cojones and a suitable stretch of track!

 

[AJQS]

I just had a pair of 17inch Goodyear F1 tyres from Black Circles fitted last week for £151, so I'd maybe check that again. A Yaris with a 1.8 engine??? Madness. My 7 seat Verso only has a 1.6 engine and it's OK for a 7 seat family car, so a 1.8 in a Yaris seems like real boy racer territory, and the Yaris has no street cred with boy racers .......

A mate had an SR in midnight blue, lowered slightly on some nice gunmetal alloys and it looked very presentable indeed. With the 1.8 engine I'be happy to razz about in it, street cred or not! Sadly Toyota's brakes made of cheese of that era, crap rusting up rates and naff interior plastics put me off anything after 2000 from them.

 

[LC2]

it sounds to me as if other than the upcoming costs, you are happy with the car.
it also sounds like the car is working fine and you know the issues that it has. Other than the bumper/radiator, it sounds like it's in reasonably good nick.

It's MOT time and you have a few consumables to buy (I assume you'll also service it, so that a few more consumables to pay for over and above the tyres & exhaust).

What are your options?
1. Pay for the servicing, tyres & exhaust. (Looking at the quotes in the thread, £300 for tyres, up to £350 for a custom exhaust, Call it £300 for a basic service (oil/filters and not much else) so that'll see you to about a bag.

2. Chop the car in for something newer.
Cheapest 4yr old Yaris I could find on Autotrader (with Air) is £4.5k trade (and with what you've mentioned as damaged, you'll not get 2 bags for the car but assuming you do) so that's minimum £2.5k to buy something of unknown quality.

3. Lease - Personal leases for 1.0l Yaris's seem to be around £175pm + an initial payment).

Choice is yours, but I know what I would be doing (says the bloke in the 17yr old car that gets maintained properly even though the car is only worth £1.5k).

 

[boogie man]

I am not bothered about the car worthing less, in fact, it could be worth zero for all I care (bought it for £6,500, 5 years, people buy a new car and lose that the minute they drive it out the door so I got my money's worth so to speak). I went into the decision of not claiming on the insurance with my eyes open knowing that my premiums got lower as a result, and money saved that way in the long run, it went down £200 last year. The moan isn't about the car worth less, it's more about the money needed to spend on it all in 1 go (MOT, Service, Tyres, Exhaust) which will equate to a large sum of money, and surprising to find rust on a 8 year old car too.


p.s. this discussion doesn't really bring the matter forward, other than you trying to tell me what I already know.

This is the car after I replaced the plate and put a new badge back on.

Doesn't look too bad to me, although admittedly it's hard to tell from a small pic on a mobile screen. Are the cracks that bad it really needs a new bumper? What about using Chips Away or something similar and just having it patched up?
Kwikfit are surprisingly cheap on tyres and they'll come to your house or workplace to fit, same price as going into their depot too.

 

[Sarg0r]

I'd keep it and roll with it, maybe it's s better the devil you know type of scenario rather than buy something you have no idea of the history on

 

[andyred]

Thanks but i am not sure it is worth while with the limited time frame that I have left before the MOT due. I have to go to Amsterdam for a week in March, a wedding to shoot next week and a couple of other work trips on weekends planned. I think I have 2 weekends of window of opportunity to get it Part-Ex before mid April, don't think there is enough time to get the car to a place like that to have an exhaust designed, built and fitted.

Could be worth a couple of calls to the various places that make exhausts to see how quick / long it takes ?

Not sure how long it would take to import your exhaust if you were going to fix it before you part ex it - if this is the way your going, I think I'd be seriously tempted to patch the exhaust up to stop it blowing and go from there...

 

[nilagin]

It could have been worse, if you got the Aston Martin version of it the cost would be significantly more the price seems absolutely normal for an official alloy wheel.

There is no Aston Martin version of a Yaris. The Cygnet is based on the smaller Aygo. For a 17" official alloy wheel, £350 is very expensive. £200 would be a more reasonable price.

 

[nilagin]

Today I found 2 holes in the mid section of the exhaust and the rust is so bad, it looks like I need to replace the whole thing. The car also has a weird design that the mid section is a REALLY long one so it is estimated it will be about £600 to £700 in parts that needs to be imported in from Japan (because the model that I have is a bit rare). The holes being before the catalytic converter means it will fail the MOT.

Unless it needs a new cat as well, you should be able to get a custom made stainless steel one made up for less than £300 and should take no more than 3 hours.

 

[nilagin]

What are your options?
1. Pay for the servicing, tyres & exhaust. (Looking at the quotes in the thread, £300 for tyres, up to £350 for a custom exhaust, Call it £300 for a basic service (oil/filters and not much else) so that'll see you to about a bag.

How much? £200 would be over the top for a basic service, even at main dealer prices. £300 would be more than enough to pay for a full service.

 

[dejongj]

There is no Aston Martin version of a Yaris. The Cygnet is based on the smaller Aygo. For a 17" official alloy wheel, £350 is very expensive. £200 would be a more reasonable price.

Fair enough, I knew it was one of the small ones....Didn't realise it was even smaller I still think £350 is a very decent price for an official alloy wheel....

 

[Raymond Lin]

A mate had an SR in midnight blue, lowered slightly on some nice gunmetal alloys and it looked very presentable indeed. With the 1.8 engine I'be happy to razz about in it, street cred or not! Sadly Toyota's brakes made of cheese of that era, crap rusting up rates and naff interior plastics put me off anything after 2000 from them.

I bought my car at 20k, and the brake disc and pads basically die of rust, the car is now on its 3rd sets of disc and pads on all 4 wheels, the front 2 callipers' pins snapped off due to rust and had to replace them both. Not sure why they are so prone to rust !

1.8L in this car is quite useful and I like the fact that people thinks its just a normal Yaris and when needed I can pull away and overtake with little difficulty which is good.

Doesn't look too bad to me, although admittedly it's hard to tell from a small pic on a mobile screen. Are the cracks that bad it really needs a new bumper? What about using Chips Away or something similar and just having it patched up?
Kwikfit are surprisingly cheap on tyres and they'll come to your house or workplace to fit, same price as going into their depot too.

There are basically 3 cracks, and the bottom grill won't stay on, thee bumper is also pushed back by about an inch. Also for 2 months the horn stopped working....then it came back ! That was weird.

it sounds to me as if other than the upcoming costs, you are happy with the car.
it also sounds like the car is working fine and you know the issues that it has. Other than the bumper/radiator, it sounds like it's in reasonably good nick.

It's MOT time and you have a few consumables to buy (I assume you'll also service it, so that a few more consumables to pay for over and above the tyres & exhaust).

What are your options?
1. Pay for the servicing, tyres & exhaust. (Looking at the quotes in the thread, £300 for tyres, up to £350 for a custom exhaust, Call it £300 for a basic service (oil/filters and not much else) so that'll see you to about a bag.

2. Chop the car in for something newer.
Cheapest 4yr old Yaris I could find on Autotrader (with Air) is £4.5k trade (and with what you've mentioned as damaged, you'll not get 2 bags for the car but assuming you do) so that's minimum £2.5k to buy something of unknown quality.

3. Lease - Personal leases for 1.0l Yaris's seem to be around £175pm + an initial payment).

Choice is yours, but I know what I would be doing (says the bloke in the 17yr old car that gets maintained properly even though the car is only worth £1.5k).

Well, besides the car needing the work done, I do have plans to change it this year because I have grown to wanting a more comfortable car and quieter car. This isn't the best sound insulated car around so on the motorway I have to turn up my music quite loud to overcome the road noise. So the decision to change is more about do I throw money at this now, things like tyres and service when I won't get it back or put that towards a new car. Also something more comfortable would be nice too.

In terms of options. I don't think I will get another Yaris, the newer Yaris are not that nice, I've driven the odd one when I took the car in for a service and the dealer let me use theirs for the day. it's even more plasticy than mine. The newer ones are also slower, they don't put 1.8 engines in them anymore.

I'll probably go for option 2, with a higher budget. I prefer something newer than 08 plate, make no sense replacing a old car with another old car, i might as well fix this one if i do that. Not sure what yet.

 

[nilagin]

I still think £350 is a very decent price for an official alloy wheel....

For a semi decent lightweight aftermarket alloy, it would be, but not for a mass produced alloy that will probably weigh more than a steel rim. A different car manufacturer, but I bought an official manufacturers alloy for my car. 18" x 7.5" and it was only £230. The car has been out of production for 10yrs too, so it's not as if they will still be mass produced.

 

[dejongj]

For a semi decent lightweight aftermarket alloy, it would be, but not for a mass produced alloy that will probably weigh more than a steel rim. A different car manufacturer, but I bought an official manufacturers alloy for my car. 18" x 7.5" and it was only £230. The car has been out of production for 10yrs too, so it's not as if they will still be mass produced.

And which Manufacturer was that?

 

[Nod]

Guessing Volvo but I could be wrong...

 

[LC2]

How much? £200 would be over the top for a basic service, even at main dealer prices. £300 would be more than enough to pay for a full service.

I was going on a worst case scenario (and as the OPs car is a rarity, parts might not be dirt cheap).
But I agree, £300 for a basic once over is top end (Bottom end according to a certain *fast attaching* web site is around £60.

Reading further posts from the OP, he wants to move on from the Yaris.
Probably worth seeing what the likes of WBAC etc would give him.

 

[Phil V]

The exhausts been well covered above, so I'll just add, there's no way I'd fit OEM brake discs that have a reputation for rusting. Save your money and buy after market parts.

I think that's actually at the heart of this, OEM exhaust, tyres and brake parts aren't just more expensive, they're often of lesser quality too.


And a replacement alloy wheel that's not being paid for by insurance? 2nd hand is surely the obvious solution.

 

[Raymond Lin]

The exhausts been well covered above, so I'll just add, there's no way I'd fit OEM brake discs that have a reputation for rusting. Save your money and buy after market parts.

I think that's actually at the heart of this, OEM exhaust, tyres and brake parts aren't just more expensive, they're often of lesser quality too.


And a replacement alloy wheel that's not being paid for by insurance? 2nd hand is surely the obvious solution.

I did find one on eBay for £85 in the end but that when I had it on the balance it wasn't 100% true and round so I had to sent it back. Couldn't find another matching one in time so I had it refurbed in the end.

 

[Nod]

I was run off the road a few months back and kerbed a wheel. The refurb (including weld filling and heat treatment, repainting etc.) was £72 inc. VAT. Took 2 days, mainly for the heat cycles so I was told.

 

[nilagin]

Reading further posts from the OP, he wants to move on from the Yaris.
Probably worth seeing what the likes of WBAC etc would give him.

WBAC always offer below market value as well as charging another £75 for administration. They generally offer even less when they actually view the car. I got a quote off them once. They were £750 under what I got as a part exchange.

 

[nilagin]

The exhausts been well covered above, so I'll just add, there's no way I'd fit OEM brake discs that have a reputation for rusting. Save your money and buy after market parts.

I think that's actually at the heart of this, OEM exhaust, tyres and brake parts aren't just more expensive, they're often of lesser quality too.


And a replacement alloy wheel that's not being paid for by insurance? 2nd hand is surely the obvious solution.

I recommend Next Day Brakes. They are an official supplier for Brembo brakes. They have a range of brakes for each model of car and as the name suggests, next day delivery.

 

[LC2]

WBAC always offer below market value as well as charging another £75 for administration. They generally offer even less when they actually view the car. I got a quote off them once. They were £750 under what I got as a part exchange.

Agreed, they have to make money somewhere (hence offering on the low side), but it would be wrong to exclude all options especially when the car has been in a shunt and had the rad shifted backwards.

 

[nilagin]

And which Manufacturer was that?

Car was a Ford. Wheels are made by Ronal a recognised wheel manufacturer. The wheel comes with a new valve, 5 wheel nuts and a centre cap too.
For over £300 you should be looking at a 20" wheel, not 17".

 

[dejongj]

Car was a Ford. Wheels are made by Ronal a recognised wheel manufacturer. The wheel comes with a new valve, 5 wheel nuts and a centre cap too.
For over £300 you should be looking at a 20" wheel, not 17".

Wow, you haven't lived much have you? Which country do you live in? A 20" Ronal wheel for £300? You are having a laugh....Besides that, how much do you think Japanese parts are? Any experience with those?

 

[andya700]

What Khumo, Avon, Nexen, Toyo budget ditch finders? Seriously?

There are Avon ZV5 available in the OP's size from Tyreshopper at £67 each - fitted - £268 for 4. They are a good sticky tyre in sun or rain and last quite well. A radiator specialist will do the rad. Get a secondhand bumper and have it sprayed up.

 

[broc]

Plastic bumpers can sometimes be 'welded' too.

 

[dejongj]

There are Avon ZV5 available in the OP's size from Tyreshopper at £67 each - fitted - £268 for 4. They are a good sticky tyre in sun or rain and last quite well. A radiator specialist will do the rad. Get a secondhand bumper and have it sprayed up.

Exactly, and likewise with the exhaust. Having one made does not cost a lot.