How much for this lot?

[Pale Rider]

Keeping an older car on the road costs money. I've paid similar bills to those set out by Pale Rider to keep a 150k mile 10yo Berlingo on the road. Almost certainly more than it was worth but we'd had it from new and intended to keep it another 5 years and/or to 200k miles. Cost a lot less than depreciation alone on even a secondhand replacement.

We have a good local French car specialist who's premises are convenient for my work or, when I worked in London, the railway station. Not that much cheaper then the franchised main dealer though.

Spending 'more than the car's worth' sounds daft until you consider the cost of the alternatives.

My bills are buttons compared to the £15,000 cost of a nearly new replacement car, which in itself would attract some service bills, albeit lower ones.

An independent garage might be a bit cheaper, but the work would not be free.

My limited researches indicate comparable costs may vary, the independent being cheaper for some jobs but not others.

For example, I saw a drive-in MoT place advertising MoTs for £30, the main dealer charged me £27.50.

 

[tyred]

It costs money to keep any car on the road. As the driver of an old car, I maintain it very well and people say why spend money on something that's worthless. I do the work myself so none of the bill are very big and certain thing like brake pads, tyres, etc will need to be replaced on any car, young or old as they wear out.

Other things like €50 I shelled out for the UJ joint on the steering column a few weeks ago, I know are a one off expenditure as if the first one lasted 215,000 miles, then it is most unlikely I will ever need to do that job ever again.

I look at it from the point of view that I have had the thing for many years, I know it's strengths and weaknesses. It suits my needs, service parts are dirt cheap, it is much more DIY friendly than anything in production today, I can coax 60mpg out of it on a run if I drive economically, despite high mileage, the engine is good and doesn't burn any oil, the gearbox and other mechanicals are good. The bodywork is starting to show it's age now but I think there is a while left yet as I can't find any serious rust and it went through test in February without comment.

I could go out and buy another cheap car with plenty of test left but I would quickly be back in the same situation as I am now there is always the possibility of buying a lemon no matter how carefully checked. I know what I have. I could buy a much newer car but I'd need to take a loan to do so and what I'd lose in depreciation would exceed what I've spent keeping my own car on the road and I am no longer commuting by car and don't do enormous mileage any more.

I am lucky in a way that I can and am willing to get my hands dirty to fix things because I think it's garages which are responsible for many older but still pretty decent cars being scrapped. A girl in my dance class was moaning about the quote from her garage to rebuild the brakes for the test on her '01 Renault Clio and that it was also done last year. The garage told it was necessary to replace all the braking components againas the car was so old. I didn't involve myself beyond suggesting she got another estimate from another garage because IMO (irrespective of the age of the car), if the brakes need fully rebuilt after one year, she has a) covered some serious mileage, b) drives it like an F1 driver going for pole position, c) the garage didn't do what they said they did (and charged for) last year or d) are talking rubbish and trying to charge for work this year which doesn't need doing. Of course the garage do have a much newer Renault Clio they could sell her...but I am cynical of the motor trade...