Failed NCT. Anyone care to give guess-timate on repair bill?

peteb2

Brought my 2002 Ford Focus in for NCT during the week.

It was an epic fail. its our second car so the wife uses it and it generally gets repaired as opposed to serviced. Went for the NCT and failed as follows:

Brake lines - offside front and rear - heavily corroded
Front suspension - Ball joints worn
Exhaust pipe - flexipipe busted
Brakes - sticking

I have send the sheet to my mechanic but he probably wont come back till next week and i'd rather be out of my misery now as to how far out of pocked I will probably be.

Thanks folks.

Mycroft H

Can't put a specific figure on it, but they're all easy fixes.

_Brian

I'd be expecting €500 ballpark.

peteb2

****!!!

Voodoomelon

_Brian wrote: »

I'd be expecting €500 ballpark.

Agreed, depending on what exactly needs to be done, but worse case i'd be budgeting for that.

Fiskar

_Brian wrote: »

I'd be expecting €500 ballpark.

I'd say 750 to 800 euro. A flexi and brakes took 350 from me recently, bushings and labour another 250, corrorded pipes and bleed brake system another 150 to 200.

peteb2

ok on the basis its 800 quid, am I better just not repairing it and trying to shift a 2002 Ford Focus 1.6 with 130k miles on it. And look at just moving up to a 2007 focus? Given the timing belt probably needs doing again in about 20k miles.

Bigus

I think move on , as insurance companies getting sticky over older cars.

ps an 07 focus is heading for 10 years old .

peteb2

Bigus wrote: »

I think move on , as insurance companies getting sticky over older cars.

ps an 07 focus is heading for 10 years old .

Yeah I work in insurance.

I know it is but cash is tight so cant jump up huge years!!

noel100

I got ball joints done today 80euro parts and labour. E18.50 ball joints each. If I got them from UK 13.50pounds for the pair and 4euro delivery Parcel Motel then tracking done for 30euro.

George Dalton

noel100 wrote: »

I got ball joints done today 80euro parts and labour. E18.50 ball joints each. If I got them from UK 13.50pounds for the pair and 4euro delivery Parcel Motel then tracking done for 30euro.

What car?

George Dalton

I'd say €500-600. Depends on exactly which sections of brake lines need replacing.

noel100

George Dalton wrote: »

What car?

C4 grand picasso

mullingar

George Dalton wrote: »

I'd say €500-600. Depends on exactly which sections of brake lines need replacing.

And what's wrong with the calipers....

George Dalton

noel100 wrote: »

C4 grand picasso

There's a lot less labour involved in replacing balljoints on your car compared to a Focus. Ford for some reason think that it is a good idea to rivet the balljoint into the wishbone. First you have to take out the wishbone and even then it takes a grinder, a hammer and a lot of bad language to get them out.

On your car you split the balljoint from the wishbone and then it simply screws out of the hub carrier. The whole job takes a fraction of the time compared to the Focus.

George Dalton

mullingar wrote: »

And what's wrong with the calipers....

True! Had forgotten about that bit!

Could be the guts of a grand if the discs and pads need doing along with a caliper if that's what's causing the brakes to stick, presumably it needs an oil & filter change too.

To be fair to your mechanic it's hard to price up what's what just looking at a fault sheet.

biko

peteb2 wrote: »

Yeah I work in insurance.

I know it is but cash is tight so cant jump up huge years!!

I'm sorry for your troubles, about having to work in insurance that is.


You can maybe shave some of that off by doing things DIY.
Are you handy?

biko

biko wrote: »

Are you handy?

I'd be thinking not given the state the car is in

peteb2

biko wrote: »

I'm sorry for your troubles, about having to work in insurance that is.


You can maybe shave some of that off by doing things DIY.
Are you handy?

Nope. Would struggle to hang a picture frame!

My thoughts are:
1) Don't bother fixing the car and see if I can get a few hundred for it as it stands. And pick up a 2007 1.4 for about 5k.
2) Pay the 800 and get it NCT and sell it. Would I make the money back on it?
3) Pay the 800 and keep it. But I'm wondering whether I'm getting into the land where I just end up throwing money at it every NCT.

peteb2

Augeo wrote: »

I'd be thinking not given the state the car is in

:eek::o

CarFan100

I'm assuming the emissions wasn't tested at all
You might want to be careful not to get caught with an emissions fail on the retest

peteb2

CarFan100 wrote:

I'm assuming the emissions wasn't tested at all You might want to be careful not to get caught with an emissions fail on the retest

Nope. Cos flexi pipe was shot so no point.

biko

If you sell it, even with those fixes, you probably won't get more than a grand for it. Maybe more if it has something special.
Focus cars are plentiful and insurance penalty for old cars will probably be a deterrent.

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars/Ford/Focus?year_from=2002&year_to=2002
http://www.adverts.ie/for-sale/cars-motorbikes-boats/cars/2/q_focus/enginesize_*-*/year_2002-2002/

Me? I'd fix it and drive it another few years until insurance gets more stupidly high.
Then again I can DIY to make it cheaper.

wandererz

OP, if you're in Dublin, i used Pro Auto Repairs on the Crumlin Rd for my NCT repairs after pricing a few other places. Haven't met a more honest mechanic and no exaggerated prices either. Give him a call or take it in to have a look.

peteb2

Thanks. But I have a fella I normally use. Has dealt with all the families cars. And he's guiding around the 700 mark. so I'm thinkings its time for it to go and just get the 2008 1.4 petrol model. Its only a second car in the house.

dodzy

peteb2 wrote: »

Thanks. But I have a fella I normally use. Has dealt with all the families cars. And he's guiding around the 700 mark. so I'm thinkings its time for it to go and just get the 2008 1.4 petrol model. Its only a second car in the house.

Probably best. You will not get the return on your investment selling afterwards, and that's assuming it passes emissions. Bang it off for €300 and be done with it.

And going forward, here are 2 words for you. Preventative & Maintenance