Advice needed please

[Greyone]

My J reg Elan is in the garage for cambelt and a service but the garage has come up with a whole list of things that need doing before it will pass the MOT. The bill amounts to £4k. Even then the drivers window doesn't work, the clearcoat is peeling in odd places and the hood and frame are not in the best of condition. I am planning to sell the car anyway but do I pay the £4k and hope to get it back or do I try and find someone to take it on as a project? Any advice would be gratefully received, thanks

[Tuga2112]

My J reg Elan is in the garage for cambelt and a service but the garage has come up with a whole list of things that need doing before it will pass the MOT. The bill amounts to £4k. Even then the drivers window doesn't work, the clearcoat is peeling in odd places and the hood and frame are not in the best of condition. I am planning to sell the car anyway but do I pay the £4k and hope to get it back or do I try and find someone to take it on as a project? Any advice would be gratefully received, thanks

personally i wouldnt pay more than 4k for a car that needs a respray. i doubth others would... because a full respray is an extremely expensive job.

im very curious as to the detailed list of work that amounts to that.... because we could be in business potentially

[Fredjohn]

I agree it would help if you could list out the potential MOT failure issues to allow an accurate assessment of what to do.

On top of those issues, a respray and new hood could cost you c£5k. Cambelt change DIY can be done for c£100, but via a garage 4 times that.

[Jamie N]

My advice FWIW....If you are planning on selling it anyway then cut your losses and sell it to Joao as is, the chances are the 4k being quoted by the garage will increase as they start working on it and they
will find more and more things needing attention, and even then it still might not pass an MOT. Save yourself a whole heap of hassle and sell it as a project.

You might end up spending say 5k on it and at the end of the day the car is worth 6k, doesn't tally up.

[Rusty Wishbone]

If you are intending to sell it anyway, I would say you should cut your losses and sell it on now to someone who thinks that they can do the work themselves.

[Greyone]

Thanks everyone for the advice. I now need to find someone who wants a project! Car is located in Tunbridge Wells but currently in the garage at Maidstone. I'll put it up for sale as it is in the For Sale section.