When do you say enoughs enough :(

[Bailes1992]

I love my 406 to bits, it's got so much charecter and it means even more cause it's my first car. I've replaced the engine mounts, refurbed the injectors, two new trail arms, new front driveshaft, new wishbones, just bought new breaks etc etc and even more etc I've spend £800 on a car I bought for £700 Now the back ends knocking and crashing about and is fairly unstable at fast right hand bends and general high speeds but is great at cornering left I assume the rear shocks or something are knackered (well the N/S rear one at least) and if thats the case I want all four new shocks which come in at £175, then ontop of that I'l want to lower it because I don't want to put lowing springs on already used shocks so looking at another £350 at least. Is it time to send Bernard to the scrap yard in the sky or shall I just solider on?

Bailes

[steve_earwig]

You could scrap it, buy another car and start allllllllll over again

[HimBigChief]

I've been hoarding stuff since I got my 406 and picked up a pair of brand new front shocks for £25 posted, also picked up 2 new sets of lowering springs for about £30 a set posted all from eBay. It's worth while keeping an eye out on there as bargains pop up fairly regularly if you know where to look! It's always worth keeping on with the car as once you've replaced everything, you'll need to start all over again. It's just the way with second hand motors I'm afraid, but it's part of the fun!

[teamster1975]

I'd say it's better the devil you know as Steve says!
I've ploughed more into my 406 than I bought it for but it's such a brilliant car I'd rather keep it than get something newer.

[STALLED]

I've ploughed more into my 406 than I bought it for but it's such a brilliant car I'd rather keep it than get something newer.

Same.

But the devil is telling me to buy a Clio 182

[Welly]

Generally, once you start refurbishing a car like yours you should keep it and get your money's worth out of it.

Having said that I am the worlds-worst at throwing the towel in and jumping ship

You need to consider the important things like "is the car eating itself through tin-worm?" and "is the engine going to last another week?" that kinda important stuff.

All cars get through sussy parts. I think you should sit it out and look for an ebay bargain for your parts and build up the bits you need that way.

When you're young and enthusiastic about cars you want everything just-so but take it from me some jobs can and have to wait and if you focus too much on the cost of all these things you'd never step into another car.

My 406 cost me a huge amount and, looking back, I'd have been quids in (and really wished I had) buying an R/S reg 2.1td and accepting the odd £400 or £600 repair.

Really, unless you've got £7,000.00 to spend on something else I'd stick with what I knew best....

[StevieboyTD]

I love my 406 to bits, it's got so much charecter and it means even more cause it's my first car. I've replaced the engine mounts, refurbed the injectors, two new trail arms, new front driveshaft, new wishbones, just bought new breaks etc etc and even more etc I've spend £800 on a car I bought for £700 Now the back ends knocking and crashing about and is fairly unstable at fast right hand bends and general high speeds but is great at cornering left I assume the rear shocks or something are knackered (well the N/S rear one at least) and if thats the case I want all four new shocks which come in at £175, then ontop of that I'l want to lower it because I don't want to put lowing springs on already used shocks so looking at another £350 at least. Is it time to send Bernard to the scrap yard in the sky or shall I just solider on?

Bailes

Hang on, your getting a downer because through your own choice you want to turn a £40-£50 job into a £525 job?

[Bailes1992]

I love my 406 to bits, it's got so much charecter and it means even more cause it's my first car. I've replaced the engine mounts, refurbed the injectors, two new trail arms, new front driveshaft, new wishbones, just bought new breaks etc etc and even more etc I've spend £800 on a car I bought for £700 Now the back ends knocking and crashing about and is fairly unstable at fast right hand bends and general high speeds but is great at cornering left I assume the rear shocks or something are knackered (well the N/S rear one at least) and if thats the case I want all four new shocks which come in at £175, then ontop of that I'l want to lower it because I don't want to put lowing springs on already used shocks so looking at another £350 at least. Is it time to send Bernard to the scrap yard in the sky or shall I just solider on?

Bailes

Hang on, your getting a downer because through your own choice you want to turn a £40-£50 job into a £525 job?

When I change anything to do with the suspension I like to change both sides. I don't belive in changing one component on one side. So two new rear shocks. I also know that one of the front shocks was changed about two years ago so I want to change the two front shocks while I'm at it!

[sirwiggum]

I was the same with the Alfa. It only seemed like one part of the exhaust / electrics / suspension was replaced when another suspension knock or another exhaust blow would occur.

I totalled up the work that would be needed to get the car in half decent order, and together with my prettier half "suggesting" I get a more sensible car, decided to sell at a loss.

I ended up with the D9 406, which itself is getting to be one thing replaced, something else breaks. It is the nature of cars, but I will be happy enough to get it through the MOT in a few weeks, take it on the drive through England in July and then give it a good service before Autumn.

So it depends on yourself. You know your 406, buying another cheap 2nd had car is always inheriting someone elses problems, so do you wish to fix the ones you know about, or possibly buy an unknown?

If you are like me I always shoot myself in the foot and get bored very easily and start trawling auto trader / used cars ni / gumtree

[StevieboyTD]

When I change anything to do with the suspension I like to change both sides. I don't belive in changing one component on one side. So two new rear shocks. I also know that one of the front shocks was changed about two years ago so I want to change the two front shocks while I'm at it!

Doing both sides at the back makes sense, but what's wrong with the ones on the front? You're looking for faults that aren't there.

[Blue406]

The way I always look at it is this:

I get a fix on the price for the repair, then rationalise whether or not I can get another car as reliable, spacious and economic for the same ammount of money.
The answer has always been no so far.

There there is the knowledge of the car itself. As has been said, you know the car, its character, its quirks. Do you realy want to start again?
Who is to say the next one will be any better?

Such is the lottery of used car ownership.
The only time you can be guaranteed the new car will work, is when its brand spanking new. Even then, it's not 100% failure proof.

[steve_earwig]

Oh lord no. And perhaps it's been sitting around in an airfield for months. Or then there was that time when a batch of Escorts came off the production line with disks on one side and drums on the other.

[eoin27]

Such is the lottery of used car ownership.

So true, I was told when I got the coupe that there would be little to be done to it. Of course its me so heres the list of things to be done and things I did already

Paint Wipers
Replace Windscreen - done
Window Squealing very loudly
Passenger Mirror doing what it wants- done
Bonnet Need to be sprayed badly
Tear in drivers seat
Exhaust rattle (Coming from outlet manifold)
Door strap needs to be changed- done
Window switch broken- done
Headlamp adjuster broken- done
Cruise Control broken- done
Oil leak
Burning oil (Piston Rings. Not getting done)
Oil breather pipe needs replacing

Or then there was that time when a batch of Escorts came off the production line with disks on one side and drums on the other.

As in on the passenger side and drivers side????!!!

[sirwiggum]

Oh lord no. And perhaps it's been sitting around in an airfield for months. Or then there was that time when a batch of Escorts came off the production line with disks on one side and drums on the other.

Seriously!

Sounds like my old Ford Orion came off the same QA quality control line!

New cars may have issues, but at least they have warranties. But then, you are crippling yourself with debt and spending (and losing through depreciation!) thousands.

At least with a cheap used car, it is yours, and any upkeep you spend at least it wont be depreciating much more. (A £1500 car will still be worth £900-£1000 after 2-3 years ownership)

[mjb]

Such is the lottery of used car ownership.

So true, I was told when I got the coupe that there would be little to be done to it. Of course its me so heres the list of things to be done and things I did already

My £500 406 V6 saloon was pretty bang on when I sold it for the coupe, having had only a few consumables (brakes, tyres) replaced. My £1000 V6 coupe has got through about £250 in parts and needs another £100 or so to get it just right. My £2500 Golf TDI has already had £300 off me and still needs the best part of £1000 spending on it (including an oil change, at £10/litre for special oil!!! )

Don't ask about the amount of labour I've put into the coupe and golf so far

So yeah, in my experience, the more you pay for a car, the more it'll cost you after you've bought it


I still wish I'd kept the tubby estate though. I think I changed the brake pads and bought a set of tyres in 35,000 miles (1 year). It was solid, that thing *sniff*