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Les Hemmings - 12 Oct 2005 20:57 GMT

Well, E reg Volvo 240 2.3 petrol Estate (176,000 miles) went for MOT today
and it looks like £400 of welding plus some ball joints and a few niggly
bits to get it through... Paid £800 three years ago and it's cost us
nothing in repairs up to now...

Do I get the thing patched up and hope that's it for another few years or
scrap it and get a £500 - £600 motor to replace it?

I'm split here.. thinking it could turn into the car version of painting
the Forth Rail Bridge and start costing every year from now on. Or take the
views of the garage on board that it will stop the rot in it's tracks and
I'll have a solid car for only £500 without the hassle and risk of another
second hand motor.

Any thoughts? Any favourite cheapies out there to look out for? Perhaps I
could get something a tad quicker that doesn't roll like a cross channel
ferry at every bend.. :o)

Les

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James Sweet - 13 Oct 2005 04:16 GMT

> Well, E reg Volvo 240 2.3 petrol Estate (176,000 miles) went for MOT today
> and it looks like £400 of welding plus some ball joints and a few niggly
[quoted text clipped - 15 lines]
>
> Les

Welding? Is it rusting?
As much as I like to fix up older cars and keep them running, if there's any
serious rust (as in holes) in non-removable body panels the car is scrap.
For every patch of rust you find there's at least that much hiding elsewhere
and once that happens it spreads like cancer and the car is never nice
again.

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m-gineering - 13 Oct 2005 07:32 GMT

>...if there's any
> serious rust (as in holes) in non-removable body panels the car is scrap.
> For every patch of rust you find there's at least that much hiding elsewhere
> and once that happens it spreads like cancer and the car is never nice
> again.

You must live in a nice climate, to be able to nurture this viewpoint.
It's certainly possible to prolong the life of a car with some strategic
welding. Certainly with older Volvo's where bad patches are always
surrounded by sound metal. Now if it was an Alfasud...

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David Balfour - 13 Oct 2005 14:15 GMT

> Do I get the thing patched up and hope that's it for another few years or
> scrap it and get a £500 - £600 motor to replace it?

Personally I'd patch it up, buying a £500 car is always an unknown risk. You
could be lucky, but the two friends of mine that went down that route in the
last month have had much more serious problems with the new vehicle that
they would have otherwise had in my opinion.

At least you know your current cars history. The only thing I'd be warned of
is that I've had two Auto boxes fail in 240's at about 200,000 miles.
Manuals tend to go on forever.

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