Used car for used bike advice.

[allantheboss]

Hello.

My girlfriend has a 1998 Ford Escort Ghia 1.6. 58,000 miles, engine is sweet, cosmetically really good, well cared for. New brake discs and pads. The gal would like to make the switch from cars into the motorcycling world (everyone say hurrah!) even after these ridiculous legislation changes. Alas, she took the car for an MOT and it was rejected because of a "corroded subframe". I owned the car this time last year, and it flew through the MOT with no advisories, so this must have been overlooked back then.

We thought the car would be worth £700-800, but now due to this frame issue, as far as we can think, her options are:
1. Get £200 to scrap it.
2. Pay £800 to get it repaired.
3. Pay £350 to "temporarily"(?) fix it. Apparently this will last about a year?
4. Take it to the place where I got the MOT last year and hope they pass it so we can lie about the frame on eBay and sell it for more. (Which we will not do).

Can any of you wise ones think of any other options? We're only 22 years old and probably have much less experience than many of you! She wants a cheap used classic/ER5/GS500 kind of first bike. I thought that some dealer may take the car as part-exchange for a bike, which might work out to getting more than £200 for the car? How would we go about selling it for parts (if that's plausible)? Anybody on here want to buy it?

And in my dreams: Are there any mechanics or places that people know of where we can donate the car to be turned into some awesome kitcar or something? I'd so totally invest in that awesome idea.

Thanks!

[rb8989]

Depends how bad it is.

Theoretically, you could sandblast and seal using one of those overly thick underseals and noones any wiser without stripping it. It looks thick, clean and well kept, saying you had the car undersealed.

Depending on how bad it is, that could be really dangerous though so I'm not suggesting you do that.

My 1989 polo is still passing mots.

[BanannaMan]

It's a used car. You're not required restore the car to new specs prior to selling.
If £350 will make it pass MOT, I'd do that and then sell it.
(and not feel bad about it)

If it's a nice looking car with new MOT, I'd ask the same price as any other used cars like yours are selling for. Probably in no worse condition than other of the same year and model.

And really, who's to say how long the temp repair will last?
They're just trying to get you to spend the £800.


Oh and do get a GS500. Great bike that's fun to ride. :thumright:

[Specialone]

Don't take a mot garages word for it, I've seen some horrendous inconsistencies between them, wasn't kwik fit or halfords was it?
They sense an inexperienced driver and they will pile on the 'faults', I've had a few try it on with me over the years when trying new MOT stations, I've smelt the flying male cow poo a mile off so stick with same one now.

I would have a look under the car yourself, if it is just surface rust, that is not a failure, wire brush it off and paint with underseal.

Maybe take some pics, along with myself there are plenty of clued up people on here that will know if it is a failure or not.

[Kenzie]

I had been taking my car to one garage for a few years and never had issues with mot. Took it to a main dealer last time and it came back with advisory for 3x brake lines showing corrosion, headlight plastics cloudy and excessive handbrake travel. It all depends how attentive the inspector is. What might be ok for one guy would fail with another.

[yorkie_chris]

Have you had a look?

[dirtydog]

Don't take a mot garages word for it, I've seen some horrendous inconsistencies between them, wasn't kwik fit or halfords was it?
They sense an inexperienced driver and they will pile on the 'faults', I've had a few try it on with me over the years when trying new MOT stations, I've smelt the flying male cow poo a mile off so stick with same one now.

I would have a look under the car yourself, if it is just surface rust, that is not a failure, wire brush it off and paint with underseal.

Maybe take some pics, along with myself there are plenty of clued up people on here that will know if it is a failure or not.

I completely agree with Specialone, get under it and have a look yourself or if your not sure what you're looking for post some pictures up. Any bad rust will normally be marked with what looks like yellow crayon!

[NTECUK]

Your looking for somthing like this

[allantheboss]

Thanks a lot chaps and chapettes! I'm nowhere near the car, it's in Stratford-upon-Avon and I'm in London. She's left the car with her parents, and they have a mechanic friend down the road who gave the options of temporary repair and scrapping; an honest opinion as far as her family are considering.

I'll ask her to take pics so you can use your judgement. It is kinda true that these things should be expected in a used car, though..


Any news on the Ford Escort-to-kit car conversion idea? :D ;)

[yorkie_chris]

By the way most testers will view any fresh undergunk with suspicion for when people try and hide the rotten bits.

[NTECUK]

Yep . your better of getting done properly as this holds the front stealing /suspension on!

[yorkie_chris]

If they do a decent job welding it up there's no reason it shouldn't last well