car with dent - worth it?

shifty_uk · 25 Nov 2008 at 00:12

I've came across a fairly nice car, good price, low mileage and seems to be in very good condition but it has a minor "dink" on the drivers side door!

I'm thinking this could possibly be a pain in the backside to get sorted and perhaps not worth the time or money?

[TW]Fox · 25 Nov 2008 at 00:14

Define 'minor dink'.

agw_01 · 25 Nov 2008 at 00:14

The dent could probably be sorted with minimal effort and for a small fee (around £30) by a dent man.

How big/deep is the dent?

edit... Doh

shifty_uk · 25 Nov 2008 at 00:20

Not sure, haven't actually seen the car yet. I was just thinking, is it really worth the time? It's described by the owner as a 'minor dink' so I'm not sure. If it was of a reasonable size, for example how much money/effort would it take on repairs?

[TW]Fox · 25 Nov 2008 at 00:21

This thread is fail. If its a minor dink of course it can be removed. Instead of fussing about something so daft which can quite easily be fixed why not tell us the more important aspects of the car so we can really tell you if its worth buying.

shifty_uk · 25 Nov 2008 at 00:25

Well Mr Fox, as a first time buyer, I'm not entirely sure how these things work. I could go out and spent a couple of grand on a car, only to find out it'll cost me £500 more repairing a silly dent on the side of it.

Clarkey · 25 Nov 2008 at 00:27

there is no way a minor dink will cost anywhere near that much to repair. Anyway, if it's a 2k car who cares about minor dinks, all 2k cars have dinks you can't expect perfection for this price.

Phate · 25 Nov 2008 at 00:30

@Clarkey - Why not?

[TW]Fox · 25 Nov 2008 at 00:33

Please dont make this into a thread where I have to... support Clarkey.... :eek:

But he's right. And Phate is wrong.

Phate · 25 Nov 2008 at 00:36

[TW]Fox;12961509 said:
But he's right. And Phate is wrong.

I remember Lostkats Golf being in mint condition, and that didn't cost 2k?

[TW]Fox · 25 Nov 2008 at 00:37

Phate said:
I remember Lostkats Golf being in mint condition, and that didn't cost 2k?

No, you remember seeing photographs of Lostkats Golf. Photographs don't pick up things like small dinks from trolleys and whatnot.

Phate · 25 Nov 2008 at 00:41

[TW]Fox;12961524 said:
No, you remember seeing photographs of Lostkats Golf. Photographs don't pick up things like small dinks from trolleys and whatnot.

Fine, fair point. But saying you cannot expect something to be mint for 2k I don't agree with. Yes in general nearly every car has some form of shopping trolley dent etc but at the same time there are mint examples around.

[TW]Fox · 25 Nov 2008 at 00:42

You won't find cars in showroom condition for £2k. Infact, even 'minters' are not in 'showroom condition'.

Phate · 25 Nov 2008 at 00:46

True, could discuss further but it's not my thread to ruin, apologies to the op

What car is it out of interest?

Lopéz · 25 Nov 2008 at 01:06

Kate's Golf is in very good condition for a 1987 car, but it is miles from mint.

That said, it doesn't have any dents. Neither does the Manta. But neither are in showroom condition.

@op - don't bother repairing the dent?

Solari · 25 Nov 2008 at 01:15

If it's a first car, it's likely to see a few more "dinks" in the first year so I wouldn't worry about it if it isn't hugely noticeable.

As for repair, if it's just a small dent then a dent specialist will be able to do it on the cheap. If the metal is creased it'll be a bit more of a problem and will probably be a filler and spray job.

Meridian · 25 Nov 2008 at 07:45

There is also the issue that a seller's idea of a "minor dink" is likely to be a lot bigger than a buyers. I would guess we are talking at least two inches long.

But I agree that in most cases there are far more important things to worry about on a £2000 car, and yes, the OP will probably pick up a few more.

M

Tesla · 25 Nov 2008 at 08:04

If it really is minor then it will be about £30 to have smart repaired and I would get it done for the sake of £30.

Would I allow a minor dink to influence my purchase of a car, absolutely not.

eidolon · 25 Nov 2008 at 08:06

For the price you've got to expect one or two smaller marks

<rant>
I hate however how some sellers like to describe their cars as "immaculate" when they're plainly not. I went to see an RX8 the other week which was supposedly immaculate and there wasn't a single panel on it which didn't have a dent, scuff, scratch on it. The front bumper even had a massive gauge out of it yet they'd neglected to tell me about any of that. I'm just glad I only travelled a few miles across Bristol to see it as the poor guy who was viewing after me was coming from Norwich.

shifty_uk · 25 Nov 2008 at 08:39

Phate said:
What car is it out of interest?

Following on from my insurance troubles thread I've still been looking at >2002 Clio's, it still seems to be the cheapest on the insurance.

Solari said:
If the metal is creased it'll be a bit more of a problem and will probably be a filler and spray job.

That's what I was worried about, I wouldn't mind paying £100 or over repairing it but if it's going to end up being a total nightmare then I wouldn't bother.