At what point do you call it quits on a car?

[Raymond Lin]

C30 T5 in today for new springs, top mounts, service, MOT. £1500. I dropped it off this morning but just got a call that they need to replace the ball joints (and the lower control arms x2*), taking the total north of £1900.

The car is worth...£5000-6000? I am going to do it anyway as they are all wear and tear parts and mechanically it is sound, better the devil you know and all that. At what point, or percentage when you move on to the next one?

* https://www.volvoparts.tmsmotorgroup.co.uk/lower-control-arms-158-c.asp

 

[Mr_Sukebe]

IMO is the “total cost of ownership”, by which I include not just fuel and servicing, but also MOT, tax and depreciation.
So for example, our last car had pretty rubbish fuel consumption, but averaged a depreciation of £700/year and had very few issues requiring major work.

For your C30, just do the maths.

 

[On Holiday]

£1500? Where did you take it? Seems quite excessive imo. Either way though, the T5 is a solid car for £5-6k, there isn't much movement besides laterally so it's one of those I'd run into the ground. Realistically you're not likely to get a bill like that again unless it's catastrophic.

 

[Dg834man]

Scrapped a 2003 focus in 2020 as the shell was rotten; sills, arches ect wasn't worth my time welding it up, had it just been mechanical issues i would still have it, i do all my own car repairs and struggling to see why the list you put up cost nearly £2k, if your willing to do your own repairs older cars can be very economic in a ongoing cost sense but the opposite can also be true if your paying someone to do all your repairs.

 

[Nasher]

If you fix it up, keep it. What will happen is you trade it in for another cheap car, then find that needs stuff doing as well. I made that mistake :/

 

[lordrobs]

My motivation to get shot has been, in order;
1) Terminal rust
2) The fact I could afford to insure something better
3) Panic at a relatively sudden 1L / 400 mile appetite for oil

In hindsight I should have got the last one fixed as it was an otherwise cracking car.

My old boss used to be a mechanic. He said the biggest mistake people make is to get suckered in to an attitude of 'I'll keep it another year because I've just spent a load of money on it' and that the best time to get rid is after you've just had a big bill because another one is just around the corner. Not sure I agree with that myself, I'd just keep it until you fancy something different.

 

[mccarf]

Had to make a similar decision last year when I had a €2k quote for work on my Avensis. Decided to trade it in for a Corolla hybrid as it had 290k KM on it and needed some other bits on top of the quoted work (full set of winter tyres etc). It was a bit of a shame as it had full Toyota service history, even at 12 years old. I didn't want to fall into the same trap as my old Civic which needed expensive work every 6-12 months.

I think there's no cut and dry way of looking at these things though, you might spend 1 or 2k and not have to spend anything more on it for years after other than routine servicing and consumables. Or you might be unlucky and it will need XYZ a few months after a big garage bill. In your case, since the rest of the car is mechanically sound, then I think you've made the right call.

 

[Nasher]

3) Panic at a relatively sudden 1L / 400 mile appetite for oil

If you ask VW/Audi that's a normal level of oil consumption on a new car. Totally nothing to do with them not building the engine properly

Not even joking.

 

[Yaayuh!]

How many miles?

Like I've said previously, C30 T5s in good condition have already bottomed out, the only way is up.

I'd fix it, keep it aside for fun driving now and then and let it appreciate. Get another car to do the leg work.

 

[Demon]

C30 T5 in today for new springs, top mounts, service, MOT. £1500. I dropped it off this morning but just got a call that they need to replace the ball joints (and the lower control arms x2*), taking the total north of £1900.

The car is worth...£5000-6000? I am going to do it anyway as they are all wear and tear parts and mechanically it is sound, better the devil you know and all that. At what point, or percentage when you move on to the next one?

* https://www.volvoparts.tmsmotorgroup.co.uk/lower-control-arms-158-c.asp

£1500 for paltry springs, top mounts, service and MOT seems uber excessive, and no wonder you might question at what point the car becomes unviable.

On paper, you have to go some to make in financially beneficial to buy a more expensive car with a degree higher depreciation etc..

Find a good indy/get a bit handy with spanners and you are probably in the best financial option right now.

 

[Raymond Lin]

How many miles?

Like I've said previously, C30 T5s in good condition have already bottomed out, the only way is up.

I'd fix it, keep it aside for fun driving now and then and let it appreciate. Get another car to do the leg work.

83k.

£1500 for paltry springs, top mounts, service and MOT seems uber excessive, and no wonder you might question at what point the car becomes unviable.

On paper, you have to go some to make in financially beneficial to buy a more expensive car with a degree higher depreciation etc..

Find a good indy/get a bit handy with spanners and you are probably in the best financial option right now.

I looked online, albeit not very hard, OEM springs (which is what I wanted) is like £150 each. As for a spanner, not sure that will work changing springs, don't you need some kind of compressor?

Coil Springs | Genuine OEM Volvo Parts — VolvoOEMPartsDirect.com | Volvo OEM Parts Direct

VolvoOEMPartsDirect.com has Genuine OEM Volvo Parts and Accessories at wholesale prices! Search by part number, keyword or VIN. Fast, easy shipping!

www.volvocarsoempartsdirect.com

2008-2013 Volvo C30 Coil Spring 30760684 | OEM Parts Online

2008-2013 Volvo C30 Coil Spring 30760684

volvo.oempartsonline.com

 

[Demon]

83k.

I looked online, albeit not very hard, OEM springs (which is what I wanted) is like £150 each. As for a spanner, not sure that will work changing springs, don't you need some kind of compressor?

Coil Springs | Genuine OEM Volvo Parts — VolvoOEMPartsDirect.com | Volvo OEM Parts Direct

VolvoOEMPartsDirect.com has Genuine OEM Volvo Parts and Accessories at wholesale prices! Search by part number, keyword or VIN. Fast, easy shipping!

www.volvocarsoempartsdirect.com

SO £150 for two springs, say £100 for two top mounts, should be around an hour a side labour (it's just springs after all), unless your car was a corroded mess.. so even with a generous £100 an hour labour (inc VAT), that's £450 all in..

Sad to say, price gouging on an obscene level is all too prevalent..

Is this main dealer or indy?

 

[Raymond Lin]

SO £150 for two springs, say £100 for two top mounts, should be around an hour a side labour (it's just springs after all), unless your car was a corroded mess.. so even with a generous £100 an hour labour (inc VAT), that's £450 all in..

Sad to say, price gouging on an obscene level is all too prevalent..

Is this main dealer or indy?

4 springs.

You forgot service and MOT, that’s around £250-300. And it’s an Indy.

 

[nlel1975]

4 springs.

You forgot service and MOT, that’s around £250-300. And it’s an Indy.

Don’t worry mate I’m less than useless with spanners too. If I was in your shoes I’d be looking at paying what you’ve been quoted. Not all of us are mechanically minded geniuses.

 

[Raymond Lin]

Don’t worry mate I’m less than useless with spanners too. If I was in your shoes I’d be looking at paying what you’ve been quoted. Not all of us are mechanically minded geniuses.

I found some OEM top mounts - About $50 each

Genuine Strut Mount for 2008-2010 Volvo C30 | Part# 31290285 | Over 30% Off All Genuine Volvo Parts & Accessories | Volvo Parts Counter

Find the right Strut Mount for your 2008-2010 Volvo C30 with Volvo Parts Counter. Part# 31290285. Not sure what you need? Use our VIN number search tool to find everything you need in one spot.

www.volvopartscounter.com

There are some 3rd party ones like this which is $80 in a pair

Front Upper Strut Mount Kit Builder P1 FWD C30 C70 S40 V50 for Volvo - IPD Kit Builder K21034

>Kitbuilder Ipd Kit Builder Front Upper Strut Mount P1 Fwd C30 C70 S40 V50 Suspension Mounts Bearingsk21034

www.ipdusa.com

That is like £600 for springs at £150 each, £200 for top mounts, so £800 in parts...

 

[jellybeard999]

£150 per spring? i.e. £600? I'm assuming you're wanting "genuine Volvo parts"? A quick google suggests you can get 4x Eibach or Bilstein springs for £200-£250, so there's a good saving if you are willing to forgo the Volvo stamp. I'm all for quality parts and wouldn't recommend you get some random ebay springs etc, but these are OEM quality parts and IMO you're mad to spend £400 extra for Volvo stamp. Especially if it's making you consider whether the car is viable to maintain.

These give a 30mm drop, but that'll be from stock height on a non sport model - i.e. if yours is a sporty trim, the drop will be less. These are very conservative and won't be harsh/crashy.

Eibach Pro-Kit Performance Spring Kit - Volvo C30

Please note: All spring lowering amounts are measured off the Standard chassis, this would not include models such as sports, Sline and Msports for example which may come lower from factory, you will need to take that measurement off of our measurement to give you an approximate drop. PRO-KIT |...

algperformance.co.uk

"All spring lowering amounts are measured off the Standard chassis, this would not include models such as sports, Sline and Msports for example which may come lower from factory, you will need to take that measurement off of our measurement to give you an approximate drop."

 

[Raymond Lin]

£150 per spring? i.e. £600? I'm assuming you're wanting "genuine Volvo parts"? A quick google suggests you can get 4x Eibach or Bilstein springs for £200-£250, so there's a good saving if you are willing to forgo the Volvo stamp. I'm all for quality parts and wouldn't recommend you get some random ebay springs etc, but these are OEM quality parts and IMO you're mad to spend £400 extra for Volvo stamp. Especially if it's making you consider whether the car is viable to maintain.

Yup, I want to keep the car stock, they had to order them from Volvo in Sweden.

I am not questioning whether it is viable, I have committed to the work already, I am just asking at what point do you guys normally throw in the towel.

 

[Removed User 345456]

It's hilarious what a garage will rape you for these days!
I bet they're pulling the old "we only fit parts we supply cause we get a backhanded cut on the mark up on that too" routine...

It's mental when you think for your price you could have serviced it yourself and bought the top mounts/service parts and some decent £1200-1400 coilovers - not that you'd want coilovers on a car like that, but it is still insane that you 'could' pay that disgusting amount they're quoting you for far less quality/amount of parts which are just being chucked on 83k old shocks that WILL still blow/leak/fail soon, then have to take them apart and rebuild them with new shocks again so it passes the next mot/is safe.

I never cease to get a kick out of how much I save whenever I do anything on my cars, even if the job is a pig it's always worth it, personally I like treating myself to new tools with the money I save in labour, and still having extra money left afterwards. Once you have a nice selection of manual and electric/air tools, you can pretty much do anything, then you just need to learn to weld/have a mate who does and you can keep anything forever.

 

[Removed User 345456]

£150 per spring? i.e. £600? I'm assuming you're wanting "genuine Volvo parts"? A quick google suggests you can get 4x Eibach or Bilstein springs for £200-£250, so there's a good saving if you are willing to forgo the Volvo stamp. I'm all for quality parts and wouldn't recommend you get some random ebay springs etc, but these are OEM quality parts and IMO you're mad to spend £400 extra for Volvo stamp. Especially if it's making you consider whether the car is viable to maintain.

These give a 30mm drop, but that'll be from stock height on a non sport model - i.e. if yours is a sporty trim, the drop will be less. These are very conservative and won't be harsh/crashy.

Eibach Pro-Kit Performance Spring Kit - Volvo C30

Please note: All spring lowering amounts are measured off the Standard chassis, this would not include models such as sports, Sline and Msports for example which may come lower from factory, you will need to take that measurement off of our measurement to give you an approximate drop. PRO-KIT |...

algperformance.co.uk

"All spring lowering amounts are measured off the Standard chassis, this would not include models such as sports, Sline and Msports for example which may come lower from factory, you will need to take that measurement off of our measurement to give you an approximate drop."

Yep and Eibach are one of the best and will **** on whatever soon to snap/rust again ford/volvo generic crap they're using, 90% of the time made by a cheaper brand just rebadged.

However the OP would then have to declare his car as lowered/modified which at the current time might not be allowed on his current policy, thus causing the ball ache of cancelling early/fees to do so and loosing any NCB being currently built up into this years policy, then changing to a modified company.

 

[Armageus]

Personally I don't see the issue with the repair bill - it's age related suspension components that almost any car of the same age could need.

You'd need to spend considerably more than £1900 to get something else reliable that doesn't also run the risk of age related repairs