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

[radderfire]

If I think I can keep the car on the road for another year and don't expect any major issues, I usually pay to fix the old car. Given the price of cars these days, I think it's often overall cheaper to fix the one you've got, and worthwhile if you like the car. I can be prepared to use non-OEM parts if I think they are good enough and the car is getting old.

 

[Raymond Lin]

@Raymond Lin is there not a nice owners group you can find on a Volvo/Ford forum or social media page and befriend someone to do it for you? At a time/place that suits you both?

99% Of any enthusiast groups have many people like this local to you or not far who are whiling to help/recommend someone or a place, who knows one of them might even work for Ford/Volvo and be able to get you the OEM parts at trade price, I have met many people like that when I first started out with cars, find someone that's got a unit/lift/welder and you have an angel for life if you sort them out for doing it/time on the ramp etc...

They'll also 99.9% time happily teach you stuff if you're interested, show you how to do 1 side, then you do the next under their safety/supervision. That's the difference between real car people and those that just buy it off the shelf and not expect it to break/pay others, there's a different level of passion/interaction/respect for the car/trade/skill of it, and I've never met anyone who isn't keen to help/share that knowledge/help.

Most will end up becoming genuine friends too and help you for free or some beer money, cars bring people together big time, you just got to get your foot in the door and meet like minded people.

My entire point throughout my posts in this thread has been to try and help and motivate you to get involved learn/or find a better solution if you're not comfortable doing it yourself, not to slate you, I just think it's disgusting what goes on with ripping people off these days.

I appreciate the help, I really do and I do see where you are coming from. But the only "rip off" here isn't from the garage, but more Volvo pricing their parts, springs at £150 ?! That is the egregious part, I don't have problem paying £400 for the labour.

But since Volvo parts cost what they cost and I do want Volvo parts, I am not complaining.

 

[gc123]

as i read it the op has already given the go ahead to the garage, and doesnt feel confident to do the work himself.
so no point in keeping on about it.
i do all my own servicing and repairs but have a mechanical background , the op maybe a expert in a different field.
yes i found it strange that just springs were being replaced with top mounts, but not the shocks, guess thats a future bill waiting.

as far as when enough is enough i guess when the chassis is so far gone i cant patch it any more although probably like many here i may have gone past that stage with some vehicles.
having owned and restored classics as well as modern cars you just tend to keep going sometime heart rules head.

 

[Removed User 345456]

I appreciate the help, I really do and I do see where you are coming from. But the only "rip off" here isn't from he garage, but more Volvo pricing their parts, springs at £150 ?! That its he egregious part, I don't have problem paying £400 for the labour.

But since Volvo parts cost what they cost and I do want Volvo parts, I am not complaining.

You're welcome, I'm not the best with words but my hearts usually in the right place

Yeah OEM parts are often a con price wise, I'd as I said before give Volvo a ring directly and see the prices they quote, you might be pleasantly surprised, I often find stuff is cheaper directly, they'll often offer to post bigger items to, should collecting them be too far away from your local dealership/not suitable due to work hours etc etc...

I would also ring a few other places and see what they quote all in, again you might get lucky.

But trust me when I and others have said before, that most OEM is usually rebranded existing brands with a hell of a 'scene tax' on the price as we call it, just like for example you'll find a lot of ///M and Type R parts are shared across the normal models, yet you'll ring up and mention you have an M3 or Type R and pay 'M/Type R tax'... Yet if you rang back with the reg of another car that shares that part, it'll often be half the bloody price

See if there is any owners groups/forums you can join and ask if anyone there can do it cheaper/works for Volvo/Ford... You genuinely would be surprised how often enthusiasts who work for the company do frequent the owners clubs/groups/forums.

I have a man on the inside at Honda and BMW for example, who both I met from just owning either and asking around... It turned for example a £290 key into £190... Always worth an ask about

IF not, have you had a nose about to see if anyone on ebay/owners groups is breaking one of yours for parts or one that shares the same suspension (as that video I linked you showed, a lot of Ford/Volvos share your suspension) you might get lucky and find someone selling a set of good condition shocks fully assembled, or OEM top mounts/shocks/springs separate, that you could have a garage fit?
People often will punt stuff on when upgrading to coilovers... Worth a look.

 

[jellybeard999]

I can understand the OP wanting a garage to do the work and not wanting coilovers. These options are not in consideration for most people for various reasons.

But I can't get my head around the insistence on Volvo parts vs another quality OEM such as Eibach or Bilstein for a fraction of the cost. It's not as though Volvo make the part.

I think everyone has given their advice and the OP has made his mind up, so I'll leave it at that.

 

[Rroff]

Depends a lot on how much you like the car and/or how easily you can replace it.

The Navara probably worth ~8K now, I've spent about 6K recently keeping it running (EDIT: Aside from the turbo intercooler and the discs and pads most of the rest to be fair was replacing suspension components, etc. I'd given a hard time off-road) and still a good chance chassis corrosion will call time on it sooner rather than later. The Qashqai, Tiguan or some other bog standard car if it started throwing up £1000 bills would be gone.

 

[Jiffy]

I usually never buy parts from the vehicle manufacturer but got a surprise when buying Honda Civic rear ARB bushes to find that Honda ones were the cheapest! Sometimes manufacturers are ok with their pricing but most times I look for Lemforder or Meyle parts and buy them.

 

[nlel1975]

I took my old Smart car to an independent for a major service and they informed me that the rear shocks needed replacing at £110 each + fitting. So I ordered a set of Bilstein shocks from Autodoc for £100.19 for both including delivery.

The main dealer were quite happy to fit the shocks I supplied at a cost of £103.95. Saved a few bob there…

 

[Rroff]

I took my old Smart car to an independent for a major service and they informed me that the rear shocks needed replacing at £110 each + fitting. So I ordered a set of Bilstein shocks from Autodoc for £100.19 for both including delivery.

The main dealer were quite happy to fit the shocks I supplied at a cost of £103.95. Saved a few bob there…

Shocks are a mixed one - often they aren't that expensive or difficult to change (depending if front or back and the setup) but one of the component dealers love charging massive markup on.

 

[Nasher]

I don't think I've ever replaced springs with stock ones. Get a set of Eibachs, they do improve the ride as long as you don't buy the "racing ones". You may also need to change the bump stops as well when lowering a bit.

Unless it's a Porsche or Lotus etc the OEM springs are likely cheapo ones marked up massively.

 

[Dg834man]

Vehicle manufacturers make nothing but the body shell, they get everything from OEMs.

 

[jpaul]

Some examples.
- I wanted to refresh my suspension on my E46 M3 - Main Dealer and Indy wanted £2800+ for all 4 control arms, track rods, springs, shocks, mounts etc..
I went to ECP, bought lemforder control arms, drop links and track rods, Bilstein OEM rate B4 shocks and springs for £650. I paid a specialist garage to fit them for £300

that sounds like an incredible deal - or a while back ? (a spreadsheet a while back in bm thread ?) alone aren't the rear + front shocks 150+300 + springs 150

 

[geekman]

I can totally understand not wanting to work on your own car. Yes, it saves you money, but it's definitely not for everyone and I try to avoid it as well unless there's no other practical option.

OEM parts do not have to be from a Volvo parts supplier. In many cases, parts from Eurocarparts, ebay etc are manufactured by the same company that manufactures the OEM parts and I've even received parts with the car manufacturer logo scratched off. Parts from the OEM supplier are completely identical and will provide the same performance as parts from Volvo.

I can understand not wanting to fit cheap parts, as they can often be a false economy when they fail a couple of years later, particularly if you're paying a garage for the installation. Quality parts are definitely the way forward, but insisting on Volvo parts from a Volvo supplier is madness unless you have a money-no-object attitude to car maintenance, which you clearly don't as you're unhappy at having to pay £1900 for repairs.

 

[Akagi]

Do the shocks at the same time otherwise its a waste of time, and don't bother with genuine for that kind of part, just get them from whatever manufacturer Volvo use, or a well known brand. KYB ones are £35 each.

Shocks, springs and top mounts should be a £200 do it at home in a couple of hours on the driveway job, not £1500 and re-using the old probably half knackered shocks!

edit; on second thoughts, don't do the shocks, that will probably cost you another £1000 if you insist on genuine.

 

[Mikeyboy]

I can understand wanting to use genuine Volvo parts. Having owned an S60 for the last 15 years, which is known to eat suspension components, I've found genuine Volvo parts last longer.

I would however have had the garage change the struts as well, because if they're changing springs, top mounts (and lower control arms as an additional) it all has to come apart anyway. So once in there it would have been worth doing if they've got 83k on them. Unless of course they've been changed previously not that long ago.

 

[Demon]

that sounds like an incredible deal - or a while back ? (a spreadsheet a while back in bm thread ?) alone aren't the rear + front shocks 150+300 + springs 150

Yeah, let me check..(actual invoices)

Bilstein B4 OEM spec, £296 for all 4
Lemforder suspension - (all 4 arms, drop links and track rod full assemblies) - £642
Springs are unclear, I had £60 down looks like those might have been 2nd hand.
I have a quote for sachs OEM springs £94 for 4 however, those are new.

So around £1050 for the entire car. Vs £2800-£3100 for a garage to supply fit, and the bill from the garage was £200 to fit..

 

[Berger]

Home mechanics fine if you are confident in doing it when it goes wrong.

You’re one snapped bolt or rounded bolt from a several day project or making it unfeasible to do yourself as you suddenly need a blow torch or a massive power impact gun to get things undone.

However id also be doing what everyone else says. Buying new OEM equivalent parts from ECP or GSF and fitting those (or having the garage supply but you stipulate the make is even better). Would be available off the shelf or next day and at reasonable cost - £600 on springs is unreasonable.

 

[jpaul]

If you are confident about the part identification , can get the parts and give them to the garage too, which is what I did for rear springs,
which are harder to DIY than the rear shocks I diy'd;
yes garage won't be the warrantying the parts but not a big risk.

(I'd have gone billstein rather than Monro + kilen springs at above price)

 

[Jiffy]

Vehicle manufacturers make nothing but the body shell, they get everything from OEMs.

Fun fact: Back in the 205 GTi days, Peugeot used to make their own shock absorbers. Very much the exception though!

 

[Jonnycoupe]

Vehicle manufacturers make nothing but the body shell, they get everything from OEMs.

You mean Tier 1 suppliers?