I think I'm losing the battle to keep my 172

[Gambler]

Crunch time for me. I have a 53 plate 172 which I have owned since new. It only has 16K miles on the clock and the MOT is due in 7 weeks and tax at the end of this month. The timing belts are also due to be replaced and reading through some posts I could be looking at a bill from £600 to £1000.

I only use the car for work during the week which is 20 miles per day as we use the family car at other times. The price of road tax and fuel is making this car expensive.

Do I part ex now (from research I’d be lucky to get £5K?) and go for a bigger diesel car or do I just take the pain of the maintenance bills and keep what is a very clean and original car?

Are there any more major costs after having the belts changed?


Thanks

 

[Fletcher]

I would keep it for a bit longer, as now is not a good time to sell.

 

[rclio2006]

Crunch time for me. I have a 53 plate 172 which I have owned since new. It only has 16K miles on the clock and the MOT is due in 7 weeks and tax at the end of this month. The timing belts are also due to be replaced and reading through some posts I could be looking at a bill from £600 to £1000.

I only use the car for work during the week which is 20 miles per day as we use the family car at other times. The price of road tax and fuel is making this car expensive.

Do I part ex now (from research I’d be lucky to get £5K?) and go for a bigger diesel car or do I just take the pain of the maintenance bills and keep what is a very clean and original car?

Are there any more major costs after having the belts changed?


Thanks

you would struggle to get £5k for it in a private sale...you would get close to £4k in a part-ex...

 

[oneseventwo]

Are there any more major costs after having the belts changed?

Nothing schedueled, but if it's anything like mine then you'll have to put with exhausts falling off, wheel bearings going, etc...

I would keep it for a bit longer, as now is not a good time to sell.

Agreed. Whatever you replace it with will probably still have the same issues at the same times, it will just be a bit cheaper to work on, so you could only be saving yourself about 20% a year on costs.

 

[Gambler]

you would struggle to get £5k for it in a private sale...you would get close to £4k in a part-ex...

Ill definitely be going the part-ex route. I may visit a few dealers/supermarkets and if that's all they're offering it'll make up my mind to keep it. I'm not giving it away !

Can anybody recommend a decent independent in the Chester/North Wales area that could change the belts?

 

[Gambler]

Nothing schedueled, but if it's anything like mine then you'll have to put with exhausts falling off, wheel bearings going, etc...

Had the exhaust replaced last month by ATS (£300) as it fell off. If I had the time to look into it further I would have gone for a stainless steel one but I was trying to take the cheapest option. Car now sounds like a tractor. Not happy.

 

[Gambler]

Nothing schedueled, but if it's anything like mine then you'll have to put with exhausts falling off, wheel bearings going, etc...

Had the exhaust replaced last month by ATS (£300) as it fell off. If I had the time to look into it further I would have gone for a stainless steel one but I was trying to take the cheapest option. Car now sounds like a tractor. Not happy.

 

[Timmay]

keep it for a bit mate

try and get the cost of the belts down by visiting a reno specialist rather than a stealership

 

[Edd]

I bought a 172 afew weeks ago that had already had its cambelt changed, got the reciept and they only charged the previous owner £325 (6months ago), but that didn't include aux belt, can't see that adding a lot to the cost. Bought the car from Bolton, so that isn't too far from you is it...

 

[Ali]

If you want to sell it, i'll snap your arm off for it! not for 5k tho!

 

[f0xy]

you would struggle to get £5k for it in a private sale...you would get close to £4k in a part-ex...

Ill definitely be going the part-ex route. I may visit a few dealers/supermarkets and if that's all they're offering it'll make up my mind to keep it. I'm not giving it away !

Can anybody recommend a decent independent in the Chester/North Wales area that could change the belts?

www.birchdown.com

 

[Gambler]

Ill definitely be going the part-ex route. I may visit a few dealers/supermarkets and if that's all they're offering it'll make up my mind to keep it. I'm not giving it away !

Can anybody recommend a decent independent in the Chester/North Wales area that could change the belts?

www.birchdown.com

cheers foxy

 

[Nick_D]

had it since new - so keep it - not worth it to trade it in!!!

going for a deisel would be like chopping off you knob!!!!

 

[Gambler]

had it since new - so keep it - not worth it to trade it in!!!

going for a deisel would be like chopping off you knob!!!!

lol

Nick when I first bought the car I was single and just been made redundant so treated myself as had always wanted an RS clio. 5 years on I'm a happy family man with 2 kids and a bloody huge mortgage due to moving house a few months back.

I feel a lot happier after readin this thread though. Never heard of birchdown before but they are local so may give them a go. Anybody else recommend? Any discount for members?

 

[Jamie]

You sound as if you live local to me (Great Sutton). If you did decide to sell I may be interested to come and take a look as I am looking to get a 172.

 

[Alex_225]

Keep it mate, by the sounds of it the car is spot on and you won't get a premium for that at the moment.

Get the work done and enjoy it mate. Gotta be done but would be so worth it.

 

[andyroo]

Keep hold mate. The current climate for selling is terrible, and selling privately you'll only have the price of the cambelt service knocked off your selling price so you may as well get it done.

 

[Gambler]

had it since new - so keep it - not worth it to trade it in!!!

going for a deisel would be like chopping off you knob!!!!

lol

Nick when I first bought the car I was single and just been made redundant so treated myself as had always wanted an RS clio. 5 years on I'm a happy family man with 2 kids and a bloody huge mortgage due to moving house a few months back.

I feel a lot happier after readin this thread though. Never heard of birchdown before but they are local so may give them a go. Anybody else recommend? Any discount for members?

Just done a search on birchdown and they come highly recommended on this forum so that's good enough for me !

Thanks all

 

[Neil G]

you would struggle to get £5k for it in a private sale...you would get close to £4k in a part-ex...

Ill definitely be going the part-ex route. I may visit a few dealers/supermarkets and if that's all they're offering it'll make up my mind to keep it. I'm not giving it away !

Can anybody recommend a decent independent in the Chester/North Wales area that could change the belts?

Part exchange your looking at 3/3.5k which is ridiculous

TBH in the current econmic climate and with it being such a low mileage example I'd hang onto it, not as if it costs a fortune in petrol to run.

 

[Middo]

lol

Nick when I first bought the car I was single and just been made redundant so treated myself as had always wanted an RS clio. 5 years on I'm a happy family man with 2 kids and a bloody huge mortgage due to moving house a few months back.

I feel a lot happier after readin this thread though. Never heard of birchdown before but they are local so may give them a go. Anybody else recommend? Any discount for members?

Just done a search on birchdown and they come highly recommended on this forum so that's good enough for me !

Thanks all

steve and andy will sort your cambelt change over. absolutely top guys :approve:

 

[The Chubby Pirate]

Its only expensive to have work done to a car if you dont know where to look.

 

[Jamesstone]

If your struggling with fuel prices, just drive it to work under 3,500 rpm, you will notice your fuel bill drop right down if you usally rev away often.. i do around 120 miles a week to work & back & can do that on £20, & thats paying for Shell V-power too at £1.20 a litre :dapprove: , i think, for the pwer you get there very good little cars, luxurys like xenons, leather seats etc..

Cambelt & aux can be sorted for under £500 at a specialist

 

[bmh.01]

Back in June I got 4.5k part ex for my 53/38k monaco 172 so it might be worth a little more than you think. You can ignore most of the prices on here tbh, you'd have to find what somewhere will actually give you.

 

[Ian_182]

Its a terrible time to sell at the moment

 

[Gambler]

you would struggle to get £5k for it in a private sale...you would get close to £4k in a part-ex...

Surely the part ex would depend on the price of the new vechicle? Just tried wewillbuyyourcar.com and they were offering £3,900 which has to be the bottom price.

 

[mini-valver]

The lads at Birchdown are brilliant mate, give them a call and get a quote before you rush into a decision. The car sounds immaculate so dont listen to the "its worth 4k brigade". I'd hold out for 5 easily.

 

[Gambler]

Ill definitely be going the part-ex route. I may visit a few dealers/supermarkets and if that's all they're offering it'll make up my mind to keep it. I'm not giving it away !

Can anybody recommend a decent independent in the Chester/North Wales area that could change the belts?

Part exchange your looking at 3/3.5k which is ridiculous

TBH in the current econmic climate and with it being such a low mileage example I'd hang onto it, not as if it costs a fortune in petrol to run.

Petrol's not the biggest problem it's the ever increasing road tax. If I changed to one of the £35 tax cars eg. a Fiesta diesel I'd be saving £50 per month in petrol, tax and insurance. Christ might even be able to get my sky put back on !!

 

[Gambler]

Just done a search on birchdown and they come highly recommended on this forum so that's good enough for me !

Thanks all

steve and andy will sort your cambelt change over. absolutely top guys :approve:

Had a quote and will definitely be letting these guys look after my car in future....................if I keep it

 

[Revels]

The way things are mate, it make sense to keep it.

As people have said, trade it in and you'll get £4k max. With a decent/advert pics you might have some joy at £5k private, but thats only with the belts done but then theres other 172's at £4.5k.. So its a losing battle really..

Birchdown will sort you out tho!

 

[Gambler]

The battle is won, booked into Birchdown next week

Thanks to everybody for the recommendations.

 

[Whiteley]

Good man. Birchdown highly recommended again from me, even 3 hours drive away!

 

[matttr6]

Just to even the bills out a bit, how about using it more?? Take the long route to work, maybe a trackday. As has been said, not worth that much at the moment. 182's are struggling to make £5.5k so I'd say you'd be lucky to get £4.5 private.

 

[benmore]

Petrol's not the biggest problem it's the ever increasing road tax. If I changed to one of the £35 tax cars eg. a Fiesta diesel I'd be saving £50 per month in petrol, tax and insurance. Christ might even be able to get my sky put back on !!

for the sake of 50 notes a month, you've got a much better car, which returns great performance and great mpg if you want it to.

12 quid a week, just £1.70 a day more than a diesel fiesta :rasp:

 

[Darren S]

Crunch time for me. I have a 53 plate 172 which I have owned since new. It only has 16K miles on the clock and the MOT is due in 7 weeks and tax at the end of this month. The timing belts are also due to be replaced and reading through some posts I could be looking at a bill from £600 to £1000.

I only use the car for work during the week which is 20 miles per day as we use the family car at other times. The price of road tax and fuel is making this car expensive.

Do I part ex now (from research I’d be lucky to get £5K?) and go for a bigger diesel car or do I just take the pain of the maintenance bills and keep what is a very clean and original car?

Are there any more major costs after having the belts changed?


Thanks

I think you're doing less mileage than you think! 20 miles per day doesn't add up to 16k from new, back in 2003.

Oh, and another thumbs-up for the Birchdown Boyz. Had my 48k service done there earlier in the year. Definitely good chaps.

D.

 

[Gambler]

I think you're doing less mileage than you think! 20 miles per day doesn't add up to 16k from new, back in 2003.

Oh, and another thumbs-up for the Birchdown Boyz. Had my 48k service done there earlier in the year. Definitely good chaps.

D.

Moved house in the summer Darren, it used to be only 6 miles per day, mostly queues. Now no queues and plenty of country roads

 

[jordan172]

The battle is won, booked into Birchdown next week

Thanks to everybody for the recommendations.

glad your keeping it mate. had my cambelt and aux belt changed there a couple of weeks ago. great price and quality of work

 

[MillerLight]

Imo if you have done such low millage you are not really getting the “fun” from the car. Is swap for a Aygo, 6K new (Or 0% over 3 years), 3 year warranty, £35 tax, low insurance, 60mpg, and spend other money on your family

 

[Chili Red]

Glad you're keeping it, good decision!

Imo if you have done such low millage you are not really getting the “fun” from the car. Is swap for a Aygo, 6K new (Or 0% over 3 years), 3 year warranty, £35 tax, low insurance, 60mpg, and spend other money on your family

Why do that? I do very low mileage in my Meg but I LOVE driving it, and as long as I can afford to run it, I'm keeping it!

 

[Darren S]

Moved house in the summer Darren, it used to be only 6 miles per day, mostly queues. Now no queues and plenty of country roads

Ah! I see.

Sounds like you've benefitted from the swap too!

Definitely don't sell m8. My car has been paid off for a bit now and apart from the drooling I get over the nicer looking Evo VI's - nothing out there is really tugging at me to sell and swap. I'm enjoying the 182 for what it is at the moment. Until that cambelt swap comes up - lol!

D.

 

[Fletcher]

The battle is won, booked into Birchdown next week

Thanks to everybody for the recommendations.

Good decision