Hi

I have a 2004 Dynamic Panda and my local mechanic has told me it needs a new gearbox and I should take a chance on a refurb/2nd hand one for him to fit. Does anyone know the best places where I can buy one and what I should be looking for in a gearbox (besides as lower mileage as poss)?

How much should I be paying for the gearbox and how much is reasonable to have it fitted?

Thanks!

What happened to your gearbox?

Mileage isn't to much of an issue as they're 'normally' fairly good boxes.

eBay or scrappies are good places to look, price depends if you want a Warrentee or not. Anywhere from £200ish to £450 really.

MRBEN1977 said:

...and I should take a chance on a refurb/2nd hand one for him to fit.

Click to expand...

Yes, I'd say that's a reasonable way forward. I've done the same with an old Nissan Micra that was stuck solid in 2nd gear - I paid £50 for the 'box from a breakers & fitted it myself. It worked absolutely perfectly & so turned out to be a very cheap motor as I was given the car for free as a non-runner. Apart from needing a new set of pads & the tappets adjusting, there was absolutely nothing else wrong with it .

Condition is much more important than mileage & I've seen 'boxes after 150k that are in better condition than ones with just 25k.

Ideally you'd buy one from a driveable car so you could test it out before parting with your cash but realistically this is unlikely so make sure you can get another one or your money back if it proves not to be perfect after it's been fitted.

As MEP says, faiure is not particularly common unless there's an associated problem with the clutch. Sometimes dubious hydraulics cause the clutch to drag slightly, resulting in rapid wear on the synchro rings so it's worth checking all is well in that department. In any event, I'd suggest you change at least the clutch friction plate while you're down there.

I'd expect MEP's £200-£450 to include fitting, but I may be getting old & out of touch.