Spending £900 on a car thats worth £600

[AnthonyH]

I've kept a running tally of how much I've spent on my Grande Punto since I bought it just over a year ago. Its the project car on which I've learnt how to be a DIY mechanic.

I bought the Grande Punto for about £600 and I've spent £900 on parts. I've replaced most of the suspension, done some body work, done two oil changes, had a new regulator, had a new key, tyre, bulbs, a starter motor and new front and back brakes. About £300 of the parts weren't needed, or broke because I made mistakes. The tools i've bought add up to a fair sum as well, but as I've still got those I don't count them as a cost. And then there's my time, i reckon i must have spent 200 hours learning what to do!

The car handles really well and with 90k on the clock should be set fair for a lot more miles. I cant imagine going to a garage for repairs any time soon.

Was it all worth it? You betcha! I also appreciate there have been lots of times that the experience given on these forums has made all those jobs a lot easier.

 

[bugsymike]

I've kept a running tally of how much I've spent on my Grande Punto since I bought it just over a year ago. Its the project car on which I've learnt how to be a DIY mechanic.

I bought the Grande Punto for about £600 and I've spent £900 on parts. I've replaced most of the suspension, done some body work, done two oil changes, had a new regulator, had a new key, tyre, bulbs, a starter motor and new front and back brakes. About £300 of the parts weren't needed, or broke because I made mistakes. The tools i've bought add up to a fair sum as well, but as I've still got those I don't count them as a cost. And then there's my time, i reckon i must have spent 200 hours learning what to do!

The car handles really well and with 90k on the clock should be set fair for a lot more miles. I cant imagine going to a garage for repairs any time soon.

Was it all worth it? You betcha! I also appreciate there have been lots of times that the experience given on these forums has made all those jobs a lot easier.

The knowledge you have gained for the future and job satisfaction has an even greater value. Well done.
Even the "hammer rash" and cuts etc.

 

[AnthonyH]

Thanks. I'll probably run out of repairs at some point, but I always say that

 

[bugsymike]

Thanks. I'll probably run out of repairs at some point, but I always say that

Don't hold your breath, cars are like houses on that score.

 

[AnthonyH]

Seems to be the routine tasks that needed doing. Brakes, suspension etc. Would it be worth doing a clutch?! Hmm, hopefully won't have to decide anytime soon

 

[o9jools]

Seems to be the routine tasks that needed doing. Brakes, suspension etc. Would it be worth doing a clutch?! Hmm, hopefully won't have to decide anytime soon

i'd only do clutch if it's actually needs doing, it is straight forward to do but not good on your back on a driveway

 

[AnthonyH]

i'd only do clutch if it's actually needs doing, it is straight forward to do but not good on your back on a driveway

I don't need a clutch at this time, I'd have to do one on the driveway though, so hopefully it's a few years away

 

[vexorg]

The worry with older cars is there's always a significant chance of some very major bill coming.

A total of £1500 nowadays is cheap for a running car.

 

[AnthonyH]

The worry with older cars is there's always a significant chance of some very major bill coming.

A total of £1500 nowadays is cheap for a running car.

I'm ok with the cost overall. If i were to buy a similar car second hand I could pay £1500 and it'd have no new suspension etc. If i'd done the bare minimum to the car it could have been driving for bodywork, front brakes, bulbs and window regulator, maybe £150.

 

[rmjbn1]

The big costs in running older cars I find are usually engine and rust related.

FIRE engined FIATs of this age are good in this regard, bomb-proof motor and not too much rust. Is the GP galvanised?

Definitely a price worth paying to recommission a fundamentally good car that meets your needs. Plus all the 'fun' you've had along the way

You've done a lot of big service items in one year so hopefully it'll calm down a bit for you now.

Even if you need to budget £200 a year on running repairs, that's still cheaper than depreciation on a newish car. And I wouldn't factor in tyres and oil, cars of all ages need those.

The key to running an older car on a budget is if you can diagnose and fix it yourself to avoid multiple trips to the garage for all those niggly consumable items that crop up.

 

[AnthonyH]

The big costs in running older cars I find are usually engine and rust related.

FIRE engined FIATs of this age are good in this regard, bomb-proof motor and not too much rust. Is the GP galvanised?

It does have a fire engine. The engine does sound "nice" and I have no doubt about it causing problems any time soon.

Definitely a price worth paying to recommission a fundamentally good car that meets your needs. Plus all the 'fun' you've had along the way

This did make me chuckle, there has been fun in good measure, a few problems too

You've done a lot of big service items in one year so hopefully it'll calm down a bit for you now.

Even if you need to budget £200 a year on running repairs, that's still cheaper than depreciation on a newish car. And I wouldn't factor in tyres and oil, cars of all ages need those.

I'm sure you're right, if I need to get busier i'll have to get another Fiat car..

 

[SB1500]

I spent multiples of the value of my old 05 Panda Dynamic back in the day. As you say, the learning (especially from FF) makes this a very good value 'apprenticeship' in DIY car mechanics and Fiat! Well worth it I feel. I always think it's a shame that with EVs, much of the knowledge goes out the window, but then I remember that's a pipe dream / fad and carry on. Thankfully most of the stuff still applies to hybrid cars.

And anyway, sometimes that £900 is better on the £600 car you have because if you sold it off, you could end up with a much worse, less worth fixing and less reliable car even for £1,500 these days, easy. Better the devil you know!

 

[AnthonyH]

I spent multiples of the value of my old 05 Panda Dynamic back in the day. As you say, the learning (especially from FF) makes this a very good value 'apprenticeship' in DIY car mechanics and Fiat! Well worth it I feel. I always think it's a shame that with EVs, much of the knowledge goes out the window, but then I remember that's a pipe dream / fad and carry on. Thankfully most of the stuff still applies to hybrid cars.

And anyway, sometimes that £900 is better on the £600 car you have because if you sold it off, you could end up with a much worse, less worth fixing and less reliable car even for £1,500 these days, easy. Better the devil you know!

I also kept a tally of the repairs I paid for in garages on my first Grande Punto. What with repairs and the price i paid for it, i was £3000 lighter, when 18 months later it went a scrap yard. I paid for a new exhaust, new sump, thermostat, front pads and discs, a clutch...the list goes on. I could do all of those jobs myself now.

My first Grande Punto wasn't necessarily a bad car, it was probably kind of average for one of that age, 12 years etc.

Anyway i'm now looking to get a another car, or two, that are a bit more modern. For the past few days i've been watching copart and i'll possibly buy a Fiat 500L at auction there. I wouldn't spend that much time on a car that's 15 years old again, because i've served my apprenticeship now!

No doubt if i do buy a 500L from copart it'll come with a few problems so I may post here asking for help lol