Help - don't know what to do with my VR :/ NOW PASSED MOT!!!

[timmaaah 0]

My VR has been off the road for the last four years. The clutch was on it's way out, so she's just gone off the have that replaced - however - the garage has found some issues that will need resolving:

New discs and pads all round

OSF wheel bearing

Both drop link (?) arms

All brake lines to be replaced

OSF inner gaiter split

Both flexi rear pipes to be replaced

ARB bushes

Clutch slave cyl and release bearing.

 

OUCH! The car runs (I started just last week). The bodywork is fairly reasonable and the sunroof and spoiler still work though!! 124,000 miles.

 

I've been quoted £1500 for the above work. I really don't know if I should spend the money or not. I'm so confused. I could do some of the work myself I guess to save a few quid.

 

The things I can do:

Discs and pads

Brake lines

Flexi hoses

 

Things I don't know if I can do:

 

Link arms (whatever those are)

OSF gaitor

ARB bushes (How easy/hard is that)

Wheel bearing (^^^^^^^^^^)

 

The things I don't want to do:

 

Clutch

 

Aaargh - please give me some words of advice :)

 

parts 450 +vat

Labor 800 + vat

Edited August 23, 2012 by timmaaah

[tonytiger 0]

I'm sure a lot of people will just say give up and move on (swiftly followed by requests for parts off it!), but there's never any guarantee when you get another car that you won't have to spend a small fortune on it unexpectedly.

 

Mine has been off the road for over 3 years (started now and again, but hardly moved), and I've just started looking at it again. I've got a similar list of things to get through (though hopefully not the clutch - I've got the spoiler to fix instead), and although it's probably going to take me a while to get through, for me it's better than the alternative of breaking it.

 

I'd definitely do as much as you can yourself, but I'd agree with letting the garage do the clutch - the only problem is when they find other problems along the way. You should be able to do the OSF gaitor (i'm assuming that's the CV boot) yourself and the drop links. I'm not sure what's involved on the arb bushes, and the wheel bearing I think needs pressing out and in (but not 100% on that).

 

It'll probably come down to what tools and facilities you have. I have to work outside, so I'm reliant upon dry-ish weather to be able to get on with a lot stuff.

 

Also, you may be able to source the parts yourself substantially cheaper than the garage. But you could really do with knowing how much you'll be saving by doing bits of the work yourself - it just might not be worth the hassle to you.

 

Good luck with this - I hope it's back on the road for you soon!

[aide 0]

keep it, you only need the garage for the clutch as you don't want to do it, a friendly local mechanic could push out/ push in the front bearings for you.

 

drop links, arb bushes and gaitor are easy if you're prepared to redo/ blead brakes.

 

take your time with it, if its been four years you're in no rush.

[Jim 1]

As others have said, aside from the clutch, the majority of those are pretty easy... drop links are a 10-15 minute job per side for example!

 

It really depends what your long term plans are for the car - but if you do plan to keep it none of those jobs are a horror show and doing it all yourself apart from the clutch will save you a fair few quid.

 

If you want a second opinion on what wants doing or another quote then my old man uses a garage in Hunstanton who are really good and seem to get a wide variety of interesting motors including classic Bentleys, right up to Audi RS6's and stuff.. can give you their details if you want?

[OllieVR6 0]

Keep it, get the clutch done, do the rest yourself.

 

There is so much info on this forum and so many helpful people, there's really no reason not to attempt a lot of jobs yourself as long as you have a small selection of spanners.

[Overmind 10]

If you are confident with brake lines and changing discs and pads I don't think the rest will be a problem for you.

[timmaaah 0]

Well - fwiw the missus and I had a chat, and....

 

The garage will be doing all the work :)

 

I have a huge emotional attachment to this car - she's one of the things that kept me sane through some **** I had to deal with a few years ago - expect an update in a few weeks one it's all been done :/ :)

[Fanjita 1]

Timmahh,

 

I think we have spoken before! You are just down the road from me, if I can help at all let me know mate. I tend to do all the work on my own car.

 

Cheers,

James

 

---------- Post added at 8:44 AM ---------- Previous post was at 8:42 AM ----------

 

Oh I think the link arms might be from the steering rack? I have a pair in hardly used condition, might help you if you want em for a tenner?

[Jim 1]

Great result - be sure to give us an update when it's all done!

[Wendy 0]

Glad to hear you are doing the work on the car.

 

I was going to say, I have certainly spent more than £1500 on car repairs before in a year and if its been sat for 4 years then i think this quite reasonable.

 

 

Well - fwiw the missus and I had a chat, and....

 

The garage will be doing all the work :)

 

I have a huge emotional attachment to this car - she's one of the things that kept me sane through some **** I had to deal with a few years ago - expect an update in a few weeks one it's all been done :/ :)

[DEL VR6 0]

Well - fwiw the missus and I had a chat, and....

 

The garage will be doing all the work :)

 

Good lad! Think of the smiles per miles you'll get out of it, and as said, seeing as its been sat for 4 years, it's not really all that much to pay all things considered.

 

Let us know how you get on. Bet you cant wait for that first drive once its done!

[davidwort 0]

glad you're going to sort it

one way of looking at it is it's not bad really when the average new car depreciates at 1500 quid a year or more!

[tentonhammer 10]

That's the spirit - I think we all get to this point when you either crack on and do the job(s) yourself or you just say to hell with it and chuck some money at it.

[Billzeebub 1]

100% the right decision to do the work, as long as you are going to now endeavour to keep it on the road and not let it slide again?!.. there will come a time when most of these cars are beyond help, probably from rust if mines anything to go by!..until then keep it on the road

[timmaaah 0]

Cheers for the kind words! Work has started today - I'll keep you all updated :)

[timmaaah 0]

All the above work has been done - they put her in for an MOT test, but the front callipers have seized. The bleed nipples are pretty ropey, so just a set of front callipers to go and she'll be back on the road! The lack of brake force was the only thing she failed on - not bad, eh? (Yeah yeah - I know about all the other work, but that's all consumable bits anyway )

 

The final bill will be about £200 more than the estimate, so all in all I'm pretty freakin chuffed :)

[timmaaah 0]

Huzzah - she now has a lovely shiny MOT!! I'm picking her up on Sat morning. To say I'm excited is a bit of an understatement!!

 

YAY!!!

[tonytiger 0]

That's great news. I'm sure you'll think it all worthwhile when you're driving it again.

 

Mine's booked in for MOT this Saturday, but I know there are a couple of things it will definitely fail on - just want to find out what else is wrong with it before I start fixing things.