jonbad
Member
Hi all,
I'm a long-time A2 owner and have loved and enjoyed the car for almost 8 years now.
The car was never bought as an appreciating classic, but rather just a car for life, errands, highways and holidays. So it isn't mint, has had five owners and has just shy of 160k on the clock. It's a 2003 1.4 petrol SE. Under my ownership it has been well looked after and is now a better car than it was when I first bought it, some 60k miles ago.
My work means I have a company car, while over the years I've had the pleasure of driving hundreds of cars from all different makes and models. That has, until recently, meant changing the A2 would have been pointless and needless.
However, today, it is sat outside unused. And it needs a little TLC. Its due a timing belt change (age related), could do with a service even though it's only done a couple of hundred miles since the last one, needs a new MOT. Brakes seem okayz but there's a potential the MOT testers will claim them to be corroded, and the front strut top mount bearings sound like they need doing - they used to click and I have the parts but having been sat idle one seems to have given up the ghost now and clicks viciously on steering. Of course, there's a chance that because of that the spring might snap it's end off or whatever.
So really, the question here is to either bother doing all the work needed at cost of X, and sell it, or not do the work and sell it for much less at Y. But which would be worth more, X or Y? Of course, I'd prefer to see the car live on, but I have to be realistic here and consider that it may be more valuable to someone for parts in its current state rather than bothering to renew a load of stuff.
Your thoughts are very welcome.
I'm a long-time A2 owner and have loved and enjoyed the car for almost 8 years now.
The car was never bought as an appreciating classic, but rather just a car for life, errands, highways and holidays. So it isn't mint, has had five owners and has just shy of 160k on the clock. It's a 2003 1.4 petrol SE. Under my ownership it has been well looked after and is now a better car than it was when I first bought it, some 60k miles ago.
My work means I have a company car, while over the years I've had the pleasure of driving hundreds of cars from all different makes and models. That has, until recently, meant changing the A2 would have been pointless and needless.
However, today, it is sat outside unused. And it needs a little TLC. Its due a timing belt change (age related), could do with a service even though it's only done a couple of hundred miles since the last one, needs a new MOT. Brakes seem okayz but there's a potential the MOT testers will claim them to be corroded, and the front strut top mount bearings sound like they need doing - they used to click and I have the parts but having been sat idle one seems to have given up the ghost now and clicks viciously on steering. Of course, there's a chance that because of that the spring might snap it's end off or whatever.
So really, the question here is to either bother doing all the work needed at cost of X, and sell it, or not do the work and sell it for much less at Y. But which would be worth more, X or Y? Of course, I'd prefer to see the car live on, but I have to be realistic here and consider that it may be more valuable to someone for parts in its current state rather than bothering to renew a load of stuff.
Your thoughts are very welcome.
