Wenker Man

Come on guys, what is the UKs best/worst money pit?

I am currently working on a Jarguar Series 2 XJ6 for a freind

It doesn't have chrome arches, but thats probably the only good thing about the body. LOL. Even so, the guy paid to have a full gearbox rebuild. Then just had the engine rebuilt (for no reason as it ran perfect). And at some point fitted a horribly made stainless steel exhaust system (made by Double S, after seeing this effort, avoid, I could make better exhausts using old scaffold poles ).

And it seems he (or someone) has had the body resprayed. Unfortunately it looks like it was done with cellulose type paint (same type as you buy in aerosols). Which looks awful. And whilst throwing needless money on the engine and terrible exhaust, he refuses to replace the bent front subframe. Which has somehow been bent pretty badly (banger racing? ), which makes a change as most are usually rotten.

So even though he's spent thousands on the mechanicals, the car is still a rotten shed with a bent front subframe, therfore will never drive right and still requires many more thousands to put right.

I know they could be nice cars, but what on earth posses people to keep such a vehicle on the road? Especially when they pay others to repair/restore it, instead of DIY, making it even more costly. If there is no DIY involved it can't even call it a hobby!

what would scooby do

Most owners would deffo class Subaru's as money pits!

RobEvo5

iTrader: (9)

2nd that .... Could be driving a E46 M3 now bought and paid for if I hadn't of messed about with scoobs all these years.

DJ_Jon

iTrader: (7)

true... but you would still have to buy the optional indicators and pit up with being called a ****

austinwrx

well I used to be into the aircooled vw scene.

money pits- that sums every single one up.

forget about putting a better engine in or some nice wheels.......

try body off resto for most... at least the beetles were small and mechanically easy to work on.

as for the camper vans-- the sheer size of them, the age.....

you also can't sum up how stupid people are with their vehicle choices...... buying 40 yr old rust heaps because its got a nice camping interior.

the only reason so many are on the road: mechanically they are so low reving the engines can limp on and (b) the steel/manufacture of them clearly was wayyyyy better in the 60's/70's than anything british- hence they just lasted.

but never ever again. !!!!!!!!

brickboy

My bro-in-law had a TR7 hardtop which they continually threw money at.

V8 suspension? Check. V8 wheels & tyres? Check. Interior retrim in the original dark green tartan ? Check. Fabricated manifold and throaty S/S exhaust? Weber carb upgrade? Check.

And how did it repay them? Blown head gasket on the crappy 2.0 slant 4.

Several years and over 4 grand spent on upgrades & repairs, and it was STILL an underpowered lump of white cheddar (with a black vinyl roof).

He finally saw the light and bought an 500SL Merc that cost nothing apart from fuel and a cam position sensor (about £50)

The Chief

An Audi A6 2.8 Quattro - cost me a lot in fuel but fairly reliable, but nothing compared to my Scoob


Subaru - Bought for 7k, a few modifications, blown engine, gearbox, numerous other faults. had the thing 18 months and stood me at over 14 grand.

Bought 7000

stood me at 14500

Sold for 4000

Loss over 18 months 10500

fatherpierre

You must have really 'Halfords' it up to get £4k for it.

The Chief

Not at all mate, it was a nice example apart from a scratch on the bumper.

No horrid stickers, tasteful black wheels,

It was a 1999 UK Turbo with 78k on the clock.

I'll dig a picture out.

fatherpierre

What did you do to it to spend that money, or was it just maintenance etc?

The Chief

Well around 3 grand of mods, the rest maintenance.

Engine 2k, gearbox 600 quid etc.

fatherpierre

Ouch.

Mods are usually a loss anyway on any motor though.

skinters

Getting a garage to do mods or restoration is very very expensive and you quickly have spent as much as the better car you could have bought in the first place.
If I can't DIY it, I don't do it. End of.

But when you have a passion/attachment to a car, its so easy to keep doing that '1 bit more'
Even with DIY I am scared to look at my parts list grand total.....

Once you start battling rust and failing bodywork and chassis it really is time to throw in the towel unless it is VERY special.

Spec'c'57

iTrader: (1)

My dad's 1928 invicta is a HUGE money pit. Bought 3 years ago for 45k fresh out of a barn and not even running. spend around 30k on engine/gearbox rebuild, Only good thing is HOPEFULLY should sell for around 150k...

Jimpreza

https://www.scoobynet.com/other-marq...l-my-baby.html

Turbo2

My mate's dad has an old pre-war open "sports" car (I think it's a Lea Francis, so not as exotic as your dad's). He acquired it when his son and I were pupils at Primary School and promptly stripped it down for restoration.

I caught up with his Dad again at a family birthday party this summer and he's been making "steady" progress, but still got a fair way to go.

To give you an idea of the time-span involved, the birthday party concerned was my mate's 40th!!!

j4ckos mate

My mate is still building a cobra kit car he started it twenty years ago and its based on a mk3 cortina,

now they are all modeo based, and he cant get the bits

Adidas

When I saw you'd posted, I thought you was going to mention the Tuscan

trails

iTrader: (41)

Spec'c'57

iTrader: (1)

That ONLY needed a 7k rebuild.

WRX JON

I used to have a Fiest Rs Turbo which was a total money pitt....i put thousands and thousands into it with new engines, turbos and welding!!, and sold it for £300

Andy M3

LMAO, my cousin did the same thing. A very expensive lesson. He bought a '250hp' RS fiesta for about £3k, got it all serviced before he got going and managed a couple of yards before it went pop. £1500 later, he sold it for £1500 all in a space of about 8 weeks.

A high mileage t-spark, selespeed Alfa 156/147 post cheap gasket rebuild would have to be contender

Andy, the Alfa driver

Wenker Man

I knew someone with a Fiesta RS turbo. He didn't understand the concept of too much boost.

He blew a headgasket. After the cash strapped sob story, I fixed it for him. I noted a bleed valve and a aftermarket actuator, so I took it round the block and noted, as expected, it was running way too much boost. So I removed the bleed valve, and adjusted the actuator so it was boosting as per factory specs (0.5bar if I recall). I told him this, as he was stretched for cash, he should not run anything more than stock, if he can't afford to fix it thereafter.

His attitude was, well my mate runs his RST on 1bar (or whatever) boost without problems. I told him to belive that pub talk at his own peril (he's young, bless).

Few weeks later, he blew it again. Given benefit of the doubt I fixed it again for him. And noted the bleed valve was back on, I told him you can't just wind up the boost like that, but he said it would be ok. I shook my head.

Few weeks later, the engine's bottom end went. Say no more.

WRX JON

Yeah i learned the hard way after everyone told me to get shut, but i thought i new better than the mechanics and wasted £1000s, but iv got the Subaru now and at least this hasnt cost a penny (yet).

skinters

Ha - this makes me laugh! I remember looking at those kits years ago and thinking how great they were.

To think of building a kit car with cortina parts now gives me shivers! Although they didnt make many rear drive Mondeos (or front drive Cobras)

I even remember thinking about buying partcompleted kits too - some with bits missing. Imagine buying someone elses half arsed muck up. What was I thinking.

Bad built kits have got to be the worst - from 100yds you can tell it's a kit - especially a really penny pinched one with steel wheels.

I think the kits are special in that, aside from the money,people can spend and entire lifetime faffing about with them.

Adidas

Bargain !!!!

I'm glad you went for the diesel engine swap instead

TonyBurns

iTrader: (3)

One of the guys at work has an XJ6, well he's had it since new, 19 years old now not sure if its a money pit or not but he's not doing as much overtime as he use to

Tony