Jump to content
Tamiya1/10

Your Largest Repair Bill For Your 1:1 Ride?

Recommended Posts

Well I have 2001 or 2002 Alfa 147 witth just over 44000km. Thats right 44000km for a 8 or 9 yr old car. Recently the selsped self shift itself and I was told the acuator needs replacing along with the timing belt and various other parts. Total repair cost if by a local garage for parts and labor $4900.00 :rolleyes:

Decided to purchase all the part from UK for an Italian car??? and pay for labor. I should save about $1100.00 by sourcing my own parts. Hopefully the car will last another few more years. I guess ave. repair cost works out to be aroud $422 or $475 per year excluding oil changes, tires and battery.

I would say this is my largest repair bill to date.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Ouch, well, my SAAB 9-3 Viggen needs a new cam chain an our Citroën C5 V6 needs a new cam belt, I've been quoted 1000-2000€ for each job...

Did do a serice on the 9-3 combined with a new exhaust - 1600 €

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Sorry to say, but the saying here in Denmark is quite often: "When purchasing a Citroên, you have to hate your money" And pretty much the same goes for Alfas, sad to say. B)

Also, i spoke to a guy one day, who was a technical-something at a Peugeot-garage, and he said that the best future-safe job was to work at a garage for french "cars", LOL

Anyway, my most expensive bill sofar was 1100 euros on my 17 year old Toyota Carina E 1,6i, which has done around 260.000 kms now. It has just gotten a new radiator, new brake discs/ shoes, and repaired the exhaust for the first time.

Otherwise than that, over the last 5 years it has cost me: 5 light bulbs, 4 new tyres, new brake drums at the rear, and 2 sets of wipers, plus motoroil and filters.

It has never had its bodywork repaired or dented, and even the E-brake cables have only been replaced once since 1993. (I know this, cause my parents owned it before i did).

The other car is a 1,5 year old Toyota Aygo, which the missus drives, and it has (of course) only cost the regular maintenance-visits to the Toyota-garage. :P

Today, Tomorrow Toyota.

Our 1967 Mustang isn´t being run all the time, so it has only gotten it´s ignition-lock replaced in the nearly 6 years we have had it, and it´s still going strong in the engine also. :)

Cheers...

Michael

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Alfa's are never cheap to repair - beautiful cars to look at, but probably best to leave it at that!

My worst repair bill was for my Astra Coupe Bertone - the oil pump went and killed the engine. Replacement engine? £3000+. Somebody took the car away for £500. 8-( (why is there no sad icon?)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Not sure if this counts, as I didn't pay the bill, but here goes:

I bought an off the shelf 996Cab2S a few years ago (not by order, technically second hand, demo model, but new to all intents and purposes) and keep it parked in my garage for a week, only pootling about a few miles for fun in London. I bought the car to take on a tour of Europe with my wife in the summer, maybe it was 2005 or thereabouts. Being a safety first kind of person, just the day or so before the trip, I took the car back to the garage, only 1 mile from my home in East London to get it the quick once over before the 1700km in a day trip to Czech, followed by a summer holiday (this was when I didn't live in Czech). Anyone who knows the roundabout where the A12/A102 intersects with the A11 knows there are lots of roads just before and just after the main roundabout exits and a van pulled out just after the Eastbound A11 exit and I had to brake hard. The £500 15 or so year old Nissan Micra behind me didn't.

The rear end of my car was smashed and I insisted to my insurers, with the help of a solicitor, that I get given a Carrera for my 6 week holiday starting the very next day. The bill for the rental of the Carrera Cab4S (which is what I got) was £22,000 roughly, plus the insurer of the fault driver had to pay 10% depreciation on the value of my new car, because it had been in an accident, plus the £4,000 repairs, plus the repair of his own car.

That was quite a lot of money, somewhat over £30K at the end of it all.

Paul.

Now just imagine what would happen if Hong Kong's garage burnt down?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Alfa's are never cheap to repair - beautiful cars to look at, but probably best to leave it at that!

You are on the money. The locals here say is Alfa quality but at Ferrari repair prices. Is still the Japanese and Germans that make good reliable cars.

Saabs are niche cars especailly the older model like the 99 or 9-3. A friend of my from my University days drove a 99 and good thing his neighbor is Saab nut and it seems like every weekend he is under his car fixing something. But his car does have character like Alfa's.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

One of my biggest bills was kinda self inflicted :blink: Back in the early 90s I used to drag race a fair bit (best time of 10.55 @122mph :lol: ) My best times were set in a half tube framed Beetle But I started getting silly and racing my tow car, So the Beetle was sold and my 1969 VW Type 3 Variant (Squareback) was set upon.

I built an 1835cc engine with fairly low compression ration since I wanted to experiment with Nitrous Oxide injection, the piston in the picture shows what happens when a fuel solenoid packs up, too much Nitrous, it ran very lean (no fuel!) and started spitting most of the pistons out of the exhaust...

It destroyed 1 cylinder head, 3 pistons and barrels, the oil pump, the cam and very badly scored the crank - the best part of £4500.... but it did still drive back to the pits - just...

24844_390569412239_539087239_376772.jpg

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
my 17 year old Toyota Carina , Otherwise than that, over the last 5 years it has cost me: 2 sets of wipers,

2 sets of wipers in 5 years ? I replace those every spring and every fall for each new season :blink: .

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I agree, you have to replace wipers way more often than that, seeing out the windscreen isn't optional :D

Paul.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

No, i know, but when you use plenty of sprinkler-fluid, the wear isn´t that bad.. Also, not choosing the cheapest wipers on the shelf gives much longer lifetime on them. ;)

Oh, and i forgot.. The windshield has been replaced too, LOL.. Not bad though. Only around 450 euros for this type. :D

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I don't have a choice what windscreen wipers I put on my car!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Well, there are plenty of manufacturers to choose from here. :D

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

My cars have specific wipers, I am not aware of any generic manufacturers for them :D

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Actually, here we can purchase sh**loads of wipers from different manufacturers, ans as with most other stuff (RC, for instance), the quality matches the price, so lots of people here, who get their wipers from supermarkets and the like has to replace them very often, but if you get proper quality parts, they last much longer..

I am not sure if we are able to get other wipers than the original stuff for our vintage car.. But that doesn´t run much either, at least not much in rain, so it´s wipers are almost never used, LOL..

Perhaps your car only accepts high quality stuff. :D Anyway, i just checked today, and yes, mine are getting close to replacing now, as the "bending area" of the wipers is getting smaller and smaller, ;)

Cheers..

Michael

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I got all four disks and pads replaced on my 205 GTI, calipers stripped down and rebuilt, new pipes and the flexi lines replaced with braided hoses. Mintex pads, Brembo discs, Goodrich hoses and a rebuilt master cylinder from a Peugeot 406. Total bill came to £450. Bargain.

Biggest was probably the engine rebuild. It had done 170,000 miles and only made 101bhp from its original 130. After the rebuild it made 139.8. Totally worth the £800 I paid!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

When I read the title of this thread I thought I was going to own but some of you have had some painful bills!

Mine was for my 02 Dodge Caravan (US import of a Voyager). I didn't realise it had lost all it's oil (through another problem) and it didn't take long to die on me. I thought I'd try the Chrysler dealership near Oxford and they quoted me £4600 on the parts and engine rebuild.

I found a guy in Northampton who used to work at a Chrysler dealship and had gone independant. He did it for £1800 and now he gets my business every year.

And I oil check at least once a month.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

This just happened to me recently my 540 got smacked by an inattentive driver.

20549_1270016644567_1654391718_654788_6317417_n.jpg

Partially through the fix

19849_1291208094340_1654391718_696695_3397309_n.jpg

19849_1291209054364_1654391718_696696_2291183_n.jpg

All done

BMW14.jpg

Total cost $5300

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

My biggest 1:1 bill would be for my R33 Nissan Skyline GTST. I had to order a new A/C compressor from the United States which totalled AUD $3249.74 installed. Almost $300 of that was GST.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
My biggest 1:1 bill would be for my R33 Nissan Skyline GTST. I had to order a new A/C compressor from the United States which totalled AUD $3249.74 installed. Almost $300 of that was GST.

I sure would like to say my bill was less than yours. This is not a bragging right forum, but my repair bill is US$3,600.00 :D and still more works are needed...as I must shift into second gear before 2000 rpm, because the actuator did not completely fail henced allowed me to drive and worn out the 2nd gear and part of the clutch...something to that effect and need to order the parts and pay for the works again:( . I am sure the final cost would allow me to get a good 2nd hand car. Anyone wants to buy an Alfa 147???? I think in end will be close to $5000.00, hope will be less, ooh how many Tamiya I could've bought with the amt of money spend on my 1:1 :rolleyes:

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Audi A6 Quattro BiTurbo.

Last year at major service

Service (oil, plugs etc) £800

New pads and disks £1100

Inter cooler leak £300

2 new tyres £180

alternator £450

battery £120

water leak £230

dash computer screen £150

x2 new blowers £1850

Mot £30

Advice from garage- Slow down !

Thats about $7520

My wifes face when the credit card bill came £Priceless :P

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Wow, that is a tough one for a bill that wasn't covered by insurance :P

P.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I'm finishing the rebuilt of my Lancia Delta Integrale EVO 2 .

I thought that it only needed minor repairs on the chassis. But someone measured pressure loss in one of the cilinders. Took the engine out and we discovered one thing after another.

I wanted it to be perfect with original parts. So the quest for original parts started. Thank God for Walkers in the UK!.

I had all bearings/joints/rubbers changed. New brakes/discs/pads all around, the list is to long to mention.

The enigine is about 40% new parts.

Total ... 8500€ ... a little more then I expected.

But soon I'll be the owner of an almost perfect Integrale ... cause a perfect one doesn't exsist I fear. It remains an Italian car ;-)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

×
×
  • Create New...