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My 93 volcane TD has just met an untimely - and terminal - engine seizure. With 94k on the clock, I reckon the car's still got plenty of life left in it, and a fellow ZX enthusiast has offered to fit a 'new' engine for £200-ish. All I've got to do now is find one... any ideas/suggestions/price guides on getting something reasonably reliable? Or am I just being sentimental about a car that's probably only worth about £1200 anyway? Problem is, it's comfortable, economical, handles well - but I guess all that was with the last engine in it. Advice/suggestions much appreciated....
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www.1stchoiceonline.co.uk/
Try this website.
If the rest of the car\'s good, I reckon it would be worth repairing.
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If it's only going to cost you £200, do it. I'm in the same situation except my car is only worth £400 on a good day and the carb has gone, not the whole engine.
Even if you only keep the car for a week afterwards, you'll come out ahead because you'd get much more than that if you sold it.
Without an engine, it's virtually worthless. With the engine, even a second hand but working one, it should sell very quickly at £600-£800 as long as it would pass an MoT with no more than minimal work.
(And, of course, assuming that the replacement engine is the 1.9 turbo the car was originally fitted with)
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Sorry, didn't make myself totally clear in the original message - the engine re-fit is going to cost around £200, PLUS the cost of the replacement engine, so prob £5-600 altogether.
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Okay, it's borderline, but if you like the car and it's otherwise good, I'd do it. On the other hand, if your car belongs in the 'what gets my goat' thread in discussion and/or you were thinking it's time to change anyway, you might as well get rid of it.
There's no clear financial advantage either way - probably the cost of the engine will be equivalent to a p/x value on this car, and if you don't p/x it, you have either a discount for cash or a much clearer view of the true cost of your next car. Selling privately you might be a bit up but not enough to make it absolutely compelling that you do something about it.
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Following on from my message above about blown Citroen ZX turbo diesel engine, I've now had quotes from several breakers for a replacement engine. These range from £275-£550, with warranties varying from 1-4 months, and varying mileage claims. (cheapest , and lowest mileage, was £275 + vat on a 58,000, plus £50 delivery).
Any advice on how reliable these engines/mileage/warranties etc are, or am I asking an unanswerable question? Presumably there's a risk that the 58K engine that turns up on my doorstep could have 120k on it, and I've no way of knowing - or is that just a risk you take when using the breaker market?
Advice/comments etc appreciated....
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I would not buy an engine unless i actually saw it. Dont take much notice of claimed milleages, breakers dont get the documents for cars anymore. Good luck- you will need it if you end up buying an engine off a breaker! Best to buy one you can see running.
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Andy
Try contacting Simpson Salvage. www.simpson-salvage.co.uk they are a massive salvage yard in York. They are very proffesional and have a very good name.
It's a gamble where ever you go but that is the downside of not spending thousands to go through a dealer.
H.
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You haven't said what led up to the seizure. The answer to which help you decide.
I had a Volcan TDi, 95 and have only just moved on to a Xsara 110 HDI. The Volcane had done 200K, still returned about 45 mpg, and rarely required any oil top ups between services which were done rigorously at 6000 miles. It had a load of warning lights, and I find it hard to imagine what could cause one to seize up without warning. My son is now driving the Volcane, dealers offered me no more than £500 in part exchange. and its now on 204K
I don't know how zealous you were about changing the oil every 6000 miles, BUT if the difference between rigorous servicing and (maybe) not so good is a seized engine, and based on my past experiences with scrap yard engines (which have all been complete rubbish) - My choices in your position would be to either get the exisiting one properly rebuilt, or search autotrader for another complete car to drive. With a complete car you can at least get some idea of how it might have been cared for. I find it hard to believe that a scrap yard has one of these engines with only 58K on the clock
I don't mean to sound condescending about how the car was serviced, and I may have been extremely lucky with mine - but if these engines really are sensitive to elongating the service intervals, then if considering a scrap yard engine you have to ask yourself one question. --- (all together now)
"Do I feel lucky?"
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My advice would be not to buy an engine unless you have seen the car it has come out of.. not over the phone... you have no way of knowing if the engine your offered is out of a peugoet taxi thats done 300k or a nearly new car. Personally I would find an accident damaged car with a sensible mileage - then you know the vehicle hasn't been taken off the road because it's mechanically worn out and not worth repairing. You can usually tell if a cars been owned by a caring owner or a penny pincher (cheap unmatched tyres, interior used as a skip etc.)
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Perfect example is my mate's Mondeo which was scrapped but still had a purring engine that was barely run in at 100K, a nice autobox that never played up and in generally excellent mechanical condition. (only known faults were a minor oil leak and an exhaust nearing the end of it's life)
It was rear ended in an accident causing light cosmetic damage but written off by the insurance company, now that would have been a perfect spares car for anyone, and I wouldn't even be surprised if it ends up back on the road...
You need to try and find one that's still in the car it's coming out of before you can make a good judgement on it, easier said than done tho...
Good luck
Blue
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I had a 1.9 TD engine re-built last year, total cost, incleding new valves, con-rods, pistons, crank, turbo, re-bore, mechanics time at trade rates etc was £900. Due to other grief caused by the lake that I had driven into, sold the car once it was rnning again, but was assured months later that it was still going strong. Wish I had kept it now, instead of the cavalier that is my current everyday car. would recomend a rebuild over a scrappers engine anytime, because that way you know what you are getting.
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