I've got a 1998 registered Fiat Marea Weekend HLX 2.0L 20v. It needs a cambelt change but unfortunately it involves removing the entire engine. The cost I've been quoted is £800 which is approximately 70% of the current value of the car!
Does anyone know of a garage in the North West who will do it for substantially less?
Thanks.
Mark
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Hi Mark
Give Kenny Smith at NW Autos a call on 0151 454 1762 a call. He is based in Garston Liverpool and did the belt on my brothers Alfa 154 3.0 V6 which is an engine out job for a lot less than figure you quoted.
as ever
Mark
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That's what will kill used values - who is going to pay that sort of money at Dealers for that sort of work?
Perhaps there is an underlying motive - to encourage owners to CHANGE their CARS rather then change their cambelts!
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groups.msn.com/honestjohn/problems.msnw?Page=1 - Pictures say a thousand words.....
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That's what will kill used values - who is going to pay that sort of money at Dealers for that sort of work?
Perhaps we will start to see the cost of cambelt changes included in car reviews in a similar way that the price of brake disks are often quoted.
Maybe x hours labour, engine out required, plus parts plus VAT.
Or even plus tensioner kit or water pump.
If it was stated, I suspect excitement about certain models might change along with secondhand values.
Perhaps a list of models requiring Engine Out for cambelt change could be lodged on this site somewhere?
It is certainly an aspect of a replacement vehicle I would not have considered before I joined this forum.
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Many thanks for this. I will give him a phone.
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Give HJ credit here, it is already mentioned in the Car-by-Car Breakdown.
This is the most ghastly bit of engineering design, and one that would cause me to advise never buying one of these used...ever, at any price.
There are going to be loads floating about where the owner hasn't bothered with the belt...or they think they have but the garage has kept the thing in the workshop and just charged for the work but in reality not done it.
Trust me it'll happen.
M.M
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