My now 12 month old car was vandalised 2 months ago - hit with heavy object - dented tailgate and damaged bumper.

£789 inc VAT - £400 labour, £257 paint, badges, sundries + VAT

Tailgate damaged filled, entire tailgate painted, new badges (£70 for 3 bits of plastic), bumper filling and whole bumper resprayed.

Any expenditure of more than £250 on a 18 year old car is extravagant

Unless the car fails soon after. I had an old style Nissan Micra, bought a new exhaust, and opted for the more expensive in the grounds it would last. A year later the engine failed and the repair cost was £500, 20 years ago, so not worth it. I suppose if you are sure it’s a runner, and in good condition, then go for it,

Clutch, cam belt, ECU. And it could fail an MOT due to rust, or countless smaller items that add up to a lot of money. My Ford KA was beyond economic repair after 10 years due to rust.