Sell it or service it?

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Fri 27 Jan 2006 16:25
Sell it or service it? - Armitage Shanks {p}
My partner has an immaculate 9-3 Saab 2.2 Tdi. It is worth £3100 on a p/ex and maybe a bit more on a private sale (?). A main dealer has quoted around £1500 for front discs and pads, rear 1/2 exhaust, 2 new tyres and work on emmissions system to get rid of intermittent RCU warning light plus some other work, rear seat belt femal clips x 2 for replacement.

Advice please?

Is it worth getting the work done at a non franchise service centre like Nationwide? I have sourced the brake parts at £100! No SAAB specialist independents near where she lives.

Is it worth spending the £1500 at a main dealer and keeping the car indefinitely.

Is it best to shift it now, as is, on a private sale and sold as seen with 3 month's MOT?
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Fri 27 Jan 2006 16:29
Sell it or service it? - Aprilia
£1500 is an incredible price for that work. You should be able to get it done much cheaper than that. At worst I would think the tyres, exhaust box and brakes would be £500-600. What is the 'emissions work'?
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Fri 27 Jan 2006 16:51
Sell it or service it? - Flying Red
You don't need a Saab specialist to do the tyres, discs and pads or the exhaust. The work that your partner needs doing is mostly normal wear and tear stuff and is part of the cost of running a car (i.e. you would incur it on the car you replace the Saab with) so it makes sense to get the repairs done to a good standard and live with the car.

Phoning round for the best price on tyres is a no-brainer and why not price up the exhaust and brake jobs at a reliable independent workshop (use HJ's directory to find a local one)? Then get the Saab-specific work done at the main dealer's (if it's outside the scope a general workshop, but IIRC the 9-3 shares that engine with the Vectra, so it shouldn't be too difficult.

Is it worth spending £1500 at a main dealer? - no!

Is it best to shift it now sold as seen with 3 months MOT? You would be very lucky to find someone who wouldn't spot the work needed and then either walk away or put in an insultingly low offer.
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Fri 27 Jan 2006 17:26
Sell it or service it? - Group B
£1500 - they make you laugh dont they?!

For mine I got Brembo front discs, £32.50; Pagid fast road pads, £41.30; got the lot fitted for £30 at a local small garage, and they are better performance than standard.

Exhaust back box is a bit pricey, £108 + postage from www.partsforsaabs.com.

Tyres - if they're 195/60-15's, should be under £60 each, fitted.

Seat belt clips can't be too expensive can they, buy from main dealer then bolt them in yourself?

The question mark is the emissions problem - probably need "Tech 2" diagnostics system, which Saab and Vauxhall garages will have, as stated above.

Rich.
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