When is a car simply not worth registering?

[cruddler]

We have just moved to France and need to now register our car here. Ive read through SD's post and as many other threads as I can find and have now worked out a rough cost in my mind for the process so firstly thanks for the help so far.

My situation is that our UK car (a 95 Passat) despite being generally a solid car has been a bit unreliable of late and I was just wondering if its possible to skip ahead in the process and take it for the CT first to see whether its worth pursuing with the registration or do I have to get the various certificates before they will CT it?

Cheers

Andy

[Nick Trollope]

Do just that, it is what most do. The only thing the CT station will want is the V5.

Consider the cost, however; CT 50€ (plus anything that needs doing), headlights 250€?, CofC 65€-200€, registration 36€/fisc. HP (divided by 2, 'cos the veh. is over 10Y old). When you have registered it, it will be worth absolutely nothing.

 

[Iceni]

How much it might be worth after registration is irrelevant unless you intend selling it and a RHD here has little value anyway. The key word so far is "unreliable" so the cost to keep it running is what matters not the cost of registration.

I faced similar issues with my 12 year old US-built Honda and decided to get rid and buy something else.

John

not

[cruddler]

Ok thanks. Im prepared to pay the 56E or whatever for the CT and then write it off (the money and the car) if the diagnosis isnt good, I just wanted to check that Im allowed to do it in that order

Cheers

Andy

[Rob Roy]

As you will have to have a CT first in order to re-register it surely it is worth going for one?

[Bugsy]

CT is 48 euros...............................

edited:

A 1995 Passat should be a perfect car for shopping and running around in. What exactly is wrong with it ?

[derf]

[quote user="Bugbear"]

CT is 48 euros...............................

edited:

A 1995 Passat should be a perfect car for shopping and running around in. What exactly is wrong with it ?

[/quote]

Test centers a free to set their own price for the initial CT..

[Bones]

The CT won't necessarily diagnose the unreliability issues.

I bought a 205 with a fresh CT. I then changed the drive shafts, the clutch, the starter motor etc etc.

My mechanic told me that the CT is still a way off the UK equivalent and is designed to become more stringent as each year passes (easing the French in since introducing it about 15 years ago - from memory I think that's right!).

It all comes down to your budget.

If you end up getting rid you could buy a French car that still requires money spending on it (second hand cars = bills!).

I'd take the plunge into a left hooker asap. Easier to get on the road and safer for overtaking etc.

[Onion van man]

[quote user="Bones"]The CT won't necessarily diagnose the unreliability issues.[/quote]

Agreed. The MOT or CT is just to say that the vehicle met the minimum required standard for it to be driven on the road at the day and time of inspection. It is not proof of it being road worthy or mechanically sound.

All cars need money spending on them regardless of age etc. If repairs are going to cost more than the passat is worth then its a no brainer really isn't it? Any amount upto what the car is worth is probably worth having it repaired if its in good shape generally.

[Anton Redman]

<< All cars need money spending on them regardless of age etc. If repairs are going to cost more than the passat is worth then its a no brainer really isn't it >>

Not quite. Last time I tried to calculate a value for my 306 the mileage was so high versus the age  that Parkers said it was worth less than nothing. Against this it - it is still on the orignal battery and starts on the button. I look at average costs per kilometre or mile  for the next 25,000 kilometres.  

[Bones]

Agreed Anton, however if your car is worth nothing at the end of the year and my car is worth a grand at the end of the year, shouldn't you factor that into the cost per mile?

I suppose everyone is right.

I'm confused.

I suppose if you can't sell the Passat in France now, never mind after a years use, and you only have to pay 400 euros to keep it on the road then it's probably worth it. Only other solution is to buy a cheap LHD Passatt that needs work and use your car as a donor??

[cruddler]

Indeed, when is a car no longer worth the cost of its repairs? I bet there is a formula out there somewhere :-) SD?

We paid £800 for it 3years ago and it has served us perfectly well to date and as far as I know it is generally still in very good condition. Im of the opinion that if it costs say 300-500E to keep it going for another year or 2 then it is probably worth it. I could of course shell out a lot more on a new (secondhand) car that will invariably come with its own set of issues but better the devil you know I suppose.

In answer to your question Bugbear, when you turn the ignition it starts and will give an intial rev with the pedal depressed but then it is as if the accelerator no longer exists and the revs drop and the engine cuts out. It also has a habit of doing this every time you pull up to a junction now. If you have an inkling please let me have it as Ive had no luck with a couple of postings on VW forums

With regards the CT, I had pretty much come to the same conclusion that they wont set about trying to diagnose its faults, just simply judge it on its roadworthiness...although if it refuses to start on them I suppose they would at least have to have a cursory look. We have though booked it in with the local mechanic to give it a once over so hopefully we will know by the end of the week whether it has a future or not.

 

[Athene]

[quote user="Nick Trollope"]

Do just that, it is what most do. The only thing the CT station will want is the V5.

Consider the cost, however; CT 50€ (plus anything that needs doing), headlights 250€?, CofC 65€-200€, registration 36€/fisc. HP (divided by 2, 'cos the veh. is over 10Y old). When you have registered it, it will be worth absolutely nothing.

 

[/quote]The worst thing we found in registering our car was getting the grey card - 260 euros! The Certificate of Conformity from VW was sent free. Our CT tomorrow as the car is now 4 years old is to cost 50 euros.

[Onion van man]

[quote user="Anton Redman"]

Not quite. Last time I tried to calculate a value for my 306 the mileage was so high versus the age  that Parkers said it was worth less than nothing. Against this it - it is still on the orignal battery and starts on the button. I look at average costs per kilometre or mile  for the next 25,000 kilometres.  

[/quote]

Well, There comes a time with all car price guides when you have to factor in some common sense. Parkers is not always right. Personally I judge a cars value on what a similar aged car would cost on a local forecourt or what people are selling them for privately.

[allanb]

[quote user="cruddler"]Indeed, when is a car no longer worth the cost of its repairs? I bet there is a formula out there somewhere...[/quote]There is.  Sell the car just before the next major thing goes wrong.  Simple.

[Bones]

[quote user="allanb"][quote user="cruddler"]Indeed, when is a car no longer worth the cost of its repairs? I bet there is a formula out there somewhere...[/quote]There is.  Sell the car just before the next major thing goes wrong.  Simple.

[/quote]

At which point I usually step in. [8-)]

[Anton Redman]

It was intended as a joke but when was the last time your saw a seven year old car with the thick end of 180,000 miles  say 290,000 kilometres on the clock for sale in the UK. Let alone RHD in France. Trip back to the UK reregister new plates MOT etc. and I would be lucky to get £ 1,000 for it. and I do not think that would cover the costs / hassle.

[AnOther]

Try my 2000 Golf Tdi Estate now sporting 213k miles !

For a while I've been wrestling about what to do with it, drive it to death in France then throw it away or sell it in UK now whilst it's still in good running order and Taxed and MOT'd and still worth perhaps £2k+ and put the cash towards a left hooker and finally I've come down in favour of the latter.

At the end of the day 213k is 213k and if we were intending to just potter around our village all well and good but we plan to travel around a fair bit plus I have a big trailer which has hard work to do from time to time all of which is a bit unkind on the old girl. If something went seriously and expensively wrong with it France then it could become worthless overnight.

Luckily I found a very reasonably priced LHD much younger replacement in UK which has also helped me make my decision so the Golf is scheduled to make its last trip back to UK later this month.

[Bugsy]

[quote user="cruddler"]

In answer to your question Bugbear, when you turn the ignition it starts and will give an intial rev with the pedal depressed but then it is as if the accelerator no longer exists and the revs drop and the engine cuts out. It also has a habit of doing this every time you pull up to a junction now. If you have an inkling please let me have it as Ive had no luck with a couple of postings on VW forums

[/quote]

Is it petrol or diesel ?

What is the engine size?

I'll try to advise............................

[cruddler]

Its a 2.0l Petrol N reg CL

Cheers

Andy

[Bugsy]

The first thing I would check are all the vacuum pipes. There are a lot of them and a split will cause exactly the problem you have described.

There is a large breather pipe from the throttle body that runs down to the crankcase breather. Remove that and blow through it. (they regularly block, causing the engine to stop when on tick-over).

I won't overload you at this time so try that first and see how you go.

Gary.

 

[cruddler]

Thanks for the advice Gary. Unfortunately the car was already booked in for an appointment with the local mechanic who decided it was all the fault of the spark plugs and replaced them. This has been done before but maybe he has a special touch as so far it seems to be behaving itself. I am therefore loathe to attempt to check the pipes at present and risk its wrath.

We have though made the decision to cut our losses and sell it and buy a LHD here. Our 30 days are now up that we had to register the thing here and of course our UK insurance is now invalid. We intend to drive it back to the UK the end of next week and sell it, so does anyone know of a French Insurer that will offer us insurance for a couple of weeks without a Carte Grise or a UK insurer that will cover us for this small amount of time both for the drive back to Calais and for a few days In England?

 

 

[AnOther]

There seems to be a choice of French insurers who will happily take your money although whether you are properly covered, even in France, may be a different question.

You may have a bigger problem though because if you didn't inform the DVLA that the car was being exported then French insurance or not you are not permitted to drive it in UK without UK insurance and if you are non resident then they won't cover you. You also must have current a Tax disk and MOT (if req) of course.

[cruddler]

It has UK insurance until the new year and it is also taxed and MOTed so strictly speaking all should be fine once its back in the UK. We havent informed the DVLA of our intention to export it because of all the trouble it has been causing us and hadnt decided until a couple of days ago whether we would register it in France or not. Having now decided not to, I guess that shouldnt apply. Anyway, my current UK insurers baulked at the idea of me having concurrent insurance with them and a French Insurer so I will speak to some UK companies to see if they will cover us for the week or so we need.

[AnOther]

[quote user="cruddler"]Anyway, my current UK insurers baulked at the idea of me having concurrent insurance with them and a French Insurer[/quote]I can imagine that throwing your average insurance telesales operator into a paroxysm...........[:D]

Personally I don't think I would have even mentioned it but lets not go there hey.....[Www]