Styling Should I buy?

[Becks79]

Hello,
I’m about to buy a fiat 500 but have doubts.
The bonnet is misaligned but the dealership say it’s not a cat car.
They are brushing over it and not offering to rectify..
What should I do?
Walk away?

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Any older used car, you NEED to be able to fix it yourself even basic things like brake discs and pads could be £300 at a garage, £30 to do yourself!

It's been a long time since any car I was involved with got it's brakes done in a garage but I do hear "stories" from friends and neighbours about what they've paid for brake work and it invariably surprises me. Thinking about it though you've got parts, which will be charged out at full retail so the VAT is going to be more. Then there's "sundries" like ceramic grease, top up of brake fluid and other "stuff" which probably, as a DIYer, you've got left over from the last one you did. And then there's the "biggy" which is labour. Depending on the car, you might buy a set of front pads for £30 but the discs, if they need replaced, which often these days they do, will cost several times that. £300 for front pads and discs on a small family car done in a garage doesn't look all that far from realistic to me? You should be able to do it yourself for a third of that quite comfortably. I find brake parts are one of the items most often supplied incorrectly due to the manufacturer's chopping and changing year to year so I always buy at my local factor as returning the wrong part and walking out with the right stuff is so easy.

Edit. I find prices paid at my factor are very competitive when compared to on line for stuff of similar quality - and my factors only supply good quality stuff, they wouldn't get away with poor quality goods for long - be careful on line, there's some pretty dodgy looking stuff about if you're just looking for the cheapest price

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Its the expensive things you need to check, cam belt, clutch and its hydraulics, rear beam corrosion and no to climate control( yes to ac )

I agree with this, only problem is you need a certain level of knowledge and competence to know what you're looking at and someone with that level of knowledge may be quite a competent DIYer already? Maybe take a knowledgeable friend with you? Oh, and yes to manual aircon every time.