How much is my MR2 worth?

[Hellbound]

And the final pic. I took this on the fateful day last month when I dropped my car off at the local, retired ex BMW mechanic - now TVR guy...who ended up making a bit of a blunder fitting the alternator and belt which consequently blew a few fuses. He then hacked up the front fuse box and then handed the car back three weeks later (during which time his son had been in a serious accident and had to have emergency surgery!). JPF told me to chase him up for compensation but I don't know how I'd do that with someone who essentially operates without any paperwork. It'll be my word against his. I'll chat to him next week though.

[Hellbound]

A fuse keeps blowing.

Do you know exactly which fuse keeps blowing?

Paul

Not exactly, I'll txt him to find out. I'm in Roath by the way!

UPDATE: Gauge Fuse in the drivers footwell.

[craig]

Surely that's a case for trading standards?

You took the car in, he knackered it and gave you it back?

Car looks smart, I'd be certainly getting that sorted out.

£300 for that?

[Hellbound]

Surely that's a case for trading standards?

You took the car in, he knackered it and gave you it back?

Car looks smart, I'd be certainly getting that sorted out.

£300 for that?

The question is who would change the loom without charging by the hour and accruing a lot of £££ in labour?

Has anyone been successful here with trading standards? On the one hand, I don't feel right about chasing up for compensation or whatever I'd be owed, but on the other hand my car is the only asset I have and that's been devalued massively because of this guy. I don't think he's malicious because he has a lot of repeat customers but I do think he had bitten off way more than he could chew. I took it to him because I'd seen another MR2 there once and he said he's worked on a few and liked them.

[craig]

I would get in touch with trading standards and see where you stand.

If it were me, I'd have gone ballistic!

I very much doubt the loom needs replacing, surely he hasn't done that much damage that it can't simply be repaired once the fault is diagnosed?

[Hellbound]

I would get in touch with trading standards and see where you stand.

If it were me, I'd have gone ballistic!

I very much doubt the loom needs replacing, surely he hasn't done that much damage that it can't simply be repaired once the fault is diagnosed?

Apparently TVR guy messed about with the fuses which sent more current through the wiring which fried it. That's what I took from what JPF said.

I have a feeling this all started when TVR guy tested the old alternator and said it wasn't giving out much charge. During this he changed the alternator belt and we'd then agreed that I'd order a new alternator. However when I drove the car a few blocks to my house it wasn't right at all, the windows weren't working, the fans were blowing and the dash wasn't responsive either. So if we're going to pinpoint where it started it was right then. What compounded it was taking it back to swap out the alternator, during which he said he had to remove the cross member and some other things and then put it all back. He tested the alternator and it was charging the battery fine but the fuse started blowing each time he'd replace it or even them. I think initially the fans were blowing because of this.
He unwittingly started a chain reaction. But I do plan to see him on monday just to see what he says and then pursue trading standards.

[aussieGT]

IMO 300 is pretty much an insult. Yeah, he has a business to run bla bla bla, but if i'd paid him that much to diagnose the problem and he comes back offering to buy it of that much. Pay the bill and take the car away.

Like someone else has pointed out, that as a rolling shell would be worth that alone. But then again, people have struggled to get a fair price for shells here too in the not too distant past.

You could whack it up on ebay and see what you get.

[rgb]

Its a fair price for a non runner but theres no way id be paying for diagnosis.

[craig]

Its a fair price for a non runner but theres no way id be paying for diagnosis.

No, it's not a fair price, it's a bloody insult.

£300 for a complete, rust free 96 import complete car with a wiring fault??

I sold my Rev 3 turbo shell bare for that price of £300.

[masterbateson]

you would have been better taking it back to the garage you had all the alternator probs with.
Ok guy is not best man for the job for mr2s by the looks of it,but if he has nacked it, then its up to him to put it right even if he has to get an auto electrician in at his expense.

I wouldn't go in all guns blazing but explain to him firmly that you would like him to rectify his work and return your car in a working state.

Thing is tho your going to struggle to prove he has done the damage and he can also turn round now and say it wasnt like that when he had it and this bloke you transported it too has done the damage.
How much did the car cost you?
Might be time to draw a line in the sand depending on what it stands you at because from what you've said its going to be you out of pocket for another 130 quid as opposed to being 300 up.
It a tough one that only you can decide on unfortunately.

[masterbateson]

I love that hydraulic Lift in TVR mates garage tho!!!

[BALDYMONSTER]

......

Don't let it go for that! A raw shell in great nick is worth that.

There are some really great and knowledgeable people on here that will go above and beyond to help out other people. ....I say get the car back and see what can be done.

I'd love for this to turn into a forum project of sorts. If there's a group who live close to each other with space to work in then that would be ideal.[/quote


Oh.w 11

[Hellbound]

you would have been better taking it back to the garage you had all the alternator probs with.
Ok guy is not best man for the job for mr2s by the looks of it,but if he has nacked it, then its up to him to put it right even if he has to get an auto electrician in at his expense.

I wouldn't go in all guns blazing but explain to him firmly that you would like him to rectify his work and return your car in a working state.

Thing is tho your going to struggle to prove he has done the damage and he can also turn round now and say it wasnt like that when he had it and this bloke you transported it too has done the damage.
How much did the car cost you?
Might be time to draw a line in the sand depending on what it stands you at because from what you've said its going to be you out of pocket for another 130 quid as opposed to being 300 up.
It a tough one that only you can decide on unfortunately.

This is exactly what's going through my head right now. I have one pic that proves my car was in his garage, but that could be for anything. If I turn down JPF's offer, I'll owe him £240 for labour and would need to fork out another £130 odd to get the car back to my house. THEN I'd have to try and sort out something via TVR guy or sell it on ebay. In the mean time I'd be paying insurance and road tax on a car that now has no MOT. JPF guy said if he has it he'd put a new radiator in, a new air con condenser, new brakes and pads, paint the faded boot spoiler and front bumper and also of course MOT it all after sorting out the loom. He says it'll be worth about £1500 once all that's done and doesn't expect getting any money back for his effort. I've seen quite a few NA's come up for sale for over £2k and they've sold but you never know for how much in the end.

It came to me without MOT, and putting it through an MOT plus the car came to about £1600. It was worth it though because it was so clean and original - it was going to be a long term driver. Anyway, time to man up and accept the situation. Netflix should cheer me up.

[markstevieandmads]

What has jpf done for you to be charged £240.

Personally I don't charge people for something I haven't fixed. But like I said he has to run a business.

If I had the room I'd change the loom out for you...I do feel for you.

However the situation your in, I would go back to tvr man and tell him he messed it up then he pays for that . I had a similar experience when my drivers window smashed.
I bought a 2nd hand window and my dad took the car to some back street garage. A few days later my dad said he had phoned and they had smashed the new window so my dad had just taken the car away.
I went mad and went back there myself and at least got the money back for the window.
I sent my car in with a good window and got a car full of smashed glass back. Not good enough.
I then fixed the window myself.

[androo007]

Oh wow that gives more context to it. Give original garage a call and request they pay for repairs at garage of your choice. State that 2nd garage is prepared to provide an engineers report detailing the damage (and cause) and a price to fix it (including new loom fitted). They can then arrange upfront payment to specialist. If not threaten small claims court. It'll be paid up pretty quick.

I recently had this with a garage that did not jack my car properly, and so went through the same process. I got it fixed at the most expensive, we known and reputable garage I know of. Which they of course paid for.

You are entitled to go elsewhere for a fix as they have shown incompetence in fixing it in the first place.

Record all calls, emails and conversations.

[CalMac]

I agree. It's horrible having to be brutal like that but if a professional has damaged your car and you're certain that he caused the issues then go back to him - he should have liability cover for this sort of thing anyway right?

Although if he's really that useless it would probably be better to ask for the money to have it fixed elsewhere..

[Hellbound]

Thanks for the feedback guys.

I'll pop over to the TVR garage tomorrow and explain the situation with a timeline of where I think things went wrong and why I think he's liable. I'll take some information from JPF with me relating to the corrective work he had to do to back this up. I'm quite a passive guy and he is too, so it will involve lots of awkward apologies and suggestions to try and come to some sort of agreement I'm sure!

As for evidence, TVR guy is literally two blocks from my house, there were no emails or txts exchanged or anything during the time I dealt with him. It was just a case of me popping over to see how things were going. In hindsight not the best thing to have done really but I liked the 'friendly local business' feel of the situation. Silly me.

As for being charged for a diagnosis by JPF, I don't think it's as simple as that. He did have to do quite a bit of corrective work (from TVR guy) as well as electrical testing to enable him to arrive at the diagnosis in the first place, which is still exploratory at best. Auto electricians generally spend a lot of time trying to get to the bottom of electrical gremlins and I don't think they expect to only charge the customer for fuses and bits of wire and the time physically spent replacing said items. It's a tricky one for sure but given the amount of work JPF does I don't think he's trying to swindle me at all. Genuine people wouldn't be so busy given these cars are quite niche - cowboys are exposed pretty quick, especially when news gets to owners forums! Besides, he did keep me updated via txt during the hours he spent looking at my car and that was reassuring. He also didn't offer to buy my car out of the blue, he got the sense I was in a bind and couldn't afford a grand or whatever it would cost in the end to fix my car and MOT it. The offer of £300 was of course non-obligatory, it's just the fact that it didn't factor in the labour I already owed kinda made my heart sink.
But for clarity I'll also ask him for a reasonable estimate if I want him to go ahead and fix my car.

Until the morning then.

[androo007]

Yeah man make sure you don't go back to the first garage until you have all the facts in hand.....

Cost so far to remedy fuse box
Cost of fixing wiring errors caused by first garage
Confirmation you can get an engineers report if required

Write down dates and times of conversations, when you had them and what was said. IF it goes to scc then it really stands in your favour.

By the sounds of it it won't, but sometimes people need to see a serious threat before backing down and even the nicest of people can get nasty when they have to put their hand in their own pocket.

At the end of the day he should have his own company insurance that covers this sort of thing, it's your (very nice!!) Car which you entrusted to him and he f####d up.

Money aside, it's your rights and basic morals to have the car back in a state you left it in.....

Good luck, keep us posted.

[aussieGT]

JPF guy said if he has it he'd put a new radiator in, a new air con condenser, new brakes and pads, paint the faded boot spoiler and front bumper and also of course MOT it all after sorting out the loom. He says it'll be worth about £1500 once all that's done and doesn't expect getting any money back for his effort.

Unless he is Edd China he expects a return for his efforts. When sellers/tradesmen say they "Don't expect getting any money back for their effort" or "Do it for their interest/hobby" I immediately become suspicious and take my business elsewhere. Thats a horseshyte line.

He also didn't offer to buy my car out of the blue, he got the sense I was in a bind and couldn't afford a grand or whatever it would cost in the end to fix my car and MOT it. The offer of £300 was of course non-obligatory, it's just the fact that it didn't factor in the labour I already owed kinda made my heart sink.

To me, that sounds like someone who has been caught over a fence with their pants down, and the weirdo that has come across them offers to use a lubricant to reduce the pain slightly.

I like MR2's and older jap cars obviously, unless this is a wind up I will make sure I steer well clear of this garage if this tale proves true.

The car is worth a good deal more than 300.

[masterbateson]

W0nder what happened re this?

0p 0ver2u