My worst Nightmare in a IVA is here

[MrsKnight]

Hi I need help please!

I have moaned for ages about the problems with my car & my worst fears have come true.

Its a 10 year old car & we have had it for 5/6 years, there is severe rust damage to the back wheel arches on both sides. Its MOT is due next month & it needs new fuel pipes/ & 2 front wheels & anything else on top.
Along with a broken wing mirror that we have tapped back on & a bump to the rear with broken light cover also tapped up, which was done a long time ago by an unknown driver when it was parked out side out home.

Due to the severe rust conditions on the arches it will now fail its MOT, a quick fix solution may last as long as a piece of string. To fix it properly as quoted today by 2 trusted garages, would cost 1500/1600 to fix by replacing it with an entire new panel, not including spray painting it after. The car is worth nothing due to its condition & would still not be worth it if we did all the repairs above.

I know I need to contact my IP & I have taken no payments breaks as yet, but at a IVA payment of only 201 a month, would get me no where with doing all the above or buying a second hand banger.

I obviously have budgeted for repairs out my allowance of 35 per month which is still going to get me no where now.
I would love to give up the car, but we need it for my husband to get to & from work & to run the children about & general day to day things & support my parents with shopping & hospital visits.
The Hubby & I dont know to laugh or cry at the moment & Im not sure what my plan of action is either, help!

I am thinking of using what I have saved up & asking for a 2/3 month payment break, but just don't know how we will recover paying it back & what time scale we could be allowed. I honestly don't know whats best to do as with a 3 month break & what we have saved, we would have around 1000 to buy a second hand car which I think will be difficult. Nor do I know if the GT will be sympathetic or quick to answer, as I need to take the payment break to commence before the 15/6/11, which is when my next payment is due.

Not sure how to sort this one out! Any help would be grateful x

[langerbridge]

Hi lyns, feel for you not good position. Hope you get to speak to GT today I hope they are accommodating. Given that without payment break gunny can't get to work I'm sure they will agree. £1k new car is achieveable. When you have found a car you like ask the garage to have a look at it for you then you know whether it will last. Buy with max amount of MOT possible. I think you would get late 90s early 00s focus, astra or similar size.

[langerbridge]

Should say hubby not gunny!!

[MrsKnight]

Hi langerbridge

Thank you I feel truly horrendous at the moment, but there is no other way for hubby to get to work. Part of the cuts in our area have cut all evening transport & even before this it was bad enough.

A early focus is what I would be looking for ideally, I would prefer to buy something with as much MOT on it as possible.

Our car Ford Fiesta Y reg & the condition it is in is now worth nothing & we have been advised, kindly & not the garages trying to sell us as a car cos the don't sell them, to scrap it, its not worth it now.
GT nightmare to get hold of the moment & Im put of being put on hold on a 0844 number. I just cant believe this is happening.

[littlefi]

oh gosh I really feel for you! I was so sure ours would fail today, but I know we won't be as lucky next year, they already said the brakes need looking at in the next few months

Well if I get a miraculous lottery win I'll buy you one, although I wouldn't hold your breathe, having said that I won a tenner last week.

Sending big hugs, I know how it must feel, it's these things that are the worst case scenario when money is at it's tightest

[Judo]

Oh lyns.
I really don't know what to suggest.
1k would get you a half decent car and I am sure that GT would be sympathetic as without one, as you rightly say then hubby can't get to work and no work means no income.

I would email GT every hour if you have to stating how vital it is that somebody gets back to you asap.
Maybe you could use that link that Jan posts to email the IP directly?
If you manage to get through on the phone then just tell them how expensive the call is and you would appreciate somebody ringing you back urgently.
Is there any family member that might be able to help you out?
Although it might not be possible to do, perhaps your IP could sanction you trying to find credit to help fund another car?
I don't know what else to say.

[langerbridge]

I'm with payplan they have secure email through justabank, do GT have anything like this? At least you have a honest garage which is good!!! Can be a life saver!!! They should look at any new car for you & whilst this isn't 100% that there will be no nasty problems it does make them less likely to happen!! Good luck with GT!!!

[lem]

Lyns, I have a Y reg fiesta that I bought last year to get me through my uni course, it cost me £1k and had 35k on the clock and is pristine, there is a little rust over one of the arches but that's all, I have been using it religiously since last August and have put 12k miles on it, yes it failed it's MOT but only needed brakes sorting which cost me £150 and the advisory on it is only for a new tyre.

All I'm saying is £1k could buy you a decent car if you look around, I got mine from ebay and it has never let me down bless it.

I hope you get sorted

[MrsKnight]

Thank you for the replies, Im just in total shock at the moment, I do know what I need to do, I just never wanted to come to this, cant quite pick up the phone at the minute to phone them up.

Hubby has had to go to work in the rust bucket, & I have the boys to pick up in a bit, so need to get myself together.
I dont have family members with that amount of money to just give, as it would be really difficult to pay them back & really can not tell them of the IVA. Ive been so proud of how far we have got & struggled through it with all the problems we have had. This is the day I dreaded.

[morgan105]

Ah MrsKnight sorry to hear of your car problems, it's that dreaded MOT again.

If the car is reliable is there no way you could get the parts, i.e. wheels, mirror,and rear lens from a breakers and put them on as they shouldn't be to much? And get your fuel pipes done if needed. The arches, if they are not a structural part of the car, can be taped over using duct tape, if you don't mind it's presentation, and would be acceptable for a MOT as it is normally only failed because of safety reasons, in case someone wants to brush up along the car and cuts themselves. It is a cheap fix and may see you through the next couple of MOT's until the IVA finishes.

If you have to get another car I wouldn't always put off a old car, ours is £230, 21 year old and still going strong. Wife uses it as her daily transport. We've had it 6 years and at MOT time we've rarely spent any money on it, nothing has been required for it in the past 3 MOT's. Needs a replacement front wing now, £25 from breakers, and a few dents taking care of courtesy of the wife but otherwise structurely sound. I know I wouldn't pass up a old car as there is less technology in them to go wrong and some of this technology costs more then the car is worth if it does go wrong.

I hope you find an easy and cheap solution to sort your problem out as I know you would be lost without wheels. I know I would be as the transport system around here isn't that good.

Best of Luck!

[andrea1968]

OH-nightmare,cant live without the car- You could try buying locally private or maybe even e-bay-I know a lot of garages do sell on there-usually part-exchange cars that they have,they can be quite reasonably priced as they dont want them on their forecourts(the posh garages that is).Would only buy from a business on e-bay though,then you know who you are dealing with.
See if you have any mechanic friends who could go with you to check them out before purchase-I think the AA offer a service whereby they will check a car over before you buy it-dont know how much though.
A car is a necessity nowadays-especially for work and more so if you have kids.
Good luck Mrs Knight-when my beloved campervan died I bought a Frontera off a local garage that I use regularly-loads of mot and tax for 700. Was sold as seen but talked him into giving it a service for an extra 50 quid!!!!
Its a bit greedy on the fuel but I rarely go anywhere and wanted something to go *up the mountains* with-so its got the power.
Good luck in your search-a grand is a fair amount of money nowadays for a reliable car.

[Judo]

lyns.
Please don't upset yourself over this. I went through something similiar with our car pre IVA and the only way we go through it was by hand outs from family.
As you have just said, you have come so far and I am absolutely positive that GT will help you get through this.
Get in touch with them soon and put a smile on that sweet face ready for when you get your boys.
As you said yesterday, where there's a will there's a way!! xxx

[MrsKnight]

HI Morgan - thank you for the reply.
The wheel arches have been going for years we have been treating & fixing them with fiber glass etc. The worse one has rusted into the rear car door (where it closes) & under neath going into the car.
The garages have explained & we have done what they would have done but its gone to far now.
We have lived with the bump for years & the wing mirror being tapped up & not being able to use it for years too.
Its just not worth spending the money on in repairs, the fuel pipes do need doing & the front wheels, along with an exhaust this year & the rest, never mind a service.
I do appreciate everything you have said, but its a wreck! so to speak

Andrea - thank you, no idea what to do, but if I can take the payment breaks Ive got till the 19 July to sort it.

We cant live without the car, my hubbys medical condition would worsen with out it & its one of the main reasons we got into debt, buying a car to help him continue to live & work. My head hurts!

[morgan105]

If it's gone in to the door pillars then I would agree with you that it is time to look for something else as it is starting to get structural now.

Hope you can find something soon, I'm sure you will and for not much money. Even if it's just a cheap run-a-round that could see you through until you're out of the IVA, better then nothing.

Wish you luck!

[kat68]

hiya mrs knight,
sorry to hear about your car situation, hope your ip will be able to help/advise.
my dad worked in the car industry for many years, he was a test driver, and he would always and still does reccomend that if you have a limited amount to spend then buy japanese, their engines and bodywork is far superior to british built cars. there are many japanese cars still going strong with 160,000 + miles on them.
good luck