S40 seeks loving home and tlc - £500

[dcw]

Hello All

Please read this post fully if the title has caught your attention - I don't want anyone feeling misled!

My mum has decided to give up driving, which means she has asked me to sell her car for her. It is a 2005 S40 2.4i geartronic, base model.

The car is ruby red pearlescent, has done 90,000 miles, and is a shiny clean example. Base spec nonetheless includes electric windows all round, cruise control, ECC, steering-wheel controls for radio etc. The car also has the winter pack (heated seats and headlamp washers) and a sunroof. Fabric interior in a light colour scheme.

So far so good...

Life, unfortunately, has not been kind to this car - even before mum had it. It has a fair number of minor dings, scuffs and scratches, and the N/S rear door has a shallow dent in it, with corresponding minor denting to the rear wheel arch. Inside is generally in good condition except the N/S front door card, which looks as if something with sharp claws has attacked it.

During the 3 years she has owned it, mum (fairly gently!!) backed the car into a wall denting the rear bumper. Then, in a final insult, a freak hailstorm hit, and the flat surfaces of the car have dents in them.

I have maintained the car for her during this time - services, plus new brakes, wishbones, headlight etc. It has an MOT until May 2017, which it passed with no advisories. Excellent condition tyres - the rears are virtually brand new.

However, it is now due another service and needs a cam-belt change.

I have sourced a replacement rear bumper (in black) and bonnet and boot-lid (in pale blue) which simply need a re-spray and can then replace the damaged panels. I have been quoted around £500 for the paint job. The door dent can probably just be pulled out by one of those "remove a dent" services for relatively little cost. Even with a garage doing it, a cam-belt service ought to be under £500.

At present life is too busy and I am not particularly well. If I did the necessary cam-belt service and got the panels sorted, this car would be a much better sale prospect I know, and I think it would be worth around £1,500. In time, I may well do all this. However, if someone else is willing to take it, I believe this S40 would serve them well. I am driving it on occasion to keep it ticking over and it runs and handles very nicely; it has lots of life left in it yet.

Hence the car is on offer, as it stands, for £500. That price includes the replacement bumper, boot-lid and bonnet, of course.

Happy to answer any questions, provide more photos etc, as necessary.

Thanks for looking!

David