To have bought a heap of rust

[WhatonearthwasIthinking]

I don't know what to do - I spent 5k on a camper van last week, know nothing about cars at all. Just wanted it and the couple selling it seemed genuine.

Just got back from a garage and it needs so much work doing to it, body and mechanical. No recourse to the original owners, totally my fault for not doing any research or getting advice beforehand.

I already know IABU - and bloody stupid - to have bought it so my question is:

AIBU to put some money into it so I can at least get 12m pootling round the county with my dogs and my fairy lights? Or should I just write it off?

A lot of the rest may be surface rust. Something a wire brush, a brush over with Kurust and a treatment with waxoil/lanoguard would fix.

Either the people you bought it from got a dodgy mot, or the garage you've taken it to are seriously trying to rip you off.
Nether of these has to be true @Boopeedoop - a vehicle condition survey reports what can be seen, and you get what you pay for. Unless you're going to pay for half a day of labour going over everything in detail it's going to be a quick list. An MOT has a strict schedule of items to be inspected and how they're assessed. The OP hasn't shared the full MOT report so you can not say that either the MOT assessor overlooked things or that the garage made things up.

I've got a great Jag if you're interested OP.

She wouldn’t exactly get far with the battery light on and a snapped aux belt!

It hasn't actually snapped, so it still drives, but I think it's on its last legs.

The report states snapped and the battery light would support that. Not gonna get far without a charging system.

Did the MOT have any advisories?

Definitely get a few quotes from different places.
I once had an old Escort which I loved but had been bought second-hand and it had passed its MOT etc, took it for its next MOT and was told I should leave the car there and they'd give me scrap value as the car would cost "way over £2k to even scrape through an MOT".

Took it to another garage and just asked for a checkover without telling them I'd been anywhere else and they did it for free - they admitted it needed work but the cost would be £200 including VAT - I drove that car for many, many years after.

I used to work in a garage too and looking at that list, it's hard to tell how serious those issues are - some (like your battery light) are very easy and quick fixes (but please get that aux belt sorted asap) and a lot of the corrosion could also be relatively easy and cheap fixes if you know how to do the work yourself (to be honest, there are so many excellent Youtube videos out there showing you exactly what to you and it's actually pretty fun, therapeutic work).

Get it looked over by a couple of other places (just avoid Halfords garages!!)

£5k is very cheap for a camper van, so take yourself out of the mindset that you got ripped off and start planning your interior decor

I did let out an involuntary whimper when I read that list. Agree with PPs that it's suspicious a lot of this wasn't picked up by the MOT a few months ago 🤔

Most of it looks doable apart from- arguably- the corrosion. You're going to have to get some recommendations for a decent welder ASAP, and get some quotes from them.

I know it's too late for you, but for anyone else reading this, the AA will look any potential vehicle over for you for about £100. Also....it's not that difficult to buy a plain van for much less and camperise it yourself. I've semi done mine (bed and cupboards), and my carpentry skills are only really on the putting shelves up level.

Agree with @AddictedToBooks - looking at that list not all of those are necessarily MOT failures or intrinsically unsafe, it would only be rust on structural parts that would be a really bad fail and need welding and that should have been picked up on the MOT or there would be an advisory that it was getting bad (seriously damaging rust doesn't usually pop up overnight)

You might have more luck asking this on a T25 forum where people who love them and are experienced owners will have some good advice on what is a real problem and what's just considered "normal" wear/ageing. eg depending how bad the sump is you might be able to wire brush and hammerite it to give it a few more years.

Sell it on at a loss .. my dh bought a Vw camper in lockdown and did it up himself . Still lost money but he just wanted some thing to do..

If you can't do that it will cost you a fortune !

I have a car that is 25+ years. I just today took photos of all the rust on the suspension. It has 12 months MOT on it. Something may go this year but probably won't. It may go next year or the year after. Find a pragmatic mechanic, get your bus on the road asap and enjoy.

Thank you so much everyone, you've all been really helpful.

Booked in for the aux drive tomorrow and at a garage that specialises in old VWs on Tuesday.

Especially thank you to those of you who said I should remember 5k was cheap for a camper so rather than moan about it, I'll be thankful that I could afford it and make the most of adventures with my dogs

Some of that work is not required right now eg corrosion on the undertray. I would research which work is absolutely vital to make the vehicle safe and roadworthy and leave the rest.

By the way, an MOT wouldn't pick up on most of those things because they're not safety related. Some of them are phrased like they're in dire need of replacement but the standard phrases that are used don't always indicate the severity of the issue.

Brake discs being pitted - not always a massive issue. Yes it's better to replace them but a few short journeys won't matter, as long as there's sufficient surface on the discs and pads.

@WhatonearthwasIthinking look up Jules James on Facebook, she runs a (naffley named) group on Facebook called ‘women only be kind’ but she is a mechanic who runs workshops to learn skills, puts your van on a ramp and also helps with welding. She is really helpful.

Fix and enjoy :) In the end that will be worth it

Fantastic - thanks so much for that suggestion x

There are tonnes of VW groups on FB and forums. Ask if someone local to you can pop round and have a look at it for you - most are quite happy to. It’s a nice community to be in as well.

Definitely fix & enjoy!

I'm no expert but used to do lots of the maintenance on my little sports car - not the same I know, but have had pitted brake discs, seized calipers and bits of corrosion and they were all easy fixes - brakes just were a bit juddery till I changed the discs and pads but passed MOT fine and did the job of stopping the car. Corrosion either brushed off and touched up or wasn't bad enough to affect the car's safety/structure, which it sounds like yours might be similar?

You're already going for aux & battery so hopefully those will also be an easy fix.

I'd want to check starter motor too as that would be a ballache if it failed when you were out and about, and definitely make sure you have currrent breakdown cover - but on the whole this doesn't say bad investment to me, although I know VWs can have massive long term rust problems. And like pp said, £5k is cheap for a camper and even £10k is not huge given how much they can go for!

I hope you get it all sorted for sensible £ and get to pootle about joyfully in it for years!

For anyone who is interested, a garage specialising in old VWs looked at it and said the list was OTT and priced up all the necessary, then the nice to do things and finally the 'if you're flush' things.

Booked it for various bits and pieces over the next six months, all affordable and hopefully will be good for the MOT and will give me and my dogs lots of happy memories in the coming months

Thank you so much for the recommendation for Jules 😊

@Ginorchoc Thanks for the recommendation for Women Only, Be Kind - great site!