The Ka is dead (or at least very very unwell).

[armb]

I drove it to the garage in Ely this morning, making scary noises and leaving a couple of clouds of smoke.
£1500 for them to fit a reconditioned engine, and we're considering other options, including just scrapping it.
£1500 is more than What Car/Autotrader's estimated trade-in value, and not much less than the "private sale" value.
For around £275 I can get a reconditioned engine and fit it myself. I have changed the engine of a car before, but modern cars are more complicated and tightly fitted, and it could easily take me three weekends (at my parents' house probably, since we don't have a garage here).
(I have owned cars that cost less than £275, but they were fairly tatty and didn't have things like power steering and I haven't seen one for sale at that price recently.)
We think we can probably manage with only one car (though the Audi is several years older than the Ka, and idling rather roughly at the moment), with me going to work by train from Ely sometimes (as I did today). If Alice gets a full time job we might need the second car more, but then we will be better able to afford it.

Comments

[timill]

Which garage do you use in Ely?

[armb.livejournal.com]

EMG. The theory was that with it being a newish (by my standards) Ford, taking it to a Ford dealer seemed sensible. And they are within convenient walking distance of the station after leaving it (and I work on Station Road in Cambridge).
Current plan is tow it to my parents on Saturday, and see how removing the engine goes.