Hello everyone!

I bought my first car a few months ago, and I have been loving it!

The car starts and it doesn't beep at me and there isn't any systems I want to turn off every time I start the engine and the controls are all physical buttons and its a small car but it doesn't feel small when when inside.
Originally I planned to keep the car in great condition and keep it for as long as possible, especially with the current trend of crossovers and SUVs meaning bigger and bigger cars are on the road and I'm not interested in in those massive ugly things.
I could go on with how much i like this model of car, but I do have some minor issues with the car and I am not sure if they are worth fixing to keep this car on the road for a long time, or to leave it alone and save that money I would spend to repair it to buy a better condition car in a few years time?

The issues I have with the car are as follows;

Dent on the roof rail and on roof panel, quoted about £500-£600 to fix it

Occasional interior rattle on the passenger side(left hand side), not yet found the cause of it
Driver side electric window works, but the sync is lost every time I shut the car down, so i have to hold it down to open the window fully
Clutch feels high compared to the car I learned to drive in (crossover Ford Puma) but it doesn't feel like its slipping
Some tiny paint chips on the bonnet with sone rust on it

Ive had the car checked by a VAG specialist garage to diagnose the vibrations (as there was some at about 70mph), and couldn't find anything wrong, they say the car is in good condition for its age but possible cause would be the "cheap tyres" having thin walls I put on it (I didn't think they were, but they are 195/55R15 85V LAUFENN S FIT EQ+ if anyone is more knowledgable about tyres) and to "just enjoy it"

What are your opinions? Would you fix this car up to keep it for a long time like I originally wanted to? or would it just be a waste of money in the long run?

Car also came with loads of paperwork with the service history, so much so I bought a ring binder to organise it all, I am the 3rd owner and its always passed MOT and has been serviced by garages

Thanks for your time!

Edited yesterday at 15:271 day by MatrixDrive
Title change for clarity

I would fix the rust ASAP before it gets worse even if its a touch up kit. Sons MK1 has a few dents but its an old car and as long as theres no rust he lives with it. If you mean the bite point on clutch being high it may mean its getting worn but if its not slipping I wouldnt bother until it starts. If you mean the height of pedal its probably normal as its hydraulic clutch. The vibrations may be wheels out of balance but as there new tyres I assume they were balanced so it could be slightly worn bushes. Sons swing arm bushes are past it and he gets a bit of vibration/wobble at higher speeds. I would get wheels checked for balance just in case a weight has come off. Check the wiring at the door pillar for breaks which may explain the window problem. Alasdair

The little dent and the tiiiiiny rust spots should be totally ignored, not worth a moment's effort; neither will ever threaten the future of the car.

Alasdair is spot on with wheel balance checking, it may have shed a weight. Also about the door loom wiring.

195/55R15 85V LAUFENN S FIT EQ+ are a sub company of Hankook so should be decent tyres. My sons mk1 fabia is basic but also so far fairly trouble free and relatively cheap to fix. These days the newer the car the more expensive it becomes to repair so I would look after the one you have. Rust is the killer everything else can be sorted

Alasdair

Sorry for the late reply! but thank you for your responses

8 hours ago, Alasdair1 said:

If you mean the bite point on clutch being high it may mean its getting worn but if its not slipping I wouldnt bother until it starts.

Well that's good, seeing some prices online estimate £600-£1500 for a clutch replacement! I'm glad I have time to save up for when it comes around

8 hours ago, Alasdair1 said:

I would get wheels checked for balance just in case a weight has come off.
Sons swing arm bushes are past it and he gets a bit of vibration/wobble at higher speeds.

8 hours ago, Breezy_Pete said:

Alasdair is spot on with wheel balance checking, it may have shed a weight.

I would have hoped that the VAG specialists would have had a look at that when they inspected it, they did notice that one of the wheels wasn't tightened on properly and I've not been up to 70mph since so I should probably do that to see if its still there.

Still, there is a local Kwik Fit that I could ring up and see if they would check the balancing

8 hours ago, Alasdair1 said:

Check the wiring at the door pillar for breaks which may explain the window problem.

8 hours ago, Breezy_Pete said:

Alasdair is spot on about the door loom wiring.

How would I go about checking this?

8 hours ago, Breezy_Pete said:

The little dent and the tiiiiiny rust spots should be totally ignored, not worth a moment's effort; neither will ever threaten the future of the car.

Aha it feels bigger in person, especially on a sunny day. I know its just a cosmetic thing but it would be nice to have it smooth additionally one of the guys I went to offered to give me the remaining bits of the paint mix and dab on the rusty bonnet spots with a cocktail stick.

Mechanical fixes are always going to be a priority over it though.

8 hours ago, Alasdair1 said:

relatively cheap to fix. These days the newer the car the more expensive it becomes to repair so I would look after the one you have.

Something I didn't even consider!

Before dabbing paint on rust spots, dab 'Rust Converter' on them and let it act / react.

Edited 14 hours ago14 hr by Evolution13

13 hours ago, Evolution13 said:

Before dabbing paint on rust spots, dab 'Rust Converter' on them and let it act / react.

will do!