alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Youngest has now passed his test, and has money saved. He wants a 106, or a Saxo, and has found a 2000 MY VTR, with 40,000 miles, priced at £2400, ono.

What sort of things should we be looking out for, asking etc? What goes wrong with them and what's expensive to repair?

It already has a stainless exhaust.

Thanks for any hints, tips etc.

Alcazar

colinversion8

try this site Parker's, should b able to find all the answers to ur questions there mate,

Dream Weaver

I'd be checking insurance first off, even for a VTR.

GrahamG

if the car has been lowered, look for the top suspension arm. This rubs on the power steering pipe and eventually rubs through meaning no PS.

Apart from that the car i had was very good. was about 5 years ago though.

I'm looking for a VTS at the mo for a track car... not sure if its the right idea yet though...

G.

paul2070

I would be checking how many owners (the more owners,the more likely to have been thrashed by at least one),service history (lots sold to young people who could only afford the car and not it's up-keep),and above all,remember all the free insurance deals etc that were done when they were new to entice young,and often foolish people into buying them,so a HPI style check is essential.

Other than that,all the same when buying any car,buy on condition/history as opposed to solely on price.............buy right,and they are a cracking car for very little money

paul2070

Done the same mate a couple of months ago,bought a really clean demo+1 owner car with a FCSH,paid £1000 for it,and worked out that it would cost about another £1000 to get it to a reasonable standard..................big brakes,suspension kit and a cage.

Problem was,everyone told me it was too clean and tidy to do that to,so i sold it again

GrahamG

lol did you ever put it on the track?

I've never driven one, not sure if it will be good enough?!?!...

G

paul2070

No i never done it and got it on track.....................i was also put off because of the prices at Castle Coombe,at least if it is not part of a club day,and during the winter,there is not much happening anyway.

However,it is a very nippy car,and obviously once you strip it out,you gain performance due to a lack of weight.

The only other thing is that at 6ft5 i found the driving position too high,but that could be sorted by getting some bespoke seat brakets made up.

Do it mate....................if i can find another good one cheaply when the weather breaks i may get another and do it....................depending on what my new toy is like

Matt_taylor

my mate is selling his kitted up one, thats a 2002 model, really nice,

PM me its on ebay at the mo if your interested,

full MOT and he isnt a chav just a perfectionist who has had the car since it was a year old

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Thanks for the replies so far, anyone else?

Alcazar

Matteeboy

I had a VTR (new in 1998, owned for 18 months) and I have to admit that it was a cracking little car.
Sure the seats half killed me, the bodywork was so flimsy that it would bend if I jetwashed it and the interior was poor but as a driving maching it was a proper little go kart.
I had some engine light go on but that was easily sorted, it ate tyres for breakfast (8k miles for the fronts and Pilot Sports so pricey!) but that was about it really.

The thing that was a pain was absolute killer depreciation but then you'll miss out on that.

GrantyBoy

check out the Saxo Sport Club, they should keep you right.

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Thanks again guys.

Alcazar

SimonGawthorpe

I had a 99 'T' VTS around four years ago. It was a quick and nible car and looks good. I had two major problems with it-

1) Water leakage into the cab from the alarm motion sensors which are mounted on the A pillars. Passenger gets wet when you go round corners in the rain!

2) Went out for a drive one day, pulled back up on the driveway and went to turn the ignition off. Key was stuck in the barrel and wouldn't come out. Had to stall the car and eventually knackered the barrel getting the key out.

Also as stated above I would check insurance quotes. When I passed at 17 I paid £800 TPFT on a 1.1 Fiesta!! (That was 8 years ago)

Si

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Personally I would start a young driver off with something less sporty, I know it isnt that big a deal for us but for a new driver I would be thinking less than 60 bhp and a higher safety rating than the two stars the Saxo has.

Sorry to be a boring old fart but I remember what a liability I was in a 1700 cc twin carbed twenty year old Mk1 Capri, about 100 bhp and 100% stupid,
I was very lucky.

Obviously I dont know your lad but I know what I was like !

I would suggest the last shape clio, 4 star rating.

Mike123

It could well have been a failed lambda sensor - was a fairly common problem on them. Our T-reg VTS ( owned 4 years from new ) had one go - in fact it was the only thing that went wrong with it, apart from one of the sideskirt clips breaking ( about 25p I think as dealer replaced it free )

misty

I'd look for burberry!!!!
Dave

Matteeboy

Mike - Casting my mind back, I think that's what it was.
Often wished I'd stretched to the VTS but insurance was nasty on it at the time.

They may have become darlings of the chav brigade but that doesn't mean they aren't a well sorted and light car.

Andygreer

iTrader: (4)

Id think strongly before letting him buy a saxo. especally a VTR.

My mate had one as his first car and well it was too powerful for a 17 YO.

When he was 18, he ended up hitting a lamp post. this was at around 35Mph.


hes lucky hes still alive !!


here are the photos

Mike123

They obviously have some taste then and can recognise a good hot hatch - shame so many of them go on to modify them with rock hard suspension and 18" wheels.

Had some great drives in ours - fantastic car in the French Alps esp on the twistier roads

Matteeboy

No way! We drove ours to the Alps too (Alp d'Huez)!
Had rather a blast especially on "the 21 hairpins!"

Mike123

vindaloo

"What to look out for?"

Lift off oversteer and backwards through a hedge.

Little car that will encourage "faster, faster, faster" until it kicks.

^^^ Above comments mutilated from CCC (Harry Hockley) sometime in the late 1990s comparing the VTS to a 106GTI.


J.

fivetide

iTrader: (1)

Check if its french, if it is, best walk away.

seriously though, this is a quick car for a new driver. Consider the 1.4 quicksilver or something to teach him a bit or spend a few more notes on an advanced driving course. Remeber, the lessons really teach you how to pass a test they don't teach you how to really drive.

5t.

markGT

I've had two Saxo's over the last 8 years and I still use a VTR for work. When I bought it it had 14K on the clock, now its approaching 90K . Its never broken down, starts first time every morning and the only things that have gone wrong with it are the normal wear and tear items such as breaks, exhaust etc. It's never missed a service and it’s been all around France and England and has never missed a beat. Even after driving my EVO VI TME and my latest MY05 STI PPP it still puts a huge grin on my face as it handles so sweetly and it still on its original springs and shockers. As some people have already mentioned the build quality is iffy, check the studs that fasten on the door panels haven’t broken off and that the self tapers haven't given up the ghost. Also look out for the airbag warning light if its on it generally means that the sensor under the seat is shagged. However Citroen never solved this so you could have it replaced only for it to break again the next day. Have a look at the Alloy weeks to make sure the paint isn’t bubbling as this is a common fault as well. The plastic body kit can also start to come away on some cars I have seen, so check for this. IMHO I’d try and get an unmolested one if you can.

Good luck

P.S Id take the advice of some people on here and get him a slower car. The VTR is a sub 10 second car to 60 and can hurtle along at stupid speeds cross country begging you to go faster and faster until it bites hard. Or get him on and advanced driving course before you buy.

Mike123

Yep, the sideskirt clips are prone to snapping I was told. One of ours went and the parts guy came out and stuck it back on - said he'd replaced hundreds of them literally.

We only had one snap in 4 years though so not too bad