PPPRob

Gonna have one of these next and wanted to hear from any owners on here about your experiences.

Might end up with a 2.5 as funds are not unlimited for me but would prefer the 3 litre if only for the ecu change.

I don't know a lot about these and haven't test driven 1 yet as I wont be actively looking till - at the very earliest - end of next summer but theres no harm gathering info now is there

Its gonna be my daily drive as I don't do many miles or make many appearences at work

Cheers in advance

RMA26

One of the WYIOC lot used to have one i think (Steve Chaps?)

Could be wrong, but remember reading a post a while back

billythekid

Piston Heads

paul2070

I am really tempted myself to get one next year(if i had not already blown a wad of cash on cars this year,it would have been now............nice yellow one i have seen ),and the main problem/week point that i have seen over and over again while doing my research is the gearbox!!

I don't know why they are weak,or what the problem is when they go,but several seem to either need,or have had new boxes(and at relatively low miles).

Don't know what the cost of replacement is,weather they are a Mondeo box(either standard or uprated),or what the options are,as like you,until the time to buy is actually getting closer,i haven't looked any further into it.

However,like everything,if you buy one that has been looked after,you limit the chances of future big bills(hopefully).

Don't know how much your budget is,but there do seem to be some tempting cars on offer for just over 20k....................the one i was interested in was £24,000,and that does seem a hell of a lot of (super)car for not a great deal of money,certainly when you look at other "performance" cars in the same price bracket,as i think the performance is moved onto the NEXT LEVEL!!!

STEVECHAPS

Yep, I had one (GTO 3r with upgrades to 445 bhp). I find it very difficult to get it down in writing why it was the best & very worst ownership experience. (feel free to pm me though).
Definitely the quickest thing under £40k with doors & roof (A Cerbera 4.5 lightweight just couldn't keep up on a blast). BUT having experienced an Atom with supercharger then that's definitely the way to go if you have space to buy a diesel for everyday!
Check out pistonheads but remember to read between the lines & borrow the rose tinteds that some wear on there!

RMA26

Cheers Steve

ARRON BIRD

I wouldnt bother if I was you.
My opinion based on extensive tests.
The word fragile springs to mind oh and Ford.

PPPRob

Thanks for that, I am aware of the gearbox problems that many face and as I'm aware, a lot of work went into making the 3 litre more reliable in this department but it made next to no difference!!!
All I know is that the boxes now break coz of a different component now

I think I've seen the yellow £24k one on autotrader maybe??? Been on there a helluva long while though.

Budget is gonna be 25k and I'm really pushin it at that. Like I said, its gonna be my daily driver

PPPRob

Thanks for the info Steve, will be pm'in ya soon

The thought of sittin in an Atom in traffic, in the pissing rain, in deepest darkest SE London at 6 at night just doesn't do it for me really!!!!! Neither does dipping me nuts in a bees nest but I gotta tell ya, I'm not sure which I'd rather be forced to do

PPPRob

I know you're trying to help but can I ask what extensive tests have you carried out???

The fact that they're Ford doesn't worry me, their track record for fragility isn't big as far as I'm aware


EDIT: spelling mistakes

imprezarb5

think i read somewhere that they benefit from fitment of a track day sump, with many used examples already having this mod. done.

RMA26

Its ok, you dont need to thank me either

paul2070

It is indeed "THAT" yellow one mate,and it does seem to have been for sale for a while(colour maybe??).

I personally didn't think they suffered as bad as someone else said for reliability,but who knows,there are good and bad versions of every car at the end of the day!!

As for the Atom that someone suggested,i had one back in May,and intended on it being my "everyday" car,until 2 weeks into ownership i lifted my sunglasses too soon,and had what felt like a "massive " fly go in my eye,which over the space of a 1 week slowly died,decomposed and disappeared into nothing...................oh,and that was the same week i put the car back up for sale and sold the f**king thing ...............come back windscreens,all is forgiven

PPPRob

Yes thats right, I believe its because the track day version is baffled so you don't get the oil surging to the walls on hard cornering/braking. I used to get the oil light come on sometimes in my escort cossie when I cornered hard after braking
Yeah maybe coz of colour. I did think about looking at that a couple of weeks ago but I really wanna hold out for a 3 litre.
I'm in no doubt that it would be an incredible drive but tbh if I was in the market for an Atom, I'd buy a fireblade and keep the change

paul2070

I assume you have looked on Pistonheads??

There are a couple on there,which again,have been up for sale for a while,so if it's cash you have got,it's always worth a phone call and an offer,they can only say no!!

I have found with most things that if people can tell you are polite,genuine,and that it is a genuine offer,at some point,they will seriously think about it.Bear in mind that they were 50k+ cars,so if someone has owned it from new,or for a good amount of time,that they will go one of two ways,

1.I have lost £xx,xxx,so another £x,xxx doesn't make any difference or

2.Look at what i have lost,no way i am going to lose any more!!

It doesn't take a genius to figure out who will still have their car for sale in 6 months time,afterall,you are not going to have as many potential buyers for a Noble as you are for a Mondeo

PPPRob

Absolutely! You're spot on with all that.

I check pistonheads and autotrader on a daily basis just in case But like I said, I'm holding out for a 3 litre and they just seem to be a tad outta reach ATM.

Oh and to complicate things further, its got to be black...... So she says



btw have you seen the silver one on PH for 20k ish. He's taken a pic of the engine n theres dirt/grime/crap everywhere

Anyone got any more info that I.... We, need to know

paul2070

If you could live with Anthracite,theres a GTO-3 on there privately for £27,995,i know if it was mine,i would seriously listen to a cash offer of 25k,especially in winter(the reason i did nothing more than consider one),and this close to Xmas.

It's all too easy to buy one for Top of the range Repmobile money,but people forget that weather they are 5 years old,10 years old or whatever,that they are still a supercar,and thus will have supercar running costs,even if it is not a supercar buying cost........................go on,make him an offer,and leave your number,i bet he rings you back sooner rather than later

davyboy

I can't believe any would think you could use one of these as a daily drive.

British Sports cars - We make the buyers do our development work

PPPRob

Its ironic really, I already did make him an offer about 2 months ago!!!

It was on ebay and IIRC it was sitting at 20k for ages. I thought I'd ask before I made the journey to see it but he kinda laughed at me. I guess my offer was a bit of a **** take really

No I'm not gonna tell ya what it was

Like I said before, my budget is tight and I don't have all of it yet anyhow. I am wondering if I should wait till this sort of time next year and do exactly what you suggested though

paul2070

[quote=davyboy]I can't believe any would think you could use one of these as a daily drive.

I personally don't see why it cannot be used everyday.....................yes there will be costs,and they may(or may not)be higher than other cars,but i am a firm believer in looking after stuff(especially when investing this sort of money),servicing cars as often as possible(regular oil and filter changes etc),and even using preventative maintenence,it is only when something(anything)is neglected that it really starts to cost serious money............get things done as and when they are needed,and you can prevent big bills.Our friends have a 3 year old diesel Ford Galaxy which they have been putting off getting the "little niggly"jobs done on for 6 months ,and they have just been landed with a bill of over £1000,with another due when they get back from their holiday next week

paul2070

You should phone him back now and offer him 2 grand less than last time...................if nothing else he will know he was a mug not to accept what you offered him last time

I know from past experience,if you wait,you will always get what you want at a price you want to pay.I bought a Focus RS in February 2005(when they were still making all the money),but being as fussy as i am,i looked at 13 before i bought one from it's 1 owner with only 6k on it.He wanted £18,000 for it in the advert....................i paid him £16,000 cash,kept it 6 months and sold it to a specialist dealer for what i paid................i wish i had had the same luck this year

I think the moral of the story is balancing how desperate you are to own something,against how desperate someone is to sell it.........................and i bet matey with the Noble is pretty desperate by now

PPPRob

Yeah its gettin desperate

Thing is, I've lost a few grand on mine since feb and although I have that in the back of my mind, I still love it so the want for a Noble isn't any greater than the enjoyment of the sti.

Thing is I don't want to lose loads more money so do I cut my losses n buy soon or do I enjoy my car for the next 6-9 or 12 months and then sell

Nothings gonna happen this side of the summer thats for sure...... My kitchen extension has put a stop to that

paul2070

But are you "desperate"for the kitchen extension,i mean...................do YOU cook??

If your missus will only let you have one in black though,and you like the other colours,do the extension and paint THAT black,and see if she changes her mind

Oh,and your car(and mine,and everyone else's)will continue to depreciate at the same rate as it has done since we bought them

PPPRob

I know the sensible thing is to sell mine now and get a diesel but I just can't bring myself to do it

I was forced to sell my escort cossie to buy this house and I hated the replacement <cough>xr2<cough> I just had nowhere else to get the money from at short notice!!!

Must admit, I am watching the other thread "diesel for 3k" with interest

Might keep the scoob, get a diesel and then wait till 08 for the Noble

Oh, decisions decisions