Small car advice.
30 January 2008, 07:38 PM
#1
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Small car advice.
I have foolishly agreed to find a female friend of mine her 1st car.
As some of you will know I only really do 6 and 8 cyl old merc and the odd BMW - usually around 25 yrs old ++++
.
I'm thinking Fiesta - she has around £550 and ebay has loads of N, P, R reg ones at the price. I have zero knowledge of this end of the market, and would appreciate any suggestions other than Festas.
Ta.
As some of you will know I only really do 6 and 8 cyl old merc and the odd BMW - usually around 25 yrs old ++++
.I'm thinking Fiesta - she has around £550 and ebay has loads of N, P, R reg ones at the price. I have zero knowledge of this end of the market, and would appreciate any suggestions other than Festas.
Ta.
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31 January 2008, 04:20 PM
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A mark 1 punto is also worth a look, the shells are galvanised so they rust very slowly and they're pretty reliable.
The big weakness on the 1.1 (55) and 1.2 (60) FIRE engines is the head gasket, this tends to go by #1 cylinder.
Put it this way, my wife drives like Michele Mouton with PMT
, and our old 55SX gave 10 years great service with nothing apart from the odd bulb and annual servicing. The head gasket blew just after we chopped it in for a new Punto 
The big weakness on the 1.1 (55) and 1.2 (60) FIRE engines is the head gasket, this tends to go by #1 cylinder.
Put it this way, my wife drives like Michele Mouton with PMT
, and our old 55SX gave 10 years great service with nothing apart from the odd bulb and annual servicing. The head gasket blew just after we chopped it in for a new Punto
01 February 2008, 08:13 AM
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A mark 1 punto is also worth a look, the shells are galvanised so they rust very slowly and they're pretty reliable.
The big weakness on the 1.1 (55) and 1.2 (60) FIRE engines is the head gasket, this tends to go by #1 cylinder.
Put it this way, my wife drives like Michele Mouton with PMT, and our old 55SX gave 10 years great service with nothing apart from the odd bulb and annual servicing. The head gasket blew just after we chopped it in for a new Punto
The big weakness on the 1.1 (55) and 1.2 (60) FIRE engines is the head gasket, this tends to go by #1 cylinder.
Put it this way, my wife drives like Michele Mouton with PMT
, and our old 55SX gave 10 years great service with nothing apart from the odd bulb and annual servicing. The head gasket blew just after we chopped it in for a new Punto You know you have a point there - a couple of years back i bought a 106 and to cut a long story short i'd bought a lemon, a hole in the floor Fred Flintstone would be proud of, anyway i picked it up from the garage after they discovered if was buggered and worth no more than scrap anyway i said to the guy that i needed a cheap reliable small car, now this guy really knows his stuff (drives a super quick Scooby incidentally) and he told me to forget the little 106 and go out and buy an old Punto, he said they are a superb little car which very little goes wrong with.
01 February 2008, 08:58 AM
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heres a hint.... dont buy a fiat cinquecento, more specifically a black sporting one with 76138 miles on the clock, with a reg no. p***tww
youll thank me later
youll thank me later
02 February 2008, 08:47 AM
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The Felicias use a number of VAG components but I believe they're not based on the old Polo, IIRC they were a warmed-over and retooled version of the old Favorit, which was Skoda's last "independent" car before the VAG takeover.
03 February 2008, 01:41 AM
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Another vote for a Punto in this price range we had a 55s as a town car many years ago but its still alive today as i see it from time to time. Very roomy for a small car and very economical tonnes of spares in the scrapyards too. Get the 1.2 8v for cheapness allround
03 February 2008, 03:33 PM
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at that price, it will need regular work, go fiesta for cheap repairs, polo will be reliable but expensive when repairs are needed, avoid anything french or italian unless you have deep pockets, get a average mileage micra though for worry free motoring.
03 February 2008, 04:18 PM
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Micra definately, i bought one 2.5yrs ago for £600 just for goin to work in an leavin places i`rather not leave the scooby,bought it to manage me about 6 months an ive still got it-its now done 122,000miles and the engines still like a new one-uses no oil/water at all, is nice to drive(for what it is),got a decent sized boot for a sml car-i really cant fault it.
They`ve got a timing chain rather than belt so unless youre really unlucky feel a bit safer though sometimes the tensioner needs replacing(you`ll know by the noise as the engines are virtually silent when ok)
They are pretty lively aswell being 16v even for a 1ltr-dont get me wrong looks wise i aint that keen even though i own one but for reliability its been one of the best cars ive ever owned, starts everytime with about half a turn of the key.
In the 20,000mile ive owned it its had a battery and a replacement driveshaft costing a total of £150 an thats it(expect cv`s being ready though at this mileage)
Watch for a poor idle and cutting out when you come to a junction its a problem with a circuit board on the side of the throttle body, had it with mine an did some checking up on the net an turns out ya get dry joints on the 3pins from the plug for the loom where it connects to throttle body so its just a re-solder on the board-gotta be honest were sceptical at the time but were amazed when it worked.(circuit boards located in a sealed box on side of throttle body ya need to cut through rubber seal/sealant then refit/reseal after)
Body wise watch the front crossmember and rear sections of the sills underneath,ive have had to weld small patches on both sides of mine though not moaning it is a 1993 car a k-reg fiesta would now be a pile of rust
Liked polo`s but once ya start getting towards high mileage with old vw`s expect headgaskets,i got sick of seeing needs headgasket or just had headgasket when lookin for a polo so thought my chances of finding the right one that`d be reliable would be slim.
cars really surpassed anything i expected of it and they hold their value well aswell bought this like i say for £600 2.5yrs ago an i reckon it`d still fetch 3 or £400 now
(did i mention other than the welding i did when i first got it-(minimal) its flown through 2 mot`s)
Next runabout will definately be another nissan-probably another later micra and a 1.3.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...3today0011.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...3today0013.jpg
They`ve got a timing chain rather than belt so unless youre really unlucky feel a bit safer though sometimes the tensioner needs replacing(you`ll know by the noise as the engines are virtually silent when ok)
They are pretty lively aswell being 16v even for a 1ltr-dont get me wrong looks wise i aint that keen even though i own one but for reliability its been one of the best cars ive ever owned, starts everytime with about half a turn of the key.
In the 20,000mile ive owned it its had a battery and a replacement driveshaft costing a total of £150 an thats it(expect cv`s being ready though at this mileage)
Watch for a poor idle and cutting out when you come to a junction its a problem with a circuit board on the side of the throttle body, had it with mine an did some checking up on the net an turns out ya get dry joints on the 3pins from the plug for the loom where it connects to throttle body so its just a re-solder on the board-gotta be honest were sceptical at the time but were amazed when it worked.(circuit boards located in a sealed box on side of throttle body ya need to cut through rubber seal/sealant then refit/reseal after)
Body wise watch the front crossmember and rear sections of the sills underneath,ive have had to weld small patches on both sides of mine though not moaning it is a 1993 car a k-reg fiesta would now be a pile of rust
Liked polo`s but once ya start getting towards high mileage with old vw`s expect headgaskets,i got sick of seeing needs headgasket or just had headgasket when lookin for a polo so thought my chances of finding the right one that`d be reliable would be slim.
cars really surpassed anything i expected of it and they hold their value well aswell bought this like i say for £600 2.5yrs ago an i reckon it`d still fetch 3 or £400 now
(did i mention other than the welding i did when i first got it-(minimal) its flown through 2 mot`s)Next runabout will definately be another nissan-probably another later micra and a 1.3.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...3today0011.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...3today0013.jpg
03 February 2008, 11:52 PM
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Ive got a Felicia. I use it to drive to work and back every day, I get from SW Sheffield to Wirksworth in just over 27 minutes: I doubt I could get under 25 in my Impreza (if it were registered...). Its a 1600cc VW engined model: its really quite keen although the handling/grip is shocking. Granny-handling up to the point that the rear gives up too, made worse by appaling tyres. Still, it makes for an interesting drive to work in the morning. It will easily return 40mpg and Im only down to about 36mpg (maybe 34mpg now) and Im caning it half to death.
03 February 2008, 11:54 PM
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Mine has a VW engine and tranmission but other than that it is, as you say, a re-style. look at one next to an old Favorit and its quite apparent. VW have improved everything though, I think.
04 February 2008, 03:04 AM
#24
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ukdave, would the boot of a Micra accomodate a small Labrador do you think?? ...as we're possibly looking for a new car to transport the dog around in and use to leave at station etc.
Cheers,
Grant
Cheers,
Grant
04 February 2008, 05:18 PM
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04 February 2008, 05:55 PM
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04 February 2008, 06:34 PM
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04 February 2008, 07:12 PM
#29
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Cheers for the replies.
I think Micra is the way forward from research. They appear to be pretty much bullet proof in every way other than the sills sometimes need attention.
I think Micra is the way forward from research. They appear to be pretty much bullet proof in every way other than the sills sometimes need attention.
