alcazar

iTrader: (2)

...and it was a wash-out. Went to look at a couple of Ibiza Cupra TDi's.

First was OK on the outside, clean inside, pretty good for 77,000 miles 05 plate.

but it drove like a dog, pulled well, but vibration everywhere and felt like the engine, gearbox or front wheel bearings were on the way out.

I didn't make an offer. It was up for £4250

Second was all the way to Ampthill. Clean inside and out, BUT: it developed a power steering fault yesterday so was undriveable, plus they have had the clocks out to cure a fault and managed to crack the plastic over the rev-counter, quite badly
Plus it's silver, the worst colour for one of these IMHO.

Now, if I want a test drive, I've got ANOTHER 300 mile round trip, followed by another to pick it up.
It's up for £5945, they won't budge either, 07 plate, 60,000.

Not sure I'll bother

tubbytommy

iTrader: (20)

they joys of second hand car buying, they are all mint in the ads too.

Luan Pra bang

Did you not ask about the cars on the phone before hand ?

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Tubby: yep, both minters......

Luan: yep, the first was disputed, they INSIST it's a Cupra FR, and has 180 bhp
One part of their ad said it was a diesel, the other part said petrol......
So I called in on the way to Bedford.

RS Grant

I drove one of these a while back, the PD160 engine was impressive.. but the general build of the car was quite surprising. Felt pretty cheap inside and although it was a late registered, 30k minter that I was driving, there were creaks and rattles over a fairly blemish free piece of tarmac on the test drive.


Cheers,
Grant

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

LOL, you couldn't hear any creaks on the only one I've driven, because the drone and vibration from the engine was so bad.

Suspension is quite hard, compared even to an FR.

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

Always the way or nearly... I looked at a 2003 V40 last September that looked great in the pics and was 'near mint'.... drove 70 miles to see it and it was a shed.... he eventually admitted the pics were from the ad he bought it from some 7 years previous I had to laugh as it was a good ploy ... walked away from it mind.

Funny thing was a few weeks later I got the opposite. Rang a guy advertising a black V40 .... he said on the phone it's a cleanish car but has a few nasty dents in the passenger rear door aside from that just cosmetic wear and no rust.

So priced up a secondhand rear door - £30 ... thought well if it's OK besides the door I can stick a new door on it ... everything else sounded good about the car.

Went to look at it and for its age it was in very good nick with full Volvo history including cambelt and recent brakes.... the badly dented door had 3 small car park dings in it... hardly noticeable until you look for them

Chipped him down £150 and drove away in it, been a brilliant winter motor - all I added were winter tyres (to compensate for my obvious lack of driving ability compared to the driving Gods on SN )

bustaMOVEs

iTrader: (31)

The people that list minor faults and honest over phone are generally the good ones,

chocolate_o_brian

iTrader: (22)

I'm surprised there wasn't anything closer? You didn't take the Subaru did you

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Nearest is about 45 miles...ebay miles, not Autotrader miles which are about 0.6 normal miles

And no, I went in the "new" Astra CDTi, got 46 mpg out of this tank.
It's very pleasant to drive too.

Going to look at another on Thursday...in the Scoob........
Plus there is another 75 miles away.

But folk seem to want it both ways. when I've sold private, I've been happy to take what the dealer would offer me, then knock the dealer down on the new car. These lads seem to want top book and THEN a deal from the dealer.
I'm not going there.

RRP1STI

Alcazar-I know of one that might interest you,a fella I work with has an 08 model with a few mods,I think he would sell for cheap as he has just bought his new motor,let me know if you are interested and I can pass details on,he is in North Wales by the way

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

It would depend on the mods, my Scoob is really heavily modded and I would prefer something fairly standard.
I really don't want anything with much more than a DPF delete, remap etc.

But hey, pass me his details if he's interested in selling.