September 2003
Okay some info to get you going.....
I'm a 30 year old male, driving licence for just over 2 years and I've been a named driver on a car for that time.
It's time to get my own car. Main use will be travelling to and from work travelling from Newcastle to Sunderland via A69/A1/A1231. Some travelling to clients and leisure use. I reckon probably 10k miles or so a year.
I'm looking for a car in either Supermini (Corsa, Fiesta, Polo) or Small Family (Focus / Escort, Astra (urgh), Golf) size. Maximum budget is £1000. Ideally low insurance while I build up my no claims.
I do have a contact at a local dealership who will let me have first refusals at any trade in's :)
I know of two at the moment
1) Vauxhall Corsa 1.2LS 5 Door L Reg (93/94) (Ins Group 2)
75k miles, MOT July '04. £750
My contact hasn't actually seen it - one of the other sales did the deal to take it in and it hasn't been actually traded-in. Initially, it seems to sit my needs but I wonder if it has enough grunt. My main concern however is servicing and running costs. I know it would be due a major service at 80k miles and I should factor that in. Any ideas to the cost.
2) Ford Fiesta 1.8D Azura , Diesel, 1995 M Reg , Petrol Blue Metallic, Hatchback, 59,000 miles , 3 Doors. Full Service History, Immobiliser, Driver Air Bag.Multilock Two Owners Very Clean Economical Car. £800 (his advertised price £1300)
Never been a fan of oil burners and it's a relatively high insurance group for the size of car - group 7. I also know that in general diesels only become more economical over 10k miles. However, I don't know about service intervals and cost for this car.
Posting on another forum some people thought the Fiesta was the better car....
Any and all comments appreciated. Read more
*****************Please Help******************
I have had an N reg Citroen Xantia 1800cc 8v for a little over two years no and without a doubt is the best car I have ever had. But for one minor annoyance, whenever I go over a small pothole, drain, manhole or small dip in the road there is a knock from the passenger side, I am only a DIY mechanic with very limited knowledge about Xantias, I have had the driveshaft and cv joint checked which were both fine but I am still worried as I am due to go on holiday to Scotland soon and would like my mind to be put at rest, I noticed something on your page about the anti roll bar stay rod but wasn't sure if this could be a cause. Also sorry to be a pain sometime I also have a problem engaging the gears usually it ok there is no crunching of the gears.
I would greatly appreciate some help or advice.
Many Thanks
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Grease/WD40 the gear linkage?
Does anyone here know where i can get hold of a bumper for a 99V Mondeo estate. I want a new one in primer, or a second hand one in (i believe) state blue.
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Thanks for the advice. I will research getting hold of the side assemblies. I was planning on just giving the car to a body shop with the bumper and leting them do it. But i might rip the existing one off myself beforehand.
Anyone know any good body shops up north (newcastle area)?
I'm planning on going to my usual VW/Audi mechanic and asking which one he uses. To be honest i am only doing this to smarten the car up to sell on. The damage isnt all that bad. If i was keeping it i wouldnt bother. Probably would of been cheaper for me to do it your way. Anyway too late now, but ill store the number for next time.
There is a little like black pump below the first injector which seems to pump fuel into the fuel filter, its made by elth, can anyone tell me what this does, and if it is supposed to make quite a loud sound sometimes when running, this maybe a suspect in my fuel problem, the car is cutting out and displaying the engine management light which will start again immediatly but i have to turn the car over for a long time and it will eventually start, at this stage i have had a diagnostic of low fuel pressure so i was told to replace the lift pump in the tank which has not cured the problem has anyone got any ideas what the problem is. Read more
www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_817454.html?menu=news
Your comments please gentlemen.
Phil I Read more
Wonder if he copped a plea ? The advantage is that if he is out
after 5.5 (less any time spent on remand) he will be on licence afterwards I suppose that's the optomist's view.
MY friend is looking at a new car. He has looked at the Mercedes E-class. He needs a car that can tow a caravan, He has been looking at the the Rover 75 for a while now. I would like the opinons of any rover 75 drivers.
Thanks in advance
Well look at that Read more
Well, I would go for {have got} a mid to late 90s Volvo 960/V90 can be had for for £3k to £10k,
They go faster, tow better, look better, last longer, have self levelling suspension, are galvanised and cost less.
Unless your mate can write-off the £22k of to tax go for the Volvo or sim aged Merc Estate and spend the other 12k to 19k on something else, like speed boat, jet ski, trials bike or even a twin axle 6 berth caravan and 6 years worth of holidays, or just work less, play more, live life !!!!!!!!!!!!
also RWD so fantastic turning circle - one point turn with a 24 foot caravan on and ordinary width road no probs !!!!!!!!!!!!
Paul {Forest of Bowland}
On arrival at AVIS today the office had forgotten to book a rental car so I was given a choice between an Omega or a Mini Cooper. No contest I thought as I have fancied thrashing a Mini for ages.
When it comes the disappointment startes to set in as the interior is a bit tacky - aluminium is OK but aluminium coloured plastic is not. Also could not initially get comfortable and rear view mirror is tiny. Then I tried to put my bags in the boot and - well enough said - guess that is what the crazy rear seats are for.
I thought things could only get better but then I started to drive it. Very quiet and refined but god it is bumpy ! Reminds me of my old XR2/XR2i days - and that is on Madrid motorways, which compared to the UK are very smooth. Every time it hits a bump it crashes right through the cockpit leaving me feeling jarred and very unrelaxed.
The engine seems a bit gutless too. Just didn't feel to have any urge - in fact compared to some of the TDs I rent I prefer them vastly (especially the 156 with the 2.5TD). Steering feel very nice though. However the AC pump and the power steering pumps make a terrible din.
Illusions therefore broken - not sure why everyone rages about it as it just seems like no real progression from my formative years apart from the safety ones, e.g. airbags, etc. Or maybe, I don't like 'fun' things anymore and should have taken the Omega and bought some slippers and a pipe to sit in my armchair whilst reading Readers Digest !
What motoring illusions have been recently broken for you ?
On a side note - thought I had seen it all down here but was overtaken today whilst in the Mini 'approaching' 200km/h by a Mercedes pulling a trailer ! Read more
I test drove a mini cooper S, and found it slower than I had anticipated. Also felt that the switchgear felt low quality, and yes, the ride is harsh (apparently specifying the 16" wheels is the way to go, the 17"s are denture-jarringly harsh). The whole experience left me underwhelmed, and I felt was rather expensive- a kitted out Cooper S came in at well over £18k. My new Leon Cupra was £3k less than that, and from a main dealer. It's also faster (or feels it, anwyay).
Alex.
--
Dr Alex Mears
Seat Leon Cupra
If you are in a hole stop digging...unless
you are a miner.
My VW transporter (17 years old) got quite a stiff gear box. Especially the change from the first to the second gear is sometimes quite difficult. At other occasions it slips relatively easy into place. But overall the whole gear box is fairly stiff.
Is this just a matter of lubricating it thoroughly, or could there be a more serious problem with the gear box?
Thank you for any suggestions,
Regards
NoKur Read more
I shall move this to Technical Matters later.
Does anyone know of a way of adding a line input to the standard Picasso CD? I have a MP3 player I would love to play through the speakers but with a lack of cassette I have no easy way of interfacing. I was hoping to make it think I had a CD multi-changer (which I haven't) and fake it somehow. Read more
I suspect it can be done, these people seem to be inventing adaptors to do just this:
www.connects2.co.uk/index.html
However they don't have one for Citroen yet.
I?ve just purchased a Corolla, and it is booked in for a replacement bonnet as the existing one is incorrectly shaped at the edge giving an odd panel gap at the driver?s side wing junction. Part of the dash does not fit correctly (relatively minor). Is the build quality going down hill with this model?
I also appear to be grinding second gear occasionally, this occurs when changing up to second with the clutch fully down any one any ideas why this is occurring?
I am a bit disappointed that the car has faults, given the reputation of the car maker.
Any one with similar problems ?
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The new Corrolla cost £2500 to make at the end of
the production line in 2002, The older Corrolla model cost £3500
to make as an average value per unit.
A near-30% fall in construction costs? Are you sure?
That's a staggering achievement, and it seems unlikely to me -- could it just be a consequence of exchange-rate fluctuations, or is it really due to cheaper construction/improved eficiency etc?
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Would be interested in Escort sized cars. I'll give him a ring in a few days.
Wouldn't be interested in anything bigger though. Mainly due to the difficulty of parking in our street :(
They keep the trade-ins for a little while then pack them off to auction. I don't know if there was any more room to bargain, given they've already knocked off a substantial amount (around £400 off the Fiesta).
As for higher insurance groups - it depends on the car. I wasn't prepared to pay the extra for the Fiesta Oil Burner but for something else possibly.
Any idea of the servicing cost of a 80k (40k) service for the Corsa 1.2?