Hi all,
A colleague at work has replaced his ZX 1.9D "M" avantage 144k with a Xsara and is looking to sell the ZX.
He's been pretty up front with what needs doing to it :
Brakes soft - fluid change?
Timing belt could do with replacement
Poor starting - glow plugs?
Needs tax, MOT due in July.
Suspension needs attention - brushes? shockers?
Now, I've always loved my ZXs and I reckon he'll not want too much money for the car, but there is a few quid to spend to put it right.
Does anyone have an idea of what it might cost to put right at an independent specialist? Or what the car is worth?
I'd really appreciate any input as altough I love cars, I'm really not that up on the clear-thinking decisions with them!
Thanks in advance
-- Lee Having a Fabialous time.
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The car's worth very little, a couple of hundred max, in that state. Off the top of my head, allow a good £500 min for a cheap garage to put that right, assuming that is the correct and complete list of faults. Plenty of ZXs on P and R reg going for less than a grand, unless you can get the car for next to nothing, probably isn't cost effective. Hope that helps.
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That's a lot of work if you're going to pay someone..
>Brakes soft - fluid change?
Could be, but the rear brakes might need a complete rebuild - I've just done this (at 120k), and parted with about 150 notes for parts alone (drums, shoes, cylinders, adjusters, pipes and fluid)
>Timing belt could do with replacement
Another £120, and it will probably need a water pump too...
>Poor starting - glow plugs?
Could be, but at this mileage is could also need the valve clearances resetting, which entails removing the camshaft.
>Needs tax, MOT due in July.
MOT could throw up anything!
>Suspension needs attention - brushes? shockers?
Favourites are front wishbone bushes (not too expensive), ball joints (not too expensive, as long as the hub carrier has not gone oval), rear subframe mounts - another nearly £100 of parts, plus 5 or 6 hours of labour to fit.
You could well end up down a grand to get a new ticket, so unless he's giving it away, and you are going to do some work yourself, I'd pass. The 1.9D is no ball of fire either - better if you want one to go looking for a decent TurboD (there are a few about - they crop up on e-bay occasionally!).
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RichardW
Is it illogical? It must be Citroen....
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I'd pass. The 1.9D is no ball of fire either - better if you want one to go looking for a decent TurboD (there are a few about - they crop up on e-bay occasionally!).
I'm with Richard here. You could do better elsewhere and there are the intrinsic difficulties of buying a car from a friend. Good luck anyway.
Hawkeye
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Stranger in a strange land
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At this point he's probably better off doing the brakes and not bothering with the timing belt. Let someone pick it up for a few hundred quid and run it until it falls apart.
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I remember seeing a ZX in the locality with a 'for sale' notice in the window. It was absolutely immaculate. I can't remember whether there was a price on the notice or not but it was either a P or R reg, in a metallic red shade. I do remember thinking that it would probably be a good buy for someone looking for cheap transport.
Certainly, I would stay away from anything that looks like it might swallow money, when there must be lots of ZXs out there which are much better value.
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Thanks to everyone for the advice, especially Richard - that was exactly what I was looking for.
I was tempted by it because I know it's been fairly trouble free when my friend has had it, so I know its history. However, the idea of getting into a thousand to put an MOT onto it isn't just scary, it would be daft.
Thanks again for the advice, I'll mull it over and let y'all know if my heart overrules my head...
/Lee.
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-- Lee Having a Fabialous time.
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Please don't let your heart rule your head.
I was offered £400 for my L reg 55000 miles ZX 1.9 TD 2 years ago, part ex for my Focus. Although it wanted work on the brakes, it was in good condition,( better than yours sounds )
I liked the ZX, but it was not very reliable. Even at the first MOT it failed on suspension bushes, and the brakes always needed attention.
My 1983 Sierra 2.3 Ghia used to sail through the MOT nearly every year, a much better made car.
In fact I would not buy your mates ZX even for a tenner, it will cost you too much in repairs.
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I just read HJ's breakdown on th ZX & the Turbo isnt that economical!!
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Its not what you drive, its how you drive it! :-)
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I just read HJ's breakdown on th ZX & the Turbo isnt that economical!! -- Its not what you drive, its how you drive it! :-)
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I find that very odd, as our Xantia 1.9 TD has never returned less than 40 mpg, and it is a much heavier car. Also had a 1.4i ZX for over 3 years, which also used to give at least 40 mpg.
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Hi all, A colleague at work has replaced his ZX 1.9D "M" avantage 144k with a Xsara and is looking to sell the ZX.
The quickest way to make an enemy is to buy a car from someone you know. An even quicker way is to buy an iffy car from someone you know.
--
L\'escargot by name, but not by nature.
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I learned to drive in one of these, except it was the poverty spec Reflex. Good car though.
That said, I really wouldn't bother with this one. I've got a soft spot for the car, but if I wanted a fun runaround (which given your Fabia, I assume this would be) it would be a Volcane of some description, which can be had quite cheaply and is a bit of a Q car.
If I desperately needed a £200 car to get me to work, I'd consider this one, but I can't think of any reason to buy it otherwise.
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Thanks everyone, sage advice from all. I did around 140k in my ZX Volcane TD, every mile of which I liked. Never failed me once, only got rid in the end as it was destroyed in floods.
I've still got the Mini to come, so that'll be my "silly" car for a bit, I might revisit the idea of another Fabia. They're doing some outrageous deals on them at the moment - our local dealer has the 1.2 Classic brand new and on the road at £6595 - including air con, abs, power steering...
Thanks again, the advice has been very valuable.
/Lee
-- Lee Having a Fabialous time.
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The quickest way to make an enemy is to buy a car from someone you know. An even quicker way is to buy an iffy car from someone you know.
I learnt that the hard way.
Bought my 2nd car (a ten-year-old £600 job) from a friend-of-a-friend -- hadn't met or heard of the vendor before, but ran into him at a party two years later.
He was a nice guy, so I proceeded to tell him what I thought was the funny story of how the car had died a specatacular death but had been fun while it lasted ... except he didn't think it was funny and got very offended that I might think there had ever been anything wrong with it.
No amount of reassurance from me could persuade him that I wasn't complaining or blaming him or anything, and (not for the first time in life) I wished I'd kept my big mouth shut.
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In an earlier post, I commented on the reference to the ZX TD being thirsty (Car-by-Car Breadown). Why should this be the case, when there is no similar reference to the Peugeot 306 being thirsty with this engine? They must be about same weight, I would have thought. Also, my experience of the 1.9 TD in a Xantia doesn't support this view either.
Is a Xsara 1.9 TD thirsty also (no such comment on this site)?
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I don't agree that the ZX TD is thirsty. Mine (with 208k on the clock) does 44 mpg, more or less, like it always has.
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>Mine (with 208k on the clock) does 44 mpg, more or less, like it always has.
I agree with that.
My old ZX TD from 95k to 150k always returned 45 mpg no matter how ethusiastic I got.
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