12 yrs old though...and not galvanised...
Rattles price range includes 6 year old Fiat Punto`s with galvanised bodywork.......
Edited by oilrag on 25/02/2009 at 17:50
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Rattle, limiting yourself to a distance of 10 miles (I can guess why) rules out a lot that is out there.
I did mention my step-son's 99/T plate Proton Compact Sport (1.5l) in an email. Well it was on ebay and sold for about £400. He just wanted it sold and it had MOT but no tax. He'd have taken £250 though.... you should have had a look - it was in Withington. Gone now though. Bright yellow mind!
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Yeah thanks Rob the main issue with that was the high insurance sort of deafeted the point its a shame though :).
I have just got back from Poynton to view a Focus. I actually test drove it was a lovely car to drive but I reved it to 4000rpm and a lot of water came out. After wards it started steaming badly and the temperature gauge was rising. I thought at this point its my imagination but I asked about warranty and he said its sold as seen even though he was a trader! I phoned my uncle who knows about cars and he reckoned the fuel mixture was wrong and to walk away because of the warranty thing.
He also agreed with me that the temperature seemed high considering the amount of smoke, it was about 10c outside. I don't think it was the HG as the coolant was clean and there was no mayo on the cap but Focuses are not known to be smokers. My dads dosn't even smoke as much and the stem seals have gone on that!
I am getting closer to the right car, just learning a lot in the process too :).
I was also put under a lot of preasure, I admit I did nearly buy this car.
Edited by Rattle on 25/02/2009 at 19:58
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losing water whilst revved, smoking and clean coolant id bet the headgasket has gone and the trader has changed the fluids to make them look clean to try and get rid of it.
chris
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My thought exactly the oil was lovely and clean so it was fresh. The temperature did not feel right either, I know its a different engine but my last car the temp gauge would only move sligtly to the middle after being stuck in a traffic jam, this was in the middle from the start so its been well warmed up.
Every time I tried to bring up any mechanical issues he just tried to change the subject saying how he dosn't sell faulty cars, how brilliant Focuses are, how there is nothing wrong with it yet he could not explain why the engine was so hot etc.
I am tired and shattered by all this now.
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Modern cars do warm up rapidly to the halfway mark though. If it didn`t rise above that and it had been moved around cold in the yard a few times - the water and water vapour from the exhaust would be normal.
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Which is exactly what my uncle said was a possibility but the steam just seem to linger on, there was also dent marks in the boot too which I did not investigate further.
At the end of the day it was a trader selling the car and he made it clear it came with no warranty it is enough to walk away. The engine was also a little noisy but there was no rattles or knocks so was probably normal but I know my dads Escort 1.6 which had a different engine but still Zetec was pretty much silent.
If it had come with a warranty and the trader explained it was just condensation then I probably would have bought it, but the fact is he didn't have any explanation and just kept saying its a good car.
At the end of day it might have been a good car but a trader who offers no warranty is not a good seller.
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And you thought War and Peace was a lengthy saga....
:-)
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You may have been right about that car Rattle. Who knows? 'Water' and 'steam' don't mean much unless there's a precise description of where they come from and how much of them there is.
Why do you go and see all these dodgy sheds anyway? Why don't you take a look at some of the perfectly OK or not too bad with a bit of fettling cars the rest of us keep noticing?
I fear you may be a, what's the term HJ, goodness where is bell boy when you need him, yes, 'tyre kicker'.
If you aren't careful all these car dealers are going to start recognising you and hiding round the back and sending a chimpanzee out to force you to buy a classic BL rustbucket with grass growing out of the wings. That'll learn you.
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Rattle: Why don't you just buy something with six month's MOT and tax for £350 or so and drive it until you get the feel of what you really want or need?
It might only last you 4 months but it might last a couple of years - either way you will not really be losing anything and you will be gaining experience (And a NCB perhaps.)
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Mad already been there, didn't work out, I don't really like bangers anyway, one thing I loved about this Focus it was so easy to drive, even easier than my instructors brand new clio as the gearbox was a bit nothcy on that.
I have had a few bangers now, one of them rotten anyway and the other engine failed both could have been repaired but I just decided to give up. I am pretty sure there is a decent Focus out there in my budget but I am going to wait while I rushed into it. If the seller did not put me under so much preasure I may have bought that car tonight but I had to make a decision there and then and I wasnt' 100% sure.
I've still got a while until my insurance runs out. I did feel very comfortable in the Focus and I felt safe which I never really did in the Fiesta. If he said it came with 3 months warranty I would have bought the car tonight, it was the fact I was already a little concerned about the steam was it condensation but the biggest thing that made me walk away was when he said it was sold as seen with no warranty.
As for traders running away let 'em the garages I have been to so far I would never go back, there was one which seemed decent I just did not like the car but how would I know until I drove it? Tonight I certainly did not tyre kick I even came with £100 cash in my pocket to leave as a deposit and at one time I really thought I would buy it, its only when the steam wasn't clearing away even after the test drive I became suspicious.
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Sorry about the above post, I need to get some sleep, I have some how just repeated myself.
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The fact is, Rattle, you feel so much more comfortable knowing you have NOT bought a 'shed' than worrying that the car you HAVE bought may turn into one next week ...
As you seem to get about quite nicely by bus, just think how you are helping the planet.
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If you're really worried about your ncb, then buy a moped.
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I can quite see how you would have been put off by the trader's evasiveness and flimflam, Rattle. But a pool of water in the rear silencer box wouldn't necessarily all be dispelled after a short test drive. That might take a few miles of road, or say half an hour of slow traffic driving. You may have turned down a perfectly good car.
There's nothing wrong with playing safe if it makes you feel better. But I suspect a lot of traders' warranties aren't up to much. Don't you know anyone who could come with you when you go to assess a prospective purchase who could make an informed stab at judging the car's true condition?
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Lud I called my uncle who is very well qualified in this area and he said the puddle may have been normal if its been sat there and been allowed to idle for a while, but after the 15 minute test drive with the engine at mid temperature there was a huge amount of smoke coming out the back. It looked like it had just been started from cold on a -3c morning when it the engine was up to temperature and it was 10c outside. My uncle said he thinks there was something up with it but would need to check in, when I told him what to he said about the warranty he said just walk away.
Until my uncle said that my plan was to get some advice here then and then maybe go up and buy it this morning. Everytime I mentioned the mechanical aspects of the car he just kept going on about the vallet etc.
I admit this car may have been ok but there are plenty more to see. There is another one I may go and look at tomorrow which has just been advertised in the last hour.
What ever traders warranties offer there by law have obligations and I got the impression if I found it would have been a battle. People on here probably expect I want everything perfect I don't, there was a tinty dent in one of the door (key size) and it not put me off one bit. If the aircon does not work on a £1400 so what?
My experience with cars is if you see one which is appatrantly fault free the you still find niggles but I expect that but if you buy a car thinking the brake pipes will need replacing it will probably need that and a lot more work on top.
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There are always niggles Rattle, even (to read some of the posts here) in brand new and expensive cars.
Sometimes a brilliant car can be let down by easily cured minor niggles that the former owner or dealer can't cope with or can't be bothered with. A car like that is what I would be looking out for.
One has to be philosophical though. Sometimes they turn out to be sheds anyway. I think you know this from recent experience.
However, a luta continua! You are due for some good luck if there's any justice. I want to see you racing smoothly and carefully about the country and starting to complain about people mimsing on A roads.
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Well said, Lud.
Good luck in your continuing search Rattle ;-)
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I think I`m vicariously searching with you actually ;-)
(enjoy your posts)
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hehe yeah. As I said before if the seller wasn't so cagey about the warranty I would have bought the car and just taken the risk. I was actually quite disapointed as everything about was ideal.
Niggles I can live with, dangerius faults or serious mechanical problems I cannot. What I loved about the Focus is I took it up to 50mph with no drama, on the cars I am used to driving you know when you have hit 50!
One thing I am a lot more clear about now is a slightly bigger car will be more suited to me and would offer a completly zero image solution. Turning to customers in a clean Focus nobody cars, on my old car with dents and rust on it people think its a cheap car.
I am lucky being self employed I can fit car hunting between jobs, if I had a 9-5 job I would just have to buy the first thing I saw but if i worked 9-5 I would have more money.
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Well, when buying my bangernomics Vauxhalls in the 1K bracket I do get to see some right sheds, I usually end up looking at half a dozen cars to find a 'good' one.
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SpamCan61,
You couldn't help us all out could you and find a car for Rattle?
I think he needs your expertise at the lower end of the market.
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LOL, unfortunately my 'expertise' is confined to Omegas and Vectra Bs, which are probably too high in the insurance groups for Rattle. In general I'd say go for full service history and apparent mechanical condition, buying cars pre-dented does tend to help lower the price as well, plus one can leave them in supermarket car parks without undue worry.
edit : OK the last point isn't really relevant for Rattle as the car needs to look nice.
Edited by SpamCan61 {P} on 26/02/2009 at 19:56
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It depends what and where the dent is, a tiny little dent is nothing but a bit 5" dent can look a mess. My old car did look a right mess, it had two minor dents and a little bit of rust on the body work, the gray mumbers were also fading. It also needed a good t-cut as the paint was starting to fade.
My dads car on the otherhand polishes up very very well and would look fine.
I think darker colours hide dents better, a dent on a silver car looks very messy.
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........ the gray mumbers were also fading.
For those unfamiliar with mumbers (as I confess I was until I googled for it) here's an explanation. www.241mumbers.com/
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I meant bumpers :) OK maybe typing at 300wpm is not a good idea!
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I am now deciding more and more I want a Focus because I was just very very impressed witht he one I drove. However the 1.4 and 1.6s are fairly rare so I am now considered a 1.8 too. Insurance will be £90 a month compared with £78 on a 1.6 but if its the right car I could live with that. I seem to remember the 1.4 Corsa I nearly bought being £90 a month.
For some reason the Focus seems to be by far the cheapest proper car to insure. Premiums are 40% lower than an Escort.
My concern on the 1.8 is not the cost but being able to handle the 113bhp in the city, as most the places I drive are 30 or 40 limits would be very easy to control it at this speed?
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My concern on the 1.8 is not the cost but being able to handle the 113bhp in the city as most the places I drive are 30 or 40 limits would be very easy to control it at this speed?
Rattle, I SERIOUSLY think you need to reevaluate your ability to drive. 113bhp is a small amount of power in a car. In answer to your question, yes it will be really easy. Please spend the full £2000 then you will have peace of mind, dont but another banger, they dont suit you.
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Rattle I SERIOUSLY think you need to reevaluate your ability to drive. 113bhp is a small amount of power in a car....
That's a bit harsh. Most new drivers think 100bhp+ is a lot, and that somehow it will be like riding a raging bull.
It's only us jaded old timers who turn around and go "I suppose I can make do with 150bhp if I have to..." ;)
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Sorry all,
I only have 115bhp 2.0 (probably less now, the Audi 80 is 15 years old) and that is diabolically slow. Any focus will show mine a clean pair of heels.
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My concern on the 1.8 is not the cost but being able to handle the 113bhp in the city as most the places I drive are 30 or 40 limits would be very easy to control it at this speed?
yes just dont press that little pedal to your right so hard.
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That is what I would have to get used to, on my old car if I needed to go anywhere I had to rev the pants of it, if I reved the pants of a Focus I would be doing 50 in seconds.
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Don't worry Rattle. If you can afford to buy it, fuel it and insure it, go for it.
With all the extra weight, it won't actually feel that much quicker anyway. The only problem is that once you start getting used to them extra horses, you'll feel hard done by if you ever have to go back to low powered motors again!
Edited by TheOilBurner on 27/02/2009 at 14:24
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Well I noticed the 1.6 is the Zetec-S where the 1.8 is the slightly older Zetec design and I have a feeling this older design is actually stronger.
I just think with a more modern car with a bit of power (the 1.6 will be fine for this too) I will be more confident to go further.
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