Advice for buying a used car

[Matthew_T]

I filled it up just now. £25 to fill it from just under half a tank.

Problems I already have with it:
Fuel gauge changes if you are going uphill/turning.
Rear windscreen wiper doesnt work (as far as we can tell).
Nowhere to place camera.

Upshots:
It has a nice radio.
The important things work.
Its a car!

 

[Matthew_T]

It is a bit sluggish on accelerating but is very nippy through the bends.
After filling it up, I went on a little detour home through the local bends. It keeps up a good speed even though I cannot always tell what speed I am doing (speedo sticks at 40 sometimes so you have to tap it to correct it).

All of the problems are really just gravy. It works, it will get me to where I need to go, its cool (in its own little way).

 

[asterix]

Incredible value! I paid £1400 pounds for my first car in 1979, it was 8 years old and a rusty old dog.

Cars didn't last 8 years in 1979!

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Cars didn't last 8 years in 1979!

But it was 8 years old then so a 1971

Alan...

 

[Spinney]

I filled it up just now. £25 to fill it from just under half a tank.

Problems I already have with it:
Fuel gauge changes if you are going uphill/turning.
Rear windscreen wiper doesnt work (as far as we can tell).
Nowhere to place camera.

Upshots:
It has a nice radio.
The important things work.
Its a car!

That may be a good thing!

And a hi-viz car!

(Don't run over any cyclists, will you...)

 

[Deleted member 26715]

I filled it up just now. £25 to fill it from just under half a tank.

Yes small tank, but relatively economical even for a lead footed teenager

Problems I already have with it:
Fuel gauge changes if you are going uphill/turning.

That's not a problem it's a feature, they all do that Sir!

Rear windscreen wiper doesnt work (as far as we can tell).

They are prone to breaking the wires into the hatch

Nowhere to place camera.

That's a good thing.

Alan...

 

[Matthew_T]

They are prone to breaking the wires into the hatch

In the scheme of things, it isnt a biggie. If I got the electrical diagram of the car, I could probably fix it myself.

 

[simon the viking]

Looks like a nice first car and insurance isn't too bad for you..... well done.

 

[gavroche]

Congratulations with your first car Matthew. I will be looking out for you now. Can't miss it really. Is cycling going to take second place now?

 

[Matthew_T]

Congratulations with your first car Matthew. I will be looking out for you now. Can't miss it really. Is cycling going to take second place now?

No. I will just use the car for most of the winter (nice and warm inside). I have also ordered two blind spot mirrors because I can manage with the ones I have, but I just like the better visibility.

 

[swee'pea99]

It is a bit sluggish on accelerating but is very nippy through the bends.
After filling it up, I went on a little detour home through the local bends. It keeps up a good speed even though I cannot always tell what speed I am doing (speedo sticks at 40 sometimes so you have to tap it to correct it).

All of the problems are really just gravy. It works, it will get me to where I need to go, its cool (in its own little way).

Unfortunately I can't convey the accent or the look of utter contempt, but...

Ray used to fix our cars. That wasn't his real name, but his real name was Vietnamese, and he insisted that people's attempts to pronounce it just annoyed him, so he was Ray to us.

He fixed my friend's ancient Mini, and after her test drive, she complained that the speedo wasn't working. He fixed her with a look of withering scorn, then the car with something like disgust: "You no gone speed in tha'..."

 

[Over The Hill]

Looks amazing car for the money.
As with any new driver you are stuck with a low insurance car for now so good to play the irony card with the inbetweeners association.

As long as you don't call it the clungemobile!

 

[The Jogger]

It is a bit sluggish on accelerating but is very nippy through the bends.
After filling it up, I went on a little detour home through the local bends. It keeps up a good speed even though I cannot always tell what speed I am doing (speedo sticks at 40 sometimes so you have to tap it to correct it).

All of the problems are really just gravy. It works, it will get me to where I need to go, its cool (in its own little way).[/quote]

Does that mean the heater isn't working either?

 

[DCLane]

@Matthew_T - good choice. It'll be a decent buy, hold it's value and they drive well.

 

[fossyant]

Looks good. I bet you can fix the sticky speedo though. I had a clicky speedo on a rover Metro GTa and was fixed by removing cable from dash and a drop of bike oil on it.

Ps don't go driving your car into my MTB. That was the same model that made a mess of my shoulder. My MTB made a mess of it though. So if the wing mirror is missing, the the wing and bonnet have dents, then that's the one my MTB minced.

Looks a cracker and glad yon didn't get a Corsa or Ka.