I have spent 40 very lucrative years in the motor trade, I own German my wife runs French, niether of these are known to rust badly. What proffesional experience do you speak from, or did a mate tell you.
Advice for buying a used car
- Thread starter Matthew_T
- Start date
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OP
OP
Matthew_T
"Young and Ex-whippet"
- Location
- Prestatyn, North Wales
I am having a look at a blue Corsa in the morning because I am a rebel. If there is nowt wrong with it then I will buy it. Just because the model has bad rep amongst people on here doesnt mean the individual car is bad.
It doesn't just have a bad rep among people on here, it has a bad rep in general (although I would rather have a Corsa than a Ka, they are not THAT bad!). You are quite right in that you need to make your own judgement based on the individual car.
You were the one who came on here asking for advice though, so don't say you weren't warned. I still say Corolla or Polo would be a better choice if you can get one close to your budget.
Good luck whatever you do.
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OP
OP
Matthew_T
"Young and Ex-whippet"
- Location
- Prestatyn, North Wales
This is the finalised list of TTD when there:
- Check tyre wear (wear pattern)
- See if there is any wheel wobble
- Lights - Brakes+fog
- Electrics - Fittings and fixtures all work
- Doors - Open properly
- Interior - Condition of trim, internal lights, buttons all work, no welds/rust inside.
- Rust - on corners of panels, on bottom of car, on suspension.
- Suspension rebound (only one bounce really).
- Look at condition of brakes.
- Under the bonnet - Check oil lever/water in oil compartment, water in coolant, assess engine wobble upon stalling, ensure that everything is connected.
- On the road - idle control valve (check tick over after rev), suspension (any knocking), turning full lock (knocking), brakes (wobbling/lumpy/warped). Do an emergency stop.
vernon
Harder than Ronnie Pickering
- Location
- Meanwood, Leeds
Corsas have a reputation for breaking their coiled suspension springs and the gear linkage mechanism linking the gear lever to the gear box is prone to disconnecting itself.
vernon
Harder than Ronnie Pickering
- Location
- Meanwood, Leeds
Pay for the RAC to do it properly?
Have you not read some of the previous advice, in particular reply #45 in which @LimeBurn gave a fairly comprehensive list of stuff to check?
OP
OP
Matthew_T
"Young and Ex-whippet"
- Location
- Prestatyn, North Wales
I am not looking at the Corsa now. The apparent 'owner' only has the green slip of the V5, which is not proof of ownership.
Instead me and my dad are going to go around looking in shop windows tomorrow morning and at local forecourts (there is on in a local town with a Corsa at the front for £600 which could be bargained down).
Instead me and my dad are going to go around looking in shop windows tomorrow morning and at local forecourts (there is on in a local town with a Corsa at the front for £600 which could be bargained down).
DCLane
Found in the Yorkshire hills ...
- Location
- Dewsbury, West Yorkshire
My only suggestion here is: think about whether you can get your bike in the back!
Piemaster
Guru
- Location
- UK City of Culture
"Don't buy one of those, you want to get one of them, or those..etc.."
What does everyone expect from a 13 year old £600 car? Matthew, go buy something you'll get year out, it sounds to me you're being sensible about a first car. Don't get attached to it, but you are allowed to buy an air freshener for it
. I've done it a few times in the past. The last time I did something similar it was an £800 Rover 600 that I got 2 years out of and used for part-exchange at the end as the sodding thing refused to die.
What does everyone expect from a 13 year old £600 car? Matthew, go buy something you'll get year out, it sounds to me you're being sensible about a first car. Don't get attached to it, but you are allowed to buy an air freshener for it
. I've done it a few times in the past. The last time I did something similar it was an £800 Rover 600 that I got 2 years out of and used for part-exchange at the end as the sodding thing refused to die.
vernon
Harder than Ronnie Pickering
- Location
- Meanwood, Leeds
I fully endorse the advice to look at K11 Micra's. They are just about bullet proof. You can get a bike in the back, just, with the rear seats down and the front wheel of the bike removed. They are fairly frugal with petrol and if you can find a relatively low mileage one, you will get more than a couple of years use out of it with low repair bills. I speak from direct experience as a current owner of a K11 Micra and have owned one for the past eight years. They just aren't cool to be sen in but that's not an issue that troubles me.
Micra is a great way to go even more so at the price you are talking about. It is a good idea to look for a car that is uncool amongst first time owners yet still a cheaper car to run.
Fiat Ciquecento would be another one I would look at, the FIRE engined one are very good and rust went out in the eighties as far as Fiats are concerned. Parts are also very cheap for both the above cars, suprising often cheaper that the common Ford or Vauxhall.
This sort of thing would last years and be economical to run, OK it is a sporting version but still only group 3 insurance.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1995-FIAT...9364034?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item4d14ad00c2
Fiat Ciquecento would be another one I would look at, the FIRE engined one are very good and rust went out in the eighties as far as Fiats are concerned. Parts are also very cheap for both the above cars, suprising often cheaper that the common Ford or Vauxhall.
This sort of thing would last years and be economical to run, OK it is a sporting version but still only group 3 insurance.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1995-FIAT...9364034?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item4d14ad00c2
Have a look at this one as well, one thing you will notice is that neither of them are rusty.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1995-Fiat...8360028?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item4ac7b8d8dc
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1995-Fiat...8360028?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item4ac7b8d8dc
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OP
OP
Matthew_T
"Young and Ex-whippet"
- Location
- Prestatyn, North Wales
Thanks for the advice guys. Heading out now.
vernon
Harder than Ronnie Pickering
- Location
- Meanwood, Leeds
This is the same as the previous Fiat.....
