Recommend me- A Cheap Hatchback

[Richie]

Originally Posted by rowdy

Pedant mode, they stopped at the mk6 .
Another Very important area to check for rot on those are the battery tray.

Cheers
bow's head in awe...
So I have a Mk6 then. cheers no wonder I found it hard to find a manual for it.

6 or 7 years ago I had a Sierra 1.8TD, on a K plate. I bought it from my Uncle who runs a taxi firm and had 3 of them for sale all identical with similar mileage, but there were 10 on his fleet before these first three were sold and replaced with Mondeo's. All three were bought new at the same time and all being retired at the same time, and all still working 24 hours a day and getting serviced once every 7 weeks!

Mine had done 480,000 miles and I sold it a year later at 520,000 having driven from Edinburgh to Northwich every weekend to see my GF (now wife). It was just like this one.



Second engine, third gearbox, and my Uncle reckons the only parts that were original on the car are the non mechanical, non wear and tear items, ie: wheels, driveshafts, steering column, bodywork, interior, etc. If it was a wear and tear part it had been replaced at least twice during the lifetime of the car, so in fact the car hadn't done that mileage at all.

The car was a beauty to work on as being off the road cost money, so if it was off the road for a service, and the pads and disks were getting changed, but a CV joint wouldn't last the next 10000 miles (or 7 weeks), then the whole lot came out and all got done at once. So you never found a nut or bolt ceased and everything was clean and greased because it had been off recently for some reason or another. It was cheaper to do it before it was needed than to be forced to take the car off the road because of it.

Despite spending it's whole life working in a seaside town there was no rust because as a taxi it was steam cleaned (round wheel arches, under sills, etc) and dried daily before going out on the road, never exposed to salt and dirt for more than 24 hours.

The only problems I had with it in 40k miles was needing to change glow plugs, and reseal a leaking turbo hose.

No way he could get a Mondeo to last that long now, they are finished after 300,000.

So, the point of this story?

Originally Posted by Gazza77

With a budget like that, I'd not worry too much about what you buy. Condition is probably the most important factor, along with good evidence of being well looked after. A well maintained car of any type is likely to be more reliable than something that has led a hard & unloved life.

+520,000



PS: If you ever have a problem with a Sierra or Mondeo diesel, PM me and I'll ask my Uncle, he WILL know the answer.

Originally Posted by Richie

So I have a Mk6 then. cheers no wonder I found it hard to find a manual for it.

That made me laugh .

Richie : "Do you have a manual for a Mk7 Escort of the Ford variety"
Halfords Employee One : "No"

Richie turns away , shoulders slumped and a glum look and exits the shop

Halfords Employee Two : "Did you tell him they only go to Mk6 ?"
Halfords Employee One : "He never asked me that did he"

Not read all the posts .... but as above .... condition over car is the important bit ...

Steer clear of the French .. typically unreliable ....

Go for either ...... high volume .... ie Ford Fiesta, Nissan Micra..........
or low demand .... ie Saab, Nissan Primera, Volvo, Sierra ie. something a bit leftfield, ideally with a big engine (so not first time buyer stuff)......

Originally Posted by davepreston

pug 306's head gasket problems also brake lines and severs are poo

eh? both our 306's have done over 210 k servicing them is the name of the game.

[Skip]

I bought my 1997 BMW 316i Compact earlier this year for £800 - 134k - FSH and one family owned from new - it does 38mpg running around and over 40mpg on a run - I have now done 10k in it and not one single thing has gone wrong with it - it also flew through its MOT recently - I love it - especially when its been raining and I have to negotiate the odd empty roundabout

[Bibio]

older 5 door honda civic. cheep and reliable. they are usually well looked after as they are classed as 'old mans cars'