Wanting a second hand car. (or third, fourth)

[DottyDuck]

Hello BCF massive!

Well, the time has come. I love riding but the spark has gone and it is becoming a chore which I am really hating. I want to keep the bike and become a, dare i say it, fairweather rider. On saying that, I can imagine I will use the bike more in the summer months and the car will just be chillaxing on the drive. I can't sell the bike, i wouldn't get much and tbh i couldn't.

Basically, what i am getting at, I have a budget of about £1700 for a car and I am worried about buying a lemon!! What sort of things shall I look for and if a car has over 100k miles, shall I dismiss it? or still consider it?

Thanks in advance.

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CBT- 2012 Theory- 18/12/13 Mod 1- 07/01/14 Mod 2- 15/01/14
Old Bike: Zontes Panther 125cc - wrote off Current Bike: Kawasaki ZR7

[Thorn]

[Polarbear]

I must admit that 100,000 miles is my cut off for a car. There are plenty around sitting below 70/80,000. In fact I bought a Fiat Cinquecento at auction tonight for £200 for a mate with only 60,000 miles on it. (he's rather broke but it will get him by).

I would chose either Japanese (except Mk3 micras) or a very popular model Ford/Vauxhall and petrol but that is MY choice.

I'm sure there will be some of the car guys through to give you more comprehensive advice.
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Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

[P.addy]

You could buy my rough around the edges Accord 1.8, 48,000 miles on a V reg, bumper is scuffed and little spoiler has a chunk missing. Clean MOT end of Sept though

[defblade]

[stevo as b4]

Miles aint so important IMO or personally to me.

Bodywork condition is high on the list. No holes, no rust and nothing more than a few scrapes scuffs and very small dents. If you buy a cheap thing that's been bashed around and has damage on every panel it's only fit for driving as is. For people like me who would have to get every dent and crease out to live with it, it'd be a fortune in spare panels and repairs. Mechanicals are easy if not cheap to fix. Unless your in the bodyshop trade, bodies are never easy to fix and always expensive.

You can tell from looking at everything and from driving, how it's been looked after. You don't need no service book with stamps to tell you that. If there's anything bodged on like an exhaust thats not for the car in question, I wouldn't buy as even though it might have been a sound creative repair, it gives the impression of someone running it on a shoestring.

Id always check the usual tyres, brakes steering, suspension. No leaks of brake fluid, no wet shocks, car tracks straight with hands off the wheel etc. Check if the shocks have lost their damping? Wheel bearings with noise or play. Does it pull to one side on the brakes etc.

Also how high is the clutch biting point, and any signs of judder when pulling away. If so, expect to replace the clutch soon, or pay for someone to do it (expensive job).

I'd avoid a modern TDI and anything automatic in your price range, as though it's not certain you've have ££££'s of repairs it's far more likely than a basic petrol car. Try to avoid too many gagets or electrical equipment. If you go DERV I'd only look at mechanical pump cars, no HDI's PD's or anything with a DPF.

Basic is best on a shoestring budget, unless your a chancer that thinks they might get lucky for 12months with a secondhand big saloon or luxury car.

If you buy something cheap enough, then a warrenty is not especially needed. You have limited warrenty cover on most 5-10year old car's, and then there's getting them to do the work without wriggling out of it.

If your going to maintain or work on said car yourself, then you should consider a common easy to find model that is stacked high in major breakers yards. The typical Polo/Fiesta/Corsa etc are often mentioned with good reason in this respect.

Buy a 10year old Mazda, Suzuki, Mitsubishi etc, and you'd often pay more for parts and find getting hold of cheap secondhand bits is very hard.

Lastly you said £1700 budget, well IMO pay no more than £1000 for the car, (you can get something that's decent and reliable for this) and stash the £700 for repair/servicing/replacement parts.

If you buy well and get something solid, maybe spending time undersealing it and getting the consumables all sorted, you could have a good 4wheeled winter hack for years that you can sorn every spring and get the bike back out.

I'm not known for my worthy car purchases, but I still have the horn for another mk3 Suzuki Alto 0.8 or 1.0.

[John933]

As. as been said. I buy car round the grand mark from our local car auction. Then run them in to the ground. Scrap them, buy again. I have an 02 Ford on my drive. Kept it for 4 year's now, got a few more year's in her. It's a Mondao diesel. Run's for ever. Car's are one of them thing's that you get because of a reason. Mine is to get me round and big enough to move stuff around. Insurance is cheap, and the spare's are the same. For a grand you can get a half decent one. Five year's worth of use's is a los of £200 a year. Then you'll usually get about £150/200 in scrap value for it.
John933
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My trip

[MC]

I believe the antidote for Paddy was a triple
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Yamaha MT-03 '08 (crashed)
Honda XR-125L '04

[bikertomm]

You'll be able to get a half decent reliable car for £1700.

What type of car do you want?

inb4 'the pink one'

https://www.fleetcare.com.au/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=e88ff669-5870-4168-88ed-a6c92e7d4b4e

How many miles are you planning to do?


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07' Honda Hornet now full powaah! My guide on performing an oil change!

[DottyDuck]

Thanks everyone for the replies. I like the peugeot 307, fiat stilo and renault megane. I want something bigger than a 1.2 and smaller than a 1.6 as it will be my first car and insurance is going to be about £500 depending on what car. Also, if anyone knows of cars that are only £30 a year to tax then i would like to hear which ones please

I have seen this on funtree

https://www.gumtree.com/p/peugeot/2005-54-peugeot-307-1.4-only-34-000-miles-1-owner-/1091017608

but how do i know they are genuine miles?! opinions?
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CBT- 2012 Theory- 18/12/13 Mod 1- 07/01/14 Mod 2- 15/01/14
Old Bike: Zontes Panther 125cc - wrote off Current Bike: Kawasaki ZR7

[Nb]

[DottyDuck]

[Nb]

Not owned them but have worked on all of them and they all have overly complicated electronic crap inside.
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Cbr1100xx blackbird gone, mk4 golf gt tdi chav now
Colin1 wrote 'Im grateful for what i can get, which isnt all that much.'
Columbus travel insurance are crap!! Do not use!

[neatbik]

+1 for the above. I was unlucky (or silly) enough to own a Megane, it was utter shite.

Go for a Focus petrol, buy a clean one (entirely possible for 1k) and enjoy reliable motoring.

[Quornholio]

Dotty is the female Smiler.

Came in chat. Asked for advice. Given good, solid advice, including to forget Renaults.

Now she's considering Renaults.
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[DottyDuck]

[andyscooter]

nissan will be a good car

mum and dads old sunny never went wrong

then they traded it in for a renault that was broken after two days and needed a new eu as it wouldnt pull aaway in first gear (auto)

the sunny went on to be a taxi for about ten years

the only other renault they had the engine blew up and had to be changed

it tends to be the newer cars that are £30 tax a year my wifes kia rio is but was 7 grand to buy
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gilera runner vxr200 (chavped)
if its spelt wrong its my fat fingers and daft auto correct on my tablet

[MC]

£1700 for an Almera

See this is why I hate cars...


and insurance
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Yamaha MT-03 '08 (crashed)
Honda XR-125L '04

[Rogerborg]

[daemonoid]

[MC]

Based on what I saw working in the motor trade:
- Don't touch anything French
- Don't touch Mercedes, Ford*, or Fiat's

- Older Japanese cars offer the best value for money, but can feel a bit cheap
- Properly maintained Audi's/VW's do keep going, seen some with 200-300k
- Vauxhall's are a good shout, still an unpopular badge so offer a lot for the money

- avoid Rover's, utter shite and parts cost a fortune now
- avoid Saab's, for the reasons above
- I wouldn't touch Korean cars personally, never understood where their reputation came from

* but but the Focus, one good model doesn't change their Fix-Or-Repair-Daily reputation, I've seen more engine changes done on Fords than any other marque, and that includes vehicles under 3 years old (some a year)
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Yamaha MT-03 '08 (crashed)
Honda XR-125L '04

[bikertomm]

[MC]

I was going to insert a disclaimer, that with any cars there are lemons and reliable examples. However generally Citroens are about as complicated and reliable as this:
https://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/06/bttf_time_machine_ebay_lead.jpg
____________________
Yamaha MT-03 '08 (crashed)
Honda XR-125L '04

[bikertomm]

Haha! The older ones aren't
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07' Honda Hornet now full powaah! My guide on performing an oil change!

[MC]

Citroen BX... that thing still gives me nightmares
____________________
Yamaha MT-03 '08 (crashed)
Honda XR-125L '04