Omega Owners Forum
Chat Area => General Discussion Area => Topic started by: redelitev6 on 24 July 2018, 18:00:42
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My son has passed his driving test today and is now on the lookout for his first car , he has his eye on a Corsa 1.2 . What do you think , yes/no , what do I have to look out for , cambelt etc ?
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What age range?Corsa as good as any other I think.Anyway get him into the VX stable early then we have the next generation Omega owner :y
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What age range?Corsa as good as any other I think.Anyway get him into the VX stable early then we have the next generation Omega owner :y
Yeah. If he's quick he might get one of the six on eBay, then he can put it into storage. ::)
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Or buy DGs before he turns it into bean cans ::)
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Or buy DGs before he turns it into bean cans ::)
His was one of the six on eBay ;D
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handbrake, front suspension , a well documented water ingress into front of car near steering wheel from memory. Engine wise have a listen when it starts up from cold.
We have an 06 car which we use in the UK. Had a track rod end and a driveshaft gaiter in 3 years of occasional but heavy use. I like it . I would steer clear of the Sxi's as will have doubtless been thrashed. Ours is a Design. Got air con and a sun roof and a radio/CD.
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Head gaskets and cam chains are a corsa consumable, not that expensive to fix mind but mk6/7 fiestas are a better bet in my opinion
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Head gaskets and cam chains are a corsa consumable, not that expensive to fix mind but mk6/7 fiestas are a better bet in my opinion
Yes the 1.4 petrol version is economical and nippy. :y
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There ok, just bear in mind your average second hand Corsa driving by the young has been ragged around with low Oil and Coolant and the Steering has been either Kerbed or Clipped with incorrect Tyre pressures.
Buying one from an Old Lady One Owner who only used it on Sundays to go Banger Racing would probably be in better nick.
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Same can be said of most small cars though. Imo, a Corsa is no better or worse than most of the others.
If you find a nice one for a good price, buy it.
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Depending on the age it might have Electronic Power Steering (EPS), when this works, it's great, when it doesn't, it's expensive. If the car is pulling in either direction or there is a notchy/stiff/loose spot - walk away.
You don't mention how old your son is, but as a new driver a 1.2 will probably be epic insurance. I would advise you look at the insurance groups/prices before you entertain looking at a car.
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My experience, for what its worth.
First son, got a Corsa 1.2sxi (hadn't been messed about with) - Rubbish fuel economy, lots of problems, cost a lot over the years he had it.
Second Son, got a (slightly older) 1.2 Polo - much better drive, way more reliable and so far no issues.
I would say insurance will be the hardest pill to swallow - my boy is with Tesco Box - less than £1000 for the year, not at all intrusive over his driving like some others apparently are.
HTH
Merv
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Toyota Yaris ;)
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My lad had a Corsa as a first car,it was the slightly later twin port 80 bhp version on a 54 plate,was utterly reliable but had only done 35k when we sold it so didn't envisage many problems(always leaked on drivers footwell though ::))
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Same can be said of most small cars though. Imo, a Corsa is no better or worse than most of the others.
If you find a nice one for a good price, buy it.
This is true but Corsa are notorious for HG Fail due to poor maintenance, you only got to look on the Bay of the Devil to see them being broken in the hundreds, bonus side of course is plenty of second hand parts available. :)
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Car bought and picked up today ,I offered him lots of alternative cars but he had his heart set on the Corsa , 08 plate sxi , black metallic , MOTd yesterday , seems a decent enough car but it really does need a good T cut and polish (that'll be me then ) I noticed it still has the insurance black box on from the previous owner , is it worth taking off or should I leave well alone ?
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Car bought and picked up today ,I offered him lots of alternative cars but he had his heart set on the Corsa , 08 plate sxi , black metallic , MOTd yesterday , seems a decent enough car but it really does need a good T cut and polish (that'll be me then ) I noticed it still has the insurance black box on from the previous owner , is it worth taking off or should I leave well alone ?
Tell him it can't be removed, he'll have to behave himself then.
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What's the insurance like?
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What's the insurance like?
nearly 1k :o but on monthly payments so not too bad for him
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Head gaskets and cam chains are a corsa consumable, not that expensive to fix mind but mk6/7 fiestas are a better bet in my opinion
Utter rubbish, never yet seen a head gasket go on the chain based engines, timing chains are an indication of poor servicing :y
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The twinport 1.2 I rebuilt (I say "rebuilt", there was not much left original by the time I'd done)
the timing chain had been that slack that it had rubbed against the cover, sending chunks of ali to the bores, scoring them ,also 4 hydraulic lifters had collapsed, end-float in the crankshaft( a known issue which TIS bulletin says replace short engine, some muppet had had it apart and kitchen sealant was used instead of new gaskets, the exhaust manicat gasket had been blowing, sucking unmetered air through EGR.
the handbrake cable set up on the rear beam is a weak point, grease up the guides or replace if too far gone.
as someone says, these little cars (not just vauxhall ,lesser brands too) are ragged, run low on oil and coolant
once I had finished, the corsa is a very nippy, economical small car
we have 2 in the family fleet
would i have one , rather than a fraud fester ,YES
do I want to swap from my RWD 180 BHP omega ....
er ... NO ;D
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What generation (years) Corsas are you folks looking at, out of interest?
A friend of a friend (well, sister of a friend of my other half) is looking at first cars now they've passed their test at 17 and the current option is a 2008 Kia Picanto - I can't find anything bad about those besides being hideously ugly, but wondered about suggesting a Corsa (or Fester)..
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Suzuki Swift :y
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Suzuki Swift :y
Was my first suggestion to my other half as well, oddly enough (for her, sadly, automatic versions are rare as rocking horse teeth)
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Suzuki Swift :y
Was my first suggestion to my other half as well, oddly enough (for her, sadly, automatic versions are rare as rocking horse teeth)
We did look at a Suzuki swift , cracking little car which had everything going for it , low mileage , good service history , very smart looking, but it wasn't the Corsa which he'd set his heart on , as the old saying goes , you can lead a horse to water etc :(
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Speaking of the corsa's..ive done a few timing chains now on the corsa c 1ltr & 1.2...there is a few bits to strip off,but they are a ok job to do,..I was wondering what the corsa d 1.4 was like to do ?
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Speaking of the corsa's..ive done a few timing chains now on the corsa c 1ltr & 1.2...there is a few bits to strip off,but they are a ok job to do,..I was wondering what the corsa d 1.4 was like to do ?
Z14xep corsa 1.4 engine has all the same parts (head, block, pistons chain,ecu kit, etc etc) the only difference is the crankshaft
(it's effectively a stroked 1.2)
you could fit a 1.4 short engine to a 1.2 :P
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Speaking of the corsa's..ive done a few timing chains now on the corsa c 1ltr & 1.2...there is a few bits to strip off,but they are a ok job to do,..I was wondering what the corsa d 1.4 was like to do ?
Z14xep corsa 1.4 engine has all the same parts (head, block, pistons chain,ecu kit, etc etc) the only difference is the crankshaft
(it's effectively a stroked 1.2)
you could fit a 1.4 short engine to a 1.2 :P
Many thanks for that Dave. :y