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Author Topic: What car should I buy?  (Read 26067 times)

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Keith ABS

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Re: What car should I buy?
« Reply #120 on: 28 October 2018, 10:20:42 »

 There is an Astra H on a forecort close to me for £495.
Dont know what model and spec
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dave the builder

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Re: What car should I buy?
« Reply #121 on: 28 October 2018, 10:56:48 »

The radio not working is not important,  ::)
dents and scratches are not MOT fails,(unless very bad ;D )
but when looking at a car to buy used you need to look at the MOT history
if it has advisory's for brake pipes or tyres or rust then you will probably have to do the work.
i'd avoid the 2.2 ,it's rare ,2.2(so expensive and ecu issues are common, parts are more expensive,harder to find)
I like the design spec, i don't have a leather fettish , much prefer cloth seats but a set of seat covers are £15 if needed and untidy seats are  not an MOT item.

look at the MOT history of any car before you look at the car
https://www.check-mot.service.gov.uk/
there are loads of astra and vectra cars about,
just do a bit of research, ask questions ,look at and test drive .
there are good and bad cars, new and old
my mum had a brand new car needed a dash out /heater matrix replace on a 13 month old ,5k clit years ago , I've brought cars for less than £500, serviced and had no issues .




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Shackeng

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Re: What car should I buy?
« Reply #122 on: 28 October 2018, 11:21:57 »

Son buys cheap cars somewhere in South Wales, paid about £300 for his most recent 100k 2.0L(?), poss 1.8, Focus about 3 years ago. No problems with it. :y
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dave the builder

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Re: What car should I buy?
« Reply #123 on: 28 October 2018, 11:55:26 »

Son buys cheap cars somewhere in South Wales, paid about £300 for his most recent 100k 2.0L(?), poss 1.8, Focus about 3 years ago. No problems with it. :y
Focus  ::)  before buying check it does not need a "dash out /heater matrix seal or matrix replaced"  (a well known fail 2002-2008 ish IIRC)  ;D
Fix
Often
Repair
Daily
 :P
if you can find something not a rusty colander  ;D
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tunnie

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Re: What car should I buy?
« Reply #124 on: 28 October 2018, 12:40:29 »

Son buys cheap cars somewhere in South Wales, paid about £300 for his most recent 100k 2.0L(?), poss 1.8, Focus about 3 years ago. No problems with it. :y
Focus  ::)  before buying check it does not need a "dash out /heater matrix seal or matrix replaced"  (a well known fail 2002-2008 ish IIRC)  ;D
Fix
Often
Repair
Daily
 :P
if you can find something not a rusty colander  ;D

Shackeng just said they had no problems with it  :y

Don’t think you can get all high and mighty putting down a Focus, when you spend 500 quid on Astra.
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Nick W

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Re: What car should I buy?
« Reply #125 on: 28 October 2018, 12:51:53 »

Don’t think you can get all high and mighty putting down a Focus, when you spend 500 quid on Astra.


But a Focus is such a horrible car compared to an Astra.....
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dave the builder

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Re: What car should I buy?
« Reply #126 on: 28 October 2018, 13:27:47 »

Son buys cheap cars somewhere in South Wales, paid about £300 for his most recent 100k 2.0L(?), poss 1.8, Focus about 3 years ago. No problems with it. :y
Focus  ::)  before buying check it does not need a "dash out /heater matrix seal or matrix replaced"  (a well known fail 2002-2008 ish IIRC)  ;D
Fix
Often
Repair
Daily
 :P
if you can find something not a rusty colander  ;D

Shackeng just said they had no problems with it  :y

Don’t think you can get all high and mighty putting down a Focus, when you spend 500 quid on Astra.
maybe Shackeng found one that had the heater matrix done previously and that was not a rusty colander  :y good luck to him  :)

I said

 before buying check it does not need a "dash out /heater matrix seal or matrix replaced"  (a well known fail 2002-2008 ish IIRC)  ;D

if you can find something not a rusty colander  ;D

one astra we spent £8,500 on  ;D
one astra i spent £200 on (knowing it had a blown head gasket but 11 months mot),another £200 on parts and it's been great for 5 years  :y

not getting high and mighty , just trying to give constructive advice
please feel free to do the same  :P
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ajsphead

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Re: What car should I buy?
« Reply #127 on: 28 October 2018, 17:08:11 »

.
« Last Edit: 28 October 2018, 17:15:03 by ajsphead »
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ajsphead

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Re: What car should I buy?
« Reply #128 on: 28 October 2018, 17:13:44 »

Son buys cheap cars somewhere in South Wales, paid about £300 for his most recent 100k 2.0L(?), poss 1.8, Focus about 3 years ago. No problems with it. :y
Focus  ::)  before buying check it does not need a "dash out /heater matrix seal or matrix replaced"  (a well known fail 2002-2008 ish IIRC)  ;D
Fix
Often
Repair
Daily
 :P
if you can find something not a rusty colander  ;D

Shackeng just said they had no problems with it  :y

Don’t think you can get all high and mighty putting down a Focus, when you spend 500 quid on Astra.
maybe Shackeng found one that had the heater matrix done previously and that was not a rusty colander  :y good luck to him  :)

I said

 before buying check it does not need a "dash out /heater matrix seal or matrix replaced"  (a well known fail 2002-2008 ish IIRC)  ;D

if you can find something not a rusty colander  ;D

one astra we spent £8,500 on  ;D
one astra i spent £200 on (knowing it had a blown head gasket but 11 months mot),another £200 on parts and it's been great for 5 years  :y


Matches my experience too. Bought with "rattle from engine" and EML illuminated, a 2010 Meriva used intake manifold, new front and rear lambdas and a new thermostat £189 total has sorted my recent £255 ebay purchase which is now MOT worthy and runs like a dream.

I also have a growing dislike for the focus. My old dad has a 59 plate 1.6 and it's the second most hateful car I've ever encoutered. A bit rusty and really mutton dressed as lamb - no substance behind the shine. It only comes second to a 54 plate Focus C-max 1.6 TDCi I had the misfortune of owning. Utterly utterly hateful in every respect except interior space and fuel economy - now bettered by the remapped CDTi Astra G which might be a little rough but at least it's honest and easy to work on.

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BazaJT

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Re: What car should I buy?
« Reply #129 on: 28 October 2018, 17:56:34 »

Not a Focus fan but they're not greatly bad cars.Of course they have there issues-as do all cars-another to consider in the same size range could be Volvo S40/V40 to my knowing available with 1.8,1.8vvt,2.0 and 2.0turbo petrols and a diesel version.
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TheBoy

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Re: What car should I buy?
« Reply #130 on: 28 October 2018, 18:29:32 »

We had an earlyish Focus, and it was that bad (reliability and drivability), it has put me off Ford ever since.

A quite detestable piece of shit.

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Nick W

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Re: What car should I buy?
« Reply #131 on: 28 October 2018, 18:38:16 »

We had an earlyish Focus, and it was that bad (reliability and drivability), it has put me off Ford ever since.

A quite detestable piece of shit.


Mum's was reliable, but had no other redeeming features - ugly, uncomfortable, slow, poor riding, hideous interior, poor boot space etc.
The 3 year old 1.0l that she's replaced it with is even worse, although it does have a worthwhile boot which was achieved by drastically increasing the size of the car.
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Shackeng

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Re: What car should I buy?
« Reply #132 on: 28 October 2018, 18:56:48 »

Interesting. I know nothing about the Focus, but son has been running them for about ten years, this is his 3rd IIRC, has had virtually no trouble with them, and has never spent more than £450. He says they are easy to work on if required, one broken spring IIRC! :y

I'll suggest Astras to him if they are better. :y
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Doctor Gollum

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Re: What car should I buy?
« Reply #133 on: 28 October 2018, 19:14:18 »

Was happy enough with my 2.0 Focus saloon, it rode and went well and had a decent boot :y
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Onanists always think outside the box.

terry paget

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Re: What car should I buy?
« Reply #134 on: 28 October 2018, 20:34:22 »

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FOR-VAUXHALL-ASTRA-1-4-1-6-1-8-1998-2010-GATES-TIMING-CAM-BELT-CAMSHAFT/182261381858?_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIM.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D52945%26meid%3Deed75f84db0040b8898d
Today I bought a Haynes manual for the Astra. Official Vauxhall interval for cambelt kit changes is 100,ooo miles, but Haynes recommends 40,000 miles if car does lots of stop start journeys. Looking for cam belt kits, they seem to fit many cars, and the above seems cheap enough. Do I need to change the water pump at the same time, like on Omega 4 cylinder engines?
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