UKC

Hey,

My girlfriend`s 51 plate Skodia Fabia Estate is on its' last legs. It`s just past the 200,000 mile mark. We could fix it but spending 1500 on a 12 year old car seems silly.

So we need a new car.

We`ve found the exact same car (1.9 Diesel, 51 plate) at a local gargage, with only 25k on the clock.

The car costs 2,800, which is within our budget.

We`ve been both really happy with our current fabia. It`s done 80,000 miles in the three years we`ve had it.

Is there any reason not buy thins one? Also what should we look out for with buy second hand, low mileage cars?

Cheers, Tom

In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide:

Check it is not clocked, not a crash repair. Full mot history with mileage for each year at a min.

In reply to Beat me to it!:


clocked? As in stolen?

In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide:


As in they've tampered with the mileage reading

In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide:

Low mileage cars of that age have usually (but not always!) been used for short trips- as a result the engine wouldn't have had a chance to come to operating temperature. It may well have been used exclusively as a town runabout and as such could have had a hard life. Agree with above- check all MOTs and service history to make sure this corroborates the mileage. Things like shiny peddles/steering wheel or seat belts that are lazy retracting may indicate a clocked car. I'd sometimes rather go for a newer car with higher miles as it could mean an easier life ie: motorway trips etc.

In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide:

That seems a lot of money to me for a 51 plate, even if the miles are low, its still an oldish car by modern standards.

In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide:

what needs doing on yours 1500 sounds like a big bill?

In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide:

Just for the record taxi company next door to where I work, had one of them motors with 750,000 on it before they chopped it in

In reply to johnj:

Cheers All...

Here are some of the cars I was looking at.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/search/used/cars/skoda/postcode/s72df/radius/40...

Do you think the 2006 Octiva might be a safer bet?

In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide:

It looks clean, it's possible that is a very good motor but second hand cars are always a gamble, just seems expensive, I see motors this age for sale at side of the road and local places in Barnsley from 750 upwards, obviously you get a bit more guarantee buying it from auto trader but they all come from the auctions anyway and they go through for a lot less than that.

In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide:

If you plan on keeping the old car and getting the one you're looking at, at least you'll have parts that will transfer!

In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide:

Does sound a bit expensive indeed but my car has relatively low mileage (bit more that 30K miles) and is 11 years old and even without fancy servicing it runs fine and has not broken down ever, not even once! (it's a Nissan). I've mainly been doing short trips but there is no problem. My dad's car (Mercedes) probably has much more than 500K miles, many of which are short trips and still the engine is fine, other parts actually seem to be causing more trouble.

So I guess if you can convince yourself about its history I don't see any problems but having said that I think you could get something more modern for your money for sure.

In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide:

Is spending £1500 on a 12 yr old car silly when you intend on spending almost double that on an unknown car of the same age? yeah it might have low mileage but you don't know what life its had!

In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide:

Hello Tom, apologies about the slightly unsolicited reply but as you say you've both been really happy with it, if you'd like to get at least another year out of your current motor, I'm about 95% certain I could fit the parts needed to make it road worthy for a lot less than 1500. I work with VW every day, lifting motors in and out of them, and retrofitting newer tech into older chassis. I've been involved with design and building after market turbochargers for those things so its bread and butter kind of stuff really. Just let me know. I'm only up the road from you so I'm happy to take a look at it and have a chat for no charge either or with the view of taking the job on. Which gives you another set of options.

John.

In reply to johnj:

id not buy a diesel that had only done 2000 miles per year, it just doesnt make sense to me, they arent designed to do short journeys, they need to get up to temperature
im also wary of buing cars from elderly persons as too often i hear them revving like mad as they cant hear properly and bye bye clutch
thats just my humble view

In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide:
The mileage is only part of the story, a 12 year old vehicle will have plenty of 'issues' stored up waiting for you. Try and buy something newer with a bit of a warranty,

Chris

In reply to Chris Craggs:
> The mileage is only part of the story, a 12 year old vehicle will have plenty of 'issues' stored up waiting for you. Try and buy something newer with a bit of a warranty,


I think it can depend, the only issue on my dad's 17 yr Audi A6 estate is that the air con doesn't work, he's a tiny bit irked as he'd quite like a new car, and can't really justify it.

It had had an engine rebuild just before he bought it though, due to a snapped timing belt I gather.

That was one of the reasons he bought it actually, saw it as akin to buying a new engine.

In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide:
It looks great if you're planning on moonlighting as a mini-cab driver!

I'd go for this

<a href='http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201310299506787/original-id/201310279478358/associated-ids/201310299506787%2C201310279478346%2C201310279478347%2C201310279478348%2C201310279478357/sort/dateasc/usedcars/make/skoda/price-to/5000/fuel-type/diesel/transmission/manual/maximum-mileage/up_to_50000_miles/dealer/751911/recordType/ADVERT/postcode/s72df?logcode=a' title='Skoda Fabia 1.9 VRS 5d 129 BHP ++ SPORTS SEATS ++'>http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201310299506787/original-id/2...

Looks awesome!

I'd want this instead!

In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide:

Our 53 plate clio has done 39000. for the first 8 years my misses only drove 6 miles a day in to to/from work and pottering around at weekends, we then sold my climbing car and i use the clio now and put 15000 on in 2 1/2 years !. so more than likely legit

In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide:

I would look beyond Autotrader. Pistonheads or forums for specific cars (where geeky obsessive owners have looked after their cars and lavished care on them).

I don't like the ZT saloon and you might really want an estate, but if I were buying now I might consider something like this
http://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=161546

Just as an example. Yes high mileage but GOOD mileage (i.e. motorway miles)
Find a similar forum full of Fabia estate obsessives....

In reply to Blue Straggler:

I wonder why anyone would buy a Skoda estate before a Passat but there's no accounting for taste!

In reply to johnj:


Aren't they the same thing with a different badge on near enough?

Cheers for the offer re having a look at the current motor. Can I back to you when I'm back in the UK at the end of the week?

Also does anyone have any good tips for buying second hand cars?

What are the pros and cons of Petrol and Disiel?

How many thousand miles should a good engine last?

Do Diseils generally last longer?

In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide:

Echo the advice that low mileage doesn't necessarily mean it's in good nick.

There are components that will age with time, regardless of use. And components that actually need to be used.

25,000 over 12 years is *way* too low. 2,500 miles a year. No doubt driven a mile to the shops and back, and never reached temperature. And then they've skimped on the servicing because 'I only dow a few miles'.

In some ways, I'd probably pay as much for a high milage car as I would a low mileage one. At least you know it must have been looked after to get there...

P.S. Top motor, the Fabia. I have the same one, and I can see why you're tempted to get another one.

In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide:

Yeah effectively in the vag group they are the same thing, just the styling is different, and because the dubs are the older more established company out of those two they have a premium in price.
Yeah just give me a shout when you're free it's easy for me to get down to Sheff. The way I see it with older cars is you've paid for them anyway so if its running you may as well get your moneys worth out of it rather than chopping it in because it needs work, ultimately I think with cars you just need to find someone with a good set of tools that you can trust isn't going rip you off, and then you get your best value for money.

In reply to johnj:
ultimately I think with cars you just need to find someone with a good set of tools that you can trust isn't going rip you off, and then you get your best value for money.

That is the problem though! I had a great mechanic in North Wales, but we are new to Sheffield and it is hard to know where to look.

I'll PM you with the list that of faults when I get my hands on it.

Cheers, Tom

In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide:

is it a mot failure sheet then?

In reply to johnj:

No. It still has 6 months left on MOT. Sorry I don't no more. I've been out of the country for the last 4 months. I back in the UK on friday.

Think this issues are mainly power steering and abs related.

In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide:

well that's probably why its 1500 quid quote as if its the rack it's a big job, worry not though you can do stuff like that cheep with a bit of sourcing parts.

abs could be simple or a bit more involved still shouldn't be too bad. Yeah just let me know Tom and I'll come and have a look, I could move it by trailer if needs be, sounds like you've had a good trip somewhere, and safe journey home.

In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide:

Have a price in mind and don't show the vendor your hand too early. Go in low and don't let them bullshit you into paying for extended warranties. They almost never pay out if you claim!
Diesels are better for longer journeys but this can be offset by the higher cost of fuel. Parts are often more expensive than in petrol cars but diesel cars hold their resell value better.
Well, yours has done 200k? That's pretty good even for aa diesel but not uncommon.

If looked after and not used as a run around I.e. to just go to the shops or the gym! , yes.

In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide:

As already stated above, there are a number of matters that can haunt a low mileage car. However, If you are ready for them then it is still worthwhile.

CLOCKING
This means it is a false mileage record. Maybe through tampering and maybe through disconnection(s). You definitely need real evidence. Old MoT certs are good. Local knowledge of the owner is also good. The mileage record should match the state of the vehicle.

SHORT JOURNEYS
These are hard on engines and often on clutches and gearboxes. The classic is does it jump out of second on the over-run? Intermediate gears may be heavily worn. The engine may never have warmed up properly in its whole life. There is no undoing the extra wear that will occur in a cold engine but if its a genuine 25k then just be kind to it and it should be fine.

ACCIDENT DAMAGE
It no unheard of for a car to sit unused after and accident for a long period. This will usually happen in the case of a severe legal dispute or an uninsured event.

BRAKES
Brakes like to be used. A low mileage car of this age will often need complete replacement of several brake parts. Check for recent work on brakes: discs, handbrake cables ... .

RUBBER
At 6 or 7 years old, many the rubber parts start to degrade. The ones like wiper blades are most obvious but this is affecting brake systems and that nightmare of vacuum pipes and air hoses in the engine compartment. There is a huge variation in the prices makers charge for these small rubber hoses and complex mouldings. For instance, I have always found BMW ones are quite cheap and Volvo really expensive: no idea about Skoda.

In reply to Jim Fraser:

Exhaust pipes are another bit that suffer from low use.

I'd check the tyres, too - likely perished if they've not been replaced in that time.

General lubrication of moving parts - or lack of it in this case - could give you all sorts of bother.

Lack of use could also be storing up all sorts of damp-related issues.

I'd agree the OP is being fleeced for that much for a car of that age - you should easily be able to get something a few years newer for that much.

In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide:




https://plus.google.com/112052632252561813286/about?gl=uk&hl=en

My parents have had good experiences with this place/person.

In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide:

Good news on the car front, I've been talking to my mate Dave this morning, the taxi mechanic who maintains the high millage Skoda fleet, plus others. He says the steering rack is a common fault, and it's quite a simple job, obviously at the design stage they understood that a failed rack if difficult to get out can cause a car to get scrapped before it's really run its course, so if due to the nature of the high quote they've quoted we assume original equipment skoda prices where a new rack is around the 600 quid mark has been spec'd. However you can get an aftermarket rack which is said to be as good as even if not better than O.E for somewhere around half price.

Then worse case scenario on ABS is failed pump this is said to be a chore as it's held in with plastic and you have to destroy it to get it out, but I've been advised the pump isn't too expensive maybe in the order of 150 but don't quote me on that. If it's a sensor well that's simple 30 quid per wheel. We've got the vag software to make fault finding simple. If all goes ok it's half a days labour, but could run a hour or 2 over.

In reply to johnj:

Thanks for doing the leg work for me!

It is still going to be a fair whack of money to repair the car?

Is spending the best part of a grand on a 12 year old car with 200k on the clock not something of a false economy?

Cheers,

Tom

In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide:

no probs, I think it would be somewhere near £500 maybe 600 we would just need to find faults to give you an actual price, as at present we're looking at worse case scenario so it could be cheaper, you could always put a second hand rack on I guess they'd be around the £80 mark, it might not even be the rack could be the pump which is easier and cheaper

If you want to come down and help out well you'll never get it cheaper than that. its your call, I don't need the job and if its only half a day or a day well we can do a mates rate.

In reply to johnj:

Hi John, These are the faults with the car and the prices we have been quoted. Do you think they are reasonable/is it worth our while fixing?

1) steering rack and tracking £469
2) rear axle bushes £226
3) rear discs and pads £121
4) near side rear shock absorber £101
5) break pipes £207
6) ABS sensor and wheel bearing £245

Cheers, Tom

In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide:

Depending on how much you trust the garage a second opinion could be worthwhile, I once reduced an MOT based repair quote from over 300 quid to almost nothing doing that, they reported a whole bunch of stuff that didn't need doing.

Well the garage was recommended by the ukc population as we've recently moved to sheffield...

In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide:

yeah that's about a standard quote at 40 quid per hour. If that is all that it needs you should safely get another 50K out of it with out too much spending, as I said before if you want to help out and learn a bit along the way, you could purchase those parts locally from a trade counter and make a decent saving especially on brake pipes, rear axle bushes and wheel bearing, and we could fit the parts in and around what current work I have on. As I have to have trade insurance on my unit, I have full liability cover for anyone else working in there. Like I said before we just need to have a look at it, but pound for pound this is the cheapest deal I would think you could get, after all UKC is about community spirit on some level.

In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide:

So I assume this is what needs doing

so price of parts would be something around

1) steering rack Aftermarket 150, sh 80 tracking no cost for parts
2) rear axle bushes 30
3) rear discs and pads between 40 and 100 depended on make
4) near side rear shock absorber 30
5) break pipes assume the copper only 20 or with flexi 40
6) ABS sensor 30 and wheel bearing 20

total with new parts average around 300-350, now if you're happy to do some lifting there's about half a days actual hands on for me lets call that 30 or 40 quid, I don't know if it's just me, but I love to see them moon reaching mileages on the speedo, diy is pretty cool really in the brave new world.

In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide:

In fact if you want me to get a price for these parts let me know and I'll email you them.

In reply to johnj:

Hi John,

Ive just sent you an email. But if you could email me an actual quote that would be brilliant.

Cheers, T

In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide:

Ok cool, we have a plan, see you next week