Car fiends - Battery died on the focus there last week. A kindly lad from Cork actually (see they arent all cunts) pulled up next to us and got the jump cables out so we were good to go. Anyway some bit of smoke came out of the vents and now the radio wont work. Presume the jump start burned a fuse or something. Had it in the garage there to replace the battery but they checked the fuses and said there was no problem. Any idea what the matter with the radio might be? The garage are saying drop it in again but its almost like giving them a blank cheque as I aint got a clue about these matters. Any advice, bar the usual suicide stuff?
On the subject of buying privately Dunph, I bought our car prviate over here. 8k in cash for a 2002 ford focus zetec, manual, cool little car. 2.0. low kms, petrol etc. Anyway the bird we bought it from had a savage body and we had driven a long way to see it. We still got it for about a grand less than you would in a garage. We were in a hurry to get something and Id say paid about 500 bucks too much for it. We knew jack shit about cars so it was a bit of a gamble. Something went in the engine about 6 months afterwards which cost a grand to fix up. Doubt a garage would have covered that after six months on a car that was nearly 10 years old. All in all, Id say if buying privately or not bring someone with you who knows about these matters as garages can be utter cunts too. Id also buy as close to your homeplace as possible so if there is any problems you dont have far to go.
If I was to upgrade cars, what do forumites recommend? Mazdas, Subarus and Audis are very popular here. We only use it around the city really but I prefer having a manual and they get better resale value too.
Would ya stop, youād get an aul 10 year old Toyota in Australia for next to nothing, or at least you could up to a few years ago. Cant imagine its changed all that much mate.
its appears it has - just checked carsales.com.au - toyota celica 2002, manual, 1.8 - your talking 15k aud for something around the same mileage as my one.
had a feeling the toyotas would be even dearer than the ford. if you wanted to take a chance on an aul repairable right off or an aul crock of shit the price would be less alright. but you would have trouble insuring it, selling it on etc etc
Thats the difference so, youāre buying to sell on. Most just buy to drive the bollox out of and have a bit of nous in keeping a car on the road. What you were doing is what Iād do when buying a car for a woman. Keep the oil topped up and the tyres pumped etc.
The father in law has one 2REās, its an 07 and its the exec model but its the same style as the one your looking at. He always buys a model just before they change it as he was a mechanic and knows that the faults will be gone out of them by the end. Anyways, good car, thirsty enough, think it runs around 6.7L/100kms where as I have a 2L diesel that does 5.4L/100kms. Again his is the exec model so it has all the bells and whistles apart from reversing sensors which he installed; he felt the arse is big on her and felt he needed the help as he couldnāt see much out the back. Good solid car though with good pick up on her. Mazda are as good as Toyota and Nissan so reliability wonāt be a problem. Great boot on it if its a hatchback. Iād say go for it.
Ya Iāve been doing a bit of reading on UK sites mostly and donāt see any real issues.
The one im looking at has 78k miles in the clock, and is a very nice metallic deep purple, nearly black colour. Iāve never seen the colour on one before, it looks savage with a spoiler as well. Itās with a well known Limerick Toyota dealer ill be doing the business. 5k with a clapped out '99 focus as trade in. Iāll try and beat him down to around 4750 though as it needs to be taxed.