Hdi Buying help...

[C.A.R.]

Right, as per my other thread(s) I'm now successfully Ford-free and cash rich. Well, for the moment anyway.

Like a fool I want a 3-door D-turbo HDi, so I'm on the hunt. Now 2 'potentials' have come up, so I need your advice.

1. Someone on 'the other forum' is considering selling me his car. He wants high money for it, but it's in good condition. It's moonstone blue and has 87k on, smoothed bonnet and boot running the original cyclones but has been very, very well looked after.
Pro's - It's been cherished, won't need any work doing on it for months and months, it's local to me too
Con's - It's expensive, I was supposed to be looking for a budget motor!

2. A lady in Peterborough is selling her D-Turbo. It's up for £1400, however, and this is a big one - it has NO SERVICE HISTORY as far as she can make out...But 72k miles and all the old MOTs.
Pro's - Very low mileage, could knock down considerably on price due to lack of history
Con's - Cambelt will want doing for peace of mind. What's the rest of the car like? It's a long way away too! However it could be a cracker.

In my opinion if I can get car number 1 for £1500 or thereabouts I'll be happy, as it's about as mint as I can get. If I can get car number 2 down to a bag of sand or less, then I'll be happy, but would immediately take it to a garage for a major service.

What would your advice be guys? Open to honest opinions...

[kingy]

Right, as per my other thread(s) I'm now successfully Ford-free and cash rich. Well, for the moment anyway.

Like a fool I want a 3-door D-turbo HDi, so I'm on the hunt. Now 2 'potentials' have come up, so I need your advice.

1. Someone on 'the other forum' is considering selling me his car. He wants high money for it, but it's in good condition. It's moonstone blue and has 87k on, smoothed bonnet and boot running the original cyclones but has been very, very well looked after.
Pro's - It's been cherished, won't need any work doing on it for months and months, it's local to me too
Con's - It's expensive, I was supposed to be looking for a budget motor!

2. A lady in Peterborough is selling her D-Turbo. It's up for £1400, however, and this is a big one - it has NO SERVICE HISTORY as far as she can make out...But 72k miles and all the old MOTs.
Pro's - Very low mileage, could knock down considerably on price due to lack of history
Con's - Cambelt will want doing for peace of mind. What's the rest of the car like? It's a long way away too! However it could be a cracker.

In my opinion if I can get car number 1 for £1500 or thereabouts I'll be happy, as it's about as mint as I can get. If I can get car number 2 down to a bag of sand or less, then I'll be happy, but would immediately take it to a garage for a major service.

What would your advice be guys? Open to honest opinions...

sorry but for me it would have to be the hdi. everything about it says yes and you do get what you pay for at the end of the dat.

[Toms306]

How much for an old diesel 306!? f*ck me, hope there's some more sensibly priced ones turning up soon!

[mark_airey]

sorry but for me it would have to be the hdi. everything about it says yes and you do get what you pay for at the end of the dat.

They are both HDi's............

[kingy]

ill grab my coat and see you in class.

[mark_airey]

Personally I would look at the cheaper one first and give it a really good look over due to the lack of history, but if you can get it cheap enough then I think that would be the better deal, granted you will have to spend on it to get it up to standard but I think it will be a better buy in the long run! remember they are cheap to fix!

If its a heap of shite just walk away and go look at the other one

[C.A.R.]

How much for an old diesel 306!? f*ck me, hope there's some more sensibly priced ones turning up soon!

Low mileage ones are few and far between though Tom. My original budget was £1,000-1,300 but by raising this just a little bit I could save myself a lot of hassle in the long run.

Thing is, the one in Peterborough has not been to a garage in 18 months, which is really f*cking worrying. It's also got no record of having had the cambelt done, plus it's had 5 owners.

Everything in the above statement, to me, screams NO, GOD NO! but it looks tidy, has 12 months MOT, original Cyclones and low mileage with evidence to back that mileage up.

Is it worth travelling 50 miles for though...

---

Personally I would look at the cheaper one first and give it a really good look over due to the lack of history, but if you can get it cheap enough then I think that would be the better deal, granted you will have to spend on it to get it up to standard but I think it will be a better buy in the long run! remember they are cheap to fix!

Cheers Mark.

Well the garage around the corner quoted £550 inc. VAT for a full service of fluids and filters (genuine) and a cambelt and waterpump change. If I shop around that will obviously come down. I'm happy to service it myself but not changing the cambelt and w/pump.

I should mention that the second car is a metallic green 3-door too, so pretty unusual in that respect.

[mark_airey]

Cheers Mark.

Well the garage around the corner quoted £550 inc. VAT for a full service of fluids and filters (genuine) and a cambelt and waterpump change. If I shop around that will obviously come down. I'm happy to service it myself but not changing the cambelt and w/pump.

I should mention that the second car is a metallic green 3-door too, so pretty unusual in that respect.

You should be able to do it a lot cheaper than that! Say £120 for belt kit and water pump & oil (~£30) and filter (~£8) and the cam belt really is easy enough to do on them, also, while thats off the water pump is only another 4 or 6 bolts IIRC

As for the colour, you mean the one in your "what colour is this" thread? or was that 5 door?

If you do go for the one with no history just make sure you check everything over properly, take it for a good long drive, check its not pressurizing, no knocks and bangs/play in anything etc, make sure it has oil in that looks reasonably clean etc etc.............. You can always walk away if its total shite and that way nothing will take you by surprise if you do buy it

[C.A.R.]

Yea that's my gut feeling, but really need to see it first. I'm phoning the owner this afternoon, can you think of anything apart from the obvious that might be worth asking?

No this is a different shade of green, quite a dark colour, more like Adams old one (he had a 5-door 1.8)

[mark_airey]

Yea that's my gut feeling, but really need to see it first. I'm phoning the owner this afternoon, can you think of anything apart from the obvious that might be worth asking?

No this is a different shade of green, quite a dark colour, more like Adams old one (he had a 5-door 1.8)

Nah just ask the normal shite and see how it looks when you get there IMO

Yeah I remember his old 1.8 with the wheels Fozzy bought off him (can't remember the name, something hard to spell followed by "Detroit" )

[C.A.R.]

Here is car number 2 in question -



Looks lovely right?

[Stephen]

The first one gets my vote, bit more money but you get peace of mind, buying from a forum member and its a nice colour and already has some nice modifications!

[C.A.R.]

Looking at car number 1 on Friday and possibly car number 2 on Saturday.

Time will tell like.

[Stephen]

You got a picture of car one?

[C.A.R.]

That would be this one -

[Dan!]

Car one is a y reg, so is much less to tax than most HDi's.....