JonL
Elder Statesman
WWSME (Wiltshire)
Posts: 2,906
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Post by JonL on Apr 30, 2021 14:19:07 GMT
I'm never that worried by missing service records; I go on what I can see. Popping the bonnet gives you a few clues; tipexxed cam belt change belt mileage to me is more trustworthy than a service book! Do the idler pulleys and belts look very old? Is it a smokey old beast with black oil? A Ford garage in Warminster once offered to fill in the gaps in my Dad's mondeo's service history for a fee.... I don't think a stamp is worth much after a few years old.
I think what I'm trying to say is, you can service the hell out of a car an it could still be a "friday car", or you can ignore it completely and it may run forever. Take a few cues from what you can see of the condition (footwell condition tells you more than the odometer when it comes to mileage for example), listen to the engine for rattles or chuffs, look for leaks, but don't get too worried about an easily forged service book.
Thats just my opinion of course.
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Post by andyhigham on Apr 30, 2021 14:43:01 GMT
I would rather buy a reps 5 year old car with 100,000 miles than a housewifes 10 year old car with 10,000 miles. The former has probably spent most of its life cruising the motorway, with it's engine at full working temperature and regular maintenance. The latter will have been used on short hops to the shops or kids to school, lots of cold starts
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Gary L
Elder Statesman
Posts: 1,208
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Post by Gary L on Apr 30, 2021 15:06:19 GMT
Hi Pete I think I'd be guided by what car has the cheapest insurance...17 and male will be very high, much more than the cost of the car. Pete With me as the owner I got a quote of 240. (Compare the Market) Very high excess of 1300 but pretty good I thought. That was a Citroen C1. Pete. You’ll need to put your son on as a named driver. Don’t rely on it staying at 240! Gary
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Gary L
Elder Statesman
Posts: 1,208
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Post by Gary L on Apr 30, 2021 15:14:16 GMT
I would rather buy a reps 5 year old car with 100,000 miles than a housewifes 10 year old car with 10,000 miles. The former has probably spent most of its life cruising the motorway, with it's engine at full working temperature and regular maintenance. The latter will have been used on short hops to the shops or kids to school, lots of cold starts True in general, but the kind of small car Pete wants is not very likely to have spent its life cruising motorways. If a fleet car it is likely to have been used on short hops in cities, so not much different to the housewife’s usage except more of it. Gary
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jem
Elder Statesman
Posts: 1,064
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Post by jem on Apr 30, 2021 16:01:06 GMT
I am a Renault 4l chap, I have had a number of them since 50 years ago, all second hand, I recon that I have spent no more than 5000 pounds on cars in my whole life time, I bet no one can beat that? My present one is 28 years old, still going strong, I hope that it will see me out!
Jem
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smallbrother
Elder Statesman
Errors aplenty, progress slow, but progress nonetheless!
Posts: 2,269
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Post by smallbrother on Apr 30, 2021 17:08:47 GMT
With me as the owner I got a quote of 240. (Compare the Market) Very high excess of 1300 but pretty good I thought. That was a Citroen C1. Pete. You’ll need to put your son on as a named driver. Don’t rely on it staying at 240! Gary That was with him s a named driver! I was very surprised. Pete.
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smallbrother
Elder Statesman
Errors aplenty, progress slow, but progress nonetheless!
Posts: 2,269
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Post by smallbrother on Apr 30, 2021 17:09:46 GMT
I am a Renault 4l chap, I have had a number of them since 50 years ago, all second hand, I recon that I have spent no more than 5000 pounds on cars in my whole life time, I bet no one can beat that? My present one is 28 years old, still going strong, I hope that it will see me out! Jem Arguably the best car I ever owned too. Pete.
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Midland
Elder Statesman
Posts: 1,870
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Post by Midland on Apr 30, 2021 17:39:35 GMT
Is it a reflection on where this forum has got to when we start talking about buying cars? Should this not be consigned a few other headings down the page. You may think me snotty but what next, the best bra to buy as we may have some gender changing members! David
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JonL
Elder Statesman
WWSME (Wiltshire)
Posts: 2,906
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Post by JonL on Apr 30, 2021 20:18:29 GMT
Is it a reflection on where this forum has got to when we start talking about buying cars? Should this not be consigned a few other headings down the page. You may think me snotty but what next, the best bra to buy as we may have some gender changing members! David Let's not go alienating members of this forum of either gender.
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smallbrother
Elder Statesman
Errors aplenty, progress slow, but progress nonetheless!
Posts: 2,269
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Post by smallbrother on Apr 30, 2021 23:21:37 GMT
Is it a reflection on where this forum has got to when we start talking about buying cars? Should this not be consigned a few other headings down the page. You may think me snotty but what next, the best bra to buy as we may have some gender changing members! David You seem to have missed the main question, which was not asking which car, it was asking about service history, i.e. ENGINEERING maintenance, which as a group of mainly ENGINEERS on here is relevant I would have thought. Some very useful points raised from people's experiences too. Maybe have another read of the question? Pete.
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twombo
Seasoned Member
Posts: 119
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Post by twombo on May 1, 2021 17:51:41 GMT
Is it a reflection on where this forum has got to when we start talking about buying cars? Should this not be consigned a few other headings down the page. You may think me snotty but what next, the best bra to buy as we may have some gender changing members! David well, David. on the subject of Brassieres, I would be a 46, STOUT!! Thank You for the laugh! I nearly “coughed up a lung”! “Youth and Vigour will always be overcome by age and deceit!” mick
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jem
Elder Statesman
Posts: 1,064
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Post by jem on May 2, 2021 17:19:28 GMT
Its better to be old and treacherous than young and lecheries so the saying goes
Jem
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smallbrother
Elder Statesman
Errors aplenty, progress slow, but progress nonetheless!
Posts: 2,269
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Post by smallbrother on May 4, 2021 20:51:09 GMT
Upped the budget a bit and bought a very nicely turned out 2014 Kia Picanto today.
I looked at 2 today having seen a cheaper rough one last week. The first one today had a wet boot following the heavy rain yesterday so ruled that one out. The second had a reasonable service record, clean oil, drove like new, very well looked after inside and out, decent tyres.
It has a 1 litre engine which I think was the capacity of my Dad's Anglia van that I learned to drive in. There the similarity ends. No double de-clutching needed in 2021.
Pete.
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mbrown
Elder Statesman
Posts: 1,718
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Post by mbrown on May 4, 2021 21:01:18 GMT
Sounds like a good buy.
On my old Renault 4, I could change gear, up and down, without using the clutch at all with a bit of practice. Things are getting worse, not better, in car design!
Malcolm
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lesstoneuk
Part of the e-furniture
Retired Omnibus navigation & velocity adjustment technician
Posts: 373
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Post by lesstoneuk on May 5, 2021 5:29:18 GMT
Sounds like a good buy. On my old Renault 4, I could change gear, up and down, without using the clutch at all with a bit of practice. Things are getting worse, not better, in car design! Malcolm When I first started driving, it was in a Reliant Robin, 750cc,4-speed box. I'd do anything under the bonnet, plugs, points, timing using a light bulb, alternator diode, clutch, prop shaft, starter motor. It was only last couple of years that I got rid of my strobe light. I'm sure my color tune kit is in the shed somewhere. Nowadays, I open the bonnet, look, then shut it. Motoring is so much more expensive now.
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smallbrother
Elder Statesman
Errors aplenty, progress slow, but progress nonetheless!
Posts: 2,269
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Post by smallbrother on May 5, 2021 6:41:09 GMT
Sounds like a good buy. On my old Renault 4, I could change gear, up and down, without using the clutch at all with a bit of practice. Things are getting worse, not better, in car design! Malcolm I had 3 R4s and did all the servicing. So easy and thankfully idiot-proof. You could buy sections of exhaust for a few quid and they were fitted in no time. Sliding windows was another feature - nothing to go wrong compared with today's electric ones. Pete.
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Post by simplyloco on May 5, 2021 6:48:47 GMT
Sounds like a good buy. On my old Renault 4, I could change gear, up and down, without using the clutch at all with a bit of practice. Things are getting worse, not better, in car design! Malcolm When I first started driving, it was in a Reliant Robin, 750cc,4-speed box. I'd do anything under the bonnet, plugs, points, timing using a light bulb, alternator diode, clutch, prop shaft, starter motor. It was only last couple of years that I got rid of my strobe light. I'm sure my color tune kit is in the shed somewhere. Nowadays, I open the bonnet, look, then shut it. Motoring is so much more expensive now. I did much the same. However, you didn't mention that vehicles are also a great deal more reliable!
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lesstoneuk
Part of the e-furniture
Retired Omnibus navigation & velocity adjustment technician
Posts: 373
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Post by lesstoneuk on May 5, 2021 7:22:11 GMT
It has got to such a stage of alleged improvements that I'm seriously looking to get a vintage car on my next car change.
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Post by 92220 on May 5, 2021 8:26:53 GMT
At least with a vintage car you have the ability to adjust the fuel/air mixture ratio if you want a go faster car or a fuel efficient one! OHhhh. They were the days!!!!
Bob.
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Neale
Part of the e-furniture
5" Black 5 just started
Posts: 278
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Post by Neale on May 5, 2021 9:24:15 GMT
Of course, things started going downhill when they removed the manual ignition advance/retard control...
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