Should I buy this car?

LuckyStar

My mother's friend gets all her cars from the same mechanic and his wife is selling hers. It is a late 97 Fiat Punto SX 60. 84k miles. It is taxed til May and NCT'd til Dec 08, it only had 2 owners before she bought it a few months ago (she is getting a 99 fiesta now instead of it). He has replaced most of the internal parts (I don't know the name of them). The clutch was acting up, it kept staying down but he has fixed it, think he replaced it. The head gasket was acting up and he replaced it. The car is only 1200. He is a nice man, has a good reputation for cars, I would rather buy from him than go to a dealer's. Should I get this car? I am worried cos everyone says Fiats are bad. He says that the new ones break down easily but the old Puntos are fine.

Mr Magnolia

I would not touch it with a barge pole. Seems to expensive anyway.

BeardyGit

Having driven a 60SX for a while, I'd buy it - They're an economical yoke and a nice enough drive - If he includes 3 months bumper to bumper warranty with it. Make sure he writes that on the sales receipt.

That head gasket and clutch are the things I'd have been worried about - probably around the 800 mark to put right. If they've been done already, 1200's not a bad price I guess.

cornbb

Having owned a 96 Punto I would avoid. I replaced so many parts of that car: brake cylinders, suspension bushings, clutch, snapped timing belt, radiator. Its a good thing the head gasket has been replaced as my mechanic showed me the floor of his workshop which was littered with blown gaskets from old Puntos.

Having said that, maybe it was just my bad experience. It was a nice enough drive for a car its age. As Gil_Dub said, the danger areas (head gasket, timing belt) have already been taken care of. Might be worth thinking about if you can get some sort of warranty.

LuckyStar

I don't know much about cars, I would probably only have this one a year or two if i got it. If the head gasket has been replaced how long should it last?

Anan1

Sounds good to me. I'd far sooner drive a Punto than the kind of Japanese sh1theap you'd get for that money.

RobAMerc

Anan1 wrote: »

Sounds good to me. I'd far sooner drive a Punto than the kind of Japanese sh1theap you'd get for that money.

Amen to that.

But €1200 seems expensive tbh - unless the car is a minter
€900 - would be more like it I reckon

You'd get a newer model 00 one for €1800

sparkyjo

well really that is very expensive its is 10 nearly 11 years old i wouldn't go any more than about 800 but just be careful just because he has fixed a couple of main parts doesn't mean something els won't go on it you should have someone with a little more know how have a look at it for you first

Evil_Clown

Anan1 wrote: »

Sounds good to me. I'd far sooner drive a Punto than the kind of Japanese sh1theap you'd get for that money.

I disagree I would rather drive an 89 civic or corolla than drive a 97 fiat punto
And I bet I would go for longer than the punto without breaking down !:D

LuckyStar

It has a CD player. power steering and central locking, looks immaculate. I am just worried cos things have already gone wrong with it, although the parts have been replaced.

RobAMerc

Evil_Clown wrote: »

I disagree I would rather drive an 89 civic or corolla than drive a 97 fiat punto

I would rather get tied to the back of a bus and dragged on my face than drive a Corolla

Evil_Clown wrote: »

And I bet I would go for longer than the punto without breaking down !:D

Standard answer from a Jap crap evangelist.

Mr Magnolia

I also would rather the civic.

I also don't think reliability regarding 'Fiat V's Toyota' should even be entered into. That would be ridiculous.

L1011

Mr Magnolia wrote: »

I also would rather the civic.

I also don't think reliability regarding 'Fiat V's Toyota' should even be entered into. That would be ridiculous.

Only if you place a past timescale, Fiat diesels reliability in the past 2-3 years is rock solid, possibly beyond what Toyota are turning out. Biggest issues the company has at all was head gaskets on FIRE engines and dodgy Punto Mk2 ECUs.

Mr Magnolia

MYOB wrote: »

Only if you place a past timescale

1. I don't agree, sorry.
2. The timescale is a '97 Punto or '87 Civic.

L1011

Mr Magnolia wrote: »

1. I don't agree, sorry.
2. The timescale is a '97 Punto or '87 Civic.

...which is placing a past time scale... :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

Mr Magnolia

Exactly. We are speaking in relation to the 2 cars mentioned.

Not Fiat diesels in the last 2/3 years etc.? Am I missing your point?

L1011

Mr Magnolia wrote: »

Exactly. We are speaking in relation to the 2 cars mentioned.

Not Fiat diesels in the last 2/3 years etc.? Am I missing your point?

You said you disagreed with putting a past time scale on it, then went and did so. Read your post again...

Mr Magnolia

Ahhhh, I see.

I disagreed with your point, specifically:

Only if you place a past timescale, Fiat diesels reliability in the past 2-3 years is rock solid, possibly beyond what Toyota are turning out.

colm_mcm

Its simply too much money. the 60SX is taxed as a 1.3 and there are far better options out there.

L1011

Mr Magnolia wrote: »

Ahhhh, I see.

I disagreed with your point, specifically:

More careful phrasing of your response, or ordering the bullets in the order of what you're responding to rather than the complete reverse might have helped.

Mr Magnolia

MYOB wrote: »

More careful phrasing of your response, or ordering the bullets in the order of what you're responding to rather than the complete reverse might have helped.

You discussing the point at hand would also help the topic.

meh


edit/ I've re-read it several times and it all still reads fine to me. I must have the blinkers on.

Evil_Clown

RobAMerc wrote: »

Standard answer from a Jap crap evangelist.

What are you on ?
Are you seriously trying to say that japanese cars are crap and that 'fiat' is the holy grail of the motor industry.
Also I like german cars aswell so I must be a german crap evangelist !!!

Don't generalise people it's not a good habit:mad:

bazz26

Anan1 wrote: »

Sounds good to me. I'd far sooner drive a Punto than the kind of Japanese sh1theap you'd get for that money.

For €1200, I'd agree with you.

OP €1200 is way too much for a 10 year old Punto.

Here are a couple of newer examples for similar money:
http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=839529
http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=843875
http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=833959

LuckyStar

I thought €1200 was a good price? I only have about €1500 to spend.

I was also considering a Nissan Micra or a Toyota Starlet, would these be better?

Mr Magnolia

LuckyStar wrote: »

I was also considering a Nissan Micra or a Toyota Starlet, would these be better?

In another league IMO. I would advise you to stay away from Fiat Lucky. You'll pick up a nice wee Corsa for ~€1500 either.

colm_mcm

LuckyStar wrote: »

Nissan Micra or a Toyota Starlet, would these be better?

infinately more reliable and better built. If that's what you're into.

LuckyStar

Corsas are nice looking cars. My mother thinks I would be better off getting the Punto because the man I would be buying it from is a mechanic and bought it for his wife from a dealer's. She reckons I would be better off aswell because the parts under the bonnet are new? Having said that my mother doesn't know a lot about cars.

LuckyStar

What sort of year should I be looking at for a Starlet? Micra? Polo? Corsa?

I need a car ASAP because I have to be up at 6 in the morning to get the train and luas to work, and I don't get home til 7.30, and its killing me. I haven't even got driving lessons yet, I am going to book some for next week.

Mr Magnolia

Whatever year your budget will stretch to really.

LuckyStar

I decided to go ahead with the Punto. I know lots of people hate them but we had the exact same model as this one for 6 years and never had any trouble with it. The parts in it are all new, I won't get that with lots of other cars. Plus we know the guy in question and he gets my mother's best friend all her cars. his daughter has a 97 Punto as well, no trouble with it. I doubt he'd sell me a bad car considering I know him. He's old enough and has been a mechanic for years and years, I would rather buy from him than trek around all the car dealers and listen to some young lad in a suit! If he bought it for his own wife then it must be pretty decent! I'm gonna get the boyfriend to have a look at it maybe tomorrow.

Esel

Good luck and fingers crossed.