Sports Car for 4-5K (2nd Family Car)

gaillimhabu

My old reliable Golf Mk3 and first car has finally given up the ghost and now it's finally time to look for something that will be more fun to drive. Recently married so this could be my one and only chance to go for a possible sports car before the kids come along. My wife and I commute to work in her car 4 days out of 5 so this will be our second car for me to use once during the work week and then we will both have it for weekend driving.

Currently we do 70km per day so on average this car will be doing 150km per week so can't see it being driven for more than 7000km per year

Therefore fuel consumption won't be as big an issue compared to high tax rate when it's only going to be driven 2 or 3 days per week.

Some boot space would be needed for one or two bags. I'm inclined to go for a two seater but my wife says I should try a 4 seater in case we need to give someone a lift. Not sure?

Anyhow here is the current list of cars that I've browsed online (robbed some from Buying a sporty Car - 6k budget but didn't want to hijack that thread)

Toyota MR2
Mazda MX5 or RX8
Mercedes SLK

My wife thinks I'm mad to go for one of these as could be selling it again in a year or two but is at least supportive. Not sure if it's a mid 30's crisis I'm having and should cop on and just go for a little run around or at least a sporty looking car like a golf gti or hyundai coupe that will have a bit more room in the back

Any other suggestions would be welcome as don't know anything about the above cars apart from loving their looks and the bits I've read online. Especially interested to hear from anyone that drives a sports car. Thanks for reading

Muppet Man

I have driven the MR2 (T-bar roof, 2.2 model, I think) and MX5 for short periods of time and the MR2 for me was a more fun car to drive... Felt more like a sports car tbh. Besides, it's a Toyota Not hating on the MX5, it just left me a little underwhelmed.

Don't know much about the rx8 except for eye wateringly high road tax. The SLK might cost a lot in maintenance, just because it's a Mercedes, but honestly don't know.

Consider also, a BMW Z3, or honda s2000 (if you could find a good one for the budget).

For your budget, There is a good chance that 2 seater sports cars of that vintage will have been driven hard... So they could be a risky buy.

Good luck!
Muppet man

For Forks Sake

Muppet Man wrote: »

Don't know much about the rx8 except for eye wateringly high road tax.

RX-8 is taxed as a 1.8. Hardly eye watering.

RX8 was first car to mind OP. Just to your research carefully and thoroughly.

Muppet Man

Sorry, yes, my bad, I was thinking of the post July 2008 models, which appear to be the highest tax bracket 2k+.

Rx 8 posts:
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=55219042

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=58100465

gaillimhabu

Have been doing a good bit of research the last few days mainly on the Mazda RX8

Lots of contrasting views and will be hard for me to spot a good one that was minded.
Here are a few things putting me off:
*Needing a compression test
*06 has better starter than the older one's I'd be looking at
*Engines are quite prone to flooding when ice cold, if you happen to switch the engine off (or stall it) before it gets a chance to heat up

Lowering my demands a fair bit now and casting the net out to a Toyota Celica. Always liked the older 6th gen model anyhow 1993-1999. Some of the newer models are nice too especially in red.

Any other views on something sporty that is reasonbly reliable, no big maintenance costs and fun to drive

Tim the Enchanter

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/porsche-boxter/7627529

Little bit of tax, don't know about maintenance costs though. Looks clean.

gaillimhabu

Tim the Enchanter wrote: »

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/porsche-boxter/7627529

Little bit of tax, don't know about maintenance costs though. Looks clean.

I couldn't justify the tax of €1,345. Would prefer the Honda S2000 to a boxter anyhow but hard to find one for my budget

gaillimhabu

Audi TT is coming into my thinking now as well. I'm making this harder and harder for myself :eek:

Cleveland Hot Pocket

300zx?
Z series bmw?

gaillimhabu

Looking into some Audi TT's at the moment and have done up a list of things from reading up here to ask the seller for when viewing

Based in Galway so don't want to travel too far to test drive one.
Which one would you go for? I've set the budget to a max of €5k

http://cars.donedeal.ie/find/cars/for-sale/Galway%20Mayo%20Roscommon%20Sligo%20Clare%20Westmeath/?filters[make]=Audi&filters[model]=TT&ranges[price_to]=5000&sort=price&source=all

Does the blue leather look a bit odd on the silver car?

Rob Thomas

TT not a bit girly? And most of them are 1.8 so it's not going to be overly sporty really, considering your thinking started around an MR2 and the like. If you are set on a TT you should go the whole way and get a convertible version. Although the boot goes from tiny to non existent.

You've mentioned being adverse to high road tax (aren't we all? ) so if you are looking for a nice looker under 2litre what about the Alfa GTs or if you want more comfort there are plenty of CLK s or 3 series coupes which would have top spec levels and be more desirable than an SLK/TT or something else in my view and a little more practical if you want to show that you have not completely been taken over by a midlife crisis.

Cleveland Hot Pocket

Audi TT's come with so many added expenses - your hairdresser qualification for one thing :P

gaillimhabu

Yeah not sure if they are girly now...Possibly allright. From reading up on other threads here, a lot of posters don't think so.
I don't fancy the convertible version as would need a bit of a boot

Wife is hoping I go for a 4 seater to have some room in the back for a future baby seat/passengers

I had looked at Celica's too and the hairdresser theme comes with that car too although I don't think they are that girly

Thanks for you suggestions Rob Thomas for alternatives

bazz26

BMW E46 coupe:


http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/2004-bmw-318ci-m-sport/7572479

Chris_Heilong

or what about an S14 if you need back seats.
http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/nissan-s14-silvia/7396747

Cleveland Hot Pocket

Nice car albeit it's a non turbo.
An s14 or r32 are both something that are on my list of "future cars"

gaillimhabu

Cleveland Hot Pocket wrote: »

300zx?
Z series bmw?

Although I love the look of the 300zx, it comes in at €1,494 tax since it's a 3.0 litre so I'm afraid it's out. Unsure about the BMW z series still. Will see

Ferris

I would reconsider an RX8. The only real downside with one is the high fuel consumption which won't bother you if you are going to use it at the weekend. If you buy a good, well minded car (or one with a recently rebuilt engine) they're perfectly reliable with a strong support network in this country and in the UK. They'll show a clean pair of heels to anything suggested here on a country road bar a s2000 which is twice the price.

I just traded this in as I needed a family car and it served me well for 3yrs as the most reliable car i've ever owned. With proper maintenance and a few small upgrades the RX8 is an unbelievable car and a which is a total hoot to drive. Also they make a good trackday car which should be a consideration for a weekend sports car, something that a TT/Celica/Z4 will struggle to do. I've had an s14 and you'd want to do a lot of work on its setup to catch an rx8 in anything other than a straight line plus rust will be an issue on one of these.

gaillimhabu

Great minds think alike Ferris. I was looking at the RX8 again this morning along with the MR2

What do you think of these? I've put the filter to my max of €5k and min at €2k as one's below that are without NCT

There is some down for 1.7...surely it's 1.3 or 2.6 for insurance that should be down.

Is there much difference between a 192 bhp and 231 bhp for someone who is new to sports cars. Any years to avoid?

Of the 40 currently selected, there is 3 in galway which I'll try to have a look at over the weekend. Have a brother in dublin who could take a look too up there.

Mazda RX-8 €2k-€5k

RootX

Since you're reconsidering an RX-8 here's a little guide for you that may help you choosing the right one

If I was to buy another RX-8 I'd look for the following:
* Recent compression test - hard to organize for one in Ireland I guess but it's the only way to know for sure the condition of the engine.
List of mechanics who can perform a rotary engine compression test.

* Ignition components state(coils, plugs, leads). When were they last changed and where the coils came from. Cheap coils are bad for the engine and have a short lifespan.
Genuine coils are expensive and if they require changing you're looking at ~450 euro for parts and labor.

* Condition of CAT - If the cat hasn't been removed(common since they fail early especially if coils hasn't been replaced, is expensive to replace plus rotaries are exempt from emission tests).
The only check I guess is to drive the car till it's properly warmed up and then park it at a dark spot and check whether the cat is glowing red or not

* Oil changes - how often and which oil was used. Mineral & semi-synth are fine, full synthetics are not good. Changes every 10K KM or less are ideal.

* Oil cooler pipes - check their condition and see if they were done recently.
If not, check with Mazda whether the car qualifies for the service campaign or not. If not, you're looking at ~500 euro(Mazda) and probably less if done by indie/pirtek.

* Coolant sensor - it's next to the coolant bottle, check if it's connected. If not, it means the sensor inside the bottle is gone(very common). If it's connected check during test drive whether the low coolant light is coming up. If the sensor has gone it's not a dealbraker(most people just unplug it and check the level manually) but you can use it perhaps to drive the price down(new coolant bottle ~150 euro plus coolant and labor).

* Check for rust around the sills, inside the wheel arches, where the front/rear doors meet and around the 3rd brake light.

* Check stereo is working ok, take some cds with you(non mp3) and confirm the unit loads them, reads them and ejects them

* Check that the headlight leveling malfunction indicator is not on(231 models). Again, not a deal breaker, original parts are expensive but you can get them cheap from breakers.

When you start the car with the engine cold it should fire straight away, it may idle a bit high for a while which is fine. Don't exceed 4k rpm until 5-10 mins after the temp needle has settled slightly before the middle point.
After that try and accelerate slowly but all the way to the redline, it may hesitate slightly between 4-5K and around 8K, which is normal but it should be happy to work smoothly all the way to the redline. As the revs approach the redline, you should hear a beep, notifying you to change gear. The engine should give you the impression that if it wasn't for the beep it would keep going.
The engine/car comes alive after 4-5K rpm, so don't worry if not much is happening below that
If it feels tired and not willing to rev freely I'd be concerned.

Once the engine is fully warmed up and before you return the car from a test drive, find a quiet spot and switch the engine off. Leave it off for 10-15 mins, no less, and attempt to start it again.
If it struggles to start and requires further time to cool down before it starts, it's an indication of tired ignition, blocked cat and/or low compression.

That's more or less what I'd check on an RX-8, outside of the usual checks, interior, suspension, straight panels, etc.

For tax purposes, the engine size is 1.7 but the actual capacity is 1.3, some people were lucky changing the log book to 1.3 but it's alot harder now.

Hope it helps.

Ferris

As above. No point buying the 192hp (5speed) as the 231 (6speed) is no dearer. A decent 231 will probably only make 190-210hp anyway because mazda lied about the outputs. Also check for crunches going quickly from gear to gear as synchros wear if the incorrect gearbox oil is used.

Also beware of crap tyres, anything other than good brands will see you in a ditch in no time. The tyre size is unique (expensive) to the rx8 so owners/dealers tend to put cheaper brands on them. I was spending 130 -140 a corner on mine so buy one with decent boots.

Oh and in an rx8, a rebuilt engine is a good thing.

dantastic

Just to agree with the previous 2 posters. I'm 231 owner myself.

It's a really great car if you can get over the fuel consumption. I do little mileage so I'm not bothered.
It's a bit different to drive in that the normal rev range is a bit higher than a regular 4-stroke.
Cheap tyres will kill you! The car can be very tail happy with cheap tyres.
I wouldn't consider a 192, the 231 is miles better.
RX8 is a very popular DIY car so it's very well documented online ans several forums with super info.
We rotary heads meet every now and then and race gokarts!

If you are happy to invest in the car you can still buy one with shot engine but in otherwise excellent condition. An engine rebuild will see you with a good car for many years. The other issues are start motor and coils - don't let them put you off.

ElKavo

Cleveland Hot Pocket wrote: »

Nice car albeit it's a non turbo.
An s14 or r32 are both something that are on my list of "future cars"

Had one still miss it to this day! Modded to 240 bhp

Chris_Heilong

ElKavo wrote: »

Had one still miss it to this day! Modded to 240 bhp

looks fantastic.

gaillimhabu

After a week or so going through RX8 cars, I've narrowed it down to four

My criteria was under €5K, 6 speed (231bhp), full leather seats and a valid NCT

04 Red Longford €3500 116M
PROS: Engine rebuilt 400 miles ago, NCT till May 15, Lowest price
CONS: Highest mileage

04 Red Dublin €3950 44M
PROS: Lowest mileage, Long NCT till May 16, FSH, One lady owner, Got new engine under warranty but mileage is still from first registration of car.
CONS: Not sure of reason for the recall of engine

06 Grey Cork €4950 62M
PROS: 2006 car, Long NCT till May 16, Will be sold with compression test
CONS: UK import. Would probably have to do a cartell report

05 Red Dublin €4950 68M
PROS: 3 month warranty, Will do for €4500 with my banger and new NCT till Jan 16
CONS: UK import

At the moment I've kinda done a deal with the lad in cork with the grey car for €4300 instead of €4950 with compression test. Have to wait a week or so for him to do that. I'm in between minds now due to it being a UK import

Getting swayed for the 04 Red Dublin €3950 as such low mileage and only the one owner from new

My questions to those in the know:
1) What should I be looking for in the compression test readings to indicate it's a good engine
2) Some of the cars are on first engine by the looks with circa 44K-68K miles. There is one on 116,000 but engine is rebuilt. What's the rule of thumbm, lower mileage or higher mileage with rebuilt engine

RootX

1. Quoting Rotary Revs, one of UK's leading rotary specialists:

"It is important to have this test carried out by a rotary specialist, as the testing needs to be done with rotary engine specific compression testing equipment. Using conventional piston engine test equipment will produce inaccurate measurements.
It is also important that this test is carried out when the engine is hot. A cold engine will produce better, but misleading results. A rotary compression test will tell you quite a few things if you know what you are looking at. When you recieve your results you should have at least seven numbers - six of these tell you the compression reading from each face of both rotors and the 7th number will tell you the exact speed that your starter motor is cranking.
According to Mazda, your results should read between 6.9kgf and 8.5kgf at 250rpm. If your results are not taken at - or very close to - 250rpm they will be standardised to this speed so as to determine the health of the engine. Cranking speed and compression are directly related. Mazda state that any rotary engine needs 180rpm to start, regardless of health. I've found this to not be completely true but it is a good indicator, so anything faster than 180rpm is good - ideally you want more than 230rpm. Just to be clear, in the same way that a slow starter motor won't start a healthy engine, a very fast starter motor (i.e. 280 + rpm) will start an unhealthy engine and so can be used to mask deeper problems."

With regards to No 2 I'd say it's down to how the car/engine was treated by the current and previous owners.

Low mileage that hasn't been treated well, serviced once a year with fully synth oil may points to issues further down the road.
The same goes for rebuild engines where some parts were re-used(that shouldn't have) to keep the cost low.

Personally, I'd be looking for a low mileage car with rotary enthusiast owners
Otherwise I'd like to know who rebuild the engine, if any warranty was given(common in the UK, not so common here) and perhaps have a chat with the mechanic who did the rebuild.

kona

How about a Toyota MRS ? Ment to be a fantastic car.

Dartz

gaillimhabu wrote: »

05 Red Dublin €4950 68M
PROS: 3 month warranty, Will do for €4500 with my banger and new NCT till Jan 16
CONS: UK import

Be careful with this one. I test drove it in May. Unless they've repaired it since, it has problems. Exterior and interior is shabby, and it's loosing compression. It struggles to start when hot. It's been on the lot since at least then. Good ones don't sit.

A Rebuilt engine is a good thing. Depending on the parts re-used it could be harmless or not. They might just have had to swap out the seals .

The Longford one is probably your best bet right there. Full rebuild, and still running in at that from it.

AMKC

Never mind all them boring cars. Go for a real petrol heads car an Alfa Romeo maybe a Brera 2.2JTS or maybe a GT which is a beautifull car with either the 1.8T.Spark 140 bhp engine or be more adventurous and get the 2.0 165bhp JTS engine. They are definitely worth looking at even if you do not buy one they are both beautifull cars. Or you could be more practical and get maybe a 156 or a 159 if you could find one for that price in either saloon or sportwagon style.

Cleveland Hot Pocket

AMKC wrote: »

Never mind all them boring cars. Go for a real petrol heads car an Alfa Romeo maybe a Brera 2.2JTS or maybe a GT which is a beautifull car with either the 1.8T.Spark 140 bhp engine or be more adventurous and get the 2.0 165bhp JTS engine. They are definitely worth looking at even if you do not buy one they are both beautifull cars. Or you could be more practical and get maybe a 156 or a 159 if you could find one for that price in either saloon or sportwagon style.

That's not a sports car.
That's just a fiat in drag.

Dartz

Cleveland Hot Pocket wrote: »

That's not a sports car.
That's just a fiat in drag.

So's This. Just another red FIAT.

Brera's are a nice car. But hard to find. Also quite heavy.

Cleveland Hot Pocket

Dartz wrote: »

So's This. Just another red FIAT.

Brera's are a nice car. But hard to find. Also quite heavy.

The fiat remark was in jest.
But to compare an FWD 1.8 alfa 156 to a sportscar is frankly ridiculous. And I own one!
There would be a case to be made for a v6 156/brera/159 at a push but they are no sports car.

the phantom worker

just to add to the dilemma, i've been driving a rev 3 turbo mr2 (94) for the last 2.5years as my daily driver and it's never let me down bar having the alternator reconditioned (60e) which is a common fault with them. 3k would get you a nice one and with your budget you could have it bought/taxed and insured for the year for less than 5k.

mid-engined, 2 seater, genuine sports car,242bhp quoted from the factory and Toyota reliability is hard to argue with at that price point.

It also swallowed enough luggage for a 2 week trip around Europe

gaillimhabu

Dartz wrote: »

Be careful with this one. I test drove it in May. Unless they've repaired it since, it has problems. Exterior and interior is shabby, and it's loosing compression. It struggles to start when hot. It's been on the lot since at least then. Good ones don't sit.

A Rebuilt engine is a good thing. Depending on the parts re-used it could be harmless or not. They might just have had to swap out the seals .

The Longford one is probably your best bet right there. Full rebuild, and still running in at that from it.

Thanks Dartz. I'll stay clear from the one you test drove. Down to three so and please no replies about other cars as have my mind set on an RX8 now.

Will try and test drive the one in Longford tomorrow.

Dartz

gaillimhabu wrote: »

Thanks Dartz. I'll stay clear from the one you test drove. Down to three so and please no replies about other cars as have my mind set on an RX8 now.

Will try and test drive the one in Longford tomorrow.

Careful now...

They're a car that breeds a peculiar form of obsession if you're not careful.

Just be sure to get the details on the rebuild while you're driving it. What was done, what wasn't and by whom.

Dartz

gaillimhabu wrote: »

Thanks Dartz. I'll stay clear from the one you test drove. Down to three so and please no replies about other cars as have my mind set on an RX8 now.

Will try and test drive the one in Longford tomorrow.

So? How'd it go?

alias no.9

Dartz wrote: »

So's This. Just another red FIAT.

Brera's are a nice car. But hard to find. Also quite heavy.

The Brera is also unrelated to any Fiat or any other marque for that matter

jcon1913

Dartz wrote: »

So? How'd it go?

Cant take the suspense much longer OP. Beginning to lose the will. May have to go back to work now as coffee break is over......any news for us?

gaillimhabu

ok guys here is the latest

Went all the way to Longford Saturday morning for a test drive. Had the guide from RootX on what to check and also other user tips learned off so was confident I'd spot any issues if they arose.

Seller bought the car cheap as it had a knackered engine. He wanted a rotary expert to rebuild the engine and got Eddie Doyle from Gorey to do the work along with fitting as new clutch as well. This was in June this year and Eddie gave him a 12 months warranty. Also advised him to use only mineral oil during service and advised him against semi-synthetic even. Also not to go above 4000rpm until the engine has done a 1000 miles. Current owner has done 400 miles and he tells me he has followed Eddie's advice to the T.

Car was in impeccable condition exterior and interior apart from a few paint chips on the boot and a tiny dent in the driver back door. All electrics work perfect.

Under the bonnet then, spotted the coolant sensor was disconnected and sure enough the light came on in the dash. He didn't know it was disconnected but he thinks his local mechanic did it as he had sent it in for a pre NCT. Anyhow that will probably cost €250 to sort out. My only other concern was when checking the oil as it had a coffee colour on the dipstick. In normal cars that is an indication the head gasket is going but kept it in my mind to ask after the test drive.

Hopped in and turned the key. I had the exterior, interior, electrics, boot, bonnet ,doors checked by now and was happy enough apart from the oil colour but will come back to that later. All lights came on and the one that are meant to dim did so apart the collant sensor. Then started her up and enjoyed the noise compared to cars I'm used to hear. Left her there for a while ticking over and then reversed out of the drive. Well stalled her first time and the guy smiled at me. However no trouble starting her up straight away and didn't make the same mistake 2nd time around with the new clutch. Headed down the road and moved up the gears and down again without any problems. Didn't go above 4K rpm. Gave her a good auld rip though along the country road and expecially enjoyed going around the corners. Lovely drive. Then found a quiet spot and turned her off. Gave the once over again and then started her up again after 10 minutes. Had no problems starting again.

Headed back and owner went through all the service paper work. Had the simi report as well. All recepts in order and had a good feeling as owner had a little garage with another beaut of a car inside. A Ford Cosworth. Think only 6 or 7 of these in Ireland. You knew from the layout of the place that he minded his belongings. My only remaining concern was the oil issue so decided to try ring eddie as he had his number. No answer there but rang another fellow from dublin that works with eddie. He said he was on holidays but was very helpful and said that it was normal to have that coffee colour on a rotary engine.

That eased my worries and struck a deal using the broken coolant sensor as my bargaining chip. Have paid a deposit and heading back up on Wednesday to pick the car up. Can't wait. The seller is a sound guy and my only difficulty was getting out of the place as he talked for about an hour about cars and showed me the running of his baby as he called her...His Ford Cosworth

I'm happy enough and really looking forward to the spin back in a few days. Oh and from the seller's ad he mentioned 116K M on the clock. It's actually 116K KM's so around 72K miles. Even better I suppose. Plan to give Eddie Doyle another call tomorrow as he is meant to be back from holidays and will ask him a list of parts replaced in the engine rebuild

RootX

Sounds like a solid car mate. Eddie Doyle is a legend in the rotary world, couldn't really have asked for a more knowledgeable and talented mechanic to have an engine rebuilt. I doubt he would have given a 12-month warranty if worn parts had been reused.

If you decide to have the coolant bottle replaced, get it from MazMart, worked out €133(shipping included) plus €20 for customs.

Dartz

Sounds like a good one. Enjoy it and happy Rotoring

Don't worry about the coffee colour on the dipstick - they all do it. Moisture tends to gather at the top of the dipstick well. The coolant sensor thing can be safely ignored - again, they all do it. Just keep an eye on the level every now and then when cold - same as with any other car.


Just wait until you bring it up over 9000 for the first time. You won't regret it.

gaillimhabu

What security features come as standard in the RX-8?

Moving my insurance cover over and they want to know if it has an alarm and immobiliser?

I remember a central locking fob with four buttons. However that wasn't working and the pictures on the buttons were worn. It could just be that the battery is dead in the fob..Not sure exactly and can't get in touch with seller to confirm

Dartz

Alarm and immobiliser. Standard stuff. Keyfob has a transponder in it. Could be a dead battery.

Should've gotten three keys with the car. 2 mains, and a valet key.

RootX

Alarm and immobilizer I believe(mine is uk import but I doubt the Irish ones were different).
4 button fob means 1 button for central lock, 1 for unlock, 1 for boot and 1 to disable the motion sensors after you lock, so seems to me alarm is present.

Dartz

Yeah.... the alarm goes off if I unlock the boot manually with they key, without unlocking the car first.

1 to disable the motion sensors after you lock,

After 4 months, I still didn't know that.

RootX

He he, yeah, it took me a while to figure it out too

Dartz

Second hand cars without the owner's manual are always a puzzle.

Especially since the US manual is aslightly different.

gaillimhabu

Picked up the car wed night..Really enjoyed the drive back home even though it took €80 to fill the tank as it was fairly low :P

Seller had no service history from previous owners so I'm starting off from the rebuilt engine receipt from eddie doyle, two NCT certs and the SIMI report from the dealer he bought it from.

No manual and only one main key as well.

So first port of call is to tax the car, replace the hopefully dead battery in the keyfob and then get some type of manual and spare key.

Thanks for all the help from users in helping me choose my new toy. boards rocks.

Here is a pic of the Mazda RX8 in the drive. Notice my old golf in the background (still deciding if I will keep her as my classic :cool: )

RootX

Fine looking motor, enjoy

Here are a few manuals to keep you busy :P

carq

I' ll piggy back on this thread ( I think my original thread was the one this was based on!)
Posted this in the buying thread but it does not seem to active.

What do you think of this car ?

cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/2005-bmw-318ci-m-sport-pristine/7465629

I presume seller would have no issue sending the Cartell report in advance of viewing?
Also - I am curious about the logistics of buying the car. I would be travelling 1.5 hours to view.
Should I have payment funds with me when viewing ?
Would the safest thing be to go into a bank with the Seller and do a transfer in person in the bank ?
Is the log book and keys handed over before or after this part ?
Say I do buy the car, how quick typically can you get insurance changed to enable you to drive it back?

Supergurrier

carq wrote: »

I' ll piggy back on this thread ( I think my original thread was the one this was based on!)
Posted this in the buying thread but it does not seem to active.

What do you think of this car ?

cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/2005-bmw-318ci-m-sport-pristine/7465629

I presume seller would have no issue sending the Cartell report in advance of viewing?
Also - I am curious about the logistics of buying the car. I would be travelling 1.5 hours to view.
Should I have payment funds with me when viewing ?
Would the safest thing be to go into a bank with the Seller and do a transfer in person in the bank ?
Is the log book and keys handed over before or after this part ?
Say I do buy the car, how quick typically can you get insurance changed to enable you to drive it back?

99.99% of sellers won't have any form of report.
Go with a friend drive up/drive down.
Carry a deposit only when viewing.
Once sale is agreed walk with buyer/seller to bank swap money for keys then go to teller have notes checked and lodged then go out and fill out the relevant forms/receipts (sounds complicated but takes 5 minutes)
Keys as you recieve payment/logbook signed once money is cleared.
Instantly over the phone (usually at a small fee depending on insurer)

Also don't buy a 4 cylinder Bmw