Ford Fiesta Help

rick_fantastic · 03-10-2005 5:25pm #1

Im thinking of buying a 00 D Ford Fiesta as a first car....

The car im thinking of buying is the 1.25 ltr zetec model. I have one in mine the only problem is that there is no nct done on the car.

it was taken in as a trade in by one of my mates as he works in a garage.

now it is a boy racer car on the exterior and there some of the bits inside are sprayed blue which i think is a bit tacky but a bit of spray paint and laquer will sort that out. other than that the interior is pretty clean.

the outside has some damage to the rear wheel arch which has been resprayed but the finish isnt very good. the car has alloys, tinted windows, bonnet scoop (not too happy bout that), and there was a spoiler thing on it but some1 took it off and left 2 holes on the back of the boot door where it was...

im in 2 minds whether to put car through nct to see what needs to be done to get it to pass or just get a mechanic or AA to check it out to see what needs to be done to get it past NCT cos it doesnt have one.

There is only 39000miles on the car and im expecting to get it for round 3200euro?

Being that its my first car im not really sure what needs to be done before i think about buying it....

Suggestions welcome!

Dilbert75 · 03-10-2005 10:47pm

€3.2k would be a good enough price BUT if its been a boy racer car, I'd not touch it with yours. Will have been dogged and driven by someone who thought it was a Cosworth.

fletch · 03-10-2005 10:53pm

39k miles ain't much at all for a nearly 6 yr old car.....and in general boy racers look after their cars better than most.

bazz26 · 03-10-2005 10:53pm

rick_fantastic wrote:

Im thinking of buying a 00 D Ford Fiesta as a first car....

The car im thinking of buying is the 1.25 ltr zetec model. I have one in mine the only problem is that there is no nct done on the car.

it was taken in as a trade in by one of my mates as he works in a garage.

I would expect the garage to put it through the NCT before I would buy it. Having an NCT will make the car easier to sell. If it fails but only needs a few minor things done then fine they can factor this into the price. Either way make sure you get some sort of warranty with it.

rick_fantastic wrote:

now it is a boy racer car on the exterior and there some of the bits inside are sprayed blue which i think is a bit tacky but a bit of spray paint and laquer will sort that out. other than that the interior is pretty clean.

the outside has some damage to the rear wheel arch which has been resprayed but the finish isnt very good. the car has alloys, tinted windows, bonnet scoop (not too happy bout that), and there was a spoiler thing on it but some1 took it off and left 2 holes on the back of the boot door where it was...

Oh God, personnelly I would run a mile, poorly repaired damage could give you an idea how the car was maintained. Also how did that damage happen, since it belonged to a boyracer did it see a few ditches in it's time? What modifications were done under the bonnet? Were these modifications done by a professional or DIY expert? As for the rear spoiler removed and holes left, this could be trouble, rust could form even if it is properly filled and painted plus water could leak into the boot a year or two down the road if it isn't already.

rick_fantastic wrote:

im in 2 minds whether to put car through nct to see what needs to be done to get it to pass or just get a mechanic or AA to check it out to see what needs to be done to get it past NCT cos it doesnt have one.

Again if you buy this car without an NCT you are risking paying over €3k and it may have a serious defect. I would expect the garage to get the car NCT'd before buying it.
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rick_fantastic wrote:

There is only 39000miles on the car and im expecting to get it for round 3200euro?

Low mileage doesn't always mean the car is a good buy. It depends what way the car was driven by the previous owner. A car with 39000 could have been driven alot harder and had less maintenance than a car with 100,000 miles. To be honest even though I haven't seen this car the vibs I'm getting and gut feeling is to run a mile from it.

To be honest I wouldn't buy the first car I see, there are plenty of well cared for unmodifed/untarted up Fiestas about the place.

If it were my money I would give this one a wide berth.

rick_fantastic · 04-10-2005 11:19am

there are no under the bonnet mods, it looks quite clean. i know a guy that will clean up the outside bit where spoiler was.

heres pixs of the car

rick_fantastic · 04-10-2005 11:27am

i have a mechanic that services the rest of my famlies cars and he said he'd have a look at it for me and let me know how much it will cost to get ready for NCT. he will also check it out to see it the bollox has been driven out of it, ie the clutch and gearbox etc etc

i also have a friend who will do the bodywork repairs for me.

i reckon i can get the price down to bout 3000euro. ive been looking at other fiestas round the same year and there all round the 4500 - 5000 euro mark.

Rodney Trotter · 04-10-2005 12:12pm

I don't like the look of that car. It looks like it has been rightly abused and worth nothing more than €2000. I wouldn't touch it. The body damage is not just cosmetic. Has the coolant bottle overflowed? If so it's a big problem.

Sort out your budget and get the best car you can for it. This car could be a major headache and not what you want for your first car.

(And the lad holding the garage plates doesn't look well!)

el tel · 04-10-2005 12:17pm

This car looks like a potential mine field and I wouldn't go near it given the state it's in. The mods in this case are just another form of abuse and under the bonnet it looks a right state too. Whoever owned it previously obviously hadn't got a clue. When buying a car it's important to understand that there are numerous other better cars out there.

PaulieC · 04-10-2005 12:35pm

slightly OT, but is that Esmondes in Stillorgan ?

KTRIC · 04-10-2005 12:50pm

The holes in the back where the spoiler was look as if they were torn into the metal rather than drilled properly. I bet the previous boy racer owner did that himself. On that alone I would say keep well away there could be loads wrong with the body that you can't see.

fletch · 04-10-2005 1:19pm

I take back what I said about boy racer cars being well looked after....I would avoid that Fiesta big time....looks very tatty!

Stephen · 04-10-2005 1:37pm

Yeah, it looks well dodgy. One of the wing mirrors in your photos is cracked (the plastic outer bit, not the glass) and the other one looks like its stuck on with chewing gum. Then you've got the stupid faux-racing petrol cap, the chopped up front grill, missing aerial etc. The car is also missing the stock Ford spoiler. Fiesta zetecs (00's anyway) come with a subtle spoiler over the back window. The interior is quite minging too.
WTF is that "STAR BOOSTER" thing under the bonnet?

bazz26 · 04-10-2005 2:37pm

My gut feelings were that this was a bad buy and the pictures you have shown me have confirmed those feelings.

One wing mirror has a cracked casing held together with insulating tape while the other looks as if it is ready to fall off. The front grill is horrible or missing? You could nearly put your hand through the holes on the boot where the previous owner hammered a Boeing 747 wing on (or maybe they are bullit holes?).

No modifications under the bonnet? Then what is that thing with "Star Booster" written on it? When I look at it I see from the above that the crap has been driven out of it and that the previous owner didn't care about it.

If you buy this for €3k I bet you will end up regreting it. I would rather spend an extra €1k on a nice clean example, there are plenty about. I would look beyond the price in the window, one of the reasons it is cheap is that they want to get rid of it quick.

A definate no, no, avoid like the plague. :eek:

rick_fantastic · 04-10-2005 2:57pm

the star booster thing is for giving the battery a charge. battery in car was dead.

i dont mind spending some time etc doing stuff myself to the car as long as the mechanics are sound. stuff like respraying the inside back to grey.

i have a friend who will do any bodywork and respraying for cost so getting the body back to decent standard wont be too expensive.

if the mechanics of the car are sound and it hasnt been driven to an early death by previous owner im gonna offer €2000 for it and see where this gets me.

hopefully ill get lucky when mechanic checks it out and tells me how much it will cost to get it right (if anything is wrong)
like ill fit new mirrors / grille and stuff myself.

ill let u know what the mechanic says, he a decent lad i know very well and he wouldnt steer me wrong....

thanks for advise

Dilbert75 · 04-10-2005 10:14pm

I agree with the consensus - until the photos appeared, it didn't sound too offputting. When it photos appeared, they put me off. Avoid it.

Dilbert75 · 04-10-2005 10:17pm

Oh, and i suspect the mileage may not be entirely accurate. I rarely see boy racers parked for long - they drive endlessly, to get value out of their investments.

Possibly the old odometer broke and the previous owner was unable to put the correct mileage on the new unit...

rick_fantastic · 05-10-2005 1:31pm

the car was actually driven by a 60 yr old man, who let his son drive the car.

its gonna cost me €80 to get the car checked out by mechanic who is goin to tell me how much it will cost to get it thru the NCT and also whether it has been driven to an early death.

im not going to make any decision until the car has been given a go over and i get the all clear.

im not going to pay any money until i know how much its going to cost me in the long run.

its getting checked out next thursday so ill know then what the deal with it is

maidhc · 05-10-2005 2:01pm

As others said; stay away. You pay your money and you take your choice, but I wouldnt touch this car if I was paid.

It looks very rough, far worse than my car which is 2x its age and 5x its mileage!

If you spray over the blue inside it wont be long before it starts chipping and you are left with an unholy mess.

Do as has been suggested. Spend a small bit more and get a nice genuine low mileag example. There are plenty of them about, and it will pay you in the long run (and maybe even within 6 months if a gearbox or something goes it that thing).

jayok · 05-10-2005 2:20pm

This car won't pass the NCT as it. If you look at the photos again you'll see the side-repeater is actually sprayed blue!! This is a definate fail.

rick_fantastic · 05-10-2005 2:21pm

just got offered a 99 peugeot 106 with 35000k for €4000 with NCT til '07 full serviced with 3month warranty.

where is the best places to look for good second hand cars???

the only places i know are autotrader, carzone, car buyers guide.....

can anyone recommend good garages to go 2 that sell second hand cars?

like ive got a budget of round €4000 euro

bazz26 · 05-10-2005 3:34pm

mike65 · 05-10-2005 4:15pm

Just looked at those pix, *me boggles*! The ol' man was clearly a fool to let his son near the thing.

Mike.

el tel · 06-10-2005 9:50am

OP - buying a first car is not like getting your first ride where you just go for the first bird that you get a chance with, regardless of her condition.

jayok · 06-10-2005 10:04am

OP - buying a first car is not like getting your first ride where you just go for the first bird that you get a chance with, regardless of her condition.

The comedians are out today!

I will use this quote again!

rick_fantastic · 06-10-2005 10:47am

hahaha thats a good one.....

i know that the pictures make the car look like a bad buy but ive highlighted all of the bad things about the car.

its only going to cost me 80euro to get it checked out and ill then know what the story with it is...

im not running down to the garage with fistfuls of cash, im going to take my time and have a look around and find a car that is suitable for me.

tbh im not looking for a 1ltr car, im more interested in 1.2 upwards but thanks for the links bazz26

Cunny Funt · 12-10-2005 12:00pm

this is stupid. i picked up a 99 fiesta for 4,500 with 40k, 1.25 zetec 16v mint condition, i mean mint condition. super car, great take off great on motorways will do 140kmph no hassle 3000 for that crap is obsurd. there are hundreds of fiestas around and you got the worst one there. no wonder its that price. you wont get good well looked after 00 fiesta for less than 4-5k no way. get your act together. its not about the accesories its about the quality and condition. you'll pay 2k getting it fixed plus the heart ache. it will not pass the NCT in a million years

my advice. get a 98/99 same car essentially. try the gia or zetec. 1.25 is best engine. either that or a peugeot 106. €4000 will not buy a decent 00. you'll have to go lower in age. that doesnt mean compromising quality.

rick_fantastic · 12-10-2005 12:40pm

well i got it checked out by mechanic and total cost he would charge me to get it 2 NCT standard is 750€. the car hasnt been rallied around. mechanic says clutch, gearbox, transmission and suspension is all in excellent condition. the car is actually the ghia model. making an offer of 2000€ on the car later 2day and see how i get on.

source a rear wing and boot door for 250€ and getting both sprayed for 200€ (mate in the business). so if i get the car for 2000€ the altogether its going to cost me is bout €3500.

johnduff2005 · 20-10-2005 4:05pm

I'm sellin a 00 Fiesta Ghia. If ur interested call me on 086-0701888

Ford Fiesta Help

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