Bought a new car

I finally found that perfect Fiesta, full service history, fresh 12 months MOT, no smoke what so ever, brilliant starter, 62k backed up by all the past MOTs and service stamps.

It is a 1.3 Ghia model and everything is electric, the valve clearences have just been adjusted too so the engine sounds silent for a push rod unit.

There is not a scratch or dent on the body work, even the alloys look new.

Paid £850 for it and while was there their phone kept ringing for people come to have a look at it and a few people turned up from miles away. It was all so kaotic. The advert had only been in since 12 too.





It has a quick clear windscreen too which will be handy in winter.

Everything is electric including the drivers eat . The pedals and steering feels lovely and the chassis seems to be amazing so far though not really driven it round the bends.

It has enough pulling power to go up hill without slowing down which is all I really need.

 

Very Nice! Bargain!

 

Yeah I wasn't even looking for a Ghia, was just looking for anything that fitted the criteria didn't really care about extras for the the money I was looking at.

I am sure I will find something minor with it the MOT had a an advisory for a tyre that is border line legal for example.

It was a spend a good two hours looking over the car while other people were turned away.

 

ford quick clear windscreen.

you'll love it during the winter, you'll hate it at night for oncoming traffic.

 

Looks very good......very clean.......but don't leave that tyre for too long.

(I speak from [very] bitter experience!).

 

The difference in stopping distance on a wet road at 70mph between a car with 3mm tread and a car with 1.6mm tread is between 30 and 44 metres. 1.6mm should not be legal IMO. With decent quality tyres for the fiesta coming in as cheap as they do for that sort of car (assuming 155/70 R13T) - even the top options are £30 a corner (Goodyear duragrip - I have the "big brother" excellence tyres and they're outstanding) - there's no excuse for scrimping on them.

 

True neough...i've just paid just over £50 for Pirellis on my transit connect asthey were getting a bit close. Those are 195/some htings....they are quite big. Your 155 s should be cheap as chips.

My bitter experince?

I let one rubber go to close on my prized mk1 astra many years ago now......ended up sliding down the road on the roof up side down at 30mph.

...don't do it.

 

yeah, nasty - I thinbk that was the cause of me writing off my peugeot 306rx a few years back - wasn't going fast either - just left a 30mph zone (to national speed limit) whilst going up hill and around a bend and I came off the road into a dry stone wall - I was ok, but the car and wall wasn't...

 

...sounds familiar....

that moment will stay with my....hanging upside down in the seat belt...ignition off(don't want any sparks under there)......waiting for the scorching heat of a fire....

( I as extremely lucky... a drop of petrol ou of the tank....thats what it would have been).

 

Sorry AT, no lecture intended....I just wouldn't wish it on you.....thats all.

Its just so easily done.

 

its about 1.8mm the back ones have about 3mm left, might just get two identical Avon ones for about £80 inc tracking later next week when I have some money. I have just spent every penny on the car.

Just had a better look underneath and I can't find a single spot of rust on the car anyway and the engine just purrs amazing for a push rod though I have got a receipt the valve adjustments and tappets which the previous owner had done every 10,000 miles (do hydraulic lifters).

I am wondering what to with other one now, just had to pay £40 to insure it for 10 days . I am going to hopefully get the oil changed so it starts first time then just sell it for £250 10 months mot and just tell the person it gets through a bit oil but for £250 it runs perfectly fine and is safe.

 

an oil change won't help it start

"it gets through a bit oil but for £250 it runs perfectly fine and is safe."

...so long as you know that it IS safe.

 

that is what my mechanic said when he checked it out for the MOT, but I know there is a bit of corrosion which will become structural in the next few years.

I am using 10/40 as it stops the smoke, but as a result each morning the valves seem to be getting stuck so if I can make the oil thinner it should stop that problem.

 

AT - if you MUST just buy two (and all 4 need replacing really), make sure that the new tyres go on the back. Once you sell the old car plow that money into the new one - tyres, tracking, oil change. I'm assuming you can handle oil change, plugs, etc yourself?

 

...sounds a bit desperate if you have to use a thin oil to get the valves to work.....

 

I know you don't want to spend money on the old car now, but you might want to try running a can of engine flush and then 5W40 synthetic - this should be thin enough at low temps and remove enough junk to free the valves while still being 40 weight at operating temperature.

 

I'd put new tyres on the front if it was me....

Reason...front tyres do most work- ie need most grip.

No?

 

Let's say AT replaces the really worn tyres, and has two tyres with 3mm and two with 7mm. The ones with 7mm have significantly more grip on a wet road than the ones with 3mm - especially in a few month's time when they've worn to 6 and 2 (let's say).

On that wet road, going around a bend, AT is going a bit too fast and the tyres with 2mm lose grip. Now what happens?

If those tyres are on the front, the car will understeer. If they're on the back, AT ends up arse first in a hedge (if he's lucky).

Two new tyres ALWAYS go on the back, whether the car is FWD, RWD or 4WD.

 

A few references:

http://www.michelin.co.uk/uk/auto/auto_cons_bib_pqr_neuf.jsp

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=52

http://www.klebertyres.co.uk/Kleber...LEBER_PAG_CONSEIL3&codeRubrique=8032005184616

 

underster/oversteer/whateversteer.....I'd put new front tyres on the front....for the reason I gave....(most of the breaking force goes to the FRONT tyres, surely?!)

.....+front tyres (certainly on Ats FWD) are going to wear fastest.

(Most certainly if the others are any where near the mark, which I think maybe the case here...)

Anyone else?