I am thinking about getting a car, advice wanted

That is the MK4, they are nice cars, the interior is very Mondeo like and there is plenty of colours. I think inside is actually nicer than the current Fiesta.

It is rare they go for £500 so you will need to check that condition.

Idealy with them you want the 1.25 Zetec unit, it has become one of them classic engines. It produces 74bhp which is a lot for such a small unit. The 1.3 unit is cheaper but uses more fuel and only produces around 60bhp.

 

the 1.3 is more reliable though AT- i had one in my Y(2001) reg Fiesta and they are AS economical as the 1.25s, just a little bit slower. But they are so much cheaper on the forecourt and this makes them a steal. You don't want anything too fancy as your first car- just something that gets you from A to B reliably

 

Totally agree, I paid £1000 for mine with 6 months tax and a full service history and the servicing costs are very low, the last one was £120 with a new headlamp and a new battery which is pretty impressive for a 9 year old car!

If you go and look at it, this is what to look for:

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/index.php?url=/carbycar/index.htm (its the 95-99 Model)

 

I can believe that, with only 8 valves the engines will be a lot simpeler. The Endura versions are better though found in the Ka and MK4 (oval grill) Fiestas. Its the same engine but they are just quieter, I think they may be driven by a belt rather than a chain too but I can't be certain about that.