mikeandthat
New member
- Joined
- Sep 5, 2011
- Messages
- 27
Hello all!
My name is Mike, I'm 22 and I currently have 2 years left studying for a Masters' degree in Automotive Engineering at my local university - Liverpool John Moores. We have our own Race team (Formula Student) and Motorsports Society (Karting @ Three Sisters circuit tomorrow :grin: ).
I love all things car related.
I learnt in a '98 1.25 16V Fiesta (£411 from eBay) in which I managed 110mph and later crashed in the snow (in an empty car park so don't worry) then scrapped. I bought a '96 1.4 8V Astra (£388 from eBay) which was slower and far more neglected (scrapped once MOT was due a year later). January this year I bought a '93 405 1.9 TD (£325 from Gumtree) and fiddled with the fuel pump (whilst it was good fun making antisocially loud tractor noises, the increased engine bay temps caused the clutch cable to deteriorate. Me being a poor student I neglected it and drove it until I snapped the main gear linkage bolt from forcing it into gear. I got my scrap money yet again :lol: ).
This time around things are different. Back in July I was browsing for the 405's replcement. The usual requirements still stood: ~£400, full MOT, reasonable fuel economy, low insurance group, not 'useless' on the road (Astra broke this rule through desperation). I enquired about a £275 Daewoo and a tank of a Volvo estate. Thankfully they were sold. I spotted a Puma on eBay asking £450 with a full MOT.
It was the 1.7 and was listed as having a cosmetic issue with the paintwork hence the low price. I checked the insurance and it was higher than my previous cars but as it was only 10 minutes down the road I knew it was worth a look. I reminded myself of the videos of Tiff Needell giving stunt tutorials and the fact that it was Top Gear car of the year in '97.
I turned up with a checklist of the usual problem areas along with my diagnostics cable and laptop
. It was a garage/MOT test station which had bought it from the VW dealership around the corner (they had taken it in as a £200 part ex. with no MOT). They were busy so left me to investigate in my own time.
No obvious problems structurally or mechanically. All the electrics worked too. Diagnostics showed up nothing and, to my suprise; the paint 'issue' turned out to be slightly dodgey spray job which had a couple of run marks. Thinking back to the sheds I had driven before this, you can see why this wasn't an issue at this price! There were a full set of keys, spare alarm fob, previous MOTs, receipts and a full service history - mostly from Ford main dealers!
I could see that money had been spent on it for the MOT (brand new back box for starters) and my thorough test drive showed up nothing unusual (except for the performace compared to my sheds). Even so, I knew I could still bargain... :twisted:
I checked the service history and there was no evidence of a cam belt change - the car was a '98 model and had done 98k miles so I knew it should have been done. I was also not happy with two of the tyres they had passed through the MOT. They were both just about on the limit. So...did I buy it?
You bet I did! :thumbs:
I walked away as the new owner of a 1.7 Puma with a full MOT and service history, complete with two better tyres put on, the water pump changed, the cambelt and the tensioner changed for £400!!! :grin:
Here it is before I'd given it a wash, right after I'd bought it:
I'll now shut up and ask you to keep an eye out in the Project section of the forum as I meant it when I said I had 'plans'...
My name is Mike, I'm 22 and I currently have 2 years left studying for a Masters' degree in Automotive Engineering at my local university - Liverpool John Moores. We have our own Race team (Formula Student) and Motorsports Society (Karting @ Three Sisters circuit tomorrow :grin: ).
I love all things car related.
I learnt in a '98 1.25 16V Fiesta (£411 from eBay) in which I managed 110mph and later crashed in the snow (in an empty car park so don't worry) then scrapped. I bought a '96 1.4 8V Astra (£388 from eBay) which was slower and far more neglected (scrapped once MOT was due a year later). January this year I bought a '93 405 1.9 TD (£325 from Gumtree) and fiddled with the fuel pump (whilst it was good fun making antisocially loud tractor noises, the increased engine bay temps caused the clutch cable to deteriorate. Me being a poor student I neglected it and drove it until I snapped the main gear linkage bolt from forcing it into gear. I got my scrap money yet again :lol: ).
This time around things are different. Back in July I was browsing for the 405's replcement. The usual requirements still stood: ~£400, full MOT, reasonable fuel economy, low insurance group, not 'useless' on the road (Astra broke this rule through desperation). I enquired about a £275 Daewoo and a tank of a Volvo estate. Thankfully they were sold. I spotted a Puma on eBay asking £450 with a full MOT.
It was the 1.7 and was listed as having a cosmetic issue with the paintwork hence the low price. I checked the insurance and it was higher than my previous cars but as it was only 10 minutes down the road I knew it was worth a look. I reminded myself of the videos of Tiff Needell giving stunt tutorials and the fact that it was Top Gear car of the year in '97.
I turned up with a checklist of the usual problem areas along with my diagnostics cable and laptop
. It was a garage/MOT test station which had bought it from the VW dealership around the corner (they had taken it in as a £200 part ex. with no MOT). They were busy so left me to investigate in my own time.No obvious problems structurally or mechanically. All the electrics worked too. Diagnostics showed up nothing and, to my suprise; the paint 'issue' turned out to be slightly dodgey spray job which had a couple of run marks. Thinking back to the sheds I had driven before this, you can see why this wasn't an issue at this price! There were a full set of keys, spare alarm fob, previous MOTs, receipts and a full service history - mostly from Ford main dealers!
I could see that money had been spent on it for the MOT (brand new back box for starters) and my thorough test drive showed up nothing unusual (except for the performace compared to my sheds). Even so, I knew I could still bargain... :twisted:
I checked the service history and there was no evidence of a cam belt change - the car was a '98 model and had done 98k miles so I knew it should have been done. I was also not happy with two of the tyres they had passed through the MOT. They were both just about on the limit. So...did I buy it?
You bet I did! :thumbs:
I walked away as the new owner of a 1.7 Puma with a full MOT and service history, complete with two better tyres put on, the water pump changed, the cambelt and the tensioner changed for £400!!! :grin:
Here it is before I'd given it a wash, right after I'd bought it:
I'll now shut up and ask you to keep an eye out in the Project section of the forum as I meant it when I said I had 'plans'...
