Smiggles772

Should read: Do you know of a good place to get OEM parts *to* replace the damaged ones? Also, as an aside, does anyone know anywhere to find a nice Mk1 Fabia in good nick (~50-70k miles)? There were a few very nice ones on AutoTrader about a month ago but the listings have now disappeared so I assume they've been sold. There isn't much to choose from with the criteria I desire from what I'm finding on car buying sites.

Alright, thanks for your reply. Do you know of a good place to get OEM parts replace the damaged ones? I've heard replacing the whole guage cluster is a trickier job than just the plastic protector as you'd have to fiddle with the car's computer due to the the odometer and whatnot. Yeah, I'm sure there's another fault with the car that could only be determined by going to see it, however, this is just about as good as is it gets for me at the moment due to budget constraints and extortionate insurance costs for newly passed drivers.

Hello all, I've recently been looking at first cars, as I have just passed my driving test. I'm a huge fan of the Mk1 Fabia - I can't really explain why; there's just something about them that I adore. My mates got a 1.2, 3 cylinder one which is a bit slow so I've been looking at the 1.4, 4 cylinder variants. Anyway, I found a listing for one on Autotrader with the specifications I want (low-ish miles, 1.4 petrol, 4 cylinder, OEM radio, etc.), but I've noticed something bizarre on the plastic protecting the gauge cluster; there are two lines of about equal length and height on the plastic protecting the cluster that appear to be either artifacts from the sun or scratches, but the latter doesn't make any sense to me. How on earth do you even come close to scratching a gauge cluster in two different places, in equal magnitudes and equal heights? Given the relatively low mileage and age of the car, I suspect its had an older owner who rarely drove it. The link to the AutoTrader listing is: https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202401195718931. It's a bit overpriced, but I'm sure there'd be some room for negotiation. What I'm talking about is most apparent in images: 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15. I'll attach the most obvious one(s) to this post and circle what I'm talking about. I sent the dealer an email a few days ago, but I'm yet to hear back. Also, the driver's side window is a bit grotty, but I'm sure it wouldn't be too hard to pop out the plastic and give it a clean, as it just looks like mud (but why wouldn't the dealer clean it? All it would take is an antibac wipe). And even replace the window switch if needed. Can anyone point me in the direction of where you could find the part number and where to buy it? It looks to my untrained eye like the plastic has worn on the drivers window switch, but then again, it could also be another build up of general detritus. Although I do find this odd, as the rest of the interior is like new. Anyway, that's all. I know this is a Skoda forum and sorry if this is inappropriate, but does anyone else have any tips for first car (particularly Mk1 Fabia) ownership? Or anything else to look for on these Mk1 Fabias? Or even any other brands/models to look out for? I heard Fiesta's of the same era are in a much higher insurance bracket and get stolen for parts all the time. The hubcaps are in pretty poor condition and literally ziptied on but that doesn't bother me, I suppose those are just the compromises you have to make on cars this age. Not to mention I'll probably damage them further, being my (potential) first car and all. 😂 Thanks, Smiggles772 P.S. If anyone can discern if this isn't normal and they are scratches that would be a deal breaker for me on this specific car - it would drive me up the wall!