New purchase (maybe)

[john-w]

Hey,

I wasn't quite sure where to post this so I thought that the obvious "Fabia" thread would make sense. I'm *possibly* picking up a used vRS on sunday from a dealer. Now, there are one or two things I'd like to know.

I test drove it tonight and the engine felt solid. The brakes on the other hand felt a little spongy; press it in some way and not much happened, then a little more and everything happened. I've asked them to check the brakes for me before I say yes, but I've read on here multiple times that the brakes on the vRS are spongy anyway? Can anyone put my mind at rest?

Secondly, the front bumper doesn't seem to align properly with the front passenger side, there seems to be a small lip where it meets the panel work for the passenger front wing. Is this normal? Or is this an indication of a front shunt? There appears to be no damage from what I can see, but it was dark and I didn't have a decent chance to look under the bonnet at the front of the engine bay (of which I will do on sunday when I go over to pick it up). My current 1.4 has the same sort of thing, but it just kinda makes me nervous.

It's a 55 plate with 22k on the clock, 1 previous owner and has full service history with 2 months left on the Official Skoda warranty. The plate is AJ55 *YD - If anyone has seen this or even knows anything about this car I'd appreciate a heads up to anything I should know about before signing the dotted line.. Btw, it's £7500, so a pretty nice price for what I can find locally anyway.

Kudos to those who actually read all that!

Cheers

[sifelicia]

My brakes on a 53 plate one are exactly as you describe but after driving it for a week or so i am getting used to it

Thats on a car with 83k and full skoda history

[john-w]

My brakes on a 53 plate one are exactly as you describe but after driving it for a week or so i am getting used to it

Thats on a car with 83k and full skoda history

Good to hear. I had a feeling it was just that it was a different car. In all honestly, when I got back into my car it didn't feel like it did on the drive there! Kinda weird really, it almost felt as if they had secretly tampered with it, lol.

[Conshine]

Mine felt like that since new realy, just got used to them....they ain't the very best brakes.

Engine will last forever if you keep it serviced.

Edit: my bumper has never been quite right on the front since new but it seems to sit there OK and it doesn't look bad so I left it.

[KIDD]

AJ55 *YD Where abouts are you?

[snownrock]

The brakes on all Fabias are the same, provides a great excuse for your missus when she sticks up the chuff of a Disco the 2nd time she drives it :( anyway.... Some aftermarket pads or a 312mm upgrade will sort them out. And if youre prepared to look around a bit you can get 06 plates for £7000

[john-w]

AJ55 *YD Where abouts are you?

Midlands, the car is in the Derbyshire area.

Edit: my bumper has never been quite right on the front since new but it seems to sit there OK and it doesn't look bad so I left it.

Interesting. My current one has the same oddity about it too. Thanks for the heads up!

[Boots]

AJ55 *YD Where abouts are you?

Available car supermarket Castle Donington

[ExAudiSi]

The rear pads are probably sticking in the slides as the service schedule doesn't require the Stealers to strip them down, clean and lubricate them, just inspect them. If this is done and the rear calipers correctly adjusted, the feel of the brakes will almost certainly be better.

[john-w]

Available car supermarket Castle Donington

lmao - nice. Seen it there or work there then? lol

[Boots]

lmao - nice. Seen it there or work there then? lol

Haha I have my fingers in many pies...lol :P

Joking apart looks a tidy motor and good price at that mileage.

[john-w]

Haha I have my fingers in many pies...lol :P

Joking apart looks a tidy motor and good price at that mileage.

May I have a slice? As long as it's not apple pie ;P

As long as everything checks out OK then I'll be one excited owner on sunday. I've done the obvious like a HPI check and that cleared OK, but obviously if something has happened to the car they wouldn't necessarily have gone through their insurance and thus no record of a smash etc.

I couldn't care less if the bumper is a replacement, as long as the cars structural integrity holds up that's all that matters.