...to learn with?

I have acquired a rented garage and intend to buy a cheap (read sub £200) car to take to pieces and faff with in order to learn some basic mechanical skills. As the favorit was a budget car new I guess the technology in them is simple enough for a novice to get the hang of?

Cheers

James

For learning car mechanics with - ideal, because it doesn't have massive electronnicy boxes, or obsfuction covers.

Yeah it's dead easy-ish, everything is pretty simple to see and learn about.

You get some fiddly bits but not as much as you get on more modern day machinery.

If you mean how easy is it to learn to drive in.......easy enough!! just don't trash it!!!

Only thing I would add is you may get a Felicia for the same money as a fav. The 1.3 Felicia is based on the fav so is also quite easy to work on. Whichever you get have a good look for corrosion in mot prescribed areas. If the raised bits either side in the engine bay at the side of each wing are rusting i'd look for another, they're all relatively cheap so you can be fussy.

Thanks for the replies guys, sounds like a good canditate.

I am off to look at a car tomorrow - a H plate 1.3 136 with 80k on the clock for £195. That includes 7 months tax and MOT too.

Anyone have any idea what the 136 means?

H plate would be the carburettor version (as opposed to the single point fuel injection system introduced in models 1993 onwards denoted by an i in the model number). 136 is the engine code, basically means it's the higher compression version and has slightly more horses than the 135.

Thanks anewman

I am glad it is a cerb version as I would quite like to take a carb apart to see inside :-) I also means it will be simpler for me to get to grips with, no electronic injection etc.

Given that the 136 means I have a few more horses, do you happen to know how many?

Don't know the official figure offhand but I think it's in the lower half of the 60's.

Thanks anewman.

Well, I went to look at a Fav on Saturday and ended up driving it home.

1991 H plate LS with 81k miles, 7 months T&T for £199.

The trouble is, I bought it to learn from but spent all weekend driving around in it and now I love it! I dont want to break it.

Plus, I now have all sorts of ideas running around about a rally replica etc. It is probably a good thing that the garage won't be clear for a couple of months, so I can't go off on some hair brained scheme without thinking it through first

Cheers

James

PS It is running very rich at the moment. Without easy garage access is there anything obvious I should be checking?

First, the air filter.

Next, I'd do plugs, points, timing and an oil change.

Now I'm sure it's running about right, I'd check the hot idle speed, and adjust the throttle stop if necessary.

Thanks, the air filter is almost new so I will have to delve a little deeper when I get chance. The engine also gets upset once over 3000(ish) rpm so that needs investigation too. Sounds really rough and seems to struggle.

On a different note, the interior is a sea of delightful beige (honestly, I personally really like it), but the carpet is blue. It looks original - were 1991 age cars fitted with blue carpet or has mine been replaced at some point?

The ignition first then carburation advice is based on experience going back to the 1970s.

Is the rough running worse when the engines fully warmed up than in the first minute or 2 from cold? I've got an idea.

Thanks anewman

I am glad it is a cerb version as I would quite like to take a carb apart to see inside :-) I also means it will be simpler for me to get to grips with, no electronic injection etc.

Given that the 136 means I have a few more horses, do you happen to know how many?

Parkers seems to suggest 56 horses for the 1.3LS

http://www.parkers.co.uk/cars/specs/Detail.aspx?deriv=3559

Oh - and if it was £199 you paid £4 more than the asking price that you mentioned earlier!!!

I had a maroon 136LS on a K plate - carb model with beige interior! Lasted 60 miles before it went bang

The carpet was probably black, but may have faded to a blue, else its probably been replaced.

Oh - and if it was £199 you paid £4 more than the asking price that you mentioned earlier!!!

Thanks, and yes I did pay £4 more Wasn't going to argue for £4.

The ignition first then carburation advice is based on experience going back to the 1970s.

Is the rough running worse when the engines fully warmed up than in the first minute or 2 from cold? I've got an idea.

Not sure - I drove it gently home and then had mum on board so had to drive like miss daisy. I will have a go soon and let you know.

Don't break it. take it to bits, fix it back together and fix things!!!

The 1.3 is a lovable simple engine. Mines the SPI version not a carb so your fuel pump and stuff will be slightly different to mine.

But Welcome to Club Favorit!!!

Piccies???

Piccies here:

Flickr: cv01jw's Photostream

Hoping to give it a good wash and polish tomorrow - always a good way to find all the little dings / rust patches etc on a car.

That is a very nice Favorit, certainly looks clean.

If I'm not mistaken wasn't it on Ebay a few weeks/months back?

Mine has the Skoda badge in the middle, not close to the headlight plus yours has alloys.

Thanks - I will try to get some more pictures if the weather holds enough for me to clean it properly over the weekend.

Not sure about it being on Ebay - someone missed out on a good little car if so!

The alloys are all a bit worse for wear but a refurb is on my list of things to do. I plan to tackle one at a time, starting with the spare. I also appear to have a slow punture too, so whilst it is being repaired I might see if my local tyre place (who I get on very well with) will also take the spare tyre off so I can refurb the wheel properly. The spare looks like the original uniroyal tyre so it could do with replacing anyway.

Blimey..far too nice to break, We bought a new Maroon LX in March 1990, G23 LUM (known forever after as GLUM:D)...It did about 112,000 miles before I moved it on.

Ours didn't like unleaded much even with the timing checked (it pinked) but it was great fun and had better throttle response than the later single point injection cars (we had two).

GLUM went to the cruncher in the sky may moons ago, but is remembered by me and the missus with great fondness (and I remember the explosion when I first suggested we look at a Skoda..how times change..we've had four now)

Tim

I think I did see it on Ebay.

Mine was on Ebay, and I only just managed to get it!! another Briskodian also had his eye on it.

Your tyres might be the same as my Favorit 165x70 r13 tyres. I got 2xFulda tyres for something like £40 each

but if you want a budget spare I got one for about £25. All depends on where you get your tyres from

i have 4 alloys from my old fav if you want them, they all have tyres but are probarbly low on some and they all need a refurb bar 1 which used to be the spare its first use was when i had the car so its still immaculate and has a good tyre i think.

scrapped mine at 50k miles brought it on 43 about 8 months earlier in that space of time, it smashed the front of 1 jag, and got run into by another jag and then a month or so later got run into by a mondeo!

showed no signs of damage or marks anywhere from what i can remember from the first 2, but the last bump in the back pushed the rear quart very slightly into the door so it rubbed. still no scratches though!

little warriors!

i have 4 alloys from my old fav if you want them, they all have tyres but are probarbly low on some and they all need a refurb bar 1 which used to be the spare its first use was when i had the car so its still immaculate and has a good tyre i think.!

Mk2 Favorit Alloys are a different fitting to the Mk1 ones. Mk1 is 4x98 I think whereas Mk2 is 4x100.

Looks great for only £200

The ignition first then carburation advice is based on experience going back to the 1970s.

Is the rough running worse when the engines fully warmed up than in the first minute or 2 from cold? I've got an idea.

I drove the car into work this morning before anyone could see it (long story, don't ask) and didn't notice any real difference when hot or cold.

I am not sure if it is rough or not - I am used to a 1.6 Octy which is reasonably smooth and so it might just be normal for an older engine. Unsure though, it does seem to pick up well at low revs (1500+) but seems to run out of puff over 3k, where I would normally expect a petrol engine to start to pull harder.

Does this tie in with your idea? I am sourcing a timing light to check that amongst other things, although as I said earlier I am a complete novice and so only have my Haynes manual (plus everyone on here ) for guidance on diagnosing the problem.