Is a Felly a good run about?

[PastyBoy]

I know the answers are likely to be biased but is a Felicia likely to prove a trusty run about?

I'm moving house and my 10 minute walk to work will become a 10 mile walk (or cycle) unless i can find a cheap run about.

Having put the numbers into Autotrader there is a Felicia very local to me for under £500

It's a 1.3L on an R plate

with almost 60,000 miles on the clock, 8 months tax and 6 months MOT

for under £500 it look a bargain but is it going to fall to pieces in the imminent future???

[Jonny5ive]

On yer Bike son

[GentleGiant]

If it is clear of major rust around the wheel arches and bumpers it should prove to be an economical and reliable car. Check for water leaks from the sunroof (if fitted), and through the bulkhead into the footwell carpets.

The engines are relatively bomb-proof and capable of 40-50mpg.

OH!! and parts are dirt cheap; your £500 car is cheaper than 2 replacement headrests for my company car!!!!! (£354 + VAT EACH!!)

[PastyBoy]

On yer Bike son

A nice idea and was my preferred solution but the weather is nice at the moment which puts a much rosier tint on cycling!!

secondly i did half an hour on the exercise bike in the work gym yesterday and was a mess

and thirdly most decide road bikes seem to be as expensive as the Felly anyways!

If it is clear of major rust around the wheel arches and bumpers it should prove to be an economical and reliable car. Check for water leaks from the sunroof (if fitted), and through the bulkhead into the footwell carpets.

The engines are relatively bomb-proof and capable of 40-50mpg.

OH!! and parts are dirt cheap; your £500 car is cheaper than 2 replacement headrests for my company car!!!!! (£354 + VAT EACH!!)

cool rust was on my radar as that'd be pretty terminal.

i had visions of serious engine/electrical problems erupting soon after purchase but you've subdued my fears somewhat

[anewman]

The main issue with the engines is the timing chain. Listen for a rattle from the drivebelt side of the engine down towards the bottom. To be honest, they're usually noisy more than they cause any issues, but replacement would be IRO of £200 including parts (parts about £50 I think).

May also be worth dropping the fusebox to have a quick look (there's a screw on retaining knob at the front and it flaps down) any water from windscreen leaks can also end up in there and cause electrical gremlins. Most of the electrical bits on the Felicia are VW derived anyway.

The one you've found definitely sounds worth a look at.

Edited 13 July, 2010 by anewman

[GentleGiant]

The rust is not terminal if treated promptly, it is just these are the areas prone to rust; you can buy new wheel arches for under £20 a throw and a new wing for about £30.

As for chain rattle, good luck hearing it, the engine is not quiet or refined!!!!

Fellys are prone to overheating in traffic, so make sure you use the right oils and coolants; changing the stuff in my sons car made a BIG difference.

[richardsfavorit]

A good service keeps them going well. I found changing the plugs, HT Leads (probably not on the MPI), oil, oil filter, and air filter fairly often helps.

[paulus69]

Fantastic car, my first felly was a 1.3 and it served me and my young family well for five years, I bought it for £600 and sold it for £300, then bought another felly!

[VWD]

A good service keeps them going well. I found changing the plugs, HT Leads (probably not on the MPI), oil, oil filter, and air filter fairly often helps.

And on that note - my kids have presented me with an R1.3GLi - any specifics on oil -or is it just use a good one .My preference would be Duckhams Q. ( Too used to PD with need for 505-01).Suspect item no 1 will be an oil and filter change.

[Beryl's Chief Pilot]

I think it makes a major difference if it's been serviced regularly, I bought a new 1.3 mpi Feli in 2000 & used it hard for 3 years before selling it to a friend who's still happy with it 7 years later. However, I recently purchase an unloved one of the same age & 69k miles for £150 as a project for my neice to eventually learn in & the engine's a mess! I still love it tho!

[Captain Sisko]

Fellys are tough little cars

I had one and a Favorit

lovely cars.

Service them, treat them well and they will last forever

Can turn on a dime!

[richwarwicker]

as said depends on how well its been looked after, i've had 2 of them one was a S reg 1.3 and had 101000 miles and was a complete useless heap, unreliable no service history etc, the second was a T reg 1.3 with 110000 miles, and full service history and never let me down and is still going now i believe as see it around, only problem was rust on front wings, and thermostat, which was a cheap easy DIY fix!

[Thirdtimeluck]

My first car was a 1996 Felly 1.3 LXI (which my family got from new) - they are great little cars - It never let any of us down

In fact its still going strong to the day - my dad uses it as a daily runaround.