Went out tonight after selling our Corsa run around to buy my fiancée a new car

Looked at a couple then we phoned an ad we found in sainsburys for a fabia classic 1.4 8v. Went for a look offered him an amount and he accepted right away! So we now have two fabia's in the household

63k miles 02 reg. Bodywork needs attention as it's scratched badly but for the amount we paid for it we ain't gonna argue at all! Also got a years mot, fsh and 2 owners from new!

Perfect!

I was thinking about cheap Fabia's the other day, and how if I was buying again at the lower end Fabia market I'd avoid the 16v, period, and try to find a 1.4mpi, 1.2HTP or 1.9SDi as these seem to the the 3 engines we get the least "help" threads about on here.. Especially the 1.9SDi, They're bullet proof as far as I can see.

Enjoy the new motor, gonna make your vRS feel like a rocket ship whenever you get back in it now

Edited 12 August, 201015 yr by Rob.

Yeh already feels that way after driving a 1 litre corsa for almost 2 and a half month lol

But the vrs keeps popping a boost pipe! :(

I always thought it was the 8v engine that was most problematic but that's a weight off my mind knowing it's actually the better engine

Our neighbors think we are a bit sad having "matching" cars.

Their Nissan sunny has been sitting immobile for 8 weeks now

I just say it's better to have two working cars than one which is fubar.

I agree about the SDI being bombproof for the most part.

Not a single hiccup in 30k on ours. Nothing at all!!

It's our workhorse, just keeps on going regardless.

The vRS has been on the ramp far more in just half the time.

I haven't even done 10k in that since getting it.

And am easily into 4 figures on what's been spent on it already

Oh god yeah, the 16v's are rubbish.. trust me, I've had one.. Some of them do OK, but many have really fundamental problems like piston ring failure. I think maybe the later ones are better but the AUB's that came in the earlier (now, cheaper) ones are a bit unpredictable from what I've heard on here. Put it this way, when I bought my AUB Fabia one of the 1st things the guy told me was "It's just had the rings replaced".. and, true enough, it never drank a drop of oil... but I could never truly call it dependable like the vRS etc etc.

Think the 1.9SDi and 1.2HTP are the strongest.. but the 1.4mpi had been in production along time when it found a home in the Fabia and as a result most the problems had been revised out of the design!

Edited 12 August, 201015 yr by Rob.

We've been a two Fabia household for the past three years .

Thanks for the extra re assurance

The previous owners had had it for 6 years and they said they were gonna miss it as it never let them down. It does have a slight misfire at idle but tbh it's not worth worrying about just now

Think you'll find a bad idle is common for that engine, which is good I guess as it's nothing that needs money spending on it.

Something to do with 'cutting fuel to just above the point of stalling to help lower emissions'.

Nice one Thats definately a weight off our minds then, but in saying that a coil park or spark plugs won't cost that much for that engine anyways as i work for a garage so get discount on parts anyways

The 1.4 8v design dates back many years. I know it's based on the 1.3 engine that was in the Felicia, the Favorit, Rapid, and Estelle and no doubt earlier models too. The only issue that seems to arise with them on the forums is the headgasket (with a revised version apparently being made), or on high mileage ones a slack timing chain (and the timing chain mark problem where new chains are incorrectly marked leading to people needing to refit them). TBH neither HG or TC are the end of the world and both should be sortable for under £300 each if the need ever arises.

My only misgiving with it is the poor MPG and subsequent high tax.

Edited 12 August, 201015 yr by anewman

Well we've only had it a day and i haven't asked how much fuel she's used today lol but she is loving it

Ive had my MPI for over 5 years and the only time its ever let me down was when the original battery died at 6 years old - the cars now 10 years old and running fine. Ive had the usual fabia problems that seem to hit all the cars , but the engine has been spot on , never uses a drop of oil in between services and I get between 36 and 42 mpg (computer figures) depending on what kind of driving its used for. As for tax , because mine is an early car (V reg) my tax is only £125 a year - bonus!

Thats good to hear

Feedback seems quite good then. We're thinking of VRS replica for it, it's a 2002 model. Will it be 4 or 5 stud?

All Fabias are 5 stud - the vRS wheels will fit , if thats what you mean.

Lol yeh once i knew it was 5 stud i knew the wheels would go on without a problem

Just need the money now haha