hi guys, its been little over two and half months of prolonged agony saving for a fabia, finally tho im drawing nearer and nearer to that moment where i finally have one, sadly tho im still about 5-6 weeks away from having the money to buy on :( which to you guys probaly seems like an age but to me is little in comparison to what ive been through lol really is tough lol i live in northern ireland and due to the frankly poor choice of fabias to choose from ill more than likely have to travel to the mainland to pick one up, which is always a bad thing as they sell slightly cheaper and english cars are generally better looked after so maybe a win win

im hoping in a few weeks time that ill have 5000 to spend on one, im one autotrader, pistonheads etc daily just browsing, with 5000 i think i can buy a pretty good one for 5000 im expecting to get models ranging from 04 with 40-50 thousand miles or 06 with 80-90 thousand miles. im having a hard time deciding on which end of the scale would be better to go for? the low milage of the younger car? the 04 would have aprox 6-7 thousand miles per yer which is nothing altho im concerned that may not be enough as i know these cars need a good running in before they come into their own so was thinking that the higher milage car would be better as it would be more run in?

all of your thoughts and opinions are welcome as i need help on which option would be best also things i should be looking out for, i think i kno a few, clunks over bumps etc (bushes), damp rear foot wells (door carrir seals) anything else?

tthanks, jordan

i'd go for a slightly older one with less miles

i was lucky got a 2007 with 32,000

I bought a 2005 (54 reg) Fabia vRS in corrida red in january 09 with 55k on it.

I now have put 18k on it since and even though the mileage is a wee bit heavy, it

Puts a really big smile on my face every time I drive it eg. What other car can waste

Waste a boxter off the lights, seriously humble a lot of more expensive metal and still

Return 55-60 mpg??

Diesels are the future

Viva la fabia vRS!!!

The only real benefit to buying a later car is that you will be getting a BLT engine which is generally accepted to be putting out 140-150bhp standard vs. the ASZ motor which is 130bhp. If you are going to remap then it doesn't matter as they both end up at roughly 170bhp.

I would suggest you avoid the early and ueber rare long ratio 6th gearbox cars because you'll never use 6th in Norn Iron anyway.

Ultimately, the registration letter doesn't matter to you either so I would try and look at as many cars as possible and get the best one you see irespective of age, mileage etc. The engines will easily do more miles than the interior will last for, so long as it's serviced.

Low mileage cars tend to do short journeys which is bad for the turbo and heavier on wear on the internals. High mileage cars may be lovely (my own car as almost 120,000 miles in 4 years and the rear bench has only once been used as a seat. Likewise, the front passenger seat is perfect. The drivers seat is well worn though!

I'd say that with £5K in cash you'll be able to get a decent car. Keep checking the 'For Sale' section on here as well. If you're buying from someone who has been here since 2003 and they're on their 2nd or 3rd vRS, the chances are you'll be buying from someone who doesn't want to be embarrased by selling a duffer to a fellow Briskodian.

And, as always, cash speaks volumes. A car advertised at £5500 is actually a car they want £5000 for and will probably take £4750. So haggle hard. And bring someone who doesn't like Skodas with you as well so they can talk you out of buying one until you've seen at least 5 or 6. Even if I couldn't afford to buy a car from a dealer, I would certainly test drive every available vRS in the North so I knew what it felt like. That way, if you come over to GB and drive a duffer you'll know it immediately.

And DO YOUR HOMEWORK! Know the specs, the colours, everything - so if you come across a cut'n'shut you know that too.

I bought a 2005 (54 reg) Fabia vRS in corrida red in january 09 with 55k on it.

I now have put 18k on it since and even though the mileage is a wee bit heavy, it

Puts a really big smile on my face every time I drive it eg. What other car can waste

Waste a boxter off the lights, seriously humble a lot of more expensive metal and still

Return 55-60 mpg??

Diesels are the future

Viva la fabia vRS!!!

What remapping/mods have you done to your car?

I wish I could waste a Boxster off the lights - they run 0-60 in about 6 secs!

Lewwy

What remapping/mods have you done to your car?

I wish I could waste a Boxster off the lights - they run 0-60 in about 6 secs!

Lewwy

I've kept with a boxster before, there not really a fast car tbh. Saying that, im sure things would be different if the likes of Tiff Needell were driving it.

The only real benefit to buying a later car is that you will be getting a BLT engine which is generally accepted to be putting out 140-150bhp standard vs. the ASZ motor which is 130bhp. If you are going to remap then it doesn't matter as they both end up at roughly 170bhp.

I would suggest you avoid the early and ueber rare long ratio 6th gearbox cars because you'll never use 6th in Norn Iron anyway.

Ultimately, the registration letter doesn't matter to you either so I would try and look at as many cars as possible and get the best one you see irespective of age, mileage etc. The engines will easily do more miles than the interior will last for, so long as it's serviced.

Low mileage cars tend to do short journeys which is bad for the turbo and heavier on wear on the internals. High mileage cars may be lovely (my own car as almost 120,000 miles in 4 years and the rear bench has only once been used as a seat. Likewise, the front passenger seat is perfect. The drivers seat is well worn though!

I'd say that with £5K in cash you'll be able to get a decent car. Keep checking the 'For Sale' section on here as well. If you're buying from someone who has been here since 2003 and they're on their 2nd or 3rd vRS, the chances are you'll be buying from someone who doesn't want to be embarrased by selling a duffer to a fellow Briskodian.

And, as always, cash speaks volumes. A car advertised at £5500 is actually a car they want £5000 for and will probably take £4750. So haggle hard. And bring someone who doesn't like Skodas with you as well so they can talk you out of buying one until you've seen at least 5 or 6. Even if I couldn't afford to buy a car from a dealer, I would certainly test drive every available vRS in the North so I knew what it felt like. That way, if you come over to GB and drive a duffer you'll know it immediately.

And DO YOUR HOMEWORK! Know the specs, the colours, everything - so if you come across a cut'n'shut you know that too.

hi thanks for all your hellp matey

could you explain about the registration letter and why that would matter, to some? and also what is meant by cut' n' shut? lol and im pretty familar with the fabia vrs im on here day in day out and know a vrs from a vest but would ya mind elaborating a wee bit more? and ive so far driven two vrs, one was terrible! and i mean that, it was on a V reg which was damaged repaired, 06 with 6700 miles, was PANTS! later found out on here that it has been on sale for about three years lol the other was an 04 with 120,000 mile but was a lovely wee car and drove very wel, had too much milage for my liking but just to see what it was like so i know how one SHOULD drive now i just have to find one. also it might be hard locating a few close together on the mainland to look at cause id be very cross on arriving to discover that the car wasn how they had advertised it lol

jordan

I kept up with a Boxster once too... I was doing 40 in a 40 zone and so was the Boxster. It was awesome.

Edited 27 August, 201015 yr by Big Mikey

hi thanks for all your hellp matey

could you explain about the registration letter and why that would matter, to some? and also what is meant by cut' n' shut? lol and im pretty familar with the fabia vrs im on here day in day out and know a vrs from a vest but would ya mind elaborating a wee bit more? and ive so far driven two vrs, one was terrible! and i mean that, it was on a V reg which was damaged repaired, 06 with 6700 miles, was PANTS! later found out on here that it has been on sale for about three years lol the other was an 04 with 120,000 mile but was a lovely wee car and drove very wel, had too much milage for my liking but just to see what it was like so i know how one SHOULD drive now i just have to find one. also it might be hard locating a few close together on the mainland to look at cause id be very cross on arriving to discover that the car wasn how they had advertised it lol

jordan

Hi mate - good luck with your quest! I'm not sure why the reg letters would matter to anyone, the first two letters in the 'new' style UK registration plates are location identifiers, the last three are random letters to make each registration unique. A 'cut and shut' is a type of crash-repair which is based on buying a wrecked car and sawing off the wrecked section to replace it with a matching section from a similar car. Highly dangerous not to mention illegal but don't worry too much about it as you'd have to be extremely unlucky or naive to buy one.

If I'm reading your text correnctly, the 'V' reg car that you drove sounds highly suspicious to me - not sure how an 06 car could be on a 'V' reg unless it was a private plate - write offs which have been rebuilt are usually 'Q' registered, vRS was introduced at 03 or 53 plate I think. The 04 with 120k will have been great but like you, I would be tempted to find a lower mileage example.

Hi mate - good luck with your quest! I'm not sure why the reg letters would matter to anyone, the first two letters in the 'new' style UK registration plates are location identifiers, the last three are random letters to make each registration unique. A 'cut and shut' is a type of crash-repair which is based on buying a wrecked car and sawing off the wrecked section to replace it with a matching section from a similar car. Highly dangerous not to mention illegal but don't worry too much about it as you'd have to be extremely unlucky or naive to buy one.

If I'm reading your text correnctly, the 'V' reg car that you drove sounds highly suspicious to me - not sure how an 06 car could be on a 'V' reg unless it was a private plate - write offs which have been rebuilt are usually 'Q' registered, vRS was introduced at 03 or 53 plate I think. The 04 with 120k will have been great but like you, I would be tempted to find a lower mileage example.

im not quite sure what is meant either by V reg, i just assumed that is was some equivalent of CAT D or C for example, anyway it was the first car i drove and was just balls, i mean it was marginally quicker than my current 1.2 16v clio, seriously im not kidding. my dad has a octavia mk 2 pd170 and the the skoda mechanics who service his said that they are as quicker if not quicker too 80 than the octy so we had something to compare it to, it was just balls lol and i dont think ill get a cut in shut or should i say fall for it lol ill be bringing my dad with me who has an eye for cars and is pretty keen on them, and also works a hard bargin lol

jordan

Maybe it was a V reg 1.2 badged as a vRS?! What colour was it?

Fabia VRS's are quite rare here(norn iron) - I travelled to Scotland to get mine.

There are several Cat D's floating about - always do a check!!!

Good luck!

Fabia VRS's are quite rare here(norn iron) - I travelled to Scotland to get mine.

There are several Cat D's floating about - always do a check!!!

Good luck!

how would i check apart from the obvious signs physically?

thanks

Maybe it was a V reg 1.2 badged as a vRS?! What colour was it?

nah was def a VRS, big diesel lump up front, i just think the engine had so little running that everything had just seized?

jordan

Theres a few vrs's for sale here in Norn Iron. I managed to get mine through John Mulholland Motors, local to me and when I seen that it was for sale I was there straight away lol.

Keep ur eyes peeled.

Theres a few vrs's for sale here in Norn Iron. I managed to get mine through John Mulholland Motors, local to me and when I seen that it was for sale I was there straight away lol.

Keep ur eyes peeled.

i see that your profile says limited edition? i dunno if its you but i live in portadown and occasionally see one driving about, just wondering if its you? and i know i could probly get one through a dealer but id pay ridiculuous money for it lol

Not me im afraid, im up in Ballyclare here but am in Ballymena as my other half is from there

Yeah Mervyn Stewarts had a Limited Edition Fabia there a few months back but dont think it was in the showroom too long!

Don't be put off by the high mileage, my dad has one of the original Fabia vRS (2004) and it has 110,000 miles on it now and its brilliant - he drives @ 50mph everywhere but hey, he gets it serviced at all the right times etc so no bother with it.

Will keep a look out for ya.

im not quite sure what is meant either by V reg, i just assumed that is was some equivalent of CAT D or C for example

jordan

It's not a V reg, it's on the V car register. It's been in a insurance claim, damaged stolen etc

Matt

I've not really done any mods to it apart from a jetex filter and giving it a good doin everytime I'm out in it.

The next mod is to do something with the brakes, 312mm setup or maybe brembos from the front of a leon cupra r if they fit