Well, I've been offered a Ford KA for a small sum. It's had 4 new tyres, and new breaks however it looks a little dog eared if I put it politely. It's done 79000

It's an X reg, in red with a little fading which I'm sure I can bring back up to looking great again. I've noticed KA's range from £450-£1500 for the exact same example (various levels of ware and tear/ dents/ etc) on AutoTrader with simular or more milage.

It's got an original Alloys, OEM CD player, Electric Windows, and PAS/ Central Locking with body coloured bumpers and slight faint flake on one of the front bumper panels. Theres a slight door dent on the n/s door and some trim missing inside. Oh and it's missing a bonnet prop..apart from that it all looks ok. But will a rusty sill, fuel cap area and the base of the A pillars be easy to fix?

It's got an MOT booked for Friday, but it's got a flat battery! I'm not sure if it's flat because it hasn't been driven or its actually dead... but will a rusty sill and the base of the A pillars be a problem?

Anyone else had experience of buying a cheap car and selling it on for a profit simular to a KA?

I should of taken some photos today really...but my phone was dead! Although in the deal I did get a free washer dryer! :p

I'm looking to hearing all the advice I can get!

Leon

Depends on what you're going to pay for it.

Without an mot it's worth £100 tops.

Other than that it's alway pot luck with cars like this, if you can do the work yourself and not spend much then it would probably be a winner, it all depends on how cheap you mean when you say cheap.

Worth scrap value really

That's the philosophy I am maintaining when looking at a 1998 106 1.5D tomorrow. £150 is (slightly above) scrap value only the one I'm looking at is MOT'd for a month or so, and taxed to June. Cheap motoring if it gets through MOT.

I paid 350 for a V plate corsa sport with no tax and test and a smashed screen at weekend, but i bought it to keep rather than sell,

Paid abit over odds but car is solid as a rock and getting quiet rare now as most have been killed

The bodies rot, the brake pipes rot, the PAS racks leak, the spark plugs seize in, worth scrap without a MOT. You might be cutting up the washer dryer to make repair patches for the rotten bits.

Shame really as they're good little cars. But the amount of them about and their tendency to rot does little for second hand values. We sold an 8 year old one with 70k and a couple of months mot for £250 as part of a trade it. It was as rotten as a pear!

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The bodies rot, the brake pipes rot, the PAS racks leak, the spark plugs seize in, worth scrap without a MOT. You might be cutting up the washer dryer to make repair patches for the rotten bits.

You forgot to mention the head gasket issues! Seen plenty around 60,000 miles with HGF.

Chris

The only thing that really let's them down IMO is that the pedals are too close together for my number 11 feet..

Bangeromics. If you get it spend as little a possible and just run it till it dies. If you get a year out of it happy days.

Hi! Wow thanks for all the replies, I had seen that they do rot quite a bit. I want to spend as little as possible...just funny how a 1997 KA can sell for £850!!!!

I don't understand how their priced so much considering they arn't a lot of car... hmmm I've paid £180 for the car (well over the next week or two)

It's a KA 2, so leather wheel, electric windows, c/l, PAS... I'm aware they are prone to leaking. Hmm... I'll see what it's like in a few days time as I've got to charge the battery before its driven to the MOT center!

I've kinda gone into this the wrong way really...but it could just be the rust thats the issue as the person before was going to keep it until she got pregnant!

Was this the advert for it?

Was this the advert for it?

Haha, nah! this was from my mums friend at work.

The one I've been given has body coloured bumpers and alloys! 2k!! wow thats a lot!..unless you just made that?!

Edited 1 January, 201313 yr by Leon-y-k

My first brand new car was a 1998 Ford Ka3 in Autumn Green with the OEM boot spoiler!

Towed with it too

Sold it after three years as it started (only very slightly) to rust on the upright shut line between the door and the rear quarter panel, for a Puma which then also started to bubble along the tops of the rear wheelarches...

...four wheels and a board, call it a Ford!

Edited 2 January, 201313 yr by silver1011

Pull it apart and sell the bits on ebay, then sell what's left to a scrappie.

If you charge a fiver here and a tenner there for bits and pieces

it will soon add up.

Hmm I've charged the battery for a day, and took it over to the car but it still didn't even tick over - nothing! The lights, wipers, radio, and fuel pump worked though so the battery might of still had no juice... Should I try a fresh battery to see if that brings anything to life?

Must be worth a punt on a battery. I just priced one up for the Mrs fiesta on ECP, £33! and thats for a ST

Try a jump pack first, but that would probably involve going to a garage.

The battery on my donor porsche was dead. The charger wouldn't even recognise the existence of a battery, let alone attempt to charge it. (The charger is clever like that and senses the voltage before charging at right rate)

What about jump starting it?

I bought a battery for my van last year and it turned out to be a

seized starter motor. Once the battery has been fitted they won't

take it back I'd bet. ECP didn't. Ended up having to buy a starter motor

as well in the end.

Can't you borrow some jump leads if you don't have some already?

Don't the clutches in these need replacing evry 30k?

What about jump starting it?

I bought a battery for my van last year and it turned out to be a

seized starter motor. Once the battery has been fitted they won't

take it back I'd bet. ECP didn't. Ended up having to buy a starter motor

as well in the end.

Can't you borrow some jump leads if you don't have some already?

Yeah, I'll give that a go tomorrow too and see how that works out, it's not been driven for 3 months so no wonder it wont start, I'd of thought it would of been a good idea to tick it over every now and then right?!

Will try it tomorrow and see what happens, I can jump it from my Octy right without blowing fuses?!

Don't the clutches in these need replacing evry 30k?

I'll soon find out I guess!

Oh, and not all projects turn into money makers. My porsche was a £370 bargain, which now owes me several hundred pounds more than its really worth now. Its one reason I am keeping it to be honest.

http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/breakdown_advice/using-jumpleads.html