I'm feeling so low right now. Bought a clean looking Mk1 VRS Octavia 2 weeks ago form a small car garage. I booked into a garage for some rad bushes under warranty and the chap form the garage has just phoned my saying that something wasn't quite right with the car. One of the springs has been fitted up side down, and the floor pan has been repaired. also the radiator and cowlings are all new. basically he said it has been in a front ender not to long ado. I'm utterly gutted. Spent ages trying to find a good one but seems that you can not win. The rest of the car is pretty mint and the HPI check just showed some finance which has been sorted by the garage I bought it from.

I'm off the repairers tonight to have a look for myself. I'm not sure how the floor pan could have been damaged unless it has been in a big accident or in a ditch. Ill try and get some pics later. dreading it though.

Ant (the currently pessimistic)

Sounds obvious, but take it back for a refund.

There is so such thing as "sold as seen" when it comes to cars.

Could the floor pan repair be from jacking damage maybe?

I'm fairly sure you can't fit any of the standard springs upside down?! Unless you're blind/mental.

Could be referring to the sills being bent from bad jacking and then straightened, very common problem on the Octavia MK1. The front springs are part of the main strut assembly, if a damper has been replaced in the past then the whole lot needs to be taken apart.

yeah quite possible from jacking damage. She seals are a pushed in. The car drives totally fine, after i had the tracking done. no dive or pull under braking. ill have a look later maybe the guy in the repairerswas playing it up a bit.

Could the floor pan repair be from jacking damage maybe?

I'm fairly sure you can't fit any of the standard springs upside down?! Unless you're blind/mental.

Plus 1 on the floor plan. If it was a big front end crash that was enough to come back into the floor plan, the car would be a type B write-off (not suitable for the road)

TBH, my first car was a crashed damaged car and it was a good car, still going strong to this day! I would check the Chassis arms to see if there are any repairs on there, if not, don't worry! The cambelt is on the side of the engine and the turbo is on the rear, so the vital parts wouldn't be struck in a head on.

If they have been repaired that is when you need concern! But I would go back to the garage and try and get some money back!

Before you get too worried, could it be that the garage you have taken car to do not know what they are talking about. As mentioned crushed sills are common on these cars coz the stupid exhaust and tyre fitting garages don't know no better than to jack on a thin seam.

Check for yourself what the Garage are saying and then get a another opinion if you are not sure. Fitting a spring upside down is a bit stupid but not the end of the world to correct it.

Radiator cowlings could of been replaced at time of radiator changes to make the job easier.

Interesting you said drives fine after tracking, could that mean as tracking was off, there may of been something that caused it??

I would check and be sure, before you feel you have purchased a dud..

From memory there's no top or bottom to the coil spring . Plus if they wasn't fitted/seated correctly you would more than likely have noise coming through when driving/turning or notchy steering while turning the wheel .

If its not a cat c or d write off i wouldnt be too worried, loads of pranged cars on the road

If its not a cat c or d write off i wouldnt be too worried, loads of pranged cars on the road

Cat A is for burn outs and gutted vehicles. Only value is in the baled weight at a metal recyclers.

Cat B is where the vehicle is no longer safe to put back on the road and must be broken or crushed. These can only be sold to registered dismantlers with an EPA waste licence. They are actually sold as parts and are no longer considered as a vehicle. There is no economic consideration involved, purely a safety one. Vehicles that have been flooded are normally written off as a cat B.

Cat C is where the car is repairable but is not economic to do so. Think older cars and or ones where the chassis needs jigging.

Cat D is where the vehicle is repairable and would be economic to do so (cost of salvage + cost of repairs < Pre accident value) but the insurance company has decided not to repair the vehicle. This could be due to excessive storage or recovery costs, etc.

I ment it hasn't been a write off.

Probably been in a fender bender and either repaired via insurance or repaired at owners cost

Either way its not on the VIC check so value isnt effected

The OP has already posted back that it was the sills that were bent, which as we all know is a very common problem on the MK1 Octavia. All the other problems could simply be the result of replacement parts being fitted due to failure. Broken Spring or damper, radiator leaking etc. I'd say the OP has nothing to worry about at all.

Thanks for all your replies. I went over and had a looked last night and the damage isn't to bad. All the engine covers and over vital bits look original. The rad and cowlings are new but fit well. there is quite a bit of jacking damage on the seals and the front off side floor pan. The rest of the car looks good underneath. the spring does need refitting as it has not been seated on its color properly. its leans off to one side. this is on the nearside front. i have a picture and hope to post it soon. so no need to panic but my wallet is drying up a bit. would have done it myself if i didn't have to work in the road. i'm gonna try and get some money off the garage that sold it to me but he seems to be quite slimy when i mentioned the rad bushings needed doing.

cheers again

A

Thanks for all your replies. I went over and had a looked last night and the damage isn't to bad. All the engine covers and over vital bits look original. The rad and cowlings are new but fit well. there is quite a bit of jacking damage on the seals and the front off side floor pan. The rest of the car looks good underneath. the spring does need refitting as it has not been seated on its color properly. its leans off to one side. this is on the nearside front. i have a picture and hope to post it soon. so no need to panic but my wallet is drying up a bit. would have done it myself if i didn't have to work in the road. i'm gonna try and get some money off the garage that sold it to me but he seems to be quite slimy when i mentioned the rad bushings needed doing.

cheers again

A

Good luck buddy , post pics of the car as it is sitting from front side etc so we can see if anything looks odd. Seen a few where the car has taken a side hit on the wing and suspension leg has been pushed in.

Get the picture up ASAP but you mention the spring sits off to one side, Even if its been fitted wrong, which I can't see how, it should be straight. Its most likely snapped, which is a common, not major problem.

Hi again. got the car from the garage last night with out the spring being sorted. the chap i bought it from is being very difficult so now I'm going to take it back. The rad is nice and tight but the clattering is still very much there. I assume this must be from the spring. bummer as it has just been MOT'd.

The photos are linked below. sorry they are not very good.

That spring looks like its not for the car..... or broken..... i would Demand money back or tell them you are reporting their MOT tester to VOSA. that will bother them.

What coloured dots are on the spring?

I'm an mot tester,as long as the spring is not broken and seated top and bottom,there's not much you can do about it,it can be the wrong spring it doesn't matter for an mot.

the dots on the spring at yellow on the front for sure, blue on the rear i think. i was under it properly with a pry bar this evening and couldn't really feel anything loose. the control are had moment but wasn't notchy of loose. but moved quite easily with a lever. arb bushes seemed good. the noise seems to disappear under breaking and apparently when both wheels are bumped together but hard to tell. as dropping the clutch in gear when moving causes this noise. a clattering sound and seems to come from both sides but not at the same time. i dont want to take it back to the guy miles away just for him to say 'i dunno i cant hear it'.

cheers for the help. A

Cat A is for burn outs and gutted vehicles. Only value is in the baled weight at a metal recyclers.

Cat B is where the vehicle is no longer safe to put back on the road and must be broken or crushed. These can only be sold to registered dismantlers with an EPA waste licence. They are actually sold as parts and are no longer considered as a vehicle. There is no economic consideration involved, purely a safety one. Vehicles that have been flooded are normally written off as a cat B.

Cat C is where the car is repairable but is not economic to do so. Think older cars and or ones where the chassis needs jigging.

Cat D is where the vehicle is repairable and would be economic to do so (cost of salvage + cost of repairs < Pre accident value) but the insurance company has decided not to repair the vehicle. This could be due to excessive storage or recovery costs, etc.

Perfect quote

From the look in the pic I think that you don't have wrong spring but a broken spring as it looks like it is missing one or more rings which is why it is sitting odd and probably why easy to move under force. A broken spring is common and caused by a seized top mount bearing.

Sent from my Galaxy S3.

That really does not look right, from that angle, Almost like it broken a coil or 2, that has come clean off and the bit that has come off has just been pulled out and chucked..... any chance you could get a photo looking in the spring rest.... where that coil is resting on the bottom of the shock.

Although like i say, that angle is awkward to tell.

The Clattering could be Dead ARB bushes/Droplinks.

Edited 12 April, 201313 yr by vRSsunroof

cool thanks for having a look. here are the pics attached. I took the near side front calliper and carrier off today and the back pad just fell out. maybe this be the cause of the rattle. should there be a retention clip of something to hold the pad on the piston side back? there was a very un-sticky patch on the back of the pad. which looked like it should have done something. but never seen this before. they are almost new ferodo pads and new disc.

on the with the wheels off the floor and gave the arb drop links a pull up and down. no play.

On the piston side on the front calipers there are some steel prongs which locate the pad inside the piston?