Asked in the buying section but got zero replies. 

 

I currently have a Fiesta ST (08 plate, 52k on clock) which I'm looking to part ex for something more economical to run. One of the cars on my short list is the mk1 Fabia vrs. What should I be looking out for when buying one of these? Is there common faults? All the ones cloest to me have over 90k on the clock which is putting me off a bit. 

 

Thanks

Asked in the buying section but got zero replies.

I currently have a Fiesta ST (08 plate, 52k on clock) which I'm looking to part ex for something more economical to run. One of the cars on my short list is the mk1 Fabia vrs. What should I be looking out for when buying one of these? Is there common faults? All the ones cloest to me have over 90k on the clock which is putting me off a bit.

Thanks

PD130 engines are strong and known to have hit 200k so don't worry about mileage! Main things I guess would be turbo and dmf

 

Asked in the buying section but got zero replies. 

 

I currently have a Fiesta ST (08 plate, 52k on clock) which I'm looking to part ex for something more economical to run. One of the cars on my short list is the mk1 Fabia vrs. What should I be looking out for when buying one of these? Is there common faults? All the ones cloest to me have over 90k on the clock which is putting me off a bit. 

 

Thanks

 

wet carpets in the rear, rattly duel mass flywheel, turbo on its way out (noisy) losing water (headgasket) take 1 for a spin and give it a blast see ghow it pulls check oil and service history of vehicle much better on fuel than an st also alot quicker after just a map! 

wet carpets in the rear, rattly duel mass flywheel, turbo on its way out (noisy) losing water (headgasket) take 1 for a spin and give it a blast see ghow it pulls check oil and service history of vehicle much better on fuel than an st also alot quicker after just a map!

Sadly not quite as well handling though :(

Thanks for the replies and the heads up on what to look for. Hopefully none of the ones I look at have a problem with the turbo as I can imagine it being an expensive job to repair. I read on another forum to check that the cam belt has been done as part of the service. This correct?

 

Out of interest what's the running costs when these are modified and mapped? My ST is currently at 186bhp but will be wanting to keep the Fabia standard for the time being as modifying and running the ST has cost me a fortune! 

 

I'll hopefully get a test drive sorted this week. Will be interesting to see how it handles compared to the ST which I find a really fun car to drive just need something that's more economical to run but still has that fun factor. 

just one £250 remap u'll see close to 180bhp and alot more torque than a ST and still 40+mpg

After a 186bhp little revving rocket ship like that, I personally think you'd find the Fabia very boring, lazy and uninvolved compared to it.

 

Ultimately a mapped Fabia won't have anywhere near the top end pull that you're used to, and as mentioned above it certainly won't handle anywhere near as good.

 

With that being said, a mapped Fabia will still achieve 40mpg in town and 50mpg on a run, and will have a dollop more torque to make it so easy to drive.

 

 

With regards to reliability, the main issues are the big ones unfortunately - turbo, clutch & dual-mass flywheel are the main ones to watch out for. Lots of other little niggles that you'd get with a lot of cars.

Good to know you can mod these and get a good return on mpg however part of the reason for wanting to part with the ST is I'm after my first house and need something that won't burn a hole in my pocket just to run it. If I get one I'll probably stick with it standard, at least for awhile. 

 

I have cams on my ST and the car comes alive at 4k however it does mean I have to rev the car quite hard to get the power out of it. At 130bhp as standard, these ain't quick but the amount of torque and mpg figures somewhat makes up for it which will be handy for the drive to and from work. 

 

What makes the handling rather poor? 

 

I appreciate the honest feedback. At least I know what to expect on the test drive.

Good to know you can mod these and get a good return on mpg however part of the reason for wanting to part with the ST is I'm after my first house and need something that won't burn a hole in my pocket just to run it. If I get one I'll probably stick with it standard, at least for awhile.

I have cams on my ST and the car comes alive at 4k however it does mean I have to rev the car quite hard to get the power out of it. At 130bhp as standard, these ain't quick but the amount of torque and mpg figures somewhat makes up for it which will be handy for the drive to and from work.

What makes the handling rather poor?

I appreciate the honest feedback. At least I know what to expect on the test drive.

Heavy front end because of the derv engine and people have said a poor chassis before now but I've not driven one yet!

As above really. A combination of a big heavy steel lump up front, and the fact that the chassis isn't the best. The rack isn't the quickest and I find you don't feel very connected to the road.

 

It's a nice daily car potentially though, as long as you don't fit cheap suspension!

 

Even with a decent set of coilovers and a rear anti-roll bar though, the car will never handle amazingly in my opinion. My old Mk1 Clio 2.0 16v would run absolute rings around it!!

As above really. A combination of a big heavy steel lump up front, and the fact that the chassis isn't the best. The rack isn't the quickest and I find you don't feel very connected to the road.

It's a nice daily car potentially though, as long as you don't fit cheap suspension!

Even with a decent set of coilovers and a rear anti-roll bar though, the car will never handle amazingly in my opinion. My old Mk1 Clio 2.0 16v would run absolute rings around it!!

What he means is don't fit JOMS

^^^YES!!