Eyup.

 

Today, my beloved diesel Felicia met a lorry on a narrow country lane in Derbyshire. Unfortunately, it was being driven by a friend who only passed her test in May, and she got in a flap and temporarily forgot which pedal was the accelerator and which was the brake. Now I now have 3/4 of a Felicia. It looks like the front driver's side suspension (wishbone I think, though the suspension was already pretty loose) is bent, and the wing, lights, bonnet and bumper need replacing. It's clearly going to be a write off. I had it recovered on my breakdown cover rather than my insurance so I can decide what to do with it and because I have a £400 excess so there's no point claiming.

 

We also happen to have a spare MOT failed petrol Felicia 1.3 on our drive, which as far as I know has perfectly good front suspension. What I'm wondering is, how realistic might it be to take the decent bits from the petrol car to make a working vehicle? Is it in any way economically viable (I have no specialist knowledge or tools, just a Haynes manual and the internet)?

 

I should mention it also has a badly dented sill on the other side, since another friend (we have a 5-way 2-car sharing arrangement) had a disagreement with a low wall on Friday. Is that fixable? Would it automatically fail an MOT because of it?

 

And failing all that, it's got a perfectly good engine that's done 203000 miles. I understand there may be a market for this on account of VW T4 van compatibility. Is this true?

 

Alternatively, anyone want to sell me a Diesel Felicia?

Sorry to hear about the crash up, sadly it's probably scrap metal now, with that sort of mileage it's not ever going to be economical to repair it

Your friend that had the accident, make sure thy get straight back out there behind the wheel again, as soon as possible, the longer you leave it the harder it will get, especially if they are the nervy type.

Although we love our cars as long as nobody is hurt that is the main thing, I think it sounds like it will be a challenge for an experienced person With a workshop to build one out of the two there are always people looking for spare parts if you break it clive

Yeah, looking at it in daylight and being realistic, it's ridiculous to consider resurrecting it. Sell it for bits and buy another I reckon.

 

Should I sign up as whatever kind of member I have to be to sell it here on the forum, or stick it on Ebay, I wonder...

Yeah, looking at it in daylight and being realistic, it's ridiculous to consider resurrecting it. Sell it for bits and buy another I reckon.

 

Should I sign up as whatever kind of member I have to be to sell it here on the forum, or stick it on Ebay, I wonder...

 

See "shop" above to sign up to freedom and advertise on here in parts for sale forum.

Does Gli model have front fog lights? I would be intrested if so.

Edited 5 November, 201411 yr by R_U_AFA

No fog lights, no, just holes in the bumper filled with grilles.

See "shop" above to sign up to freedom and advertise on here in parts for sale forum.

I may yet do that. £4 seems reasonable to post an ad when it's going towards running a useful forum.

Any idea how much I should hope to sell it for?

I would sell parts rather than the car as a whole - You should get more for it.

I would sell parts rather than the car as a whole - You should get more for it.

 

True, but what a massive faff. Would you Ebay all the individual bits?

 

Here's another question, probably warranting its own thread: do the different versions of the Felicia have different suspension arms? I've found (mostly on Ebay shops) suspension arms that claim to fit only a 1.3, 1.6 or 1.9 model but then others list all the versions of the Felicia as compatible. Can I take an arm off a 1.3 petrol Felicia and stick it on a 1.9 diesel? Will it fit? Will it work?

Ah yes, there is 2 types of track control arm, the mounting points, bushes and the physical dimensions are identical on both, the difference is that one type has an extra hole to take he anti roll bar link, some 1300cc models don't have an anti roil bar fitted so have the type with no roll bar mounting, however some including mine had no anti roll bar fitted at the factory but it did have the track control arms with the roll bar link mounting hole, it's pot luck as to which type you have..

they are side specific too, the lower ball joint is riveted to the end so it can only be removed by drilling or grinding the rivet heads off. You can buy aftermarket ball joints for them where you remove the old an a new one is bolted on instead..

so in summary to your question, yes it will fit so long as it has the anti roll bar mounting, and so long as it came from the same side of the car.

That makes sense. I know very little about suspension, but was wondering what that bar on my Diesel Felicia was earlier... anti roll bar makes sense.

 

As the wishbone is bent and buckled, will the anti-roll bar be bent too? I was imagining that I could use the one off the spare 1.3 Felicia sitting on our drive along with the wishbone if the original is bent, but from what you say, it may not have an anti roll bar on it. I shall check in daylight.

Looks like the spare car has the hole for anti roll bar but doesn't have the bar itself. I can't see how the anti roll bar wouldn't be bent along with the suspension arm, but I'll give it a go anyway.

Looks like the spare car has the hole for anti roll bar but doesn't have the bar itself. I can't see how the anti roll bar wouldn't be bent along with the suspension arm, but I'll give it a go anyway.

Anti roll bar is a giant spring, a linear spring, they are supposed to bend.

Excellent

Looks like I'm going to give up on the Felicia. I've established that the drive shaft is bent, along with the suspension arm and probably the track rod. I'd have to replace these along with the wing, the headlight, the bumper and the radiator, and the non-replaceable metal bits where these parts attach are also bent. The front suspension already needed stuff replacing on both sides, and I've found that the engine stabilizer is totally knackered (again). With the dented sill on the other side it may fail its next MOT in April regardless of all this. Also, it looks like we might actually get something back from the insurance, and I might have someone interested in buying the car for its engine. On that basis, I have to admit it's probably not worth fixing. I'll miss the Felicia, but at 202000 miles and with so much rust underneath and so much play in every moving part, it's time to let go.

 

Anyway, I've bought a 2002 estate Fabia SDi to replace it now At 110000 miles, it needs a good few things fixing and replacing, but the engine and body seem sound so yay.

Edited 29 November, 201411 yr by dylofpoke