I'm looking for a car for my wife and whilst she will just look at a picture and either nod or just remain silent, I'm giving things a little more thought 

 

In honesty I could buy a 1.6L Civic/Focus/Astra which she'll love and it would be perfectly usable.  But I fancy a warm/hot'ish hatch and a nice example for us to keep and enjoy owning/maintaining, something with a bit of character, something which I couldn't afford to buy or insure when I first started driving.  Yes I'm aware of the cliche! 

 

My search first started for a mk1 Octavia vRS's but people seem to be oblivious to what a clean example is and/or what a realistic asking price is.  I suppose they didn't sell in massive numbers and by the time people realised they were a good car, they'd stopped production; so it's pure luck whether or not a good one comes on the market when you're looking.  I've now cast my net a little wider (but not wide enough to reach France or Japan!)....

 

I'm now looking at Leon Mk1 20V T Cupra's and also Mk4 Golf 1.8T GTI's (150bhp).  I've actually put a holding deposit on what looks like a really clean Mk4 GTI with very low miles,  FSH, loads of receipts and one MOT advisory in it's history (tyre tread depth).  It's  been taken to various VW meets/shows and the owner quoted gear box and engine codes to me on the phone.   It was one of the last ones built before the Mk5 so should be pretty much snag free. I suspect it's a minter!   The only thing is though, the Mk4 GTI is a bit meh and I'll be honest, as dull as Teeside docks on a dull day, in Winter, at dusk.   I've checked with my preferred indy specialist and he insist's the Golf is better put together then everything else from the VAG stable, in the early 2000's.   My head is saying I should drive 200 miles view the car and if it all checks out, drive it home.  But...

 

I'm now looking at some Leon's of a similar mileage and spec but with the uprated 180bhp KS03s engine (same as the Octavia vRS).  I did toy with Audi A3's but was told "NO AUDI's!".    More searching around and I've also spotted two very nice, low mileage ST-170s'.  We had a 1.8L Focus back when they first came out and it was great to drive.  Cheap feeling interior but trouble free nonetheless.  We did want the ST-170 when they were launched but I was in my late teens and with no no-claims discount, the monthly insurance was more than the finance payments on the car.   We then px'd that car for my first ever Skoda, a Mk2 Octavia vRS which was shortly joined on the driveway with a Mk1 Fabia vRS (which I should never have sold!) So since then I've been a big Skoda/VAG fan and that's all we've had.   Not always the best to drive but well built, good indy specialists and info/advice always readily available on forums.   

 

I'm very aware that I'm overthinking this and likely if you've read this far I won't take offence to what you're calling me at the moment.  I'm also aware I'm looking at cars which are now being tipped as 'future classic's, 'on the up' etc etc.  I've timed this all wrong! 

 

I'd really appreciate some advice from people who've owned one or even better a few of these cars, what have they been like to own?  Which would you buy again or did you regret selling? Any major issues?  What to look out for? etc etc. 

 

I've got until Thursday before the Golf goes back on the market and what I buy is something that has to stay!  Time is something I don't really have at the mo, we've been looking for ages and my wife is carless next week!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The new Focus looks like a good proposition.........pity it’s not a glass cockpit though.

What is the max budget to buy it,

and how many miles a week or year has it to drive?

Remember how easy it is for a vehicle at a MOT to have a Major Fault meaning the car is not even supposed to be driven away from a test centre.

Maybe go for one that has a 12/ 13 month MOT and that is not from a 'Friendly' tester.

Edited 31 July, 20187 yr by Offski

15 minutes ago, Offski said:

What is the max budget to buy it,

and how many miles a week or year has it to drive?

Remember how easy it is for a vehicle at a MOT to have a Major Fault meaning the car is not even supposed to be driven away from a test centre.

Maybe go for one that has a 12/ 13 month MOT and that is not from a 'Friendly' tester.

Budget is £2500 but will go up a little more for something that's too good to miss out on.  Which I feel is plenty for a nice, honest example of any one of the cars I'm looking at. 

 

The Golf I've reserved is on it's 3rd owner and has been MOTd in Exeter, Wales and Bedfordshire so I would like to think that the various owners haven't all been to testers who are happy with taking £20 out the ashtray for a crisp certificate.  Gulp....

 

The car won't cover more than 5k miles per year, mostly around town with the odd 600 return trip to Wales during the school hols.  It's also the taxi for the dog but we'll be using full boot liners, dog box and guards to keep everything as clean as possible. 

Have you checked the past MOT Histories for advisories, especially the last one carried out?

 

EDIT,

OK i see you say 1 advisory on a tyre. tread depth.

So check all 4 tyres before paying for the car.

Dipstick check visual on oil,, fresh, clean not overfilled cold,

coolant sniff and colour check, open the air filter box and look,  what is the windscreen wash bottle like, not just water in it,

bum of the seat driving road test, a good one, at least 10 miles looking at coolant gauge, then give it some beans,

check oil once back and at operating temperature after a few minutes stopped....

spare wheel out and checked etc, a good sniff of the carpets, feel for wet / damp / disguising of wet / damp.

About all you can do.

Edited 31 July, 20187 yr by Offski

2 minutes ago, Offski said:

Have you checked the past MOT Histories for advisories, especially the last one carried out?

 

EDIT,

OK i see you say 1 advisory on a tyre.

So check all 4 tyres before paying for the car.

Last 4 MOT's have had zero advisories.  I tell a fib, the advisory was for a rear brake disc wearing thin (sorry I've looked at a lot of MoT histories lately!) but that wasn't picked up in the next one and I know the current owner has changed all 4 pads and discs and also had cambelt and water pump replaced in the last 12 months.    Everything about the Golf seems positive.  I'm hoping it's just not 'too good to be true'....

Just need to get the VIN and do a HPI check, which I should have tonight when the owner gets home from work...

HPI check ok on finance hopefully and a write off if reported to insurance and a claim made, but HPI no use on cars in a ditch and no insurance claim type thing,

rebuilt / ringers exist that no HPI will flag up.

 

Have fun.

 

News story on BBC Scotland today, all the people going to Caithness from all over the UK to collect a car bought online.

Always buyer beware, but you know that.

Guide Dogs for the stupid are available on Ebay / Gumtree.

http://bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-45018064 

Edited 31 July, 20187 yr by Offski