Black smoke from a 106?

Worry (or not)? Ok, I think from my basic knowledge of the 1.4 K series lump is that it is vulnerable to damage, especially if it's allowed to overheat. I'm not aware of any such weaknesses in the 106. That is the point.

Same with the Sierra and the MkI/II Escorts (and why we built a kit from one), very few real vices. Cam belt snapped on the Sierra a few hundred yards from home. It didn't bother me as the 2L Pinto was a safe engine. £12 cam belt and 1hr later and I carried on my day.

Nope, just that we are being offered a 106 and not going to find a Metro.

Indeed.

Like I said .. never liked them, never saw the point, including the BMW ones.

All the best ..

T i m

Or our daughters mates Mum who just dumped their Rover 100 for a Modus 'because' .. she regularly drives from London to Southend and was aware if something should 'happen' then being in something 'better' would give her more of a chance.

You can be doing nothing wrong and be crashed into as well you know .. as per the driver of the 'other' vehicle in the following ...

Exactly. And the question is why aren't we all out right now buying vehicles off the top of such lists?

All the best ..

T i m

Ok. We take an 88K mile, 1978 MK2 Escort, strip it down and bolt all the moving bits back onto a new chassis / body. We have owned / driven that for a further 17 years and have hardly had anything go wrong (and certainly nothing that has EVER stopped us getting home).

Now ignoring rust, what difference would it have been if it was all still in the 1978 Escort body?

Ok, I had to put a clutch cable and cam belt on the Sierra but that was it outside of std servicing (which was very irregular towards the end). In the last 3+ years the Rover has had a new throttle cable, (cam belt because I seemed sensible) and a new rear box (well two because one 'whistled' but it was a score) and a metal water pipe (I poked a rusty bit and made it leak). The Astra (also had for 3+ years now) had a new rear box a few months ago (£18 from memory) and a battery (£29).

Hardly expensive or troublesome motoring considering eh?

Now I'm not saying there isn't a bit of luck to be had here but guess what the common factor was with all the above cars ...?

The Sierra I'd driven from new (Ex Company car). The Rover was my mates. The Astra was My Dad's, then my Niece now the Missuses.

We built the kitcar.

I'm not saying that I'm right, just saying what seems to work for us.

All the best ..

T i m

Depends how you drive: if the extra pull in the TD means you thrash it less, where you were ragging the life out of the NA diesel, the TD might be better.

VW did a TD a few years ago that was cleaner and more economical than the NA lump of the time: it used a small turbo not for performance, but to just run the engine on excess air all the time.

It does.

Because the likelyhood of being involved in a big smash is so slim that I, for one, consider many other things to be significantly more important when buying a car.

I was just giving you an alternative, low mileage, fully MOTd and tested car for a pittance.

You've obviously decided to throw all your efforts into this 106.

Well, good luck to you, despite all the suggestions that it'll be a PITA of a car to own and quite possibly a nightmare to get tested.

Well, at first thought then so would I, but would that be the same (for me) if money and possibly fuel economy (from an environmental not cost pov) were no object.

Would you put your family in anything but the safest?

All the best ..

T i m

And I thanked you and tried to look at the site but couldn't.

The point is (and the point that many here seem to overlook) is that she is being offered a Pug 106, possibly for 0 cost + 'something'.

The 'something' being known's (MOT) then 'unknowns' that can be easily capped.

Because she didn't buy the Metro (or any of the other models suggested here that no one in the family is currently offering us)? You know it hasn't recently stood for three years then or is it because it's that's much better than a 106?

Would the owner of the Metro let us take it and get it MOT'd again, see how we get on with it and just hand it back if we didn't like it then?

Thanks Steve. FWIW I'm not sure anyone here has yet said the Pug 106 is a PITA car to own in general, some have suggested there may be some issues because it has stood (not all have) but there may well not be. Don't worry, there will be no 'nightmares' re getting it tested, it will either pass or it won't and we will see what happens after that.[1]

BTW I have already said I'll be the first person to come here and say 'you told us so' (if that makes you feel any better) but don't hold yer breath. You never know, you might see it for sale on Loot in a couple of years time with another full MOT and someone will happily buy it without 'worrying' if it ever stood for 3 years sometime in it's life.

Chill.

All the best ..

T i m

Makes sense. To be fair I only really notice the lack of power when towing therefore am happier it's a simpler solution for the rest of the time (less things to go wrong / cost money etc).

Clever. I didn't realise (till a couple of days ago) how many cars recycle some exhaust gas back into the inlet etc.

Unfortunately, I wasn't given a choice what engine to have ... "ere, Tim, do you want my Rover for 100 quid .. " ;-)

All the best ..

T i m

The message from T i m contains these words:

By that test you'd be better off not driving at all. Nor crossing the road.

Ok. Well although this 106 may not have been used (on the road for real) for a few years I believe it had been started and moved about on their drive and between drives a few times over that period (so maybe not quite so bad as it first looked)?

I was thinking more about the deposit that was mentioned here somewhere.

Ere, I could always get some of those Fuel Cat pills and put in there .. they stop fuel 'going off'! ;-)

All the best ..

T i m

p.s. The kit car hasn't moved any distance for 2 years (just the MOT etc). That fuel is 2 years old and it stated ok and seemed to run ok. Could that be down to the advantages of a very basic engine?

Or driving carefully (being realistic).

Or looking properly before you cross the road?

None of the stuff *we* drive could be considered 'safe' but I was just suggesting where we have a choice, most 'sensible' everyday people would choose the safest option as long as it didn't compromise other aspects too-much.

There are some where there is no compromise to safety .. what's the point of 'enjoying' fast (dangerous) cars if you die in one? Can't enjoy them any more can you?

Also, because *you* (say) want to hang glide doesn't mean you would also subject your family to the same risks does it?

All the best ..

T i m

Yep. It's far far worse than a mini :-)

Still don't fancy the excessive hydrocarbon 106 though....

(Guy

There's lots about new, but they are very hard to find secondhand.

Well neither you nor I have to fancy it Chris .. and there is probably little question that it can be sorted but the question is at what cost.

Yes, one can probably find a 'good' small runabout for £500 but they don't seem that thick on the ground.

If we were to spend £500 getting this one on the road we will have still spent less some people's cars depreciate in a month and will have a clean and 'known' runabout that won't cost a fortune in fuel / tyres from then on ..

All the best ..

T i m

(Guy

A mate went to the auction and was looking out for a Ka for someone else for a runabout. He clocked a scruffy but potentially sound older specimen but stopped bidding at 500 quid. It finally went for £1200.

We recently missed a 1600 auto (very low mileage) Escort but that was still over a grand ... ;-(

All the best ..

T i m

The message from T i m contains these words:

I got chatting to a bloke at Telford car auctions who reckoned he made his living buying cars at Cannock and driving them to Telford and flogging them again. Apparently there's enough difference between the two markets to make it worth it!

Agreed. Personally I'd be less worried about the standing than a lot of people, but the black smoke? The Lambda sensor & cat will probably be screwed, which means things could get pricey. Could be a fuel pressure regulator too. If it's been run like that for a while, the cylinders will have been washed with neat petrol.

Not looked for a long time. Personally I'd forgo the PAS and get a late MK3 Polo, because I'm a VAG fanboi. Mk4s might be falling into that level now as well.

Yep, but it might be you chance your £500 and not fix it. Still, the used car market is a lottery one way or the other.

I suppose the thing to do is try to sort the rich running- with s/h parts- and then MOT it and see if the cat is screwed. How much is one of those?