Hwy is it went you are looking for ideas for a newer car.....

In article , snipped-for-privacy@bouncing-czechs.com spouted forth into uk.rec.cars.modifications...

Well, went and had a look.

Definatley a VTEC. Runs good, but is absolutley manky. Climate control works fantastically, set to 18 degrees and was in an instant fridge.

Bad news was It isn't the dark metallic red it appears to be in the photo, it is straight flat Honda Milano red

The service/import docs still weren't arround, and it wasn't 150k KMs, it was 167k KMs. They had a customer who signed a sales agreement with them, but couldn't afford the finance in the end so they had it back, they think he might have the paperwork, so I don't know if it has had all the belts/pulley/pump done, and I don't know (although most likely) that all the correct tax and stuff has been paid.

Lights all worked, everything good, except one thing, it was a BB4 chassis number, not a BB1. BB4 models are 2 wheel steer, not 4ws. BB4 models are popular amongst the Tokyo streetracer set because they are lighter due to no rear wheel steering, and more stable in a straight line, on the inside of the petrol flap was a "Racer101" sticker which I assume is some kind of jap magazine, as the rest of the sticker was in Japanese.

One thing that put me off most though was that the cars he is selling are stored in a green house (can't be good for rust, although this one was spotless). I drove te entire length of the lane it was supposed to be on (real country twister, single track, NSL, 25-30 safe if you don't know it) turned round and asked an old couple if they knew of it, their reply was a little off putting "Look for Lees Lane Nursery, thats where he is, but he might be gone because he has a cease order against him, Greenbelt you see". Bit worrying.

So I ain't getting it. Period

It's not possible that it's rare for the reason that no-one wanted to choose it as an option, is it? :-)

Peter

Good move. Anything slightly not quite right and it's well worth walking away from any car, as there are plenty of others (even if you might have to wait several months to find one that's exactly what you want). If there are lots of things not quite right, run away laughing.

When I was buying my Master van I had the option of this local one that's been owned by the local lawnmower man from new, has a genuine 50k on the clock and has always been well looked after, serviced every 6k on the dot and never let him down, for £3.5k.

I phoned around a few, including one up in Perth at £2.6k for pretty much the same van, and planned a cheap flight + coach journey up there to pick it up on the Sunday, and one minute after booking the flight online with Ryanair the bloke's wife phoned me up to say it had been sold, despite him saying that it was as good as mine.

Then there was another one, a slightly later one (W reg opposed to S) that on the first phone call he didn't seem to know much about it, and his response to questions about service history and mileage was "I buy and sell vans". Well forgive me for expecting you to know anything more than f*ck all about what you're selling. I asked him to dig up the paperwork on it and said I'd call back in an hour, to be told it had 120k on the clock, and a re-con engine. The price wasn't terrible, but it wasn't exactly cheap either, and if I'm buying one with a recon lump (of unkown quality of rebuild) as opposed to a regularly serviced one with a known history, then I'll want it a reasonable amount cheaper. The price was way OTT considering the only warranty I'd get would be the standard 3 months they have to supply under the Sale of Goods act. If I'm buying something with a re-con engine (reconditioned by them) then I'd want a proper warranty for 2 years/60,000 miles. Is that really asking too much? I don't consider it to be.

Anyway, I'm very happy with the van I got as it's been as good as gold, always starts first time, is reasonably economical (27-28mpg), and flew straight through its recent MOT not needing anything doing. I'm happy with that.

Peter

In article , snipped-for-privacy@WithThanks.com spouted forth into uk.rec.cars.modifications...

Even with the price, it was pushing it. They had it priced at £1695. It's a 13 year old import that has probably been streetraced, with 90+k miles on the clock (prime time for cambelt change/failure).

Asked them what the best price was, he said as it was at £1695, couldn't really go lower than £1600, as it was a trade in, and they had people sorting finance.

Sorry, but without papers, and the fact that the rear tyres were mixed brands, and there was signs of the backbox starting to get a little flaky (even with 12 months ticket) and the fact that they hadn't valetted it, even though I told them I would probably be over the next day, so it wasn't even preented properly. Probably offer £1100 without the history, and about £1300 if they had a documented proof of a belt and pump change.

bodywork was pretty shit hot apart from the dirt and flat paint. Just needed a good polish and wax, only a couple of stonechips that I could see, very small, and not through the primer layer, and none of the normal wheel arch blistering that a UK car might suffer.

And, best bit is on the insurance, £29 to swap from the Saab till October, and about £600 for renewal fully comp. Not bad for someone who has only been driving for coming up 3 year in October.

So it is £100 dearer than the Saab, but it is 8 years newer, with more power, and more desirable to steal because of the sportscar shape, and handling. Time to sort a decent thatcham cat 1 alarm for it when I find one.