It's just ocurred to me that I've had this car for just over a year now, I never intended to do a thread for it because there wasn't going to be anything to say. It's about as dull as a car can be, but it might also be one of my best automotive buys..
In late 2022 I had been using my Chrysler Crossfire as a daily until I realised the rear subframe was trying to part ways from the car.. In replacing the bushes for that, I ended up doing a full suspension overhaul, found some rust and long story short, I've not driven it since
I live within walking/cycling distance of work with a fairly regular bus route also so that combo kept me going for a bit, and anything that needed a car, I was borrowing my gf's 207. This was sort of working, but by late January 2023 the Crossfire wasn't close to being back on the road and after a particularly cold evening trying to get back from work with buses that didn't turn up, I decided I needed a working car of my own again.
Cheap was the name of the game, ever since the pandemic, it seems nearly impossible to buy a decent cheap car but I didn't want to spend more than a grand. I spent a while looking and discounting various options, usually I would look for something a bit oddball but the idea was that my gf might be able to use the car sometimes as well (the 207 hasn't been a particular bastion of reliability in our ownership) so that meant I was looking at fairly normal hatchbacks.
Eventually this Almera popped up on ebay, within budget, low owners, full service history, located not too far away in the midlands. I ummed and ahhed about it, then decided to put a bid on without having seen the car. I ended up winning and this would be the first time I've ever bought a car blind
Previous owner was a retired former Nissan mechanic who had had the car since 2002, sure enough there were stamps for services for pretty much every year since 2001. I think there was one missing for 2020 or 2021 but the miles done in that time were low. The car itself is a pre-facelift 1.5 petrol S, which I think is pretty much the base model. Does have electric windows and air con that works though so can't complain.
The best bit was that it only cost me £820. Now in 2019 I got my Honda Legend coupe for 800 and in 2015 I managed to get my BMW 750i for 700 but post pandemic, I'll say it was a good deal!
Not long after getting it home I gave it a good clean
It's in very good condition really. There is a scratch down one side, and both bumpers seem to have had little bumps in the past as the lines aren't perfect and there's been a bit of touch up paint, but no rust that I could see which for a 20+ year old Japanese car was impressive!
In late 2022 I had been using my Chrysler Crossfire as a daily until I realised the rear subframe was trying to part ways from the car.. In replacing the bushes for that, I ended up doing a full suspension overhaul, found some rust and long story short, I've not driven it since
I live within walking/cycling distance of work with a fairly regular bus route also so that combo kept me going for a bit, and anything that needed a car, I was borrowing my gf's 207. This was sort of working, but by late January 2023 the Crossfire wasn't close to being back on the road and after a particularly cold evening trying to get back from work with buses that didn't turn up, I decided I needed a working car of my own again.
Cheap was the name of the game, ever since the pandemic, it seems nearly impossible to buy a decent cheap car but I didn't want to spend more than a grand. I spent a while looking and discounting various options, usually I would look for something a bit oddball but the idea was that my gf might be able to use the car sometimes as well (the 207 hasn't been a particular bastion of reliability in our ownership) so that meant I was looking at fairly normal hatchbacks.
Eventually this Almera popped up on ebay, within budget, low owners, full service history, located not too far away in the midlands. I ummed and ahhed about it, then decided to put a bid on without having seen the car. I ended up winning and this would be the first time I've ever bought a car blind
Previous owner was a retired former Nissan mechanic who had had the car since 2002, sure enough there were stamps for services for pretty much every year since 2001. I think there was one missing for 2020 or 2021 but the miles done in that time were low. The car itself is a pre-facelift 1.5 petrol S, which I think is pretty much the base model. Does have electric windows and air con that works though so can't complain.
The best bit was that it only cost me £820. Now in 2019 I got my Honda Legend coupe for 800 and in 2015 I managed to get my BMW 750i for 700 but post pandemic, I'll say it was a good deal!
Not long after getting it home I gave it a good clean
It's in very good condition really. There is a scratch down one side, and both bumpers seem to have had little bumps in the past as the lines aren't perfect and there's been a bit of touch up paint, but no rust that I could see which for a 20+ year old Japanese car was impressive!
All going nicely still, then I get this
