ford ka advice

[boybiffa]

Hi all,

I was recently looking for a mk2 fiesta but due to a change in circumstances i've no option but to stick with the ka i have already

Its an 02 plate 1.3i collection in silver with 114k miles on the clock.

Due to me and my girlfriend looking for our own place due to family reasons ( currently she lives with me at my parents house).

Ideally i wanted a car that wouldnt have to be replaced for a number of years but it appears getting another car is going to prove hard. Keeping the ka and doing the required work is financially more viable... well only viable option.

Since may 2013 it has done with me 13k miles and never given a moments bother and been on 400-500 mile round trips.
It does need some work though! Lol

Drivers side driveshaft as the cv joint is rumbling
Lower arms
Strut mount bearings at front
Rear shock absorber
Drop links at front
Discs and pads
Two tires on front
Has some rust around filler cap but not gone through and some other marks but nothing major.
Along side this I'm alsl considering removing the bumpers, fuel tank and interior and suspension corners at a time and rust proofing and cavity waxing it as far as is possible.

It will be done in bits as and when i cant afford to buy a car at say 500 quid in one go but can afford to do bits as and when.

All in all, is it worth it would you say? Amd how much do you think it will all cost?
Its also an ideal subject as my gf wants to lesrn to drive within the coming few months and is cheap to run etc which is what we need.
How many miles can an endura-e engine and box rack up.before giving up? Waxoyling and cavity waxing etc how long will thay fend off the rust approx?

Sorry for the million questions

Thanks

Rob

[Jizmondo Scrotmondo]

Ka's rust like there's no tomorrow. Filler cap, sills and door bottoms are what I always spot on them and the only way to get that sorted is by getting it welded which will probably work out more expensive than the mechanics.

When it comes to the mechanics, it depends how handy you am with the spanners?
Drop links, discs and pads, strut mounts, lower arms and the rear shock are all relatively easy if you're handy. It'll save you a load in labour costs if you have a crack yourself. Go for some decent part worn tyres on the front.
The CV joint can be a pain in the if you've never attempted one before and will probably be better left to a grease monkey (never messed with a KA before, might be wrong)

If you can do most of the work yourself, it's worth it.

[retrowrongun]

As said rust rust and rust really !!!

Just got a collection for a friend who just passed her test
Payed 300 with 6mths mot so as long as its cheap enough its well worth doing as long as sills fuel cap etc arent totally shot as will get expensive quickly

Plenty of spares available and parts are cheap as chips to buy so go for it

On a side note my friend is well happy as according to her "I put £25 a week in it and it goes everywhere and lasts for the week "
Small things with women eh lol

But fair do cheap motoring

[boybiffa]

Thanks for the replies guys .

I have a mate with a ka and she needed bits doing and i did that for her. I'm okay with a spanner and doing most jobs, new stuff well.. its a ford and a little'un at that so good time to learn eh? .
Its previously had the sills welded up and having checked the rest its totally solid but one small bit in the boot floor but its solid if it was rotten i wouldnt even consider it.
Its a collection with a/c elecy windows and boot release which all works well.
I like the idea of having a ka thats solid that we can rust proof and sort for the next few years as far ad rust goes and have a tidy ka.
The tires were recently replaced approx 3k miles ago 20 quid per tire part worn but with still had the colour markings on and already gone to being bald on the inner edge on the front. Didnt see the point in doing the tracking if it needs lower arms and top mounts and track rod ends etc.

For the rust prdvention I'm going to wait until the weather is better and begin to strip the underside starting from the front take out the suspension leg complete and do the arches and then do the rears and work my way inwards to meet somewhere in the middle, something like hammerite waxoyl and go over the main rot areas with cavity wax i.e sills, chassis rails, arches etc. Interior out, do the waxoyl in the typical areas around the outter edge of the floor and inner sills and boot floor perimeter and go over with cavity wax again.

Don't suppose sound proofing would be worth it if its cheap'ish? While interior is out n all? Lol

Thanks

Rob

[baggabones]

Plenty of waxoil inside the sills...they rust before your eyes

[jordanisace]

do the bare min you need to do 2 keep it roadworthy and safe, they're disposable cars, i appreciate not being able to spend 500quid on a lump sum on a new one, but there are decent enough examples to be had for a lot less out there!

(doing the same with a x reg one atm)

[fred]

Like above they rust like a 70's Vauxhall
but parts are cheap, just codge it along, till you have cash for summat else

[Battles]

I put a hundred and thirteen thousand miles on mine, I really enjoyed having it.
It was a '98 Ka2, so I think it had everything except AC and alloys fitted.

The 'leccy windows gave me a bit of bother but I enjoy fixing stuff so I didn't exactly mind. The runners were held on inside the doors with tiny rivets, I had to fix that a couple of times but the regulators and other 'leccy window bits seemed well made and lasted the 113k.

The steering rack failed after about a thousand miles so I got a new one under warranty and never had any bother again.
I had an intermittent idle issue for the first three years where it would rev all over the place when idling after or during a long run. Loads of warranty repair bits later, someone found the inlet manifold had a hairline crack so that was another warranty job. The fuel consumption dropped hugely when that was fixed, loved it even more after that.
It also had a new battery and a new starter in the time I had it and the whole package still felt very strong when I traded it in, hope that helps with your query about how long the engine will last.

[Brian Damaged]

Ford Endura-E engines might not be the most exciting things, but keep them fed/watered/serviced properly and they are bomb-proof, if it's running OK now then careful mainenance should see it past 150k without much bother. Then when you drain the old engine oil out of it, use it instead of Waxoyl/whatever. It's a messy job but works just as well, my ol' man's done that to his cars for years.

You've actually got pretty much the ideal car for your needs by the sound of it. Cheap to run, cheap to insure, cheap parts, scrappies are full of rotten ones so plenty of second-hand mechanical bits about. And they are great fun to drive. My wife bought a new one when they first came out in 1996 and put over 50k on it in three years without it ever letting her down.

[craig1010cc]

As said, parts are cheap (but don't buy the cheap bottom arms or you'll be doing them again next year). Gearboxes are strong (when doing a Ztec conversion, you still keep the Ka gearbox). If its not using much oil now (and it will prob use a little, it is basically a 50 yr old engine), keep the changes regular and it'll keep on going. But don't forget the plugs, they can seize in the head if left too long.


We're on our second. 1st was a 96, had bottom arms/top mounts and a rack end on it in the 3 yrs we had it. No rust though. We then PX'd it against a 9 month old one in 2006 and have stuck 50k on that. That had to have a new rack at 2 yrs old, had alternator wiring issues and then needed an alternator, but would jump in it to go any where. But it is starting to rust (bottom of the A pillars is the most worrying)

[boybiffa]

thanks for the replies ,

It does have a bit of rust around the A pillar on the drivers side, which I can take the scuttle panel and bonnet off to have a proper look at it (without taking the wing off).

me and my girlfriend have been talking and have decided there's a few things we'd both like to do before we get our own place, one of which is go travelling all over the country and possibly further, sight seeing etc etc.
now... adding this into the mix and having written down a list of places we would like to go and so on, We've calculated the mileage on "trips" alone to be around 10k miles. before any mileage of commuting to work and running about etc.
my parents are saying I should get a diesel and probably a citroen due to the comfy seats. would you kind folk trust an already high mileage ford ka to do over a 2-3 day period near to a thousand miles and possibly more. I'm in West Yorkshire and one thing we have discussed is possibly going to france for a holiday for a few days. which from west yorkshire is a fair few miles there and back. Do you think attempting this in a ka is a little too much to ask of a little 1.3?

Thanks all

Rob

[Battles]

Jan 1, 2014 19:33:16 GMT boybiffa said:

my parents are saying I should get a diesel and probably a citroen due to the comfy seats

I see the logic but my experience, particularly with my Ka, is that a small petrol engine will get nearly as good fuel mileage as a small diesel but will be cheaper to buy whereas you'll probably have to pay a premium for a decent small engined diesel. You might struggle to get back the premium you've paid, even over a couple of years of ownership.

Jan 1, 2014 19:33:16 GMT boybiffa said:

would you kind folk trust an already high mileage ford ka to do over a 2-3 day period near to a thousand miles and possibly more

This is the sort of driving I used to do in my Ka back in the good old days. Yes, I would totally trust it.

[ChasR]

Depends on the Ka . IMO the earlier non PAS cars with the taller gearing are a nicer steer, not only being quicker but also better on fuel. Put it this way I could see near enough 400 miles to a tank of fuel in a Ka 1 (No PAS, or electric windows etc.) I had bought with a clutch higher than Bob Marley but a Ka Sun Collection (Basically a Collection with a Webasto roof) I had from new was never great on fuel. If I am honest, my 205 is probably just as frugal as that car was, with my 106 GTi actualy being more frugal than the Ka SC was. It did come with AC mind you which probably added weight and possibly another source of drag onto the engine (it made power etc. and had no errors but it was never a frugal car IMO (around 34MPG vs going into the mid 40s with the previous Ka!)).

Alot of that work will be easy to do but it can mount up quickly. As Craig said I would only consider genuine lower arms on the front unless you wish to make a habit of changing them annually, the bearings should be obtainable from most motor factors as are the drop links and brakes. I would be tempted to go either new on the driveshaft (a recon item) or down the breakers for a good used item. Tyres on those things are cheap enough .