GRR this is why a thorough check over is essential!

[steveo3002]

if youre after a focus have a damn good sniff around for rot as they're all starting to go , arches , back of the sills and inside all doors/bonnet/boot

the sealer was poop and lifts up letting water under the sealer and the door /boot edges start to go , if you can get one before its got on the outside a quick scrape down and some fresh paint will keep it going for a while

[PandaSelecta]

I have a cheap car page on facebook, and there is a 1996 Corolla Automatic for £250 if any good. In Scarborough though, and don't know where you are.

www.facebook.com/groups/1468743450080055/permalink/1645634225724309/

[s1105117]

Certainly shall check for rot steveo3002! What annoys me a lot about this rotten civic (removed the rear bumper yday, at each corner it was nailed into some bodyfiller!?) Is that I decided to ignore all my own thoughts about it... my ssshbox spotting credibility has taken a hit I think! I'm alright with ford so prob will look for a focus for her,she isnt too into her cars really she liek an auto box and a good stereo, with enough space for all her allotment paraphernalia!oh and two little children :-P (though she whas requested a rav4 auto... pistonpopper your fault!! :-P) me and J cars don't have a good history.. but ford have on the whole been my families favourite manufacturer for a few generations :-P thanks pandaselcta tbh that would, (ignoring my above statement on J cars!) fit the cheap cheap bill nicely but alas i am in Cheltenham Glos! :-P

[steveo3002]

focus make a stonking car as long as its rot free , weve put about 80k on one over 4 1/2 years with only service bits n bobs

get one with the heated screen for added bonus points

[pistonpopper]

s1105117 , I'm getting ready to put the Rav4 up for grabs!! Although it is a manual...

Sept 29, 2015 23:35:34 GMT pistonpopper said:

here's car #8(a)...

AUGUST.



1996 Toyota Rav4. 2.0 litre Petrol. 131606 miles.

So what else? Well, it only cost me £500, and it's got a fairly long MOT, until May 2016, and as i've been blasting about in it i think that it actually drives pretty nicely. Yes, i'll admit that it does bounce about quite a bit, but it feels like you're driving an old Toyota HiLux. When you're inside driving it, it feels rugged, tough, and manly GRRRR!! Of course, then you catch your reflection in a shop window, and all thoughts of you looking rugged and manly are evaporated by its pretty feminine looks! Still, i've had girlier cars!



To look at it there's not much i don't like about it, i like it's shortness, i like it's height, i like the wierd side mouldings which arn't colour-coded, and the odd belt line. I even prefer the steel wheels to the alloys that some of the other models have. I like the fact that this is poverty spec motoring, although it does have electric windows, but they look like a cheap aftermarked add on, rather than something that came from the factory. Being the short wheelbase two-door model though it does mean that space in the boot is compromised, as the floorspace in the boot is about 3" x 1" and i think i'm being generous with those measurements!! Not the biggest, but we've managed to get the shopping in aswell as the kids when we've been shopping lately, so all is good!



I've even tried a bit of off-roading in it, here's it is clearly parked nowhere near the road, and it managed to climb up the kerb, and back down without any trouble at all! Actually, all joking aside i actually have tried a bit of off-roading in it, and it's pretty good, and coped admirally with it. Even in fairly deep sticky mud it's been ok, and i've not been stuck... YET! I like that it's equipped with town and country tyres, and having a wheel literally on each corner without any overhangs has meant that i've been able to drive into, and out of some fairly big ditches, and up and down some fairly steep inclines. I've been quite suprised by this little toy off-roader.

[s1105117]

thanks for the update PP, but the little lady must have an auto otherwise i would have snapped your hand off, as I thoroughly enjoy your thread i had read the Ravs comprehensive t-drive! though i thought your lady was keeping it??

[pistonpopper]

Yeah that was the plan, but I've been using it more than her lately, and at the moment she's indulging in a little Citroen XM ownership... although, that's going to be temporary (By the way, the Citroen is an auto lol!) But the main reason I'm selling it is that I've lost my storage lately due to the land being redeveloped, so I'm having a bit of a culling of the fleet

[s1105117]

ah i see, my missus doesnt like my taste in cars much so leaves mine alone (besides i prefer a manual) though cant blame your lady for indulging in the XM a wee tad, its a handsome barge

gutting about the storage loss buddy... i saw it in your 'neglect' thread you were loosing some space, its so expensive/rare to find anywhere to store interesting metal, i have off-road space for only one car!

[s1105117]

neeedless to say the rotten civic has been banished from my sight, as no space to store it off-road. still all rot documented for reference and evidence.

[mgbizzle]

How much was it?

[s1105117]

Jan 26, 2016 16:36:08 GMT mgbizzle said:

How much was it?

tbh not sure! around £450 i think....

[usedabused]

Apeal to vosa with your findings you will find they will be on your side....

[AB car pix]

Civics of that era rot badly, MOT testers can't remove sill covers to check behind, and most car dealers are clueless.

curse word situation, but if you're buying a car prone to rot, you really should be poking around it thoroughly before committing to it.

[s1105117]

Thought I would dig this thread up, after my wife's latest anual car catastrophe! After the civic in this thread, and the rav4 which i cant even be bothered to mention (she loved the rav mind you)

Ì decided this year that I would choose her a car. And boohoo did she hate it. A 1999 plate saxo, 1 owner from new 55k on the clock etc very tidy. And I gave it a thorough probe, prod spin and examine. I drove it over the weekend and it was kovely. It lasted her a feckin week!!! Two drives in fact!!!! Wt bleeding F! Oil out everywhere, cracked corners on the rocker cover and a split breather pipe. Soo, a thorough check over and yet... ah bum! Why can't she drive a manual....... :-( yeah, I needed to rant :-P

[93fxdl]

Going back to the start point of the thread, with the dodgy dealer, if you still fancy some recompense, how about a call to hmrc/inland revenue suggesting they might be interested in someone and their undisclosed income stream, and a call to trading standards about an unregistered dealer operating in their area.
The council might also be interested in a residential property being used as a business premises/car sales
Ttfn Glenn

[SmokeEm]

Jan 24, 2017 21:46:03 GMT 93fxdl said:

Going back to the start point of the thread, with the dodgy dealer, if you still fancy some recompense, how about a call to hmrc/inland revenue suggesting they might be interested in someone and their undisclosed income stream, and a call to trading standards about an unregistered dealer operating in their area.
The council might also be interested in a residential property being used as a business premises/car sales
Ttfn Glenn

In two weeks time, I might be selling my Wifes daily - a nice Honda Accord Auto - Nice honest car which eats up the miles and has a service history to be VERY proud of. Its a 2002 model and even has cruise control & climate control etc. Only has 62k on it! We are only selling as a friends elderly Father is giving up driving and has a 21k from new Fiesta Ghia Auto that I can but cheapish. Let me know if interested.  

[igor]

I am so glad that I live in a country where we do not salt the roads.

[s1105117]

Jan 26, 2017 11:16:38 GMT SmokeEm said:

Jan 24, 2017 21:46:03 GMT 93fxdl said:

Going back to the start point of the thread, with the dodgy dealer, if you still fancy some recompense, how about a call to hmrc/inland revenue suggesting they might be interested in someone and their undisclosed income stream, and a call to trading standards about an unregistered dealer operating in their area.
The council might also be interested in a residential property being used as a business premises/car sales
Ttfn Glenn

In two weeks time, I might be selling my Wifes daily - a nice Honda Accord Auto - Nice honest car which eats up the miles and has a service history to be VERY proud of. Its a 2002 model and even has cruise control & climate control etc. Only has 62k on it! We are only selling as a friends elderly Father is giving up driving and has a 21k from new Fiesta Ghia Auto that I can but cheapish. Let me know if interested.  

Cheers for the offer  SmokEm buddy, will bear it in mind for sure however my missus really needs a smaller car... I think i can get away with saying that amd not much more :-P thinking i may take her to the scrapyard (she doesnt like the place!!?!?) and try her in one for size! 

Re the recompence for the Civic.... I graduated my Law degree shortly after buying it. I popped over for a chat, and apparently being a 6" 3' 15 stone Lawyer was a good negotiations start point. My London accent apparently helps up in Cheltenham too. I was reasonable and got half the purchase costs back. To be honest, I have been meaning to have vosa investigate them anyway as I have seen a couple of cars for sale outside, what as quite rightly is a residential property, that i have seen a short while before at a local scrappy. Now obv I am all for rescuing old cars from scrap, big cudos points, but they would have to be done proper;ly if they actually were in a scrap condition when they went in. 

[bluebirdpremium]

This thread reminds me of a car my mum bought a few years ago, think it was in about 2006-2007 ish

She went to look at a F-reg vw polo breadvan which was advertised in the local paper at a good price with 10 months MOT. Arrived at a private address with about 3-4 cars for sale - car looked clean, drove well etc so she bought it. Went to fill it up with petrol the next day and flooded the garage forecourt!  Dad had a look underneath and the metal filler neck was none-existent and even the tank itself was rotten and had been patched with filler in places - all hidden with black underseal. They took the car straight back and the guy became quite threatening when confronted, but calmed down and begrudgingly refunded the money after my dad said he would report the matter to trading standards etc. 

Not a pleasant experience, 

seems to be a lot of 'here today, gone tomorrow' cheap used car lots around at the moment, round my way at least anyway. Best to buy with caution, and if the place looks dodgy in any way, avoid all together.

 

[60six]

Take it to VOSA ASAP. I had the same issue with a Lancia years ago. Straight to vosa. 3 weeks later I hear that the MOT station in question has to repair the car to MOT standards with no cost to me or they get their licence revoked.

VOSA keep hold of the car and arrange everything else.

Sold the car immediately once it came back.

You need to go to one of their main VOSA testing stations - There was one near me. Make sure you can arrange transport back as the car gets impounded from that point.