S2 or not

[woolly]

Pondering a 1990 S2 that needs some TLC circa £ 4k-
Juddering brakes - new disks ?, rev counter not working, water damage to rear carpets, split to rear screen, recurring tip breaking off from dip stick !!?
Body & int. reasonable. Any advice appreciated.

[peter m]

All those issues can be corrected, (not sure about the dip stick though).
I recommend you give the chassis a very thorough going over, in all the usual places, as it sounds like it has not been looked after. You definately do not want any holes in the chassis tubes !!
Sounds like a project car, so I hope you have lots of spare time to work on it if you decide to buy it.
Good luck.

[Podie]

woolly said:

Pondering a 1990 S2 that needs some TLC circa £ 4k- Juddering brakes - new disks ?, rev counter not working, water damage to rear carpets, split to rear screen, recurring tip breaking off from dip stick !!? Body & int. reasonable. Any advice appreciated.

Brakes probably new disks and pads.
Carpet is a pain to sort... costs vary - do a search
Rear screen - David Batty did mine - check my profile
Rev counter... ooh... finding the fault is the problem

[WildfireS3]

Reckon you're looking at about £1k repairs for the stuff above if you have someone do it all for you.

[S3 Kieran]

....... and that's just the problems found so far!

I'd find a car that has been cared for, or you could be constantly sorting things one after the other.

Of course, we haven't seen it, but it sounds like you could do better for the money (or knock the vendor down a thousand!)

[MartS1]

I would agree with kieran......I bought what i would consider to be a nice one and i have had some problems
I think that you could be buying into a whole heap of trouble!
Mart

[WildfireS3]

I got a good S3 chassis was in good nick and so was body/wheels etc. But I've still had problems and that's all in 2 weeks!! Check the other threads for the list. I reckon between alarm, hood cover, roof latches, new hood, car cover, waxoyl, speakers and a few other bits I have to have spent about an extra £1000. So imagine how mcuh a dodgy one could cost you.

[keirangrogan]

Knock him down £1000 and treat it as a winter project.

That way by spring you should have a fully sorted car for not very much money.

[minghis]

I had juddering brakes on mine when I bought it, but it'd just had new discs & pads fitted.

If you jack the front up and spin the front wheels by hand you might notice either an out of true wheel (looking at the rim as it turns) or an irregular tyre (looking at the tread side on).

Both of my front tyres were 'flat spotted' and apparently this is common where cars are used for a short time and then left standing perhaps over the winter. The tyre, being 'compressed' in one place for a long time does not resort to it's usual profile and when you drive feels like brake judder. Pirellis are known for ir so my tyre fitter tells me.

Could be a couple of new tyres rather than discs and stuff.

[WuPPerTaL]

keirangrogan said:

Knock him down £1000 and treat it as a winter project. That way by spring you should have a fully sorted car for not very much money.

Cost me £60 to get all the electrics changed in my rev counter by Speedy Cables. Thing that suprises me is that the rev counter is on the main ignition circuit, so it must be working a bit or the car wouldn't start (or of course the wiring has been changed..)