buying wedge[ help ]
Discussion
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Font spoiler and boot state 400SEi - I wasn't aware of such a model? Does it have the original 3.5 litre engine or has someone upgraded to a 4.0 litre and upgraded the badges at the same time?
Looks tidy, although for £5k, you'd expect it to be so.
32k miles is good - as is the history file, although as other have found out, a large history file does not gaurantee a nice trouble free car.
New hood also a bonus.
From the photos, possible discolouration of some paintwork - look at the drivers side, more or less below the drivers door handle on the bottom outrigger cover / sill panel - looks a patch where the paint is lighter which is consistant across all photos. I'd be asking them to email you some high res photos before I travelled huge distances to go and view the car.
Photo of the wheel and tyre is the only picture of the passenger-side of the car. It looks the like the outrigger cover / sill panel has dropped. I'd also be suspicious why no other pictures of the passenger side.
Hope this helps.
As Carob has already mentioned, get yourself along to wedgefest and talk to some fellow wedge owners - in my experiance, all have been very helpfull and happy to talk wedges and show you typical problem areas. Usually quite a few people will put cars up for sale around wedgefest time so you may come across one there. It will also help you determine a good wedge from a bad one when you see them.
Font spoiler and boot state 400SEi - I wasn't aware of such a model? Does it have the original 3.5 litre engine or has someone upgraded to a 4.0 litre and upgraded the badges at the same time?
Looks tidy, although for £5k, you'd expect it to be so.
32k miles is good - as is the history file, although as other have found out, a large history file does not gaurantee a nice trouble free car.
New hood also a bonus.
From the photos, possible discolouration of some paintwork - look at the drivers side, more or less below the drivers door handle on the bottom outrigger cover / sill panel - looks a patch where the paint is lighter which is consistant across all photos. I'd be asking them to email you some high res photos before I travelled huge distances to go and view the car.
Photo of the wheel and tyre is the only picture of the passenger-side of the car. It looks the like the outrigger cover / sill panel has dropped. I'd also be suspicious why no other pictures of the passenger side.
Hope this helps.
As Carob has already mentioned, get yourself along to wedgefest and talk to some fellow wedge owners - in my experiance, all have been very helpfull and happy to talk wedges and show you typical problem areas. Usually quite a few people will put cars up for sale around wedgefest time so you may come across one there. It will also help you determine a good wedge from a bad one when you see them.
Edited by L33 on Saturday 6th June 15:00
worth having a look at! driving it for a distance checking evrything works and take it to a random garage of your choice get them to mot it. It may cost you £40. if they find anything wrong with it then you know there unbiased in there findings!!! if they give you a 12mnth Mot happy days
if it didnt overheat when mot being done double whammy if you smile like a cheshire cat when you drive it up the road buy it!!! but start haggling before they know you have mot cert in you pocket !!!
if it didnt overheat when mot being done double whammy if you smile like a cheshire cat when you drive it up the road buy it!!! but start haggling before they know you have mot cert in you pocket !!! The one and only picture of the near side, the wheel, shows a bit of a tasty gap between the arch and tyre, it probably isn't sitting level. Mine is the same and I'm still ensure as to why! (mine is an early series two like that one with (or had in my case 
) the crap door mirrors.
It could be outrigger problems (although mine have been replaced), body mounts shagged or simply a weak/broken spring.
Looks nice but I would be prepared to spend a bit on it to get it 100%
) the crap door mirrors.It could be outrigger problems (although mine have been replaced), body mounts shagged or simply a weak/broken spring.
Looks nice but I would be prepared to spend a bit on it to get it 100%
Bit loath to comment on someone elses car like this so...
Look at as many as you can. Wedgefest is the best place to see them in all forms. Ask the owners there about them and the pitfalls, don't think there are any that will tell a fib if you want an honest answer on say the outriggers etc. Some will have had no problems, others will have had the body off and so on (don't take that as a put down for buying, I have had work done body on no problem). Try to blag a ride or three.
For the record, mine is on 125,000 miles at the moment (or near enough). Mileage has never put me off.
Look at as many as you can. Wedgefest is the best place to see them in all forms. Ask the owners there about them and the pitfalls, don't think there are any that will tell a fib if you want an honest answer on say the outriggers etc. Some will have had no problems, others will have had the body off and so on (don't take that as a put down for buying, I have had work done body on no problem). Try to blag a ride or three.
For the record, mine is on 125,000 miles at the moment (or near enough). Mileage has never put me off.
Agree with all of the above. Buy on condition rather than age or mileage and look at/drive least 1/2 dozen before you consider buying one. Bear in mind that these cars are pretty expensive to respray and that interior trim is hard to come by/expensive.
My personal view is that you may as well jump in and buy a V8 as, if you buy a V6, you'll only want a V8 soon enough anyway. There isn't much between them in terms of complexity and the price difference isn't huge.
Happy hunting!
My personal view is that you may as well jump in and buy a V8 as, if you buy a V6, you'll only want a V8 soon enough anyway. There isn't much between them in terms of complexity and the price difference isn't huge.
Happy hunting!
It looks OK but the badges are a bit suspect, however these can be peeled off and replaced with 350i ones.
The body is series 1.5, on the cusp as they were bringing in series 2.
taking it for an MOT is a relatively cheap way of having it inspected!
I don't rate those Goodyears though - might be a bit slippy... but they can be changed.
The body is series 1.5, on the cusp as they were bringing in series 2.
taking it for an MOT is a relatively cheap way of having it inspected!
I don't rate those Goodyears though - might be a bit slippy... but they can be changed.
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