2005 skoda fabia vrs
Discussion
p1stonhead said:
Most unreliable car I ever had and cost me a fortune just keeping it going. But I still sort of liked it and wouldnt mind another 
Both my fabia vrs and octavia vrs were both back at skoda with issues more times than I can remember and the dealer service was worse. Both has good engines let down by poor standard handling.
Good luck op loved your last car.
Hi guys thanks for taking time to read.
P1ston - my first one was reliable till I started messing around with it trying to do things in the cheap. It turned expensive very quickly. I'm hoping this one given that it'll lead a lot easier life than the last one will take everything in its stride. It has had a decent amount replaced already and I'm now just chasing the little niggles down.
Josh - judging by what I paid for mine and the mount of standard optional extras yours has. I'd guess prob 2k is a good start point.
Mehrunesdagon - the seats are just optional extra leather which you could order from new. The blue se ones come with leather as standard and a lot of previous owners went to seat surgeons and got seats and door cards retrimmed. Get a quote mate you'll be surprised I was insured at 20 (few years ago mind) for £800 with 1yrs no claims. Although car in general currently has a image problem has pretty much taken the saxo crown I think
Avenger286 - yes I enjoyed my time with the ignis and will get another as a cheap track car when space and funds allow. The fabia feels so loose compared to the ignis sport. Although the grunt and mpg when needed makes it a totally different car to live with. Also enjoy not having to fill up half way through the week. The tank is tiny in the ignis.
The fabia has been bought to munch miles so won't be getting as much attention or money thrown at it as the suzuki did. Chasing perfection got expensive very quickly with that.
P1ston - my first one was reliable till I started messing around with it trying to do things in the cheap. It turned expensive very quickly. I'm hoping this one given that it'll lead a lot easier life than the last one will take everything in its stride. It has had a decent amount replaced already and I'm now just chasing the little niggles down.
Josh - judging by what I paid for mine and the mount of standard optional extras yours has. I'd guess prob 2k is a good start point.
Mehrunesdagon - the seats are just optional extra leather which you could order from new. The blue se ones come with leather as standard and a lot of previous owners went to seat surgeons and got seats and door cards retrimmed. Get a quote mate you'll be surprised I was insured at 20 (few years ago mind) for £800 with 1yrs no claims. Although car in general currently has a image problem has pretty much taken the saxo crown I think
Avenger286 - yes I enjoyed my time with the ignis and will get another as a cheap track car when space and funds allow. The fabia feels so loose compared to the ignis sport. Although the grunt and mpg when needed makes it a totally different car to live with. Also enjoy not having to fill up half way through the week. The tank is tiny in the ignis.
The fabia has been bought to munch miles so won't be getting as much attention or money thrown at it as the suzuki did. Chasing perfection got expensive very quickly with that.
Edited by Ste372 on Wednesday 17th January 16:44
Got the sample back we sent off. No fuel in the oil so did a oil and filter change today
Replaced the sump plug aswell.
I feel a bit more confident now I know exactly what oil is in it.
Refit the Airbox this weekend hopefully if weather holds off. I'm fed up with the filter chattering, dumping and chirping at me. Makes the car sound like a old tractor.
Replaced the sump plug aswell.
I feel a bit more confident now I know exactly what oil is in it.
Refit the Airbox this weekend hopefully if weather holds off. I'm fed up with the filter chattering, dumping and chirping at me. Makes the car sound like a old tractor.
Grill spent the night in the wash room with the dryer going at it most of the night.
Lacquer is now cured and been given a very quick polish. Old paint will need cutting back and polishing up. I'll do the car in sections as I've just not got the spare time these days to do a full car.
Colour coded the vrs badge as I'm trying to go for the low key approach and all badges will be going black.
Next little project will be colour coding interior air vent surrounds. I'm hoping to brighten up the interior and give it a bit of sparkle/colour without going into full on chav mode
Lacquer is now cured and been given a very quick polish. Old paint will need cutting back and polishing up. I'll do the car in sections as I've just not got the spare time these days to do a full car.
Colour coded the vrs badge as I'm trying to go for the low key approach and all badges will be going black.
Next little project will be colour coding interior air vent surrounds. I'm hoping to brighten up the interior and give it a bit of sparkle/colour without going into full on chav mode
So more cheap/free stuff done over past couple of days. When I bought the car it had a list of codes brought up by vagcom so the load signal repair all but one of the fault codes. Air con compressor short to positive intermittent came back and true to its word. The air con ran whenever it felt like it.
Had an hour free in work so traced the wiring back and the plug at front of gearbox was broken. (another sign that the car has has a clutch at some point in its life. On further investigation the wiring was completely rotten (plug been broken for years probably) I decided to cut the wiring back as far as I could, I've got use able wire but future work will probably see it being rewired directly from the source. As it is made a new section of wire up reusing the plug at the compressor. Quick Regas and vacuum confirmed everything working as it should. The compressor is noisy though so we'll see how it goes.
Onto the cheap stuff now. I've been looking for a decent cup holder there seemed to be two options looking at etka the cup holder at the side of the radio was £43 and then I noticed an extra to delete ash tray and put a cup holder in its place for £8. No brainer for me although when I'm feeling flush the side of the radio one will be fitted.
Next up painting the air vent surrounds. I'm trying to make this a nice place to be considering I'm doing 500 miles aweek in it. I still had some black magic lying around after doing the grill so figured I'd coulour code the vent surrounds aswell.
Tomorrow will see a trip to fellow member podie picking up some genuine boot storage bags and a second set of wheels with winter tyres fitted.
Had an hour free in work so traced the wiring back and the plug at front of gearbox was broken. (another sign that the car has has a clutch at some point in its life. On further investigation the wiring was completely rotten (plug been broken for years probably) I decided to cut the wiring back as far as I could, I've got use able wire but future work will probably see it being rewired directly from the source. As it is made a new section of wire up reusing the plug at the compressor. Quick Regas and vacuum confirmed everything working as it should. The compressor is noisy though so we'll see how it goes.
Onto the cheap stuff now. I've been looking for a decent cup holder there seemed to be two options looking at etka the cup holder at the side of the radio was £43 and then I noticed an extra to delete ash tray and put a cup holder in its place for £8. No brainer for me although when I'm feeling flush the side of the radio one will be fitted.
Next up painting the air vent surrounds. I'm trying to make this a nice place to be considering I'm doing 500 miles aweek in it. I still had some black magic lying around after doing the grill so figured I'd coulour code the vent surrounds aswell.
Tomorrow will see a trip to fellow member podie picking up some genuine boot storage bags and a second set of wheels with winter tyres fitted.
Trip completed without hiccup today. Picked up some genuine storage bags for the boot. Found my genuine cargo net to secure stuff and also picked up a second set of fabia vrs alloys fitted with hankook winter tyres with 6mm tread.
As mentioned in previous posts I'm doing the cheap/free bits and pieces at the minute as I've allocated myself a strict budget for this and I'm determined to stick to it.
As mentioned in previous posts I'm doing the cheap/free bits and pieces at the minute as I've allocated myself a strict budget for this and I'm determined to stick to it.
Overdue a update......
Car is now on 118k miles.
This weekend will see a clean up of the paintwork and a switch over to the winter tyres. Its a forced change as three tyres on the car have suffered unfortunately. Both rear tyres have uneven wear and make a humming sound and one of the new pirellis has a bulge in a sidewall which I wasn't too pleased to find. Plus all the news reports of impending ice age approaching.
Once the tyres are off the car. The one good pirelli will go into the spare wheel as that has a questionable puncture repair in the sidewall. The wheels will be going for a refurb in boring gloss black. I'll be honest I don't like cleaning cars. Only do it to stop people moaning and if the wheels are black brake dust won't show up as much.
The car never misses a beat and regularly returns over 50mpg doing 70ish daily.
I have treated it to a present but it needs sending away for refurbing and custom stitching, managed to get hold of a cupra steering wheel which should complete the interior nicely
Other plans this weekend will see the rear wiper removed as its broke and I never use it, resetting front wiper linkage and some new front wipers and also fit the wind deflectors. Bit chavvy I know but I always have the window down a little.
Ill report it this weekend with a few pictures of bits and pieces done
Car is now on 118k miles.
This weekend will see a clean up of the paintwork and a switch over to the winter tyres. Its a forced change as three tyres on the car have suffered unfortunately. Both rear tyres have uneven wear and make a humming sound and one of the new pirellis has a bulge in a sidewall which I wasn't too pleased to find. Plus all the news reports of impending ice age approaching.
Once the tyres are off the car. The one good pirelli will go into the spare wheel as that has a questionable puncture repair in the sidewall. The wheels will be going for a refurb in boring gloss black. I'll be honest I don't like cleaning cars. Only do it to stop people moaning and if the wheels are black brake dust won't show up as much.
The car never misses a beat and regularly returns over 50mpg doing 70ish daily.
I have treated it to a present but it needs sending away for refurbing and custom stitching, managed to get hold of a cupra steering wheel which should complete the interior nicely
Other plans this weekend will see the rear wiper removed as its broke and I never use it, resetting front wiper linkage and some new front wipers and also fit the wind deflectors. Bit chavvy I know but I always have the window down a little.
Ill report it this weekend with a few pictures of bits and pieces done
I always thought these were seriously under-rated - great little car for munching the miles.
And yours is just getting better.
My niece had a petrol Ibiza that died and I tried to talk her into one, but she wasn't having it even though she did a 70 mile round-trip every day. So she ended up with a 1.6 petrol Polo which she loved for a few months, until it got written off on the A3 on her way home from work the day she was going to a job interview.
She got the interview rearranged, and got the job but still wouldn't have a Skoda so I found her a Corsa. But the job was at Allams of Epsom, a Skoda main dealer - now she'd love one!
And yours is just getting better.
My niece had a petrol Ibiza that died and I tried to talk her into one, but she wasn't having it even though she did a 70 mile round-trip every day. So she ended up with a 1.6 petrol Polo which she loved for a few months, until it got written off on the A3 on her way home from work the day she was going to a job interview.
She got the interview rearranged, and got the job but still wouldn't have a Skoda so I found her a Corsa. But the job was at Allams of Epsom, a Skoda main dealer - now she'd love one!
Pics just look normal to me pal? Not been at the wacky backy have you?
The original plan was to put a few quid in the bank and get a 1.2 petrol ibiza. Never really materialised though. I was getting itchy feet as there will be a big bill coming soon. The dmf will need replacing and also got a worn cam bearing and a sticky lifter occasionally. So ideally a top end rebuild would be for complete piece of mind.
I was going to trade it in for a toureg V10 diesel but I'll be honest my balls aren't that big and I s
t out the potential for a crippling bill genuinely worried me like nothing has done before
The original plan was to put a few quid in the bank and get a 1.2 petrol ibiza. Never really materialised though. I was getting itchy feet as there will be a big bill coming soon. The dmf will need replacing and also got a worn cam bearing and a sticky lifter occasionally. So ideally a top end rebuild would be for complete piece of mind.
I was going to trade it in for a toureg V10 diesel but I'll be honest my balls aren't that big and I s
t out the potential for a crippling bill genuinely worried me like nothing has done before Swapped the wheels over this morning and chucked a sponge at it.
Bodywork is acceptable it passes the 10ft test with flying colours. I will eventually start to work in each panel at a time see what I can do.
Cleaned the door shuts. Tomorrow I'll give the leather a clean and sprush up the inside.
Swap the wipers over.
Bodywork is acceptable it passes the 10ft test with flying colours. I will eventually start to work in each panel at a time see what I can do.
Cleaned the door shuts. Tomorrow I'll give the leather a clean and sprush up the inside.
Swap the wipers over.
I miss mine. Was the first car that had enough go in it to get into trouble and at 19 was a riot. Standard brakes aren't great and the 312mm setup of that age A3/Golf is a common upgrade which I did. May even still have them, even if by now they'll need a rebuild. If I was to have one again this would still be the first modification then maybe a remap but that's all. Some have spent insane money on them but there's not much point. Fairly stock with basic mods is where it's at it's best
I had my first over 10yrs ago. Always regretted starting to mess with it as I just destroyed it doing it on the cheap. This one will be getting subtle changes as and when it needs it. Will probably end up around the 200hp mark with a decent chunk of torque I think that is where the sweet spot is
I had my first over 10yrs ago. Always regretted starting to mess with it as I just destroyed it doing it on the cheap. This one will be getting subtle changes as and when it needs it. Will probably end up around the 200hp mark with a decent chunk of torque I think that is where the sweet spot is
Yeah I'm going to get hold of a pd150 turbo and get it refurbed then when the turbo gives up. I'll put the supporting mods on with the turbo and get everything mapped in. I'll get the torque capped so the clutch has a fighting chance. Performance mods will be last on the list unless a turbo failure brings everything forward.
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