MOT - massive gap
Discussion
Off to look at a car later this morning. Citroen C1 VTR....I'mildly excited as I feel like it'll invoke fond memories of driving my old Austin Mini 30 on its door handles, everywhere. Use case: daughter just started driving lessons + pool car.
I've found one that looks timewarp mint in the advert, low miles, fresh mot, price is about right (£1450) but it has an intriguing gap of 9 years in the MOT history.
Now, I'm not that bothered tbh, it's a cheap car that's both cheap to run and cheap to repair. And as long as it's as clean as it looks inside, outside and underneath it's not a significant risk.
Seller claims to have bought a collection of 7 cars of a chap that included this, 2 other C1s and a 107 that he's already sold, something about buying these for his kids, relationship ending, unable to store them....I couldnt really make head nor tale of it being honest. But he seems like a pleasant chap in his tone and language anyway.
What do we reckon, if they were sorn, how has the milage gone up? Could they have been on private plates and only done a few k per year? Would a car vertical check reveal all? I'm kinda intrigued but then that'd cost me money, and this is an exercise in frugality.
I've found one that looks timewarp mint in the advert, low miles, fresh mot, price is about right (£1450) but it has an intriguing gap of 9 years in the MOT history.
Now, I'm not that bothered tbh, it's a cheap car that's both cheap to run and cheap to repair. And as long as it's as clean as it looks inside, outside and underneath it's not a significant risk.
Seller claims to have bought a collection of 7 cars of a chap that included this, 2 other C1s and a 107 that he's already sold, something about buying these for his kids, relationship ending, unable to store them....I couldnt really make head nor tale of it being honest. But he seems like a pleasant chap in his tone and language anyway.
What do we reckon, if they were sorn, how has the milage gone up? Could they have been on private plates and only done a few k per year? Would a car vertical check reveal all? I'm kinda intrigued but then that'd cost me money, and this is an exercise in frugality.
dave_s13 said:
What do we reckon, if they were sorn, how has the milage gone up?
Simple assumption is it did 12k miles between the MOT in 2017 and when the next would have been due in esrly 2018, and was then sat around for 8+ years until the next MOT this month.I'd be wary of any car that's sat for that long, regardless of it passing an MOT.
Given the use case (young driver likely to prang and scrape it) and price it wouldn't overly concern me as long as I could ascertain it wasn't stolen or scrapped or anything. I had a a relative that went through severe health issues and their car (one of the early 'new' Minis) just sat on the drive for about 4 years and didn't move at all.
After they conceded they wouldn't be driving again I was offered the car on the understanding it would probably cost more than it was worth to put right again - battery, tyres, full brake system, mould issues, faded paint where the sun had been constantly hitting it for years, etc. Cost me about £1200 (20-odd years ago prices!) but once it was sorted it was a great car and I kept it for 3 years trouble-free.
After they conceded they wouldn't be driving again I was offered the car on the understanding it would probably cost more than it was worth to put right again - battery, tyres, full brake system, mould issues, faded paint where the sun had been constantly hitting it for years, etc. Cost me about £1200 (20-odd years ago prices!) but once it was sorted it was a great car and I kept it for 3 years trouble-free.
ilikejam said:
Given the use case (young driver likely to prang and scrape it) and price it wouldn't overly concern me as long as I could ascertain it wasn't stolen or scrapped or anything. I had a a relative that went through severe health issues and their car (one of the early 'new' Minis) just sat on the drive for about 4 years and didn't move at all.
After they conceded they wouldn't be driving again I was offered the car on the understanding it would probably cost more than it was worth to put right again - battery, tyres, full brake system, mould issues, faded paint where the sun had been constantly hitting it for years, etc. Cost me about £1200 (20-odd years ago prices!) but once it was sorted it was a great car and I kept it for 3 years trouble-free.
Correct, this is a cheap car and not something to be overly precious about.After they conceded they wouldn't be driving again I was offered the car on the understanding it would probably cost more than it was worth to put right again - battery, tyres, full brake system, mould issues, faded paint where the sun had been constantly hitting it for years, etc. Cost me about £1200 (20-odd years ago prices!) but once it was sorted it was a great car and I kept it for 3 years trouble-free.
Just waiting for the seller to come back and confirm he's got the V5, that seems like a sensible place to start.
Then I'll just do the usual checks but pay particular attention to the VINs matching up.
From what I gather these cars are pretty bullet proof, I also get the impression this has been stored inside. I know they can rust and leak water in the boot as well, but that's not a deal breaker, can be easily fixed with a set of new seals.
Cars with long periods of non-use can be a PITA.
A thousand small things likely to seize from non-use, from brake parts to door locks.
We had quite a fun time sorting out a gunged EFI system on a bike where the petrol had gummed up everything in a couple of years storage.
Personally I would expect it to be a project.
A thousand small things likely to seize from non-use, from brake parts to door locks.
We had quite a fun time sorting out a gunged EFI system on a bike where the petrol had gummed up everything in a couple of years storage.
Personally I would expect it to be a project.
The only time I'd entertain this is if its an export (then re-import) from Republic of Ireland (which is the only RHD country remotely near the UK). It sounds like that car had some kind of issue which led to its disuse, was laid up for a long time, then resurrected. As above, this is worse than a high mileage car being in regular use. The other possibility I can think of is some kind of identity swap.
A chap I know of does a lot of training on Recovery Trucks / Loading and Unloading / Winching etc. and has a fleet of VOR cars and vans, which they use for training.
If the motor checks out, and you’re happy with it, I would not worry too much with a £1,500 - first car - in all honesty.
If the motor checks out, and you’re happy with it, I would not worry too much with a £1,500 - first car - in all honesty.
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