X type queries
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gsx600

Original Poster:

2,740 posts

271 months

Monday 20th July 2009
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Hi all

Thinking of buying an 04 plate X diesel with 200k on the clock. Apart from the engine as that is being replaced any other bits that I should watch out for at this sort of milage.

Seems like all electrics work even the sat nav, leather seats seem ok and imaculate paintwork with full service history, and may be cheap smile

Any others out there still running with 40k a year ?

Triple7

4,015 posts

260 months

Monday 20th July 2009
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If it's free, then I would think it's worth a punt, but I'd say it's best years are behind it and bills will start to add ip. You can buy low mileage cars for not much. I would stick to them.

Jaguar steve

9,232 posts

233 months

Monday 20th July 2009
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200k?. yikes it'll be knackered.

No matter how cheap I'd avoid it like the plauge. This will sound rude - it's not meant to be - if you can't stretch to a well cared example with reasonable mileage and FSH as a minimum, and you have not got enough of the folding stuff available to maintain one properly then please go and buy somthing else instead.

If the engine's shagged - I assume it is as you say it will be replaced for sale - it's a safe bet to assume the rest of the car is too. Ignore any sales bks about "motorway miles" or any other st second hand car salesmen are all too prone too, 200k is way over it's designed lifespan.

Honestly - just walk away. I don't think I'd commit to owning one at that mileage even as a gift because I know what a money pit it's all to likley to be.

cardigankid

8,861 posts

235 months

Monday 20th July 2009
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Agreed, you wouldn't want the plauge.

RW774

1,042 posts

246 months

Monday 20th July 2009
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Absolutely amazing, if it`s cheap enough and I do mean cheap,I would have it. If it goes pop, buy a second hand motor/ box etc and get a specialist to put it in, re- program and away you go.
I have had these cars in the shop with 250k miles still performing well.The mileage is proof its been a damn good car.
Ford tested these engines flat out on the redline for a week at Dunton, with the usual checks they were fine and none failed. Damn good motor.

sickbag

19 posts

204 months

Tuesday 21st July 2009
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I agree with the above comment,
I remapped a friends mondeo with 180,000 miles and it was thrashed every day for a year or so clocking up over 200,000 and was still perfect and still is as I know the owner who bought it off him..


steve

varsas

4,072 posts

225 months

Tuesday 21st July 2009
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I can't help wondering why the engine needs replacing at 200k miles/5 years unless it's been mis-treated...which would suggest to me the rest of the car has also not been looked after.

I would only have it if it's cheap (it will be difficult to sell on) and it had been well looked after (sounds like it has) which would mean the engine was just one of those things.

I don't see why the car would necessarily be knackered after 200k miles. Age seems to take a much greater toll on cars then mileage in my experience.

Edited by varsas on Tuesday 21st July 11:16


Edited by varsas on Tuesday 21st July 11:17

Jaguar steve

9,232 posts

233 months

Tuesday 21st July 2009
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I'm guessing from experience there's a good chance the rest of the car has not been looked after if the engine needs replacement.

Henry Ford - I forget which one - once sent his engineers round the American scrapyards to look at all the Ford cars that had been junked. Not as you might hope so they could find out what had gone wrong with them and from that learn how to build a better quality product, but in fact with the opposite aim - to find out what still worked on the car as any components that were still servicable were in his opinion over engineered and should be made more cheaply.

That's where we are with cars made over the last 10 years or so in my view. The desire to reduce weight and emissions as well as manufacturing and component costs has driven the real built in quality down, not up which in turn has compromised durability. That's why I'd view any high miler with suspicion - it may well still work, but it's gone way beyond what it was orignaly designed to do and could be on the brink of somthing wallet rapingly expensive that could easily wipe out the financial gain from buying the cheapest and not the best one you can find.

gsx600

Original Poster:

2,740 posts

271 months

Wednesday 22nd July 2009
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Thanks for the replies

Current Vectra 2.5 I bought at 150k over a year ago, engine went pop about a week later, so put another in and so far done another 22k in it with everything else still held together, so hoping a Jag will be better quality than the Vauxhall ?

TVR is now 22 years old and only on 80k and has had most things replaced like engine suspension etc although still on original gearbox.

Willing to replace bits that fail and would probably do myself as long as I can get parts for the Jag , as for condition everything else seems solid for the age and milage but not sure why the engine expired after only 200k as diesels would normally last a bit longer.

What are they like on expendable like tyres etc as would like another comfy car to rival the parents 08 X type and 02 S type as the sensible option smile or a xjr sports supercharged V8 as the fun option yikes

Edited by gsx600 on Wednesday 22 July 22:40

gsx600

Original Poster:

2,740 posts

271 months

Thursday 23rd July 2009
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Just found out the failure was the oil cooler and not a complete engine failure , hence oil and water mixing so still mulling this thing over