Ford StreetKA - Anything to look out for?
Ford StreetKA - Anything to look out for?
Author
Discussion

.R2D2

Original Poster:

1,475 posts

219 months

Tuesday 12th April 2011
quotequote all
Going to view one this evening for the mrs, just wondering what to look out for.

Its 2003, approx 60,000 miles. The steering rods were replaced last summer and has 4 newish tyres which I believe are things to check.

She currently has a KA which has rust all over it, anything like that to look out for?

OldSkoolRS

7,132 posts

205 months

Tuesday 12th April 2011
quotequote all
I'm by no means an expert, but my step daughter had an ordinary Ka so I'd suggest checking a couple of things that went wrong with hers: Make sure the heater can produce hot AND cold air (check the air con too if it has it). Make sure the handbrake can hold it on a hill. Check the sills in front of the back wheels and behind the front wheels for rust, in fact check the whole car carefully for rust as hers was riddled in the end (though older than this example granted).

Not exhaustive list, but as you're going tonight and no one else has responded, I hope it's of some help. smile

monkeyra

105 posts

242 months

Thursday 14th April 2011
quotequote all
Maybe worth a browse of a StreetKa forum:

http://www.myka.org/forum/3-streetka-and-sportka/

ajmacintosh

1 posts

181 months

Saturday 7th May 2011
quotequote all
I have a 2004 Streetka Luxury. In my opinion the car is brilliant. Does exactly what is say’s on the tin - an affordable two seater with relatively low running costs.
The engine is very robust and the gear change is just so good. The heated leather seats are amazing, especially on a chilly evening drive to the local beach and also hold you snuggly in its sumptuous leather.

The hood - although manual, can easily be put up/down in under 30 seconds which is faster than many electric variants. (Just ensure the rear window is not kinked whilst pulling the hood down or you run the risk of the rear window cracking).
Also, the hood folds into its own storage compartment so the very large boot remains the same size with roof up or down (unlike all other metal folding roof convertibles)

Fuel consumption isn’t great, returning around 30 mpg around town and road tax is a whopping £245.00 per year. But, I guess if you want a 80 mpg diesel city car you wouldn't contemplate buying a Streetka anyway.

Although Ford, these cars were exclusively built in Italy by Pininfarina and the build quality seems so much better than my Sportka. When you close the door you get a satisfying VW clunk. Also, they don't suffer from the usual 'Rust-around-the-filler-cap-syndrome' that affects all Ford built Ka's.
Admittedly they are not without their faults, but name a car that is? Things to look out for are front suspension (check for uneven tyre wear), heating and ventilation (check heaters operate both hot and cold) Air conditioning (that the system blows icy cold), Worn steering wheels (the coating cracks and peels) and ideally, view the car when the engine is cold ( the auxiliary belt tensioners tend to squeak on start-up if worn). Saying that all the above can be remedied with little cost but can aid you in bargaining a good deal.

My opinion is: If you want a lovely looking sub £5k 2 seater convertible with bags of appeal then look no further!