Went looking for a first car

Redline

Redline

Zorg Expert (I)
British Zeds
Joined
Mar 10, 2015
Points
208
Location
Nuneaton
Model of Z
E89 20i msport
...for Jonathan ....and found this in the back at a used car lot. :whistle:

Will it do?
image.webp


To be honest it was in a bit of a state - will need some tlc. The seats were well worn.
Am having second thoughts now =))
 
I'm sure Jonathan would love this for his first car as would his insurance company
 
Low Rider said:
I'm sure Jonathan would love this for his first car as would his insurance company
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Scarily the reg is all but perfect :eek:
I think it would be first up best dressed =))
 
£1.000,000 insurance may just be the deciding factor =)) Oh, and parts, servicing and fuel :nailbiting: That aside, bang on first car :thumbsup:
 
Bargain at £619.90
 
Worn seats means the owners haven't been prepared to spend on the car.

Doesn't make sense, a 50k plus car and they don't want to pay £1000 to have the seats re upholstered?
 
Wow what a great car :p
 
Tfp said:
Worn seats means the owners haven't been prepared to spend on the car.

Doesn't make sense, a 50k plus car and they don't want to pay £1000 to have the seats re upholstered?
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It was still showing a tax disc - from 2008!
Don't think its had much spent on it at all.
 
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Stevo7682 said:
I have a solution :thumbsup::whistle:
Look at this on eBay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/272318078335
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I'll ask Jonathan if he'll take this one instead. I think I know the answer :whistle:

Doesn't matter which car its the insurance that's going to be the killer. Thought I'd got a brilliant quote until I realised I'd left one of the boxes ticked that does apply to me but not to him. :mad:
Just got an half reasonable quote for a Mini One. Nice cool car. More metal than the average Fiesta. A car we can all use. Some serious shopping around needed. :(
 
Insurance worse than ever for young drivers . Not that it was ever that good. I passed my test at 18 in 1988 bought a mk1 fiesta 950cc ghia for £475 and insurance was £925 3rd party fire and theft. So nothing really changed :(
 
Redline said:
I'll ask Jonathan if he'll take this one instead. I think I know the answer :whistle:

Doesn't matter which car its the insurance that's going to be the killer. Thought I'd got a brilliant quote until I realised I'd left one of the boxes ticked that does apply to me but not to him. :mad:
Just got an half reasonable quote for a Mini One. Nice cool car. More metal than the average Fiesta. A car we can all use. Some serious shopping around needed. :(
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Mini one

Quite a few having timing chain problems, many in the trade are now avoiding them.
 
There is a dark blue 360 in a village in Kent (Challock) which was only 50k last time I saw it (I think it's the owners as ive seen it being driven over ever there on a dry days only for the last few years and it's parked right in the from with a price in the window). It's odd given the rest of the stock is just normal everyday cars.

Dark blue would be much more appropriate as a first car, less attention seeking for a new driver. And red cars have higher premiums apparently (red car driver tend to be a bit fiery it seems)
 
Tfp said:
Mini one

Quite a few having timing chain problems, many in the trade are now avoiding them.
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I had picked up on that reading a few posts earlier. It appears to be tensioners. I presume this engine is used elsewhere though. It won't be unique ti just minis only. Will look carefully. Surely BMWcant afford to carry such a major issue.
 
Tfp said:
Mini one

Quite a few having timing chain problems, many in the trade are now avoiding them.
Click to expand...
Just been looking to understand the various pitfalls and foibles.
As far as I can tell its the N12/N14 engine AKA Prince engine (built by BMW at Hams Hall) that seems to have this catastrophic tensioner issue. These were introduced in 2006 mini 2 but later in the convertible. Am sure I'll be wrong though.

The older Tritec engine originally conceived by Rover prior to the sale of Mini to BMW and built in collaboration with Chrysler and others in Brazil seems to be more solid and without these fatal tensioner issues.

BMW have been through several tensioner redesigns to sort this problem. They've also had to pick up costs of repairs in the USA as it was deemed a design fault over there.
The Tritec engine is older technology built on a cast iron block. Lower powered but higher fuel consumption.
I suspect, as usual, its know what you're buying....
Having said that, I'm happy to have a lower powered unit in a first car.
 
Maybe it's time to give Jonathan the Zed and you can take the red beast...
The insurance will balance in a good direction.
 
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