Asking for bits of info on buying a 2nd hand Felicia

[Porsenna]

I have mentioned elsewhere that I'm planning on buying a Fabia; failing that, an attractive second option for me, recently married guy on a tight budget, is to get a second hand Felicia.

Browsing around on the AutoTrader website (Auto Trader UK - Buy & Sell New & Used Cars, Car Loans, Car Insurance) I can see quite a few Felicias in my area, often going for less that a thousand quid! What kind of things should I check, and what should I expect from a Felicia?

Is it easy to find spare parts if things go pear-shaped? Is there a mileage threshold beyond which I should be wary?

Thanks in advance to everyone!

[Alfie 168]

Felicia

Spare Parts.No problem, but chances are you won't need many anyway and they are not that expensive when you do need them..for the most part anyway.

What to check.? Give the car a good look over, take a friend who knows a bit about cars to stop you buying the first one you see. Does the car say "I've been well looked after" or does it look a bit of a dog..First impressions are important. Does it smell of fags, is the drivers seat badly worn, is the clutch pedal rubber badly worn. Does the miles on the mileometer match the car condition (i.e. might it be clocked)

It must have a full service record that you can verify including back MOT certs. does it have cheap nasty, possibly not matching tyres on (a sure sign of neglect IMHO) or good quality tyres in good condition.

Check the paintwork matches on all panels, and look for signs of overspray under wheelarches which might suggest its been patched up or had an accident. Check the doors/bonnet/hatch close properly and with even shutlines each side, check the carpets are dry. Check the condition of the spare tyre and the well it sits in for rust/damp. Get down and examine the paintwork round the wheelarches and in the cill in front of the rear wheel..thats usually where rusts starts, and if you open the rear door check the cill weld/join at the bottom as that is where rust starts.

When you drive it check it does not veer to left or right and that it brakes in a straight line with no clonks from the engine or suspension. The engines are sometimes a little rattly, but it should not be bad. If there are any signs of grinding noises or difficulty selecting gears, then walk away. The engine should start first time, idle steadily at 900 rpm or so, and pull cleanly through all the gears. The heater shoull heat up very quickly (excellent heaters) and the temp gauge should settle slap on the middle ideally. Check all the electrics/lights work OK

Things that fail: Its usually only the headlamp levelling mechanism that bites the dust, but check it anyway, you might be lucky.Its a wee bit expensive to replace.

I'm sure there's more, but that should see you OK. High miles is not a problem to these cars provided the maintainance has been done..and there is NO cam belt to break. Excellent cars by the way!

Good luck and let us know how you get on. Finally, if you find a REALLY good one, its worth paying a bit more for the best you can afford.

Alfie 168

[muckyduck]

Check temp gauge, a knackered thermo is a possibility, no big deal to fix. Leaks in front footwells - probably screen needs silicon, put your hand under the dash and squeeze the foam sound proofing and lift the matts and sniff the carpet - weird but effective. CV boots (rubbers gaiters behind suspension) shouldn't be split, cheap to buy, expensive to fit; engine rattle on high milers.

Most Fellys are getting long in the tooth but word is they'll go up to 200k miles. Estates have bags of room especially with the seats out and if you go for a saloon split rear seats are handy for extra carriage. My wife's L without power steering is on 112, 000 and doesn't miss a beat.
A lot of Felicias were bought by 'mature' drivers and did low mileages and were well cared and maintained before being chopped in for a Fabia so they didn't attract thrashers with status anxiety. Probably as sound a cheap used car as you'll get.

[pinkskud]

Originally Posted by Alfie 168

and there is NO cam belt to break. Excellent cars by the way!

unless its a 1.6. they have belts.

[richardsfavorit]

Originally Posted by Alfie 168

idle steadily at 900 rpm or so,

Alfie 168

Unless again its the 1.6 - expect idle to be about 650rpm when warm - about 1100rpm when cold. Once warm it should go like a bullet. Shouldn't have any hesitation on the 1.3 or 1.6.

[skudupnorth]

Early Felicia's suffered from more rust in tailgates and rear arches than the Favorit it replaced,check that.
Water leaks common...more so on later facelift versions (VW quality strikes again ! ) from either front screen or sunroof.
Engines and Gearbox's very strong and good from high mileage if looked after.If the 1.3 sounds tapperty then it's quite normal,other noises include timing chain (1.3's) rattle,it won't snap but i would defo consider it when haggling !

[Porsenna]

Thanks to everyone for a lot of useful information! I feel a bit more prepared now. And of course more knowledge generates more questions, so I'll fire off again, if somebody is kind enough to answer.

Originally Posted by Alfie 168

What to check.? Give the car a good look over, take a friend who knows a bit about cars to stop you buying the first one you see.

Ah, yes. The old "Get someone more knowledgeable than you". That's the problem; my friends are not that much into cars either. Imagine the average lecturer or researcher; for many of them cars are to go from place A to place B, and when they act up (the cars, in this case, not the researchers) they ask the wives, or the secretaries if they're very good, to pop in a garage and have it solved. The only person that I'd trust is my father, and he's thousands of miles away in Italy, and his advice would probably be to buy a Fiat .

My plan for this is to find a friendly mechanic somewhere near, entincing him with the promise of becoming a regular customer. How much would they charge to inspect a car, in your opinion? Is it a common thing to ask? I mean, I'd have to drag him to the car viewing.

Originally Posted by Alfie 168

Things that fail: Its usually only the headlamp levelling mechanism that bites the dust, but check it anyway, you might be lucky.

Errr, another question. I'll have to admit my ignorance, but... A headlamp leveling mechanism? What is it for? I swear I'm not pulling anybody's leg.

Originally Posted by muckyduck

CV boots (rubbers gaiters behind suspension) shouldn't be split, cheap to buy, expensive to fit; engine rattle on high milers.

Ah, ignorance time again. I know what they are, in an intellectual, abstract way, but don't have the faintest idea of where they are. Any possibility of a picture, by any chance? Maybe with a red circle around the bit in question?

Once again, let me thank you all, this is really a lot of great information. But as you might have noticed I really am not that competent. Sorry to trouble you!

[Alfie 168]

Not a Fiat!!,,An Alfa Romeo maybe (my other car is an Alfa my fourth Alfa in 15 years) Alfa= Always Looking For Another Sad to say, Skodas are better built than either Fiat or Alfas, but I think Alfas are special,,so there!!

The headlamp levelling device is a control you turn inside the car to point the headlamps down a bit if you have heavy weights in the rear seats/luggage area. Its to stop you dazzling other drivers. Don't worry about it, its not that important.

The CV boots are under the car hidden behind the front wheels. They are rubber covers to keep dust/dirt out of greased joints in the drive shafts. They can perish and split and MUST be replaced if they are damaged. I have to say we have never had to replace one yet on four Skodas in 17 years, but they should be looked at ideally & they do split now and again.

Yes the 1.6 has a cam belt..Soooo..don't buy a 1.6. buy a 1.3.Simple

The estate car has LOADS of room in it. Very useful if you have to move furniture, beds (yes we have got beds inside ours regularly and sideboards. I wouldn't have believed it myself sometimes!!).

Getting someone to go with you is obviously a problem, and I don't have an answer really, except to suggest you ask amongst friends/aquaintances if they know anyone they trust with cars who can go with you. Most of us have learned through making mistakes unfortunately.

Hope this helps

Alfie 168

[AndyC]

Our 97 GLi leaks into to boot, so check the spare wheel well for water. Also its very sensitive to tracking and tyre pressures for some reason ( could be my wifes driving...) so check the front tyre treads and make sure there is no vibration at 60 -70 mph.

Andy

[Alfie 168]

I'd have a look at this one on ebay. It looks really nice, has the MPI engine and power steering, both desirable, and only 65k miles. Needless to say I have NO connection at all with it, but its worth a look I'd have thought. And he offers your money back if you don't like it!!

Alfie 168

eBay.co.uk: NO RESERVE! 99/V SKODA FELICIA 1.3 PACIFIC 5dr, PAS, ew (item 130082614937 end time 04-Mar-07 18:00:00 GMT)

[Porsenna]

Originally Posted by Alfie 168

I'd have a look at this one on ebay. It looks really nice, has the MPI engine and power steering, both desirable, and only 65k miles. Needless to say I have NO connection at all with it, but its worth a look I'd have thought. And he offers your money back if you don't like it!!

Err, it's in Surrey and I'm in Newcastle Upon Tyne... The cost to see it and pick it up is a significant fraction of the price as it stands now. Sorry, mate, but thanks for the help

I found a few on AutoTrader. I'll have a look at them and report.

[pinkskud]

hay, i live in bedfordshire, and i git my car from swonsey. its worth the train ride if its a good one.

[Alfie 168]

Only trying to help But there should be plenty around Newcastle I suppose. You need to check its oil in the sump and not Newcastle Brown though .


(Chorus)
"Its a big beer its a bottled beer
with the Norths biggest sale
For complete satisfaction
Newcastle Brown Ale!" (sung to the tune of "Cushy Butterfield"..a local folk balad)

Alfie 168

[muckyduck]

The thing with CV boots is a split one is a straight MOT failure because they argue (quite fairly) that water and muck ingress will wear the steering. In the real world we'd just gaffer tape and glue an extra boot over the top, in MOT land you have to replace them and dismantle the steering assembly. My wife had one go and it's quite an expensive job even at a back street garage. This isn't peculiar to Felicias or Skodas BTW.

[Porsenna]

Originally Posted by Alfie 168

Only trying to help

Sorry, didn't mean to sound snarky.

I found these Felicias on AutoTrader in my area; any good?

The first one is a Felicia 1.3 LXi, T registration.
SKODA FELICIA 1.3 LXi, T reg. - Auto Trader UK

The second one is a Felicia 1.3 1.3 GLXi, which is funny because I looked around for insurance calculations and I only found GLXi's with 1.6 engines, not 1.3s.

SKODA FELICIA 1.3 GLXi 5dr Hatchback - Auto Trader UK

Are they good purchases? Should I haggle much on prices? Thanks again in advance.

[bobob]

The first car looks fine, low mileage, higher spec engine, second generation model, full MOT

The second link doesn't work, but looking at Felicias for similar prices around Newcastle, i guess you mean the N reg 1.3glxi at Harbour View Motors. This is the first generation felicia, so you wont get things like a front grill, colour coded bumpers, airbag.

The first is worth having a look at, though it is a dealer, so he won't be doing you any favours

[Porsenna]

Originally Posted by bobob

The second link doesn't work, but looking at Felicias for similar prices around Newcastle, i guess you mean the N reg 1.3glxi at Harbour View Motors.

No, it comes out it was sold just a few hours ago; the link doers not work because it was removed It was a decent looking one in the hands of a private, and it also had power steering...

Well, there's no use in crying over spilled milk, right?

[andy2407]

The first one says £650 OR NEAR OFFER, so the dealer is already accepting that there is some negotiation in there.
Tax runs out tomorrow, so I would want him to put another 6 months on.
If it looks OK and you are interested, be cheeky. Offer £500 subject to him putting 6 months tax on it. If you finish at £600 plus the tax you have done OK.
The fact that the advert says taxed til end Feb suggests that it has been in stock for a while. Unfortunately, that could be a good or bad thing. It could suggest there are problems, or it could mean he wants to get shut and you will get a good price. Have you found a friendly mechanic to take with you?
Another thought - if its a dealer, try to get some warranty thrown in (3 months?) as part of the deal.

[WoodieGuthrie]

you're making the right choice with the felicia mate!awesome little cars if you service them regularly.

That T plate 41k one is ideal, not too badly priced either. I wouldnt ask the dealer for 6 months roadtax, as a full year on it will only be £110.

Ideally, I'd check

Shutlines for any signs of accident damage

tyres for tread depth and make

Make sure the bonnet opens (lever is on pass side under the glovebox) cable is a bicth to replace!

Before you start the car, check oil and coolant level. Also check coolant is a nice pink shade and not rusty, VW G12+ is standard on these cars, and is supposed to be "lifetime..."

Go inside the car and check front footwells for signs of dampness

Check that the gearbox selects all ratios easily, as sometimes the oil level can be low, and filling it is "fun"....

Now start the car, key should turn freely and bounce back to ignition position once car is started. if not, the switch in the barrel is on its way out (been quoted £100+ to replace/sync with immob)

Check all the lights work, and pop the boot lever to see that it opens ok (rhs of drivers seat.) If it doesnt, then you'll have to check manually that its locked when you use central locking for the rest of the car.

The brakes should be nice and firm, no ABS though, so dont hit them too hard!

After 8-10mins, the temp gauge should be sitting at 90 degrees roughly (middle of gauge) if its still reading 70, then the thermostat is broken. Needs the whole housing replaced (£45 and 10 mins with a screwdriver)

Turn heaters on full and your face should feel like a melted welly almost instantly- refusal to blow hot air could be an air lock in the cooling system.

GOOD LUCK!

[skudupnorth]

Oh,Oh !!!!Just thought of another thing, if you chose the second car which would be a good choice as it is the facelift version check the ignition key slides in and out of the barrel smoothly,we did loads under warranty where the barrel collapsed inside and jammed the key in.