OK - latest up date.
I went and saw the car. £45 and over 2 hours on the trains. Got there and it was sunny and cold.
First impression - great looking car!
A few minutes later after the walk around:
Outside:
No damage or rust. A few small scuffs and a very very slight bend I didn't see until about the 5th pass, don't know if I'll find it again that easy. Wheels good, slight front scuffs. Tyres all good, one pair fairly new. Glass good, windshield perfect. Headlights, very slight haze. All signal lights very good. Rear bumper has been pushed enough to show the mount point but not broken. Even the arial is straight.
All brake rotors are healthy and lots of pad material.
Underneath:
Relatively new exhaust system. Nice and dry with no sign of recent leaks under engine/trans (a little bit of road dust to show it's been this way for a while). Rear brake lines appear to be newer than the fronts. Driveshaft gaiters are good.
Under the bonnet:
Slight layer of dust throughout but clean and tidy. New battery. Oil clean and relatively fresh. Oil filter is clean and recent. All levels proper. Caps dirty enough to show not touched in the last few weeks. Frame rails straight and original paint.
Inside:
All components present and working. Lots of signs of wear with colour around window buttons wearing thin. But everything functions. No warning lights on. Seats are all in one piece. Front passenger seat worst with dirt and stains but will clean up nicely. Needs a really good clean throughout the interior. Footwell mats are toast.
At the back, jack and bits and pieces present and tidy, including locking wheel nuts. Frame rails straight and original.
Looking really good so far. Talked about cars history and confirmed, with more detail, what I had been told previously. A well appreciated and cared for vehicle. And I believe it.
OK, the road test.
Lovely engine idle on startup, and throughout the test, all signs indicate it's been well looked after. Steers as it should, no noises from driveshafts on hard turn angles. Stops as it should with no complaint (better stoppers than what I currently drive!).
But! Yes, here's the bad news guys! We couldn't expect a perfect car for far less than a grand, could we?
Gearbox noise on acceleration. Yep, those blasted bearings!!!
Seller was quite up front and did not contest the issue. There was a used 2007 box which had 16,000 miles put in by himself and his friend when his friend still owned it, 2 years before he bought it. I have their notes for some expenses on the car. Everything else in the notes are as expected - brakes, tyres, oil, filters etc. Just handwritten in a log.
So I can't argue the original question - because I bought it! (I did get a better price than from our phone conversation!) Drove it 127 miles home with no struggle. Just a complaining, moaning gearbox when driving in the city.
Any body know who can help me with rebuilt gearboxes in Kent? At a reasonable price?
