Advice on what to look for on a used Ford KA

mcjordi

rust around filler cap, sills,
the 1.3engine a is chain driven one so no need for a cam belt

aldudturn

I would check the tires, according to my dad they were expensive to replace on our KA as they're not just off the shelf tires.

Also I would consider if a Ford Ka is really the best car for a 17 year old male! Although I was very grateful that my parents insured me on it, if they were buying a car for me I definitely wouldn't have chosen it. For anyone over 6' it's pretty cramped, I'm 6' 3" and I have to have the seat all the way back. It does drive fantastically though imo.

hewhoisnotintheknow

steering rack

pinkshoes

aldudturn wrote: »

I would check the tires, according to my dad they were expensive to replace on our KA as they're not just off the shelf tires.

Did he have a sports model or something??

They're bog standard basic tyres normally. Had my two back tyres replaced a month ago, and they were either £60 ish a pair (including fitting) for the basic ones, or I paid £80 ish a pair intermediate ones (fitted). Nice and cheap!

56k miles for a 7 year old car is very reasonable (8000 a year), and this wouldn't worry me if it had a full service history.

Whichcar.co.uk suggests a 51 plate 2001 Ford KA with 56k miles on the clock would sell privately for about £1390, which suggest £950 would perhaps be a good price.

Has it recently passed an MOT? If you haggle on the price, you could tell them £925 if they put it through an MOT?

goldspanners

aldudturn wrote: »

I would check the tires, according to my dad they were expensive to replace on our KA as they're not just off the shelf tires.

ive got a brand new continental tyre on a brand new steel wheel to sut a ka in my shed. tried to sell it on ebay,couldnt even get a tenner for it. so i checked blackcircle for the same size and found similar tyres at £30 fitted.

Unstoppable_2

alun4 wrote: »

Are there known faults or rust areas I should look for?

Many thanks.

Yes..the whole car is prone to rust. Either it'll be rusty as a dog or perfectly fine. There seems to be no inbetween.

aldudturn

pinkshoes wrote: »

Did he have a sports model or something??

They're bog standard basic tyres normally. Had my two back tyres replaced a month ago, and they were either £60 ish a pair (including fitting) for the basic ones, or I paid £80 ish a pair intermediate ones (fitted). Nice and cheap!

56k miles for a 7 year old car is very reasonable (8000 a year), and this wouldn't worry me if it had a full service history.

Whichcar.co.uk suggests a 51 plate 2001 Ford KA with 56k miles on the clock would sell privately for about £1390, which suggest £950 would perhaps be a good price.

Has it recently passed an MOT? If you haggle on the price, you could tell them £925 if they put it through an MOT?

Just clarified with my Dad, he got confused with the tires on his car (Honda CR-V). Senile at 65 oh dear!

manda1205

from mandas OH;
The biggest thing with Ka's is RUST! They are total rotters! Check under plastic arches, sills (panel that goes from front to back under the doors), inside petrol cap, under rear lamps, rear panel in boot, wing bottoms, wiper holes. no fords are galvenized thats why they rot so bad, even a year old car will be showing signs of rust

ive known 3 year old cars have rotten holes where the inner and outer 1/4s meet nr the filler cap (did work in ford bodyshop)

bolt on parts are pennies, dont worry about heater valves (£14) or lower arms £12 ea its the shell thats the big issue, poke along the carpet on the inner sill (inside the step, walk away if crunching is heard) 99% of early cars had a big rust patch appear where the door meets the 1/4 on the sill some ford fixed but generally they would have needed something so look for either a welded patch or some can paint, maybe even a propper job on some

they also dont take kindly to being hit so look for filler and hidden damage under the plastics, plastic body parts are cheap and fairly easy to fit (millions of rivets and screws) but never look right against new
engines go forever, ford have used them since '77 and even without servicing or oil that just chug on and are the size of a lunch box so easy to work on and replace, locks often break and are a chore to change (shield behind them) if on original wheels then tyres are 155/13's or close which are cheapest available and easy to find for free on forums, ive got loads you could have

for a lad i'd get a fiesta, hes gonna want to mess with it so fiestas are easier for that and bigger and safer and less likerly to fall in half (i'd get the zetec model as the engines far superior even if you need to keep an eye on the oil)

if it looks very very nice then a grand is ok i spose, it stop whack for a pre 2000 car really and they can easilly be had for 500 and just over, ive been offered mot fails needing welding for between 50 and 200 but not worth geting into if its inner rear wheel arch rust, i do hear of cheap cars tho, just got an 03 fiesta for £600 (less an engine)

alun4

pinkshoes wrote: »

Did he have a sports model or something??

They're bog standard basic tyres normally. Had my two back tyres replaced a month ago, and they were either £60 ish a pair (including fitting) for the basic ones, or I paid £80 ish a pair intermediate ones (fitted). Nice and cheap!

56k miles for a 7 year old car is very reasonable (8000 a year), and this wouldn't worry me if it had a full service history.

Whichcar.co.uk suggests a 51 plate 2001 Ford KA with 56k miles on the clock would sell privately for about £1390, which suggest £950 would perhaps be a good price.

Has it recently passed an MOT? If you haggle on the price, you could tell them £925 if they put it through an MOT?

Yes a new MOT on 22nd December. No Advisories

alun4

manda1205 wrote: »

from mandas OH;
The biggest thing with Ka's is RUST! They are total rotters! Check under plastic arches, sills (panel that goes from front to back under the doors), inside petrol cap, under rear lamps, rear panel in boot, wing bottoms, wiper holes. no fords are galvenized thats why they rot so bad, even a year old car will be showing signs of rust

ive known 3 year old cars have rotten holes where the inner and outer 1/4s meet nr the filler cap (did work in ford bodyshop)

bolt on parts are pennies, dont worry about heater valves (£14) or lower arms £12 ea its the shell thats the big issue, poke along the carpet on the inner sill (inside the step, walk away if crunching is heard) 99% of early cars had a big rust patch appear where the door meets the 1/4 on the sill some ford fixed but generally they would have needed something so look for either a welded patch or some can paint, maybe even a propper job on some

they also dont take kindly to being hit so look for filler and hidden damage under the plastics, plastic body parts are cheap and fairly easy to fit (millions of rivets and screws) but never look right against new
engines go forever, ford have used them since '77 and even without servicing or oil that just chug on and are the size of a lunch box so easy to work on and replace, locks often break and are a chore to change (shield behind them) if on original wheels then tyres are 155/13's or close which are cheapest available and easy to find for free on forums, ive got loads you could have

for a lad i'd get a fiesta, hes gonna want to mess with it so fiestas are easier for that and bigger and safer and less likerly to fall in half (i'd get the zetec model as the engines far superior even if you need to keep an eye on the oil)

if it looks very very nice then a grand is ok i spose, it stop whack for a pre 2000 car really and they can easilly be had for 500 and just over, ive been offered mot fails needing welding for between 50 and 200 but not worth geting into if its inner rear wheel arch rust, i do hear of cheap cars tho, just got an 03 fiesta for £600 (less an engine)

Thank you for this very comprehensive reply. Indeed thanks to all, I will have more confidence when viewing tomorrow.