Cheap car suggestions!

nej

Jorgan wrote:

Watch the head gasket on the 414. If looking for a 1.4, I've found the 16v a lot better drive than the 8v, I had both as company cars. When I left the car scheme I bought the 420SDI, similar performance to the 16v, both about 105bhp, but it went a lot further on a tank full.

I thought it was only the 1.8 K-Series that had the gasket problem? Some of the 400's have a honda engine (possibly the 1.6) and that'd be bullet proof. I like the idea of the 420SDi if I can find one, seem to be not so many about.

As for the Escort, I suspect it's off the menu anyway, but I was thinking around an S plate, maybe newer. I've seen them with aircon and PAS. I had an F-reg one as my first car actually. The only problem with that one was it's lack of resilience when hitting another car and then a tree milliseconds later. Terrible workmanship!

Jorgan_2

nej wrote:

I thought it was only the 1.8 K-Series that had the gasket problem?

Maybe its just me but I've had two head gasket fail on the 1.4, one on a car that was only 3 months old, the day after it was serviced.

nej

If it was the day after a service, I reckon they !!!!!!ed up the coolant levels.

I think that was the problem. The 1.8 is essentially a bigger version of the 1.4 and 1.6 but keeps the same coolant system and same amount of coolant, which can't cope if it drops a bit. It's ok on the smaller engines because of less heat.

At least, that's what I read somewhere and am fully prepared to be completely wrong!