old banger needed, advice on which to buy please

mkirkby

scaredofdebt wrote: »

I'd avoid anything French at any age, car wise anyway.

I would have agreed until I did some research. Older Citroens (especially with the 1.9 XUD engine) do tend to be pretty well sorted and bolted together well.

Definitely better than their Pug cousins anyway

mkirkby

andygb wrote: »

I would avoid air conditioning,

Surely only relevant if you care whether it works or not? Mine doesn't; never has and it doesn't bother me.

mattyprice4004

forgotmyname wrote: »

Thats easy if you say to the seller start it up and he gives you a mad look and says its running. Thats the one.

If it rattles like a cement mixer and chucks blue smoke out the back then its a rover engine.

Wrong. The early K series was a damp-liner design with a closed deck, and rarely suffered issue.
It was the later K that had (much exaggerated IMO) head gasket issues.

And wrong again, have you ever actually heard a properly-looked after K series? Very smooth, quiet and remarkably fuel efficient for the year.
Blue smoke indicates shot piston rings, in fact the K series rarely suffers with any other issues than HGF.

This is a 'helpful' site, why chuck unsupported and incorrect opinions in to the mix?

pgilc1 wrote: »

That was in the generation before that - it would have been a '213' or '216'.

The 213 was the honda engine and the 216 was the BL engine.

The Rover picture came 'as standard' with a 1.4 litre 16v K Series engine. There were others engines available, but that was the most common. Notorious for head gasket failure hence relatively few left on the roads.

Not worth the hassle seeking one out in my opinion

Nope, the engine fitted to most R8 (wedge) Rover 216s was the Honda engine.

motorguy

mattyprice4004 wrote: »

Nope, the engine fitted to most R8 (wedge) Rover 216s was the Honda engine.

The standard car - and the one most sold - was the Rover 214 Si 16v, and that was a K Series engine.

That would have been the most popular variant - i was selling them at the time both new and used. When the K Series cam out it was hailed as revolutionary, thus when new few people would have avoided them in favour of the more expensive but little more powerful 1.6 variant.

Yes, the 1.6 was Honda and the 2.0 was the Rover M Series engine followed by the T Series.

I had quite a few of these subsequently come to me with cylinder head trouble in their twilight years (and before)

fishybusiness

And wrong again, have you ever actually heard a properly-looked after K series

Is there such a thing?:rotfl:

tommie1shunt

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1999-KIA-PRIDE-SX-GREEN-/251211559954?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item3a7d603412


No it is not mine or anything to do with me. Am damn good at picking up bangers and that one has a righteous feel about it.

Rolandtheroadie

tommie1shunt wrote: »

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1999-KIA-PRIDE-SX-GREEN-/251211559954?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item3a7d603412


No it is not mine or anything to do with me. Am damn good at picking up bangers and that one has a righteous feel about it.

No effort in the description and only 2 pictures.

1st thing you need is a good story, second things plenty pictures.

From that I can normally get a "feel" then I can decide whether to ask a question or 2 and call the seller or just leave it.

fridgeracer

is a Seat Arosa 1997 worth £595? Its 77K miles, says it has full service history, has MPG in the 50's even though it's petrol, the one im looking at is very clean and tidy on the pics. Did VW build Seat's in 1997? i.e. is it a VW car with a Seat badge or is it an unreliable old "real" Seat? I'd rather go for a civic but their MPG is crap compared to this smaller car and for the same price, why not?

atrixblue.-MFR-.

pgilc1 wrote: »

K series engine and the head gasket made from chocolate?

think youll find i reccomended the concerto not the rover the simulartity is what i posted i.e pics of it to show the OP what it may have inside it (better than a civic IMHO), early H J (K?) has a honda 1.6 engine in some rovers.

fridgeracer

ive found 1 concerto 200 miles away from me, £495 with 77k miles. worth the long drive to see it?