Conference terri::cars_uk

Car    .......Citro�n GS 1220 Estate (Blue)
Cost..........�250
Sold for......�0

Bought it a Shoreham car auction.  It had a "C-Matic" gearbox (no clutch)
that would only give 1st and 2nd gears.

5 miles out of Shoreham I managed to get it doing 30 miles an hour downhill 
when my passenger found reverse.  The car stopped dead with an engine bay full 
of twisted aluminium.  A car breaker offered me �20 if I could get it to him or 
nothing if he collected.

Owned for 1 day at a cost of �50 per mile.

Ian.

    Alfa Sprint Veloce
    
    problems too numerous to mention
    
    but boy was it fun to drive when it was right !
    
    ric

    
    Three month old Lancia Beta Coupe (1979)
    
    metal headlamp trims contracted smashing the headlamp lenses
    on a regular basis
    
    Rust problems (bodywork by Andrex !)
    
    At 50,000 kms the oil warning light came on, (despite dealer servicing)
    
    Biggest pile of crap I've ever owned
    
    
    Tim
    

    
    Car 1993 L reg Fiat Tempra SLX 2.0i StationWagon
    Hertz Leasemobile
    Still got it.....
    
    After 500 miles the mileometer reset itself back to 50. Proceeded to go
    up and down at will until the ENTIRE dash was replaced.
    New dash came with extra warning lights which don't work.. including a
    dipstick oil level light (RED) thats' permanently on!@@@ Garage can't
    fix it so it's got black tape over it!!
    
    Cracked windscreen after 3 months
    
    Both headlamps leaked, both replaced (still leak)
    
    Washer bottle leak.(caused by garage mechanic trapping high pressure
    headlamp washer pipe!)
    
    Washer pump would wash front windows as well when washing the back
    window.(new pump)
    
    Couldn't lock or unlock the car using the key in the drivers door. New
    solenoid for central locking reqd.
    
    Boot refuses (intermittently) to lock with central locking.. new
    solenoid... still knackered... entire tailgate squint now and has to be
    slammed on right hand side to get it to shut.
    
    Passenger door window wound itself down all by itself... new leccie
    switches..
    
    Handbrake packed up almost completely.. still needs about 100 clicks to
    hold on a steep slope!
    
    Brakes are binding... mechanics too dim to ckeck all 4 calipers.. so
    didn't spot it's the rear ones that are smoking!
    
    Rear wiper starts wiping by itself occasionally.. sweeps once every 10
    secs instead of 5.......?
    
    Indicator relay goeas bananas every now and then.... Goodness only
    knows what the lights are doing!!
    
    Got two oval tyres (Dunlops) from kwik fit... it almost came to blows
    to get them replaced!
    
    Freezing cold draught coming in through the central door pillar seat
    belt slider hole (garage won't even look at it)
    
    Sunroof seized up completly... car spent 3 days in garage getting
    fixed... still not working properly.. wouldn't open today!
    
    Cr*p fuel economy... 31mpg is my BEST!!!!   27 is average.
    
    
    I keep leaving it unlocked outside the house... but it's always there
    in the morning!!! Curses!!
    
    All this and it's only just coming up to 18 months old with 33,000 on
    this clock.... not counting however many it did when it was telling
    lies!!
    
    Anyone want to take over its lease???????????????
    
    Dave Burnett
    

    
    Does your Tempra have the digital dash or has that gone the way of all
    others?
    
    We've got it on our Tipo and, although it works fine now and you grow
    used to it, I often wonder what it'd cost to sort it out if it did go
    wrong....
    
    Mark

RE:last

Dave,

I'd prefer my old TR7 to your Fiat!

What a pile of cra* you have been landed with, I hope you don't take Digital
customers out for lunch in it! 

Who did you upset to get landed with this motor from hell?

John

    .4
    
    unbelievable !!!!
    
    doh !
    
    ric

Car:....... Sunbeam Stilletto - 1969 Imp derivative
Cost:...... 450
Sold for:.. 350


I'm sure I've put this in here somewhere else, but it's quiet at the moment and
this is an amusing new topic

Bought this because my mother had one when I was learning to drive - brilliant
car. Mine was obviously the exception that proved the rule.

998cc engine - revved forever and went like stink but...

I had the car for 18 months and I can hand-on-heart say that I had only two
consecutive (sp) weeks that it ran without fault.

Catalogue of disaster was something like,

1	transaxle knackered - gearbox needed replacing

2	Car overheated at anything over 50 mph - De-coked engine
						replaced thermastat
						    "     all hoses
					   	    "     exhaust manifold
                                                    "     (finally) radiator
	All this done over a number of weeks, each action reducing the
	overheating problem bit-by-bit

3	Switched on heater blower -someone had pinched the motor !
				   This was accessible behind a panel under the
				   bumper

4	Switched on the wipers - one flew off

5	Windscreen washers froze before I could get washer antifreeze in. Stayed
	frozen all winter.
	 
6	Bolt holding the rear drive-shafts to flexi-coupling sheared. Flexidrive
	flexed (funny that) and drive shaft proceeded to thump the floorpan until
	I came to a stop.

7	Pulled up the choke lever - cable snapped

8	Found when de-coking the engine (above) that valve stems had been ground
	to give valve clearance because the valve seats had been over-cut.

9	Snapped an stud in the block reassembling the engine - and this after
	doing everything gingerly, with a torque-wrench, because the last thing
	I wanted to do was snap a stud in the block !!!!!

Finally had enough and got rid of it. Saw it driving around and was dying to ask
the bloke who bought it if he'd had any problems. I figured I'd done just about
everything that could go wrong.

Learnt heaps about Imps and had the art of removing engine and gearbox down pat.

TKS


	 

    Taking the title at its word, I would have to say :-
    
    Car:..... GTM Rossa Mk.2
    Cost:.... �10,000+
    Sold for: still got it :-S
    
    However, since it's only my second car that's not really a fair
    representation :-) My previous was a reliable E-reg MG Metro that's
    still going strong under my cousins' ownership!
    
    Anyway, the Rossa's had a new engine (piston rings went in old engine
    after it had only done 7000 miles. I was not impressed with MiniSport)
    and an ignition problem you all should know about! Lots of other silly
    little things like a leaky roof, sticking door, rattles, engine steady
    breaking....
    
    Hate to part with it though..... even though it's up for sale :-(
    
    Cheers,
    Dan

    
    Car:..... Talbot Solara GL
    Cost:.... 'bout a grand.
    Sold for: P'x for a Volkswagen Santana, got 1200 quid against it (best
    	                                                   deal I ever got)
    
    Typical Solara problems, I knew they were dodgy when I bought it, but
    it seemed like a reasonable motor for the cash.  Eventually after over
    5,000 miles all sorts of stuff went on it, things like windscreen
    wipers coming off all the time through to the power steering not being
    powered; usual engine tapet problems (sounds like a tractor five miles
    after being professionally tuned); electronic ignition grounding
    problems constantly; and eventually the power steering belt was
    tightened up only to cause the engine mounts to fail and liberally
    spray the pavement with one slightly used dodgy engine.  It also ate
    those rubber CV joint covers and hence sometimes the joint.
    
    Chris.

Car:	Lancia Beta Coup�
Cost:	Approx �400
Sold:   �30 scrap

Reasonable mechanicals, 2.0 litre lump, ludicrous set of Weber carbs. 
Typical Lancia of that era, started off pale blue and ended lift a 
dirty rust colour. The underside was an amazing fabrication made of
baked bean cans cut in half, packed full of body filler and thus stuck
to the floorpan. Front wings flapped at speed, and the entire body
felt like it was going to explode above 90 mph. Window winders snapped 
off and were replaced by mole grips clamped on instead. It finally died
when I drove over a sleeping policeman and the car basically snapped in
the middle. Couldn't open the doors because of the sag, so I swiped the
carbs and flogged the rest to the local scrappy. The carbs later saw
service on a Fiat Strada (65, then 105 due to engine changes) and ended
life on a Maestro 1.6HLS.

Good fun and a terrifying drive, but never worked for more than 5 days
at a time. I eventually got used to spending every weekend getting it
ready for the following week.

Clive

    Car:	Mini Cooper S
    Cost:	1200 Pounds
    Sold:	500 Pounds (to be reduced to component parts!)
    
    One of my best and worst cars!
    
    1430cc, very hairy cam, split 45 Weber DCOEs, diff from MG 1300 (but
    the car still had 10" wheels!
    Problems:	Water leaks 30 seconds after it started raining.
    		Distributor need work almost every weekend.
    		Carbs		"	"	"	!
    		3 Major electrical faults in the loom. an earthing problem
    caused the loom to melt on one occasion!
    		Cheap replacement rear subframe (by the previous owner)
    buckled producing crab like qualities, it also damaged offside rear
    suspension unit.
    		16-20 mpg!
    		Twin tanks connector pipe occasionally blocked.
    		Non-standard exhaust system (including manifold, unable to
    locate replacement). This meant that the replacement that I had to put
    on required a new manifold!
    
    Plus points:	0-60 about 5-6 seconds
    			Erm? Top Speed about 75, 85 if you could handle
    the noise (engine good for about 8000 rpm!)
    			A real Q-car!
    
    Jon.
    
        

    re .5   Yep its' got the digital dash... it was one of the reasons I
    wentfor the car really, I had an Astra GTE before it , also with a
    digital dash, and I kinda like numbers better than dials... unlike
    99.9% of the population!! 8-))
    
    I just hope the rest ain't as bad as this one!
    
    BTW also forgot to mention the radio display packed up... new radio!!
    
    Dave_with_carp_car_!!!!!
    
    

Citroen ZX 16v
Leasemobile :- Still got it!

Finally couldn't resist!

Picked up car April 1st 93, honest! I should have known.

	After 4 days, got a phone call from delivery garage, recalling car for a 
	'gearbox' fault. Turns out you could go from 5th to reverse - no problem!

	After 6 weeks, 7,800 miles later, engine expired on M62 just entering a 
	contraflow at 17:40pm. Cam belt had pinged, garage had to get 
	authorisation from Citroen France to change the engine under warranty. 
	They tell me it is the first engine to be replaced on a 16v in this 
	country! Well they would do ....

	Car in garage for 2 weeks, pick it up and gently start to run in new 
	engine. Get to the office, 15 miles later. Dip the clutch, engine stops!
	It would restart, but wouldn't idle - a little pipe had come off the 
	inlet manifold, guess it was important!

	3 months later - heat of summer - sunroof broken.

	2 weeks later - sunroof fixed - but now very squeaky when opening.

	All calmed down then for 6 months when -

	24000 service - went in running great, came out with intermittent misfire 
	and loss of power. Vowed never to take car back to that agent. Took it to 
	one that was just as bad! They said it was a loose spark plug! All fixed 
	now sir! 5 miles later misfire and loss of power came back.

	This misfire kept getting worse and worse and worse, after 4 more visits 
	to the car doctor, they changed 9 Engine management system parts. Nothing 
	like Analytical troubleshooting eh? Misfire was still there, so phoned 
	PHH to complain. Service Manager came to pick the car up - got to the end 
	of the street and came back refusing to drive it! Went off on a trailer.

	9 days later, car came back - the 16v has one coil per cylinder - they 
	changed all four coils. I have to admit it ran as sweet as a nut for 27 
	hours!

	Went back in. Told PHH again. Garage changed all four coils again. 
	Misfire has now gone, to be replaced by a hesitation and loss of power 
	between 2,500 and 3,000 rpm.

	36,000 service. Misfire and hesitation still there, (we can't find 
	anything wrong sir!) especially in wet and very cold weather. (which it 
	is in Manchester most of the year). Came out of its service with a 
	knocking coming from the rear suspension. And the passenger electric 
	window would not go up fully.

	Window is fixed, engine problem still here, suspension problem still 
	here.

Oh well only another year to go - PHH aren't really interested - it's not Car 
Fleets car. I will just keep on putting it in, getting hire cars, putting it in 
etc etc.

Any body want a really good runner to take over?

Stuart

Forgot to mention... it just got recalled again, because of a braking safety 
problem!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    
    My workmate was fed up with his ZX Aura 1.6 when that "oil sump
    ventilation pipe" (don't know what it's really in english!8-) 
    under engine gathered some ice. Oil pressure got up and..KABOOM!
    15 000 kilometers on clock and engine was history.
    
    Citroen send a new one under warranty from France.
    
    
    
    Hannu

    Just to further the story of my ZX.
    
    I was due to go down to REO for a meeting this am. Got in the car at
    5am, drove 9 miles to the motorway during which time it had stalled 5
    times and misfired loads of times. 
    
    I didn't make the meeting, the car is back in the garage!
    
    Stuart

    re FIAT TEMPRA
    No not all fiats are like that.I own a CROMA TURBO which has done
    208,000 miles with original alternator,starter and turbo.All the
    windows still work and the central locking has never been a
    problem.There will always be a duffa produced once in a while
    regardless of manufacturer,unfortunately you seem to be the unlucky
    one.
    Things could be worse? Just imagine if you had payed for it with your
    own money.

    
    Re .18
    
    I don't know. If he owned it, he could always sell it. This way, he's
    stuck with it until the lease runs out! :^)
    
    Mark

    The Tempra has just been in for it's 36000 service... came out with new
    tyres, new front disks, pads, new pads at rear, new calipers/disks at
    the rear, a new timing belt and an engine that somehow doesn't sound
    quite so sweet at higher revs anymore.....
    
    The tailgate still doesn't shut properly and it's lock is worse than
    ever.
    
    Glad to here that someone out there owns a reliable FIAT...  but I
    don't think I'll have another one somehow... 
    
    anyone want to take over a lease 8-))
    
    Dave
    

    
    Dave, I see you opted to keep the shell then %^)
    
    Graham

    Yep... and even now it's got two new door skins thanks to some plo**er
    in a car park.....
    
    But it is behaving itself at the moment.... apart from the radio
    display... squint taigate...naff tailgate lock and a sunroof that won't
    open when it's less than 15 degrees, 'cos the rubber seal jams...
    
    But other than that it's fine!!!! 8-)))
    
    Dave
    

    The Tempra(mental) which is almost away.... has continued in grand
    style to drive me to distraction.. 
    
    Since my last input to this note the following faults have appeared,
    disapeared and reappeared at annoying intervals:-
    
    Handbrake cable snapped... only worked on one side. got it replaced but
    mechanics set it up too tight so the light comes on all by itself...
    
    5 punctures in 5 months......
    
    wipers doing their own thing... wiping in glorious sunshine when
    switched off!
    
    Bootlock finally fixed.... anazingly the lock mechanism fixed this one!
    
    Dashboard doesn't light up when engine started, so no speedo, rev
    counter, mileometer, clock etc......
    
    Only a few more weeks to go..........
    
    
    Dave