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[MaxV6]

well.....


finding a small automatic car is provfing harder than i expected,  upped the budget to around £1200  ,  and still struggling.....


however, been looking at a 52 plate 1.6 club astra auto.....   should be able to grab it for £1150,   56k miles,  with 5 months tax and 11 months ticket.... 


what to look out for???

it's not the perfect solution,   but it's getting to the point where i need to purchase ANY damn car as long as it works....     but the tight fisted idiot in me is still trying to get the best damn deal for our money,...


(surprisingly,  the astra is £200 a year cheaper to insure than a 1.4 polo.  )

[Marks DTM Calib]

Hmm, not much to go wrong on them and to be honest, there about the most reliable car of that size and era!

Brake pipe corrosion gets them, drivers side front is worst (if ok get some grease on them).

Cam belt and water pump obviously.

Check its been serviced obviously.

Other than that its general wear and tear stuff

[Andy B]

SWMBO had one for a few years - was written off for her by a girl in a car behind her who didn't stop when SWMBO did.
Never had any real problems with it, needed a couple of rear springs for one MOT & it went through a phase of throwing up a misfire on the EML. A bottle of injector cleaner seemed to sort it, though it got written off before that many miles were put on after the EML went out.

[Stallion]

didnt the astra 1.6 auto's have a easytronic gearbox or something, which was crap and weaker..

[Andy B]

didnt the astra 1.6 auto's have a easytronic gearbox or something, which was crap and weaker..

The semi-auto Easytronic is a newer gearbox presumably available with all newer Astras, but SWMBOs Astra was an 'proper'  torque converter auto.

[Webby the Bear]

I had an auto 1.6 LS Astra on a W Reg. That had a ''proper'' auto with the stupidest looking gear stick ever I might add...

Can't remember much more about it tbh other than it was dark green. And kick down was crap... foot down...nothing...nothing....nothing....nothing.... nothing...............................................still nothing....ROOOAR. Pretty uninspiring overall but I got it at a very good price in 2003 from my Dad's work (ex-company car).

I'd personally make her take her manual test... then she'll have her pic of anything. Just my opinion 

[Andy B]

....
I'd personally make her take her manual test....

Mrs Andy B passed her manual driving test 20+ yrs ago and at one time drove manual cars until I bought an auto. After a brief period of moaning about 'not being control' she now won't even try driving a manual. 

[Webby the Bear]

....
I'd personally make her take her manual test....

Mrs Andy B passed her manual driving test 20+ yrs ago and at one time drove manual cars until I bought an auto. After a brief period of moaning about 'not being control' she now won't even try driving a manual. 

Oh definitely mate. Just thinking from the choice available side of things 

[Vamps]

....
I'd personally make her take her manual test....

Mrs Andy B passed her manual driving test 20+ yrs ago and at one time drove manual cars until I bought an auto. After a brief period of moaning about 'not being control' she now won't even try driving a manual. 

Exactly the same as swmbo, considering a change for her but can only look for another automatic....

[albitz]

....
I'd personally make her take her manual test....

Mrs Andy B passed her manual driving test 20+ yrs ago and at one time drove manual cars until I bought an auto. After a brief period of moaning about 'not being control' she now won't even try driving a manual. 

Same in the Albs household. Having said that,next car will be a three pedal job for mpg reasons.

[Andy B]

..... next car will be a three pedal job for mpg reasons.

This is one of the reasons why DSG/Tiptronic/Easytronic/etc etc gearboxes are gaining favour. Manual gearbox economy but with 2 pedals.

[MaxV6]

yeah, i WISH i could MAKE her take her test again ,   but porcine aviators of that nature are few and far between.


needless to say,  substantial beer to be acquired for anyone who finds me a gem ,..


let's say, i'd like either an 02/52/03 plate astra 1.6 auto...   sub 85K miles....   clean tidy, taxed foir at least 2 months and MOT'ed for at least 6 ...  pref nearer 12

OR

a 1.4 auto corsa,  00-04 plate sub 85k .  ditto the tax and mot....   


and i'll spend £1000 to get either.... £1150 pushing the absolute limit....    (just had a washing machine added to my shopping list this month....  ARGHHHHH    )

seen several of each,  but keep missing the corsas ....  astras, well  i'm ringing the remaining short list tomorrow.....   



MUST have a car HERE by the end of the weekend....    as her bus pass runs out this weekend, and she needs to be getting to work....

[hoody]

http://www.gumtree.com/p/cars-vans-motorbikes/seat-arosa-14-auto-only-39k-miles-just-like-lupo-tax-long-mot/94979725

http://www.gumtree.com/p/cars-vans-motorbikes/vauxhall-corsa-automatic-03/94962330

http://www.gumtree.com/p/cars-vans-motorbikes/1litre-automatic-nissan-micra-s-blue-3-door-mot-and-tax-only-75000-miles/94921764

[Lazydocker]

Just go for an Astra IMHO... You'll be happier with her in a slightly bigger car And it gives much more in the way of options

As for Astra insurance cheaper than a Polo... Not a huge surprise. I've found that anything VW has a loaded premium

[MaxV6]

one 2001 Astra 1.6 auto "club" duly purchased and brought home.....

few bits to tidy up, and take care of.....   but all in all, fairly tidy ....  Alpine Stereo as well.....    70k miles,  mostly full service history,  getting it fully serviced on wednesday,....    all fluids changed......  filters, blah blah.....   


including the gearbox....


that said, it drives smoothly enough,.....   sounds okay,    not sure about all the noises,  as i've not driven anything smaller than an omega 3.0 since the late 80's  ....  so it sounds like it's "missing"  as it's only running on 4 pots...