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Very low miles-car - are they driveable? *What have I done!?*


Lukas

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Hi!

 

I´ve got a technical question for you. 

 

I could get a car that´s very cheap which has 21.000km on the clock. But it´s already 20 years old. 

 

It´s been driven by a very old couple, almost every day.  :shock: But just 600 metres to the shop, 1 1/2 kilometres 

to collect mushrooms (don´t know if magic ones or not) in the woods and the longest journey was to visit their

daughter in the next village. The long way of 6 kilometres away. 

 

Now I am not sure if it´s a good idea to buy this car. Because I like to drive my cars. Not only to the next 

grocery-store, but sometimes for hours. Will this car implode or fall into pieces if I start to drive it properly

after 20 years in the same village? Will all the gaskets and bushes disintegrate into dust after one hour of

austrian Autobahn? Or sholud it be fine with a new timing-belt and new fluids? 

 

I know it is almost impossible to do remote diagnostics without seeing a car, but what would you think? 

 

Thanks for your opinions. 

 

Lukas

 

Btw: It´s a shiters dream car I guess.  :mrgreen: Based on a very old german car, that is based on an american platform,

built by a company whos name does not exist anymore. Make an educated guess.  :mrgreen:

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Btw: It´s a shiters dream car I guess.  :mrgreen: Based on a very old german car, that is based on an american platform,

built by a company whos name does not exist anymore. Make an educated guess.  :mrgreen:

Based on that, are parts easy enough to get for it?

 

If so, GO FOR IT, WCPGW, etc. etc.

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Based on that, are parts easy enough to get for it?

 

If so, GO FOR IT, WCPGW, etc. etc.

 

Mechanical parts are quite easy to get as the car shares many parts with another car-manufacturer. Bodyparts, lights and interieur -> Impossible! 

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It´s a shiters dream car I guess.   :mrgreen: Based on a very old german car, that is based on an american platform,

built by a company whos name does not exist anymore.

 

Shiters dream car: Must be something that´s almost extinct, unloved, without any fan-base or "scene". 

 

Based on a very old german car: Newer cars that are based on old german cars. Might be korean then...?

 

Based on an american platform: hm, an old german car, based on an american platform? Must be General Motors-related then. 

 

Built by a company whos name does not exist anymore: Hmmm, considering all the facts above, it must be an...

 

17200933_1395168927190904_61786572557545

 

17201407_1395168930524237_26454704612484

 

Ahhh, of course, a Daewoo Espero!  :mrgreen: Based on the Opel Ascona C, based on the GM J-plattform.

 

Now bring it on, that model specific advice...  :mrgreen:  :mrgreen:  :mrgreen:

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Could be but I'll say a lot of low mileage older cars I've had anything to do with start giving shit when they are suddenly subjected to regular use. Leaking shockers,dried up bearings, engine constantly run on choke...

 

That´s what I thought would happen.  :?

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The engine will never have reached proper operating temperature in its life, doing journeys as short as that.

 

On the plus side, 21,000 kilometres is not a lot, so the wear hopefully won't be too horrendous.

 

Worth a punt, if cheap. And a Daewoo Espero should be cheap :-)

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It´s cheap because the left front shock absorber is leaking and, here comes the real problem, the steering column is loose. 

 

Someone tried to adjust the steering wheel and something inside the adjusting mechanism broke. So the car is not driveable,

because the steering column is loose. Parts are not available from Daewoo, no breaker has an Espero in his yard, so repairing that 

could become a bit of a long-time-project.  :? Maybe a GM/Opel-parts fits, but no one knows because no one knows the Espero.  :?

 

Other faults: The drivers side electric window switch is "fixed" with a plaster, the passenger seat looks like the old lady might have 

a problem with incontinence  :shock: and the usual scratches from parking in the garage. 

 

I´ll have to phone him if I take it or leave it by noon. And I really dont know if I should take it on or let it go to the crusher.

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Expect all the shocks to leak sooner than later, and other seal-related bother. Some indication of fresh engine oil every year might mean the engine can be used normally without big problems. It's more of risk than a 200,000km car which has regularly been driven beyond the warmup cycle and serviced correctly so pay correspondingly less.

 

Trouble is, people place an artificially high value on low mileage chod, even if there's a little lost of to dos. I usually place an artificially low value on them when the miles have gone up in increments of less than 5.

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.

I'd say it all comes down whether you really like the car. ?  In my view a 20 year old car is modern.  And in my view many things can be fixed (and cleaned !) rather than replaced with new.. but then I'm an old giffer !

 

so if you like the car.

 

and it's going for a price that's not far off scrap value

 

and you have time to play with toys

 

then go for it.

 

There is always someone out there who knows about even the rarest of cars (..perhaps they used to be a mechanic for the car).  Part of the fun of Autoshite is finding them and learning :)

 

Take the steering mechanism apart and fix it. likewise switches.  Cam-belt and other essential-to-safe-progress rubber parts will need to be changed because essential rubber parts typically last for 10 - 15 years max.  But even then things like hoses can be inspected & then watched. Bearings can be re-greased (mind you these might be the sealed type) as and when you get the opportunity.  And almost certainly the person who had the car before had it maintained professionally. So check when things were done.. and perhaps even speak to the garage mechanic that did the work for the insider story ?

 

Hope that helps

 

Bfg ;) 

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Could be but I'll say a lot of low mileage older cars I've had anything to do with start giving shit when they are suddenly subjected to regular use. Leaking shockers,dried up bearings, engine constantly run on choke...

This. Low mileage old cars cause me nothing but trouble whereas high milers have been far better

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I don´t buy it. It costs 460€ and even for austrian circumstances, that´s too much for this car. 

 

I don´t really like it that much (nobody does, I fear  :-( ) to spend more on that car I dont need. 

 

Thanks for your advice! It´s boring, but it´s the better decision I guess.  :?

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