For Sale Testing the water: 2002 Suzuki Swift GLS SE 1.0L

[Matt]

This turned into a wall of text, sorry
 
 
 
(not sorry)
 
Just testing the water here as I have been having thoughts of replacing this recently as I could do with something a bit bigger and would like something a bit tidier and more refined too but I'm not really sure what it's worth these days (probably less than I'm willing to tell myself!). I only bought it as a stop gap in September 2013 but I've ended up owning it all this time, have done way more miles in it than any other car with little drama and honestly I would hate to see it go to someone who would just run it into the ground. Solid future Festival Of The Unexceptional material, invest now! This platform started out life in 1989 so while it is a 2002 registered car I guess it's more late 80's/early 90's under the skin. They have thinned out pretty hard in the last few years it seems as there aren't that many for sale at any given time.
 
It has the 54bhp 993cc G10 3 cylinder engine and a 5-speed manual. I bought it in 2013 from the second owner with 49k miles on it and it now has 82k miles. MOT'd until the 24th of September but I highly doubt that I will be selling it before putting another 12 months on it. Part service history with the cambelt done about 20k miles ago. Two keys.


A Wet Dalveen Pass / A702 by Matt S, on Flickr


A Wet Dalveen Pass / A702 by Matt S, on Flickr


IMG_0380 by Matt S, on Flickr


Bucket Seats by Matt S, on Flickr
 
The good

• It's stupid cheap to run
  I've averaged 53 MPG over 32k miles and have squeezed just over 60 MPG out of it on longer runs. Insurance is cheap, parts are cheap, tyres are cheap. Tax is £115 for 12 months.
   
• It has been very reliable
  In the five years I've had it the number of major issues has been pretty low. Both front brake calipers have been replaced with reconditioned ones after the pistons corroded and just today I had the sump replaced after the ill fitting non-OEM exhaust rubbed a hole in the original. It needed a small patch to the floor on the drivers front corner for the MOT last September. The only other issue that comes to mind was a misfire caused by a dodgy HT lead ages ago.
   
• The MOT history was basically spotless until last year and in the first couple of years I had it a couple of different mechanics remarked at how tidy it was.
   
• I have a set of 'OZ For Suzuki' 7 spoke, 13 inch alloy wheels to go with the car but they need a bit of work and paint.

The bad

• The holed sump meant that I took it off the road for 3 months while trying to find a replacement. The only one I was able to find arrived with a small hole further up one the side and after trying to find a better one for a while I gave up and repaired the second sump with chemical metal. That was fitted today.
   
• The brake pedal is a bit soft and having sat for 3 months they may want some attention as they were a bit noisy driving it to the garage this morning. They occasionally stick on after sitting overnight but free off with a clunk. I had another Swift a while ago that had sat for 5 years and it had a nice solid pedal which made me realise that this one is softer. I'm not really sure why that is on either car.
   
• It needs a a small bit of welding done on the near side inner sill as there is a small hole just behind the rear left front passenger seat mount. It won't fail MOT's because its hidden behind the carpet but because I know it's there I cannot in good conciseness pretend other wise.
   
• The offside sill has a scab at the rear. I don't think it'll go through on it's MOT next month but will need attention.
   
• It has a bit of a motley selection of tyres at the moment. I had a matching set of Goodyear's on it but they were worn out just before Christmas last year so I opted for four part worns at the time.
   
• The floor on these cars needs an eye kept on them these days as they can rust right the way along the sides. This one had some surface rust appearing along them so I rubbed it back, applied Kurust, zinc primer and a few coats of paint about six months ago. Anyone who remembers AlabamaShrimp's one will know what I mean but mine was by no means close to that point.
   
• It has been rear ended at some point in it's life so the rear lights/bumper don't quite fit right, the rear 'wall' panel is bent inwards, the boot floor is bent slightly making the spare wheel a bit of a PITA to remove and there is a small buckle on the front floor panel where it meets the rear floor panel.
   
• It is not a particularly comfortable car. A lot of road & wind noise enters the cabin, the suspension is unrefined and the sporty bucket seats are quite firm. It is a small, cheap city car so all of that is to be expected I guess but after 5 years and having been driving my dads 2010 Hyundai i10 recently I'm kind of fed up of that aspect of it now.

Equipment

• Colour coded bumpers
• Front fog lights
• Power steering
• Colour coded, electrically adjustable door mirrors
• Bucket seats
• Roof spoiler
• Central locking (not remote)

Main history points
2018
06-08-2018 - 82,000k miles
Sump replaced for second hand part + Shell 5w30.
 
09-02-2018 - 81,300 miles
Mobil Super 2000 & Bosch oil filter
 
2017
31-05-2017 - 76,751 miles
Mobil Super 2000 & Bosch oil filter
 
2016
31-10-2016 - 73,233 miles
Mobil Super 2000 & Bosch filter + Wynns Engine Flush used
 
03-08-2016 - 70,600 miles
Bosch spark plugs
 
20-07-2016 - 70, 300 miles
Ignition leads, rotor arm.
 
18-05-2016 - 67,441 miles
Rear wheel cylinders & brake fluid
 
07-02-2016 - 67,400 miles
Castrol GTX & Bosch oil filter
 
07-01-2016 - 67,088 miles
O/S/F caliper & brake fluid replaced.
 
2015
04-12-2015 - 66,699 miles
Cam belt, gearbox oil, fuel filter and wheel bearing replaced
 
24-09-2015 - 65,774 miles
N/S/F brake caliper replaced.
 
2014
10-03-2014 - 53,904
Eicher brake discs & pads (front)
 
2013
00-10-2013 - 49,394
Rotor arm, distributor cap, Crossland air filter, Bosch spark plugs

So what's it worth and does anyone here want it? I'm in Dumfries & Galloway, DG5.

[The Moog]

I can imagine that Bucketeers pants will be quivering. A 3 cylinder from a foreign country.

[SiC]

Aren't these things pretty unburstable? I believe the USA version is popular as an electric car conversion.

[Matt]

Aren't these things pretty unburstable? I believe the USA version is popular as an electric car conversion.

 

Mechanically, pretty much. The only real problem I know of with the G10 engine is the potential to burn one of the exhaust valves but I've only ever seen that reported in North America. Rust it the only major problem with them really.

[Cavcraft]

You need to whack a price on it really, chief, as people won't really know what to offer. 

[wuvvum]

These are a decent enough buzzabout and surprisingly nippy for a 1-litre.  The ride really is rather hard though, on shite Norfolk back roads at least.

[retropnaed]

This could be the very thing I require 

but to buy I would need to know the Matt retail price