Thank you gentlemen.......

[Twiggy]

... for all the knowledgeable and useful comments on my last thread about Zafiras. I spent a month looking on  the bay and autotrader.  A couple of views of vehicles from dealers were unsuccessful - in fact one dealer failed to turn up at his garage, despite having confirmed the viewing only a couple of hours previously.

An advert from a private seller looked promising, and a quick call resulted in a viewing last Friday. Just what I`d been looking for at a very reasonable price.  Originally a motability car, it was sold at 3 years old and 8500 miles to the seller. All good tyres (Michelin Energy), a decent service history showing it had been well looked after, 84300 miles...... MOT and tax end of August. It started up first time, drove and stopped well... looked ok, but with the usual minor scratches and dings, and clean inside. After a pleasant haggle, it was mine for the princely sum of £800.

Brilliant - it`s now booked in the local garage for a new cam belt, MOT and service. I`ve spent the last few day playing... cleaning, sorting, making sure that the spare wheel is up to pressure and I can easily remove it as and when required.

 

And here it is:  

 

At least it would be if Autoshite would let me use the image !

 

So let`s try this :

 

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201404223498141/sort/locasc/usedcars/price-to/2000/make/vauxhall/transmission/manual/fuel-type/petrol/saved-search-id/2c92962c456eec87014573fef62b0016/radius/1501/model/zafira/engine-size-cars/1-4l_to_1-6l/page/1/postcode/so529jy/onesearchad/used?logcode=p

[wackywacerwill]

That looks a useful sized thing.

 

Do the seats do anything fancy in these? You know, disappear from the back enabling massive load swallowing capabilities or turn into a giant dogging hut like the Prairie.

[beko1987]

Looks very smart!

 

Yep, the seats do all the usual Zafira stuff. Did eye one of these up for SWMBO who then got the Meriva. POS that is!

 

1.6 16v? Check your breathers, check the rocker cover and sump gasket, re-check and re-clean the breathers again, clean the throttle body making sure to clean out the little hole with a pin, check the breathers and it may last a month or two before shitting its breathers up and pissing oil out of somewhere...

[320touring]

IIRC, I was one of the folks who said avoid..

 

Thought I'd just pop in to say that I hope you enjoy the car:) looks like a decent example you got-good price too!

[Bucketeer]

Looks good value that Twiggy.

Hope your research has unearthed a gem and it serves you with distinction.

 

Should come up nice with a little bit of elbow grease.

[Joey spud]

In my experience this is far more sensible than a diesel one,the only thing with the 1.6 is the gearing is a bit low so they rev their arse off at 70mph on the motorway but fine otherwise..

 

Oh, egr valves stick (cheap and easy to fix).Coil packs fail (cheap easy fix) and some have a thirst for oil..

[Mr Lobster]

That looks decent enough considering that obviously ALL VOXKSHALS R SH1T etc.  Certainly better than most Zafiras and sounds like its been looked after. 

[jonny69]

Identical to her parent's old one inside. I can smell it from here.

 

And you got the tight fist size engine. Sterling work.

[Twiggy]

Yes, I`m enjoying it... cleaned out the door shuts, engine bay - at least the bits I can get to, valeted the interior, and washed the body off prior to attacking it with blue coloured T cut.  Started it earlier, and while it`s darned hard work, it seems brilliant stuff. It`s got shut of loads of small scratches, coloured some slightly deeper ones, and generally made an excellent job of it. Only managed two panels in about 3 hours, the rear quarter, and the rear off side door, and they have come up a treat. Had a visit from National Windscreens yesterday afternoon, to fix a couple of cracks that I`d not noticed before. Apparently one had been done previously, and can`t be done again, but I can`t find the one he did - brilliant.

Took the car down to Southampton this morning to a welder par excellence, who is also an exhaust specialist. I knew it needed a back box since it was an advisory on the last MOT. He confirmed the rest of the exhaust was in good nick, and suggested s Bosal rear box, fitted for £95, so that`s the first job for tomorrow, then home and back to the blue T cut. Seems completely different T cut from the stuff I remember from 30 years ago, no longer smelling like strong Brasso (I`m convinced that`s what the old stuff was), and has a totally different consistency.

The gearing is identical to Mrs. Twiggy`s Corsa B, 3 cylinder, reving at 3500 at 70 m.p.h. Bit more than the diesel Synergie - 2500 at 70 ! Seems to be doing just over 30 m.p.g. and that is just running around Romsey area and Southampton. Friday it`s in the garage to have handbrake sorted - it`s virtually non existent just now...