The trusty 323 lives on....

[retrogeezer]

Well, I took the 323 I bought of M_Bol last year for it's MOT on monday.

 

I always take my cars to my mates garage in High Wycombe and stay at my parents for a few days so it was a 500 mile round trip in 3 days.

 

I had my doubts about it passing as I've done nearly 5000 miles in it and all I've done is changed the oil a couple of times but I was wrong not to put more faith in the old girl.

 

It did fail, on number plates 'deteriorated'! and the o/s handbrake mechanism had seized up. So, £15 on number plates and some liberal wd40 work and a new ticket was in my hand.

 

I also treated it to an oil AND filter and some new front pads as the old ones were very low on material so she's all set for another year of running me around Crewe & Nantwich!

 

I can't quite believe how well it took 500 miles in the worst road conditions for a few years in it's stride as well......I found myself feeling strangely smug whizzing up the M6 in a car that has really cost peanuts to run over the last year and hopefully will do so for another year.

 

Thanks again for it Mr B.

 

[Milford Cubicle]

Oh no, post-2001 plates!!!Still, good work. These seem to be really well-engineered and reliable little cars.

[retrogeezer]

yeh, I'll put the old ones back on soon!

[CortinaDave]

new font plates are shit! Would be an opportunity to get hold of some SERCK style ones

[retrogeezer]

They aren't actually that different to the original ones..

 

[Spottedlaurel]

Based on my Bluebird experience, I reckon cars from this era are spot-on for capable, everyday use - sounds like your 323 does this admirably. Ratdat used to speak well of the one or two they had.

[Richard]

Number plates that last more than a year are a forgotten technology, as are headlights you can see by.

[r.welfare]

GR8 result, the identical one I owned a couple of years back was a good temporary chariot, and a doddle to work on - only downsides were heavy steering and a lack of go above 40mph. Just hope you remembered to do the caliper bolts up nice and tight, I didn't and lost one which confused the hell out of the Mazda dealer as the parts numbers were wrong!

[retrogeezer]

Just hope you remembered to do the caliper bolts up nice and tight,

I didn't do it...my mate sorted it out at his garage, just as well as the calipers were seized on the sliders so he had the tools to hand to do it easily rather than me lying on my back in the cold and then swearing at it!I'll check them though, once the snow has gone..