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Kia Pride epic shite rescue - times three.


gricer

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I had one of these very briefly, which I borrowed from the garage about 10 years ago. Seemed a great little car and I was half tempted to buy it until I went over 25 miles an hour and the car sounded like it was trying to rip itself to pieces. There was loud banging from the engine, the steering wheel suddenly felt disconnected and there was a horrible smell. Surprisingly, I didn't buy it! 

 

   It was fine when I slowed down, and they didn't believe me, but then the boss took it for a drive and came back very pale, before lending me a different car!

Further investigation revealed that despite about 40,000 miles and general good condition, it hadn't been serviced for 8 years!   Some years later, I borrowed a trade in Picanto. It was better. Not much better, but better.

 

  That said, haven't seen one for years, and wish you a lot of luck with yours. Just because I tried a crap one doesn't mean they all are, but maybe the garage are trying to kill me as this far from the only time they have done this to me. Not customers, just me!  (I should probably add that I work at this garage, and they were all trade ins_ 

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Around the inception of this wondrous site, I ran around in an 'F' plate Mazda 121, a wondrous little thing.

 

So wondrous in fact that I bought a lil Kia Pride for each adult child, to learn on, abuse and run as a first car - all paid for - for one year. Household was awash with them, at one stage

 

Surprisingly each then elected to keep their car after the 365 introductory offer passed; only one eventually being sold - the rest run to their death.

 

I think they were fantastic little parcels of cheap fun. They taught all my kinder to value their kneecaps, built up several 'no claims (- & one claim!)' and showed each how they could travel economically.

 

I'd love another, if I fell across one at a silly price.

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Around the inception of this wondrous site, I ran around in an 'F' plate Mazda 121, a wondrous little thing.

 

So wondrous in fact that I bought a lil Kia Pride for each adult child, to learn on, abuse and run as a first car - all paid for - for one year. Household was awash with them, at one stage

 

Surprisingly each then elected to keep their car after the 365 introductory offer passed; only one eventually being sold - the rest run to their death.

 

I think they were fantastic little parcels of cheap fun. They taught all my kinder to value their kneecaps, built up several 'no claims (- & one claim!)' and showed each how they could travel economically.

 

I'd love another, if I fell across one at a silly price.

JohnK off of this here Autoshite is selling one right now...

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  • 3 weeks later...

UPDATE

 

Since Christmas the van has been sitting in the cold and damp and I've been too ill/drunk/busy/cold to do anything, but I've this week started Operation Cleanup, to get the builders' muck and gubbins off the van, and to try and work out what needs doing.

 

In the load bay, it was not a pretty sight. A solid hour with the dustpan and brush removed two carrier bags full of soil, leaves, nails, assorted packaging and general muck. However, this revealed a very solid, unrotted floor.

 

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The load lip has taken a battering though - what the hell were they loading into it? That will take some fixing, and I may have to chop a bit off the donor car.

 

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The reason the floor has survived is a double bonus - the van still had its original Kia load liner. It's a bit cracked, but I reckon it'll mend. Might have to patch it on the back with some fibreglass and spray it. See how it looks once I've given it a good clean.

 

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It's even got the Kia logo, so restoring it is a must.

 

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It even managed to protect the carpet, which is quite something.

 

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Those bits in the back are front mudguards, which seem to be intact and have been chucked in the back when they either fell off or where knocked off. The bottom of the wings are not in a good state.

 

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The other side is not much better. The nearside wing on the donor is certainly better. Not sure about the other one.

 

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The spare wheel still has the whitewall, though it's absolutely worn out and the wheel is knackered - it's obviously had a hard kerbing somewhere down the line. Nice of the seller to tell me about the state of the spare - I drove it 90 miles home without one.

 

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Next job - the mud-filled horror of the cabin....

 

 

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Oh yes...in among the soil/nails/general muck in the back was this curious item. I think it would make a fine Spirit of Shiteacy for the bonnet someone's old snotter. Any constructive ideas of what to do with this magnificent heirloom item (shown larger than actual size)?

 

Should I raffle it to a keen audience of shite fans? Ebay it with an alternative fact-packed description? Save it for next year's Christmas tree?

 

Spirit%20of%20Shiteacy.jpg

 

Answers on a postcard.

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Yes, I think it's fixable. Fortunately I've got a complete matching interior so I can swap the seats, carpets and door cards in the front, so that'll help. Then it's a case of seeing if the wings on the donor car are useable. I think the NS one is largely ok, but I can't remember if the other one is dented or not. It's 250 miles away so I can't just check! That rear load lip is a pain though. Going to have to find a tame welder to do that.

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On 7/21/2021 at 6:04 PM, gricer said:

LONG OVERDUE UPDATE

After the epic rescues of 2016, not a lot happened. The blue Pride kept passing its MoT. I trailered the van up north so all the Prides could be together (aaah!) and then came Covid, so I couldn't even visit them for almost a year.

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Meanwhile I'd had an amazing find online - a NOS front bumper, all the way from Bulgaria. I paid my €43 and waited. After a few weeks, it arrived, in a cardboard box the size of a car. Amazingly, it was the right part. And I'd located another supplier of significance - of which more later (he said, mysteriously)

The blue Pride's rust wasn't getting any better, so it was time to get the bodywork done.  And it was its 30th birthday in May, so what better time for a refresh? A suitable bodyshop was recommended to me (High Gloss Motor Bodies of Stockport) and the trip was on. I drove the car from Blackpool to Stockport, which is probably the longest journey it's made in decades. As I left, I realised it was probably the last time it'd see its home since 1991, as the plan was to bring it home to Surrey.  Lump in the throat...

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Not a peep, despite monsoon conditions. 10 days later I'm on the train to Stockport to collect - and drive it back home to Weybridge. Chris at the bodyshop has done a superb job of matching the difficult metallic blue paint colour on the resprayed side panels and doors.  Rust door bottoms and wheel arches are gone, and the mum-inflicted bashed wing is fixed.  And the new bumper makes it look rather special. But it needs another touch to make it properly special...

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The journey home involves a stop in Stafford. Because Stafford is the home of Mr Whitewalls. By a process involving alchemy, the dark arts, a motorised contraption, a heat gun and a bottle of paint, Mr Whitewalls set about the task of whiting my walls, baby.

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And then it's onward down the M6 for the 200-mile journey home (not a peep from it - what a great little car it is) to be reunited with a matching set of original wheel trims...

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I honestly can't keep smiling, just looking at it, with its little whitewalls and proper trims. The Pride did us proud for 30 years, and now I've repaid the favour. And even better - it's been accepted for the Concours at Festival of the Unexceptional. Come and  say hello.

Next job - project van!

 

 

That is absolutely FANTASTIC. I was impressed with you managing to find the unicorn status van back in 2016. The work done to this trooper is massively heartwarming too. I love the fact you drove it when it was a dealership car and that's it's now the oldest Pride left. What a special little car. 

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Bloody fab.

I remember a garage in Preston selling these new in the early 1990's complete with whitewalls.

Great save, well done.

I did consider buying one at the time but instead spent a fortune restoring a Ford Anglia that was frankly utter wank. What a fuckwitt 😣

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