Stinkwheel Posted December 19, 2019 Share Posted December 19, 2019 As a stopgap, which I hope to be fairly short, I’ve got a 2005 Suzuki Alto, it’s weird, it’s also a maruti in disguise and nowhere seems to sell parts for them. I mean it’s harder to get parts for this than a 22 year old Citroen Xantia. Even idle control valves or thermostat housings seem to be like hens teeth. It’s insane that a car that I see as new (yes I know it’s 14 years old, but that IS new)Anyone any experience of them? Should I have not bothered? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk JeeExEll 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auntiemaryscanary Posted December 19, 2019 Share Posted December 19, 2019 I've always liked the look of that early to mid 00's version but don't like the sound of parts availablity - its a pain getting spares for my Perodua Nippa. I think the Alto has a not dissimilar look to the Nippa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stinkwheel Posted December 19, 2019 Author Share Posted December 19, 2019 Yes, similar to a Nippa indeed I think. I’ve driven a friends perodua kenari, the alto certainly feels a bit more solid than that did. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theshadow Posted December 19, 2019 Share Posted December 19, 2019 made in india,rust,cheap tax,cheap throwaway jobbie,blueprint still have parts,a have sold few. BorniteIdentity and Stinkwheel 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skut Posted December 19, 2019 Share Posted December 19, 2019 I have one like this. Reliable but parts can indeed be a problem. It took careful searching on ebay to get an exhaust after National Tyres couldn't find one and then I had to fit it as they hadn't supplied it. Searching for parts is further complicated by the multiple generations of cars with the same name. They feel desperately cheap and a bit depressing inside. Rust is a problem as they arnt well protected underneath. Stinkwheel 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stinkwheel Posted December 19, 2019 Author Share Posted December 19, 2019 made in india,rust,cheap tax,cheap throwaway jobbie,blueprint still have parts,a have sold few.Sounds good, it’s only gotta get me through the time it takes me to put the new clutch etc in my Peugeot. (The Peugeot clutch kit cost more than the alto did, so as you say, cheap) Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rantingYoof Posted December 19, 2019 Share Posted December 19, 2019 The one I had went on to do around 130,000 miles before it died! I had it at 80k or so...! Exceptionally shite. Stinkwheel, The Moog, Bamboocarman and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spartacus Posted December 19, 2019 Share Posted December 19, 2019 "made in india,rust,cheap tax,cheap throwaway jobbie" Isn't this prime AS material? The Moog, eddyramrod, Stinkwheel and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loserone Posted December 19, 2019 Share Posted December 19, 2019 I bought one from @Jim Bell, as he discovered after buying it that he didn't fit. It was a bit grim, surprisingly rusty, and was scrapped by the next owner for want of a cat. Prime chod indeed. Stinkwheel 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quicksilver Posted December 19, 2019 Share Posted December 19, 2019 A friend of mine has a 54-reg Alto and he loves it. He's probably spent far more than it's worth on it though, including exporting it to Germany when he lived there and then bringing it back to the UK. He's had some difficulty getting bits too and occasionally they have to come from India. Since I met him I've started noticing Altos where I never paid them any attention before and there's a surprising abundance of them still around so they must be pretty decent cars. tooSavvy and Stinkwheel 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stinkwheel Posted December 19, 2019 Author Share Posted December 19, 2019 Appears it’s broken already. Whilst I was trying to figure out why the heater doesn’t blow hot (it’s either got an airlock in the heater matrix or a blocked thermostat housing) then the check engine light came on. Cheapo obd Bluetooth scanner says misfire on cyl 2 and then also cyl 3. Cleared it, hasn’t come back (yet) - hopefully not starting as it means to go on. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stinkwheel Posted December 19, 2019 Author Share Posted December 19, 2019 A friend of mine has a 54-reg Alto and he loves it. He's probably spent far more than it's worth on it though, including exporting it to Germany when he lived there and then bringing it back to the UK. He's had some difficulty getting bits too and occasionally they have to come from India. Since I met him I've started noticing Altos where I never paid them any attention before and there's a surprising abundance of them still around so they must be pretty decent cars.I’d be interested to know where in India he gets his parts from. If you happen to know. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quicksilver Posted December 19, 2019 Share Posted December 19, 2019 Just now, Stinkwheel said: I’d be interested to know where in India he gets his parts from. If you happen to know. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk I don't think he got the parts directly from India and they probably came from his local dealer who ordered them in from Maruti. Being Indian-made I expect the parts were dirt cheap but the carriage charges not so much. Stinkwheel 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jikovron Posted December 19, 2019 Share Posted December 19, 2019 I had one of these for a year or so, an 04 automatic which had the lowest gearing imaginable, 15mph per 1000 although in its defense not all that intrusive at speed, parts wise I used to go to the suzuki dealer who had the none motorfactor specifics I asked for, window regulators,wheelstuds,random engine parts etc, A really good B road kart by many accounts with excellent brakes, really tidy handling and apart from misc parts dropping off it due to limited durability ,rust, crashing into a transit and severe overheats in the parents care it was otherwise decently reliable, Main annoyances was the idle valve was seized fully open, it's a magnetic free spinning tumber that can be taken apart and freed off with mild heat and wd40, the body fittings were abysmal,weak and rotting away, mainly in the sense that the rear hatch handle came off with no undue force, the tailgate struts were empty of pressure, all the trims at the window bases were rotten, front windows came of the remains of the actuator, the wheel studs are mega easy to cross thread as they are fine thread and soft as hell. Stinkwheel, Jim Bell and tooSavvy 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
castros_bro Posted December 19, 2019 Share Posted December 19, 2019 Mine is being collected by scrappy tomorrow in Bristol (yours for 75GBP) after a FTP for a drive shaft then a FTP for a drive shaft at 50.000 of your earth miles. I thought it was a nice drive even for 187cms tubby bloke. Stinkwheel 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stinkwheel Posted December 19, 2019 Author Share Posted December 19, 2019 So yeah, cheap car is cheap shocker, yet seemingly surprisingly capable whilst parts aren’t actually falling off. I’m hoping to spend the sum total of zero pounds on it whilst I fix my other stuff. Fingers crossed it lasts that long. I might even take some pics of it tomorrow in the light. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk The Moog 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jikovron Posted December 19, 2019 Share Posted December 19, 2019 I fancy one again actually come to think of it, but I've got 6 shonk bogler cars too many, the memory of 2016 are fondly recalled. Jim Bell, MikeR, ProgRocker and 1 other 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyersey1234 Posted December 20, 2019 Share Posted December 20, 2019 My OH ran a 63 reg one for a few weeks before she got her Corsa, I thought it wasn't a bad little car but she hated it as it was too basic (no air con, keep fit windows etc) Main gripe I had with it were the rip off crooks who sold her it, adding stuff on without asking if she wanted it, one of the things was alloy wheel cover, which was useless as the bugger had steel wheels! Consequently we will never use that chain of con artists again for anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loserone Posted December 20, 2019 Share Posted December 20, 2019 Here's me swapping a 1.8t seat Toledo for one with @Jim Bell three years ago Jim Bell, The Moog and Stinkwheel 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Bell Posted December 20, 2019 Share Posted December 20, 2019 41 minutes ago, loserone said: Here's me swapping a 1.8t seat Toledo for one with @Jim Bell three years ago Wud deffo swop Agen. tooSavvy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stinkwheel Posted December 20, 2019 Author Share Posted December 20, 2019 Well first day actually commuting in it. 95% of journey complete, misfire returns with a vengeance, it really wants to be a 3 cyl under about 2000rpm. So more investigations this evening assuming I actually get home Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catsinthewelder Posted December 20, 2019 Share Posted December 20, 2019 Isn't it a 3 cylinder already? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
St.Jude Posted December 20, 2019 Share Posted December 20, 2019 26 minutes ago, Stinkwheel said: Well first day actually commuting in it. 95% of journey complete, misfire returns with a vengeance, it really wants to be a 3 cyl under about 2000rpm. So more investigations this evening assuming I actually get home Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk You bought a Trabant then, well done! Stinkwheel 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stinkwheel Posted December 20, 2019 Author Share Posted December 20, 2019 Isn't it a 3 cylinder already?No, it’s the high spec 1.1 4 cylinder. (With added misfire) Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garbaldy Posted December 20, 2019 Share Posted December 20, 2019 The 09 one I bought for much cheapness is still doing it's thing, it sailed it's mot without me even checking it over so I then treated it to a service which cost the pricey sum of £45 all in the needle point sparkers being the dearest item. One small niggle is 1st and reverse are a little stiff first thing in the morning. Stinkwheel 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stinkwheel Posted December 20, 2019 Author Share Posted December 20, 2019 The answer to the question no one wanted to know.... why was the alto misfiring?It had melted the inside of the number 2 plug lead/cap. Gawd knows why. Replaced it with an old generic plug lead, no misfire. Which is nice. Heater hasn’t worked since I got it (2 days ago) so I thought I’d be a smart Alec and change the thermostat and make sure the ports in the ‘stat housing were clear.... hasn’t made a blind bit of difference to the heat, stone cold. Sodding cars. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk davehedgehog31 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DodgyBastard Posted December 21, 2019 Share Posted December 21, 2019 I loved my little alto, I didn't find parts too difficult to find, I used local motor factors and ebay for everything. I replaced the clutch, wheel bearings, brakes, head gasket, waterpump, timing belt.I think some of the parts came from India, I searched for maruti 800 instead of suzuki alto which helped narrow down the results. Sent from my G3121 using Tapatalk tooSavvy, egg, face and 3 others 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tooSavvy Posted December 21, 2019 Share Posted December 21, 2019 ^ ^ ^ .... Nice! Bit of 'rwd Starlet/shrunk in the wash' body shape, I reckon. Stinkwheel, JeeExEll and ProgRocker 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaseracer Posted December 21, 2019 Share Posted December 21, 2019 Apparently both shit AND shite, Matt. Top bombing! Stinkwheel and tooSavvy 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stinkwheel Posted December 21, 2019 Author Share Posted December 21, 2019 Apparently both shit AND shite, Matt. Top bombing!Thanks Dave, I’ve improved the shite even more today as the heater only blowing cold turns out to have been a broken pin on the heater control flap under the dash, 5 minutes and a cable tie have returned a toasty heater, it’s always so much easier to fix things in daylight. I’m so confused about this alto, it’s like a really cheap old fashioned, normal car, yet it’s got things like ABS and parking sensors. Weird. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk chaseracer and tooSavvy 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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