Good buy?

[55bloke]

We have our eyes open for a possible 1st car for "53 babe's" 20 year old daughter, and have been offered an N reg Astra Montana with just 40k on the clock, and in treasured condition. Asking price 400 quid- sound right? Any "issues" with these cars?

[Sid]

Steady cars, and at £400 for a low mileage treasured car it sounds like a steal!

[Richard]

Sounds good to me.

[Pillock]

condition is everything with these.... £400 for a minter is a good deal, that price locally seems to get something with grotty arches, faded paint and tatty interior. I've seen tidy ones sell at £800+, but I've also seen the scruffiest examples fail to get three figures.What engine is it?

[55bloke]

It's a 1.4 and, though I haven't seen it in the metal, it's said to be in VERY good nick.

[r.welfare]

Get in quick for a viewing, and if the rear arches aren't hanging, the engine light isn't on, and it idles cleanly - it's well worth the money!

[55bloke]

Many thanks for the input folks. Suspect the main issue is gonna be insurance- cheapest quote we can get is £787.14! For a bog-standard 1.4 Astra, f.f.s! How on earth do youngsters afford to run cars?

[pogweasel]

1.4 is a quality machine. Not going to set any land speed records, but the soldier on forever. I had one a few years ago. It was a 1.4LS, I bought it off my mate's mum for £600 (they were booking at £1500++ at the time: Mate's rates + the fact the radiator was goosed + it had 130k on it at 8 years old weighed in my favour). The thing was bloody mint, ultra-reliable and very economical. Insurance wasn't cheap: at 22 I was paying £800, but then I had just shat my NCB when my old Astra was commandered by pikeys. I put 30k on it in 18months and sold it at a profit. We bought a 1.6 version too, but that just wan't quite as good. In summary, a great purchase. Anyone young is gonna get hammered on premiums, just got to grin & bear it tll the NCB builds.

[55bloke]

Well, thanks in no small part to the comments made here, we have purchased the Astra. I was going to make a lower offer and barter, but when I saw the car, I decided not to bother, it's in such lovely condition that it would've been an insult to offer less. It's happened a little too soon really, as the daughter hasn't passed her test yet, but it's too good to miss, so will be our "spare" car for a little while.

[MrRegieRitmo]

It's happened a little too soon really, as the daughter hasn't passed her test yet, but it's too good to miss, so will be our "spare" car for a little while.

Sounds familiar, I had 3 cars before I could drive! The Panda came & went before I was allowed to drive it properly (had a few practice sessions in it) had it between July 2000 & March 2002, & I took & passed my test in Dec 2002. The Ritmo became mine in June 2001 & has been off the road since Dec 2001, I've never driven it, not even for practice. Nigel kindly let me have a potter in his Strada up the road & back so I can add Stradas to my driving experiences! My Fiesta was actually bought in readiness for driving as I knew I was about to take it up again just after my 20th birthday (I first started when I was 18, had a few lessons but the instructor & I didn't see eye to eye so the lessons were quietly dropped). Got the lovely Fiesta 1.6 Si in Oct 2002, 2 months before I passed my test. Having it sat waiting for me on the drive was quite a powerful carrot for me to get a test pass!

[55bloke]

Been driving the Astra for a few days now, and am seriously impressed. As has been said, it's never going to break any speed records, but it drives like new- smooth, surprisingly quiet, and very comfortable. A one-owner-from-new car, garaged all it's life, main-dealer serviced every year with all the stamps in the sevice book, and with 40105 miles on the clock when we got it. BARGAIN!

[retrogeezer]

Yep, looks like a bargain to me....nicely specced too. My brother had a J reg 1.4 Astra, he thrashed the pants off it and it would not die...I think it had 150k on the clock when he sold it.

[stoterstangen90]

And it has rearwheelarches from metal

[retrogeezer]

I think I still have a Halfords touch-up kit for that colour somewhere, I had a Vectra the same colour.Do you want it if I find it??

[Albert Ross]

Knocks spots off mine visually. Although mines a 1994 pre facelift Turdo Diseasel Inastate Isuzu engined thingy and was 50 quid 2 years ago nearly. Common problem points are:- (but not limited to) Cambelt tension incorrect due to water pump bearing failure....On some models the water pump is the tensioner, some have a separate unit . Front lower suspension arm rear bush bonding splits, and they foul on the subframe and knock like buggery. Anti roll bar links (that bolt to the lower arms) can corrode and break. Macpherson strut top mounts can perish with age, and split. Track rod ends seize on to track rods, and makes it a nightmare to set tracking. (Best cure is to remove them completely and heat them in a vice, replace the track rod ends with new, and loads of copper grease) Handbrake cable guide tube on transmission tunnel can break the welds/split the floor on the nearside rear. (Carpets moved to reweld into place.) Inlet manifold gaskets deteriorate, giving slight misfires and lead to emissions faults at MOT. Don't be fooled into thinking its a head gasket!! Rear drums can lip over quite seriously through lack of correct procedures during maintenance (though unlikely to be a problem at 40k miles) Always adjust the parking brake lever by doing it at the shoes, not the cable! Rear wiper spindles can seize up. Front wiper linkages can seize up. All dampers get weak and they float REAL WELL!! There was a recall about brake fluid master cylinder caps letting rain water in, but yours may not have been in the chassis run that was affected. Dash bulbs blow, and are a pain in the buttocks to replace, make sure you have the radio code before starting the job! (Bulbs in console)All this I know through owning them, working at a main Vauxhall dealer and carrying out MOTS on them for the last 10 years or so..................Don't panic, you will probably have none of these faults, it looks well cared for mate. Bargain.

[r.welfare]

Belting buy! Nice to see it hasn't had the "Halfords hubcap" treatment.Always nice to find a car this old/cheap with a full history, the £375 L-reg 405 TD estate I collected yesterday yielded a folder under the passenger seat when I was cleaning it with every single invoice including the original order form and a complete printout from the lease company that originally supplied it, great result.

[55bloke]

All interesting stuff, and worth knowing, but no such probs at the moment- one of the most impressive things about it is how supple the suspension is- all the bushes are obviously still nice and soft- it absorbs the bumps MUCH more quietly than our 206, or my R 25! And, believe it or not, there is already one of those Halfors touch-up jobs in the boot!! A close inspection has revealed a small scrape on one rear arch which has been touched-up, so guess that explains why it's there. Very much apprecaite the kind offer though.