Bangernomics car of the week/day part III

DeFinch89

JohnBoy26 wrote: »

Reliability yes they are superb in that regard.

They don't have the build quality or the rust protection to match a civic or a corolla though and tbh both can be got for around that money without an nct.

Also if going for an almera of that vintage a sport model would be a better bet. While there is nothing whatsoever sporty about them, they do have nicer seats and interior than the standard car, electric sunroof and electric front windows and 14" alloys.

a lot of the UK models were renowned for rusting pretty badly alright due to the heavily salted UK roads, but many irish market models faired much better, with wheel arches and sills being the main weak points for the cancer to set in.
the same can be said for the corolla and civic of the same 95-00 era if bodywork isnt looked after

as for build quality, I seriously doubt nissan built it to any lower a standard then either of the other two, other than the almera lacking in performance models other then the single hot hatch almera GTi. And also with the corolla being in irish headsets as "the best built car" of the 3 thanks to clever marketing and advertising by toyota, most people would more likely buy the corolla based on this mindset, in my opinion the almera 1.4, corolla 1.3 and civic 1.4 of the 95-00 era are more or less built to the same quality as you would expect of any good 90's japanese car.

as far as I can tell that is a facelift model in the ad (98-00) and most likely will have the basic mod cons that you need as standard such as electric windows, remote central locking, cd player, anti-locking braking system.

now that car in ad is clearly missing the factory "14 wheel option, but I know the later (98-00) models cant be fitted with the "13 steelies that came on lower spec pre-facelift almera's (95-98), due to a slightly bigger disc and caliper used.

I completely agree on the sport models being no more than just a namesake but all 98-00 models pretty much shared the same interior whether trim level was a sport or not and yes the 98-00 models do have better seats than the 95-98 models.

"in terms of insurance, cheaper than a corolla equivalent and especially more so then a civic saloon."
I was comparing the cost of car insurance against these two cars which happen to be direct rivals to the almera.
the almera 1.4 being cheapest to insure, corolla 1.3 being second cheapest and the civic 1.4 being (by substantually more) the most expensive to insure.

I apologise for the long read and going way off topic here but just wanted to share a bit of my knowledge on the almera N15 and my own first hand experience of owning a few of them in the past

nd

a3, nct to jan. 15, 103k miles claimed, 1250 euro

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/audi-a3-nct-1-2015/6149056

nd

02 saab 9-5 estate, nct to may, 1275 euro

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/saab-95-9-5-2-3-turbo-aero/6179175

nd

volvo s40 auto, nct to may, 995 euro

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/volvo-s40-automatic-nct-05-2014-950/6178456

nd

Seat ibiza, 84 k miles, nct to mar., 1250 euro

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/seat-ibiza-1-0-stella-low-miles/6178468

DeFinch89

nd wrote: »

volvo s40 auto, nct to may, 995 euro

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/volvo-s40-automatic-nct-05-2014-950/6178456

for a moment I thought the windscreen was smashed :pac:
pity she an autobox

DeFinch89

I personally think the saab 9-5 looks its best in estate form

Ded_Zebra

Do you think that Saab is lowered? Looks very low to me. Not saying it's a bad thing but probably not the most practical in an estate car!

Ardennes1944

That Saab is 5mins from me I'm taking a spin after Christmas first thing!

Ded_Zebra

Sweet! Looks class in the pictures so I hope it checks out!

DeFinch89

The 9-5 does look a bit low alright,
be a bastard to find out the springs were cut

Kaiser D

2002 Mazda 6 Executive
2.0 Petrol, manual
127k Miles
NCT 8/14, no tax
€999
Nice spec on this, haven't seen one with leather before.

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/mazda-6-exclusive-nct-01-08-14/6074340

JohnBoy26

DeFinch89 wrote: »

a lot of the UK models were renowned for rusting pretty badly alright due to the heavily salted UK roads, but many irish market models faired much better, with wheel arches and sills being the main weak points for the cancer to set in.
the same can be said for the corolla and civic of the same 95-00 era if bodywork isnt looked after

Even Irish models suffered badly from rust. The sills and the underbody rot in them. The sills actually rot from the inside out in them. A corolla and civic of the same vintage have much better rust protection, especially the corolla. When did you see an e11 corolla with rotten sills, underbody or arches? I've yet to see one like this myself and I've owned and have experience with plenty of them.

With regards to the Almera, I've owned two of them and again have experience with many more of them, most ended up being rot boxes including my own two.

DeFinch89 wrote: »

as for build quality, I seriously doubt nissan built it to any lower a standard then either of the other two, other than the almera lacking in performance models other then the single hot hatch almera GTi. And also with the corolla being in irish headsets as "the best built car" of the 3 thanks to clever marketing and advertising by toyota, most people would more likely buy the corolla based on this mindset, in my opinion the almera 1.4, corolla 1.3 and civic 1.4 of the 95-00 era are more or less built to the same quality as you would expect of any good 90's japanese car.

Nissan did build it to a lower standard than the other two though and even below it's predecessor the sunny. the corolla was the best built of the three with the civic in very close second place. I'd have the Almera a distant third tbh.

Nissan were in financial difficulty at the time and basically made the almera a cheapened out sunny with cost cuts such as, the removal of independent rear suspension, replaced by an inferior semi independent beam setup (the corolla, civic has independent suspension), cheaper components and much inferior rust protection compared to that of the Sunny's.

The civic and corolla are much harder wearing as a result imo. They take the miles much better than the almera. After 100k miles the almera starts to get shabby with worn wiper linkages and door hinges, instrument clusters also go wonky in them and over all the car start to feel loose. The corolla /civic also have much better road manners due to the independent suspension.

In my experience a corolla still feels as tight as day 1 even at well over 200k miles while still having it's original door hinges, wiper linkage etc. The civic is pretty good in this regard too.

The corolla is also a good bit safer too than an almera with an extra airbag and a much better euro ncap result, later 99+ corollas also gained abs as standard.

DeFinch89 wrote: »

as far as I can tell that is a facelift model in the ad (98-00) and most likely will have the basic mod cons that you need as standard such as electric windows, remote central locking, cd player, anti-locking braking system.

now that car in ad is clearly missing the factory "14 wheel option, but I know the later (98-00) models cant be fitted with the "13 steelies that came on lower spec pre-facelift almera's (95-98), due to a slightly bigger disc and caliper used.

I completely agree on the sport models being no more than just a namesake but all 98-00 models pretty much shared the same interior whether trim level was a sport or not and yes the 98-00 models do have better seats than the 95-98 models.

most bar the slx didn't get electric windows until the 1998 facelift but things such as a factory fitted CD player and abs are uncommon on those almeras, even on the later 99-00 sport model. 98 standard models and some 99 models such as the one in the picpic also had a grey interior, dash, door cards etcetc. The sport model had a much nicer black interior in comparison.

DeFinch89 wrote: »

"in terms of insurance, cheaper than a corolla equivalent and especially more so then a civic saloon."
I was comparing the cost of car insurance against these two cars which happen to be direct rivals to the almera.
the almera 1.4 being cheapest to insure, corolla 1.3 being second cheapest and the civic 1.4 being (by substantually more) the most expensive to insure.

I apologise for the long read and going way off topic here but just wanted to share a bit of my knowledge on the almera N15 and my own first hand experience of owning a few of them in the past

I've actually managed to get insured on a corolla for slightly less than what it cost on the almera. From my experience a civic didn't cost much more either. Insurance works out differently for everyone though.

SleeperService

Ardennes1944 wrote: »

That Saab is 5mins from me I'm taking a spin after Christmas first thing!

That guy has been selling used saabs for a long time from that spot. Dunno much else about him, but seems like a good sign to me!

Old diesel

Johnboy - are P11 Primeras the same, even worse - or not as bad as the N15 Almeras for rust???

Have heard far more about Almeras rusting then P11 Primeras - but I have heard of P11s in the Uk rusting before

Particularly curious about the facelift models (00s, 01s, 02s).

Was thinking of a Panda (completely different type of car I know) - but was thinking of parking the Panda idea for now - I reckon decent bangernomics cars will get scarcer when the time comes for post 08s to be at this level - so that may be a time to get into a Panda - rather then buying one now.

And having to hop into another Panda in a few years because there is nothing else out there - a nice E10 corolla is looking tempting though lol

They are getting temptingly cheap now

Thanks a million

Mandzhalas

Kaiser D wrote: »

2002 Mazda 6 Executive
2.0 Petrol, manual
127k Miles
NCT 8/14, no tax
€999
Nice spec on this, haven't seen one with leather before.

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/mazda-6-exclusive-nct-01-08-14/6074340

now that is a proper bargain.if i would have enough money i will defo buy it. only have €400 at the moment

JohnBoy26

Old diesel wrote: »

Johnboy - are P11 Primeras the same, even worse - or not as bad as the N15 Almeras for rust???

Have heard far more about Almeras rusting then P11 Primeras - but I have heard of P11s in the Uk rusting before

Particularly curious about the facelift models (00s, 01s, 02s).

They are getting temptingly cheap now

All Nissans from then were pretty bad for rust. I think the primera is slightly better than the almera where rust is concerned but not by much imo.

Old diesel

Mandzhalas wrote: »

now that is a proper bargain.if i would have enough money i will defo buy it. only have €400 at the moment

Looks very nice alright - not overly keen on the colour - that model 6 doesn't suit the darker colours - but at this money its hardly an issue.

Leather is very very rare on the 6 - ive only ever seen 1 mk 1 6 with leather in the flesh ever.

Old diesel

JohnBoy26 wrote: »

All Nissans from then were pretty bad for rust. I think the primera is slightly better than the almera where rust is concerned but not by much imo.

That ideas going down the swanny so - I have a bit of an allergy towards stuff with a rust reputation.

I won't rule it out - but its a turn off .

Since you seem to know your stuff about this kind of thing - dare I ask what you think of Focuses in terms of rust.

I suspect I may not like the answer though

DeFinch89

JohnBoy26 wrote: »

In my experience a corolla still feels as tight as day 1 even at well over 200k miles while still having it's original door hinges, wiper linkage etc. The civic is pretty good in this regard too.

I have to completely disagree here I have had my own '96 almera saloon for the past 5 years as a daily driver since 125,000 and recently clocked 200K and its as solid on the road today as the day I bought her, fair enough I have had a bit of an issue with rust in the sill and slight bubbling on a front wheel arch, bit of interior rattling with age as you would get in any daily driver with high mileage but all in all damn fine solid car, and dare I say I dont drive it like a granny either

JohnBoy26 wrote: »

The corolla is also a good bit safer too than an almera with an extra airbag and a much better euro ncap result, later 99+ corollas also gained abs as standard.

fair enough as far as I know most almeras only came with a drivers airbag as standard and im not gonna google search the rest so I take your word for it.
and ABS was an option for 95-98 almeras with many 98-00 models having ABS.

JohnBoy26 wrote: »

most bar the slx didn't get electric windows until the 1998 facelift but things such as a factory fitted CD player and abs are uncommon on those almeras, even on the later 99-00 sport model. 98 standard models and some 99 models such as the one in the picpic also had a grey interior, dash, door cards etcetc. The sport model had a much nicer black interior in comparison.

Im contradiction, my '96 almera 4dr saloon is the lowly GX model and even this has come with electric windows, electric mirrors, integrated boot 3rd brakelight and a nice surprise was the factory cassette radio and the optional 6disc changer, wire to the boot and headunit is there but unfortunately some previous owner flogged off the actual 6-disc tray unit that came with car from showroom.
No ABS but impressive enough spec all the same for a basic and early model almera.
as for newer 98-00 models im nearly sure they all had a choice of what pattern interior ya wanted it in regardless of si trim or lower.

JohnBoy26 wrote: »

I've actually managed to get insured on a corolla for slightly less than what it cost on the almera. From my experience a civic didn't cost much more either. Insurance works out differently for everyone though.

Yeah everyone is different in that respect.
and quotes vary greatly depending on what different insurance companies charge, quinn (at the time) seem to not mind civic's too much whereas AXA seem to despise them with the hefty premiums they look for lol

DeFinch89

Old diesel wrote: »

That ideas going down the swanny so - I have a bit of an allergy towards stuff with a rust reputation.

I won't rule it out - but its a turn off .

Since you seem to know your stuff about this kind of thing - dare I ask what you think of Focuses in terms of rust.

I suspect I may not like the answer though

in fairness to ya as far as rustbucket almeras/primera's of the 90's are concerned just a quick check of sills and wheel arch's and an important worthy check of rear seatbelt mounts for signs of corossion/bubbling and ya can easily pick out for yourself a good one from a rustbucket, reliability is top notch for any model, but I would be inclined to avoid diesel models, the CD20 is sluggish and for a diesel not brilliant on fuel economy and a little less reliable compared to the petrol counterparts.

As for the Focus, I assume you mean the mk.1 in particular? rust issues is substantially improved compared to many fords of the past, just give as good a look underneath, inside the engine bay and around the car as you would any car before you buy.
I think common places to look for corrosion would be the rear wheel arch liners caused by damp sound deadening fabric, behind the boot lid (near the latch), leading bonnet edge, beside the obvious places to check (metal hinges, door locks, exhaust flanges, etc.)
I would personally recommend a 1.6 3 door, best looking shape and quite a decently nippy car,1.4's are slow and feel underpowered, also front and rear independent suspension features on all models and the chassis has been given great praise for being amongst the best handling in its class for that era.
diesel models are decent too from what I hear.

DeFinch89

heres a good one for ya Old diesel,
nicely priced and even has the original factory alloys.

cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/02-ford-focus-3dr-nct-02-14-tax-01-14/6111245

[IMG][/img]photos2.donedeal.ie/cars/02-ford-focus-3dr-nct-02-14-tax-01-14/View2/25327035.jpeg

colm_mcm

DeFinch89 wrote: »

heres a good one for ya Old diesel,
nicely priced and even has the original factory alloys.

cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/02-ford-focus-3dr-nct-02-14-tax-01-14/6111245

[IMG][/img]photos2.donedeal.ie/cars/02-ford-focus-3dr-nct-02-14-tax-01-14/View2/25327035.jpeg

There's only a little over a month nct on it though.

nd

a 03 diesel with nct to November, 2k euro
http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/ford-focus-tdci-long-nct-and-tax-cheap/5857274

nd

or a 00 ghia petrol model with nct to march, 1300 euro

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/ford-focus-1-6-ghia/6079274

Truckermal

nd wrote: »

a 03 diesel with nct to November, 2k euro
http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/ford-focus-tdci-long-nct-and-tax-cheap/5857274

That's a lovely Focus..

Kaiser D

1993 Mercedes 230 CE
2.3 Petrol, automatic
213k Miles
NCT 4/14
€500
Cheap old barge with a few months test to do for a few months.

Happy Christmas all in the motors forum.

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/mercedes-benz-230-ce/5735015

Kaiser D

And one more before I feck off for the daym

1998 Jaguar XJ8
3.2 Petrol, automatic
129k Miles
NCT 8/14, no tax
€1250
Knock €250 off and it would be an even better buy.

http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/jaguar-for-sale/5857428

Old diesel

colm_mcm wrote: »

There's only a little over a month nct on it though.

At that money - hed want to be putting on a new NCT alright - which he may do if the car checked out - and it was a potential deal breaker.

Tbh - as a general point - if a car is in decent order - I can't figure out why for the sake of 50 euros and potentially only a couple of hours of their time - why a seller with a car with short NCT - doesn't just put it in for the test.

If it passes - the car is a lot more saleable - the general public assumes (wrongly) that a fresh test means a car is awesome.

Those of us more in the know - just start wondering if somethings wrong with the car.

Old diesel

I see one of the Focuses above is down as "1 lady owner for last 6 years" - but the sellers name is Liam.

Assuming the Focus is in the lady owners name (say Bridget for example) - then obviously its possible that the car is Liams wifes/girlfriends/sisters car - and Liam is handling the sale - all good.

But how does one verify that - or does one just run a motorcheck.ie type check and if alls well - its all good.