Cost of a mechanic

miss no stars

Right, so I'm going back to college in September (again ) and this time I'll need a car for the commute. Looking to spend around the 800-1000 mark, probably around mid-September and only need a car NCTd til around May.

I'm likely to be the car's final owner tbh on that budget.

So obviously I'd be getting a mechanic to check it before I buy, but what is the normal procedure? Do you do all the car background check first, then go to view it with the mechanic; or do you view it, do a background check and then come back with a mechanic if still interested? Can't afford to fork out much on a mechanic tbh so don't want to get the procedure wrong. Would a seller think I'm messing them around if I view it, decide I like and ask them can I arrange a mechanic to look at it?

Clueless

Also, what do mechanics normally cost?

bazz26

On a car in this price range, you probably have to do a good bit of vetting yourself before having a mechanic give it the final thumbs up. You need to be able to weed out the dogs from the possibles straight away.

I would first go look and drive it myself. Basic things I would check are to make sure the car starts (from cold) and runs ok with no smoke (burning oil) from the exhaust, knocking or weird noises from the engine bay. Next would be to drive it and makes sure no issues with the steering, brakes, clutch or gearbox. Check under the bonnet for signs of oil or other fluid leaks. Go through previous NCT sheets to see if there are any trends with failures or advisory's. Ask about timing belt changes, etc as you could end up spending money on these things close to what you pay for the car.

There is no formula to buying any used car especially in this price range as it can be a mine field but imo if you are confident on doing the above yourself I reckon there is a good chance it can save you time and money having a mechanic to look over an obvious dog.

miss no stars

Thanks, all really helpful. As I said, it's a couple of months away but I need to get the money in place now. Plus, keeping an eye on ads on donedeal (and bangernomics!) in case something good comes up in the meantime.

What would a mechanic charge? Would €100 be reasonable to make sure there's nothing that'll obviously prevent it from running for a year?

Also, I've been kinda looking at the following:

Renault Clio
Fiat Punto
Ford Fiesta
Opel Corsa

Generally in the 1998-2002 range. Do any of those have any really common problems I can check for myself, maybe with a torch and a creeper? Don't mind getting a bit dirty, especially if I'm looking at a car where the suspension has been known to fracture off the car or whatever.

amandaf675

Punto's and 1.0L Corsa are known for head gasket trouble. Fiestas are heavy enough on juice and Clios, Personally id stay away as renault are known for electrical problems.

What age are you? Will this be your first car, first insurance? Full or provisional licence?

miss no stars

Thanks

Will be 26 in a couple of weeks, full license since 1 october 2013 (tho thanks to delays processing license says 4/11/13 grr, expirey date 30/09/2023), 3 years named driving experience as a learner (college got very much in the way of driving tbh, same as a lot of people I'm sure) but first insurance in my own name and yeah, first car in my own name.

Bit worried about the drop to a 1.0 or 1.2l engine though, have always driven 2.0l cars around so not sure what it'll be like to NOT have decent acceleration readily available :P

amandaf675

Look at starlets or Yaris... Good solid decent small cars.

bazz26

Fiestas of that vintage tend to rust a lot underneath which is a NCT killer.

Corsas tend to suffer from timing chain and other issues.

Clios are not a bad choice but not without their faults.

Puntos are not as bad as their reputation suggests but alot of them tend to be maintained poorly so hard to find a good one.

If it were me I'd try and find either a Nissan Micra or a Toyota Starlet. Both are generally reliable especially the Starlet.