Should I be worried about panel gaps?

Still in the process of getting a license but in the mean time I'm just looking at what's available in the for of a 1.6L Diesel manual that's under €300 tax and under the €4500 mark. Currently learning on a really rough 08 1.4L Petrol Golf that has nearly 400k KM.

Anyway, is something like this a good deal for the money in terms of something that's drivable but I could work on over time or are those panel gaps a red flag?
https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/seat-leon-2011-tdi/37243196

I'm okay when it comes to manufacture spec sheets and general review ratings but sod all practical experience when it comes to the used market.

Chippy01

Worry no more. Walk away.
There has to be better out there than that.

Oh probably but I'm not adversed to fettling with a car to make it decent if it's usable. The thing with this though is I can't help but think it's been dinged up and it's not been repaired well. The Golf I am currently in took a hit to front left and all panel gaps are screwy in that area of the car because of it.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122337639#Comment_122337639

Yeah that's what I was thinking when I saw that and read "just needs a bit of tidying"

CMOTDibbler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122337634#Comment_122337634

Generally panel gaps are caused by a low impact 'crash' which isn't hard enough for panels or supports to crumple. At worst, something may be stretched or bowed behind the panel and if that's the case it's unlikely to be problematic. It's also not likely to be an expensive fix, any decent panel shop would be able to remove the affected panels and reseat them without much bother and would cost in the low hundreds to do.

A friend of mine hit a deer at a low enough speed (~50kph) and ended up with some obvious panel gaps. He said it cost €250 to fix.

I guess that's not too bad, but every panel gap in those images is either gaping, nonexistent, or wonky. I don't think any of panel gaps are stock/ factory. So either it's been dinged a few times and badly repaired or one of the owners was playing with the panels a bit. I don't mind there being mechanical work to do on something if it's priced okay but I don't want to be dealing with body or chassis related stuff, even if it's only a couple hundred.

Oscar_Madison

At this price bracket you need to be open to a range of cars and to act quickly, very quickly when you spot something.

You’re ideally looking for:

1. Full service history or proof of good regular servicing
2. Low milage for the year - think local runs, supermarket shop….dare I say it, back and forth to mass - so maybe 10-12k per year max - obviously this would be petrol but if diesel then it may just need a good motorway run to clean it out but have a listen to how it sounds and how it runs
3. Clean interior

Such cars do exist but they’re snapped up quickly - often it’s an elderly person selling or that persons family selling their car.

But to get the best bang for your money in this bracket try and expand your mind in terms of what you’re willing to drive and you could end up with a cracker of a car.

For me it’s relative low milage, proof of regular servicing and good interior and exterior - tyres in good condition would also be a bonus and would also be one indicator of a well looked after car-a recent NCT would also be a good start where you should start to consider buying

Hooked

Are you having a laugh OP?

Towing eye hanging at the back, jack point cover missing on the sideskirt. Crumpled number plate. Bad repair job… It's not whether it was crashed. Its how many times!

I spent 2200 on a 2007 1.4 opel astra back in Jan (just to get me in and out of work as we have 2 other vehicles). There's definitely better cars out there for your budget!

If you're doing a lot of short spins - stay away from an older diesel. Caked DPF, EGR, etc… Get a petrol. And 1.4 or under. Cheaper insurance too.

CMOTDibbler

If I was looking to spend ~4.5k on a used car and road tax and running costs were a major factor then I'd be looking at a good used Nissan Leaf or Renault Zoe.

EVs don't suit every use case, but if you're only commuting a short distance (say <80km a day), then it's a viable option.

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/nissan-leaf-2015/37180174

Road tax €120 a year and you can charge from a 3 pin socket overnight. No need for a dedicated charger for one of these.

User1998

The absolute state of that yoke. I don’t know if the panel gaps are from an accident or the fact that it looks like he bought the bodykit from Alibaba

colm_mcm

I wouldn’t be looking at that era 1.6 TDI at all to be honest.

bazz26

And the quad exhaust tips on it too… 🤣

Explosive_Cornflake

It also looks like a red bumper on the back with the resprayed paint starting to come off, so I'm guessing it looks terrible in person.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122337676#Comment_122337676

Yeah I would be looking to buy in about say 5 months time maybe 7 at most so my budget might better then and who knows there might be better stuff on offer. I'm just looking now to try and spot the signs so when something like you're suggesting pops up I can recognise it and jump on it. Sound for the advise 👍️

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122337683#Comment_122337683

Yeas I am 100% pretending to lack any knowledge on the issue because I am bored and don't mint looking like a total tit. No I'm not having a laugh, I'm genuinely seeking advise on the matter.

By the time it comes round to buying I'll be doing more than enough mileage to warrant a diesel over a petrol between work commute, personal stuff and community/ voluntary commitments. I am aware of DPF and EGR issues but I'd likely get them serviced/refreshed anyway for piece of mind.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122337765#Comment_122337765

I understand how suck, squeeze, bang, blow works and how to keep it working. I don't understand EV's and I do not want to waste any time trying to learn how either.

Besides with the mileage I'll be doing an EV just won't cut it.

CMOTDibbler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122338630#Comment_122338630

If you understand ICE cars and have anything with a rechargeable battery then you understand EVs too. 😁

But yeah, use case is the deciding factor. As I said. But you didn't specify in your OP and seemed to be more concerned with economy and road tax. Which are right up the EV road.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122337871#Comment_122337871

People actually put stuff from Alibaba on/ in their cars? Why????

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122338148#Comment_122338148

For this particular make and model or just in general? What make, model, year would you advise to be keeping an eye out for?

Huh… completely missed that. Guess I was too distracted by the state of the panels.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122338181#Comment_122338181

Yeah it's definitely looking worse and worse the more I look at it. I was more using the listing as an example for what specifically I should be looking at in terms of the panel gaps but it seems there was a bunch of other glaring red flags I missed so turned out to be quite the learning experience and it hasn't cost me a single cent.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122338648#Comment_122338648

Oh right, yeah it was just mainly the cheaper tax bracket I was concerned about. Given the responses here and doing some abstract head math maybe a 1.4 petrol is better in the long run. And yes I guess you're correct but I don't like the idea of something I can't service or repair myself. With an EV I am wholly reliant on a specialized service tech for literally anything that goes wrong. Whereas with an ICE I can do most things that don't require the car to be up on a lift or have the engine, clutch or gearbox take out. Although I'm on the hunt more a mechanics apprenticeship so that could change too in the not so distant future.

CMOTDibbler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122338784#Comment_122338784

I get where you're coming from, but I would say that in the vast majority of cases, EVs don't require any work other than brakes, suspension and tyres. Also the odd wiper blade and 12v battery. There's a lot of woowoo hysteria about EV batteries, but they're no different from any other lithium based battery with the added protection of heating and cooling, reduced charging speeds on home chargers and the ability to set top limits so that they very seldom are charged to 100% (a high degradation factor with these batteries).

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122338842#Comment_122338842

Well yes I don't have a fear of the Lithium batteries, have quite a bit of experience with them between various hobbies in the past and doing phone/ tablet repairs. Sure the same hysteria was around when peoples vape devices were exploding in their pockets, because they were using purely mechanical devices that had zero circuit protection or locking mechanism for the activation button. It's never about how dangerous the tool is, it's how dangerous the chimp using is. I wouldn't leave well enough alone with an EV, I'll break the bloody thing with my curiosity 😂

CMOTDibbler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122338890#Comment_122338890

Well as a hands on type of guy, you might be interested in this short video of a Leaf battery cell being replaced. Well worth a watch and quite definitely what's the future of these kinds of repairs. There are three places in the country that can do this right now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ySOspbt0BM&ab_channel=JamesandKate-TheEVTeam

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122338902#Comment_122338902

Cheers for the suggestion, always interested in looking at stuff like this but ICE is where my heart will always be.

colm_mcm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122338667#Comment_122338667

I would just give VW group 1.6 TDI engine up to around 2013 a wide berth. Wouldn’t have any hesitation on getting the newer version of that engine

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122339506#Comment_122339506

I was looking at 2014 Audi A3's to begin with now that you mention it 😂. To be honest I'm starting to veer back toward a 1.4L Petrol to be honest. Might mean more in fuel but could be cheaper over all when it comes to insurance it seems.

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122339589#Comment_122339589

A lot of the 1.4’s are crap as well. Supercharged versions with CAV or CTH engine codes should be avoided

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122339788#Comment_122339788

To be honest as a first I wreckon it's going to be either a Seat Ibiza, Hyundai i10/i20, or a Kia. For that first year on insurance and then after a year or two work my way up to something more fun. I might even go as low as a 1.2L.