Advice on a 106

InvaderGIR

InvaderGIR

InvaderGIR

Soldato
Joined
14 Jul 2005
Posts
17,616
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Bristol
Not for me, I don't do 106s (hence thread).

Sister is looking for a car, when wandering around the different traders in town we found a Y reg (2000/2001?) 106 1.1 for £1400. Most of the cars around here are £2k min for something 10 years old, even saw a few Astras up for £1500!

At the time I couldn't be bothered to test drive it as had to get going fairly quickly. The car has 59k on the clock, appears to be straight and the engine sounds alright. Anything that needs to be looked out for?

It's a manual, with manual windows, no sunroof and is in gayblue as I call it.

Car in question:
IMAG0129.jpg
 
Head gasket oil leak just above the alternator - quite a minor thing to begin with (i.e. you can see oil working its way down the block, but it doesn't drip on the floor and you don't really notice the oil level dropping), but gets worse over time. 60 - 70k is about the norm for head gaskets on these, although some can last with or without that leak for ages without issue.

In the engine bay, check the inner wings and under the ECU for rust. Check the boot floor for ripples/ rust/ anything out the ordinary, especially down the sides.

Also check the rear wheels are straight, no negative camber - play in the trailing arms means the stub pins are noobed, and a new beam will be needed. Can get refurbed beams for ~£300.
 
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It looked like it had positive camber, but that might just have been due to the uneven surface it was sitting on.

I'll HG's really need doing that often? I know cambelts do (or around now) but that seems odd for HGs. One thing I didn't check about actually is service history, guess it'd be wise to find out about that. :p
 
You try and get her to buy private. ;)

She's useless enough as it is buying from a trader 'they dont like women' 'they make them cost more if youre female' are both comments she's come out with. You'd have thought a 28 year old would be able to buy a damn car!

Buying privately would be even more lolworthy. I refuse to do more than look at the cars at traders, I'm not going to trawl the web for cars on sale privately just to find her a sensible sub £2k car. I have better things to do with my time.

In fact I did spend a day or so finding perfectly good cars for sub £2k and she didn't like any of them...just from looking at the pictures and the fact I was ignoring traders and looking at private. :rolleyes:
 
Providing the engine has been well maintained, the gasket rarely fails in the sense that you get oil and water mixing. The oil leak above the alternator is very common though - it's a flaw with the TU engine as the main oil gallery to the head is close to the edge of the block.

The cam belt intervals are pretty crazy - 72k miles or 10 years rings a bell? We had our 1.1 done at 55k miles, 8 years old. If it hasn't already been done, I'd definitely have it done. Dead easy job tbh.

Despite everyone telling you 'french cars fall to bits', they are very good runners when looked after. You only have problems when they're treated like crap 100% of the time. Could do a lot worse than a Saxo/ 106 for the budget you have.
 
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About 72k or 5 years from what I understand from a salesman friend. :)

Having had a chat with him about it and other cars we'll probably pass on it and get something more substantial for similar money.
 
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