Buying an ex press car

Defcon5

Defcon5

Defcon5

Soldato
Joined
4 Sep 2005
Posts
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Location
Whitwood, West Yorks
I fancy buying a Fiesta ST for the other half, and have noticed one nearby that looks in excellent condition, is high spec and low mileage. The current owner has had it from being 6 months old and has clearly looked after it. It's a good price.

However for the first 6 months of its life, it was a press car. It featured on 5th Gear, on track driven by VBH. It was also featured on Pistonheads.

Now, is this a recipe for disaster?

Will it have been brutally thrashed from cold 5 times a day by a bunch of work experience mechanics/journalists or will it have been looked after by Ford to a very high standard and warmed up to ensure top performance before each test?

As a press car will it have gone through extra quality control checks?
 
The only press cars I've ever come into contact with had been quite heavily used, not particularly carefully for the most part either.

However, I'd also imagine that it's not uncommon to find press cars that were treated with dignity.

Still, don't think I'd want one.
 
I'd inspect and drive the vehicle before coming to any conclusions, or presumptions.

It's likely to be driven aggressively, a lot of cars are. At least you are getting confirmation. I don't think Ford are going to let a delivery millage car get thrashed however, it wouldn't take long for it to start banging.
 
Your forgetting the bonus of VBH having previously sat in the drivers seat, sod the mechanical condition, get face down in that seat man! ;) :p :D

As for your question, it would not bother me as long as its current owner has looked after it and the price was good.
 
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Scania said:
Your forgetting the bonus of VBH having previously sat in the drivers seat, sod the mechanical condition, get face down in that seat man! ;) :p :D

As for your question, it would not bother me as long as its current owner has looked after it and the price was good.
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He don't wanna scratch and sniff the seats!!
 
I'm not actually convinced about this warming cars up business, company car here, year old, twin turbo diesel mercedes 250 or something like that, sales woman gets in it and literally plants her foot to the floor, still going no problem (only a year old mind), then other guy here, 2004 astra diesel, floors it everywhere the second he gets in it, still going without a hickup.

Would I buy an ex press/demo? no. I warm my cars up religiously and it'd always play on my mind that you're buying something that was doomed from the start.
 
acemastr said:
I'm not actually convinced about this warming cars up business, company car here, year old, twin turbo diesel mercedes 250 or something like that, sales woman gets in it and literally plants her foot to the floor, still going no problem (only a year old mind), then other guy here, 2004 astra diesel, floors it everywhere the second he gets in it, still going without a hickup.

Would I buy an ex press/demo? no. I warm my cars up religiously and it'd always play on my mind that you're buying something that was doomed from the start.
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My epic mk3 Golf 16V was originally owned by Telstar, so it was a company of some sort, and you can bet it was treated with no sympathy.

That engine was going nicely at 237k, had really good compression, made all the power it should.

The one bonus i could see with driving a car harder than the normal warm up cycle woudl be to warm it up faster which would make it more efficient
 
It depends how the manufacturer deals with them when they sell them. Porsche send all press cars to Reading and they are effectively re-lifed so I'd have no problem buying one of those and in fact had a good nose around the Green GT3 RS seen on Top Gear which turned up for sale in my local OPC. However, I am not sure Ford would do the same re-life on a Fiesta so question is do you want a car that has been spanked from day 1 and probably has triple the real world miles on it, due to the nature of how they were driven. Having said that, it IS a Fiesta so not sure the road tests and type of drving would be the same as someone in a GT3 RS.

I've not helped here have I :(
 
My first E46 330ci was an ex-press car and to this day it is still be best condition used car I have ever bought.
 
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