Car appreciation... the aesthetics, the engineering, etc

1996 apparently. Here's hoping it's a good 'un, I'm leaning towards this over the STi Fozzy now. Less pistonhead, more old dickhead. 👴🏼

You know what? The more I look at the pictures of the underside of that Fozzy the better I think it looks! Have I really got that much shit in my eyes?

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I'll take some pics under my MX5 and the VXR8 for you so you can compare

I'm gonna get a WhatsApp message all ready so I can send it to my regular mechanic in the morning. Then we'll decide this thing once and for all! The STi dream may not yet be over.

I’d say that looks great aside from the back box, which in itself is a perfect excuse to get something new and shiny in its place. I had a fozzy and when I was looking if any had looked like that I would have snapped their hand off albeit I’m in the uk, they all look very scabby underneath here at that age from what I’ve seen.

I’m still tossing around the idea of a 996, had a look at a C4 a few days ago. So I’ve read tons about the IMS and bore score issues, one thing I’m also curious about is the fact I’ve read that they benefit from being driven quite regularly. I’m wondering what sort of issues would be more likely to crop up to bite me in the wallet with one that’s been well maintained but done very few miles over the last 5-10 years? The C4 was great (I’m not too fussed about C4 or C2 as long as it’s manual, I’d rather buy on condition), looked after and good SH but a shame that when the clutch was last changed (about 8k ago) they only inspected the IMS rather than changing it while they were in there.

If it’s survived to this point it’s probably fine, although I’d have liked them to have pulled the seals out when they had the gearbox off.

pretty much decided to get a smaller (than the Superb) car as 90% of the time it's just one or two of us using it. however we will still need to be able to get 4 adult in on odd occasions.

so thinking either Octavia vRS hatchback or Golf GTi. Obviously a lot of VAG cross platform similarities with these two, any other things to consider? Looking at getting a S/H <2 years old car.

Prefer DSG to manual.

I think the Octavia will have more room than the golf as it's a saloon shaped hatchback rather than flat back trad hatchback if you're bothered about that.

Golf is dynamically better to drive, sub 2 years old there's not going to be much to go wrong but whatever you get, heated screen and radar cruise are two options I'd be making sure you get

That looks fine to my non expert eyes. All the sway bar links look ok and the bolts aren't all gnarled and crusty. I actually wonder if the all the black paint is actually a spray on sealant/rust preventing layer? Just double check the age of the timing belt. Probably last thing on your mind but if you're gonna crash you'd rather be in the fozzy rather than the Jimny.

Hit a pothole and now slight wobble in steering wheel at 36-39kmh, disappears at slower or faster speeds. Peugeot 208. Should I care or don't care?

The timing belt was done 50,000kms ago, so it's probably due? I'm no expert on these things, I let the mechanic tell me this stuff. And I had that same thought on the subject of safety, the Jimny does look like it's made out of old Coke cans. 😬

And yes, that bubbly looking stuff looks like a protective coating as opposed to rattle canned rust.

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I don't know the service schedule but I'd usually do timing belt every 60k miles which is 100k km?

That makes sense and would be a bonus. STi is back on then. New exhaust, what else will I need? 💸

Coilovers 🤭

I need to repeat... Timing belt is not just kilometres covered but age! 5 years is the average lifespan. By the looks of that label it was done in 2017? So it's at 7 years. Last thing you want is valves smacking pistons.

Golf GTI will be nice to look at. Assume you pay for more them, and they keep their value? Imagine hatchback Octavia vRS would be marmite.

I'd get it checked. Tyre wear may be affected at the very least.

Yeah just been reading this myself, a lot of different info on mileage but definitely a 7 year consensus on timing belt

if you couldn’t confirm definitively that the timing belt had been done, presume you’d ask to have it removed from the price and then get it done as a matter of priority ?

The current car has adaptive cruise and I definitely want it on the next one.

Heated screen seems less of a deal breaker to me.

Yeah the Golfs are a little more, it just means I'd be looking at maybe a 2 year old car rather than 12 -18 months. I don't mind how the Octavia looks tbh.

£45k for a new Golf GTi seems a bit punchy.

New car prices are terrifying, yes

Look up what it is as it is time and mileage. Less mileage I'd change the belt sooner. Have seen Kevlar lined belts get kinks from sitting for 6 months between drives.

Yes as something has been affected.