3.5yr old LCR with 9k miles?

[StuRS]

Hi
I am just trying to short list a range of cars to look at over the coming weekend or two at various dealers and have found a one owner LCR that is 3.5 years old with 9k on the clock.

Obviously with this little mileage is going to be pretty mint, and mechanicals in almost new order, but would you be wary about this? Could it mean that it has spent all of its life at the garage with a problem? or could it be that someone has had it as a second car and hardly used it.

If I asked the dealer for the previous owners details would they give them to me?

Any thoughts.

Thanks

 

[RobM]

I'd be a little concerned. If it's been garaged for the entire time, then it's not so bad, but it will still need a seriously good service, new tyres and many mechanical things checked over to ensure they are OK.

If it's been used regularly but only for really short trips, I wouldn't want to take the risk. Short trips can harm a car if it never gets up to temp.

 

[oldman]

there is no reason why they should hide the original owners details, as you will get these on the V5 should you purchase the car.

i would get a full service, making sure brake fluid and cables all good incase seized.

 

[Mitchy]

Takes 5 mins to clock a cars mileage. 9k is not realsitic for age.

Check tyres and pads, stone chips on bumper, front seats and steering wheel for signs of wear.

 

[LiCkWiD]

I think in the whole "Risk vs. reward", manner of thinking.. Clocking an LCR to 9k is unrealistic. Plenty of people would view it as a major selling point and would fuss over the fact when viewing the car. Basically, IMO, it'd bring un-due attention to something most smart clockers would want to avoid.

Shavning 10k off the mileage, although still utterly immoral, is more realistic.

 

[Icecavern]

Check the logbook and see who owned it. It might be a Seat UK car that was used for 3 months then sat forgotten about in a warehouse somewhere. In which case if it's been serviced up then it'll be a bargain motor.

 

[BCM]

I doubt it would be clocked, bit OTT and as you says brings far to much attention, but a car with low mileage isnt all the great, as said start stop short trips aint to good, car doesnt get up to temp, oil doesnt circulate and stick to components as well, and started, battery and other parts take a pounding!

 

[cobraman2007]

I hope you don't mind me asking but what price is this LCR going for?

9k miles seems an extremely low figure but make sure, as said before, you check for signs of tear and wear. I would take down a specialist such as an RAC mechanic to check it over for you. May cost you but could save you loads in the longrun.

Why the hell did the previous owner only drive it 9k miles in 4 years. Was he mad?

Cheers - Cobraman

 

[thebeno]

Maybe they could not afford to run the bloody thing!!

 

[Icecavern]

I hope you don't mind me asking but what price is this LCR going for?

9k miles seems an extremely low figure but make sure, as said before, you check for signs of tear and wear. I would take down a specialist such as an RAC mechanic to check it over for you. May cost you but could save you loads in the longrun.

Why the hell did the previous owner only drive it 9k miles in 4 years. Was he mad?

Cheers - Cobraman

As I said it could have been a Seat UK company car. They tend to use them for a short while and then sometimes they sit for ages before being sold to dealers. My First R had done 5k in 3 months, but then sat doing nothing for 12months.

 

[cobraman2007]

Well he should have given it to me to run then. I am sure I could have put 9k miles on it within a few months.

Cheers - Cobraman2007

 

[RobM]

There are plenty of genuine reasons why this could be the case. The owner could have moved abroad and didn't want to sell their car... but are now staying so have sold it. It could have been inherited by somebody and not used. It could be anything.

All that would worry me is the condition of certain components if it's not been used... or the condition of the engine overall if it's only been used for short journeys.

 

[Mitchy]

Clocking is just a matter of fitting a diagnostic tool to ecu and writing over current mileage date. It takes less than 5minutes to do and can be done for about £100

Not over the top if car had done mega miles as it can gain an extra £2-3k for the sake of spending £100 by lowering the mileage.

Like i said only way to really make sure is interrogate service history if it has 1 and look at condition of paintwork/interior etc.

Because its only done 9k there may not be any service history at all, well thats the excuse anyway for clocking to such a low mileage

Trust no-one.

 

[RobM]

If it has been clocked, it would have had to have been done before it's first MOT 6ish months ago, otherwise it would be fairly easy to spot.

 

[truCido]

well its not that unfeasable i bought my car in dec 05 (02 cupra) and it only had 14k on the clock, and it was serviced every year to the day pretty much so i could see it was genuine. The guy just didnt really use it as he had other cars, and im glad he didnt

 

[StuRS]

Well the car is for sale at a SEAT dealership and is stated as having a FSH, price is £11999 (210 model).

I have a couple of others, a Black LCR 210 (03 plate) with 46k for £10,900 (also SEAT) and a Platimun grey LCR 210 (03 plate) 38k for £10k (non SEAT dealer) that I hope to view tomorrow.

 

[LiCkWiD]

FSH @ 9k?! Can't be very full.. surely? Might be worth asking to see the SH then.

 

[Jonny]

My gran used to change her car every 2 - 3 years. After she retired, she hardly used it at all. When she took it in to part exchange it for a newer model, the sales guy couldn't believe it - the tyres still had the nobbles on them, you could still see the paint colour in the wheel arches & the plastic was still on the back seat! lol It had done less than 3000 miles in just over 2 years!

 

[Jonny]

FSH @ 9k?! Can't be very full.. surely? Might be worth asking to see the SH then.

Servicing is 10k or 12 months, whichever comes soonest. I guess if you do next to no mileage, you get it serviced annually regardless?

 

[RobM]

Servicing is 10k or 12 months, whichever comes soonest. I guess if you do next to no mileage, you get it serviced annually regardless?

That's the theory. If you don't do 10K miles a year, get it serviced annually. If you do more than 10K miles a year, get it serviced every 10K miles.