94 bezza

[bobmcgod]

A mate's going to go look at a 1994 ibiza later today, i'm assuming it's mk2 following wiki research. Is there anything specific i should look for? I already know to do stuff like try all the electrics, look along all the panels to look for dents, check that both reg plates are the same (have the same company name on them) to check if it's been in a crash. Is there anything that only goes wrong on these cars i should look for?

I'm going as the past 2 cars he's bought consist of a mini that still won't pass an mot and a fiat uno that's now been scrapped, he only had it for about 3 weeks.

Thanks

 

[jcs356]

I disagree with your comment about having odd number plate manufacturers showing it's been in a crash. Plates are now part of MOT and you can fail if it is cracked. So a car could have had a new front number plate for a genuine reason.

OK, the car will be nigh-on 14 years old so I'd be surprised if it were a stunner! Well my 1994 Ibiza certainly isn't. Based upon what's gone wrong with mine:

Rust on the arches front/rear, rust in the seam under the doors, rust behind the rear bumper, rust in the floor pan.
Water leaks into car from behind dashboard (make sure carpet/sound deadening is bone dry)
Check timing belt has been done at some point in the car's history.
Obvious check for oil leaks under car (rocker cover, sump plug, filter, gearbox)
Take oil filler cap off and look for a white mayonaise like substance - shows either lots of short journeys which means car never got warmed up or head gasket problems.
Check crankcase breather pipe is intact and hasn't perished.
Rattle the exhaust to make sure it is all secure.
Bounce each corner of the car to check shocks are still ok (should bounce once and then stop)

Erm, that's all I can think of for the moment. Good luck.

 

[AlpineWhite]

General advice:

If you want to check for crash damage at the rear, lift up the carpet in the boot; it should all be the same colour and it should all look neat, i.e no funny welding or sealers.

Check the brake discs don't have too much of a lip which indicates they'll need to be replaced soon - it's an easy DIY job but it could help you knock some money off. Also check the rubber brake hoses that lead into the brakes - if they're cracking (or worse, bulging) they'll need replacing soon. Additionally, check the solid brake lines that run under the car to make sure they're not excessively corroded.

Make sure the engine is cold before you start it up to be sure the current owner isn't hiding any starting problems. You can check it's cold by making sure there's no heat coming off the engine block or exhaust manifold.

Check that the chassis number matches the one printed in the logbook.

Pedal Box!!! If it's creaking, the clutch pedal is starting to shear the welds that hold the bracket on. Do a search on here, a lot of people (me included) 'repair' it by drilling and bolting the two pieces of bracket together. In my experience it lasts about 6 months before it needs to be re-bolted. In my opinion this is adequate. However the more expensive option is to take the pedal box out and weld it up properly. This is quite a bit more work - my local VAG specialist advised that they would charge at least half a day of labour to do this!! Ideally the pedal box will already have been changed. Don't worry if it hasn't - just bear in mind that 'they all do this'.

 

[bobmcgod]

I disagree with your comment about having odd number plate manufacturers showing it's been in a crash. Plates are now part of MOT and you can fail if it is cracked. So a car could have had a new front number plate for a genuine reason.

I didn't say it was a deffinate indication that it has been. A good one atleast. Mine are different because someone went into the back of me!

 

[AlpineWhite]

I didn't say it was a deffinate indication that it has been. A good one atleast. Mine are different because someone went into the back of me!

The way I read it, it implies that you do think it's a definite indication. In my opinion, anyway, for what it's worth.

 

[CraigW]

Pedal Box!!! If it's creaking, the clutch pedal is starting to shear the welds that hold the bracket on. Do a search on here, a lot of people (me included) 'repair' it by drilling and bolting the two pieces of bracket together. In my experience it lasts about 6 months before it needs to be re-bolted. In my opinion this is adequate. However the more expensive option is to take the pedal box out and weld it up properly. This is quite a bit more work - my local VAG specialist advised that they would charge at least half a day of labour to do this!! Ideally the pedal box will already have been changed. Don't worry if it hasn't - just bear in mind that 'they all do this'.

Im one of the people that has had to repair it. Mine has been bolted for 6 months and the bolt is still holding it together. Mine still creaks but its more to do with the cable moving through the bulkhead than the pedal box. Its creaked since the day it was bolted and its still together and still holding. Got a new clutch and clutch cable on the car after it was bolted.