i am thing of buying a SEAT LEON 1.8 20V T Cupra

[stew6660]

hi all,
i am new to this site....
i am thing of buying a SEAT LEON 1.8 20V T Cupra , the year of the car i will be looking for is about 2000 -2003, so the question is, is there any bad points i should be looking for when i start looking around one of these cars ?? stew6660

 

[Kai_1600]

Try posting in the Mk1 leon section mate

 

[HallycupraR]

he is in the mk1 section ?

 

[tuneznvibe]

theres plenty of threads on the site you can read, but you'll find that theres no set problems to look out for. just make sure that the car has a full service history as these cars cannot be driven slow theres too much fun to be had maintainance cannot be left or forgotten. a fully documented history with all invoices are rare and hard to find.

most problems that i've read, found and experienced in mine were mainly sensor faults which is cheap to fix (bloody techonology). but these are just cars after all even with a full service history anything can go wrong, being seat these are cheap and easy to diagnose especially with the great members on this site that are always willing to help or give sound advice...... good luck!!!

 

[Phillc]

Check that the cam belt has been done should be around 60,000ish i think.

 

[Big_daddy]

he is in the mk1 section ?

i waa thinking that also

 

[Big_daddy]

Here some of the stuff top of my head.
Service history, and cambelt change.

Check all tyres wear and brake pads/disc conditions
Check exhaust system for crack & leaks

make sure all the electric work, eg windows/ cliamte control stereo.
Check for smoke on idle and on load.
Check coolant for contamination and check oil. Ensure all fluid are level.

Other thing is HPI

 

[flares]

If it had the cambelt changed check to see if the waterpump was done as well , most people on here would do both & fit a pump with a metal impellor . Check that the carpets are`nt wet as the door seals leak

 

[Stan 24v]

Just so you know, the cambelt isnt actually "required" til 120k, yet they tend to fail earlier. My local specialist recommend doing them at 80k, so dont necessarily be put off if it hasnt been done, just use it to haggle on price.

How much you looking to spend anyway?

Oh, and welcome

 

[stew6660]

thanks for all the quick reply

i will start looking for a car in about 2 weeks.
thanks for help.....stew6660

 

[flares]

Good luck fella , have a look in the cars for sale section on here as well

 

[Stan 24v]

Have you driven one yet mate? Where do you live?

 

[wisejason]

hi all,
i am new to this site....
i am thing of buying a SEAT LEON 1.8 20V T Cupra , the year of the car i will be looking for is about 2000 -2003, so the question is, is there any bad points i should be looking for when i start looking around one of these cars ?? stew6660

Alright mate. I bought a 2003 Cupra T in December with 69k on the clock, it cost 6.5k and as part of the deal I got new front tyres, front pads and full service. One of the reasons I went for an 03 plate car was because it is the face lift version and IMHO I think it adds to the cars appeal.

So far I have been very impressed with the car it pretty quick and handles well. The power makes it understeer in the wet on sharp bends or roundabouts but that is to be expected (cheap front tyres are probably to blame).

I was looking at a scooby but they were mostly thrashed crap and was put off a Civc Type R because I wasn't prepared to pay the same money for an older car.

I drive 60 miles a day down a mixture of country lanes and A roads - its a blast!

Mixed driving like this returns 25-29mpg (fairly hard - normal) and on the motorway I averaged 36mpg over 180 miles. It runs better on super unleaded (TESCO 99 ron) and you get a better mpg that cancels out the extra cost.

There aren't really any downsides... the car wasn't that smooth but the new DV and air filter have sorted this. Didn't notice this on the test drives but £150 and few hours graft have sorted it.

Probably the best car I've every owned - no it is the best car I've ever owned!

 

[Timmyboy]

and...

I bought mine for a similar price, 36k on the clock, 03 plate for £6800 in November just gone.

Fantastic car, not one regret - GET IT REMAPPED is all I can say

 

[wisejason]

What remap did you go for?

I was going to get a new pipe in the next couple of months and then a remap later in the year - but the wifes Kia Sedona's diff exploded and mashed up the gearbox. Just waiting for the car to come back but all our money is now gone - repairs cost 2.5k.

But I'm still going to try for a remap before the year is up.

 

[Timmyboy]

Bad news on the car

I went for a P-Torque map in the end for a variety of reasons but mainly due to previous testimonials and ultimately the price - Christmas special prices brought it down to £225 (plus DV supply and fit for another £100), but even now the price has gone up it's waaaay cheaper than most other mappers.

Seriously though, can't stress how good the remap is, have a read through my post in the P-Torque forum, should be quite easy to find.

To top it all off the bloke who owns P-Torque Will is a nice chap which makes the whole thing a pleasant experience.

 

[stew6660]

hi all
you guys are very helpful .
(Stan 24v) no i have not driven one yet, my wife drives a ibiza 12 16v not quite the same but nice to drive . the only time i see a leon cupra is when its passing me or in front of me . once i have sold my A6 i will be on the hunt for one. ps i live in coventry
thanks......stew6660

 

[traumapat]

mate if your going to mod it and remap ect...

at some point in 2000 they put a better turbo on it (i think ko3 to ko3s) and made it drive by wire. youll get more power from the maps the 2001+ cars
(ko3s)

 

[natwest]

ps i live in coventry

Worth going to GDT in Kenilworth - good bunch of people there. (I live in Leamington). Not sure about Listers in Coventry.

 

[wisejason]

Bad news on the car

I went for a P-Torque map in the end for a variety of reasons but mainly due to previous testimonials and ultimately the price - Christmas special prices brought it down to £225 (plus DV supply and fit for another £100), but even now the price has gone up it's waaaay cheaper than most other mappers.

Seriously though, can't stress how good the remap is, have a read through my post in the P-Torque forum, should be quite easy to find.

To top it all off the bloke who owns P-Torque Will is a nice chap which makes the whole thing a pleasant experience.

Just read your P-Torque thread and it sounds good. How's the mpg now?