Buying 05 fr tdi

[Mr Cellotape]

I didn't think the Cupra TDI was that bad on insurance, however with your age their may be something to be saved. How would you feel if you were sat at some lights in an FR if a Cupra pulled alongside?

If your answer is that you'd be gutted for not buying the Cupra then you know what you need to do.

The Cupra also comes with much better brakes.

If your going to test drive the Cupra then see what it is like in town and also what it's like when you open it up. I used to find the suspension seemed to wake-up once it got to about 60 miles an hour and went from being lumpy at low speeds to great fun from 60 onwards.

 

[s10mph]

Hi Mike, I can't make up my mind either, the differences between the Fabia & Ibiza are not much at all, the floorpans and engines are the same but the Fabia is abut 100kilos heavier. The noisy engine you describe happens when they are cold, go for a long drive and they do quiten somewhat. This can be reduced further by a good remap, which apart from increasing power will better the fuel consumption as well. I had a Golf with the 130pd. with remap and now like you looking at Fabias and Ibizas. Its a case of finding the right colour, extras, trim, condition, price etc. which will make up my mind.

 

[Torquemonster]

You're right to be concerned with the insurance for the Cupra at your age.I think it's the only thing that stops most FR owners buying one.Shame really,but it comes with the territory i suppose.

 

[Torquemonster]

Sod it!.Buy a TDI 130 Sport,save even more money!.
No one will ever know what it is,and therein lies the beauty of the ultimate stealth bomber!.

 

[st10587]

i have a FR TDI with a remap get 80 odd MPG on motorways driving light footed and 35ish mpg driving heavy footed. i think 7k is to much cash

 

[Mikeyk]

Yeah,it gets done yearly or every 10,000 miles,whichever comes first.30K a year?!,i thought i did a lot as well!.I'd be tempted just to get the oil and filter changed at the first 10k,then again at 20k.Then get it fully serviced at 30k.Depends on how much cash you've got i suppose.


My front bushes need replaced,but my car is 4.5 years old so i suppose it's just normal wear and tear.

Yeah well when i took a look at the service hist it was done 5k then at 10k with one lady owner,that depends on the lady though lol (no offence by the way we all have different driving styles ) but cant imagine its gone far to do 20k in 3.5yrs.

Yeah its a 50 mile round trip to work then i travel around for work sometimes it all mounts up when you think about it. so at the 30k service it will be the so called biggie with the cam belt an water pump cause think it will be aound 4yr old by then.

My dads a mechanic but HGV, so think he wont mind doing the servicing now an again an i know a few guys that do cam belts but at a price, an im always wary of belts cause atleast if you have the stamp an it does go wrong an snap then you got the back up which you aint if ya pay on the cheap to save abit of money at the time.

Its all what if what if with cars, an people complain about the ibiza windows and headlights things like that but any car can get those type of problems i guess.

How many miles has yours done? is it the norm for the bushes to go at that age?

 

[Mikeyk]

Hi Mike, I can't make up my mind either, the differences between the Fabia & Ibiza are not much at all, the floorpans and engines are the same but the Fabia is abut 100kilos heavier. The noisy engine you describe happens when they are cold, go for a long drive and they do quiten somewhat. This can be reduced further by a good remap, which apart from increasing power will better the fuel consumption as well. I had a Golf with the 130pd. with remap and now like you looking at Fabias and Ibizas. Its a case of finding the right colour, extras, trim, condition, price etc. which will make up my mind.

Hi there yeah i know what you mean, i like the look of the fabia but the ibiza has more modern looks, i like the colour of this one iv found with low mileage (big plus with the mega miles i do) no kerbed alloys or sratches, interior is like new but the guys on here say theres a better bargain to be had if i look, im just caught in to minds, if i pass this up will i regret it lol i dont know really decisions decisions an the place that got it in aint had it long less then a week as i pass it every day.

Have you been out in both?

 

[Mikeyk]

i have a FR TDI with a remap get 80 odd MPG on motorways driving light footed and 35ish mpg driving heavy footed. i think 7k is to much cash

You reckon theres a better bargain to be had then mate??iv looked on autotrader and ebay an theres slightly newer ones on there 06 plate with similar miles but there miles from where i am,guess piston heads is worth a look cause ideally i want a low mileage one.

Whats yours rempped to? and have you done anything with the clutch?

 

[Torquemonster]

Yeah well when i took a look at the service hist it was done 5k then at 10k with one lady owner,that depends on the lady though lol (no offence by the way we all have different driving styles ) but cant imagine its gone far to do 20k in 3.5yrs.

Yeah its a 50 mile round trip to work then i travel around for work sometimes it all mounts up when you think about it. so at the 30k service it will be the so called biggie with the cam belt an water pump cause think it will be aound 4yr old by then.

My dads a mechanic but HGV, so think he wont mind doing the servicing now an again an i know a few guys that do cam belts but at a price, an im always wary of belts cause atleast if you have the stamp an it does go wrong an snap then you got the back up which you aint if ya pay on the cheap to save abit of money at the time.

Its all what if what if with cars, an people complain about the ibiza windows and headlights things like that but any car can get those type of problems i guess.

How many miles has yours done? is it the norm for the bushes to go at that age?

I read a quite a lot of posts on here,about poor running,bits blowing off after cam belt changes.If i'd really tried i could have saved a few quid here and there.But i thought,if there's one job i want done right,it's my belt.So i gave it to the guys at my local Seat dealer to do.I guess they've done more belts than most.No problems at all .You can't afford to have someone who 'thinks' they know what they're doing,when they don't.I got the dealer to stamp up my book for the belt,pump and tensioners.Good selling point when i sell it in the future.

My motors a TDI 130 Sport.It's the FRwithout the jazzy bits.Same engine,suspension gearbox etc.They made it up till the 04 plate,before it became the 1st version of the FR on the 54 plate.Hard to spot,apart from the 16" alloys and tiny red DI badge on the back.Doesn't even have a visible tail pipe.Nice and discreet!.

I've had my 04 plate for about 3.5 years now.Bought it with 6,000 miles,now at 67,000.
Yeah,i think the bushes are a weakness on the Ibiza.I've never had bother with them on older non Seat cars before.Like you say,every car has it's faults.It's a cracking wee car though,even with it's misted up headlamps.That's nothing compared to the horror stories you hear about other makes of car.

 

[Mikeyk]

I read a quite a lot of posts on here,about poor running,bits blowing off after cam belt changes.If i'd really tried i could have saved a few quid here and there.But i thought,if there's one job i want done right,it's my belt.So i gave it to the guys at my local Seat dealer to do.I guess they've done more belts than most.No problems at all .You can't afford to have someone who 'thinks' they know what they're doing,when they don't.I got the dealer to stamp up my book for the belt,pump and tensioners.Good selling point when i sell it in the future.

My motors a TDI 130 Sport.It's the FRwithout the jazzy bits.Same engine,suspension gearbox etc.They made it up till the 04 plate,before it became the 1st version of the FR on the 54 plate.Hard to spot,apart from the 16" alloys and tiny red DI badge on the back.Doesn't even have a visible tail pipe.Nice and discreet!.

I've had my 04 plate for about 3.5 years now.Bought it with 6,000 miles,now at 67,000.
Yeah,i think the bushes are a weakness on the Ibiza.I've never had bother with them on older non Seat cars before.Like you say,every car has it's faults.It's a cracking wee car though,even with it's misted up headlamps.That's nothing compared to the horror stories you hear about other makes of car.

Yeah thats my thinking about the belts but to be fair to the guy everyone thats aksed me about them i send them to him an iv had no complaints at all an not heard about any engines going bang lol but totally different matter when its ya own car lol
Iv just checked your sport version out an yep look just the same to be without the jazzy bits as you said the standard tail pipe dont give anything away which is good for those moments of madness with these so called saxo an corsa drivers lol

So you aint had major problems with yours touch wood mate?you done a fair amount of miles then in 3.5 yrs. Yeah theres some shockers out there, iv got a 03 tdci focus at the min and got the great news last week that the dual mass flywheel is ready to go lol but to be fair iv known qute a while just aint bothered till garage took a look and said, hence another car.

 

[Torquemonster]

Yeah thats my thinking about the belts but to be fair to the guy everyone thats aksed me about them i send them to him an iv had no complaints at all an not heard about any engines going bang lol but totally different matter when its ya own car lol
Iv just checked your sport version out an yep look just the same to be without the jazzy bits as you said the standard tail pipe dont give anything away which is good for those moments of madness with these so called saxo an corsa drivers lol

So you aint had major problems with yours touch wood mate?you done a fair amount of miles then in 3.5 yrs. Yeah theres some shockers out there, iv got a 03 tdci focus at the min and got the great news last week that the dual mass flywheel is ready to go lol but to be fair iv known qute a while just aint bothered till garage took a look and said, hence another car.

Yup.Don't get much hassle from boy racers,i guess they don't see my wee diesel Ibiza as a threat!.I'm too old for all that nonsense anyway,i just let them go on their way.

ah.I've not had anything major at all.It eats front tyres though but that's standard for torquey motors.Still on it's original rear Bridgestone Turanzas though!.
Front gets paint chips pretty easily too.
What else?.Rear windscreen washer tube popped off(done under warranty).Heated element for drivers door mirror packed up(warranty).Rear discs are very badly corroded,reckon they'll fail it's next MOT.Had to have the refigerant in the climate control regassed-make sure the one you buy is nice and cold.It's blown more bulbs than any other car i've ever owned,but nothing too bad.Some reckon it's down to the hard ride.

Still on it's original shocks,discs.Engine,gearbox,clutch all the major stuff has been A1.

So there' s a few things(bushes,discs going to need done for mot).But i've been well impressed so i'll be keeping it for a while yet.I think if you only do one thing with these engines,it's make sure it gets the right PD oil change.It's vital they use the right (expensive) stuff.Think it's about £30 a go for a change.

Off to my bed now,So get out there tomorrow and buy the FR of your dreams,it's got your name on it!.You'll NOT regret it!.

 

[Mikeyk]

Yup.Don't get much hassle from boy racers,i guess they don't see my wee diesel Ibiza as a threat!.I'm too old for all that nonsense anyway,i just let them go on their way.

ah.I've not had anything major at all.It eats front tyres though but that's standard for torquey motors.Still on it's original rear Bridgestone Turanzas though!.
Front gets paint chips pretty easily too.
What else?.Rear windscreen washer tube popped off(done under warranty).Heated element for drivers door mirror packed up(warranty).Rear discs are very badly corroded,reckon they'll fail it's next MOT.Had to have the refigerant in the climate control regassed-make sure the one you buy is nice and cold.It's blown more bulbs than any other car i've ever owned,but nothing too bad.Some reckon it's down to the hard ride.

Still on it's original shocks,discs.Engine,gearbox,clutch all the major stuff has been A1.

So there' s a few things(bushes,discs going to need done for mot).But i've been well impressed so i'll be keeping it for a while yet.I think if you only do one thing with these engines,it's make sure it gets the right PD oil change.It's vital they use the right (expensive) stuff.Think it's about £30 a go for a change.

Off to my bed now,So get out there tomorrow and buy the FR of your dreams,it's got your name on it!.You'll NOT regret it!.

Its easier speaking to one person rather then reading evrything that says different things lol thats something to check is the climate air con gas thanks for that, and the brakes all round see how much of a lip there is on them shouldnt be much, yeah front tyres take bit of a battering with all the torque ya right there. An the oil i will tel them about that when i visit tomorrow cause there wont have given it a second thought.

Thanks for all your help

 

[Mikeyk]

But all your comments are welcome guys

 

[Torquemonster]

No probs.I'll go through all my service docs tomorrow,incase i've forgotten anything!.All the electrics,starter motor,alternator injection system,alarm etc-all fine.

You'll get used to the misty headlights,they only do it a bit in the Winter usually and it's not an MOT failure.Over and out!.

 

[Mikeyk]

No probs.I'll go through all my service docs tomorrow,incase i've forgotten anything!.All the electrics,starter motor,alternator injection system,alarm etc-all fine.

You'll get used to the misty headlights,they only do it a bit in the Winter usually and it's not an MOT failure.Over and out!.

Thats great cheers, im not expecting to get a car an have 3 or 4yrs trouble free motoring or anything like that just like to know whats happening

 

[Mikeyk]

I didn't think the Cupra TDI was that bad on insurance, however with your age their may be something to be saved. How would you feel if you were sat at some lights in an FR if a Cupra pulled alongside?

If your answer is that you'd be gutted for not buying the Cupra then you know what you need to do.

The Cupra also comes with much better brakes.

If your going to test drive the Cupra then see what it is like in town and also what it's like when you open it up. I used to find the suspension seemed to wake-up once it got to about 60 miles an hour and went from being lumpy at low speeds to great fun from 60 onwards.

I dont know what id think to be honest lol the bigger brakes will be down to the extra 30bhp though wont there??

I think id be quite impressed with the cupra cause i was stunned by the fr after i drove it.

 

[krussel]

FR or Cupra its the heart leading the head time alright. I went through the same thing myself and the head won Mind you i actually prefer the look of the FR and have regretted nothing. You can always re map the FR later, when funds and ins allow, to give yourself more poke.

As to price the guys here think its a bit high but if you really like the car and its as clean as you say why not try a lower offer, you can always leave yor number and walk away. Remember its a buyer s market out there esp this close to xmas as very little in the car trade is moving. You might get lucky.

 

[krussel]

. How would you feel if you were sat at some lights in an FR if a Cupra pulled alongside?


I'd give the driver the thumbs up for driving such a great car and watch it go Dont think i would ever bother to even try to spank another Ibiza driver. I let a bog standard 1.2 1.4 ? with plastic wheel trims drive around me on a roundabout the other week and all i thought when it passed was how clean the rear end design looked even in base trim. An R reg Corsa tried the same trick this Monday and i had to give a brief lesson in applied torque

 

[Mikeyk]

. How would you feel if you were sat at some lights in an FR if a Cupra pulled alongside?


I'd give the driver the thumbs up for driving such a great car and watch it go Dont think i would ever bother to even try to spank another Ibiza driver. I let a bog standard 1.2 1.4 ? with plastic wheel trims drive around me on a roundabout the other week and all i thought when it passed was how clean the rear end design looked even in base trim. An R reg Corsa tried the same trick this Monday and i had to give a brief lesson in applied torque

Haha best way to show those corsa drivers but yeah i know what you mean about the fr getting it remapped, i dont think i would to be honest with the amount of miles i do an im not really an aggressive driver for my age, but iv still keeping an eye out at the min for an fr like you said its a buyers market an theres deals to be had.

 

[s10mph]

Hi there yeah i know what you mean, i like the look of the fabia but the ibiza has more modern looks, i like the colour of this one iv found with low mileage (big plus with the mega miles i do) no kerbed alloys or sratches, interior is like new but the guys on here say theres a better bargain to be had if i look, im just caught in to minds, if i pass this up will i regret it lol i dont know really decisions decisions an the place that got it in aint had it long less then a week as i pass it every day.

Have you been out in both?

Yep. The Fabia feels a bit more refined and the FR Ibiza feels frisky. A few mods here and there will transform either to how you want it to handle, ride like. There a hell of a lot more Fabia VRS's for sale so more choice. I Looked for an FR with 5drs. and only 3 available in the UK and only 1 black one which is what I want under £8000.
£7k seems reasonable for a good un, push the dealer hard especially a week before xmas, I wouldn't be concerned about the year, might be the one I was looking at?