172 Cup issues?!

[JackD]

I have been searching but cant really find a definitive answer elsewhere so have to make a new thread asking for your expert advice!

I'm currently looking to buy a 172 cup, mondial blue and my budgets around 2.5k to 3.5k. Is it worth buying a cheaper model which is around about 65-70k mileage, but has the big 72k service coming up or spending closer to my upper limit and getting one with about 50kish on the clock and then perhaps shifting the car before it reaches 72k? My annual mileage is probably 6-8k, and have found insurance quotes for £900 odd (21 years old, 2 years ncb, no points or anything)

Also through searching on here most people recommend you to look at before buying;
Noise when accelerating in 1st(engine mount problems?)
Bumper stickers and slam panel stickers(indicates replaced parts) - could any point me in the direction of pictures showing exactly what to look for?
Full service history
Dodgy gearbox(can't remember how to check this?)
If a cambelt has been done then also the dephaser, aux belt and by a specialist?
Check backbox for erosion

If anyone else could recommend things to check would be very much appreciated!

Also if any1 knows good garages/people in the Sussex region to get work done?

Cheeeeers, jack

 

[Poopensharten]

Spend whatever you can afford to buy the cleanest/most comprehensivley documented example you can.

The knocking under harsh acceleration is usually a mount, not uncommon but im unsure of how many sellers would be happy to see you redline their car in first... Dont worry about the slam panel stickers, just do a hpi check and make sure the panels are all aligned and a good coloiur match, looking for stickers wont un-earth anything that you cant see in person.

Gearboxes arent generally an issue so long as its been treated with mechanical sympathy, but it should throw 1-5th with little drama and obviously stay in gear when motoring.


The cambelt as i understand it on the Cup is a fair bit cheaper than the normal 172/182's as it doesnt have air con, every Cup should have had theirs changed as its 5yrs/72k

Exhausts are the achillies heel of the RS range unfortunatley, fortunatley, there are many great after market items available! Hope this helps!

 

[Don]

If the Cup has been maintained properly...it should have had the cambelt done about 2 years ago (its 72K OR 5 years...whichever is sooner).

If it has standard exhaust on it, then expect to replace it as it will have done well getting to 7 years old without a new exhaust!

Whatever car you get...you should look towards getting the cambelt, etc done within the next 2 - 3 years (as it will be 10 years old then)...so might make no difference, just find one with standard wheels...as they're more desirable than aftermarkets.

 

[JackD]

Ah that's ok then, few years til cambelt would be fine. Yeah the turinis(?) are a must! Bloody sexy wheels, can't stand the standard 172 alloys or 90% of aftermarket!
The only non-standard things which tempted me is when the exhaust is cut into te bumper, looks pretty gd imho!
Cheers for the replies guys

 

[-J-]

My Advice would be to look at:

http://www.cliosport.net/forum/showthread.php?276833-172-182-buyers-guide.

but you will have to pay your £10 membership to do so, but its well worth it and you will make the £10 in no time using all the Discounts available.

 

[DrR]

You do realise all the cups should have had there belts changed at 5 year old point?

72k change is only if they have got to it before the 5 year point.

 

[JackD]

Yeah I just gota find one that doesnt need it for aslong as possible I guess! I will definitely be joining, just this side of xmas I don't have any spare cash whatsoever!

 

[Gaz_]

Not being funny fella, but i'd seriously not consider buying one with out a contingency budget. I mean a cambelt on a proper cup (no ac) is only around £300 ish.......

 

[Spee]

If you can't spare a tenner to join up, might be worth re-considering buying what is basically a high performance car with the upkeep you'd expect with such a car!

However, that aside!

Took me 6 months to bag a good one, my advice would be ignore mileage so long as the big jobs have been done. Most will have had some sort of damage repair by now, even if it's just cosmetic so don't worry about that too much. Drive a few before you commit, it's amazing the difference between otherwise identical cars!

Good luck, prices are good for the buyer at the moment.

G

 

[jack_kemp]

As said, buy one with good service history. THE most important thing with these is that they've been properly looked after.
Buy the best example you can.

 

[mitch1503]

if you can try get 1 with the cambelt done.. picked my 53plate up with 75000 on the clock with the timing belt done at 72300ish quite abit of history and got it from a dealers for 3200... but the idiots hadnt realised about the shims on the back discs wen they replaced them so only 2weeks after getting it i ended up having new stub axle pads,discs and bearings all fitted on the rear which luckily for me the dealers at bedford just billed the dealers in the north east ore i would of been looking at around 1000 bill... if you dont have 'spare cash' dont commit in to buying a sport cos there not cheap 2 up keep

 

[JackD]

I will have spare cash, it's just this side of xmas I have already stretched myself too thin so can't spend on non-essentials til afterwards! I've been getting quotes from garages for 72k service and they all are coming out at atleast like 800/900 pounds, with the cambelt change being around about 500-600 from most? Is this likely to be because they didn't realise the cup is easier than they thought or is that what i should expect?
The more I think about it, more I think il spend my upper limit or maybe closer to 4 to get a tidy example! Won't be happy with average!

 

[Revels]

Dealers always charge loads because of their excessive overheads etc.

You've got a couple of choices not tooooo far from you. There's JMS who I think aren't too far from London or there's Rentech in Portsmouth. Both are well regarded on here.

Belts done is good thing when buying but if it's not done and factored into the price then it's not so bad. HPI it and then check for all the usual signs, dodgy spraying, make sure the bumpers/wings/lights look straight and see how it drives.

The dephaser isn't essential. It depends. The people who know what they're looking at will be able to tell you if it needs doing or not but it seems to be the latest buzzword on here lately. A year or so ago I'd never heard it mentioned.

Gearbox just make sure it goes into gears easy enough with no grinding/struggling. Engine mounts are common problems and not a massive deal to fix. Exhausts are made from cheese but there are various options for improving it so I wouldn't worry about that.

 

[montana]

also get a feel for the seller - buy privately if you can, this way you can get much more info on the history of the car than is just contained in the receipt folder & it will allow you to gauge the person selling the car as to how it has been maintained.

 

[mitch1503]

I will have spare cash, it's just this side of xmas I have already stretched myself too thin so can't spend on non-essentials til afterwards! I've been getting quotes from garages for 72k service and they all are coming out at atleast like 800/900 pounds, with the cambelt change being around about 500-600 from most? Is this likely to be because they didn't realise the cup is easier than they thought or is that what i should expect?
The more I think about it, more I think il spend my upper limit or maybe closer to 4 to get a tidy example! Won't be happy with average!

yea its cheaper on the cup aslong as you dont get 1 of the few with the a/c like mine has.. seems 2 put the price up 4 quite a few things