Used Car, New Engine?!

[JakeyCUK]

Hi I have found a clio 182 for sale at quite a good price and only 60k miles, however should I be worried that the car had a new engine fitted last year? Or take advantage that I would be buying a car with a virtually brand new engine?!
I plant to phone the garage when they are open to find out why the previous engine had to be replaced, I'mguessing at cambelt failure, are there any other questions I should be asking, mechanically wise?
Thanks alot

 

[roland rat]

As long as the engine was fitted properly then you have nothing to orry about.very much doubt its a "new" engine most probably a replacement from another 1*2.and as you said it could be because of cambelt failure,bottom end failure or a whole host of other reasons.

 

[Tony Hunter]

As long as the 'new'one has had the belts done,it should be fine.

 

[lemonnobby]

where is it for sale too? not glouscester is it?

 

[JakeyCUK]

apparently fitted by Evans Halshaw may 2010, I will enquire as to how many miles it had on it prior to installation and how many since its been fitted, does the DVLA need to be informed when you swap engines?
car is in sunderland, so about 4 hours from Gloucester!

 

[JakeyCUK]

here is the link
http://www2.autotrader.co.uk/classi...2/radius/200/page/2/postcode/fy29tz?logcode=p

 

[lemonnobby]

yeah they should be informed and the v5 changed. if a dealer done it i would say it was a new engine.
missing the front splitter, exhaust looks terrible proberly broken mounts, no pics of inside or engine

 

[Bluebeard]

Is it a new engine or have they just fitted a secondhand engine?

If it was a secondhand engine, good practice would have been to fit all new belts and kits, new clutch and a full service.

I'd want to be seeing all of the reciepts thats for sure!

 

[Tony Hunter]

I think you will find better for that sort of money.

 

[JakeyCUK]

Yea the exhaust is terrible, that would need sorting asap, well it has been listed for about 2 months now, so my idea was that if they wouldn't take 3k to leave it, i'm just getting a little impatient now as every Clio within 100 miles I have phoned about has something wrong, I am shocked at the amount that have no service history, or ones that I phone about with a FULL service history and it turns out the belts have never been done etc!
I'm sure I will find one eventually

 

[DrR]

As above, just move to the next one.

 

[Bluebeard]

You have a much better chance of finding one on this forum.

 

[JakeyCUK]

Ive just been looking through the for sale section on the forum actually, never realised I had access to it, will see what I can find, i'm basically after a BG 182 FF, Ive phoned 7 up last week and not one had their belts changed, poor cars, and some were up to 70k miles! I would be scared just driving it home, annoyingly I thought I had a really good car, but after some googling found some of the cars history which revealed smoking engine and leaking oil etc, bit worrying

 

[Bluebeard]

Granted the advert was written by a drunken handicapped buffoon, but this sounds like a good car...

http://www.cliosport.net/forum/showthread.php?616377-clio-182-for-sale-25000-miles-from-new-£4900

 

[JakeyCUK]

Yea I saw that, but my budget is £3600 unfortunately

 

[Bluebeard]

So why don't you buy one that needs its belts doing for £3000 and spend the additional £600 having all belts and the dephaser done at a proper specialist.

At least then you will know that its all been done properly.

With 182/172's I personally don't trust that a belts been done properly unless its been done by someone on here. Anyone can stamp a book or print a reciept!!!

 

[JakeyCUK]

true, not something Ive really thought about doing to be honest! If my last 2 cars on my list come up as no goes I thing I will probably do that, and find someone decent to do the belts!
Thanks :approve:

 

[Bluebeard]

The following people I can recomend...

BTM Performance (Birmingham)
519 Automotive (bedford)
Birchdown (Cheshire)

There are others on here too but for the love of god don't take it to some back street garage. I've owned 172's that are running 20bhp down due to poor timing on cambelt replacements!!

 

[lemonnobby]

i had one for sale about 3 months ago under budget and everything done. there was on for sale on here not long back with everything done

 

[JakeyCUK]

Thanks for those recommendations I will make a note of them! Never really owned a performance car before so until now never realised the cambelt could effect a car that much! I obviously knew of the importance of having the belts done though, well fingers crossed I can find a car withing the next 2 weeks, as now my car has gone I'm without a vehicle lol so I'm going to be driving my mums corsa with butterfly stickers all over it