StevenRB45 said:

Tbf the matiz was pretty bad though even at the time..1st cars always have that rose tint factor.

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They were pretty terrible cars, I drove a far few in the early 2000s they had no character, they were purely functional, the fact they were so bland meant the public didn’t connect with them and didn’t buy them, shortly after Daewoo went bust which says it all really. But yes, everyone had a bit of nostalgia for their first car, even if it is a shed.

Like it or not the KA had the jelly mould shape and quirky interior, was a Ford (which lots of people like) and the endura engine was bomb proof having been around in one form or another for decades (I seem to thing it had its origins in the ford anglia)

The seciento had a terrible time following its 1 star n-cap rating and despite Fiat’s attempts to improve things the shell of the car couldn’t be upgraded to account for its paperbag structure so they binned it.

Hardly any Matiz about now, mainly due to Dawoo going bust and them being effectively worthless at only a few years old.

AndyRKett said:

The seciento had a terrible time following its 1 star n-cap rating and despite Fiat’s attempts to improve things the shell of the car couldn’t be upgraded to account for its paperbag structure so they binned it.

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It was still in production until 2010 ...

AndyRKett said:

Like it or not the KA had the jelly mould shape and quirky interior, was a Ford (which lots of people like) and the endura engine was bomb proof having been around in one form or another for decades (I seem to thing it had its origins in the ford anglia)

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Perhaps my experience of the KA was different as one of my exes had one. We were both students at the time and I was running a mk1 punto.

The 99 KA managed to make a 95 mk1 55s, seem refined, reliable and properly rust proofed. Also feel like it was hewn from girders and had a proper electric system.

None of these things are actually the case..but when your point of reference is a car that you'd swear sitting in it you can hear it rusting and where the brake pedal operates the front left indicator it didn't take much to be better.

Thankfully, I'm lucky enough to have never driven any ford, let alone a Kak, but my mate had to drive 1 a few years back, and it was so awful, even his high mileage, poverty spec Citroën Saxo diesel was better, lmao! ?

They do have a use though: nowadays they're popular for micro bangers, which makes them much better looking! ?

My brother had a Ka MK1 it wasn't that bad. It handled well enough and was actually quite good fun to drive. The interior and exterior styling at the time was very original - the start of the 'edge' design that Ford went for in their later models. It was quite thirsty for a small low powered car - he got around 41mpg whatever he did. The engine was very robust but he kept needing to repair the suspension - in the end it became uneconomical to keep and he got rid.

Somebody at my work had an old red Ka Mk1, but recently moved to a 2017 Mini Cooper... I wouldn't call it a downgrade, more of a 'transfer' of equal value in different aspects.

Styling? Well, both pretty ugly but popular at the time of release.
Reliability? Ford in the 90s, BMW in the 201Xs about on par ;-)
Repair cost? Probably more reasonable on the Ka, all things considered.
Easy to drive? Ka was smaller and probably more rationally designed.
Speed? Mini gets this one, but only relatively.
Economical? Ka all day long. All year long.

StevenRB45 said:

Perhaps my experience of the KA was different as one of my exes had one. We were both students at the time and I was running a mk1 punto.

The 99 KA managed to make a 95 mk1 55s, seem refined, reliable and properly rust proofed. Also feel like it was hewn from girders and had a proper electric system.

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Back in the 1990s the mk1 punto was definitely the better car, the Ka might not have been brilliant but it was very popular later cars were much better and regardless of electrical gremlins the engines where fairly solid

puntofan01 said:

Thankfully, I'm lucky enough to have never driven any ford, let alone a Kak, but my mate had to drive 1 a few years back, and it was so awful,

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Oh well then we should definitely bow down to your wealth of experience on the subject ?

SB1500 said:

Economical? Ka all day long. All year long.

:

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the old pre 2010 Ka with the 1.3 engine was horribly uneconomical by modern car standards with very high CO2 emissions.

AndyRKett said:

Oh well then we should definitely bow down to your wealth of experience on the subject [emoji849]

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Seems like we all have to bow down to your wealth of experience on every subject Andy [emoji23] (no offence)

SB1500 said:

Seems like we all have to bow down to your wealth of experience on every subject Andy [emoji23] (no offence)

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I have a lot of experiance, I have at least driven more than my fair share of KAs, puntos and even Saxos.
It’s what comes of working in the motor trade back when these cars were all new.
Definitely more experience then once knowing someone who had one for a short time and told me about it. ?

AndyRKett said:

I have a lot of experiance, I have at least driven more than my fair share of KAs, puntos and even Saxos.
It’s what comes of working in the motor trade back when these cars were all new.
Definitely more experience then once knowing someone who had one for a short time and told me about it. ��

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:yeahthat:

The Ford Kack makes a very good first car. Being a bit noisier than most, it helps keep the speed down.

Earlier today, whilst bay parking with a learner in a local Asda, we were joined by an old guy in a Vauxhall Chevette. W suffix plate, so perhaps one of the last. I found myself explaining the adequate 1256 engine, strange curved gear lever, and then realising it was probably a GLS as it had Rostyle wheels. Ah! Memories. I think my learner was laughing at me by then. Deserved.

A guy I used to work with had a 1982 (X-plate) Chevette L saloon, which was his everyday car! It was essentially a rolling restoration project. He had 2 Chevette hatchbacks at home waiting to be restored!

Can't figure out what this is:


The air filter is at the back of the bay...because er well Citroen basically. That pipe on the right of the engine is the cold air intake. I believe it's on the boost pipe before it hits the intercooler..oddly the diesel had something similar..

Looks like a resonance chamber. Works like the silencers on the exhaust, to quieten the air intake. Sometimes can also help the airflow by altering the pulses. There's a lot of clever science behind its location, size and shape, even if the end result looks like a box on the pipe.

StevenRB45 said:

Can't figure out what this is:
View attachment 185544

The air filter is at the back of the bay...because er well Citroen basically. That pipe on the right of the engine is the cold air intake. I believe it's on the boost pipe before it hits the intercooler..oddly the diesel had something similar..
View attachment 185545

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Looks like you've got a normal dipstick. Is it easy to read? I dream of such a thing!

portland_bill said:

Looks like a resonance chamber. Works like the silencers on the exhaust, to quieten the air intake. Sometimes can also help the airflow by altering the pulses. There's a lot of clever science behind its location, size and shape, even if the end result looks like a box on the pipe.

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Could well be to smooth air flow after the turbo. Didn't think it would be a resonator in the conventional sense given where it is not open to atmosphere with the turbo outlet at one end and ultimately the inlet valves at the other.

JCarp16 said:

Looks like you've got a normal dipstick. Is it easy to read? I dream of such a thing!

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Not entirely it has a plastic moulding on the end with the scale on that's the same colour as the handle..which likes to get caught in the tube as you put it back in.
What was wrong with a plain metal stick with 2 holes pressed out I'm not sure.

Lewis binning it yesterday
He climbed out OK
His attitude
We could be in for one of those legendary drives today. Start last, finish first would be epic

Parabolica said:

Lewis binning it yesterday
He climbed out OK
His attitude
We could be in for one of those legendary drives today. Start last, finish first would be epic

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Lewis binning it yesterday
His attitude

Thought he was acting like a spoiled child. Can't stand the man, thinks he's entitled or something...

As far as I'm concerned, his incredible talent, his single-mindedness, his four F1 World Championships, the GP2 title and some national F3 championships, along with an MBE, means he is entitled.
To a great deal of respect from anyone who regards themselves as a fan of sport in general and motorsport in particular.
No doubt there are many hot-hatch drivers who regard themselves as far superior drivers on the strength of a track-day or shutting down a pimped-up Corsa at the traffic lights. No doubt there are many that have baseball caps back to front and wear their ripped denims down in the weeds who think they're far cooler.
Lewis set out, from an early age to do precisely what he has done, conquer the world. Well done to him.