General Looking to buy a car finally !
- Thread starter Mr_Uno
- Start date
Currently reading:
General Looking to buy a car finally !
I was 22 when I passed my test, I believe. Live near Swansea.
First vehicle was a Ford Transit short wheel base low top - cheapest insurance was about £1400 ish I think. Only had it for 6 months I believe.
Second vehicle is my uno - its now down to £750 3P,F&T all included (insurance tax (wtf?!) and yearly direct debit premium) and this is my second year of driving it with the same company.
Man... £1800 is rediculous.
:bang:
Oh, and I have pass plus too - most insurance companies don't recognise it though
I know, most of mates have managed to get their parents to either pay for the insurance or to pay a hefty sum of it so it's no problem for them driving around in their 6 month old Corsa's. They just get the car on finance and they can forget about the insurance; which is really the deal breaker for many male drivers of my age.
...i tried Quinn direct a couple of weeks ago and got a quote for £1500 for a 45 Uno, yet now when i get a quote for exactly the same car (both TPFT) it comes out as £3500 ???
ODD.
I hated being young, male and learning to drive.
Pisses me off those people who's parents could afford to pay the insurance for them.
Both my parents went "if you want to learn to drive, yuo pay for it, and you can pay for a vehicle afterwards too".
Thankfully, after my parents split up, dad went: "Son, here's a van for you"... then.. "Son, here's a small car for you"
Pisses me off those people who's parents could afford to pay the insurance for them.
Both my parents went "if you want to learn to drive, yuo pay for it, and you can pay for a vehicle afterwards too".
Thankfully, after my parents split up, dad went: "Son, here's a van for you"... then.. "Son, here's a small car for you"
i've paid for everything myself
most of my mates do too, one of my mates had an escort and was payin £2200 at 17 lol
but im gettin a corsa soon aswell and bringin uno off the road as its just had a respray
most of my mates do too, one of my mates had an escort and was payin £2200 at 17 lol
but im gettin a corsa soon aswell and bringin uno off the road as its just had a respray
Hey i won the auction !
I am now the proud owner of a 1993 (K) 45 Uno ! Got it for £90 !
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280390434269&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT
She's not mint but it'll do !
I am now the proud owner of a 1993 (K) 45 Uno ! Got it for £90 !
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280390434269&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT
She's not mint but it'll do !
Last edited:
This post contains affiliate links which may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
Most important thing first: Did you get the furry dice with the car?
Bargain!
Welcome to the family!
I demand lots and lots of pictures of her when she is yours!
Also a list of everything that is wrong and needs to be fixed. Then we can all get to work and make it run like new!
My first tip is when you get it, take in for a full service. Don't say that there are any problems, but see what the garage reports to you. I think it is a good idea to have an expert change and check everything over, renew plugs, brakes, oils and so on, just so that when you start driving it, you know it should run well. Some may disagree with me on the service thing, and some may say do all the work yourself, but I think it really is worth doing it
When are you taking delivery?
Bargain!
Welcome to the family!
I demand lots and lots of pictures of her when she is yours!
Also a list of everything that is wrong and needs to be fixed. Then we can all get to work and make it run like new!
My first tip is when you get it, take in for a full service. Don't say that there are any problems, but see what the garage reports to you. I think it is a good idea to have an expert change and check everything over, renew plugs, brakes, oils and so on, just so that when you start driving it, you know it should run well. Some may disagree with me on the service thing, and some may say do all the work yourself, but I think it really is worth doing it
When are you taking delivery?
Last edited:
Thanks for the nice comments !
Well the bloke who owns the garage in which it is stored at the moment isn't in until Wednesday so i'll know then, but the seller thinks he should be able to drop it off Wednesday evening.
I guess the first thing i need to do is change the windscreen (the crack isn't huge but is apparently large enough to fail an MOT on) or do you think it's best to get the MOT test done first then change the windscreen ?
About the service; Depending on cost it seems like a very good idea to me, i know a fair bit about cars but i'm definitely no expert.
Any surface rust that needs attention will be the first thing i repair, i believe it's fairly easy to do.
Also is it worth me having a Hayne's Manual ?
Well the bloke who owns the garage in which it is stored at the moment isn't in until Wednesday so i'll know then, but the seller thinks he should be able to drop it off Wednesday evening.
I guess the first thing i need to do is change the windscreen (the crack isn't huge but is apparently large enough to fail an MOT on) or do you think it's best to get the MOT test done first then change the windscreen ?
About the service; Depending on cost it seems like a very good idea to me, i know a fair bit about cars but i'm definitely no expert.
Any surface rust that needs attention will be the first thing i repair, i believe it's fairly easy to do.
Also is it worth me having a Hayne's Manual ?
They are always useful
Here you go - http://www.hyperloophoop.com/Uno_HY_Manual.pdf
Thats an electronic copy - much easier to search for stuff.
As for a hardcopy, you want the red one, rather than the orange one.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Fiat-Uno-Hayn...e_ET?hash=item1e582ea03a&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14
I'd get the windscreen done first. You can get the MOT done first and know it will fail... or you can get the windscreen done and not have to repay for a retest (well, that happens at my local garage - retests are free as they know what they need to check, so don't waste time on things they know to be fine).
I've got a few rust bubbles that I need to sort out too
Here you go - http://www.hyperloophoop.com/Uno_HY_Manual.pdf
Thats an electronic copy - much easier to search for stuff.
As for a hardcopy, you want the red one, rather than the orange one.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Fiat-Uno-Hayn...e_ET?hash=item1e582ea03a&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14
I'd get the windscreen done first. You can get the MOT done first and know it will fail... or you can get the windscreen done and not have to repay for a retest (well, that happens at my local garage - retests are free as they know what they need to check, so don't waste time on things they know to be fine).
I've got a few rust bubbles that I need to sort out too
This post contains affiliate links which may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
This post contains affiliate links which may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
I think i'd rather pay for a retest than pay £90 for a new screen and find out there's a whole load of work need doing as like i said previously i have't been able to check the car over before buying it; just playing it safe i guess.
Congratulations
And, good idea about the retest straight away if you can't get the previous test report.I am definitely with the service-it-yourself brigade on this one, especially if you have somewhere to work (a garage, a driveway...)
-Alex
Got another question !
What's the best way to remove surface rust ?
There's a good car paint suppliers within a 10 minute walk of where i live so there's no problem with getting paint, i just need some pointers on how to actually remove the rust, i.e; can i use my eletric sander with some coarse sandpaper to do the job ?
What's the best way to remove surface rust ?
There's a good car paint suppliers within a 10 minute walk of where i live so there's no problem with getting paint, i just need some pointers on how to actually remove the rust, i.e; can i use my eletric sander with some coarse sandpaper to do the job ?
I think the most effective tool is either an angle grinder with a cup-shaped wire brush (quite pricey; the wire brush costs as much as a cheap angle grinder, but it's worth it), or an electric drill with a paint-stripping disc. The wire brush is preferable for rust removal, the paint stripping disc is preferable for, umm, stripping paint. The stripping disc is made of coarse black fibres.
The wire brush looks like this:
Other, straight-wire types are not a good idea, as they may not cope with the 10,000+RPM of the angle grinder. Wear safety glasses and earmuffs. No point having a lifetime eye injury for the sake of a rust repair, and also no point in having ringing in your ears that night
Hand wire brushing is not sufficient in my experience (it just polishes up the surface of the rust), and a power drill with a wire brush is also too weak. It really needs to be a proper-sized wire brush on an angle grinder - even the cheapest angle grinder will suffice, it's amazing just how cheap they are - $15 or 6 pounds in your money! Everyone should have one, and you probably already do?
The sander might be powerful enough (sanders come in lots of different types - the random-orbital type with a square pad (palm sander) won't be enough, the rotary type might be) but won't cope with the pitted surface that rust usually creates. In other words, sandpaper will clean the rust off the top surface really well, but still leave rust in the pits. The wire brush gets in there properly.
You will probably find that the surface rust turns into holes. Don't worry - keep going, both sides if possible, until you are left with only shiny (pitted and holed!) steel. That way, once finished and painted, the rust won't continue.
It is really important to remove all the rust at this stage - if you don't, the rust will carry on under whatever you put on top. Because rust takes up more space than steel, it bubbles and splits the filler/paint, which lets water in, which feeds the rust...
Then you can use etch primer, or another type of rust-fighting primer. Then body filler (bog), fibreglass-reinforced if the holes are larger than a few millimetres. Apply on both sides of the panel for the most durable result. You can have great success; the repair can last for many years. Or, if there was rust still there, it can show through in a few months.
I know of at least one Uno door that didn't have much steel left in the bottom few centimetres of the outer skin, and was basically made of fibreglass-reinforced filler - yet even after several years, only the smallest rust bubble showed.
Sand the fibre-filler really well with coarse 80-grit sandpaper on a block, use another coat of fine filler to finish off, sand again with 80 grit and 240 grit, then spray a couple of coats of normal primer, sand that with 400 grit, and you're ready for paint. Most of the work is in the sanding. The flat surfaces and simple lines of the Uno are easy to work with - much easier than, say, a Morris Minor or a MkII Jaguar.
This advice applies only to cosmetic rust in such things as wheelarch edges or door bottoms. Widespread areas of rust in a removable panel, such as a door, mean you are better off to replace the panel. Other structural rust, at the edge of a floor for example, needs cutting out and a new plate welding in. It's not that expensive to get someone else to do that for you, especially if you finish it off yourself - welding equipment, on the other hand, is pricey and needs a skilled hand (I'm still no good at welding despite many attempts)
-Alex
The wire brush looks like this:
Other, straight-wire types are not a good idea, as they may not cope with the 10,000+RPM of the angle grinder. Wear safety glasses and earmuffs.
No point having a lifetime eye injury for the sake of a rust repair, and also no point in having ringing in your ears that night Hand wire brushing is not sufficient in my experience (it just polishes up the surface of the rust), and a power drill with a wire brush is also too weak. It really needs to be a proper-sized wire brush on an angle grinder - even the cheapest angle grinder will suffice, it's amazing just how cheap they are - $15 or 6 pounds in your money! Everyone should have one, and you probably already do?
The sander might be powerful enough (sanders come in lots of different types - the random-orbital type with a square pad (palm sander) won't be enough, the rotary type might be) but won't cope with the pitted surface that rust usually creates. In other words, sandpaper will clean the rust off the top surface really well, but still leave rust in the pits. The wire brush gets in there properly.
You will probably find that the surface rust turns into holes. Don't worry - keep going, both sides if possible, until you are left with only shiny (pitted and holed!) steel. That way, once finished and painted, the rust won't continue.
It is really important to remove all the rust at this stage - if you don't, the rust will carry on under whatever you put on top. Because rust takes up more space than steel, it bubbles and splits the filler/paint, which lets water in, which feeds the rust...
Then you can use etch primer, or another type of rust-fighting primer. Then body filler (bog), fibreglass-reinforced if the holes are larger than a few millimetres. Apply on both sides of the panel for the most durable result. You can have great success; the repair can last for many years. Or, if there was rust still there, it can show through in a few months.
I know of at least one Uno door that didn't have much steel left in the bottom few centimetres of the outer skin, and was basically made of fibreglass-reinforced filler - yet even after several years, only the smallest rust bubble showed.
Sand the fibre-filler really well with coarse 80-grit sandpaper on a block, use another coat of fine filler to finish off, sand again with 80 grit and 240 grit, then spray a couple of coats of normal primer, sand that with 400 grit, and you're ready for paint. Most of the work is in the sanding. The flat surfaces and simple lines of the Uno are easy to work with - much easier than, say, a Morris Minor or a MkII Jaguar.
This advice applies only to cosmetic rust in such things as wheelarch edges or door bottoms. Widespread areas of rust in a removable panel, such as a door, mean you are better off to replace the panel. Other structural rust, at the edge of a floor for example, needs cutting out and a new plate welding in. It's not that expensive to get someone else to do that for you, especially if you finish it off yourself - welding equipment, on the other hand, is pricey and needs a skilled hand (I'm still no good at welding despite many attempts
)-Alex
Last edited:
Just to chip in, when I first got insured it was with Churchill who accepted a pass plus as a whole 1 years no claims (so at the end of the year you then had 2 years!)
Maybe worth a try?
Maybe worth a try?
It's pretty special to have a visit from Ben - in the Uno section!
Quick - let's get the broom, have a sweep around, lift the mat...
-Alex
Quick - let's get the broom, have a sweep around, lift the mat...
-Alex
I believe Direct Line do the same Pass Plus discount as Churchill, either way i can't seem to get it cheaper than Direct Line with Pass Plus.
Anyway; i got the car today !!
Very little rust from what i can see, checked underneath car(nothing); wheel arches (nothing); boot (nothing); rear passenger door there is a little along the bottom and the front passenger door in the same place. Both patches i can easily fix myself.
Ok time for some more questions !
How do i get it to an MOT test centre ? My uncle and nan are both willing to drive it for me under their insurance but currently the vehicle is not SORN or Taxed.
I'm also starting to think that i would be best off replacing the windscreen first as i have the previous MOT certificate (expired March '09) and it passed with no advisories. So if it passes first time with the new windscreen i can buy my insurance whilst at the garage, drive it to the post office to get the tax and away we go.
...or is this an unrealistic plan ?
Thanks for all the help so far !
alexGS: Thanks for that detailed reply, i'll be sure to follow your advice when i get around to fixing the rust.
Anyway; i got the car today !!
Very little rust from what i can see, checked underneath car(nothing); wheel arches (nothing); boot (nothing); rear passenger door there is a little along the bottom and the front passenger door in the same place. Both patches i can easily fix myself.
Ok time for some more questions !
How do i get it to an MOT test centre ? My uncle and nan are both willing to drive it for me under their insurance but currently the vehicle is not SORN or Taxed.
I'm also starting to think that i would be best off replacing the windscreen first as i have the previous MOT certificate (expired March '09) and it passed with no advisories. So if it passes first time with the new windscreen i can buy my insurance whilst at the garage, drive it to the post office to get the tax and away we go.
...or is this an unrealistic plan ?
Thanks for all the help so far !
alexGS: Thanks for that detailed reply, i'll be sure to follow your advice when i get around to fixing the rust.
Don't worry about the rust at the bottom of the doors. Everyone has this, it helps the water to escape
If it has no tax, don't worry. Get your uncle to drive it to the garage to get the MOT. With that MOT you can then get the tax. Then, when it is taxed, you can get the insurance.
If the police pull you over for any reason, wait for one of the officers to leave the vehicle, then floor it. Get as far away as you can, then dump the car, torch it and run home.
Don't forget to film it on your mobile and post it up here for us to watch.
If it has no tax, don't worry. Get your uncle to drive it to the garage to get the MOT. With that MOT you can then get the tax. Then, when it is taxed, you can get the insurance.
If the police pull you over for any reason, wait for one of the officers to leave the vehicle, then floor it. Get as far away as you can, then dump the car, torch it and run home.
Don't forget to film it on your mobile and post it up here for us to watch.
If you pre-book the MOT and give your registration to the garage you can have your car driven there and back. However, if you are pulled by the Police and the car is in any way dangerous you can still be prosecuted so don't view a pre-booked test as immunity from prosecution. Definitely give the car a once over and sort out any major issues - i.e. tyres/ lights/ brakes etc. before taking it for the test.
Get it MOT'd first and then worry about the rest. Trying to do everything at once would likely cause a problem along the way.
Good luck
Get it MOT'd first and then worry about the rest. Trying to do everything at once would likely cause a problem along the way.
Good luck
Got some half decent pictures of the Uno tonight for your inspection; ran out of room on my memory card so i only got 5 shots.
The last image shows the only rust i can find.
Can really tell on the pics how badly this car needs a clean !!!
The last image shows the only rust i can find.
Can really tell on the pics how badly this car needs a clean !!!
