Having had the misfortune of both a head gasket and heater matrix failure within the first six months of owning my ZX, I am trying to evaluate how much it might be worth (and therefore was my losses are...!)Everybody's opinion welcomed!
The car is a 1992 ZX 1.9D Avantage with 140K miles on the clock. Colour is grey, and overall condition is very good, both inside and out, for a car of this age. Avantage spec gives electric front windows and sunroof & PAS.
Since buying the car (£300), I have:
Fitted 4 x new budget tyres (£120)
Replaced front disks and pads (£60)
Replaced rear silencer box (£40)
Replaced one ball joint (£20)
Replaced heater matrix (£40 and a weekend!)
Replaced Head gasket, belts, filters etc (£120 and two weekends!)
Skimmed head and new swirl chambers (£160)
Other miscellaneous items, oil etc (£40)
Clearly I would never get 900 quid for the car, but what do we reckon would be a fair valuation...? I've seen L & M registered ZX's advertised at well over £1000 in the local rag...
[;)]
Fair asking price for ZX?
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martyhopkirk
With a good long MOT i would have thought between £400 and £600 a reasonable price.
Though having spent that much, now you know its faults why not keep it? rather than wright off £500? Run it till the ticket is out at least.... it may surprise you. I did with my last ZX, the one i use as my daily driver now has done 126k, looks scratty due to (irritated mental health patient) damage, and has a warped front disc. BUT... By god its nothing if not frugal, honest and reliable (touch wood).
Marty.
Though having spent that much, now you know its faults why not keep it? rather than wright off £500? Run it till the ticket is out at least.... it may surprise you. I did with my last ZX, the one i use as my daily driver now has done 126k, looks scratty due to (irritated mental health patient) damage, and has a warped front disc. BUT... By god its nothing if not frugal, honest and reliable (touch wood).
Marty.
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James.UK
- Posts: 1169
- Joined: 14 Dec 2003, 23:12
- x 2
In my opinion the best way to get your money back is to keep the car. With any luck it should be good for at least another 60,000 miles if its cared for. [:)]
Market value? I doubt you would get more than the £300 you paid for it. people can ask what they like for their cars when advertising, but I seriously doubt they get what they ask for..
Personaly, I wanted a diesel auto. NOT an easy car to find! The make-age etc was relatively unimportant. Some cars are knackered at 3-4 years old, some are a real treasure at 20 years old. [:)]
I paid £1,400 for my car back in June 2001 at 80K, with no history whatsoever! and consider I got a bargain! its in lovely condition, the egine compartment was/is spotless, everything looked in excellant condition and it was/is a real pleasure to drive.. I believe it to be the best motoring decision I ever made. [:I]
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Market value? I doubt you would get more than the £300 you paid for it. people can ask what they like for their cars when advertising, but I seriously doubt they get what they ask for..
Personaly, I wanted a diesel auto. NOT an easy car to find! The make-age etc was relatively unimportant. Some cars are knackered at 3-4 years old, some are a real treasure at 20 years old. [:)]
I paid £1,400 for my car back in June 2001 at 80K, with no history whatsoever! and consider I got a bargain! its in lovely condition, the egine compartment was/is spotless, everything looked in excellant condition and it was/is a real pleasure to drive.. I believe it to be the best motoring decision I ever made. [:I]
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Andrew Robey
- Posts: 34
- Joined: 18 Nov 2003, 18:00
Hmmmm.... I think, James, you are spot on with the use of the word 'Luck' - and my luck with this car has been pretty poor so far...
What, realistically, could be the next most likely major headache, considering mileage and the above..?
It is, I have to admit, driving extremely well now, but it's no fun driving a car when you expect the Big Bang at any moment![}:)]
What, realistically, could be the next most likely major headache, considering mileage and the above..?
It is, I have to admit, driving extremely well now, but it's no fun driving a car when you expect the Big Bang at any moment![}:)]
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arry_b
- Posts: 519
- Joined: 10 Dec 2002, 15:55
The other big things on ZX's seems to be rear trailing arm bushes, rear suspension mounts and the radiators don't seem to last forever. Apart from that, there's always stuff like clutches which are consumables anyway. Gearboxes don't seem to give any trouble.
All the stuff you've done means that someone is going to get a good few miles out of the car with minimal extra expense. It may as well be you!
Keep an eye on coolant levels and change the oil and filter at the recommended intervals or before. Deal with the small things before they become big things (leaks, noises, minor rust, tyre pressures etc) and the big bang will be a long way off.
All the stuff you've done means that someone is going to get a good few miles out of the car with minimal extra expense. It may as well be you!
Keep an eye on coolant levels and change the oil and filter at the recommended intervals or before. Deal with the small things before they become big things (leaks, noises, minor rust, tyre pressures etc) and the big bang will be a long way off.