Hi All,

I'm looking for a Ford Ka for my girlfriend as she doesn't want to drive my VXR Arctic (says its too fast)

Would you discourage me buying one with 116k miles on it?

We've been offered this one for £600

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1999-FORD-KA-2-BLUE-/260698290827?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item3cb2d43a8b&autorefresh=true#ht_889wt_1141

As your the ones in the know, I thought i'd ask you guys!

Cheers

Anto

u need to ttake someone to look at the ka that's familiar with them.

if not possible check following.

rust in sills especially the rar most point.

open doors & check for rust.

open fuel cap & look for rust as they all go there.

the rear suspensin bushes go as well so do following

open boot & hold car from the side & rock the car like you want to push it sideways.

if that's all ok then good so far.

look under bonnett for obvious things like rust bent plates etc & the vin plate details are correct.

remove oil cap & have a look insde the cap for gunk

remove dipstick & check for deposits of gunk

you looking for a sort of white gunk if it's present then leave well alone.

check tyres are ok(wear limit & no tears on the side wall inc the spare that's under the car boot.

make sure jack etc is present

have a look over the inside of car for wear n tear. it will have some due to age

if all is ok then test drive it. turn radio off!!!

take car over bumpy road & listen for any obvious knocks.

get her upto about 40 then tak hands off steering wheel to see if runs in straight line.

if that ok then check no one is behind you & do an emergency stop to see if it's breaks in a straight line.

also put car in second gear & leave hand brake on & see if the clutch slips when you try to pull away

if it does then it maybe on it's way out.

if your happy then go for it.

if you find it pulls to one side it maybe the front lower suspension arm they are cheap to buy &

quite eay to replace

a pair from fords will the around £200 or

buypartsby will cost you £40.00.

they are good little runners & fun to drive m8.

let us know how you get on

if you have any other questions plzz ask & i will answer for you if i can

remember it's not gonna be perfect as shes an old gal so expect some rust n wear n tear m8

hi delboy,

thanks for the indepth answer as to what to look for.

I've viewed it once, and it does have the rust around the fuel cap. Alot of them I've seen seem to.

I'll go for a second look and do alot of the tests you outline above :)

Is the high mileage a worry, or isn't it much of a factor anymore? Alot of miles for a small engine

Cheers

Anto

the high mileage is definitly something to be concerned about, but thats why its £600 :P

as previously said, next time you view, open the oil filler cap and check for white/creamy deposit around the filler hole and on the cap. this is a sign that the heads gone and water is leaking into the oil. the 1.3 endura engine is a pretty "dirty" engine and the head could well be gone at 100+k

Hi All,

Thanks for the posts, they've really help me out.

In the end we went for http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/FORD-KA-99-T-P-A-S-11-MONTH-MOT-RED-DRIVE-AWAY-/170573075506?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item27b6f29432#ht_998wt_924

My girlfriend is delighted with it :)

Anto

Took the daughter to test drive a 53 plate 1 today, brakes very poor, and it misfired like mad under load. Will give it a miss