Nearly a Frontera owner...

[bigdazz]

[mystic fred]

Thanks guys, though from what i gather owning a Fronty involves almost as much pain as pleasure...reminds me of my first motoring days from the early 70's - my life behind the wheel has become a bit boring and predictable lately and does need livening up - maybe in a few months i may relive some of my earlier experiences in all weathers, pitting my wits against unforseen breakdowns and crashes, the get-you-home tricks and driving by the seat of my pants - the old potato smeared windscreen when the wipers packed up, and cutting up a tin foil pie tray to make a temporary fuse, and the time when i was going down the M4 and my fan belt broke - when i asked my girlfriend to remove her tights she said "what...here?" until she realised i needed them to use as a temporary fan belt ....hooray, those were the days!

[tom]

Hi and to fog

[4x4 bobby]

Hi mate and welcome to FOG. You wont regret buying a Fronty there great fun and more carickter than a green oval. Ive had 2 swb's in7 years just cant bare to part with it.

[mystic fred]

A colleague suggested Autotrader - 40 Fronty's for sale within 60 miles of me, and most with Tax and MOT! Though dealers, many seem to be asking less money than the 'Bay

[furball]

That would be because the people selling them on ebay are being a bit unrealistic, whereas dealers know what they are really worth (and then they add £500 on top )

[gregster]

I must admit I have noticed ebay auction prices are getting silly on motors of late...

I think so many people think that they will get a bargain just cos its an auction, and they end up paying more than they go for in the autotrader or local rag...
Bear in mind that autotrader prices can be haggled downwards a bit too, every seller expects that and prices accordingly, and that then makes a huge difference to ebay prices!
I prefer buying away from ebay...granted you can go and look at a car thats in an ebay auction, but there is no guarantee the seller with do a deal with you there and then, and then no guarantee you will win the auction so you could have wasted loads of time looking at the car...
plus if you offer the seller £700 for a car, and he wont end the auction early, then you know his mate will bid £675 on it to get your max bid, even if its only reached £500, so you wont get it cheaper on the auction and have just wasted a load of your time!
Freeads is good too...and worth a look

Sometimes its an idea to get one of your mates to go and look at a car you are interested in, and find faults with everything and then make a stupidly cheap offer.....which they are highly doubtful to accept....then when you turn up an hour later, looking a bit vague, and make an offer that is halfway between the silly offer and asking price, you can almost guarantee it will be accepted
Bit naughty really...especially if many years ago you are buying a Cosworth and your mate turns up in his Ford overalls and his Cossie....but saved me £2500....£1200 of which I needed when it did a gearbox a week after getting it!!

[mystic fred]

^ many thanks for your advice guys

will look at Freeads too. I am an "old newbie" as i started driving in 1970 and had about 12 cars up to 1988, stopped driving for 15 years as i worked in the west end of London and started driving again in 2000 with the purchase of my present car, the Carlton. I would never dream of buying a car without a year's MOT on it, and would never sell one without that either, i usually bought from dealers and only had one bad one back in 1972 - everything went wrong with it from the word go ( 1968 Viva), the dealer got nasty, i was in three crashes, it even caught fire! ...spooky

Maybe it's worth paying a bit more from a dealer, most give 3 months "warranty" (hardly long enough but at least you know if the engine blows up on the way home you're covered ) but they give 1 year MOT and let you test it, and the offer of an extended warranty for major breakdowns if you want it, but maybe not on clearance part exes.