used cars ,?

[alfred]

Where i live there are at least three places that sold used cars , and the place i bought mine from had many choices of cars but in the past months the place i bought it from has declined and so  now the place stands empty, it seems the demand on used cars has gone through the roof,

another place also sell used or second handcars but i notice the price asked seems to my mind have almost doubled in price, whilst

the third place which sells very good second hand cars and the place where i get my car serviced or repaired, even for an M.O.T  has a number of cars for sale ,but the cheapest ones are around £10.000 mark, whilst  the most expensive over £20.000,.

how ever cars are in tip top condition,


recently i had my windscreen repaired by auto glass, a small chip.  and the man who carried out a minor repair told me that my car after i told him what i originally paid for it has doubled ,

and i assume so has every one else who have bought a used car,.

so now I'm down to keeping my car ship shape and  any little jobs sorted out as as they occur,  i think i would have a job finding another replacement and would have to start all over again ,
my recent out lay was a cambelt replacement and all the parts that goes with it,

at least that will save my engine , as once a cambelt goes so does the engine,, at least i have peace of mind knowing all the work  has been sorted out,. (said he with fingers crossed,)

Q; have you done like wise unless your car is much newer than mine

[klondike]

Cam belts are usually replaced at 60,000 miles. I did have a Vauxhall which I suspect had a problem with the followers which needed replacing every 40,000. This was in the days when I was doing high mileages to and from work. I made sure the cam belts were replaced on schedule because as you say with some engines a broken belt can cause pistons and valves to meet rather expensively.

Good second hand cars have increased significantly in price due to shortages of chips causing problems with new car production.

[Scrumpy]

My motor is an old Peugeot 206 Hatchback... I bought her new some years back..
She is a good looking motor and hasn't had any serious problems..
I don't get her serviced every year.. her body is in good nick and her insides are all in the right place and nothing has drooped.. She purrs when she is warmed up .. and her bits are well lubricated.. 
I shall hang on to her for as long as I can..
I'm not putting her out there to be revved up and taken to strange places by some speed yob.. who will have his way with her then dump her for scrap.

[Alex]

Does every car have to have a new cam belt at 60,000 ?

[klondike]

No. The engines that bust are called interference engines and it should be possible to Google if one is or not. It just means that there is a potential for a piston to touch the valves should they get stuck fully open. With some engines that cannot happen.

I've had a cam belt go on what was a fairly new Mondeo at the time and the only result was it stopped. It was right after a service so I'm guessing they damaged the belt. It was a company car so I wasn't fussed other than the inconvenience. I had one go on an old Sierra and used the starter motor to move it onto the verge. No damage then either.

[Alex]

Mondeo and Sierra, both Fords.  Mine is a Ford Fiesta, I'll get on Google 

[Alex]

Is it a timing belt ?

[klondike]

Google interference engine you'll need to look in your handbook to be sure exactly which engine you have.

Cam belt and timing belt are interchangeable terms. It  keeps the camshaft and main engine shaft in sync.  The camshaft or often camshafts run along the top of the engine and have cams (bumps) on them that press the valves down to open the paths to let the air/fuel mixture in and exhaust gasses out. if the belt breaks the valves stay where they last were while the piston keeps going up and down driven by the car wheels through the gearbox. Even with an automatic the engine will turn over a while from intertia in the flywheel.

[alfred]

i forgot to mention that my car is a ford focus C max and it must be around 15 years old . however it has been regularly maintained by the previous owner, as i have had the car almost 6 years,  and i too have done like wise ;

in that time, iv had  all new brakes, fitted, new head lights,  new tyres,  a slight chip in the windscreen, and serviced in between ,  yes its an old banger and i love it ,.

i am in a position to buy a new car but never had , iv always bought decent well looked after second hand cars all  with regular servicing, and  even if this means replacing bits, and pieces ,when needed, it has paid off,

i wouldn't like a new car as iv seen what happens when a person buys a lovely new car, and some one else out of carelessness, or jealousy, decides to scratch with a trolley or a key, and  so  iv only had used cars all my life,

my car being old, doesn't attract anyone , boy racers and the like as its old ..............great thats how i like it,

[Raven]

My Yeti's an old girl too, she's a 10 reg and still in good condition. I tend to get things checked out very quickly if I think somethings off. She gets her yearly service on time, along with regular oil, water, fluids, pressure ect checks. 

[Scrumpy]

Alfred.. Your car is starting to sound like Trigger's broom.. !!
  I love my old banger too..

[Alex]

Google interference engine you'll need to look in your handbook to be sure exactly which engine you have.

Cam belt and timing belt are interchangeable terms. It  keeps the camshaft and main engine shaft in sync.  The camshaft or often camshafts run along the top of the engine and have cams (bumps) on them that press the valves down to open the paths to let the air/fuel mixture in and exhaust gasses out. if the belt breaks the valves stay where they last were while the piston keeps going up and down driven by the car wheels through the gearbox. Even with an automatic the engine will turn over a while from intertia in the flywheel.

That's what I thought klondike 

[alfred]

its strange how we think of our cars in terms of him and her as if they are humans ,
i too think like that,

[Alex]

its strange how we think in terms of him and her as if they are humans ,
i too think like that,

Years ago when I was young my bessie got a Ford Anglia for her first car and it was a banger.  We called it Marcia because we thought that sounded posh, she even had MARCIA in gold letters on the dashboard.   Funny how I can remember unimportant snippets like that, but can't remember what I did on Wednesday 

[klondike]

That's what I thought klondike 

 
I do tend to go overboard. Sorry. Can't help it.