Starting point for a future Zedder?

[Redline]

This is one of those days you both wait for an also dread.

Our youngest passed his driving test on his first attempt a few days before his 18th.
So, after a many months contemplation and a few weeks scouring Autotrader and looking at various cars, we'd all but settled on a Ford Fiesta. Even for a ten year old car, the insurance was going to be steep still with a Telematics policy.

However, a few weeks ago I got a quote for a Ford KA - the insurance was still high but a great deal more palatable. So, after much soul searching (parental worries about small cars etc), we decided to trade insurance costs for a newer smaller first car.
Today we bought junior a lovely Ford KA. First years insurance for an 18 year old with a major insurer on a no-telematics policy at less than £1,000 - A result.

There are upsides to this expense. No more eye-wateringly expensive bus passes each month. No more abstinence because Dad's taxi is needed.

Only 69bhp. 0-60 measured on a sundial. No three figure top speed. Two doors to deter mates etc.
Only one mark in the paintwork. New tyres. MOT. A/C. Heated front screen. 16" alloy wheels.
£30 road tax. Am expecting 50+mpg.

Pick it up Tuesday.

What a lucky boy!
Thats my wheel refurbishment in there somewhere

 

[DavidM]

A good deal and a sensible car for a young driver!

 

[Jack Ratt]

That's a lovely little car and I'm sure he will cherish the independence it will give him.

It's not too much of a slouch though as 69BHP was around about what an 1970's 1.6ltr engine had. A '70's 2ltr engine only did around 100BHP

 

[Redline]

That's a lovely little car and I'm sure he will cherish the independence it will give him.

It's not too much of a slouch though as 69BHP was around about what an 1970's 1.6ltr engine had. A '70's 2ltr engine only did around 100BHP

Indeed - we were talking about our first car earlier. A 1973 Mk1 Ford Escort 1100. 54hp. 0-60 22.9 sec!
No radio. Fixed seat belts. No heated rear screen.
How did we cope?

 

[Brian H]

This is one of those days you both wait for an also dread.

Our youngest passed his driving test on his first attempt a few days before his 18th.
So, after a many months contemplation and a few weeks scouring Autotrader and looking at various cars, we'd all but settled on a Ford Fiesta. Even for a ten year old car, the insurance was going to be steep still with a Telematics policy.

However, a few weeks ago I got a quote for a Ford KA - the insurance was still high but a great deal more palatable. So, after much soul searching (parental worries about small cars etc), we decided to trade insurance costs for a newer smaller first car.
Today we bought junior a lovely Ford KA. First years insurance for an 18 year old with a major insurer on a no-telematics policy at less than £1,000 - A result.

View attachment 44203

View attachment 44202
There are upsides to this expense. No more eye-waveringly expensive bus passes each month. No more abstinence because Dad's taxi is needed.

Only 69bhp. 0-60 measured on a sundial. No three figure top speed. Two doors to deter mates etc.
Only one mark in the paintwork. New tyres. MOT. A/C. Heated front screen. 16" alloy wheels.
£30 road tax. Am expecting 50+mpg.

Pick it up Tuesday.

What a lucky boy!
Thats my wheel refurbishment in there somewhere

Just about at the same point with my eldest son, dreading the insurance quotes

 

[Redline]

Just about at the same point with my eldest son, dreading the insurance quotes

Its a minefield and there is such massive differences between companies.
I went with Admiral in the end, but, DirectLine (all current three cars insured with them so we get discounts) were only £100 behind for a similar policy.
Hastings Direct who I was told were quite good, quoted double!
You can get cheaper Telematics policies, but we've heard about the companies slamming young drivers for minor indiscretions that they claim when the technology they use simply isn't that accurate. People think that GPS can be relied upon, but, it is in fact really quiet flaky in some respects.

 

[Si]

Great car and a good choice, we found our daughter a C1 for the first two years, very cheap to insure, and then moved to her current car which is a Ford KA Zetec you get electric windows and everything. She loves it to bits

 

[billz]

I bet he loves it, at least he can get around without dads taxi now, well apart from when he goes for a drink

 

[Jack Ratt]

We're just reaping our rewards of playing taxi to our boys as now they ferry us around whenever we need them too. It's usually on a Friday night when I get home from working away. During the summer months sometimes we'll walk the 2.1/2 miles to the next village to a lovely little pub and one of the lads will collect us when we're ready to come home.

Your boy will do the same for you too I'm sure

 

[Redline]

I bet he loves it, at least he can get around without dads taxi now, well apart from when he goes for a drink

Thankfully he's really a bright and increasingly focussed young man. He knows that keeping the two things apart is so important to achieving his dream.

 

[Redline]

We're just reaping our rewards of playing taxi to our boys as now they ferry us around whenever we need them too. It's usually on a Friday night when I get home from working away. During the summer months sometimes we'll walk the 2.1/2 miles to the next village to a lovely little pub and one of the lads will collect us when we're ready to come home.

Your boy will do the same for you too I'm sure

We know he will, but, he's only going to be here another twelve months and then off to Uni. We're going to have to milk it for all its worth over then next year

 

[Stevo7682]

Good small car major improved over previous ka. new model has fiat 500 / alfa mito platform and fiat 1.2 powerplant general reliability good .
Wouldn't do any harm to stick a layer or two extra paint on the sump fiat sumps bad for corrosion on the front especially.

 

[Redline]

Good small car major improved over previous ka. new model has fiat 500 / alfa mito platform and fiat 1.2 powerplant general reliability good .
Wouldn't do any harm to stick a layer or two extra paint on the sump fiat sumps bad for corrosion on the front especially.

Thanks for the info. Will look at that sump issue.
I'd looked to for any major pitfalls with them and found very little. I was seeing that as a positive.

 

[Stevo7682]

Yeah they are good little cars the fiat engine is sound suspension and brake design simple with ok build quality back springs rust but I've never changed a fiat rear one exhaust rear wont last like a bmw one expect about 5 yrs out it possibly longer depending on use but like I said the sump corroding is a definite issue on fiat and alfa so ka will be the same afterall it's the same engine.

 

[Shelly]

Great looking car
How lucky is your son
To have a car brought for him
Well done on passing your test young man

 

[Antm72]

A great car , i remember my first 850 mini the new found freedom at that age is brilliant..... A lucky man

 

[Redline]

A great car , i remember my first 850 mini the new found freedom at that age is brilliant..... A lucky man

Its easy to forget what freedom having a car makes. We were 3rd year students when we bought ours - only made possible because I was working 6 months each year.

 

[Redline]

Yeah they are good little cars the fiat engine is sound suspension and brake design simple with ok build quality back springs rust but I've never changed a fiat rear one exhaust rear wont last like a bmw one expect about 5 yrs out it possibly longer depending on use but like I said the sump corroding is a definite issue on fiat and alfa so ka will be the same afterall it's the same engine.

There's an aweful lot of dross for sale out there. Difficult to find something clean and reasonably priced.
Got this from a trader who operates from a business park not a car lot. Says he bought it for a mate who failed to come up with the cash (£800 more than I paid) so he used it himself for a few weeks.
I couldn't get him to come down on price though. Comes with 12 months MOT and 12 months limited warranty a new tyre replacing one that's close to the limit. Not sure I could have got this any cheaper even on a private sale.