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Looking for a 2.4 Auto Tourer

Well I went and had a look - first impression, the Accord Tourer is a very nice car :)

This one has 116k miles on the clock - nothing really, our Civic has 113k miles.

They were based on abit of wasteland on an industrial estate and the car was fairly dirty, alot of lorries pass by where they are so I think it's unavoided!

The service history went up to 60k miles, all dealer stamps but nothing after that! :( It passed the MOT on the 21st October with one advisory for a cracked wing mirror.

The faults I found are:

Cracked mirror as above
Pulls to the right slightly (a job for WIM!)
Steering wheel wobbles slightly under light braking, seems ok when braking hard
Drivers heated seat doesn't get hot, passenger one is ok - what could cause that?
Paint on alloys is flaking, a few chips/scratches as to be expected for the age and mileage
Couldn't get the sat nav to work and the DVD drive underneath wouldn't accept the disc - how does this work, the guy didn't know?

Everything else seems to work although I forgot to check the air con was cold. I also couldn't check if the headlights were adjusting automatically, it was too bright. Are the main lights Xenon and the dipped normal halogen? They bulbs were different colours? The tailgate open and closed with the remote perfectly.

The ATF looked to be pink and I think on the max but I forgot to take a rag to wipe it clean. The coolant level was just above minimum, which was my main concern - do these engines use coolant?

Brakes looked very corroded but passed the MOT and felt ok apart from the wobble as above.

It felt slightly hesitant when pulling away but that could be to the lack of fuel in the car (it was empty) and needing a good service. Otherwise pulled fine and kickdown worked ok - given the size/weight of the car it was nippy.

The exhaust is a stainless steel one but I'm not sure if it's a full one or just the backbox.

After I went I noticed they put the price back up to £2k but they said they'd accept £1,800 including the 'admin fee'.

Thoughts?

What is this, I couldn't attach it back on?

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The faults I found are:

Cracked mirror as above
Pulls to the right slightly (a job for WIM!) - could be tyres, tracking, but given the mileage I'd put my neck out and say front compliance bushes
Steering wheel wobbles slightly under light braking, seems ok when braking hard - most likely warped discs in my opinion, best to replace discs and pads
Drivers heated seat doesn't get hot, passenger one is ok - what could cause that? - not sure if they're on separate fuses, could be a pain in the butt to fix
Paint on alloys is flaking, a few chips/scratches as to be expected for the age and mileage - age and mileage, this is fair
Couldn't get the sat nav to work and the DVD drive underneath wouldn't accept the disc - how does this work, the guy didn't know? - Hmmm, this doesn't sound good, disc should just slot in - this could be at least £250 most likely more to sort out

Everything else seems to work although I forgot to check the air con was cold. I also couldn't check if the headlights were adjusting automatically, it was too bright. Are the main lights Xenon and the dipped normal halogen? They bulbs were different colours? The tailgate open and closed with the remote perfectly. The dipped are xenons - if the lights are different colours, it probably means they're xenons and that the pair need replacing as one is wearing out

The ATF looked to be pink and I think on the max but I forgot to take a rag to wipe it clean. The coolant level was just above minimum, which was my main concern - do these engines use coolant? Not in my experience

Brakes looked very corroded but passed the MOT and felt ok apart from the wobble as above. As above - new discs and pads

It felt slightly hesitant when pulling away but that could be to the lack of fuel in the car (it was empty) and needing a good service. Otherwise pulled fine and kickdown worked ok - given the size/weight of the car it was nippy. - sometimes the drive by wire develops a little play in the wire, this is a simple and easy fix you can do yourself, but given no service for nearly 60K, probably needs all new fluids and possibly spark plugs too, I think the 2.4 uses iridium spark plugs which ain't cheap. May need the tappets done too

The exhaust is a stainless steel one but I'm not sure if it's a full one or just the back box. - This seems pretty cool to me. The 2.4's exhaust tends to rust and corrode where one pipe splits into two. Even if it's just the back end of the exhaust from the split that's been replaced, that's all good.

After I went I noticed they put the price back up to £2k but they said they'd accept £1,800 including the 'admin fee'.

Thoughts?

What is this, I couldn't attach it back on?

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This is the cover plate for rain sensor for the auto wipers. You should just be able to click it back into place. If it isn't clicking back into place, I imagine a plastic latch has snapped off. Nothing some good double sided tape or sticky-fixers can't sort.

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Mine does exactly this too, as did my mate's 2003 2.4 tourer :rolleyes:

The wheels, dinks and cracked wing mirror are treatable/fixable and I don't see as being a major problem.

All things considered, it's a lot of car for £2K. But what would play on my mind is that it needs a major service, discs, pads and possibly front compliance bushes. Discs pads and compliance bushes after labour could start pushing £500. A thorough service including spark plugs and tappets could also get pretty costly. Do you do any DIY on your cars? After this, you need to address the sat nag system too. This is just my opinion, but I reckon you're looking at £1K on top of the cost of the car to get it up to scratch, unless you DIY, in which case you'll only need parts, so cost would be much less.

By the way, none of these issues are really a problem for a car of its age and mileage. I've had most of these issues myself. But it's just that they've all come at once, or they've been there a while but not sorted, i.e. you'll potentially be paying to put right someone else's neglect. But if you do go for it and get these things sorted, it will be an awesome car.
 
Hi Rich. I'm seriously considering selling my 2004 2.4 if your interested.
 
rich...the car above don't value more than £1400, and if they would say to me i will give it for £1000 i wouldn't buy it, why? and their admin fee this is ridiculous, doesn't matter the fee..
the car needs major service and at least 2 new tyres...which i say like steve look from £500-1500 with the sat nav...
but if i were you i wouldn't buy it because of lack of service recording...
find another one
take our advice...pie, you shut the bang! very well said!
 
walk away, no excuse to have stamps up to 60k, get another.

i got my accord and it had stamps to about 80-90k, was on 110k or so when i got it. took a gamble and it needed a clutch and boot joints but apart from that best car i ever had.

but with that much of a gap in services i would walk away.
 
the different colour i think he means the hue from the xenons, it takes a while to get used to the glare from them over normal bulbs.

the accord as mentioned has xenon for low beam (but this is very bright still), full beam is halogen.

but yeah, i would not get that car, in fact i would not even have looked at it if i found it to have a service that's rubbish.
 
after reading more of the faults, its not even worth 1k, broken sat nav. no working seats.
 
Yeah, I was being diplomatic in my post, but the other guys are hitting the nail on the head. There's a pretty hefty to-do list once you buy this. You'll probably find a couple more issues after a month or two and find you're paying a lot of money for someone else's neglect :rolleyes: . Swervin's is a much tidier example and it would keep a TA car in the TA family ;) .
 
Wow, thanks for the replies guys. I admit if I could get it cheap enough I was tempted with this one but after giving it more thought I have changed my mind!

I am now seriously considering this one - http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201311019597357

It is nearly 2 hours from me though so I can't just pop up there for a look and test drive but it does have full Honda service history and hopefully everything works. It's just under £500 more than the one I viewed on Saturday.

The only thing is I was hoping to get 16" wheels for the cheaper tyres and comfort but if I find the right car and it has 17" then so be it. What are the tyre size for the 16" and 17" wheels as well?

The faults I found are:

Cracked mirror as above
Pulls to the right slightly (a job for WIM!) - could be tyres, tracking, but given the mileage I'd put my neck out and say front compliance bushes
Steering wheel wobbles slightly under light braking, seems ok when braking hard - most likely warped discs in my opinion, best to replace discs and pads
Drivers heated seat doesn't get hot, passenger one is ok - what could cause that? - not sure if they're on separate fuses, could be a pain in the butt to fix
Paint on alloys is flaking, a few chips/scratches as to be expected for the age and mileage - age and mileage, this is fair
Couldn't get the sat nav to work and the DVD drive underneath wouldn't accept the disc - how does this work, the guy didn't know? - Hmmm, this doesn't sound good, disc should just slot in - this could be at least £250 most likely more to sort out

Everything else seems to work although I forgot to check the air con was cold. I also couldn't check if the headlights were adjusting automatically, it was too bright. Are the main lights Xenon and the dipped normal halogen? They bulbs were different colours? The tailgate open and closed with the remote perfectly. The dipped are xenons - if the lights are different colours, it probably means they're xenons and that the pair need replacing as one is wearing out

The ATF looked to be pink and I think on the max but I forgot to take a rag to wipe it clean. The coolant level was just above minimum, which was my main concern - do these engines use coolant? Not in my experience

Brakes looked very corroded but passed the MOT and felt ok apart from the wobble as above. As above - new discs and pads

It felt slightly hesitant when pulling away but that could be to the lack of fuel in the car (it was empty) and needing a good service. Otherwise pulled fine and kickdown worked ok - given the size/weight of the car it was nippy. - sometimes the drive by wire develops a little play in the wire, this is a simple and easy fix you can do yourself, but given no service for nearly 60K, probably needs all new fluids and possibly spark plugs too, I think the 2.4 uses iridium spark plugs which ain't cheap. May need the tappets done too

The exhaust is a stainless steel one but I'm not sure if it's a full one or just the back box. - This seems pretty cool to me. The 2.4's exhaust tends to rust and corrode where one pipe splits into two. Even if it's just the back end of the exhaust from the split that's been replaced, that's all good.

After I went I noticed they put the price back up to £2k but they said they'd accept £1,800 including the 'admin fee'.

Thoughts?

What is this, I couldn't attach it back on?

gallery_438_47_8476.jpg


This is the cover plate for rain sensor for the auto wipers. You should just be able to click it back into place. If it isn't clicking back into place, I imagine a plastic latch has snapped off. Nothing some good double sided tape or sticky-fixers can't sort.

gallery_438_47_117445.jpg


Mine does exactly this too, as did my mate's 2003 2.4 tourer :rolleyes:

The wheels, dinks and cracked wing mirror are treatable/fixable and I don't see as being a major problem.

All things considered, it's a lot of car for £2K. But what would play on my mind is that it needs a major service, discs, pads and possibly front compliance bushes. Discs pads and compliance bushes after labour could start pushing £500. A thorough service including spark plugs and tappets could also get pretty costly. Do you do any DIY on your cars? After this, you need to address the sat nag system too. This is just my opinion, but I reckon you're looking at £1K on top of the cost of the car to get it up to scratch, unless you DIY, in which case you'll only need parts, so cost would be much less.

By the way, none of these issues are really a problem for a car of its age and mileage. I've had most of these issues myself. But it's just that they've all come at once, or they've been there a while but not sorted, i.e. you'll potentially be paying to put right someone else's neglect. But if you do go for it and get these things sorted, it will be an awesome car.

I am a home mechanic so everything or the majority I could sort out myself - but doing it all over winter isn't something I fancy doing. Most of it is wear and tear parts so not really a problem, it's the coolant level that was worrying and with no history to tell me if it's ever been changed (maybe not refilled enough?) or if it's leaking is telling me to walk away.

The sales guy was looking abit concerned when I started listing all these faults with the car! They had bought it from auction the other week and I don't think he really knows much about them. To try and get the screen working he was just randomly pressing buttons! :lol: That's another thing, not sure if my post was clear but the screen didn't work at all. The green light on the button came on but nothing was displaying. The fact the DVD drive didn't work neither could that just be a fuse? Or is there a dimmer for the screen which when turned right down makes it look switched off?

Apart from a few light marks, the small scuff on the bumper and rusty stone chip the body and interior was in excellent condition for the age and mileage. No rips in the leather or scuffed plastics from what I could see. That brings me to another question - how do you lift the rear seats? I tried but it felt like something was stopping them, a lever maybe or should they just pull up like every other car I've had?

Hi Rich. I'm seriously considering selling my 2004 2.4 if your interested.

Do you have anymore info and photos mate, also what price are you looking for? My budget is pretty strict, which is why I'm looking at the cheaper end of the cars for sale.

rich...the car above don't value more than £1400, and if they would say to me i will give it for £1000 i wouldn't buy it, why? and their admin fee this is ridiculous, doesn't matter the fee..
the car needs major service and at least 2 new tyres...which i say like steve look from £500-1500 with the sat nav...
but if i were you i wouldn't buy it because of lack of service recording...
find another one
take our advice...pie, you shut the bang! very well said!

If I could get it for that or less then it would've been a good project car that I could've taken my time with but it will be a daily runner so I need to make sure not much needs doing to start with. I don't mind it not having stamps but if it's been home serviced then all of the paperwork to prove what has been spent on the car. I sold mine on Saturday and had kept every single receipt, £1,200 worth over 2 years of ownership (that's including tyres, servicing etc - not all on repairs!).

walk away, no excuse to have stamps up to 60k, get another.

i got my accord and it had stamps to about 80-90k, was on 110k or so when i got it. took a gamble and it needed a clutch and boot joints but apart from that best car i ever had.

but with that much of a gap in services i would walk away.

The car I just sold had no history with the previous owner but did prior to them. They had only owned it for a year so took a chance on it and it only needed a new battery, wheel bearing and 3 calipers (common fault with those) so it was worth the risk - but with no history for 60k miles is just too much of a risk unless I can get it for peanuts.

the different colour i think he means the hue from the xenons, it takes a while to get used to the glare from them over normal bulbs.

the accord as mentioned has xenon for low beam (but this is very bright still), full beam is halogen.

but yeah, i would not get that car, in fact i would not even have looked at it if i found it to have a service that's rubbish.

The lights in this advert - http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201310269469723

The outer ones are the Xenons, then the indicator, then the full beam, which is halogen. I had thought they were also Xenons but obviously not. Unless it's the photo the ones on the car I saw were more blue, which I think is right?
 
looks very good the one near 2 h from you but at 2200 2100 is a good price, how you can see from photos it has good tyres all around, the front chairs hardly used, full service history, yes this car is in a good condition, but the same checks must be made before paying the cashing...
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201311019597357
the wheels are 17 but they are fine, don't worry!
this one is a good one.
cheers
 
17s are fine mate. Those are Epsilons which have a polished and lacquered finish. The flake really bad. I had them on my car. Finally got round to replacing them, but I've seen refurbs done on these that come out looking amazing.

120K, full Honda service History, much better mate. The bolt that holds on the exhaust tail pipe end trim has corroded and the tail pipes have come off. This is only a cosmetic thing. Happened to mine. But what it does indicate is the general level of rust under the car. A year after mine fell off I was in need of a new exhaust as mine was splitting at the point where one pipe becomes two. This is something to consider and look at if possible.

It's hard to tell from the from photo as it could just be the light reflecting, but maybe the driver side headlight is misted up or in need of a good polish. Otherwise, for the money, it's a hell of a lot of car, and as you're a mechanic, nothing major to worry about at all mate.
 
17s are fine mate. Those are Epsilons which have a polished and lacquered finish. The flake really bad. I had them on my car. Finally got round to replacing them, but I've seen refurbs done on these that come out looking amazing.

120K, full Honda service History, much better mate. The bolt that holds on the exhaust tail pipe end trim has corroded and the tail pipes have come off. This is only a cosmetic thing. Happened to mine. But what it does indicate is the general level of rust under the car. A year after mine fell off I was in need of a new exhaust as mine was splitting at the point where one pipe becomes two. This is something to consider and look at if possible.

It's hard to tell from the from photo as it could just be the light reflecting, but maybe the driver side headlight is misted up or in need of a good polish. Otherwise, for the money, it's a hell of a lot of car, and as you're a mechanic, nothing major to worry about at all mate.

Looking at the photos on this car I see what you mean about the tail pipe trims - http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201309048620219 So I should budget £250 - £300 for a stainless backbox at least with that car. What about the centre pipe, do they suffer with rust, so if they do I'd new a cat back system?

Good spot with the headlight I missed that. Do these suffer with discolouration like the Civic does, they go cloudy? A decent used replacement won't cost much on ebay though.

I'm not a trained mechanic but am comfortable working on my own cars. The only thing I won't touch is gearboxes, clutches, head gaskets and timing belts/chains. I'd rather pay a garage and have the warranty with it.

I sent these guys an email about the car so will see if they reply.
 
The earlier models did suffer misting headlamps. It's a simple fix with the addition of some clips that basically squeeze the back of the light onto the front a little tighter thus preventing water getting in. First time I took my car into Honda for something, they just popped the clips on free of charge. I've never suffered any misting or discolouration and mine's an 03 plate. A replacement shouldn't be too bad from eBay, although you will need to get the Xenon variant and the lens is different from the halogen. Not in appearance, but in how it focuses the light.

For the exhaust, I got my exhaust done for about £400 cat back, 2.5" stainless, just the one ****ler half way down the pipe as opposed to the stock two ****lers, custom made job. It's awesome, but a little boy-racer if you know what I mean ;) . The main problem is the exhaust is mostly a single piece form the cat. It splits and then the other back box fits on. See this diagram:

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You can see it's one piece through to the end. Just after I got mine done however the price of these dropped sharply to £185 for the main piece and £185 for the second back box. So in all, you could buy the parts and fit it yourself for £370. Pretty good when you consider at my time of asking the two parts were £350 a piece plus labour :eek: . Hence I went custom. Typical that the price halved just after I had the work done :rolleyes: . But I like my throaty exhaust, probably would have got it done anyway ;) .
 
one thing i would bear in mind its age, its 2003, i would try get a newer year if possible, there is a newer one on the for sale section here i am sure but its a 2.0 litre.

if it got a full honda history it should be pretty safe though, all things considered. At that milage all manners of things can potentially cost you a packet (suspension parts, exhaust and o2 sensors etc etc).

let us know how you get on, parts on the accord aint cheap as pointed out ^^
 
The earlier models did suffer misting headlamps. It's a simple fix with the addition of some clips that basically squeeze the back of the light onto the front a little tighter thus preventing water getting in. First time I took my car into Honda for something, they just popped the clips on free of charge. I've never suffered any misting or discolouration and mine's an 03 plate. A replacement shouldn't be too bad from eBay, although you will need to get the Xenon variant and the lens is different from the halogen. Not in appearance, but in how it focuses the light.

For the exhaust, I got my exhaust done for about £400 cat back, 2.5" stainless, just the one ****ler half way down the pipe as opposed to the stock two ****lers, custom made job. It's awesome, but a little boy-racer if you know what I mean ;) . The main problem is the exhaust is mostly a single piece form the cat. It splits and then the other back box fits on. See this diagram:

You can see it's one piece through to the end. Just after I got mine done however the price of these dropped sharply to £185 for the main piece and £185 for the second back box. So in all, you could buy the parts and fit it yourself for £370. Pretty good when you consider at my time of asking the two parts were £350 a piece plus labour :eek: . Hence I went custom. Typical that the price halved just after I had the work done :rolleyes: . But I like my throaty exhaust, probably would have got it done anyway ;) .

A cheap fix then, that's what I like! :D

If the OEM exhaust is prone to rusting then I think it makes sense to get a stainless one done and it's not going to cost much more.

What are the chances of that exhaust on that car being new-ish and they just didn't put the pipe trims back on?

one thing i would bear in mind its age, its 2003, i would try get a newer year if possible, there is a newer one on the for sale section here i am sure but its a 2.0 litre.

if it got a full honda history it should be pretty safe though, all things considered. At that milage all manners of things can potentially cost you a packet (suspension parts, exhaust and o2 sensors etc etc).

let us know how you get on, parts on the accord aint cheap as pointed out ^^

With my budget I can't really afford to get anything newer and TBH newer doesn't really mean it will be in better condition than one a couple of years older. I have looked at the 2.0L ones but I think I like the leather and sat nav on the 2.4. Insurance and tax is the same so I might as well go for the bigger engine that has abit more grunt.

When you say parts aren't cheap do you mean OEM or pattern ones? No OEM parts are cheap IME but there are plenty of good pattern parts out there. The prices on ECP don't seem too bad.

I am also liking the look of this one but it's 3.5 hours away - http://www.village-carsales.co.uk/used-cars/honda-accord-2-4-i-vtec-executive-5dr-auto-great-harwood-201309048620219
 
It's always possible the exhaust has been replaced. But obviously, you won't know until you see the car and/or service history.
 
Well I've still not heard back from them but I am thinking about this one although it's quite abit over my budget. The alloys are corroded and it needs tax. I guess they have priced it like this because of the mileage? http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201307268009041

Also do the brakes corrode easily on these cars, they look as bad as the one I saw over the weekend?
 
70K on the clock. That will feel great mate.
 
last one 2400-2500 it's ok if it has fsh and everything is fine...tyres, direction, fluids...etc..
 
you can buy these for 2+ grand but keep in mind servicing and running costs will still reflect a 20+ grand motor, what they originally cost.

70k miles is really good ( if true..!).
 
pie, mine has 80k, it's real on clock, mot...so it can be... and i've paid under 2k for an 2003 auto 2.0i without satnav, but executive A
depends a lot how you can negotiate - skills
 
hi, I didnt put to show my car jet, but I will selling my cm2 automatic soon, I having car for over 6 months, been really looked after, month ago dvd player went off, doesnt work at all, so the screen not working at all. any way if you interested I looking for about 2200, with 115kk and partial service history. you will be very welcome for any inspection.
executive version
car been lowered by meself (mechanic experience) of course I still having original springs
tyres having about 5mm tread left
xenon lights (fabric not cheap HID)
front bumper lip
black leather interior
premium sound system ....
any way if you interested I will send you photos and more informations about the car, send me an email on mcmax27@gmail.com
cheers
magic
 
Thanks lorf but I would prefer to buy a car with everything working :)

I saw this one the other day and it's only recently been put on autotrader but have just noticed they've taken £500 off the price, I wonder why? It seems like an awesome price. http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201310219385116

This one is very local to me so might go and see what it's like as well - http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201308198386504
 
I would say you check very well the one with 2000 price.
The price difference is big. Check well the gearbox.
 
It is strange that they've knocked £500 off so soon, unless they just want to shift it.

With the black one the DVD disc is missing, can you buy them and does it mean I can't use the screen until I do or would it just affect the sat nav function?
 
a disc can be got, you can still use the air con etc.

i would be weary of any accords going particularly cheap, if it looks too good to be true, it usually is.
 
if you can get the black one for a few hundred less in a cash sale with a new MOT, I think that would be pretty good.

cash is king, if you have 2,600 in notes he is not going to say no.
 
if you can get the black one for a few hundred less in a cash sale with a new MOT, I think that would be pretty good.

cash is king, if you have 2,600 in notes he is not going to say no.

Funny you said that as I've just been to see it and that is the lowest I got him to.

When I got there the car was already running (I phoned before going) and I noticed the coolant level was below the minimum mark! He topped it up when I told him but this is the second one I've seen with hardly any coolant in the expansion tank - should I be worried?

The battery was flat cos the car has been sitting there, he's had it for around 7 weeks and there was alot of condensation inside but that could be from where it's been standing. I couldn't find any wet patches inside the car to suggest it's leaking. The screen did have a mist patch in the middle as well, although it was only visible with it turned off I think.

It's got full Honda history including the original sales receipt, reasonably good tyres (P6000), which should do another 3-4k miles. Everything seems to work but again it was too light to check the auto leveling headlights. I only drove it up the road and back as no petrol but it was pretty smooth (much better than the other one!) and just a slight pull to the left. It had both upper ball joints replaced and a lower arm bush 7k miles ago. The gearbox oil was done at 70k miles and was pinkish but about halfway on the dipstick.

The headlights seem to have some kind of green algae on them but I'm not sure if it was inside or out. He did try polishing them and it looked abit better.

The alloys were kerbed slightly but not flaking - do these ones flake like the 16" ones?

There was a DVD in the drive but it was a copy and it wouldn't recognise it but the AC was cold, the radio worked, heated seats worked - it looked pretty mint inside.

He is going to get it MOT'd and I told him to let me know and I'll come for a second test drive as I want to take it on the motorway to check the gearbox properly.

He will take card payment (+2.5%) and give a 3 month warranty so I might see if he will meet at £2.5K. It's more than my budget but it is a nice car.

gallery_438_47_842358.jpg
 
looks good, firstly its almost 11 years old. you are not going to be getting a brand new car, all the issues above look par for the course tbh.

once you get a car like that give it tlc and bring it up to the condition that you need, its what i did with mine.

as long as the service checks out would not worry too much

take it on the motorway and drive it hard through the gears, red line it.

should pull without effort and no vibrations.

get the MOT and let us know.
 
That black one is identical to mine apart from mine has the Epsilon alloys and a DVD disc. ;)

Oh, and only 80k on the clock.
 
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