Faults:

Battery tray had rotted away.

Sills replaced recently.

3 new doors.

Axle replaced.

Prop shaft replaced.

Floor needed welding.

Rear wheel arches very rusted.

Wiring loom touched the exhaust manifold and burnt in half.

Engine has just blown.

General Comments:

It's lethal on wet roundabouts - the back end slides out and it is very difficult to rectify when this happens. Hood handling in the dry.

The engine is loud at high revs.

Excellent driving position and more than decent performance for a 17 year old.

Faults:

Clutch cable broke at 170 000 going on holiday. Couldn't get an original cable (in France) so put a pattern one on which broke 1 year and 1 week later. Replaced with an original which is fine.

Exhaust manifold cracked at 190 000.

One or two front brake calipers were needed (seized - £5 from the breakers).

Cylinder head valves and seats, rings and shells done at 175 000.

Otherwise normal wear and tear (discs, pads, shocks, bushings, exhaust twice, clutch once - only because of a noisy bearing, cam belts).

Never paid more than £3/gallon for the oil. The trick is to use genuine parts, warm the motor gently and change every 6 000 miles.

Engine is seriously tired now but a change of valve guides and maybe cord rings will keep me going to 300 000 miles.

If there wasn't so much rust I'd completely overhaul the motor.

General Comments:

40 mpg until recently.

80 000 miles on a set of tyres (Michelin).

Lot's of room, extremely comfortable, very easy to work on with ordinary tools.

Tough (3 accidents).

Faults:

Asoulutely nothing!!

General Comments:

I bought the car 2 years ago and everybody I spoke to said the DOHC engines were trouble. I can safely say I have had nothing go wrong with the car at all. The electrics have not given me any trouble either. I can get 44mpg and the car will do 130mph, not a bad combination I think.

Faults:

Nothing at all has gone wrong with it, although there are a few things on the car that don't work, but it was like that when I first bought it.

General Comments:

A brilliant family car that is cheap to run and maintain, good performance and very reliable.

The only thing I don't like about it is the squeaky interior which can be very annoying on long journeys!

Faults:

Cam chain tensioner (rare).

4th gear (expensive!!!).

Gearbox mount (speedhumps!).

Rev-counter.

General Comments:

I am amazed how good this car is - it can do 125mph and still averages 34-38 mpg. I'm hoping something serious will go wrong with it so I can replace it.

Also, almost no rust, just a small bit coming through at the rear of the bonnet. It's black.

Faults:

Eeplaced shocks at around 100,000.

Work to the passenger front door at 165,000.

Clutch cable twice.

Auto choke at 80,000, as well as regular servicing.

Engine has always performed marvellously. Have found it totally reliable. Shame the body work needed is uneconomical - driver's side sill needs replacing, passenger side needs welding and the windcreen surround top left hand corner - as it feels like it would go on forever.

General Comments:

Wish I'd got a 1.8 rather than 1.6 as I'm sure that bit of extra poke would have made it that much more enjoyable.