Faults:

Had problems with the car starting:-

Replaced the spark plugs - no joy.

Replaced the HT leads - still no joy.

Replaced the rotor arm and distributor cap - still no joy.

Replaced the engine ignition control unit - still no joy.

The fault was found to be in the distributor body, a small part of plastic had broken off of the internal cover, replaced this and fixed the problem.

The car then started cutting out at traffic lights and junctions.

Took it to my local garage :-

Fault was found instantly to be the rubber flange under the carburetor which had perished.

Then one day into work it cut out and I just lost trust in it, this was due to vapor loss in the fuel lines.

Also dash lights can be a problem but easily fixed with a soldering iron and new bulb holders.

Oh and the fuel tank sprung a leak where the filler neck meets the tank, this is due to poor design.

Plus it seems to eat wheel bearings.

General Comments:

If you require parts for this car, German and Swedish sell most parts dirt cheap, however parts such as the engine control box have to come from Volkswagen dealerships.

However when it wasn't up on the ramps the car was fun to drive and very nippy about town.

Plus it has a huge boot.

Seats are very supportive.

Faults:

A new petrol tank at 62,000 miles due to a leak.

Followed by the rear shock absorber's collapsing two days later!

New back brakes after brake fluid started leaking at 68,000 miles.

Other than that, only general wear and tear repairs e.g. new exhaust and a few bulbs.

General Comments:

This car is very nippy around town and has even surprised a few boy racers.

However on a motorway there is a lot of wind noise and the ride is quite firm.

The handling of this car is good although, it does have wider wheels than most.

The cabin has worn well and the seats still look new, even though the front seats are uncomfortable.

This car does draw attention to itself, partly because there are not many saloon versions on the road.

My car draws even more attention after somebody hit it in the back and ruined its looks!!

Faults:

Thrust bearing and clutch.

Gearbox.

Engine.

General Comments:

The bodywork of the car was immaculate when bought, and it seemed OK mechanically.

The gearbox had a nasty whine to it, brought about by the thrust bearing in the gearbox. After changing the clutch it was quieter, but the gearbox was on its way out. After throwing a drive-shaft it was time for a new gearbox.

A few thousand miles later, the engine began to knock due to a lack of oil. A reconditioned engine for £120 was thrown in place and the car has been good since.

Faults:

Front wheel bearing needed fixing, although I knew this when I bought the car (cost £100).

Cam belt stretched and snapped, needed replacing along with the water pump (cost £150).

Failed MOT on constant velocity joint seal breaking and rear brake cylinder leaking, cost £150 to repair.

Now the clutch is squeaky and juddery, especially in wet weather and a strange crackling noise is coming from the engine, I think from the battery, especially at high speeds.

General Comments:

Great first car. It doesn't eat much petrol and is cheap to buy, insure and repair.

The 1.0 doesn't really move at all. It's fast for a 1.0, but that's not really saying much. No acceleration to speak of, and if you want to get out of junctions quickly then you'll have to cane the car. Having said that, it did 90mph on the motorway every day during the summer, and kept doing this for about 3 hours one day without the temperature gauge going above half way!

During colder weather and now I've put 15,000 miles on it, I can only get 80 and feel comfortable, although it would do more if pushed.

The handling isn't great, keep the tire pressures high and it'll drive better. It is quite fun to skid around corners when you know how it's going to handle.

The brakes are awful, nothing happens until you've put your foot half way down, and then it's a struggle (no brake servos).

All in all, this is a great reliable car if you don't expect too much from it.