New 1.3

[Quality]

What should I check/replace on an old ish 1.3 manual maestro that my brother is looking at buying, this comes after the fan belt snapped of my allegro and the cooling system have more brown crap in it that a sewage works.:rage:

[John]

Check for corrosion in the rear wheel arches, door corners and back of the boot. Make sure the heater works and there are no leaks into the cab. That's all I can think of at the moment apart from the normal checks with any car. If I think of anything else I'll post another reply.

[SimonR]

Check for smoke on startup and be a little suspicious if the car is already warm when you see it. My old 1.3 used to drink a fair bit of oil probably because a 1.3 Maestro engine has a fairly tough life. Also give it a good rev and see how much smoke comes out teh back.

Check for corrosion around the suspension, especially rear, as this will be an MOT failure. Also check for corrosion near seatbelt points.

Obviously check the oil/water for signs of headgasket trouble, as well as the gasket itself - look for coolant stains and oil leaks.

You'll prolly find that the vacuum system has perished components, perhaps especially where it connects to the inlet manifold banjo union. Air leaks here will cause rough running and poor accelleration.

The thing is that a new engine isn't going to set you back more than £100 so check bodywork as this is what can condemn a car and costs loads to repair.