Hi, today I took the plunge and bought my 2009 Copen. Looking forward to years of driving pleasure despite the ridicule from my so called friends that consider at 6ft 2 I'm too tall,I'm not.
Hi Nick, Welcome! So you got the 659 turbo? Kms? Colour? Why not post a pic? Most important thing is regular logbook (kms) servicing with good oil. Here's mine on a sunny winter's day in Canberra. Note small Raptor picture on the garage door to stop Pee-Wees from sitting on my mirrors & crapping on my car. Our house has maybe 10 fierce looking Owls etc - Pee-Wees are persuaded by them! Every six months is my rule for my baby. Tiny turbos need excellent, clean oil. I also let the turbo idle for maybe 30 secs if it's got up to temp before turning her off. Bugger your mates, girls love Copens! Actually everyone does so get used to chats & compliments. Pick a [not uphill!] stretch of windy road & challenge your loudest mate to bring his Nova for a time trial! Just stay on turbo, over say 3,500RPM. Or just pick off agro Hiluxes under brakes through roundabouts. Ford Rangers & Hiluxes are my prey of choice. There are some severe compromises - as you'll already have found out - but it's so much fun to drive! I've thought now & then, maybe get an MX-5 for practicality, but then I look at her & change my mind. I've done a few basic mods just to tidy stuff up a bit. Nothing mad. Ask if you're interested. This is a good international community that I make the most of. Advice, manuals, suppliers, just ask & someone (usually AFRON) will help out. Happy driving, Brian
Hi Nick, how you're fitting inside? Can you see out from the windows (front and side) fine? Doesn't the low edge blocks the view too much? I'm similiar in height and been standing next to Copens but have not sat in one (wanting to buy one though, that's why I'm here) and this is one of my concerns. cheers!
At 184cm I think fitting in wouldn't be your biggest problem, possibly the top of the windscreen? Naturally, get rid of the completely useless "foot rest" located next to the clutch, only small Japanese ballerinas in their dance shoes ever tested it before it got the go ahead. I've built one off the side firewall which is good. I think your biggest problem might be the steering wheel. It adjusts for height - sadly, only down. Mine is all the way up & my legs are closely acquainted with it. I'm 175cm. Also the stupid seat belt. I've put a piece of plastic with velcro from the seat where the fixed mount is to the back. Now my seatbelt is firmly fit above the hardpoints it is meant to go through.
Hi, absolutely no problem at all fitting,in fact my seat is not all the way back when I'm in. Steering wheel adjust just enough that I can get in with dignity!
Hi, Many thanks for the welcome. Mine is actually a 1.3, 32,000 miles, one previous owner and the same colour as yours. I have been looking for several months for a 650 turbo, but non of the ones a saw were in good shape. It appears that UK winters have taken their toll on a lot of Copens bodywork, as I didn't see one that had not been rust repaired or still showing signs of rust. The one I eventually bought had never been out in the winter so avoided the salt on the roads and is blemish free, however she goes in for a complete rustproofing session on Friday to make sure she stays in good shape.
Well, it's a pity that Copens aren't able to age as well as ours here. No salt on the road at all. Regional NSW / ACT Canberra, where mine has lived its life, has bugger all humidity too. Now, about that engine. I don't know why Daihatsu didn't just put in the warmed up version used for the Sirion GTvis. I've owned two GTvi 1.3s & it's a lovely engine. Yours, I believe, is Daihatsu's version of the Toyota Echo/Yaris 1.3. So I own your car & have owned a version of your engine twice. Getting work done on it & parts should be a doddle compared to the rest of us! I'm sure you'd be able to trick yours up with some GTvi bits, exhaust etc. Immediately ditch the crappy air intake for a direct cone type unit. I'd treat it like a GTvi, since they are closely related. That engine line are very solid units as long as they always have clean oil. A quick dipstick will tell you if she needs it now. Blackish, very bad. I was instructed very sternly by my mechanic that this engine has a tendency to foul itself if the oil is crappy. Do at least one service every year & because they're getting on, I'd recommend checking it every month & that services are done to the logbook kilometres, not the date/time. Yours might be due for a 60k logbook soon. Tyres. This could be an unplanned expense, like it was for me. When I brought my Copen home it had always lived as a toy car & not driven much. The expensive tyres had great tread but my mechanic (we did a basic service straight after driving it 375km home.) told me that they were 9 years old. On tyres, there's a code which tells you when the tyre was made (just Google it). If it's 7yo I'd suggest new ones for safety. Happy driving, Brian!
PS: I forgot to ask what rustproofing you're using? Sounds like a good idea. Make sure you have a look at all the under body cross-members when she's on the hoist, it's impressive. Also, we're all waiting to see a pic of your baby! Don't forget to give us a pic of the engine bay (vanity cover removed) as many of us have never seen a Copen with the 1.3. No 2009 Copens here, 2005 is when Daihatsu left Australia, sadly. I'm curious to see if there are any external differences & I'm far too lazy to Google it! And does she speak to you in Japanese? B
I'll get some pics uploaded soon, engine bay included. From what I've seen looking for a Copen there are no differences other than the engine, well hone that i can see. She's going for the roostproofing at a Mercasol Treatment centre, its a Swedish process that includes all cavities and crevices with a self healing solution, expensive but apparently the best.
Yes, I think it went pretty much unchanged until 2013 but maybe they changed a few details. Sounds like you know your rustproofing! There is a dirt/moisture trap at the sill going forward from the front of the door to keep an eye on. It's a bugger to clean - I ended up using a mix of tools & a very good vacuum hose I made with an old laundry hose to get right in there. Looking forward to the pics & whether the cute but stern Japanese girl tells you off!
