Hello all out there in Copenworld and thank you for allowing me to join the merry throng! Had my Copen (Neville - a 59-plate 1.3) for just a week and have loads and loads to learn - hoping to glean lots from the forum. Great fun but the ride takes a bit of getting used to - still, I guess that without the stiff suspension the handling's going to be rubbish.....? Can't believe I've still got 10 months' Daihatsu warranty on in; mind you, that's a journey....! Anyway, thought I'd bung out a couple of questions and see what you think: Neville wears Bridgestone Potenzas and the books says 35psi all round; when I picked it up they were 30/28/23/21 (!), so I've increased that to the 35. Guess that's sensible?! Interesting reading about the other tyre possibilities when it comes time to change. I've got that grating sound from the front left quarter on turning left but looking at the forum it appears to be the dust cover on the disc brakes fouling the disc - likely culprit? Finally I was a tad shocked to read about how poor the rust protection is. Presumably that's also true of post-2007 cars in the UK? Does anyone recommend any particular preventative course of treatment, e.g. waxoyl, and where would I generally go to get such work done? I reckon that sorting a 4-year old car now is a better bet than leaving it to rot and then trying to cut out, weld and re-spray. Anyway, looking forward to years and years of happy ownership - if you're on holiday in the Lake District I'll give you a wave!
Well I'm not going to be able to answer any of your questions, but there's plenty of people here who can. Oh except the ride.....it's bumpy, yes, so beware of potholes! But the fun youll have will make up for it, I promise. Welcome!
Hi Jules, welcome to Copenworld. Sounds like you've been doing some reading. For rust protection you could try Rustbusters: http://www.rust.co.uk/products/category/32734/we-can-rust-proof-your-car-from-250/
Hi Jules Was that you I saw last Sunday going through Ulverston (CO59 PEN)? I was in my other car, otherwise I would've given you the Copen wave (is there one?) Up to now, I've never seen another Copen around here! Welcome to the club. Like everyone else, I'm sure you'll glean lots of useful info from the site. I waxoyled Dinky this year, as recommended by many other Copenworld members.
Great spot, Debs - in fact it wasn't me, but I'll look out for it. I'm more West Cumbria and proudly sport a local-ish PN plate! Looking forward to waving feverishly to other Copen drivers (just like those happy days in my VW camper!).
If you fancy giving the rust protection a go yourself, here's a link to my write up: https://www.copenworld.com/vb3/showthread.php?t=535&highlight=rust+protection I've found it's about a 50:50 ratio for people who wave back. Had a very happy woman smiling & waving madly back at me & had another woman totally blank me. Always annoys me when they don't wave back. Miserable so & so.
Welcome JulesAtCumbria, You'll have to check out Butter Tubs Pass when you get a chance, it's a great drive we did this summer when we visited the Lake District, but we didn't see another Copen from Southend-on-Sea to there and back and are still to see one whilst driving ours, now that's what I call exclusive! Welcome to the club Clare and Garry
Woh, Clare and Garry - you've got me there! I live here and 'Butter Tubs Pass' is a new one on me! Still, the tiny roads and the glorious scenery (when it isn't raining...!) will be a fantastic playground for the little car; must be why the TG boys chose it when they tested out the Copen a few years back. Thanks for the welcome to exclusivity!
Massive Adam! You've certainly covered all the bases there and made the job a real possibility for someone who's a tad nervous at taking bolts and screws out of cars! Thanks a lot - your advice is much-appreciated.
First top-down drive! Well, all you lovely Copenworlders out there, November in the UK is not the best month to buy a small sports car and expect to enjoy all its various delights, but today was a sparkling autumn day in the Lake District, with sensational colours on the fells glowing under a bright blue sky, so having owned Neville for just a week I got to take him out 'top-down' for the first time - what a joy! With any luck the pic I took of him above our valley will appear, but I may not have got the upload criteria sorted yet! Back at base I took off the left front wheel to sort out the grating coming from the disk dust cover (fingers crossed!) and noticed how rusty all the bolts on the suspension mountings are - and it's not an old car! Taking note of Princess's encouragement to "check those corners" (!) I hosed down all the wheel arches and sills - really mucky! On the NS rear wheel arch the plastic protector has come away, so it looks like a new clip or something is needed. Removing that wheel necessitated me getting out the jack, etc. and guess what ... found them sitting in a puddle of water - aargh:-((! Hopefully it's just stuff that has dripped off the boot when it's been wet and been raised - can't be the brake light leaking yet, surely? The carpet's not wet anyway. Any thoughts on this would be much-appreciated. Finally, there are some stone chips to deal with: two on the NS front wing and two round the edge of the headlamp - guess that means removing the headlamp assembly to get at them - boo! So, only four years old but already showing signs of rot! Still, I'll keep a close eye on those corners - can't believe that Daihatsu didn't do a 'proper' job of rust-proofing before letting the little playthings loose on the UK market. My warranty booklet remains unstamped, so although I've got the service records, I guess that my 8-year anti-corrosion warranty ... isn't! Heyho.
Warms the heart it does, to see your lovely little car on such a sunny day in such a beautiful setting. Shame it's too late for the calendar....
You're right, Quibbles - it suits the Copen down to it's little Potenzas! Thanks for the encouragement.
Pull the partition across in the boot. Then pour a watering can over the boot lid (with the boot lid closed). If the seal on the brake light has gone you will see drips on top of the partition. Check the panel gaps around the boot lid is the same all the way around.
