I am in the process of buying a Z3, so my 1.3 40k Copen has to go. It's virtually immaculate, is blue toothed, and must be one of the best examples of the marque out there. It's only done 1700 miles during the 2 years that I've owned it. It's always been garaged and has never been allowed to get wet. I am asking a mere £3.6k, as keeping it is no longer an option. It's based in Brighton, if you are interested.
Hi BrianK, My 2003 Copen is showing its age. (Dreaded wheel arches !) and I was musing today as I zoomed down country lanes with the top down about aquiring a newer model. Not sure anout the 1.3 though the 660 DOHC engine is the 'proper' one for the Copen but on the other hand, no more lost sleep worrying about the turbo .... What colour is it ?
Battleship grey, with red interior. It's a 2007 car and is not new, but it's as good as it gets. Believe me, the 1.3 is the one to have. The 660 is high maintenance. The Yaris engine will last a lifetime. I had Clarion cars in worthing examine it on Saturday. They found a couple of minor problem areas that would be cheap to resolve, but apart from that, they raved about the car. They used to have the Daihatsu franchise and the guy there knows absolutely everything and more about the Copen. They still service Copens and recently gave mine a major service. They no longer sell 2nd hand 660's because the maintenance costs are so high.
Tempting, tempting. Unfortunately I'm not in a position to proceed as I'm away on holiday very shortly. (Note to burglars - My address is 29 Railway Cuttings, East Cheam). I think you said you were part exchanging but if its still available at the beginning of july I'll get back. Ned
I am not part exchanging. I will buy the Z3 independently. I am under no financial pressure to give the Copen away to a dealer. I can't believe what I wrote in my previous comment. The seats are beige, not red! The previous owner thought that red was "too racy".
Am I right in assuming that every contributor to this forum has an immaculate 1.3, and that no one has either a rusty one, or a .66 that they'd love to upgrade to a stunning 1.3, but thought that they couldn't afford to? I've seen a couple in Brighton recently. One was in the welder's, whilst mine was next door being valeted, and the other is always parked in the same road. It is grey and rust in colour and is fit only for the sardine factory. Rather than virtually give my car to a dealer to make a fast buck on, I am offering it to any of you for £3.5k. I'll throw in the dust cover that I've never used, because the car is always garaged. This really is an incredible opportunity to purchase a fantastic example of this marque at below market value, just as the summer commences. What are you waiting for?!!!!!!!!!!
Or more likely, we are quite happy with whatever Copens we already have. I imagine an Autotrader advert before the end of the summer would clinch it for BrianK.
So you are telling me that there is no .66 owner that wouldn't want to upgrade to a virtually pristine 1300, at a nominal cost? How strange!! I want to avoid using piston heads / auto trader . I Want to try to avoid dealing with time wasters and people lacking in ethics if I possibly can.
Daihatsu themselves upgraded the 660 to 1.3 they obviously realized changing oil and filters at 3 to 4000 miles and heaps of body rust as well as expensive turbo replacement was not the way to go...mechanically the 1.3 is bullet proof when compared with 660 ...
They didn't, since they still sell it exclusively in the current generation Copen. What they did recognize is that us Europeans will buy atmospherically aspirated engines just as well. I'm not aware of the 660's being more prone to rust than the 1300's. d
Daihatsu switched to the 1.3l engine in Europe in 2007 because the 0.659 did not meet environmental standards in some European countries. They continued selling the 0.659 in Japan until production stopped entirely. The 1.3 is cheaper road tax in the UK than the 0.659 due to emissions. The turbo is practically the only failure point for the 0.659 engine and with proper care you're good for quite a while. The 1.3 might actually have a problem with the timing chain which is usually meant to last the lifetime of the car, now this is just anecdotal evidence but I've seen 3 of the 1.3's with timing chains gone on the UK Copen FB group in the last few months. Body rust has nothing to do with the car version and everything to do with road salt, the Japanese don't use it so don't galvanize their steel to European standards, both versions have the same problem there.
You’re right @BrianK. This is a forum used by enthusiasts so most 1.3’s are in great condition as are the 660cc. I’d go so far as to say that my 1.3 Copen is in better condition than yours since it still has 24 months Dinitrol protection warranty to run, has a new battery and alternator, full service history, and all fluids (they’re the wet bits that drive the brakes, coolant, steering etc) changed. New plugs of course and the bonnet resprayed because it’s prone to chipping not rust. My boot is dry and no anodisation of the pump or ECUs. As a matter of record, the 660 cc is probably the purists car but failed to meet EU regs so Daihatsu wisely chose to use the Yaris 1300cc engine to maintain sales. The benefit to us was better mpg and lower tax. I love the torque of the 1.3 but appreciate my 660cc owners right to rev the nuts off there cars with a much better sound. In short BrianK, you have managed to alienate most of this forums members. So good luck with your sale.
If I’m reading the sentiment of the great guys of this forum correctly @BrianK , I think you’re in danger of being a big end.
I have obviously touched a raw nerve here and apologise profusely for that. I have no technical knowledge relating to the vehicle and perceived a 1.3 to be an upgrade from a 0.6 Simple as that. I can confirm that the 'local' garage that used to hold the franchise service my car. They still sell used 1.3's, but no longer deal with the .66, because they consider the ongoing maintenance charges to be excessive. I have no idea what these charges comprise of. Anyway, please accept my apologies, I never meant to offend anyone on the forum.
How lucky am I , I was the original owner of said Copen it was my pride and joy it was a beautiful car when i brought it .I put a private plate on her ,added different interior ( beige ) , different front grill different wheels and tyres , clear indicators .removed bumpers and wheel arch linings and dinitol cavity waxed and undersealed all the arches and underneath the whole car . Put a bluetooth stereo in it .I was always serviced and gave me so many smiles for miles , I loved that car when I sold it but just was not using it enough as my time was needed with other things going on . I asked Brian If he would give me first refusal if he wanted to sell it , he rang me . It had only done 1700 miles since I sold it to him and he had giving it another full service with all fluids etc and a very expensive valet . I thought long and hard for a few days and really wanted it but couldn't really justify having it back , then my daughter tells me she would love to have it and wanted to buy it . So tonight as I look out of my window I have my baby back ok it not officially mine but I will be used and loved and cared for and I have been promised I can use it whenever I want : ) . Im so so happy it funny how cars can do this to us hey .
