Hi there So my new (secondhand) copen has been for the service today which was fine APART from the fact the the engine is ruined! I did buy the car cheap with the view that there may be a problem...and there is! I have been told that the car has not had sufficient oil changes and has been running on contaminated oil for a while (metallic particles found when they checked out the oil!!) and this has resulted in a big problem with the big engine bearings. Basically it needs a new engine!! :-(( :-(( :-(( Please excuse me if this is slightly incorrect car terminology but it's the best I can do!). Suggestions have been to a) get one from Daihatsu, but this will actally cost more that the car was bought for - so not an option, b) rebuild the current engine (although this was suggested not a good idea as parts are expensive) or c) get a second hand engine and refit it into the car. Seems that the favoured option and the one considered likely to be cheapest is to try and get hold of a second hand one. So........my question is....does anyone know of any second hand engines, or any other ideas..? Like I said, the car was cheap so would be fine with spending another £1000 or so if I have too (and it would still be a bit of a bargain car) which is the kind of figure that has been suggested for the engine and labour....if I can find one! Arrrrrrrrgh! Thanks again, Cat
Sorry to hear your engine's had it. There are a couple of engines on eBay. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/166-2004-Daih...arParts_SM&hash=item53e4890cce#ht_2931wt_1126 http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/152-2003-Daih...arParts_SM&hash=item53e18e27aa#ht_2975wt_1126 the first one dosen't have a turbo & the second has a high mileage. I'd go for the first one & use the turbo off your current one. Get them check the turbo, as if the oil was that bad, the turbo might not be too happy either.
Oh dear Cat, Very sorry to here that. But as I think Adam said, servicing is everything with the 660. Adam has some sound advice. I can't say too much more as I have the 1300. Rex.
Oh Cat, that's such a shame It's given me something to think about too before I hopefully get mine at the weekend.
Ah cat that sucks! Really hope you find a good deal on an engine. Were there any signs of a problem before you took it for a service? I only ask as it could be usefull for others to look out for when looking to buy a copen.
Thanks Adam for the links – so helpful. Have had a look and also found a chap in Essex with one which I have negotiated for £550 (inc. VAT and delivery) with 3 month warranty. Useful advice too regarding the turbo…..so the car is now back in the garage to have the turbo properly checked over tomorrow – I am keeping my fingers crossed that they think this is ok. Sharky – please don’t let this put you off. I did take a gamble when I got the car and negotiated the price right down so was prepared to pay some more money out if we found there to be a problem – which I now know there is! As long as I can keep these additional costs to around £1,000 I will still be pretty happy with the overall cost of the car. That’s as long as the turbo is ok which from the posts on here may mean another £700-800 on top of the engine costs if it is ruined too!!! Regarding your query Andrew….there were some signs that all may not be well when I first looked at it and prior to the service (hence the extremely low price we got it for). Most notably a knocking in the engine! Possibly suggestive that all is not hunky dorey. Second to that was the general condition of the car – filthy – much in need of a wash and very clear that it had been very unloved for a couple of years by the then owners – who also looked like they needed a good wash themselves. So you could say that I bought the car with a fair idea that there would be something wrong, but a small part of me hoped that I might have got away with it!! Such a shame people don’t look after their cars very well and end up ruining them. Keep you posted guys…. Cat Ps I'm so over facebook now i've found Copenworld
Sharky - how did the viewing go today? As a quick update on the poorly engine saga, the turbo has now been checked and seems to be ok, so will replace the engine but keep my current turbo. I have ordered an engine which has only done 19,000 miles (25,000 less that the current one) will be delivered on Tuesday and which, including labour to fit it, will cost about £1,000. So, as long as the engine is ok the price of the car, plus the engine and labour still works out to be substantially less than the current prices of comparable second hand copens! So I don't feel particularly hard done by and thinking about it, I would still have bought it even if I did know about the engine trouble to begin with. There has however been a rather large element of hassle involved! All the best, Cat
Hey Cat, Glad to hear you have sorted things out Viewing was good thanks, car seems to be mechanically sound, just some wearing on the drivers seat bloster really. Might well be reporting that I am the proud owner of a Copen this time tomorrow
Does this mean that you'll be able to put your odometer back to the number of miles done on the donor engine? I'm not sure how that all works.
If your buying the engine from a breakers yard. You could buy the clocks off the car too. Swap them over.
Hmmm.... not sure it would be a good idea to "wind" the speedo back, the rest of the car ie gearbox, wheelbearings, bushes and joints will have covered those miles too, could be considered clocking the car and fraudulent ??
