looking to buy a smart car

[horgantrevor]

hi im heading offshore soon for almost a year so two weeks of every month ill be offshore

im also going to change over the c240 v6 to the 4.3 v8 amg engine while im off

so i need a run around

i had one in cork were im from but the guy selling it changed his mind he is keeping it now

im in worthing from the 16 for two weeks i know of a dealer in Littlehampton, West Sussex, which wont be too far from me has any one dealt with him before

the other reason is the car tax will be cheap in ireland

 

[Sp!ke]

What's your budget?

 

[horgantrevor]

1000 to 2000 pounds

in ireland my c240 v6 is just over 900 euro a year tax
a smart is 172 euro a year

this is one of the main reasons im looking as im not paying that tax on a car that will not be driven for half a year


any help would be great

 

[Bellow]

Buy a Ford Ka or similar. At that budget you will be buying a basket case smart which will soak up your time and money to sort out. Buy something simple that doesn't need to be connected to a computer just to empty the ashtray.

Trust me - I own and run one. A smart that is. Not a smart car. Do we say Mercedes car? Or Ford car? Or BMW car? The manufacturer's name is sufficient for smarts too!

 

[horgantrevor]

i know but the tax is cheaper over here on one of these i could spend more if i found the right one

 

[nick mercedes]

1000 to 2000 pounds

You won't get a decent one for that.

They'll all be worn out and needing new engines ($$$)...

 

[horgantrevor]

ah well i best keep looking i need a car with cheap tax in ireland as it wont be getting used a lot but i have to be able to collect my son who is 4 also in it and i want a safe car

 

[wemorgan]

Audi A2 1.4 - €2,960 (£2,543) - Used Cars on Autotrader.ie - New & Used Cars in Ireland

 

[Sp!ke]

a £2000 smart car will likely be due for a replacement engine and be pretty rough around the edges.

I'd look for somerthing else as others have said.

A mate of mine sold one recently for £500 which drove (just) but even I wasnt foolish enoiugh to buy it. Pretty much everything was shagged.

 

[nick mercedes]

ah well i best keep looking i need a car with cheap tax in ireland as it wont be getting used a lot but i have to be able to collect my son who is 4 also in it and i want a safe car

What you need is a cheap small van, somthing like a Combo, cheap tax in Ireland for vans?

 

[Bellow]

Also, my observation from smart fora is that Irish owners struggle for parts and service.
Have you considered SORNing a second car for the half of the year it will go unused? Which reminds me - smarts don't take kindly to being left static for long periods! They are great little cars - but a nightmare to buy on a tight budget.

 

[shorty]

Why not drive away in the 240 and feck paying road , or even tax it for 3 months every 6 months . This is what most ppl I know are doing , myself included , sure my own cars tax expired in july or augest .

 

[horgantrevor]

The c240 is being converted to v8 with a c43 engine

So it has to go off the road

I'll keep looking I might find some thing when im over in England for the next two weeks

 

[horgantrevor]

thx for all the advice i bought one this week 55km on the clock year 2000

i gave it a full service and changed the gearbox oil it has a good history with a porsche indi was doing all the work on her for years

i have to say it a great little runner


buy the way i got for half my top budget

now i can start on the v6 to v8 change yip heeee

 

[wemorgan]

Good luck with it. I enjoyed mine for the few years I had it.

 

[trapperjohn]

Good Luck from me also. I sat in Will's Smart and was surprised how spacious it was. Have driven a couple since then but they are just not for me.

 

[C63er]

If you need any advise about smarts send me a pm I have owned 6 of them

 

[horgantrevor]

thx ill keep you in mind