Ebay Etc. Just "Run-In" 406s

[caprixpack]

It does make me wonder why cars of the mid 90s were so fragile or at least not as loved, I see plenty of stuff from the 80s and early 90s driving around but hardly anything from the later part of the 90s. I remember seeing lagunas MK5 and mk5b escorts mk1 clios and mk3 astras everywhere but haven't seen any recently. Yet mk4 escorts are common place the mk3 fiesta seems to have outlived the mk4 or 5 at least in my area. Same with the 106 they used to be all over the place, I haven't seen one since my wife got rid of hers yet but things like the Citroën ax are still soldering on, there's 3 I know of around where I live and all are daily drivers.

[PeterN]

Mostly down to rust I think, some of the earlier cars were likely made of better metal and later ones were galvanised. I ran XMs for about 15 years then all of a sudden they started falling to pieces. No rust in the 406's - yet.

Peter

[caprixpack]

Nothing significant on mine but it's definitely showing its age. The bsi every now and then seems to have a seizure and the rear wiper starts going crazy, a week ago while driving the alternator stopped charging and mfd started having a fit and the dash started beeping then the mfd said economy mode active and battery charge fault. By the time I'd found somewhere to stop it had gone back to normal. Hasn't done it again since. The aerial doesn't work, didn't on the factory stereo nor on the Sony head unit, the passengers side rear window works as and when it feels like and the air con even though has been regassed sometimes works sometimes it doesn't.

[steve_earwig]

Crazy footwell connectors?

I still see quite a few 406's, less than a couple of years ago (when they suddenly seemed to be everywhere) but still quite a few, some looking like golfballs but a fair few still looking exceptional. including

My old D9 I didn't see Pedro but his sister (our optician) was telling me what a bloody good car it is. Not that she needed to

The odd thing is, now that there are fewer 406's about, suddenly there are 607's everywhere. Weird.

[steve_earwig]

1998 toupe 2.0cc SATAN-omatic 40,000m

drives well

That's amazing for such a tiny engine!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/123471231489?ul_noapp=true

[Welly]

That must've been giffer owned?

Quick, call Terraclean, there's an urgent de-coking job needed

[Doggy]

Since it's not from the fens, methinks it'll get a decoke every time it climbs a hill

[PeterN]

There are very few 406 Hdi estates fort sale now and a lot of those that are have a ridiculous price tag and are 90 hp or pre march 51 so attract high road tax. My last two I paid around £400 for, one I sold the other I am still running and will do for the foreseeable future, many are being advertised for £2000+, I'm sure they wont sell for that but it makes it difficult to buy one at a reasonable price, there are a few but they seem to sell very quickly.

I have been looking for a possible replacement of another make if I can't a 406 when the time comes but there is very little out there with the simplicity of the 406. One car I do like is the Rover 75 diesel, they have no DPF or DMF and excellent fuel consumption but on researching them they don't appear to have the reliability of the 406, the most frequent problem seems to be the clutch slave cylinder which entails removal of the gearbox.

Any suggestions?

Peter

[steve_earwig]

Most moderns seem to have the coaxial slave cylinder, I've no idea what improvements it makes but from what I've seen in the workshop they all seem to go bad rather a lot. I've no ideas for you, in fact I'd be interested in suggestions too (although it's not like I'd have much choice, I wanted a van but I've been denied ) as all newer cars seem to me to be overcomplicated, unreliable, ugly and completely undesirable.

[Doggy]

....all newer cars seem to me to be overcomplicated, unreliable, ugly and completely undesirable.

Amen to that.

[PeterN]

I would concur. In my youth you could just glance at a car and immediately know the make and type - now they all seem to look the same.

Peter

[Welly]

I broadly agree on that with moderns but I do wonder whether they're as bad as we fear (apart from the styling obvs) if you're 'into' cars like many of us then surely a bit of timely (or better, early) maintenance here and there will see a modern car giving good service? and the 'complexity' seems to get worked around as the car ages with the help of independent forums etc. I definitely think the quality of the various parts and manufacturing has improved, oil leaks are well controlled now etc.

Remember the 'electronic' handbrake scares? it seems now you can just replace the brake pads yourself without dealer-level software and all that jazz...

I think my biggest fear would be buying a car with stop-start gubbins, I'd imagine the starter motor feeling the strain and perhaps some dealer intervention when that little lot throws a wobbly.

[caprixpack]

I do think a lot of it is an irrational fear of anything new and unfamiliar, and it's not a new thing. Can you remember when k jetronic hit the scene in the late 70s? The bad rep it got was rather unjustified, and has still not been shaken now. Compare the same car one running k jet the other the standard carb setup and the engine performance and fuel economy is night and day. Same again when efi and edis came onto the scene, another huge improvement. I'm on my 4th classic daily driver now with k jet and I've never had a problem with it. I'm not particularly a fan of modern cars or technology but you can't deny the improvements that have been made in performance, economy, noise and safety. 20 odd years ago it was unheard of to have a diesel putting out 200bhp + standard, you were lucky if you got half of that. Now you can get a vauxhall diesel that's puts out 210bhp and does 0-60 in 7.5 seconds.

[PeterN]

I agree modern cars are much nicer to drive and be in, but they are also much more complicated. The 406 is a good 'transition' car in that its common rail with the associated improvement in fuel consumption but it doesn't have a DPF making it that much more reliable and cheaper to maintain, but at the same time it has reasonable ride, handling and the engine is virtually bombproof. It's also easier to work on the the subsequent models which seem to have half the engine under the bulkhead.

I have been looking at the Rover 75 diesel which doesn't have a DPF or DMF even simpler but having done quite a bit of research on them it appears the they are prone to clutch failure, or rather slave cylinder failure which still entails gearbox removal, not as easy as with the 406. Not that I have ever had a clutch fail in a 406 - yet. I think I will stick to what I know.

Peter

[Welly]

I agree modern cars are much nicer to drive

I can't decide if I agree with that completely, yes they ride and grip well and seem 'easy' to pilot but the last few modern hire cars I've driven have had horrid light and twitchy steering, is that what people want these days? I dunno but the complete lack of feeling through the wheel is not something I enjoy.