Buying a new car (Need Advice)

[eminvil_12]

Hi,

Ive been on these forums for a little while now just having a look now and then.
Im now coming to the stage where i need a car (im nearly 18) and i have made my mind up that im definitely 100% getting a AU model ford. Leaning towards a newer series 2 or 3.

I have been looking over several car sites for the past months and have found a few cars which im interested in. Though im a big car fan and an avif Ford lover i do not know much about performance and how much various things cost on cars.

Thus making it a little hard to see whats better value out of cars with and without body kits and suspension etc.

Anyway, I was hoping to get some input from a few of the members here as i have seen some of you really know what your talking about and could give me some really helpful advice as to which car i should choose.

First of all let me mention i have approximately $9k - $10k to spend on a car give or take a little bit.

I'll get started by showing a few examples of cars i have come across within my price range and have really liked.

First is this 99 model forte which came like this from the factory with 123,000kms
heres its details
Pictures first though -

FULL TICKFORD BODYKIT, TICKFORD SPORTS SUSPENSION, ALARM, CD STACKER AND IN SENSATIONAL CONDITION IDEAL FOR THE FIRST CAR BUYER
Basically all the information is the standard stuff, no other upgrades etc and it comes with RWC
Can get it for around $10,500

Then there is this car from pickles auctions, they are always this cheap over there and i could probably pick a decent one up for around $6.2k with under 140,000kms http://pickles.com.au/auctiontt.html

So really this car is stock and around $4,000 cheaper than the tickford with the tinted windows, tickford suspension and bodykit aswell.

If i were to buy a stock car like that i would want to upgrade it with tinted windows, mags, bodykit etc (just visual stuff at first) aswell as an exhaust system for starters.

So i was wondering. Am i better off buying a nicely looked after low km stock AU and then spend money upgrading or is it just as cheap to buy the tickford which already has a few little mods and the tickford badge .

Any help what so ever would be greatly appreciated.

Regards,
eminvil_12

EDIT: Mods, if this is in the wrong section feel free to move it thanks

[GTENVY]

depends on what you want to mod on the car, I found even if I brought a car with everthing I still wanted to change it acouple of months dwon the track. Go with the lowest kms for the best price as possible. If you can afford it the series II would be a better option IMO.

Watch what colour you buy also as some are alot easier to keep in goog condition than others e.g stay away from Black if its a everyday driver.

[stiddy]

Take the car for a nice loooong test drive, listen for any unusual noises.. check for leaks, vibrations etc etc..
Check for km's you dont want something with 500,000k's on the clock even though it looks immac from the outside (sounds like a few girls I know hahaha)
Its really upto you on what series you want, most would lean towards a series 2 or 3.. Ive got a series 1 and adore it.. wouldnt ever consider swaping for a series 2 or 3..

You can buy one that modded and go further, or buy a stock one and then mod it 'your' way, which is what I would do, more satisfaction from doing it that way, you said $4000 cheaper the non tickford one but new suspension and a new body kit on the stocker would cost that anyway.. if not more.

have a good look at them, sit on it for a week, and see which one pulls you in to it more..
I looked at several cars when buying mine, and the one I have now is the one I couldnt stop thinking about, the one I just wanted..

or

Flip a coin? lol..

[fordy-two]

Points to consider:

1- it's your first car, you are going to ding it. You are, just accept that. Dings cost lots to fix, factor it in.

2- modding cars always costs more than you think it will. always.

3- resale is generally better on factory models and factory options rather than aftermarket. Spoilers, mags, skirts etc just make it easier to sell to other young drivers. Older drivers will assume it's been thrashed.

4- anything from an EF onwards is going to give you all the power you need, ABS(highly recommended, has saved my life) and hopefully an airbag or two or four. I consider ABS and airbags must haves. AU series 2 apparently have much better brakes. I know you don't know it, but you are mortal.

5- Should have service books at the level you are looking at. Ex lease cars at the auctions are great buys for this reason.

6- I once bought a flash new car with a V8. It was fantastic, fun, and nice to have. After about nine months though, it really was just something to get me from A to B...

(except for when there was about 10 cars between you and that truck on the highway that was slowing up traffic for miles and the dotted lines on the road only lasted for a little while and the other 10 cars in front of you just wouldn't overtake because of all the oncoming traffic and you'd just plant the foot and open up and take all ten cars and the truck in a matter of seconds with your back planted firmly into the seat and that beautiful v8 burble in your ears and you'd look back at all those suckers in their normal cars and whoop and holler and think you were the king of the world, because, of course, you were
...er, shouldn't probably have mentioned that).

I've always reckoned the Futura's are a good thing. If you're not scared of high km's and as long as there are service books, you may even get into a BA for around $12k , or even a low km's one at the auctions.

Good Luck.

[eminvil_12]

Thanks for the replies everyone

I dont know if i want that factory tickford.
for one is it a XR6? or just a normal V6?
and i am thinking of a meaner bodykit, though there is $2000 for that.

I would rather an AU, im kinda addicted to Ford AU's, i love them, and BA's look ugly to me and a bit too boxy, you know what i mean.

The AU has so many options for upgrades as to what i have seen anyway.

Plus getting a cheap stocky with 120kkms for around $6.2k means adding on costs for Rims ($1000~), Bodykit($1.8k ?), Tint($230~), Exhaust ($600)

Primarily i want a car i can either mod or be a half decent car to have.
sound wise, visual and performance wise aswell.

You can probably tell by this post i have changed my mind several times throughout it. But if somebody could give me some ballpark prices of Rims, Bodykits, Tints, Suspension lowering, Exhaust systems.

Thats pretty much what i want on it for starters.
Tickford having the suspension, rims, cd stacker aswell ($250~) and bodykit and tint already in the price aswell as a RWC whereas auction cars dont have them.

Thanks for the help everyone,
anyone else got any ideas for me


erminvil_12

[Bucknaked]

Falcons are all I6. I think make your list up of mods of things you really want to do to the car. Then have a look around at whats for sale and see what is on your list if it's already on the car. You might find theat you pay a little more, but it already has most of what you need. So less money to spend later. Especially if you don't have a lot now. Its more likely to satisfy your needs in the meantime.

I'm with stiddy. I got everything i wanted, except for an 8, and now I'm finding I'm changing those things. :

[WILDTRAKPX2]

Originally Posted by eminvil_12

and BA's look ugly to me and a bit too boxy, you know what i mean.

:

[eminvil_12]

I mean the stock ones with no kits or anything
I just dont like them as much as AU's.
Im not trying to offend or anything :P

Also whats the difference between the XR6 and a stock forte for example?
is it just a few visual extras and is it any permormance extras?

thanks

[jacksam]

well here I am an old bloke who shouldnt be in the site cause I have a vy sv8...but i do love fords also. Is that all too wierd. And I discover that my 17 yr old son is posting questions about mods for AU falcons. Oh the worry that besets a parent. Nonetheless I am impressed by the effort he is making to get some advice from this forum and thought "fourty-two" made a lot of sense. Esp about the bing in the first year or two...

[DivHunter]

AUs are cheap as chips and good cars. My first two cars were AUs and served me very well. Until I traded the Fairmont 6 for a Ghia V8 which was later written off by a tree jumping out and side swiping me _

Get car - crash car - get more powerful v8 car - crash car - get more powerful turbo car. This is really, really bad for insurance :

[Ryan]

Originally Posted by jacksam

well here I am an old bloke who shouldnt be in the site cause I have a vy sv8...but i do love fords also. Is that all too wierd. And I discover that my 17 yr old son is posting questions about mods for AU falcons. Oh the worry that besets a parent. Nonetheless I am impressed by the effort he is making to get some advice from this forum and thought "fourty-two" made a lot of sense. Esp about the bing in the first year or two...

Welcome to the site mate.

Its cool if you have a VY SV8, I have a VL and look how long ive been here, despite a few problems, my time here has been cool.

Stick around.

[Dark Horse]

Not much more I can add, mmm maybe head down to the aufalcon BBQ if you're in Melbourne! Check with what your insurance will let you drive, and as Fordy-Two has pointed out you will most probably ding it in your first couple of years of driving.

The forums here have all the Ford brochure scans for all AU series including the Tickford XR series, have a browse, make a few notes and then compare with actual cars you're going to look at, so you don't get dudded with a faker.

aufalcon.com - there's more than a few of us members who have done a few things to our cars which will give you a rough idea with regards to which way you want to go mods wise.

[Ultimate]

All i going to say have someone that knows there stuff look at your car before buying it.

[eminvil_12]

i just bought a car right off these forums

Looked like a good buy to me.

Ford AUII Forte
black interior, tinted windows, clear tail lights, lowered suspension, 120xxx kms auto,aircon,electric windows upgraded brakes, 2 1/2'' exhaust, 18" chrome wheels top of the range pioneer and infinity stereo worth around $4000 he said. reg, rwc

bought it for $9000

So you will see it up here soon in the pride and joy section

[megsy]

Also if you can head out to one of the pickles auctions and see how they work, from what i have heard, when my parents bought their car, they couldn't test drive it (obvoiusly wou wouldnt want 3000 cars being test drove) and most importantly see how the auctions work, they can save you a lot of money but they can also be a bit daunting.

my view, buy something you happy with and if you want to change it later then you can, if you like the look of the ticky kit, then go for it, if you want to build you own masterpiece from scratch then you can do that too, im almost 21 now and when people say your going to ding your first car they are right, but you will find the more work you put into your car the more you look after it.

EDIT why did i bother typing that!!!

Enjoy your car, sound like a good price too hope everything goes well and if you have any questions about anything to do with fords just ask and someone will be able to help

[AnthonyQLD]

Be sure to post up some pics.

[eminvil_12]

megsy, i have been to the pickles auctions in tulla. a few times actually.
But the auctions are now going for more as they get more publicity. Especially Pickles, tulla.

The prices AU's were going for were
AUs mostly sold around $7k-11k without any RWC or anything.