Hello all,

My name is Alex and I'm from Connah's Quay in North Wales.

I picked this up a couple of days ago for £450 and intended to use it as a runaround and to get me to work until it's MOT in September.





















The more I drive it though and the more I read up on them the more I'm thinking I might actually have a potential classic on my hands and should spend some money on it...?

I know nothing about them or Jap cars in general, I usually go German if I'm honest so hoping to get some help and advice here starting with... is this car worth throwing money at and keeping? Will need some welding for the MOT but it's not TOO bad...

Many thanks!

Welcome to the club, gotta love a Blue F. she's looking good, apart from the wing, but that will be sorted soon enough. Looking forward to seeing how you get on with it. There is plenty of help, advice and guides etc.

Hi Alex!

A 1.5, but it has aircon - what's the actual spec/edition? I can't read the sticker on the front wing. The Z5 engine is fantastic, it's very hardy if a little underpowered.

They are potential classics - this one looks pretty much untouched apart from an uprated radio, and it doesn't look like it's been parked in a lake! The large hatch means the BA has a huge boot, and with the rear seats folded down you can get pretty much anything in it.

The wing can be sorted - they can be just unbolted and a new one bolted on.

As the reg number is on your photos, I had a look at the MOT history online, and it looks like the potential need for welding is around the jacking points (which fall within the prescribed area for the seatbelt anchorages). This is usual for these cars (happened on my 1.5) and fixable if caught in time - a localised weld if everything else around is still sound. More importantly, on this particular car it was still an MOT pass despite that deterioration, which is good news, you have the opportunity to catch the issue in time. So unless the problem has worsened significantly since the last MOT, if the metal is still sound you may be able to get the area fully cleaned up and safely sealed without welding. Best ask a pro to have a look and advise.

BUT this problem will escalate very fast (trust me, been there!), so get it dealt with quickly and professionally, this summer. Don't leave it another winter, if you intend to keep the car, and don't get an interim bodge job, make sure it's thoroughly done by someone who cares, or you'll spend other money on the car thinking all is OK, and then in 18 months the issue will be back, and far worse.

Also, although it wasn't on the MOT assessment, thoroughly check the inside of the rear arches, at the front of the arch (so, the area immediately behind the rear door). This will be the next place it will go, so clean that up (get a wire brush in there to get out any built-up dirt), and if you spot any rust or weakness there whatsoever, or anywhere on that corner, get that dealt with properly at the same time as the jacking points.

It would pay to remove the rear plastic trim that's screwed onto the rear arch and check the condition of the metal underneath. Water can get in under this trim and can cause rot. It's only held on by a couple of plastic screw fixings, so a small crosshead screwdriver will help you get that off to inspect it.

Hope this helps, and you decide to keep the car - we'll help you with whatever you need to know, just ask.

S

Hi Alex,
It looks really nice and original (until I got to the front wing!). But yes, well worth keeping and maintaining. The wing can wait if you are prioritising, because the underneath is more important, like Serena says.
Great colour, and I think it's an LXi.

Several of us on here have a BA in various states of (dis)repair, so do ask anything you need to know.
I've had 2 BAs, of which one (the Figaro) had to go because of the repairs it needed, but I wish I'd kept it now. I still have a 1.5 GLX.

Great find - thanks for sharing the pictures. Serena has covered the important info about getting the underside rust sorted, the wing can wait. I am currently breaking a 1.5 in blue and have that wing available if you need it. But it's comestic so don't fret about the wing. I bought my green daily-driver BA as a fun car to tinker with and I've found this forum really helpful and packed with how-to articles. If there are car-meets near you it would be worth taking it along, as they always cause interest; good looks, jap reliability, amazing five-door space and can be fun to drive. The BA is really easy to work on and maintain, so I hope you do enjoy your time with it