Finally, 7 years after 1st thinking about getting one, I now have a Skoda Felica pick-up 1.9D (or a converted cube to be more precise 
).
Swapped it with MiniDan for my Audi 80 (sad to see it go, but the fuel consumption was just too much after work switched my role about so I went from 300 miles a month to 300 a week
)
And I am very impressed. Wasn't any were near as sluggish as I had feared, sat at 70 happily on the M4 (driving through the monsoon ). The headlights proved a puzzle at 1st (who thought 2 different switches to get dip beam on and why is the headlight adjustment switch so big?) but thankfully Dan was still on hand to ask
Got a couple of niggles to sort out, there is very little antifreeze in it, so will be getting damp tomorrow no doubt, the PAS is borked (hopefully a good pump will sort that and not have to do the rack and pipes too), sometimes has the hotstart issue (so a new temp sender will be on route from VW next week) and it needs a wheel balanced (bit of a shake at 65).
It also needs the previous owners attempt to make it look like a VW undoing (hopefully some thinners will shift the black paint) and Skoda badges front and rear are needed
Anyway, pic's
So That was day 1, Day 2 and a trip out to get some fuel and anti freeze, drained, refilled and bleed no problems
Also got the fag lighter clipped back in (Dan had knocked it out when removing his headunit at A52).
Then the fun started Monday morning, out in the dark to head to work. Fired up fine, sidelights came on fine but dip and main refuse to work 
Flash works, but that's it. So jump in the wifes Ka only to find that the road out the village is flooded so I'm working from home then
The setup on these is a bit odd, you have one switch for side lights, a seperate switch for dipped (which is what i've replaced) and then there is the stalk for dip/Main/flash and there is no headlight relay
So after some reasearch, I came to the conclusion that the dip switch (on the dash) is the most likely culprit (common failure on these) so wrestle with the dash and get the switch out. It rattles so pretty happy it is the culprit.
So picked up a new switch from my local VAG specialist (under £12 next day, happy with that) and just stuck it in. Still the same I've checked the fuses (visually), and they all look intact.
I think the fuses are next on the list, luckily I have a big box of new blade fuses, so I replace them (its getting dark by the time I get home so am trying to work by torch), still nothing.
But, because its going dark I could see that the dip switch (on the dash) illuminates once the side lights are on and the switch gets brighter when switched so there is power getting to the switch.
So next logical step is the stalk. So a happy hour of wrestling getting the steering wheel off and the column cover I free the stalk. So out with the multi meter (once a new battery was fitted) and I can find continuity between the indicator side terminals, the flash terminals but nothing across the remaining terminals no matter what setting the switch is in. So I come to the conclusion that the switch is dead/
Trip to the local breakers, find all 5 of their Felicias have had their dashes raped of switches, but 2 still have stalks. I remove the set from a facelifted one (it still had its glass so should be in better condition than the other mk1 that was missing most its glass), check the part numbers, all match Paid £8 and on my way
Was starting to get dark, but had enough light to try the switch and still nothing And to top it all, went to start it (just to make sure that the ignition switch wasn't in the wrong position) and the battery was nearly flat. But it had enough juice to start so left it idling for 5 mins (still nothing on the light front )
So this mornig will be back out in the cold, checking to see where power is getting to with the multi meter (see if power is getting to the switches and to the stalk) and will go and swap the stalk for the other one and see if that is any better
Don't you love old cars
).Swapped it with MiniDan for my Audi 80 (sad to see it go, but the fuel consumption was just too much after work switched my role about so I went from 300 miles a month to 300 a week
) And I am very impressed. Wasn't any were near as sluggish as I had feared, sat at 70 happily on the M4 (driving through the monsoon ). The headlights proved a puzzle at 1st (who thought 2 different switches to get dip beam on and why is the headlight adjustment switch so big?) but thankfully Dan was still on hand to ask
Got a couple of niggles to sort out, there is very little antifreeze in it, so will be getting damp tomorrow no doubt, the PAS is borked (hopefully a good pump will sort that and not have to do the rack and pipes too), sometimes has the hotstart issue (so a new temp sender will be on route from VW next week) and it needs a wheel balanced (bit of a shake at 65).
It also needs the previous owners attempt to make it look like a VW undoing (hopefully some thinners will shift the black paint) and Skoda badges front and rear are needed
Anyway, pic's
So That was day 1, Day 2 and a trip out to get some fuel and anti freeze, drained, refilled and bleed no problems
Also got the fag lighter clipped back in (Dan had knocked it out when removing his headunit at A52). Then the fun started
Monday morning, out in the dark to head to work. Fired up fine, sidelights came on fine but dip and main refuse to work 
Flash works, but that's it. So jump in the wifes Ka only to find that the road out the village is flooded so I'm working from home then The setup on these is a bit odd, you have one switch for side lights, a seperate switch for dipped (which is what i've replaced) and then there is the stalk for dip/Main/flash and there is no headlight relay
So after some reasearch, I came to the conclusion that the dip switch (on the dash) is the most likely culprit (common failure on these) so wrestle with the dash and get the switch out. It rattles so pretty happy it is the culprit.
So picked up a new switch from my local VAG specialist (under £12 next day, happy with that) and just stuck it in. Still the same I've checked the fuses (visually), and they all look intact.
I think the fuses are next on the list, luckily I have a big box of new blade fuses, so I replace them (its getting dark by the time I get home so am trying to work by torch
), still nothing.But, because its going dark I could see that the dip switch (on the dash) illuminates once the side lights are on and the switch gets brighter when switched so there is power getting to the switch.
So next logical step is the stalk. So a happy hour of wrestling getting the steering wheel off and the column cover I free the stalk. So out with the multi meter (once a new battery was fitted) and I can find continuity between the indicator side terminals, the flash terminals but nothing across the remaining terminals no matter what setting the switch is in. So I come to the conclusion that the switch is dead/
Trip to the local breakers, find all 5 of their Felicias have had their dashes raped of switches, but 2 still have stalks. I remove the set from a facelifted one (it still had its glass so should be in better condition than the other mk1 that was missing most its glass), check the part numbers, all match Paid £8 and on my way
Was starting to get dark, but had enough light to try the switch and still nothing And to top it all, went to start it (just to make sure that the ignition switch wasn't in the wrong position) and the battery was nearly flat. But it had enough juice to start so left it idling for 5 mins (still nothing on the light front )
So this mornig will be back out in the cold, checking to see where power is getting to with the multi meter (see if power is getting to the switches and to the stalk) and will go and swap the stalk for the other one and see if that is any better
Don't you love old cars
So back out the and refit it. Try it and still nothing.
[*]
[*]
so popped over to eurocarparts at lunch and got one for £46 