thinking of buying a Ka

Lower arms wear the bushes, top mounts wear out, rear springs snap, all leading to a very tired feeling car. Fuel tanks are IIRC metal on all models so watch out for that. Rot, well, sills- inner and outer, under the rear arch mouldings, the bottom of the front wings, the A pillars, the bootlid around the wiper, the fuel filler panel, the subframe mounting extensions, under and adjacent to the rear beam mounting points, the boot floor, the seatbelt mounting point for the front belts, and the inner wings and subframe mounts behind the strut.
Not trying to sound the harbinger of doom, a good condition one lowered on wide alloys is great. I'll vouch for that for sure, albeit it was the wifes car. Panther Black metallic. It had the lexus lights on when she bought it. So we fly-eyed EVERYTHING, lowered it, Pepper pots (good choice!) and threw the Japcan on because it was just a silly car. But it was great to hoon about in. Having a huge subwoofer in it helped really re-kindle being 18 all over again.

Do not underestimate their ability to rot, especially in hidden places. Often by the time it shows in the surface they’re too far gone for most people to stomach (or finance) welding up. A mates Mrs had a mint one, super low miles, always garaged, has been her grans from new. Looked immaculate til it started to bubble a bit on one rear arch. Ended up replacing most of that rear corner, by the times the plastics and underseal was off it was holes everywhere.

The other perculiar fault they have which can be a total pain in the posterior to sort is the bolt for the rear void bush on the front wishbone. It goes up from underneath, through the subframe, then the nut on top sits in a recess that fills with water/mud and they rust solid. Access is super tight, just enough to get a spanner in, and cos they’re in a recess you can’t get to them to cut the head off. I’ve been brought a couple to sort out when other people have either given up trying to get them undone or totally f-ked them up doing so.

Bought a street ka for my daughter a year ago (identical to the one in the pic above) , 80,000 miles service history and cost £900, no signs of any rust but did need a couple of tyres.

Issues
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A/C didn't work but a £30 recharge seems to have fixed it.
It developed a missfire after she drove though flood water but a new coil plugs and leads came in at only £80
Control arm bushes were past their best so I changed the arms at around £60 the pair.
I managed to break the washer bottle cleaning leaves out of the scuttle £40 for a new one.
It also has knocks from the rear axle bushes a new pair cost £30 but I have yet to fit them

So all in not too bad and now I have done all the usual KA issues I expect a year or 2 with nothing much more than servicing.

Zetec? Yes. I wonder why Ford never bothered. The SportKa would have been great with a 1.6 or 1.7 engine. Instead, it got a wheezy Brazillian POS engine that wasn't quick, drank more than Paul Gascoigne given its engine size (30MPG on a run? Thank you, but no thank you....), and it was based on reliable, but by then very outdated technology, given what the competition were using.

CVH Turbo? Not many have been done that well. The issue is the turbo. Go with a big dick length Garret T3 and it compromises your rad space. I've seen people fit EWPs, second rads, had others tell them of the problems they'll face and oddly enough the same cars seem to go through to sale quite alot.

The key with a CVH Turbo is subtlety. A nice T2 will do the trick along with a large custom radiator. They are the only ones I've seen work. But when the 1.7 Zetec engine works so well, it doesn't seem worth the effort anymore, espeically when most CVH Turbos now crack blocks due to being heat cycled alot, meaning crack free blocks now command a premium.

As above they are a great laugh, but man they love to rot! Making of an RR ride? I'd say they're closer than we think. They were a very clever design back then, and done on a shoestring. It's a shame the rust prevention wasn't quite as good.

Both of the Kas I had are now dead. They were both the following:

-a 1998 Ka1 with an MS Design Bodykit, 14" TSWs, and a Sportex Backbox. I bought that as cheap transport for a while
-a 2003 Ka Sun Collection I owned from new. It had Ford Racing 7Jx15" wheels on it, Ford Racing suspension, and being a Sun Collection, it had a Webasto roof and AC. It was one of the last Kas to come off the line with the Endura engine.

Considering the engine had it's genesis in this ↓ in 1959 I think Ford got their development costs back, and then some, by spinning it out into the early 2000's.

Just to add the the rot issues check for head gasket problems on the later engines, wouldn’t say it was common but it isn’t unheard of.

I seam to recall being told the StreetKa don’t suffer with rust as bad as the standard KA due to a different body/chassis design?

Wifes Sport KA. Absolute riot to drive, accelerates well, surprises nearly everything that tries to take it on, addictive amounts of grip and fun (currently on 15" cross spoke wheels and looking good for it ), gearing is short and fun
Cost £400 on eBay 7 years ago with a blown head gasket. £1000 later (weird spec early engine parts had to come from Germany!!) and it's been faultless mostly.

Heater valve pack breaks at some point, they all go brittle and snap

Wishbones are a serviceable item - I spend £50 on a complete pair and the garage charge about £100 to fit them - every 3 years - you'll know they're worn as tracking goes and handling is poop and tyres last a month lol

Seats aren't exactly comfy, aircon/blower is rubbish, boot is tiny but surprisingly handy with the seats down.

Quite thrashy and noisy at motorway speeds, ratios are too short to make for a good motorway car, nearly 2750/3000 revs at 70mph ish

That's it, nothing else to consider.........




oh Rust can be an issue but it's limited to just the sills........and the floorpans......and the fuel filler cap........and the boot lock area..........and everywhere else.
If you want a laugh type the reg of my one into an mot checker and see just how many advisories it has had over the years on rust. Except last years weirdly, i did a large sill patch and some pin hole filling and undersealed it............but anyway.......rust.

Hired one not long after they came out when my Escort at the time ate its gearbox. Absolutely loved it on my back roads trip to work and was very reluctant to hand it back at the end of the week!

Only thing that stops me buying one now is the rot issues, but there is a yellow collection sitting on my street that tempts me to just scratch that itch.

There are repaired and cosseted Kas out there, so if you can find one, just do it.

KA-rikey where did all that rot come from.....
Great cars , easy to work on but did anyone mention they rot?