Yes, yes and thrice yes!
Unnecessary car purchase: check
Impulse purchase: sort of so, check
Levels of euphoria: high
A bit of back story first. As a family we’ve really found having two cars that can ferry around 4 people really helpful over the last year. My wife’s moaning over the daily logistical challenge of me having a 2 seater is now a distant memory and the moaning has moved on to DIY that need finishing.
Back in June 22 I acquired my dear old Nan’s Nissan Micra. Nan, in her lifetime had managed to put 13k miles on the car in the last 22 years of her life.
Now, the K11 Micra is a fine stead and dutifully trundles along to school, the shops, home, work, school, weekend clubs, school. There is a but coming, there has to be a bit, right? Without the ‘but’ we don’t get to the next part of this do we. But, whilst it does all of this it does it without any form of flair. What’s that I hear you say? Yes, there’s the odd eye brow raising moments when Ds is selected on the CVT and the odd Kia Picanto is shown a clean set of heels but that’s all too infrequent.
So, in true Retro Rides tradition, create a problem to justify another car purchase. We need something with marginally more space and that has a bit of go. The rules were that it needed to be cheap, cheap to run/insure and it needed to raise a smile.
I’d casually been looking at options for ages and the Yaris was in the mix. Nothing of a reasonable price was coming up and the Nissan had just passed another MOT with a clean sheet. So, the search was dwindling. A casual look on FB Marketplace brought up a 2007 Yaris SR a few miles from my house.
On opening the add it stated full dealer service history, one just being completed last week, a full years MoT and only 51k on the clock. The price was keen.
Well, 24hrs later I was stood in front of said car. The story from the owner was this it’s her Mother in laws car and she’s taken it on but really doesn’t need it and is selling on their behalf. A spin around the block, a look at the bodywork, oily bits and look underneath suggested that this was an honest car.
It had signs of being laid up for a while, with sap on the paint work and remnants of pine tree in the crevices. Still, under all this laid an honest car.
A deal was done and the car came home with me.
Initial impressions are good. The service completed last week cost £600 and saw both rear shocks replaced.
The EVO right up on these at the time was spot on, ‘more of a warm hatch than a hot hatch’.
I’ve already given the engine bay a little spruce and tackled the dog hairs in the boot.
Is it a keeper? Well, let’s see. I’m reluctant to sell the Micra just yet. I can’t quite bring myself to pass on the faithful friend.
Any info anyone has in these Yaris’ I’m all ears.
On the to do list is:
Buy a parcel shelf - ordered one from eBay
Replace the tyres - thinking something like a Kumho or Toyo. Inputs appreciated.
Re-gas the aircon - air is cool not cold
Give it a top to bottom clean - it’s not horrendous but I always few you make a car yours once you clean it.
Photo of car for good order.
Unnecessary car purchase: check
Impulse purchase: sort of so, check
Levels of euphoria: high
A bit of back story first. As a family we’ve really found having two cars that can ferry around 4 people really helpful over the last year. My wife’s moaning over the daily logistical challenge of me having a 2 seater is now a distant memory and the moaning has moved on to DIY that need finishing.
Back in June 22 I acquired my dear old Nan’s Nissan Micra. Nan, in her lifetime had managed to put 13k miles on the car in the last 22 years of her life.
Now, the K11 Micra is a fine stead and dutifully trundles along to school, the shops, home, work, school, weekend clubs, school. There is a but coming, there has to be a bit, right? Without the ‘but’ we don’t get to the next part of this do we. But, whilst it does all of this it does it without any form of flair. What’s that I hear you say? Yes, there’s the odd eye brow raising moments when Ds is selected on the CVT and the odd Kia Picanto is shown a clean set of heels but that’s all too infrequent.
So, in true Retro Rides tradition, create a problem to justify another car purchase. We need something with marginally more space and that has a bit of go. The rules were that it needed to be cheap, cheap to run/insure and it needed to raise a smile.
I’d casually been looking at options for ages and the Yaris was in the mix. Nothing of a reasonable price was coming up and the Nissan had just passed another MOT with a clean sheet. So, the search was dwindling. A casual look on FB Marketplace brought up a 2007 Yaris SR a few miles from my house.
On opening the add it stated full dealer service history, one just being completed last week, a full years MoT and only 51k on the clock. The price was keen.
Well, 24hrs later I was stood in front of said car. The story from the owner was this it’s her Mother in laws car and she’s taken it on but really doesn’t need it and is selling on their behalf. A spin around the block, a look at the bodywork, oily bits and look underneath suggested that this was an honest car.
It had signs of being laid up for a while, with sap on the paint work and remnants of pine tree in the crevices. Still, under all this laid an honest car.
A deal was done and the car came home with me.
Initial impressions are good. The service completed last week cost £600 and saw both rear shocks replaced.
The EVO right up on these at the time was spot on, ‘more of a warm hatch than a hot hatch’.
I’ve already given the engine bay a little spruce and tackled the dog hairs in the boot.
Is it a keeper? Well, let’s see. I’m reluctant to sell the Micra just yet. I can’t quite bring myself to pass on the faithful friend.
Any info anyone has in these Yaris’ I’m all ears.
On the to do list is:
Buy a parcel shelf - ordered one from eBay
Replace the tyres - thinking something like a Kumho or Toyo. Inputs appreciated.
Re-gas the aircon - air is cool not cold
Give it a top to bottom clean - it’s not horrendous but I always few you make a car yours once you clean it.
Photo of car for good order.
