I wouldn't trust that Garffey fellow for advice after his Cortina tales. 
Never mind Jono, better to be disappointed today rather than in a few weeks time.
Never mind Jono, better to be disappointed today rather than in a few weeks time.
A Christmas Pressie Tale
Are you all sitting comfortably? Then I'll begin.
This was waiting for me when I rushed to see what Santa had left.
![Wheel Tire Automotive parking light Car Automotive side marker light]()
It's a 1/24 scale model kit of an unusual vehicle that even in full size is only 3.5 metres long.
There should have been a special significance to this present but as it happens things didn't turn out as expected.
The story starts several months back with a fellow Lifer.
About a year ago Garffey bought a Pajero Junior.
For those that don't know what that is, its a baby 4x4 based on a Pajero Mini. The Mini was designed around the Japanese Kei car rules with a 660cc engine and a tiny body.
The Junior is fitted with an 1100cc engine and wider axles with wheel arch extensions. It was only built for three years before being replaced by the larger iO (or Pinnin as it was called here) although the Mini continued on until 2012. The Junior was never officially sold over here but many were shipped across the globe as personal imports.
Garffey was in touch with me during his purchase of his Junior and I really liked what he'd got.
I've been looking for a second car (an SUV) to supplement the MX-5 for months and have researched many. The problem is the cost. I'm waiting for the PRHT ND to surface and buying a brand new car would mean not being able to replace the NC.
A few months back Garffey tipped me off about a Junior that was due in the country in December. Weeks of further research showed that the Junior could be the car for me. The low cost (relative to the price of a brand new SUV) meant I'd be able to both have my cake and eat it.
The one due in December was expensive compared to the few used ones that show up now and again, but as it would be straight off the boat from Japan it should be free of rust.
I had to pass on another Junior that was advertised for a third of the fresh import. The seller put the car up for sale on a Friday and I saw the ad on Sunday. After a quick email I was offered the chance to buy the car in a local car park the next day.
It was a shame to let this car go but I'm not stupid enough to buy from someone I don't know in a place that has no connection to the address on the Reg. Document.
To make it even more suspect a deal the seller was moving down South on Wednesday and it would have been difficult to trace him in the event of a problem in the transfer of title.
The car was subsequently re-advertised a couple of weeks later over 170 miles away and with £200 added to the price.
Over the new few weeks I checked out a couple more but they were either too far away or the mileage too great.
Garffey gave me a run in his Junior and I was impressed by the little 4x4. With an auto 'box and 1100cc engine it's no racing car but I was after a snow car anyway. It also started me thinking about having something to fettle come the Spring.
After what felt like an eternity I received a call last week to say the Junior had arrived.
So we went to Stockport last Saturday to look at it
The car turns out to be a fantstic example of its type. Not perfect but then I'd not expected it to be.
Seeing the car in the garage reminded me how small they are and Mrs J was surprised at the lack of room inside. A comparably sized vehicle is the Suzuki Jimny. You sit within millimetres of the door glass and shoulder of the passenger.
The Junior landed in Southhampton and was brought up on a transporter earlier in the week. There'd been no preparation work apart from washing off the crap from the sea voyage.
The green upper paintwork was near perfect and had a lovely shine. The lower silver/beige paint had scrapes at each corner and the rear bumper ends were slightly cracked on top from parking nudges.
Just like Garffey's car the rubber seals around the rear side windows were perished. Not an issue but noted as a bargaining point.
Two tyres had worn to the indicators and the other two had perished and cracked. The one on the rear door looked new but had a (knife) split in the sidewall. I'd already decided to replace all five tyres so the state of the ones on the car was a plus. At least I wouldn't be scrapping good tyres.
The engine started first crank and there was no smoke from the exhaust. The exhaust was blowing though.
Engine oil was black and the transmission fluid brown not cherry red. There was no sign of water in the engine oil.
The engine compartment was clean with no damage to the chassis evident.
Both front brake discs looked nearly new.
One of the rear brake drums was slightly damp around where it attaches to the axle. Brake fluid or oil from the axle?
The underside of the car was fantastic. Almost like new with only very light rust where the paint was chipped. Hard to believe it's 18 years old.
Inside the car all the warning lights worked and the air con pump could be heard engaging. The air felt cold so there must have been gas in the system.
Time for a test drive.
The transmission didn't feel right. It didn't want to change up and felt like it was slipping. After a few minutes it was working smoothly and changing up and down as required. Guessing, I'd say it was down to not being used for weeks and weeks. Still a worry though and it would need another test drive from cold to prove it's ok.
Stopping at the petrol station my reflexes took over and I pressed the clutch down...in an automatic! Or the brake as it turned out and nearly had the dealer chap through the windscreen. After that I folded my clutch leg under the seat.
Arriving back at the garage we started to discuss the deal but for some reason I wasn't really interested anymore. The car just wasn't doing it for me. This was a surprise as I'd arrived with the full intention of buying it even if there'd been no movement on the price.
The dealer wasn't for reducing the price but started to add more into the deal.
For £4995 the car would be MOT'd with any advisories taken care of, serviced with an oil and filter change. The speedo would recalibrated, radio fitted with a band expander and the blowing exhaust sorted. I insisted on the cam belt changing and this was agreed. After a call to their tyre fitter five new all terrain tyres were included in the price and also changing the auto transmission fluid. The car would be waxoyled and come with a 12 month warranty.
I said we needed to think about this at home and see how much the five tyres affected the deal. They may have detected my cooling off as when leaving they out pointed out the paint scuffs and said they'd be sorted out in the price.
On the way home I reflected on how good Mrs J's Fiesta is and could I live with an old car. I'm not sure I can.
I'm afraid that after all the months of planning this purchase I've gone off it at the last hour. I've gone soft in my old age and like the modern comforts too much. I'll definitely get an auto in any new car I buy (unless it's an MX-5) but I don't think I'll be getting a Junior.
There are some paints to order for the model kit but now it won't be the same colour scheme as the one on my drive...'cause there isn't one.
This was waiting for me when I rushed to see what Santa had left.
It's a 1/24 scale model kit of an unusual vehicle that even in full size is only 3.5 metres long.
There should have been a special significance to this present but as it happens things didn't turn out as expected.
The story starts several months back with a fellow Lifer.
About a year ago Garffey bought a Pajero Junior.
For those that don't know what that is, its a baby 4x4 based on a Pajero Mini. The Mini was designed around the Japanese Kei car rules with a 660cc engine and a tiny body.
The Junior is fitted with an 1100cc engine and wider axles with wheel arch extensions. It was only built for three years before being replaced by the larger iO (or Pinnin as it was called here) although the Mini continued on until 2012. The Junior was never officially sold over here but many were shipped across the globe as personal imports.
Garffey was in touch with me during his purchase of his Junior and I really liked what he'd got.
I've been looking for a second car (an SUV) to supplement the MX-5 for months and have researched many. The problem is the cost. I'm waiting for the PRHT ND to surface and buying a brand new car would mean not being able to replace the NC.
A few months back Garffey tipped me off about a Junior that was due in the country in December. Weeks of further research showed that the Junior could be the car for me. The low cost (relative to the price of a brand new SUV) meant I'd be able to both have my cake and eat it.
The one due in December was expensive compared to the few used ones that show up now and again, but as it would be straight off the boat from Japan it should be free of rust.
I had to pass on another Junior that was advertised for a third of the fresh import. The seller put the car up for sale on a Friday and I saw the ad on Sunday. After a quick email I was offered the chance to buy the car in a local car park the next day.
It was a shame to let this car go but I'm not stupid enough to buy from someone I don't know in a place that has no connection to the address on the Reg. Document.
To make it even more suspect a deal the seller was moving down South on Wednesday and it would have been difficult to trace him in the event of a problem in the transfer of title.
The car was subsequently re-advertised a couple of weeks later over 170 miles away and with £200 added to the price.
Over the new few weeks I checked out a couple more but they were either too far away or the mileage too great.
Garffey gave me a run in his Junior and I was impressed by the little 4x4. With an auto 'box and 1100cc engine it's no racing car but I was after a snow car anyway. It also started me thinking about having something to fettle come the Spring.
After what felt like an eternity I received a call last week to say the Junior had arrived.
So we went to Stockport last Saturday to look at it
The car turns out to be a fantstic example of its type. Not perfect but then I'd not expected it to be.
Seeing the car in the garage reminded me how small they are and Mrs J was surprised at the lack of room inside. A comparably sized vehicle is the Suzuki Jimny. You sit within millimetres of the door glass and shoulder of the passenger.
The Junior landed in Southhampton and was brought up on a transporter earlier in the week. There'd been no preparation work apart from washing off the crap from the sea voyage.
The green upper paintwork was near perfect and had a lovely shine. The lower silver/beige paint had scrapes at each corner and the rear bumper ends were slightly cracked on top from parking nudges.
Just like Garffey's car the rubber seals around the rear side windows were perished. Not an issue but noted as a bargaining point.
Two tyres had worn to the indicators and the other two had perished and cracked. The one on the rear door looked new but had a (knife) split in the sidewall. I'd already decided to replace all five tyres so the state of the ones on the car was a plus. At least I wouldn't be scrapping good tyres.
The engine started first crank and there was no smoke from the exhaust. The exhaust was blowing though.
Engine oil was black and the transmission fluid brown not cherry red. There was no sign of water in the engine oil.
The engine compartment was clean with no damage to the chassis evident.
Both front brake discs looked nearly new.
One of the rear brake drums was slightly damp around where it attaches to the axle. Brake fluid or oil from the axle?
The underside of the car was fantastic. Almost like new with only very light rust where the paint was chipped. Hard to believe it's 18 years old.
Inside the car all the warning lights worked and the air con pump could be heard engaging. The air felt cold so there must have been gas in the system.
Time for a test drive.
The transmission didn't feel right. It didn't want to change up and felt like it was slipping. After a few minutes it was working smoothly and changing up and down as required. Guessing, I'd say it was down to not being used for weeks and weeks. Still a worry though and it would need another test drive from cold to prove it's ok.
Stopping at the petrol station my reflexes took over and I pressed the clutch down...in an automatic! Or the brake as it turned out and nearly had the dealer chap through the windscreen. After that I folded my clutch leg under the seat.
Arriving back at the garage we started to discuss the deal but for some reason I wasn't really interested anymore. The car just wasn't doing it for me. This was a surprise as I'd arrived with the full intention of buying it even if there'd been no movement on the price.
The dealer wasn't for reducing the price but started to add more into the deal.
For £4995 the car would be MOT'd with any advisories taken care of, serviced with an oil and filter change. The speedo would recalibrated, radio fitted with a band expander and the blowing exhaust sorted. I insisted on the cam belt changing and this was agreed. After a call to their tyre fitter five new all terrain tyres were included in the price and also changing the auto transmission fluid. The car would be waxoyled and come with a 12 month warranty.
I said we needed to think about this at home and see how much the five tyres affected the deal. They may have detected my cooling off as when leaving they out pointed out the paint scuffs and said they'd be sorted out in the price.
On the way home I reflected on how good Mrs J's Fiesta is and could I live with an old car. I'm not sure I can.
I'm afraid that after all the months of planning this purchase I've gone off it at the last hour. I've gone soft in my old age and like the modern comforts too much. I'll definitely get an auto in any new car I buy (unless it's an MX-5) but I don't think I'll be getting a Junior.
There are some paints to order for the model kit but now it won't be the same colour scheme as the one on my drive...'cause there isn't one.
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1 - 20 of 23 Posts
Who says that was the end? As soon as I bounce back I'll be scheming again
3
That reminds me of the old Jimny I bought a few years back, and bought the matching Tamiya model kit!
An interesting car, and I had a lot of fun getting from the state it was in when I bought it to the point it was at when I sold it. If you look at them objectively they're terrible - choppy ride, poor performance, shocking in head winds and cross winds, no space or comfort to speak of, but..... a very charming little car if you can get past all the short comings. Would I buy another? Probably not, but having said that I kept it for the best part of four years
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An interesting car, and I had a lot of fun getting from the state it was in when I bought it to the point it was at when I sold it. If you look at them objectively they're terrible - choppy ride, poor performance, shocking in head winds and cross winds, no space or comfort to speak of, but..... a very charming little car if you can get past all the short comings. Would I buy another? Probably not, but having said that I kept it for the best part of four years
I just have to add that my little 'Junior' does all & sometime more than what I require of it.....Yes, not the quickest thing on earth but still nippy enough for town traffic.
If the speed limit is 50 why would you be doing more? ....Luckily the fastest is the dual carriageway into Huddersfield for me at 40 mph :rofl:
For me, it was just about replacing the motorbike for the daily year round commute & more often than not it's just has me and the dog in it!.....Add to that the fact that I only paid £1050 for mine as the budget was £1500 from the sale of the bike...but with having done some expensive repairs ie radiator & exhaust I now have around £1800 in it.
Sadly, I think for Jono that the vehicle he viewed wasn't presented in the best of shape although it was top price...... I know it hadn't been in the country long, but IMO things like the tyres & exhaust (basic stuff) should have been sorted before viewing, it wasn't for sale as a 'project!'
And it also seemed to me that a lack of servicing was also an issue.
I know that like Jono I'd have been left disappointed too....especially at £4995!
I also looked at the Suzuki Jimny before stumbling across my Junior, and despite being a 1.1 it's only 3/4 BHP down on the 1.3 Suzuki, and road tax is £145 as opposed to £225 on the Suzuki (a real issue on a Yorkshiremans list when looking for a bargain)....sadly the ones I looked at (in my price range) seemed to suffer terminal rust, something I've learn't to walk away from thanks to the Cortina!
Oddly, and because of what my Junior is rather than isn't I'll admit I've become rather fond of it.....and would I buy another? Oh yes!
If the speed limit is 50 why would you be doing more? ....Luckily the fastest is the dual carriageway into Huddersfield for me at 40 mph :rofl:
For me, it was just about replacing the motorbike for the daily year round commute & more often than not it's just has me and the dog in it!.....Add to that the fact that I only paid £1050 for mine as the budget was £1500 from the sale of the bike...but with having done some expensive repairs ie radiator & exhaust I now have around £1800 in it.
Sadly, I think for Jono that the vehicle he viewed wasn't presented in the best of shape although it was top price...... I know it hadn't been in the country long, but IMO things like the tyres & exhaust (basic stuff) should have been sorted before viewing, it wasn't for sale as a 'project!'
And it also seemed to me that a lack of servicing was also an issue.
I know that like Jono I'd have been left disappointed too....especially at £4995!
I also looked at the Suzuki Jimny before stumbling across my Junior, and despite being a 1.1 it's only 3/4 BHP down on the 1.3 Suzuki, and road tax is £145 as opposed to £225 on the Suzuki (a real issue on a Yorkshiremans list when looking for a bargain)....sadly the ones I looked at (in my price range) seemed to suffer terminal rust, something I've learn't to walk away from thanks to the Cortina!
Oddly, and because of what my Junior is rather than isn't I'll admit I've become rather fond of it.....and would I buy another? Oh yes!
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