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General => General discussion => Topic started by: Rhyso on 20 July 2011, 09:00

Title: Ford KA's
Post by: Rhyso on 20 July 2011, 09:00
Anyone got any pointers on what to look for?

Linzi has a friend in work who wants me to have a look at one for her so any info on common problems etc would be great

All I know at the moment is its on a 51 plate

Ta  :smiley:
Title: Re: Ford KA's
Post by: Jack3559 on 20 July 2011, 09:03
Rusty jacking points and under arches.
Title: Re: Ford KA's
Post by: Diamond Hell on 20 July 2011, 09:04
It's a Ford - pox.
Title: Re: Ford KA's
Post by: The Mighty Elvi on 20 July 2011, 09:19
Rust around the rear top mounts. Have a look on honestjohn.co.uk for pointers.
Title: Re: Ford KA's
Post by: The Mighty Elvi on 20 July 2011, 09:23
Ps. Also the heater bypass valve is known to fail. Telltale sign is no hot air. I picked one up from the stealers for £40. Fiddly job as well as its located under the wiper motors. Also the breather in the fuel filler neck can fail resulting in leaking on hot days with a full tank.  All these happened to my mums KA.
Title: Re: Ford KA's
Post by: Rhyso on 20 July 2011, 09:36
Excellent.  Cheers!
Title: Re: Ford KA's
Post by: F17BAD on 20 July 2011, 09:38
We got one, was bought brand new

Rust is big on these, sills, fule cap door bottoms due to thin metal and paint thinner than paper (had ours fully resprayed in a cool colour when it was only 1 year old)

also pull back the drivers floor carpet if you can, i mean right to the metal because many cars piss water in due to a manufacture issue where the seal is faulty on the bulkhead, the only way to fix this is dash out job to re seal (me and ben are doing ours soon because it has this problem)

carpets are also really thin.

these cars were not made for huge miles thats for sure.

engine is piss easy to work on, they eat bottom arm bushes tho, cheap and easy fix tho

Handle well, and are a great drive. but not amazing on fuel tho.

hope this helps
Title: Re: Ford KA's
Post by: Rhyso on 20 July 2011, 09:40
Thanks :afro:
Title: Re: Ford KA's
Post by: F17BAD on 20 July 2011, 09:47
ours is a year 2000 model, deffo check the floor carpets mate. ford know about the issue but wont admit to anything

google it and many peopel have had the problem. ours seems to piss water in only when its parked on certain angles !!!  sometimes jetwashing it onlevel ground it wont leak, then it rains and it will...  annoying. we have to park it with all the carpets pulled back and a towel under near where the pedals are. which makes it a pain when u want to use the car.

Me and ben are going to sort the issue in a few weeks time before winter kicks in again (i did buy a custom car cover for it which cost 300 quid)  i also did a complete waxoyl of the complete under side. ours has zero rust but iv really had to look after it :smiley:
Title: Re: Ford KA's
Post by: JC on 20 July 2011, 09:50
I had to go and look at over 10 of these for my eldest daughter ( who knows best, teenager ) before she finally conceeded they are all cr4p

 :smiley:
Title: Re: Ford KA's
Post by: Ant1981 on 20 July 2011, 09:53
I had a drive of a KA and thought it was good fun. Quite nippy really, quite enjoyed it.
Title: Re: Ford KA's
Post by: F17BAD on 20 July 2011, 09:57
suprising aint they ant

im driving ours around for the week while my golf is in the paintshop

this is a Alfa colour that used to be used on the 156.. a pearl shade, really nice colour

Its a bit dirty - iv just taken this pic now  :laugh:

(http://img703.imageshack.us/img703/5959/imageehzo.jpg)
Title: Re: Ford KA's
Post by: dom on 20 July 2011, 10:00
My mum used to have a 51 plate one, was surprisingly nippy around town, very good on fuel and a laugh on country lanes.

In the 6 years she had it the only thing to fail was a rear spring, however by the time it was sold it was suffering from the rust already mentioned; fuel filler area, sills & even floor pans starting to go.
Title: Re: Ford KA's
Post by: Rhyso on 20 July 2011, 10:02
Fair to say that the general consensus is to avoid!!

Thanks everyone  :smiley:
Title: Re: Ford KA's
Post by: F17BAD on 20 July 2011, 10:04
Wouldnt say avoid, just do the checks, good ones are their but need special attention to find

they are much better than crap like VW fox etc which is also terrible build quality  :laugh:
Title: Re: Ford KA's
Post by: dom on 20 July 2011, 10:06
Wouldnt say avoid, just do the checks, good ones are their but need special attention to find

they are much better than crap like VW fox etc which is also terrible build quality  :laugh:

Agreed, definitely don't avoid, just make sure you have a good look underneath  :wink:
Title: Re: Ford KA's
Post by: JC on 20 July 2011, 10:15
of just follow my links  :wink:
Title: Re: Ford KA's
Post by: Len on 20 July 2011, 10:16
I had one for a day! Service replacement and have to say was THE worst car I have ever driven!
Title: Re: Ford KA's
Post by: Rhyso on 20 July 2011, 10:41
of just follow my links  :wink:

Lol that's what she's done now as the KA has sold
Title: Re: Ford KA's
Post by: JC on 20 July 2011, 10:42
polo time  :grin: or you saving that for yoursen
Title: Re: Ford KA's
Post by: Rhyso on 20 July 2011, 10:45
polo time  :grin: or you saving that for yoursen

Mentioned it to Linzi but she'd rather have a new Swift in about 3 years time  :rolleyes:

Might spunk my redundancy money on it, use it as a daily and turn my Aldi into a proper stealth weapon  :grin: :grin:
Title: Re: Ford KA's
Post by: AudiA8Quattro on 20 July 2011, 11:35
I think from what i can remember, i read a good article in car mechanics mag about these. The later ones are better i think, early ones suffered very badly from rust problems.
I would suggest a VW polo or a Seat Ibiza.
Title: Re: Ford KA's
Post by: Jimp on 20 July 2011, 11:36
That Alfa respray is awesome Kells  :cool: One of my favourite paintjobs  :cool:
Title: Re: Ford KA's
Post by: F17BAD on 20 July 2011, 15:56
That Alfa respray is awesome Kells  :cool: One of my favourite paintjobs  :cool:

yeah my mate did it, stripped right down to a rolling shell because their is visible metal on the inside of KA's, was a big job but paid off well as it look factory - gets a lot of compliments.

was done in the year 2001 and looks as fresh today as it did when it was done - hence why he is painting my Golf too  :cool:
Title: Re: Ford KA's
Post by: CCGTI on 20 July 2011, 16:13
there turd, nippy but turd
Title: Re: Ford KA's
Post by: Jack3559 on 20 July 2011, 16:16
The one we had wasn't even nippy. It was just turd.
Title: Re: Ford KA's
Post by: Egbutt Wash on 20 July 2011, 16:27
A true driver's car.  I keep one on the IOM to use now and again.  Always starts first prod and steers like a kart.  No MOT over there.  :grin: :grin: :grin:
Title: Re: Ford KA's
Post by: apie2004 on 20 July 2011, 16:35
A true driver's car.  I keep one on the IOM to use now and again.  Always starts first prod and steers like a kart.  No MOT over there.  :grin: :grin: :grin:

I'd be f**ked if we did!
Title: Re: Ford KA's
Post by: Rhyso on 20 July 2011, 16:44
All irrelevant now as it was sold last night  :laugh: :laugh: