Buying advice - 1.6 SX

[Greenjag]

I know what you mean about going fast doesn't seem fast. I keep finding that as I'm driving the beautiful fast welsh mountain roads about 60ish. I keep catching up with bikers, Everytime I think these bikers are going slow for bikers before lookong at speedo realising I'm coming up to a ton. Whoa brakes time.

GJ

 

[Greenjag]

Just to add this is purely from my imagination. I would never dream of exceeding the speed limit on public roads officer. ;-).

 

[53 Leon SX]

I managed to get to the pumps before squeaky bum time!

Drove it last night on the usual journey to my gfs and back. Its 22miles and takes an hour a lot of it is stop and start. I was a bit worried last night when I turned off the engine I could hear the engine fan going. I went inside the house to pee then came back out 5mins later and it had turned off. the temp gauge was normal and I did hoon(that a word?) it on the way back! Normal or weird?

Normal. But ideally for the last 5/10 mins home you would go easy on it and let it cool whilst the engine is on and still pumping all of the necessary fluids around so that they don't build up any excess pressures or what not in pipes and things from boiling due to the heat (can you tell I don't really know what I'm talking about lol) Its more of an issue for the turbo-charged cupra's tbh but the same logic still applies I think.

Btw I asked the traders why the hg was changed and the reply was for the hell of it.. As the belts were done they thoughtthey would do it at the same time.

...interesting answer...HG isn't usually something you just change for no reason, but if the car is running well then that' great

I love being in it. Compared to my old car its so composed. Going fast doesnt feel fast if that makes sense?

you haven't been going fast enough then

 

[jamb0n]

Just to add this is purely from my imagination. I would never dream of exceeding the speed limit on public roads officer. ;-).

Of course!

Normal. But ideally for the last 5/10 mins home you would go easy on it and let it cool whilst the engine is on and still pumping all of the necessary fluids around so that they don't build up any excess pressures or what not in pipes and things from boiling due to the heat (can you tell I don't really know what I'm talking about lol) Its more of an issue for the turbo-charged cupra's tbh but the same logic still applies I think.

...interesting answer...HG isn't usually something you just change for no reason, but if the car is running well then that' great

you haven't been going fast enough then

Okay so it is normal? Does yours do it often?

I love it! Just need to get that flipkey sorted at some point.

 

[53 Leon SX]

Okay so it is normal?

Normal. But ideally...

Does yours do it often?

No. I don't drive hard on the last bit of the journey so it has no need to cool itself after I've stopped and parked up.

 

[jamb0n]

No. I don't drive hard on the last bit of the journey so it has no need to cool itself after I've stopped and parked up.

Okay I'll have a totally casual journey next time and see how it goes! I'll keep u updated! Went to the somerset house outdoor film 4 cinema, it's awesome. Totally recommend it!

Again, thanks for the replies.

 

[53 Leon SX]

Okay I'll have a totally casual journey next time and see how it goes! I'll keep u updated! Went to the somerset house outdoor film 4 cinema, it's awesome. Totally recommend it!

Again, thanks for the replies.

Yeah if you can resist the temptation then do that, eventually you'll gauge how much time your car needs to cool off from normal driving anyway after a "hoon" (don't really like that word lol) and as for the replies any time dude. As greenjag said in one of his earlier posts its nice to be able to give back to the forum for once as usually the shoe is on the other foot and I'm asking all the questions.

Is it expensive the cinema?

 

[jamb0n]

Yeah if you can resist the temptation then do that, eventually you'll gauge how much time your car needs to cool off from normal driving anyway after a "hoon" (don't really like that word lol) and as for the replies any time dude. As greenjag said in one of his earlier posts its nice to be able to give back to the forum for once as usually the shoe is on the other foot and I'm asking all the questions.

Is it expensive the cinema?

I'll try to resist! It's just a new experience for me to be in a car where I can push the gas pedal more than half way and the clutch not slipping!

Also "hoon" was not my first choice of words - but it's what came to me first!

Hopefully I'll be able to help another forum member like you guys helped me.

The cinema is about £15 a "seat" by seat I mean you sit on bloody concrete (bring your own mats, picnic baskets, cushion etc.) but it's good fun. It's awesome watching a movie on a huge screen while being under the stars. Check it out.

So things to do for me are:

- Buy a new drivers mat - the bit where you rest your heel when you're on the pedals is worn to hell - thinking this from another thread -Toledo mats.

- Get that Connect2 "attachment" so that I can use AUX in.

- Get that damned keyflipfobthing.

- Possibly tint the rear and back windows a bit (I think it would go well with the dark blue)

- In the future get some new alloys.

 

[53 Leon SX]

I'm not gonna lie as soon as you said £15 and concrete I was put off lol I'm more akin to £8 -£10 with an orange Wednesday deal in VIP seats. Me & the gf sorted!

Those mats are very cheap if you don't mind them saying toledo on it. Check you have the oval twist caps though, I think the sx has oval ones but I can't remember what the other type ones are so I'm not sure.

The dark blue and tinted windows do/will look ace.

What size alloys? 16, 17, 18, 19? 20 even? lol I think 20's would fit but you would have a ridiculously low profile tyres that would cost a bomb and ride quality would be shite as well as slowly ruining your gearbox/clutch...might look cool though and bear in mind once you put alloys on that are bigger the car looks like it sits a bit too high for the wheels.

 

[jamb0n]

I'm not gonna lie as soon as you said £15 and concrete I was put off lol I'm more akin to £8 -£10 with an orange Wednesday deal in VIP seats. Me & the gf sorted!

Those mats are very cheap if you don't mind them saying toledo on it. Check you have the oval twist caps though, I think the sx has oval ones but I can't remember what the other type ones are so I'm not sure.

The dark blue and tinted windows do/will look ace.

What size alloys? 16, 17, 18, 19? 20 even? lol I think 20's would fit but you would have a ridiculously low profile tyres that would cost a bomb and ride quality would be shite as well as slowly ruining your gearbox/clutch...might look cool though and bear in mind once you put alloys on that are bigger the car looks like it sits a bit too high for the wheels.

Damn - I'll check when I get home, already ordered them this morning and they got dispatched!

I'll have to research how much it'll cost to get them done and how it affects the insurance.

I'm worried it'll look like it's on stilts - what are on them as standard? 15s?

 

[53 Leon SX]

Standards are 15's yeah.

Yeah the easiest thing to do would be to ask your insurance company how much extra they'll charge, if anything. They will likely charge though.

 

[Jirwin]

Congrats on the purchase mate, another happy sx owner, especially dark blue, thats the best colour! Been running mine 4 and a half years now and still love it.

Can I make some recommendations, for alloys the starfish 17s off a cupra fit straight on, they have the same rolling diameter and as only 45 profile tyres aren't stupid prices a corner. I declared it to my insurance along with lowering and my quote wasn't stupid to begin with (vandalism and rising prices put pay to that though!!!). If you're worried about looking like its on stilts and you can afford to insure and buy the kit then lower it. I got cheap shocks and springs from a sponser on here. Dropped it 40mm but it looks bang on and the handling improved.

For the mat mine wore out too and I just trimmed a piece of diamond plate aliminium to the size of the rubber, rounded off the corners, smoothed the edges and bent to the same profile of the floor then glued to the mat, its a cheap long lasting fix that looks fairly smart.

I don't know how much more than the aux in device you're planning on getting it is but I bought an Alpine stereo, got full ipod control and bluetooth with handsfree kit. I needed a cable and fascia but all in it was about £150 several years ago, I imagine you could sort out a decent stereo for less now, its always an option.

If I can think of anything else worth doing I'll add it here

 

[jamb0n]

Standards are 15's yeah.

Yeah the easiest thing to do would be to ask your insurance company how much extra they'll charge, if anything. They will likely charge though.

Will do!

Congrats on the purchase mate, another happy sx owner, especially dark blue, thats the best colour! Been running mine 4 and a half years now and still love it.

Can I make some recommendations, for alloys the starfish 17s off a cupra fit straight on, they have the same rolling diameter and as only 45 profile tyres aren't stupid prices a corner. I declared it to my insurance along with lowering and my quote wasn't stupid to begin with (vandalism and rising prices put pay to that though!!!). If you're worried about looking like its on stilts and you can afford to insure and buy the kit then lower it. I got cheap shocks and springs from a sponser on here. Dropped it 40mm but it looks bang on and the handling improved.

For the mat mine wore out too and I just trimmed a piece of diamond plate aliminium to the size of the rubber, rounded off the corners, smoothed the edges and bent to the same profile of the floor then glued to the mat, its a cheap long lasting fix that looks fairly smart.

I don't know how much more than the aux in device you're planning on getting it is but I bought an Alpine stereo, got full ipod control and bluetooth with handsfree kit. I needed a cable and fascia but all in it was about £150 several years ago, I imagine you could sort out a decent stereo for less now, its always an option.

If I can think of anything else worth doing I'll add it here

Nice - I've only driven in a few times but I love it!!

I'll look into the cost of the Starfish alloys and the insurance - I'm not sure if I'll lower it. What happens when you've got 5 (yes 5!) people in the car?

The AUX in device is only £30, I had an Alpine unit in my old car that was a few years old I should have maybe moved across. I don't have an IPOD but I would like to play a disc that just has loads of MP3s dumped on it.

Cheers dude!

 

[Jirwin]

Only had 5 in a couple of times, It doesn't rub and drives fine as theres no way I'd be flying round corners 5 up! Over normal speedbumps it was fine but over the really short high round ones it would hit

 

[jamb0n]

Hmm! I'll think about the lowering - there are loads of speed bumps around my area and I'll probably have 4 or 5 in the car once a month at least. If I don't lower the car I might just get some new 15's...

I'll test out the Aura head unit and decide whether to upgrade that. I'm tempted to tint the windows but I'll need to check how high my policy will shoot up!

 

[53 Leon SX]

Do not get new 15's mate lol it would be a waste if the idea is to make the car look better!

 

[jamb0n]

Do not get new 15's mate lol it would be a waste if the idea is to make the car look better!

Yeah that's true but the ones on them are quite scuffed. I was just thinking in the future when the tyres need replacing I'll get some new wheels.

16's or 17's will need to have new suspension to look right correct?

Or could I get away with 16's?

Cheers!

 

[53 Leon SX]

16's you might, 17's might still need a drop, depends on your opinion. check page 5 for 17's & no drop

 

[jamb0n]

16's you might, 17's might still need a drop, depends on your opinion. check page 5 for 17's & no drop

The 17's on standard suspension seemed okay.

I read through that whole thread on the train home, that guy did a lot to his 1.4 and he sold it! Sad times!

I'll look for some cheap 17's on ebay!

 

[53 Leon SX]

Yeah he did a lot but just lost love for his car when he got a better one, happens I guess!