Seat Leon FR/Cupra TDI buying thoughts

[Deleted member 7729]

Used to have a Seat Leon Cupra years ago and had a few cars since, some good and some not so good.
Volvo S40 T5 - good
BMW E87 123d - mmm
VW MK5 R32 DSG - good should have kept
BMW E82 135i current motor - good once Birds suspension fitted, still wish i’d gone DCT

So I might be doing more miles if I go contracting and looking at TDI Cupra/FR. What’s critical service aspects and how many miles are they typically good for? I’m also considering the Ibiza FR TDI.

Looking at spending £1500-2000 to just run it and all servicing would be done by JKM. Modifications would’ve cruise control and stereo head unit for Bluetooth / iPhone. That’s it. Decent tyres + service.

My previous LC had Revo + Milltek, but all money re mods will be kept for fettling 135i (LSD) or upgrading that to an E92 M3, 987/981 Cayman or M2. M2 unlikely tbh.

Those that remember me - hello.. did a few RR days st JKM

 

[sockpuppet]

Depending on the milage of the car I would be looking at:

Camshaft and lifters have been replaced, alternator, starter, temp sender, thermostat, all door locks, doors butyl sealed. Also the remote key fob, radiators and turbo hoses will fail due to age.

150000 - 200000 miles Gearbox will probably need to be replaced/reconditioned.

 

[Thai-wronghorse]

Agree with the above, receipts ideally need to be present for cambelt, camshaft, clutch & dual mass flywheel if you're paying good money out for one.

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[Deleted member 7729]

Sounds like could be a money pit very quickly. Maybe just put miles on the 135i mpg 27-30

 

[Thai-wronghorse]

Not necessarily but just bare these things in mind on a high mileage one or one that hasn't been meticulously cared for.
You can pick up Cupra / FR TDIs very cheaply now, especially ones with camshaft failure as the labour costs involved are flipping high but you can put this into your favour as a bartering tool.
I've had 4 this year alone all for £500 or less.

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[Deleted member 7729]

Not necessarily but just bare these things in mind on a high mileage one or one that hasn't been meticulously cared for.
You can pick up Cupra / FR TDIs very cheaply now, especially ones with camshaft failure as the labour costs involved are flipping high but you can put this into your favour as a bartering tool.
I've had 4 this year alone all for £500 or less.

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Nice, will see what Friday brings re contract interviews and day rates.

 

[sockpuppet]

Mine has had a shitload of parts failed/replaced, but the positives are that the parts are cheap, there is stacks of videos on how to change most parts and when the parts fail, they often fail slowly over months or even years.

 

[Deleted member 7729]

Will see what happens this week re potential contracts etc.

Basingstoke 60-70 miles a day
Hook 80 miles a day
Havant 25 - would just run the 135i

Think sweet spot on AT looks like £2.5k upwards or a private sale with all the history

 

[Muttley]

Servicing record, and you're looking to see if the correct oil (VW spec 505.01)has been used every time. Non-PD spec oil will lead to cam failure.
Camshaft - if it was faulty it would most likely have failed by now. So check to see if it has been replaced or not. It's not a certain failure, most people reckon there was one bad batch.
Door seals - the DIY silicone sealant fix rarely works for long, the proper butyl strip upgrade does work.
Turbo hose joints - they are not hugely durable, and the slight movement due to the engine rocking is enough to wear them to the point of failure once you get to high mileage. Big bang when they go, but comparatively cheap to replace.
DMF and clutch - likely failures at high mileage, if not already done they will go soon. If they have been done, check to see if the clutch slave cylinder was done at the same time, as it's buried in the gearbox and worth changing while the whole thing is apart.


Also, consider the Toledo TDI 150 Sport. Not so easy to find, but a really nice car, the Sport suspension transforms it - still comfortable, but much less roll.