Things to note when buying a COE car

[RayTravis]

Hi all,

 

Please write down things to note when buying a COE car..

Would like to find out more about it,

Making a comparison of a PARF car and COE car..

[Little_prince]

apart from car condition ( obviously) the main difference is the increase in road tax.... up to 150%... you will feel the pinch especially if you're driving a big cc car....

[Picanto]

why would you want to risk your $$ to buy such a car?

[Yeshe]

why would you want to risk your $$ to buy such a car?

 

because its cheap? and some well maintained conti rides are well worth the $$$ ?

[Zanter]

The most important thing about buying a coe car are the parts. Its a bitch if ur car is at the workshop for weeks awaiting a simple part. The 2nd most important thing is reliability. This is assuming this is a daily driver. For a 2nd car anything goes but U will need the passion to source the parts and upkeep the car. Some ppl keep MG's, Alfas, VW and the likes. These r unique cars and if well kept will maintain its value or even appreciate. Then again some people prefer to drive and altis or sunny. Depends on character and needs

[Maddog]

Hi all,

 

Please write down things to note when buying a COE car..

Would like to find out more about it,

Making a comparison of a PARF car and COE car..

 

From my own experience of buying a COE car that I owned briefly for less ard 8 months (it was a 8-9 yrs old EG Civic renewed with cheap COE)...I have to change so many parts after I took over the ride:

 

(1) Brake booster valve leaked(changed brand new)

(2) HU kaput

(3) Radiator Fan spoilt

(4) Coolant hose picha

(5) Engine sump leaking(changed gasket & cleaning of oil sump)

(6) Lousy PVC seats installed

(7) Fuel Pump faulty(cannot start car at times after turning off engine)

 

The lists goes on & on.......just be prepared to send your car to the workshop once every few weeks or few months for maintenance & the hassle & $$ spent in these repairs can be really a pain in the ass!!!!

[Maddog]

because its cheap? and some well maintained conti rides are well worth the $$$ ?

 

Now my current 2002 Toyota Corolla (Hiporolla G9) ride is so well maintained & I know every single wear & tear parts that was changed periodically at the reasonable mileage of use, to keep my ride in tip-top condition!

 

All thanks to the great workshop (www.riverviewauto.com.sg) that I knew around 1/5 yrs after I bought my ride brand new in 2002!

[Yeshe]

From my own experience of buying a COE car that I owned briefly for less ard 8 months (it was a 8-9 yrs old EG Civic renewed with cheap COE)...I have to change so many parts after I took over the ride:

 

(1) Brake booster valve leaked(changed brand new)

(2) HU kaput

(3) Radiator Fan spoilt

(4) Coolant hose picha

(5) Engine sump leaking(changed gasket & cleaning of oil sump)

(6) Lousy PVC seats installed

(7) Fuel Pump faulty(cannot start car at times after turning off engine)

 

The lists goes on & on.......just be prepared to send your car to the workshop once every few weeks or few months for maintenance & the hassle & $$ spent in these repairs can be really a pain in the ass!!!!

 

actually its heng suay one. i bought a 18yr toyota panel van many yrs ago, use for 2 yrs, only need to replace the clutch cable. after that, i bought a 12yr proton saga, use for 2 yrs didnt change anything except the clutch which burn when i drove down from genting but quit cheap lah replace only RM300.

 

so where got so much problems? probably it also depends on the car u buy lah, EG civic u can imagine sure kena wack by the previous owners one

[Maddog]

why would you want to risk your $$ to buy such a car?

 

My brother who was a very prudent guy and he bought an acquaintance supposedly low mileage EK Civic as a COE car, cos it was cheap mah.....but somehow HONDA cars are not built to lasts....soon he had so many problems to fix for his 10yr+ old ride(including suspension problems that cannot be rectified even with changing new parts) , he eventually scrapped it for a brand new Toyota WISH! ...hahaha

[Maddog]

Yes...I bought my EG from a used car dealer. Mileage wise is reasonable, ard 144K for an 8 yrs old car (2nd owner).

 

But I believed it was really whacked by its previous owner or used as a rental car....blardy car dealer didn't even changed the engine oil or service the car as promised, before handing over! ...KNN, even tell me car is in very good condition with STA A or B+ grading somemore!! ....KNNCCB, kenna conned like a farking newbie at that tme to fall for his sales tactics!

[Kyojin]

get a "popular" COE car. these means a lot of mechs will know how to repair and new/recon/used parts will be easier to come by.

 

some of these include:

Starlet

March

Corolla

Sunny

Civic

 

when you get a COE car, remember that you have to pay loading on road tax. 10% increments from the 11th year up to a max of 50%. but usually you don't have to get comprehensive insurance. so give and take.

 

buying a new car doesn't mean it's problem free either - you still need the same kind of maintenance (in fact, it's more expensive sometimes) and anything can break down. perhaps it's less likely, but you can't discount the fact.

 

your question is very vague actually... there's just so much to talk about. ownership costs, image, maintenance, reliability, etc etc.

[RayTravis]

Keep it coming..

 

I'd like to know more from first hand experiences...

 

Like the 10 year old proton saga and 18 year old van..

WOW.. SUPERB!!

 

The EK civic i think is really kana thrash by prev owner..

 

Keep the replies coming guys..

[Picanto]

My brother who was a very prudent guy and he bought an acquaintance supposedly low mileage EK Civic as a COE car, cos it was cheap mah.....but somehow HONDA cars are not built to lasts....soon he had so many problems to fix for his 10yr+ old ride(including suspension problems that cannot be rectified even with changing new parts) , he eventually scrapped it for a brand new Toyota WISH! ...hahaha

 

ya lor.....this is the type of risk i am talking about.

[Ody_2004]

I owned 2 COEed 1992/1993 Toyota Corolla, a 91 MX5, a 91 BMW 325, 93 Merc W124.

 

What i suggest is when u got the car sent in to the workshop to get those wear n tear parts replaced.. Once these is done.. the car is generally problem free.

 

In general the owner of older car need to have more knowledge and "feeling" to the ride. Most time u need to pick up signal that the car need to see doc before it collaspe on the road.

[Kman08]

I had a 16 yr old astina changed timing belt and brake hose and a small componet in the power window total cost 180dollars no prob despite the abuse it was given.Non sports cars are actually a good choice for coe cars.

[Keith976]

Actually, wats ur main concern, bro? Cost of ownership and repairs and reliablity? There r too many factors involved.

 

If u need a car for ur work and can't afford to go workshop everytime, better buy a new car, else u might find it a hassle to go workshop everytime.

If u like to play cars, then be prepared to spend more time and money, from a few hundred to thousands or more.

 

I have owned a 1992 Toyota Starlet for 15mths b4 changing to a 1988 Daihatsu GTti for 1yr now.

The money I have spent involves thousands juz for repairs and wear and tear replacement, not even upgrading.

 

If u do the sums, it's still cheaper to buy an old car to repair than to buy a new car but u must have ready cash on hand.

FYI, I take home abt 2k a mth, which is barely enuf to own a car

 

At the end of the day its up to individual, for me, I'm car crazy, so I dun mind pinching myself to own a car

[Swiftee]

Yes...I bought my EG from a used car dealer. Mileage wise is reasonable, ard 144K for an 8 yrs old car (2nd owner).

 

But I believed it was really whacked by its previous owner or used as a rental car....blardy car dealer didn't even changed the engine oil or service the car as promised, before handing over! ...KNN, even tell me car is in very good condition with STA A or B+ grading somemore!! ....KNNCCB, kenna conned like a farking newbie at that tme to fall for his sales tactics!

 

You did not check the STA certificate for inspection?

[Hermitage]

Think COE cars offer some very good value for money rides, not to mention unique as well. I chose this route because of the latter reasoning. Am currently driving a 25 year old Toyota but I'm not going to pretend that it's as problem free & as reliable a new car! Believe me, I've had my fair share of problems:

 

1) Electronics / Wiring is all over the place so the Lights, Radiator Fan, Starter don't always work

2) Wiring to the fuel pump has given out a few times already; car stalled by the roadside, need to tow back to workshop!

3) Weak Ignition causes difficulty at cold starts

4) Oil leaks in bearings, oil pan, cam-gears oil seal has gone as well

5) Most rubber bushings have worn off and been replaced

6) Steering geometry was off and has since been replaced with new linkages and bushings

7) Spare parts are expensive and a total nightmare to find! No more original parts exist for this car.

8) Camber was set for drift and had to be reset

9) Interior was horrible and had to be completely stripped out and re-upholstered

10) Body had a bit of a problem with RUST (this is something you must be very careful about when buying old cars).

11) Spent 3 months in the workshop for a full de-rusting. Followed by another 2 months in the paintshop.

 

The list goes on. So if you don't have the patience or the passion for old cars and all their quirks, STAY AWAY from them. If however you do, then you will enjoy the whole restoration process and all the frustrations that come along with it. There's nothing quite as satisfying as making an old car roadworthy once again and save it from the scrapheap.

 

I think that Singaporean lacks love for their cars, they sell them within 5 years of ownership. They value the 'face' or status cars can give them as individuals, without feelings for the car at all. As such, the cars in Singapore though shiny & new mostly lack this intangible quality known as "character". Unlike some cars in the US/Europe that have been handed down through the generations, from father to son; Now these are cars that have bags & bags of character, and though they may not neccesarily be immensely expensive, they still turn heads and never fail to put a smile on the faces of petrolheads the world over.