New K11........is it worth Salvaging???

Just thought i'd ask opinions on this, as it's always easy to get carried away, and before you know it, you splashed alot of cash in the wrong place!!!

Have bought this for the wife to use as a shopping car, local run around, and generally to reduce the mileage on our family car (E320 Estate) as that's useless on town driving, but we need if for towing our caravan.
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now mechanically it seems all is good. Everything works..............which was a suprise. However, front bumper has been painted badly and flaking, both wheel arch liners broken, (seems to have had a minor frontal) needs a new rear bumper, possible tailgate, and paintwork to almost every panel.
Now we paid pennies for it, but the wife loves it, and the kids think it's brilliant, and i have to admit......it is fun to drive. However, we have a choice, run it into the ground or get some 2nd hand panels, paint and fix it up........and possibly go down the moding route, but still keeping it as a usable daily car.
From what i can work out, not many were made in this colour, which the wife actually likes, so 2nd panels WILL have to be painted as finding ones in this colour could be impossible. It's only a 1.0, done 70k but drives lovely!!
But...............................is it worth it? Or should we just invest in another one and go from there? I loathe to kill cars, and being mechanically minded i can actually take tools to this, where the Merc has to go to a dealer due to the over complicated electrics..................and costs if you break something!!!!!!!
Are these really that popular? I'd just like some ideas, opinions, suggestions etc if poss.
Merry Christmas
 

Stani1029

Club Member
Check for major rust on the outer/inner sills. Floorpan, front crossmember and just behind the rear wheels. If all is mint then keep it! Depending on how much welding is required choose from there :) i am really considering a reshell on mines due to new found rust under the windscreen :( but the next shell will have to be totally stripped/repaired/painted and 100% mint for peace if mind as everyo other thing can be repaired with ease
 
OP
OP
Spannaz
Yes, rust was always going to be an issue, however, having owned a few Mercs, the rust on these is no where near as bad. MB's would rust in front of your eyes at this time of year! ! lol
I'll give it a good look over on the ramp Monday to see if there is any terminal rust, small hole on o/s outer sill is all that can be found, and there was no advises on anything last year, so hopefully it's just cosmetic from being lady owned in London!
I have a good ole friend with a body shop who did all my paintwork when I was younger, very old school and can do things with bodypanels that very few places could or can, he's not the fastest but is a true master in that field.

But one question would be, do people normally favour the 1.3 over the 1.0 engines? Seems there are not many 1.3's, mother in law has one, all be it a older 95 model, but that was great fun to drive and surprisingly good on fuel too.
 

Stani1029

Club Member
If the body is in a position where it can be saved then do it. Swapping an engine is so easy in these cars, as youll find if mechanically minded. And id always try and get a 1.3 as there quicker and theres not much if any mpg difference
 
OP
OP
Spannaz
If the body is in a position where it can be saved then do it. Swapping an engine is so easy in these cars, as youll find if mechanically minded. And id always try and get a 1.3 as there quicker and theres not much if any mpg difference

interesting, and there was me thinking the 1.0 was the more popular engine. I think if i cam across a good enough 1.3, i'd just buy that and go from there. Having room for 2 on the drive opens up a whole new list of options. Having 3 boys and a wife that are car mad, means ANY project that involves tinkering with cars is welcome. Wife did have a classic Mini, that she would show etc, downside was it would not take 5, was harsh and unrefined, small (at 6'3 my head would pop out the webasto lol) and would regularly break down, or need constant repairs. In the old days, i had all the tools to do it, but you try going into a regular garage and asking for swivels to be re shimmed, or radius arms to be replaced, and they just look at you in a strange way, and think your mad!!
At least with the micra, you need very little amount of tools, and anything out of the ordinary a local garage is more than happy to help. Parts are cheap and easy to come by, and welding......well, the wife's 1st mini took 6 weeks to weld up, and that was working on it 5-6 hrs a day, so hopefully, the Micra won't be half as bad lol
 
Short answer - yes it is with salvaging, better the devil you and what have you.... You've got yourself a pretty good car by the looks of it, It looks like an 'si' going by the wheels, painted up bumpers, higher spec interior and 1.3 engine as you describe. It''ll be great running project as well as being a useful town/shopping car. Not going to comment on modding as I'm not into that kind of thing.
 
OP
OP
Spannaz
Thanks, yes it is an Si, all but a 1.0 one, but in an unusual colour IMHO anyway and the wife likes it. I think my fear is from past days of car owning, is spending more on it, than it's either worth, or that what you spend on it, could have got you something younger or lower mileage. However, as the past few days have shown, what you DON'T get is the reward of knowing that you have done the work. Some may say it's a waste of time with an old car, but then i'm old too lol.
It's been a long time since the tools were out, hell even wife got dirty yesterday, and went foresting across a scrap yard in knee high boot for arch liners, complete with tool box, much to the shock of our 8 year old. Not sure he realised his mum did that kind of thing......................but does now!! lol
So far i have managed to source another genuine front bumper, a rear bumper and complete tailgate, along with both front arch liners. These will need to be painted along with the remainder of the car, along with a small patch repair to n/s rear arch and o/s sill. So far from removing inner trims, i can find no further rust, but will wax oil these once the paintwork is done to prevent further spreading.
THe only mods i can see for the immediate future are to lower it a little (approx 40-50mm) a sporty rear silencer (no...not a noisy one) 185/60 13 tyres, and just improve bits or restore what's on there. One thing I have found surprising is the low cost of all this, normally i'd be looking at huge bills, but so far, have yet to break £100 on the bits i have bought..............................costs me more than that to fill up our E class!
 
OP
OP
Spannaz
another update.....................sourced 2 new bumper in same colour, so that saved a fortune in painting. Gave it a good service, along with new cap and rotor, fitted the missing wheel arch liners on the front, replaced antifreeze and this thing drives like another car.!!!
Best yet, its just returned 55.88mpg on the last tank, amazing considering all the running around it's been doing! Started paying for itself already!
 

SuluR

Buy & Sell Member
Thanks, yes it is an Si, all but a 1.0 one, but in an unusual colour IMHO anyway and the wife likes it. I think my fear is from past days of car owning, is spending more on it, than it's either worth, or that what you spend on it, could have got you something younger or lower mileage. However, as the past few days have shown, what you DON'T get is the reward of knowing that you have done the work. Some may say it's a waste of time with an old car, but then i'm old too lol.
It's been a long time since the tools were out, hell even wife got dirty yesterday, and went foresting across a scrap yard in knee high boot for arch liners, complete with tool box, much to the shock of our 8 year old. Not sure he realised his mum did that kind of thing......................but does now!! lol
So far i have managed to source another genuine front bumper, a rear bumper and complete tailgate, along with both front arch liners. These will need to be painted along with the remainder of the car, along with a small patch repair to n/s rear arch and o/s sill. So far from removing inner trims, i can find no further rust, but will wax oil these once the paintwork is done to prevent further spreading.
THe only mods i can see for the immediate future are to lower it a little (approx 40-50mm) a sporty rear silencer (no...not a noisy one) 185/60 13 tyres, and just improve bits or restore what's on there. One thing I have found surprising is the low cost of all this, normally i'd be looking at huge bills, but so far, have yet to break £100 on the bits i have bought..............................costs me more than that to fill up our E class!


1.0 Si with no power steering or fogs (can't see in the pics). Now I'm confused!
 
OP
OP
Spannaz
1.0 Si with no power steering or fogs (can't see in the pics). Now I'm confused!

Yes No power steering and no fog lights. I did think that was due to a minor front end, but the stalk switch shows it with no fronts, just rear. Something i will probably change if a set comes up cheap enough, as living by the coast means we see alot of it......like today!
I checked the log book, says Micra Si 998cc so it's not been made up. Be interesting to know the history, maybe it was a pre release model, or just a bog standard one and had no extras.
Wife is insisting on keeping the little thing, and i am happy with that, as it saves mileage on my E class, and not to mention the kids wrecking the interior.
So.......top of my 'to do' list i s now power steering conversion according to her!
 

SuluR

Buy & Sell Member
Yes No power steering and no fog lights. I did think that was due to a minor front end, but the stalk switch shows it with no fronts, just rear. Something i will probably change if a set comes up cheap enough, as living by the coast means we see alot of it......like today!
I checked the log book, says Micra Si 998cc so it's not been made up. Be interesting to know the history, maybe it was a pre release model, or just a bog standard one and had no extras.
Wife is insisting on keeping the little thing, and i am happy with that, as it saves mileage on my E class, and not to mention the kids wrecking the interior.
So.......top of my 'to do' list i s now power steering conversion according to her!

Ah. Perhaps bog standard version. No biggie. PAS, best to go breakers and find a power steering facelift and take the lot. Theres a list on the website of everything you need n steps to take. It's a bit wordy when working with grubby hands and trying to read.

http://www.micra.com.au/technical-articles/power-steering-conversion.php

Where are you located?
 
OP
OP
Spannaz
Ah. Perhaps bog standard version. No biggie. PAS, best to go breakers and find a power steering facelift and take the lot. Theres a list on the website of everything you need n steps to take. It's a bit wordy when working with grubby hands and trying to read.

http://www.micra.com.au/technical-articles/power-steering-conversion.php

Where are you located?
Located in England Garden.........Kent! Medway, over looking the Thames and The River Medway.......hence the fog! lol
 

Antony

Ex. Club Member
the si was a 5 door 1.3 if i remember correctly, and those wheels are pre-1998 SR wheels. the si came with 14" steelies and fake 5 spoke wheel trims.

the log books arent allways correct, my mr2 said it was a 2.0 engine but with a 2.2l engine number..... now its a 3.0...lol
 

r-reg-sr

-------
Site Supporter
one point oh - micra s and its an i

weird one on the log book though, maybe a micra s are marked si in the book. which isnt accurate (like my spelling) as si are 1.3
 

SuluR

Buy & Sell Member
Ive never seen a SI with four doors, and i always seem them with those SR alloys on early ones and 14 on later ones
 
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