[ChrisM]

I think now is the time to buy a 75, but I honestly have no idea where to start, wrt model, engine or otherwise! Anyone got any tips? Current daily drive is a Skoda Octavia 1.9SDi, but am now only doing around 12 miles a day so petrol may be the way to go…?

Cheers,
Chris

[Richard KilpatrickKeymaster]

There’s a pre-production one on here somewhere, if that floats your boat!

[Frankie the 75 nut]

In my opinion the CDTi is the best bet, it’s the most reliable of the lot and frugal. You can afford to be a bit fussy because there’s plenty of good ones (and bad ones) around for peanuts.
Steer clear of the raggy, scruffy high milage ones. Although the car can take it, there’s no need to accept a tatty one with so many good ones around.
Read Mr Humble’s excellent blog. You’ll find the latest instalment on the home page…good hunting

[ChrisM]

Heard horror stories about the clutch on the CDTi – how bad is it?

[Mike Humble]

Not as bad as you hear. Tho it does exist but vw have dmf failure as does Ford and Vauxhall release bearings are made of butter!

[Rob CParticipant]

Avoid manuals, get rid of the chocolate clutch mechanism and you save a huge bill straight off, it WILL fail at some point! Autos can play up, but no where near as much as clutches.

Avoid a KV6 if it’s due belts and if there is the slightest sound of tinkling or rattling coming from the inlet manifold, 2 huge bills there.

So, that leaves the CDT(i) or the 1800. The K is well versed on HGF, but, there is every possibility it has had a new one fitted, plus if it did pop it’s not hard to sort it, and do the belt at same time, it’s an easy engine to work on in the 75. The CDT or CDTi come with their own issues, fuel pumps, timing chains after 200k and turbochargers, but biggest problem is the fuel pump, in tank one packs up, and puts the engine bay pump under stress, usually shows up when the car coasts to a halt on the motorway with 1/4 tank of fuel showing as tank is a saddle type and in 2 bits, pump can’t get the fuel up from other side, and not going round bends the fuel doesn’t slosh over to the other side.

Connoisseur SE is top spec, and if you find one is one to have, failing that Connoisseur or Club SE anything else just feels, well a bit basic and cheap IMO.

[Frankie the 75 nut]

@ ChrisM. Not as bad as the HGF on petrols!

[Kev]

I’d go for the 1.8 for the miles you do. It’s frugal, quiet, fast when you want it to be in turbo form and is easiest and cheapest to fix if it goes wrong. You don’t need a CDTi. Diesel is for farm machinery and fleet managers.

[Rob CParticipant]

Beg to differ, 2 75s both clutches failed, no HGF at all! OK one was CDT the other 2.0 KV6, but the KV6 rattled worse than a smokers chest!

HG on a 1.8 is cheaper and easier to fix than a clutch on any engine!

[Frankie the 75 nut]

@ Rob C. Please do differ, it makes for interesting disscussions
Isn’t a way to make sure the HGs don’t go just down to proper maintenance ( a lot of people sadly neglect 75s, as we all know)? But of course buying used you can never be sure…

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