Ford Fiesta Mk3 Practical Classic

This is a very low mileage (28k) Practical Classic which can be insured through specialist insurers such as ‘Footman James’ for less than £100 without any No Claims Discount (NCD). It will even qualify for total road tax exemption in a few years time. The car has been selected and prepared regardless of expense as it was to be used by my son during his Phd study at Liverpool but a lack of parking has made the car surplus to requirements and forced this reluctant sale. We chose the Fiesta because these cars are well proven, reliable and easy to maintain due to their straightforward design and affordable parts. It has the four door body, rear hatch and sunroof making it a bright and roomy practical 5 seater. Twin air bags are a valued safety aid, electric windows are a bonus at car park barriers and toll booths and 4 doors provide easy access for family and friends. It is ideal around town where due to its small size and good visibility it is easy to manoeuvre in traffic and park in spaces too small for other more modern cars. All this does not distract from high speed ‘motorway performance’ where the 1300cc engine and 5 speed gearbox means it will happily cruise at 70 mph plus.
It is a 21 year old car and as such has its fair share of dents associated with supermarket visits and inconsiderate drivers opening their doors. These dents have not broken the paint and could easily be sorted by mobile repairers such as Dent Devils or ChipsAway, finishing with a good T Cut and polish if perfection were required. However the MOT tester was very complimentary of the cars overall condition and lack of faults and that was good enough me. Attempted theft through the rear quarter light glass surprisingly resulted in the insurance company classing it as a category ‘C’ uneconomic repair. Apparently this is because they are obliged to use ‘approved repairers’ and only use new parts resulting in prohibitively high costs. However I was able to source an original radio cassette, have the glass replaced and the seats removed for thorough valeting (along with the carpet) and return it to pre-damage condition for a reasonable outlay. Before and after pictures show the repaired damage and excellent interior along with pictures showing new number plates, 5 new tyres and a full exhaust (including catalytic converter) recently fitted at considerable cost. The engine bay is immaculate and the wheel arches and sills (common rust areas on Ford cars of this era) can be seen to be in excellent condition. Repairers often cut corners by welding a patch over rust which just rusts through again and unfortunately it’s hard to tell what is under a patch once it’s fitted and covered with paint. Further welding can prove very expensive so if you are looking at other cars please check this out.
I realise that I will never recoup the outlay spent on this car which makes it hard to set a selling price. I note one particularly nice Mk3 Fiesta is advertised for nearly £3,000 whilst another, a non-runner without an MOT is advertised for nearly £600. Whilst our car is not concourse it is a well sorted low mileage car with many new parts and a well deserved MOT. Given the low mileage, condition and potential for many thousands of miles trouble free motoring I feel an asking price of £1095.00 to be fair. I must emphasise that the car is here to be sold and as such I welcome any serious offers, preferably based on a visual inspection. A minimum price I have lodged with the ‘ebay offers facility’ will be automatically accepted, immediate payment through PayPal will then secure the car against any subsequent offers even if these are higher.
We live in Bedford (MK41 postcode) which is just a 40 minute train journey from London St Pancras, or by car, east on the A421 from junction 13 of the M1, west on the A421 from A1 ‘black cat’ roundabout. Please note that no test drives will be allowed without proof of driving entitlement and insurance cover along with a non returnable deposit of the full asking price which will be forfeited in the event of any accident. I will of course happily carry out a demonstration drive in varying road and traffic conditions if this would be of help. The car will only be released to a buyer following full payment of the agreed price and a formal receipt will be provided in conjunction with the completed legal documentation.
The mileage may increase if the car is needed for back up as it is still taxed and insured.


Also published at eBay.co.uk