The time has come, after a lot of contemplation, to part with my beloved old D3. Life has changed, circumstances change, I no longer have need for my massive armchair of a car and am downsizing to my Insignia, while SWMBO gets a small mom-car for shopping and toddler club.
I’ll preface with honesty, she’s no show pony (the D3, not the wife), has a relatively short MOT (April) and will likely need some suspension work to pass, but she runs well, pulls well, drives reasonably and is in a perfectly acceptable condition (I feel) for her 19th birthday being only a few days away.
She’s been my daily (not that I have anything resembling a 9-5) for nearly 3 years, pounding up and down the A9, taking band equipment across muddy fields, occasionally pulling generators out of said muddy fields, my festival camper van (beats sitting in festival traffic every morning!). Taking me, the wife and the bairn from the furthest north to the midlands and the very far south east for family trips. Carried my chainsaws, dragged trailers of logs around at home. She’s been wonderful.
Anyway. Enough babbling. Details, and pictures to follow in the next post once she’s defrosted.
As in the title,
54 plate D3 HSE manual,
178k miles (ish) in Java Black.
Black leather interior,
4x heated seats (all working),
Electric windscreen (one filled chip, one internal scratch from my watch ),
Working and recently serviced FBH,
In fact, everything except the parking sensors and sat nav works, and she’s still on air (albeit, with one leaky strut).
Serviced (oil, all filters, EPB adjustment) in my ownership every 5k miles or conveniently beforehand. Usually spring before festival season, then late autumn before the long journey to see family in the south. Reasonable service history before hand too. Binder full of invoices (including EGR blanking twice! Neither of which removed the intake flap, so I did that).
“Upgrades” and repairs in my ownership:
V8 size front brakes (less than 1yr old)
Rear discs, pads and shoes (less than 1yr old)
Wind deflectors… (form your own opinion, I found them noisy but essential for sleeping in the back in summer)
Denso alternator (16 months old)
Sunroof drain tube (Front passenger most recently. Let’s never speak of that weekend again)
Bad bits:
Suspension work for next MOT will be front lower arms, tie rod ends and anti roll bar links. One of these, or combination of, causes DSC to kick in but only sometimes. Generally goes away after a few miles, but the switch is right there to save pads.
One leaky air strut as previously mentioned. The usual NSF. Throws a fault after 10 minutes on a smooth road. Doesn’t have a limp mode! Or I’ve never had it go into limp mode. Not once in 3 years.
Possibly F-R brake lines, but that garage puts that same advisory on every MOT…
Lumpy idle and slightly smokey when sat idling for a while, comes and goes (more comes than goes) that I’ve chased on and off over the last nearly 3 years and never solved. Much smoother on premium (of which it also has nearly a full tank!)
Surface corrosion underneath but nothing that I can see that would get a second glance on a test. No side steps to destroy the sills either. Remarkably solid for 19yr.
Couple of filled scratches (Previous Owner), generous application of sealant in places sealant shouldn’t be (PO), lump out of the corner of one middle side seat (I started that with a ladder, my dog did the rest, covered with a fabric patch).
Only one key (but you can have all the parts of the second that I had to forcibly dismantle and dry out to be able to get home one wet day…)
Passenger wing mirror doesn’t fold.
What I’ve labelled as the “ignore” fault code list isn’t small, but none of the regulars affect operation. Wing mirror motors (all work?), ignition coil relay, parking sensors etc.
What else:
I have a box with random and assorted parts that will be in the boot. There are a pair of wing mirrors (to replace the one that doesn’t fold), an A pillar trim, bits of a FBH, a selection box of clips and screws, a couple of used injectors and various other bits and pieces, a dozen or so unswollen nuts. Just a box of the random bits that I’ve collected over time.
Will also include the NOCO to 12S (?) charging adapter that I bought off this sites own shop a couple of years ago.
Price. The ever asked “what’s it worth” question that plagues us all at moving on time. I’m hoping for in the region of £2000, for somebody with the willing and a flat, smooth drive or lift, I wouldn’t doubt that a little work would see her go on for a few more years. I, unfortunately have slopey gravel and I’ve done my time working on that.
At that price I will include the GAP IID and include/reinstall the Altox FBH remote.
If it doesn’t go for that, I will list those separately and consider the better offer.
The bigger stickler (beyond my potentially ambitious pricing) is location. Think north, most of you will think Scotland. Think more north, that’s where some of you get to Inverness. Think MORE north again… a few of you will get to John o Groats. Yeah, I’m almost at John o Groats, about half an hour short. Though I do live in the family’s B&B! So there’s a room if you want it, train stations aren’t far away, or make a trip of it. I could also bring it somewhat south. Inverness is quite regular, Glasgow isn’t out of the equation but would be about my limit.
I’ll keep it taxed and insured until the MOT lapses, then I’ll just weigh it in with the nearest scrappy
Any other information, suggestions, feel free to comment of PM. I’m not easily offended, and I will be genuinely gutted to see her go. Just hoping to make up the difference to the little Fiat the SWMBO is fancying. (It’s not even a Panda 4x4 she wants, so I’m not impressed)
Pictures to follow. It’s nearly warm outside.
(PS: I’ve read the rules. I’m just hoping I read them right. Established users don’t need to buy an advert etc, but I will happily support the cause if required)
Edit: Struggling with the picture upload. Got all the way to 2% and stalled for a solid few minutes. Will try again later.D4 XS Commercial - MY16 - Corris Grey
D3 HSE - MY05 - Java black - Retired
Vauxhall Insignia Country Tourer - PX’d, in a poorly way
GAP IIDBT G3
2x Colliewobbles and a Kelpie
11th Jan 2024 11:18 am
NC500
Member Since: 18 Sep 2017
Location: On the NC500
Posts: 549
You are south of me!! 😆
11th Jan 2024 4:17 pm
Shealesy
Member Since: 09 May 2021
Location: Caithness
Posts: 238
Only a little bit I thought I might mention “except for one user who is further north” but it was already quite a rambling post…D4 XS Commercial - MY16 - Corris Grey
D3 HSE - MY05 - Java black - Retired
Vauxhall Insignia Country Tourer - PX’d, in a poorly way
GAP IIDBT G3
2x Colliewobbles and a Kelpie
11th Jan 2024 9:09 pm
Shealesy
Member Since: 09 May 2021
Location: Caithness
Posts: 238
External:
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Inside:
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Including my forgotten mods. Changed a couple of 12V sockets for twin USB ports. The Kinovo Bluetooth kit will also stay in as taking the console apart to remove is more than I have time for at the moment. Tow bar camera built into the tailgate handle with a plug-in screen. Usually lives in the cubby.
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The aforementioned flaws:
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I will of course give it a good clean and a hoover out. Front and middle row set of genuine rubber mats, non-genuine rubber boot protector.D4 XS Commercial - MY16 - Corris Grey
D3 HSE - MY05 - Java black - Retired
Vauxhall Insignia Country Tourer - PX’d, in a poorly way
GAP IIDBT G3
2x Colliewobbles and a Kelpie
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
),
I thought I might mention “except for one user who is further north” but it was already quite a rambling post…
