Beschreibung
Switchable 4WD
MOT until 10 October 2018
52, 000 miles
A nice little car to drive, but be aware of the following. The Justy is quite low-geared. It's great for blezzing around town or country but it's not a great motorway cruiser.
My job sometimes requires me to scoot up and down the country and it doesn't feel kind to use the Justy this way - this is why I'm selling it. Other things to be aware of: the boot is quite small - the under-floor space is taken up with the driven rear axle. This also robs space from the fuel tank which I think will only get you 250-odd miles between refills. The engine is carb-fed and has an auto-choke so you have to allow it to reach working temperature before it gives full power (such as it is).
Having said all that, it's a lovely thing to buzz about in. The 4x4 works well and makes a big difference in snowy conditions. It has budget tyres currently - some good winter tyres would make it even better I imagine. Note the 4x4 is switchable with no centre diff. It can only be used on loose surfaces (it is not to be used as full time 4WD).
Most Justys of this age have rotted beyond saving but this one is not too bad and I believe I have done the bulk of what is needed to keep it that way. I have welded the following areas (all to MOT standard - rust cut out and replaced with seam-welded fresh steel). Both rear seat belt mounts - extending to the outer skin of the rear box sections. They always seem to rot at these mounts. This car is now nice and solid here, seam welded inside and out. The front lower chassis legs have also been repaired, just where they join the foot wells - again, a common spot for rot. The battery tray has been rebuilt along with the area where it attaches to the inner wing. The original is welded to the wing here. I've replaced the fixing with captive nuts and bolts so it can be removed for cleaning and protection to prevent rot in the future. I recently spotted that a small repair was needed on the leading edge of one of the rear arches. I welded this up but haven't got around to repainting it yet (welds not yet dressed and currently in primer - see photos). The same area on the other side of the car is a little bubbly and would probably best be fixed in a similar way (again - in the photos). Having said that, the rest of both rear arches are in good condition. They can rot really badly here - it looks like some cavity protection was used here in the past which has saved the arches. Front wings are good also. Both sills are sound.
Note this is one of the last of the carb-fed Justys (it is not fuel injected). At this age they came with a passive cat, close-coupled to the manifold. Replacement cats are very hard to get hold of. The one on this car has recently failed but a mid-pipe after-market cat was added which enabled it to pass a recent MOT. The engine starts easily (auto-choke) and pulls well when up to temperature. It seems to have a small amount of piston slap when cold but the sound soon clears. I've replaced the valve cover gasket (these harden and leak oil). There is a small oil leak from around the distributor (not sure if this is a seal between the dizzy and block or internal to the dizzy itself). Gearbox and diff oil has all recently been replaced. There is a very slight noise in the transmission (or possibly a wheel bearing?) when cruising at speed, though I think it might well just be me listening too hard for sounds. It certainly hasn't changed or got any more noticeable in the time I've had the car. It could also be just a characteristic of a small, tinny car with rather more running gear than most would have.
Body work is pretty good - paint a bit flat. There's a small, smooth, shallow dent in the rear passenger-side pillar. Door bottoms, tailgate and front wings are all sound. It's a five-door so not as pretty as the three-door but maybe a bit more practical (rear seat space isn't that generous all the same). Note it does have the horrible original wheel trims, I just prefer the look without them fitted. I recently noticed that one of the front wing rubbing strips is a mismatched replacement.
The interior isn't too bad but there is a nasty split in the side of the drivers seat (see the photo). To be honest, the original front seats are not very supportive anyway - it wouldn't be a bad idea to replace them with something better. The rear seats have a bit of damage on the seams. Dashboard is all tidy with no damage as are the door cards and rear shelf.
If you're interested in the car I would recommend that you give me a call and arrange to come and see it to assure yourself it is what you want and is in the condition you can live with. Please get in touch if you have any questions about the car. I also have some photos of the welded repairs as they were done - I can send copies if you make contact.
